Edinburgh Tradfest: 2024 Music Programme Announced

FESTIVAL DATES: Friday 3 May – Monday 13 May 2024

This year’s music programme for Edinburgh Tradfest is now on sale. 

More festival events including film, storytelling, book launches and workshops will be announced at the Edinburgh Tradfest 2024 full programme launch on Wed 13 March at 10am at the Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh. (save the date – full details to follow)

VALTOS | NORDIC FIDDLERS BLOC | THE FRETLESS | BIRDVOX | TRIPTIC | DAIMH | JULIE FOWLIS | LENA JONSSON & BRITTANY HAAS | MARTIN SIMPSON

This year’s festival programme includes a fantastic line-up of live music at the Traverse and various venues across Edinburgh, thanks to continued support from The National Lottery through Creative Scotland, and the William Grant Foundation.

Opening the Festival on Friday 3 April at the Queen’s Hall is VALTOS which has taken the trad and electronic music world by storm. The band led by Daniel Docherty and Martyn MacDonald will be joined by award-winning singer/songwriter Josie Duncan and more special guests to be announced. 

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Birdvox (Inge Thomson, Charlotte Printer, Jenny Sturgeon, Sarah Hayes) headline Traverse 1 on Thu 9 May.

Over the 11 days of the Festival there will be live music and workshops involving more than 100 musicians, including velvet harmonies from fresh new electro-trad band Birdvox (Inge Thomson, Charlotte Printer, Jenny Sturgeon, Sarah Hayes); Triptic formed from three members of Moishe’s Bagel (Greg Lawson, Phil Alexander and Mario Caribe), Canada’s finest fiddle quartet The Fretless joined by award-winning folk singer-songwriter Madeleine Roger; Scandi-fiddlers Nordic Fiddlers Bloc (Olav Luksengård Mjelva, Kevin Henderson and Anders Hall);Gaelic supergroup Dàimh; multi-award winning acoustic and slide guitar master Martin Simpson; raucous fiddle folk duo Lena Jonsson from Northern Sweden and Brittany Haas from Northern California; and, one of Scotland’s best loved traditional music stars Julie Fowlis who will play at the festival’s closing concert in the Assembly Rooms with special guests Laura Wilkie and Ian Carr.

There will also be soloists and new emerging musicians performing every night in Traverse 2 including LA-based singer-songwriter Alice Howe (appearing with Freebo), multi-award-winning singer/harpist/composer Rachel Newton; electrofolk fiddle player Frankie Archer who won the 2023 Christian Raphael Prize and has featured on Later…With Jools Holland; piper Malin Lewis; jazz-crossover folk duo Norman&Corrie; Simon Bradley Trio (Simon Bradley, Anna-Wendy Stevenson, Michael Bryan); virtuoso musicians Simon Thoumire and Dave Milligan; Irish fiddler and bilingual singer Clare Sands; and BBC Radio Scotland’s Young Traditional Musician of the Year finalist 2024 Evie Waddell.

This year’s special commission is Everyone’s Welcome to Edinburgh curated and arranged by award-winning fiddler Robbie Greig, with new and old tunes, and songs hailing from the capital city.

Robbie will be joined for the gig by some of the most talented musicians in Scotland – Ciaran Ryan, Duncan Lyall, Hannah Rarity, Jenn Butterworth, and Signy Jakobsdottir.

Returning in 2024 is the festival’s popular Rebellious Truth lecture presented in collaboration with Celtic and Scottish Studies at the University of Edinburgh.

This year it will feature a talk and performance by legendary folk musician and broadcaster Archie Fisher which will be in-person andlive-streamed.

Also returning is the ETF Spotlight showcasing four of the most exciting new artists emerging in folk and traditional music today – Scots song and tunes trio ELIR , clarinet and accordion duo  Anna Scott and Ciorstaidh Chaimbeul from the Isle of Skye, the freshly formed folk trio Beatha (Iona Reid, Cam Lawson and Kenneth MacFarlane), and virtuoso solo guitarist Miguel Girão. 

And, finally Hands Up For Trad’s very own #WorldPlayAStrathspeyDay annual concert is back on Saturday 4May, the day when people all around the world are invited to record, video and upload themselves playing a strathspey to social media.

Douglas Robertson and Jane-Ann Purdy, co-producers of Edinburgh Tradfest said: “Every year we spend the run up to Edinburgh Tradfest searching for the very best traditional musicians from across Scotland, across the world and across the generations.

“There is such a wealth of talent out there. We hope you will find some of your favourite artists represented and some future favourites to try. We can’t wait to share this year’s festival with you.”

The full programme for this year’s Edinburgh Tradfest including events at the Scottish Storytelling Centre, the Folk Film Festival, and the Edinburgh Folk Club will be launched on Wednesday 13 March and will include an unmissable line-up of talks, adult and children’s music workshops, ceilidhs, films, and storytelling thanks to continued support from The National Lottery through Creative Scotland, and the William Grant Foundation.

Edinburgh Tradfest 2024 will run from Friday 3 May – Monday 13 May. For tickets and more information visit edinburghtradfest.com

Groundbreaking research could revolutionise bowel cancer treatment

New research led by a team of scientists from Queen’s University Belfast and the Cancer Research UK (CRUK) Scotland Institute in Glasgow have made a series of groundbreaking discoveries into tumour biology that may be used to deliver a more effective personalised medicine approach for patients with bowel (colorectal) cancer.

Bowel cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the UK, with around 42,900 new bowel cancer cases and around 16,600 bowel cancer deaths in the UK every year, a statistic that highlights the need for new ways to treat patients with this aggressive disease.

The new study, funded by Cancer Research UK and published today in the prestigious journal Nature Genetics, used a unique and innovative approach developed in Belfast, to identify a set of previously unseen molecular patterns in tumour tissue that provides new information related to treatment response and risk of disease progression.

These remarkable results mean that clinicians and scientists can now draw more information from a patient’s tumour tissue which may lead to better treatment options.

Previously, the most common approach for identifying groups of tumours based on their biological signalling, known as molecular subtyping, used information about how active individual genes are within tumour tissue.

The subtypes identified using this method have shaped understanding of cancer development, progression and response to therapy over the last decade and served as the basis for numerous clinical trials and pre-clinical studies.

Dr Philip Dunne, Reader in Molecular Pathology from the Patrick G Johnston Centre for Cancer Research at Queen’s University Belfast and senior author of the study, explains: “While looking at patterns across individual genes has revealed remarkable insights into cancer signalling, advances in laboratory research over the last decade have shown that assessing activity in groups of closely related genes in combination can provide new understanding that isn’t apparent when using the traditional single gene approaches.”

Given the potential value of this new pathway approach, researchers from Queen’s University Belfast, the CRUK Scotland Institute, University of Zurich, University of Oxford alongside a multinational collaborative group proposed a new data-driven method for reclassification of bowel cancer, which has been published in this new groundbreaking study.

By assembling genes into biological pathways prior to the development of molecular subtypes, the team rearranged tumours into a series of new groups, based on activity across a complex network of cancer-related signalling; all of which appears to be critical in predicting how well a tumour will respond to different treatments such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

To ensure that scientists and clinicians around the world can immediately access these data and test this new subtyping approach, the team have released a freely available classification tool that allows the Belfast-developed approach to be used on tumour samples in any research lab.

Dr Sudhir Malla, Postdoctoral Research Fellow from the Patrick G Johnston Centre for Cancer Research at Queen’s University Belfast and first author of the study commented: “By developing an unrestricted classification tool for the cancer research community, it means that researchers from around the world can reproduce our finding on data emerging from their own collections of tumour samples, to identify biological pathways that cancer cells switch on or off to control their movement, growth and response to their environment.”

Professor Owen Sansom, Director of the Cancer Research UK Scotland Institute in Glasgow, who co-authored the study said: “The research presented today in Nature Genetics exemplifies the value of collaborative research between scientists and clinicians.

“Studies such as this are essential to enable us to understand the complexities of a patient’s tumour and will be used in our pre-clinical laboratories to identify novel treatments specifically targeting the biological patterns we have identified.”

Dr Sam Godfrey, Research Information Lead at Cancer Research UK, said: “Cancer is perhaps the most complex disease we face, and no single treatment will ever beat it.

“Cancer Research UK is delighted to have funded this innovative research, an important step towards giving doctors the insight to see which therapy can best exploit an individual cancer’s weakness.

“Research like this could lead to better and more precise treatments for the thousands of people diagnosed with bowel cancer every year in Scotland.”

The team are now applying their new subtyping approach on tumour samples derived from clinical trials run in the UK, to build the essential clinical evidence needed before the new method can be used to make clinical decision about which treatments a patient should be offered.

Fet Lor Centenary Dinner

FETTES COLLEGE on 24th MAY

As part of our Centenary Celebrations we will be having a Black Tie Dinner at Fettes College on the 24th of May.

This will be a great opportunity to throw on your best clothes and celebrate 100 Years of Fetlor, Here’s to 100 more. 🥂

Tickets will be £100 a head, with a silent auction and raffle on the night with lots of great prizes to win.

For further information or ticket purchasing please email: Richie@fetlor.org.uk

Hope to see you there,

-The Fetlor team

SEPA issue record number of Flood Alerts and Warnings this winter

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) have issued a record number of regional Flood Alerts and local Flood Warnings to the public this winter.

A total of 720 messages have been sent since 1st September 2023, the highest number since SEPA introduced its Floodline service in March 2011. The previous record of 714 was set over autumn and winter 2015/16.

Following a year of storms and flooding events, and with winter weather continuing, SEPA are urging as many people as possible to sign up to receive their free Flood Alerts and Warnings.

SEPA are Scotland’s national flood forecasting and warning authority. Advance notice of flooding is provided using forecast weather information from the Met Office in combination with SEPA’s own rainfall and river level observations, and advanced hydrological modelling.

When flooding impacts are forecast, regional Alerts, local Warnings or, in worst case scenarios local Severe Warnings, are issued to those signed up to receive them via phone call or text.

Pascal Lardet, Flood Warning Unit Manager at SEPA, said: “This year, Scotland has witnessed several extreme weather events.

“In October, two consecutive periods of intense and prolonged rainfall between the 6th and 9th of October and then Storm Babet between the 18th and 23rd of October.

“These events resulted in severe impacts, with extensive flooding of communities, multiple properties evacuations and impacts on infrastructures, particularly the overtopping of Brechin flood defences.

“Unsettled weather continued from November to February, with a record number of named storms affecting the whole country. The latest stormy period was only last week with significant coastal wave overtopping due to high spring tides combined with a surge, affecting the Solway Firth and the East coast in particular.

“These events should be a wake-up call of things to come due to climate change here in Scotland. Flooding remains a growing threat to our communities, which is why it is vital that those who aren’t signed up to our free Floodline service should take action now and not wait until the next storm hits.

“Receiving our messages allows communities and businesses more time to prepare and act to reduce the risk of damage and disruption. This may involve deploying flood protection products, moving vehicles from at risk areas and changing travel plans.”

SEPA are continuing to expand and improve Scotland’s flood warning service network and have recently added six local Flood Warning areas along the River Carron near Falkirk.

Approximately 1,500 properties are at risk of flooding in these areas, which were identified in Scotland’s Flood Risk Management Plans as a priority.

Members of the public and businesses can sign up to Floodline free of charge online to receive messages directly to your phone, letting you know when the area where you live, work or travel through is at risk of flooding.

Follow @SEPAFlood on X for the latest updates including our three-day Scottish Flood Forecast or visit our website for a view of all the latest flood updates and further information.

Cyrenians launches new HQ

New office move underpins charity’s ‘significant growth‘

AN INNOVATIVE charity hub has created a purpose-built new HQ for one of Scotland’s most important organisations dedicated to ending homelessness.

Cyrenians has already spent 25 years based in Norton Park in Edinburgh but was spread across several units in the former school, which is home to 21 third sector organisations.

When a rare space came available in the building – renowned as the home of charities in Edinburgh – bosses at the hub bent over backwards to ensure it was refitted to perfectly suit the needs of Cyrenians.

Now the 220-strong charity, dedicated to tackling both the causes and consequences of homelessness has moved into a space almost double the size of its previous offices, which had become cramped as the organisation grew steadily.

Last year alone Cyrenians supported over 10,800 people experiencing or who were at risk of homelessness.

Delighted Catherine Bromley, marketing and communications manager with Cyrenians, heaped praise on Norton Park – a charity in its own right – as a brilliant landlord providing specialist and affordable offices space to those in the third sector.

She added: “Being in Norton Park, we are close to many other organisations who are striving towards similar goals. That opens us up to so many opportunities for collaboration, which has been fantastic.

“The facilities and amenities at Norton Park enable our staff to collaborate more effectively as we work to make real, lasting change in the lives of people in Scotland.

“We are launching a strategic plan for 2024 to 2027 and the move to the bigger space is very much consolidation for us as we strive to focus on and strengthen the services we offer at a time when Scotland is facing a housing emergency and we have never been more needed.”

The milestone move for Cyrenians means the organisation is now based in 3100 sq feet of space at Norton Park, where previously its team were spread across 3 units in the building with a total footprint of just 2800 sq ft. It also has offices in Falkirk and the Borders.

Since moving into Norton Park in 1999, Cyrenians has undergone significant expansion, currently providing 63 essential services across seven local authorities.

It attributes the expansion to the growing need for its services as a result of the persisting housing crisis and rising cost of living, leading to heightened levels of homelessness and temporary accommodation placements for many Scots.

Norton Park, in the heart of Leith, was a primary and secondary school which catered to generations of Edinburgh youngsters since 1903.

However, it later fell into disrepair until 1998, when it was rescued by the former Albion Trust (now known as Norton Park SCIO) which was founded to transform the building.

Continued investment means it now boasts a campus of modern shared offices, serviced with a reception – and fully accessible conference meeting and events spaces. Its conference centre, housed in a converted church adjacent to the school, provides space for up to 120 delegates.

It provides rent and services to charities significantly below market rates, enabling them to put more money back into their various missions.

Yolanda Wringe, Chief Operational Officer from Norton Park said: “Over the past 25 years we’ve had the privilege of accommodating Cyrenians and witnessing its remarkable growth as an organisation.

“Our aim to create a supportive community for these vital organisations so they can focus on their mission-driven work. 

“From charities with a two people-strong team to 220 people, our premises enable sharing of experiences and resources which can help enable organisations like Cyrenians to grow.”

Norton Park is Edinburgh’s first office complex exclusively for charities and social enterprises, offering discounted rates for registered charities, community groups and public sector organisations.

The eco-friendly building offers flexible leasing arrangements and specially designed spaces to foster productivity and cooperation among non-profits.

UK to establish world’s first UN-backed centre for circular economy research

Sustainable approaches to the circular economy and resource efficiency will be developed to enable the transition to a greener future

The UK will establish the world’s first United Nations-backed International Centre of Excellence on Sustainable Resource Management in the Circular Economy, Resources Minister Robbie Moore announced today (Tuesday 27 February).

Recognising world-class British academic expertise and cutting-edge scientific research, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) will support the establishment of the centre in the UK.

A circular economy is one in which resources are kept in use for as long as possible, rather than being taken from the earth, used once and disposed of in landfill.

The centre will develop sustainable approaches to the circular economy and resource efficiency to enable carbon reduction and the transition to a greener future. The UK will help countries across the world to maximise the environmental and economic opportunities the circular economy offers.

Opening formally in April 2024, the centre will comprise five institutions: University College London (UCL), University of Exeter, Brunel University London, Swansea University and the British Geological Survey.

Co-ordinated by a Government-funded UNECE research manager based in Geneva, this coalition will leverage their expertise to explore circularity in areas such as metals, construction and critical minerals to develop effective data, technological innovation, finance models and policy. The five participating institutions have together contributed £1.85 million to fund the centre’s technical activities. 

Resources Minister Robbie Moore said: “This is real recognition of the UK’s global leadership in sustainable resource management and testament to Britain’s world-leading academic expertise.

“We are delighted to host this centre, enabling our cutting-edge UK academics to develop the tools and research that will help countries across the world seize the opportunities of the circular economy, leading the way in the transition to a greener future.”

UNECE Executive Secretary Tatiana Molcean said: “Making the use of our resources more sustainable and moving towards a circular economy is fundamental to sustainable development and climate action.

“Partnerships mobilising international expertise play an important role in UN cooperation to develop and share best practices. I welcome the establishment of this new Centre of Excellence, with its focus on circularity of metals, construction and critical raw materials.”

The centre will also draw heavily on the success of several of the partner institutions in the National Interdisciplinary Circular Economy Research (NICER) research and development programme, a four-year £30 million investment established by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’ chief scientist in 2019 under the UK Government’s Strategic Priorities Fund.

In July 2023, the UK government announced new plans setting out its long-term aim to use fewer new resources, drive up the repair and reuse of existing materials and increase recycling.

The programme – Maximising Resources, Minimising Waste – brings together a range of measures backed by government funding which will help to keep products and materials in circulation for as long as possible and at their highest value, including through increasing reuse, repair and remanufacture, helping to grow the economy and boost employment.

Today’s announcement will help drive the programme forward and contribute to the UK’s world-leading efforts to protect the environment and improve its use of resources.

One in four adults in Scotland have had concerns a child was being abused or neglected 

  • New survey findings also show more than two in five parents in Scotland have experienced difficulties as a parent they found hard to manage alone.
  • The NSPCC is releasing this data as it aims to inspire a million people to take actions that keep children safe through its Listen up, Speak up campaign.
  • Workshops being offered to groups and organisations across Scotland to help public understand some signs a child might be at risk and the steps to take. 

As a quarter of adults (26%) in Scotland say they have had concerns a child may be experiencing abuse or neglect, the NSPCC offers workshops to help people take action.

The YouGov survey of 3,999 adults across the UK, including 344 in Scotland, also revealed that one in five UK adults who have had a concern did not take action.  

Survey results show that the main barriers that prevented people from acting are being unsure about if what was happening was abuse, being worried about making things worse and not being able to prove it.

The children’s charity is releasing this data to show why its new campaign is needed. Listen up, Speak up – through workshops and online training – aims to inspire adults across the UK to play their part in keeping children safe, by taking action to support children and families.  

That might mean stepping in to help juggle childcare, providing a listening ear to a struggling teen, or calling the NSPCC Helpline if they think a child is at risk. 

The NSPCC recognises that parenting can be challenging, and the new poll also found that of the 175 parents in Scotland surveyed:

  • More than two in five (47%) said they have experienced difficulties as a parent that they found hard to manage alone.
  • One in four (25%) said the fear of being judged would stop them seeking help.
  • Almost three out of five (59%) said that if someone offered support they had not asked for, they would be glad someone had stepped in (18%) or be reassured to feel someone was on their side (41%).

The Listen up, Speak up workshops, which are led by the NSPCC and being offered to schools, businesses, organisations and community groups, advise participants on some of the signs that a child might be at risk, how to approach difficult conversations and who to contact if they are concerned about a child or their family.

The workshops are being offered face-to-face and online and people can also complete a 10-minute digital training session. 

Carla Malseed, Local Campaigns Manager for Scotland, said: “We believe that everyone can play a part in keeping children safe, if armed with the knowledge of what to do when concerned a child is at risk.

“This can range from practically supporting a family, being a listening ear or letting someone know about your concerns, such as a parent, a child protection lead for a sports club, or even contacting the NSPCC Helpline.

“In our Listen up, Speak up workshops, we run through different scenarios, talk about the things that stop people raising concerns and give some advice about broaching these conversations, which can be difficult.

“We are really keen to reach as many people as possible through our workshops and would love to hear from any community groups, businesses or organisations that would like to host one.”

The advice is based on the mnemonic DOTS which is designed to address the barriers to people acting on concerns.

DOTS stands for:

  • Don’t ignore it
  • Observe the situation
  • Think: If not you, then who?
  • Speak up.

Workshops are already set to take place across Scotland in the coming weeks, including several at Sanctuary Housing sites in Glasgow, Dundee and Aberdeen. Sessions are also set to take place at Montrose Playhouse, House of Bruar, Bike for Good in Glasgow and more.

A series of follow-up emails to the online training will share more advice on how to listen to and support children and families and will introduce some helpful services and resources.  

That includes advice on everyday challenges that families may be facing such as bonding with their baby, parental mental health and keeping their children safe online. 

So far, more than 25,000 people have signed up to Listen up, Speak up digital training.  The charity is striving to reach one million people and organisations across the UK over the next 10 years, inspiring them to take actions in their community. 

NSPCC’s CEO, Sir Peter Wanless, said: “All of us come across children in our daily lives, be this in our neighbourhoods, at our places of work, on our commute or at the supermarket.  

 “At the NSPCC we understand it can be hard to know what to do in a situation where you have a niggling concern about a child’s wellbeing.  

 “Findings from our survey show 73% of UK adults agree that there is a lack of training on what individuals can do to prevent child abuse and neglect, which is where our Listen up, Speak up programme can help. 

 “In just 10 minutes, you can equip yourself with a little bit of knowledge, which can go a long way in helping to keep children and young people safe.” 

To find out more and sign up for online training, visit www.nspcc.org.uk/speakup. To host a workshop, email localcampaigns@nspcc.org.uk  

Statement on 10th Anniversary of the Russian annexation of Crimea

The UK Government has issued a statement on the 10th Anniversary of the Russian annexation of Crimea

A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) spokesperson said: “Ten years ago Russia illegally, and unacceptably sought to annex Crimea. An action which, eight years later was used to launch its full-scale invasion into Ukraine.

“Today, Russia continues to deprive Ukrainians in Crimea of their liberty, waging a brutal and systematic campaign of human rights abuses and violations. This is unacceptable, and Russia must be held to account.

“We want to be clear that the UK will never recognise Russia’s illegal claims to the region, or to any Ukrainian territory and that we will continue to do all we can to stop Putin’s war machine, and support Ukraine in their fight, for as long as it takes.”

The MacRobert Trust partners with Inclusive Farm

The MacRobert Trust partners with Inclusive Farm to give people with disabilities, additional needs or difference in Scotland new opportunities

A new partnership between The MacRobert Trust and Inclusive Farm will provide people with disabilities, additional needs or difference, a new route into agriculture.

Through the provision of land and buildings by The MacRobert Trust in Tarland, Aberdeenshire, a new farming enterprise entitled ‘Inclusive Farm Scotland at MacRobert’, will be designed by, and for, people with disabilities, additional needs or difference.

The new farm will be designed based on the model from the original Bedfordshire site and is in the process of transitioning to become a Community Interest Company.

Founded in January 2021, Inclusive Farm was set up by Mike Duxbury and Ness Shillito. Each week they welcome students with diverse needs onto their farm and give them the confidence and skills to pursue a worthwhile and fulfilling career in agriculture.

Mike, who was recently appointed as Chief Executive Officer of Inclusive Farm Scotland at MacRobert, lost his sight at the age six and is excited to bring these opportunities to people in Scotland.

“90% of blind people, and 78% of autistic people, are unemployed – but it doesn’t have to be like this.

“We’re seeing first-hand the impact of providing skills such as animal husbandry has had and we are excited to bring these same opportunities to Scotland.

“We are delighted to be partnering with The MacRobert Trust.  Together we will create unique learning environment which puts people with disabilities, additional needs or difference in the driving seat. Too often disabled people are told what they need, and we are determined that their voices and needs are met.”

Inclusive Farm Scotland at MacRobert is seeking like-minded organisations to support the farm’s development including sponsorship.

The MacRobert Trust’s Chief Executive Officer, Rear Admiral Chris Hockley CBE, DL, says: “Inclusive Farm’s vision and mission aligns really well with the ethos of The MacRobert Trust and one of our main charitable themes to support agriculture and those organisations that seek to widen its appeal and foster a greater understanding of the breadth of opportunities that it can offer.

“We are absolutely delighted to be able to support this fantastic initiative and support Inclusive Farm’s vision that we know will make a real difference to the lives of people with disabilities, additional needs or difference across Scotland, and give them the skills they need to carve a path for themselves in agriculture.”

Director of Inclusive Farm Scotland at MacRobert, Dr Jenna Ross OBE said: “I am delighted to support this partnership with The MacRobert Trust to bring the Inclusive Farm model to Tarland, Aberdeenshire, land near where my family has farmed for generations.

“I’ve had the honour of supporting Mike and Ness since the inception of Inclusive Farm. Last year we initiated discussions on bringing the concept to Scotland following a fantastic event hosted by Women in Agriculture Scotland at the Royal Highland Show.

“This is a deeply personal ambition for me in that my younger brother Duncan, who was registered blind at birth, has struggled to find an accessible route into agriculture. This is an exciting opportunity to co-create a unique and empowering learning environment that is built by, and for, people with disabilities, additional needs or difference.

“On behalf of all the Inclusive Farm Scotland at MacRobert Directors and Trustees, I would also like to congratulate Mike on the appointment of Chief Executive Officer. There is no one more qualified or more passionate about our industry, to lead this game-changing organisation than Mike.”

If you are interested in learning more about Inclusive Farm Scotland at MacRobert then please contact: info@inclusivefarm.co.uk

MSP welcomes year-round support for Edinburgh students

Edinburgh Pentlands SNP MSP Gordon Macdonald has welcomed the news higher education students can now apply to spread their student financial support package over a 12-month period for the first time this coming academic year.

The year-long package of support will be available for eligible undergraduate students from August 2024. The change will ensure that payments of relevant student loans and bursaries can continue throughout the summer months. This follows a successful two-year programme, which saw care experienced students being given the option of 12-month support.

Care-Experienced students will continue to receive additional support for their living costs under the Summer Accommodation Grant from Summer 2024. Students eligible for the grant – which will replace the Care-Experienced Accommodation Grant – will be entitled to a payment of up to £1,330 to help ensure they do not fall into rent arrears over the summer.

These changes will coincide with the £2,400 increase to the annual support package, which sees the main undergraduate funding package rise up to £11,400.

Commenting on the announcement Mr Macdonald said: “Coping financially as a student in Edinburgh can be extremely difficult but the changes announced to the way students can receive their funding will make a huge difference across the summer months.

“This is another example of the actions being taken by the Scottish Government to support students through the cost of living crisis. Scotland already has the lowest student debt levels in the UK, thanks to the commitment to free tuition and enhanced student support.

“We have a record number of students from Scotland’s most deprived areas applying to study at university and these changes to the student support package will contribute further in breaking down barriers and ensuring that access to our world-class institutions is not denied to anyone, whatever their background.”