Jonathan Erskine, LifeCare Trustee, is taking part in the Great North Swim to raise vital funds for LifeCare.
Jonathan’s dad has used LifeCare’s services for many years, which inspired him to get involved.
Jonathan said “I will be taking part in the 2 mile swim on Lake Windermere, and I hope that every stroke will contribute to making a difference in the lives of older people in Edinburgh.”
The Arla Great North Swim is a weekend-long celebration of open-water swimming taking place over 7-9thJune. Participants choose from six different open water distances, to suit all ages, abilities and level of experience. Distances range from 250m to a 10k.
Jonathan has opted for the 2 mile distance which is the equivalent of 125 lengths of a 25m pool.
To wish Jonathan luck and to help raise vital funds, take a look at his fundraising page:
Traditional storyteller Claire McNicol will be coming to Sighthill Primary School, Edinburgh to work with pupils, after the school was selected as one of ten schools across Scotland to receive fully-funded author residencies from Scottish Book Trust.
The Live Literature School Residencies Programme, now in its ninth year is funded by the Walter Scott Giving Group and delivered by Scottish Book Trust, the national charity changing lives through reading and writing.
Claire McNicol is an experienced traditional storyteller and singer born in Ulster and living in Edinburgh. She combines storytelling with a career in social work supporting vulnerable children and their families.
Over fourteen sessions, Claire will help boost confidence in pupils and to recognise the value of their own voice through telling stories. The residencies are designed to inspire a lifelong love of reading and writing amongst pupils, as well as giving professional writers the opportunity to build relationships with the school and work together on a creative project.
Claire McNicol said:‘Thanks to the support of the Live Literature School Residency I am delighted to be appointed to work with Sighthill Primary School.
“I visited the school as part of Scottish Book Week and worked with the infant classes. This residency will afford me the opportunity to work across the whole school community nurturing children’s development through story and song.
‘The aim of the residency is to catalyse confidence in each and every child that they have something important to say and that their voices matter and need to be heard both in spoken word and in writing.’
Marc Lambert, Chief Executive of Scottish Book Trust, said: ‘Well done to the ten schools across Scotland that have been selected for the Live Literature School Residencies Programme.
“It’s an incredibly valuable programme as it allows authors to build relationships with a school over time, and to inspire pupils to develop a love of writing and creative expression.
‘These creative projects also offer the chance to engage with the local community, while promoting reading and writing cultures. We are grateful to our funders the Walter Scott Giving Group for making this programme available to all schools.’
Schools across the country were invited to apply to the programme which brings professional authors into the classroom to inspire and engage pupils. Each school taking part in the programme will receive 14 fully-funded residency sessions carried out by an author.
The residencies will run across the 2024-25 school year and finish by May 2025. The Walter Scott Giving Group has funded the Live Literature School Residencies Programme for the past nine years. As well as an author residency, schools will receive a resources grant of £500.
From Monday, our school day timings will change slightly and this is detailed below.
We will no longer have tutor and pupils will start lessons at 8.30am. Break time will be 10.10-10.30am and lunch time will be 1.00-1.40pm. School still finishes at 3.20pm.
Thank you to all our parents and carers for supporting this and helping to ensure pupils are on time for school
A new multi-year, above inflation pay strategy for the Scottish public sector will provide certainty for the workforce while improving public services for the people of Scotland, Finance Secretary Shona Robison has said.
The 2024-25 Public Sector Pay Policy sets out a framework for workers to receive an average 9.3% uplift over three years – providing above inflation protection from forecast inflation rates of 5.7%.
Finance and Local Government Secretary Shona Robison said the framework can be used to take forward negotiations on pay and non-pay elements relevant to individual sectors and workforces.
Ms Robison said: “The most valuable and important asset of public services is their workforces. Our approach to public sector pay in recent years means that people in key public sector roles in Scotland are now paid 6% more on average than in the rest of the UK demonstrating that we have supported public sector workers during the cost-of-living crisis.
“This new above inflation multi-year framework offers public sector workers certainty and a considerable degree of pay restoration when set against expected inflation forecasts up to 2027.
“It also continues our journey to build the Scottish economy and create the prosperity necessary to support people in Scotland – underlining our commitment to strong public services. Scotland thrives when the organisations that support the people of Scotland thrive, and it is my belief this new pay policy will support workers to achieve exactly that.
“The Scottish Government operates on an effectively fixed budget, limiting what can be delivered through pay policy. We have set out a fair framework within the limits of our budget. A change to UK spending plans would be required to increase spending on public services and public service workers.”
Edinburgh Leisure is launching a new short-term golf pass allowing visitors to the city and residents to experience their six world-class courses without the need to take out an annual membership.
As the city’s largest sports and leisure provider, Edinburgh Leisure has six courses to choose from each offering unique challenges and stunning city views and a truly Scottish golfing experience to locals and visitors alike.
With views of Arthur’s Seat, the Firth of Forth or the iconic Braid Hills, they are accessible by public transport and even have First Tees just minutes from the city centre or within walking distance of a tram stop.
A 3-day weekend pass costs £45 or a 7-day weekday golf pass costs £75 allowing access to all of Edinburgh Leisure’s six golf courses at Braid Hills, Carrick Knowe, Craigentinny, Portobello, Wee Braids and Silverknowes golf courses.
The new Golf Pass is available to buy at any Edinburgh Leisure golf club and online. Choose your preferred club to receive details –
The LEZ ensures that all vehicles driving within Edinburgh’s LEZ must meet the less-polluting emission standards or face a penalty charge. A map of the LEZ is available on the Council’s website.
It is anticipated that the LEZ will significantly reduce harmful emissions of nitrogen dioxide from vehicles. Furthermore, air quality improvements are expected beyond the boundary, which will further improve public health.
LEZ restrictions will apply to motor vehicles, except motorcycles and mopeds. Vehicles must meet the minimum emissions standards to drive within the zone, though national exemptions apply including for blue badge holders and emergency vehicles. Individuals can check whether their vehicle is compliant on the LEZ Scotland website.
For contraventions of the LEZ, the Council will issue Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) fines, in line with Scottish Government regulations, from 00:01 on 1 June 2024. Full details of LEZ penalties are available online.
The Scottish Government is also providing £5m across Scotland to reopen the LEZ Support Fund for 2024-25 where residents and businesses can apply for support to ease the transition through retrofitting, disposal and other grants. Over the past three years people in the Edinburgh region benefited from £2.4m of grant support to prepare for the LEZ.
Changes have also been made to roads to allow drivers with vehicles that don’t meet the standards to avoid the entering the LEZ. These include key junctions in the Old Town (junction of Pleasance with Holyrood Road), and Tollcross, as well as changes to Morrison Street.
Transport and Environment Convener, Councillor Scott Arthur said: “I’m proud that we’ve reached this important milestone in our journey to become a healthier, greener, and more sustainable city. For the past two years we’ve run a positive information campaign to give people time to get ready for the LEZ, and to make sure they avoid penalties once enforcement begins.
“We have ambitious plans to achieve net zero, accommodate sustainable growth, cut congestion, and improve air quality, amongst other commitments to create a safer and more people-friendly city; and the LEZ is a key component of these.
“Alongside Aberdeen, Glasgow, and Dundee we’re sending a clear message that our major cities are united in pursuing a better future for all.
“And as Scotland’s capital city, we have a duty to lead on these key climate issues which will define our country for generations to come.”
Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Fiona Hyslop said: “I’m pleased that Edinburgh is protecting public health and improving air quality through their Low Emission Zone.
“This bold action mirrors the decisive measures we’ve seen in towns and cities right across Europe. There are now over 320 similar schemes in effect which respond to the latest medical understanding concerning the dangerous effects of air pollution from vehicle emissions.
“To help those that need it most, the Scottish Government has provided over £16m to help people and businesses to comply with LEZs. Support remains available and I would encourage anyone who wants to know if their vehicle is compliant, or to find out more about funding, to visit www.lowemissionzones.scot.”
Consultant in Public Health at NHS Lothian, Flora Ogilvie said: “Reducing air pollution has clear long and short-term health benefits for everyone but is especially important for vulnerable groups. NHS Lothian welcomes the introduction of the Low Emission Zone and wider actions to encourage walking, wheeling, cycling and public transport use.
“We encourage our staff, patients and visitors to travel sustainably wherever possible, for the benefit of their own health and that of the wider community. We have been working to get our fleet of vehicles ready and make sure our staff are aware of the enforcement date.”
Policy and Public Affairs Manager at British Heart Foundation Scotland, Jonathan Roden said:“Air pollution is a public health emergency. Our research has shown that air pollutants can have a damaging impact on people’s heart and circulatory health.
“Each year up to 700 deaths from heart and circulatory disease in Scotland are attributable to particulate matter pollution. That’s why BHF Scotland welcomes the implementation of Edinburgh’s LEZ, which will help to improve the capital’s air quality and help to protect people’s health.”
Chair of Healthy Air Scotland, and Policy and Public Affairs Officer at Asthma + Lung UK Scotland, Gareth Brown said: “With 1 in 5 Scots developing a lung condition like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in their lifetime, for them, air pollution can trigger life-threatening asthma attacks and flare-ups.
“Children are more susceptible to air pollution as their lungs are still growing, and they also breathe faster than adults. As they grow, toxic air can stunt the growth of their lungs, making them less resilient into adulthood and placing them at greater risk of lung disease in the future.
“Public health focussed policies like LEZs are seen as the most effective tool, but we would like to see policies that go further, helping to clear up pollution hotspots throughout the country, not just in our four main cities. It is vitally important that we protect the lungs and health of our communities, no one should be forced to breathe in toxic air.”
All political parties must explain how they will urgently tackle hardship this #GeneralElection, says the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. .
The latest findings from our cost-of-living survey, out today, found the number of households going without essentials hasn’t dropped below 7 million since May 2022. This is unacceptable.
Millions of low-income households are having to take drastic measures to cope with a crisis that is far from over:
-1.6 million households turned off their fridge or freezer
– 4.9 million households couldn’t replace worn out clothing
– 5 million households reduced showers
Meanwhile, party leaders remain silent on what they would do to address this in power. This should bring shame to a country as wealthy as ours.
Politicians must set out how they will bring an end to this relentless hardship. They need to tell us their immediate plan to help families who can’t afford life’s essentials – as well as their long-term strategy to tackle poverty.
Find out more about the relentless reality of years-long hardship for low-income families, here:
New research from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) shows the relentless reality of years-long hardship for low-income families, with almost 5 million households finding themselves having to cut back on showers.
Those on the lowest incomes, over 5 million households, have continued to go hungry, skip meals and cut back on food.
Carried out immediately before the general election was called, the latest data shows the number of low-income households who are going without essentials like food, adequate clothing and a warm home hasn’t fallen below 7 million since May 2022.
JRF is calling on the politicians to set out their plans to tackle ongoing hardship. It found the bottom 20% of low-income households are facing levels of hardship that refuse to budge and whose situation is no better compared to last year, despite some improvements to the economic situation for families higher up the income scale.
Research from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) finds that:
7 million low-income households (60%) were going without essentials in May this year. [3] [4]
5 million low-income households (42%) took fewer showers or baths due to cost during the cost-of-living crisis so far.
7 in 10 (71%) low-income households in the bottom 20% were going without essentials in May this year, the same as May last year.
Families on low incomes say they are still taking the same drastic measures to try and save money that were widely reported at the height of the cost-of-living crisis.
In May 2024, low-income households reported that they had taken the following measures through the cost-of-living crisis to cope, due to cost:
4.9 million couldn’t replace worn out or outgrown clothing (42%)
3.7 million sold their belongings (32%)
1.6 million turned off their fridge or freezer (13%)
6.8 million reduced their use of appliances (58%)
7.2 million heated their homes less than they needed to or less often (62%)
Those with the least are struggling the most, with levels of hardship staying at stubbornly high levels. In the last 12 months, the proportion of households going hungry, cutting down on food or skipping meals in the previous 30 days has not budged for those in the bottom 20% of incomes. But there is a slight improvement for those in the bottom 20-40% of incomes. [5]
Our social security system should act as a safety net for families who’ve fallen on hard times. However, 86% of low-income households who received Universal Credit were going without the essentials in May this year.
Rachelle Earwaker, Senior Economist at JRF, says: “The number of low-income families in our country who’ve been forced to choose which essentials to go without because they can’t afford them hasn’t fallen below seven million since May 2022. Despite inflation falling there has been no let up for the poorest families, who are just as likely to be going without food as last year.”
“We need our politicians to set out how they will bring an end to this relentless reality of hardship in the general election campaign.
“Political leaders need to tell us what they will do straight away to help families who can’t afford life’s essentials, as well as their long-term plans to tackle poverty.”
The Edinburgh International Book Festival and Baillie Gifford have ended their 20-year partnership.
The board and management of Edinburgh International Book Festival believe their ability to deliver an event this August that is safe and successful for audiences, authors and staff has been severely compromised, following the withdrawal of several authors and threats of disruption from activists.
Jenny Niven, chief executive of Edinburgh International Book Festival, said: “It is with great regret that our board of trustees and Baillie Gifford have collectively agreed to end our partnership.
“We are hugely grateful to the firm for its considerable support over two decades, including through some challenging times for the festival, and we are proud of what we’ve achieved together during that time.
“The pressure on our team has simply become intolerable. We have a major global festival starting in 10 weeks’ time and we need to focus all of our efforts and energy on delivering a safe and successful event for our audiences.
“Undermining the long-term future of charitable organisations such as book festivals is not the right way to bring about change.
“It diminishes the voices of those who feel strongly about these complex issues, and it will be infinitely harder to build and sustain well-funded cultural institutions in the future than it is to put them out of business today.
“We speak to all our supporters about these complex issues and continue to believe that Baillie Gifford is part of the solution in transitioning towards a more sustainable world and that the firm operates in line with our Ethical Fundraising policy.”
Allan Little, chair of the Edinburgh International Book Festival, said: “Our team cannot be expected to deliver a safe and sustainable festival this August under the constant threat of disruption from activists. This was a pragmatic response to that reality.
“Funding for the arts is now in a perilous position and we should all be clear that without the support of our partners and donors, the future of festivals like ours – and all of the benefits these events bring to authors and readers alike – is in jeopardy.
“We are a charity that provides an important platform for authors and readers of all views and political opinions to agree, disagree, challenge, and provoke. Book festivals around the world are forums in which rigorous, intelligent debate can take place. Our festival should be a place where progressive and nuanced discussion can happen in a safe and respectful space.
“Indeed, our programme this year is designed to give a voice to those directly affected by conflict and those engaged at the most senior levels in its resolution. We will explore the real challenges involved in transition, green tech and climate finance, misinformation and the need for new economic models.
“We are determined to have those debates and to have them out in the open, but we need everyone to come to the table. We have made several invitations to Fossil Free Books, and other groups, to attend this year’s festival and regret that they have not responded to those offers.”
Nick Thomas, partner, Baillie Gifford, said: “Our collaboration with the Edinburgh International Book Festival, spanning decades, was rooted in our shared interest in making Edinburgh a thriving and culturally vibrant place to live and work.
“In recent years we have been proud to support the Schools’ and Children’s programmes, providing free books and creating opportunities for young readers to meet authors.
“The activists’ anonymous campaign of coercion and misinformation has put intolerable pressure on authors and the festival community. We step back with the hope that the festival will thrive this year and into the future. We hold the activists squarely responsible for the inhibiting effect their action will have on funding for the arts in this country.
“Baillie Gifford is a long-term investor with high ethical standards and a complete focus on doing what is right by our clients. The assertion that we have significant amounts of money in the Occupied Palestinian Territories is offensively misleading. Baillie Gifford is a large investor in several multinational technology companies, including Amazon, NVIDIA, and Meta.
“Demanding divestment from these global companies, used by millions of people around the world, is unreasonable and serves no purpose. Much as it would be unreasonable to demand authors boycott Instagram or stop selling books on Amazon.
“Nor is Baillie Gifford a significant fossil fuel investor. Only 2% of our clients’ money is invested in companies with some business related to fossil fuels. We invest far more in companies helping drive the transition to clean energy.
“We remain committed to contributing positively to our community through philanthropic support.”
This year’s Edinburgh International Book Festival will take place from 10 – 25 August, with the full programme due to be launched next week (Tuesday 4th June).
Baillie Gifford has supported the Edinburgh International Book Festival since 2004. The firm’s funding for this year’s book festival has already been provided and deployed.
Legislation has been passed that will automatically exonerate sub-postmasters who were wrongly convicted as a result of the faulty Horizon IT system, the day after Royal Assent is granted.
Those whose convictions are quashed under the Post Office (Horizon System) Offences (Scotland) Bill will be able to access the UK Government financial redress scheme.
A Bill passed by @ScotParl will automatically exonerate sub-postmasters wrongly convicted in Scotland due to the faulty Horizon IT system, the day after Royal Assent is granted.
After the Scottish Parliament agreed to use its emergency procedure, the Bill has been introduced and passed in just over two weeks – to allow justice and redress to be delivered to victims as swiftly as possible in line with the UK Bill, which did not cover sub-postmasters in Scotland.
Sub-postmasters who previously sought to appeal their convictions will now also be exonerated, following a Scottish Government amendment to the Bill, brought at Stage two, in Parliament.
Justice Secretary Angela Constance said: “I hope this Bill goes some way to bring justice to innocent sub-postmasters who had their lives ruined by being wrongly convicted of offences of dishonesty on the basis of tainted evidence from the faulty Post Office Horizon system.
“As the UK Government’s legislation was not extended to cover Scotland, we have worked as quickly as possible to ensure parity for affected sub-postmasters here, who will also be able to access the UK Government’s compensation scheme.
“The unprecedented step of introducing legislation to right this terrible wrong was necessary to respond to the scale of the scandal and the length of time that victims have waited for justice.
“We will now be seeking Royal Assent for the Bill as quickly as possible so affected sub-postmasters can have their convictions quashed and then access the compensation they deserve.”
A breakthrough collaborative project with creel fishers has successfully trialled a simple and relatively low-cost solution to the problem of whale entanglement that could be rolled out internationally saving many whales and sharks.
The project led by marine charity Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC),and funded by the Scottish Government Nature Restoration Fund managed by NatureScot, trialled the use of specially designed rope in Scottish pot fisheries that sinks rather than floats.
The rope currently used in the fishery is buoyant and forms floating loops in the water rather than lying on the seabed.
These loops can be several metres high and have been found to entangle whales and other marine animals such as basking sharks. Previous studies had found the majority of whales and basking sharks entangled in static fishing gear (pots, or creels as they are known in Scottish fisheries) are caught in this floating groundline rope linking a line of creels together.
It is estimated that an average of 6 humpback whales, 30 minke whales, and 29 basking sharks become entangled annually.
Where entanglement type was known, 83% of minke and 50% of humpback whales, and 76% of basking sharks were caught in groundlines between creels. If there are no large floating rope loops, then whales and sharks cannot become entangled in them.
Over a period of 18 months 15 fishing vessels targeting langoustine and crabs from the Inner Sound and Sound of Sleat area east of the Isle of Skye replaced floating rope in their creel groundlines with sinking rope to assess whether there were any problems with using it. Fishers reported back each time they hauled their gear, and details of over 1500 hauls were logged in the trial.
Trials were needed to determine whether it was practical for fishers to use this sinking rope. Problems which were anticipated such as snagging, or being difficult to handle were very rare.
The fishers involved in the trial reported positive experiences with using the rope, and there were no impacts on the seabed.
Susannah Calderan, who managed the project for WDC, said; ‘The Scottish inshore creel fishery plays an important economic and community role in rural coastal areas in Scotland. Resolving the issue of entangling whales would be a major step forward in fisheries management as well as animal conservation and welfare.
‘It’s been great working with the Inner Sound fishers on this project, and we have an almost-unique opportunity to make a real impact on whale bycatch. We now have to move to the next step, which is consulting with other fishers around Scotland and with the Government to understand the possible options for implementing sinking rope more widely.’
Sinking groundline represents a simple, relatively low-cost option to greatly reduce entanglement risk.
The very successful, bottom-up, partnership approach with Scottish creel fishers and the Scottish Creel Fishermen’s Federation (SCFF) demonstrated the importance of collaborative approaches to address complex conservation and management issues. Its implications are key to supporting the Scottish Government’s commitment to reduce incidental bycatch in fisheries.
Bally Philp from SCFF, who participated in this trial, said ‘This trial has shown there can be win-win outcomes for both fishermen and marine life, and we’re all working together to achieve this’.
All political parties must explain how they will urgently tackle hardship this 
Politicians must set out how they will bring an end to this relentless hardship. They need to tell us their immediate plan to help families who can’t afford life’s essentials – as well as their long-term strategy to tackle poverty.
