Humza Yousaf visits the Tape Letters exhibition at Museum of Edinburgh

Former First Minister and current MSP for Glasgow Pollok, Humza Yousaf met with members of the Tape Letters Scotland team to look round the Tape Letters exhibition at the Museum of Edinburgh on Wednesday.

Created by Modus Arts, Tape Letters Scotland is a social history project which shines a light on the practice of recording and sending messages on cassette tape as an unorthodox method of communication by Pakistanis who migrated and settled in Scotland between 1960-1980.

Running until Feb 23rd, the exhibition platformed the experiences of members of Edinburgh’s Pakistani community, drawing directly from both first-hand interviews gathered as part of the project, and from the informal and intimate conversations on the cassette tapes themselves.

Tape Letters Scotland was made possible by The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Artistic Director of Modus Arts and Tape Letters Scotland Project Director Wajid Yaseen said: “Since launching the project in Scotland in 2022 it has been our immense privilege to work with Scottish-Pakistani families across the central belt who have taken the time to share their personal stories and cassette tapes with us.

“In collaboration with our partner organisations and venues, we have launched a series of creative outputs including three exhibitions, a digital exhibition, educational resources, a podcast series, and a physical cassette tape archive at the National Library of Scotland which not only helps to raise awareness but also cements a lasting legacy.

“As the project draws to a close, we were delighted to welcome Humza Yousaf to the exhibition at the Museum of Edinburgh, to share these insightful, personal accounts from this important period of Scottish-Pakistani social history.” 

Former First Minister and current MSP for Glasgow Pollok, Humza Yousaf said: “Can I thank the brilliant team involved in putting together the Tape Letters Scotland project. As someone whose parents came to this country in the 1960s from Pakistan, I found this exhibition to be deeply moving.

!For those of us who are second, third or fourth generation immigrants, we often forget the sacrifices of the first generation who arrived here, and how hard it must have been for them to leave behind family, friends and a whole community.

“The tape letters were a wonderful insight into how the first generation of immigrants from Pakistan used their ingenuity to keep a close bond with those they had left behind, as they started a new life here in Scotland.

“I want to thank all those who worked hard to ensure these tapes could be exhibited at the Museum of Edinburgh.”

https://www.edinburghmuseums.org.uk/whats-on/tape-letters

Children in Scottish hospitals deprived of mental health support

Charity Starlight highlights the need for play to reduce healthcare-induced trauma

Only one in four (25%) health boards in Scotland report having budgets for essential mental health play services for seriously ill children, according to a freedom of information request carried out by Starlight, the national charity for children’s play in healthcare. 

Areas with the most children living in areas of highest deprivation tended to have less or no resourcing. As noted in Starlight’s recent report2, these children are most at risk of trauma.     

Cathy Gilman, chief executive of Starlight said: “Play services, which include evidence-based activities, games and toys, are one of the most effective ways to reduce trauma in children undergoing healthcare treatment.

“It can explain complex procedures in child-friendly ways, distract children from pain and help professionals do their jobs by reducing children’s stress. 

“The lack of budget for this vital support in Scotland is as shocking as it is sad, with so many children facing incredibly harrowing circumstances without support.” 

Starlight’s research also revealed that even those trusts with budget for play services did not extend support to evenings and weekends – quiet periods that can be hardest of all for children to face. 

Claire’s daughter Lucy, 12, has had a rare condition affecting her oesophagus and trachea since birth. Claire said: “We live two hours away from Aberdeen and Lucy’s dad is in the RAF, so it’s hard for him and Lucy’s two siblings to visit when we are staying there, and other family are five hours away.

“This means it’s usually just me there, so having the play workers in hospital organising fun things to do, for example face painting and having visits from exotic animals, means that Lucy can have some fun, and I can do things such as have a shower, and not have to worry about her being alone in hospital, as I know she is with the play workers and having fun.” 

Heather Beattie, play service manager at Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital, said: “I genuinely believe that a paediatric hospital couldn’t function properly without a solid, well-trained play team.

“Play is such a vital component of creating a positive experience for both the child and their family and is an inseparable part of their treatment journey. 

“You can’t separate children from play, it’s inherent to who they are. But it’s crucial that this play is appropriate and provided by trained professionals who understand the unique needs of these young patients.” 

In October 2024, Heather’s team won Play Team of the Year award at Starlight’s annual Play in Healthcare Awards. 

Community Councils: Time’s running out to submit your Nomination Form

Nominations opened for Community Council elections on 6 February 2025.  Noominations close at 4pm on Thursday 27 February 2025.

The quickest method to return completed nomination forms is by email to the Governance Team at community.councils@edinburgh.gov.uk

If you choose to return by hand or by post please ensure you allow sufficient time for the nomination form to be received before the deadline at 4pm on Thursday 27 February 2025.  

Example completed nomination forms are attached to this email. All sections that must be completed are highlighted in yellow.

Attached is a breakdown of every valid nomination received for each individual Community Council as of 20 February 2025.

For each individual Community Council, you will also note the column with the minimum number of nominations required to establish the Community Council. We have highlighted in green the Community Councils that have already met the minimum elected members threshold.

Nomination form – further clarification

  1. We being persons residing in and appearing on the electoral register for the area of’ – ‘area’ means the community council area that you are being nominated for. Please ensure that you include the correct name of the Community Council and not the constituency or ward information. You can check the name of your community council on our website.
  1. An individual can be both a single proposer and a single seconder, e.g.  They could propose Individual A and second Individual B. They cannot propose or second any other individuals.
  1. A nominees family member (e.g. Wife, husband, brother etc.) can propose or second them in compliance with the point above.
  1. Please only submit 1 nomination form via 1 method of submission e.g. via email OR by hand OR by post. Please do not send multiple copies of nomination forms to the Governance Team as this creates additional administrative pressures. The quickest method to return completed nomination forms is by email to the Governance Team at community.councils@edinburgh.gov.uk

Since nominations opened we have received a number of nominations which have been assessed as not valid.  All candidates have been provided with advice on how to rectify and re-submit by the closing date of 4pm on Thursday 27 February 2025.

Common ‘not valid’ reasons

Below are common reasons why nomination forms have been assessed as not valid

  • The nomination form does not detail the name of the Community Council area that the candidate has been nominated for.
  • The nomination form has not been signed in ink by the proposer, seconder and candidate.
  • The nomination form has not been dated by the proposer, seconder and candidate.
  • Photo of nomination form and signatures must be legible.

Below are common reasons why Local Interest Group nomination forms have been assessed as not valid

  • The LIG nomination form has not been signed in ink by the President/Chairperson and Secretary/Treasurer.
  • A copy of the LIGs constitution has not been supplied.
  • The LIG nomination does not include the name(s) of the Community Council.

If you need any assistance with completing a nomination form then please do not hesitate to contact us at community.councils@edinburgh.gov.uk

Regards

Governance Team

New quotes to feature on the Scottish Parliament building to be chosen by people across Scotland

People in Scotland are being asked to choose which three quotes, from some of the nation’s most well-known poets, should feature on the Scottish Parliament’s Canongate Wall, to commemorate the building’s 20th year.

Liz Lochhead, Jackie Kay and Kathleen Jamie, who have all held the role of Scots Makar or National Poet of Scotland, have two quotes from their work for people to choose between.  Each Makar’s quote which receives the most public votes will then be featured on a new letter-cut stone on the Wall.

Designed by artist Soraya Smithson with architects EMBT, the Canongate Wall, which is on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile, was partly conceived of as a tribute to the design ideas of Enric Miralles. Soraya’s designs also incorporated the idea to feature quotations from Scottish writers and thinkers as well as popular proverbs and poems, letter-cut into stones sourced from across Scotland.  These new additions will take the total number of quotations from 26 to 29 and there is currently only one woman writer represented – Mary Brooksbank.

Presiding Officer Rt Hon Alison Johnstone MSP said: “The Canongate Wall is a piece of living public sculpture which celebrates different parts of Scotland – our people, our land and our rich cultural heritage. 

“It is both a celebration and reminder of the powerful words of some of Scotland’s most talented writers, thinkers and poets.

“It’s an honour to have the words of these three incredible women writers carved onto our building as a permanent reminder of their contribution to public life in Scotland.

“As always, when it comes to the Scottish Parliament, I strongly encourage people to vote!”

People can make their selection on our website and via our social media channels using www.parliament.scot/canongate. 

The winning options will then be sent to Perthshire-based stone carver Gillian Forbes, who will carry out the letter-cutting process assisted by Cameron Wallace.  The new quotations will be unveiled later in the year.

Liz Lochhead, Makar from 2011 to 2016, said: “I can’t believe it, my words are going to be, not graffiti on a wall, but in stone on the wall of the Parliament. 

“It is something that has meant a great deal to me in my lifetime, that we have a Parliament in Scotland. 

“Speaking poetry out loud is very important to me and if someone stands outside the wall of the Parliament and mouths these words out loud to themselves, that’s a great thing to feel that I’ve been the innocent originator of these things.”

Jackie Kay, Makar from 2016 to 2021, said: “It’s a huge honour and so extraordinary to be carved into stone. 

“It’s so strange to think of your words surviving you – but in a sense, that’s every writer’s dream.”

Kathleen Jamie, Makar from 2021 to 2024, said: “The fact that words of mine will be joining those that are already there and adding to this wreathing of poetry around the Parliament building, that wall of truth, that wall of integrity that surrounds us here. 

“That words of mine, whichever are chosen, will be inscribed there also. That’s okay, I can go out with that!”

The quotations that will form part of the public vote are as follows:

Liz Lochhead

Option 1

this
our one small country… 
our one, wondrous, spinning, dear green place. 
What shall we build of it, together 
in this our one small time and space? 
– from Grace, A Handsel, New & Collected Poems, 2012

Option 2

Love surprises us. It’s like when sunlight flings 
A sudden shaft that lights up glamourous the rain 
Across a Glasgow street
– from Epithalamium, A Handsel, New & Collected Poems

Jackie Kay

Option 1

The dead don’t go till you do, loved ones. 
The dead are still here, holding our hands. 
– from Darling, the title poem in Darling: New & Selected Poems, 2007

Option 2

Where do you come from? 
‘Here,’ I said, ‘Here. These parts.’
– from In my country, Darling: New & Selected Poems, 2007

Kathleen Jamie

Option 1

Be brave: 
by the weird-song in the dark you’ll find your way. 
– from The Storm, The Bonniest Companie, 2015

Option 2

And the wild ways we think we walk 
Just bring us here again. 
– from The Tradition, The Bonniest Companie, 2015

A brief history of the Canongate Wall

The Canongate Wall was designed by artist Soraya Smithson, working with architects EMBT.  The wall contains a range of Scottish stones, letter-cut by Gillian Forbes and Martin Reilly, with a variety of quotations. The design pays tribute to the creative ideas and imagination of the Scottish Parliament’s lead architect, Enric Miralles.

At the lower end of the wall is a townscape based around sketches by Miralles of Edinburgh’s Old Town, as viewed from the Balmoral Hotel.

The 26 quotations, of relevance to Scotland and the Parliament, range from well-loved pieces of poetry to proverbs and psalms.  There are quotations in English, Gaelic and Scots and many of Scotland’s leading writers are represented.

The original 24 quotations were chosen from a selection of material made available to an Art Steering Group, including previous MSPs – Jamie Stone, Kenneth Macintosh and Michael Russell.  The material considered included submissions from members of the public.

To mark the tenth anniversary of the Scottish Parliament and ten years of devolution, the SPCB agreed that two new quotations should be added to the Canongate Wall. 

Public suggestions were invited via the Parliament website and via postcards distributed to book festivals and libraries across Scotland, and almost 300 suggestions were received. 

A panel of MSPs and external experts met to consider these suggestions. 

The panel selected two new quotations, one by Mary Brooksbank, the first woman to be represented on the Wall, and Norman MacCaig, bringing the total number of quotations to 26.

See the full list of quotations and images

Broughton High School Parent Council: Bakers needed!

CALLING ALL BAKERS! 🧁🍰🍪

We need home-made savoury/sweet bakes & soup for our BHSA fundraising community Chess Cafe next Saturday 1 March♟️☕️🧁🍵➡️💰🫴🏻🏫🥰

Our popular café provides refreshments for the young competitors taking part the Lothian Junior Chess Championships & their families. We only had one donation last time which sold out in minutes! Homebakes really boost our profits 😁

Can you help? Let us know via this form:

https://forms.gle/PL8gYHeoZgER5ip57

NB: 🚫🥜🌰 NO NUTS please – this includes nut oils, nut flours, nut butters & nut milks. Soup must be vegan. Anything suitable for those with allergens or on special diets is very welcome.

Donations can be dropped off in the Hub from 8:30am on Saturday morning.

All money raised by the event goes back into school via our charity funds.

BHSA have recently funded:

A pop up sensory den for the Wellbeing Hub 🥰

Young Carer’s Wellbeing Gardening Project 🌱

refreshments & decorations for the S6 Winter Ball ❄️

site licence renewals for Modern Languages digital resources 🇫🇷💻🇪🇸

& 10 chess sets & boards for House Chess ♟️

BHSA is YOUR school charity 🫶🏻 Every pupil at Broughton High benefits from our funding during their time at school, making us a worthy cause to support & get involved with! 🙌🏻

Pioneering tech for independent living recognised

Major award for team offering transformative model for care closer to home

A DIGITAL team improving the health and wellbeing of adults across Scotland has been recognised at a major awards ceremony for technology in health and care.

Blackwood Homes and Care has won the Technology Enabled Independent Living category at the prestigious Holyrood Digital Health and Care Awards.

Its 24/7 digital responder service, which supports more than 200 adults – many with disabilities and mental health challenges – allows users to manage their care remotely. This reduces the need for scheduled in-person visits by providing flexible, on-demand support at the touch of a button.

Underpinning the service is Blackwood’s CleverCogs digital system, a tablet device that ensures customers receive timely assistance, whether for medication reminders, NHS virtual GP access, wellbeing check-ins, or emergency support. The CleverCogs system provides a central hub for care management, communication, health monitoring, and home automation, enhancing accessibility and digital inclusion.

Jason MacGilp, Chief Executive Officer at Blackwood Homes and Care, said:“From the ongoing design right through to support our 24/7 digital responder service is a huge team effort.

“This award is a testament to that and our shared desire to improve the lives of people throughout the country.”

Since launching as a pilot in 2016, the 24/7 responder service has grown significantly providing 3,500 hours of digital care across six supported living services to more than 350 customers each week. The innovation ensures an emergency response within 20 minutes, delivered by locally based SSSC registered staff.

Diane Allan, Head of Care at Blackwood Homes and Care added: “It’s wonderful to receive this award and highlight the fantastic work of our 24/7 responder team.

“Most importantly for us is that we see the impact the team has on our customer base on a daily basis. I look forward to working with the team to grow and evolve the service, helping individuals across Scotland to live their lives to the full.”

The service’s impact has been life-changing for customers. Individuals who previously relied heavily on emergency services now have instant access to dedicated support, reducing unnecessary interventions and improving their overall wellbeing.

One Blackwood staff member highlighted the transformative impact by saying: “Technology-enabled care is not about gadgets—it’s about improving lives. Our customers feel more secure, more independent, and more connected, knowing support is available at any time.”

The organisation’s approach aligns with Scotland’s Digital Health and Care Strategy, demonstrating how technology can revolutionise care provision and support individuals to live independently in their own homes.

With its award-winning digital care model, Blackwood is setting the benchmark for technology-enabled independent living in Scotland’s housing and care sectors.

For more information about Blackwood Homes and Care, visit:

https://www.blackwoodgroup.org.uk

Independent Review of sentencing and penal policy

Commission to consider improvements to deal with offending behaviour

A new independent Commission has been established to review sentencing and penal policy and identify the most effective ways to address offending behaviour to help reduce crime and lower the number of victims.

The Sentencing and Penal Policy Commission will be chaired by Martyn Evans, former Chair of the Scottish Police Authority, supported by five expert commissioners. The Commission will examine how imprisonment and community-based interventions are currently used in Scotland.

The independent Commission will, as part of its work, engage with victims and others with experience of the justice system, and make detailed recommendations for improvements in how offending behaviour can be dealt with effectively and proportionately.

Initially focusing on community sentencing, bail and remand, and release from custody, the Commission will be able to consider other areas it deems necessary. A final report and recommendations are to be presented to the Scottish Government before the end of the year.

Justice Secretary Angela Constance said: “I am grateful to Martyn Evans and the Commissioners, who will bring their considerable knowledge and experience to bear in taking on this vital task.

“Prison will always be necessary for those who pose the greatest risk of harm, and protecting victims and the public is my absolute priority.

“However, evidence shows that short prison sentences are often not the best way to reduce reoffending, with those released from short custodial sentences reconvicted nearly twice as often as those sentenced to a community payback order. While crime is at one of its lowest levels in 50 years, we all want to keep crime down and communities safe, and effective rehabilitation to reduce reoffending is a key part of that.

“So we need careful consideration of the best balance between imprisonment and community justice, while protecting the public. The Commission will examine how and when custodial sentences and community interventions are used, how effective these are, and what more can be done to reduce reoffending. I look forward to their report.”

Mr Evans said: “I am honoured to be appointed by the Scottish Government to chair the Commission on Sentencing and Penal Policy.

“Scotland’s criminal justice system faces significant challenges. This Commission will take a thorough and independent look at how sentencing policy aligns with Scotland’s ambition for a modern, proportionate, and rehabilitative justice system. We will engage widely, listen carefully, and base our recommendations on the best available evidence and insights.

“I look forward to working with colleagues across the justice sector, victims and their families, and communities across Scotland to develop proposals that serve the public interest and contribute to a safer and more just society.”

 Sentencing and Penal Policy Commission

MPs to hold a debate on the Third anniversary of the war in Ukraine

On Thursday 27th February, MPs will hold a debate on the Third anniversary of the war in Ukraine.

A full transcript of the debate which be available three hours after the debate on Commons Hansard. 

Backbench Business Committee 

The Backbench Business Committee meets weekly on Tuesdays to consider requests for debates from any backbench Members of Parliament on any subject. 

The Committee then has to decide how to allocate the limited Parliamentary time it has at its disposal.

Urgent Action Needed: Leaders call for dedicated Muslim Cemetery 

A high-profile community meeting hosted by Scottish Parliament Member for the Lothian  Region, Foysol Choudhury has reignited long-standing calls for a dedicated Muslim cemetery  in Lothian, as the community faces an alarming shortage of burial spaces. 

For years, Edinburgh’s Muslim population has struggled with limited burial provisions,  creating distress due to the religious obligation for swift burials. Despite ongoing  discussions, existing spaces are rapidly depleting—only 80 plots remain at Ratho Cemetery,  with 200 allocated in Midlothian.

Future developments, like Craigmillar Castle Park  Cemetery, remain uncertain, leaving families in limbo. Despite progress, the number of  dedicated burial sites remains insufficient to meet the needs of the growing Muslim  population. 

At the meeting, policymakers, community leaders, and stakeholders stressed the urgent  need for a long-term solution, calling for a dedicated, faith-based, and not-for-profit Muslim  cemetery, similar to London’s Garden of Peace.

In response, over the past several years,  Choudhury has been actively engaging with Edinburgh Council’s Heritage Team,  Bereavement Services, and planning departments to identify viable sites, including  Mortonhall House and Prestonpans, though no final decisions have been made. 

This meeting provided an update on ongoing efforts and offered a platform for community  voices to be heard.

Foysol Choudhury MSP said: “The current situation is unsustainable. Our community needs a  permanent burial solution that respects Islamic traditions and provides dignity for  generations to come.”

Attendees urged swift collaboration between government officials and local authorities to  secure land and establish a sustainable cemetery that will serve the community for the next  100 years.

Mr Choudhury emphasised this sentiment, summarising: “Community leaders,  policymakers, and officials must collaborate to secure land for a permanent Muslim  cemetery that can serve future generations.”

Exclusive Auction Prizes Announced for RHASS Presidential Initiative Charity Dinner

The Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland (RHASS) Presidential Initiative, headed up by President George Lyon, Vice Presidents; Margo McGill Scott, Andrew Malcolm, Rob Wainwright, Lord George Robertson and Chaplain Isabell Montgomerie, have announced a spectacular lineup of silent and live auction prizes ahead of their much-anticipated charity dinner to be held on the 21st March in the impressive Donald Malcolm Heritage Centre in Linwood.

The event will raise vital funds that will be divided between RHASS partner charities; the Scottish Association of Young Farmers Clubs’ (SAYFC) Big Build, the Royal Highland Education Trust (RHET), RSABI, and Farmstrong Scotland.

This year’s Presidential Team, representing Strathclyde, has curated a unique selection of over 75 auction prizes designed to appeal to a wide audience, from luxury seekers to sports enthusiasts and those in the agricultural community.

Among the standout prizes are:

  • Luxury experiences: An exclusive helicopter ride, a four-ball at Gleneagles, a three ball at Turnberry with afternoon tea, overnight accommodation and a luxury car to drive there, and various luxury breaks across Scotland.
  • Exclusive sports memorabilia: Signed football and rugby tops from Celtic, Rangers, and Glasgow Warriors – a must-have for passionate fans.
  • Agricultural prizes: A vintage plough, straws of sexed semen from Worldwide Sires, and 18 doses of private semen from some of the most sought-after Texel rams in the UK and Texel embryos from Hugh Blackwood & Son.
  • Whisky collectors’ dream: A Johnnie Walker Blue Label 200th Anniversary Cask Strength 60.5 abv NV with a baccarat glass decanter, stopper and booklet and leather presentation case, and cask of Kilchoman whisky.

George Lyon, RHASS President, said: “The Strathclyde Presidential Team has worked hard to bring together an incredible range of auction prizes that reflect the best of Scotland’s heritage, sport, and agriculture.

“I would like to personally thank our sponsors who have given so generously to the auction. We encourage everyone to head to the online auction site to place their bids and support our chosen charities, which carry out so much valuable work in our rural communities.”

Ewan Andrew President, Diageo Supply Chain & Procurement, one of the auction’s generous donors, also shared their excitement: “We are immensely proud to support the RHASS Presidential Initiative and its efforts to raise vital funds for such impactful charities.

“At Diageo, we are proud to support the communities in which we operate. This event not only showcases Scotland’s rich heritage and agricultural excellence but also highlights the importance of collaboration and community spirit.

“We are thrilled to contribute with our unique auction prize and look forward to seeing the positive difference this initiative will make.”

The silent auction opened for bids yesterday (Friday 21 February), allowing participants the opportunity to secure these exclusive prizes while supporting various excellent causes.

Bids will be placed confidentially via an online platform. At the close of the auction, the highest bid for each item will win, and the successful bidders will be notified.

Bidding will close at 11pm on 21 March 2025.

Bids for the live auction prizes can also be placed online and they will be used as the starting bid on the night.

The charity dinner, one of four high-profile events hosted by the Strathclyde Presidential Team, will be a key highlight in their year-long initiative, which will culminate at the 2025 Royal Highland Show.

The major sponsors of the dinner are Diageo, Dunbia Highland Meats, Parks Motor Group, Malcolm Group, and Loch Fyne. There are still a few tickets available for the dinner.

Throughout their tenure, the team has used its year as a platform to showcase how agriculture is leading the way in developing new solutions to support Scotland’s journey to net zero.

For more information on the auction including the full list of lots, and to place a bid, visit https://weareeventpal.com/RHASS2025/home_page.