Parents have overwhelmingly backed Scotland’s Baby Box. In an independent evaluation, 97% of parents rated the box and its contents as good.
Around 186,000 Baby Boxes will have been delivered to families by its fourth anniversary on Sunday (15 August). Uptake among expectant parents hit a record high of 98% in 2020.
In the evaluation, parents highlighted benefits of the box, including saving them money on essential items for newborns and helping with information on child health and development.
In the evaluation:
91% parents agreed that getting a baby box had saved them money on items they would otherwise have to buy
84% of parents said they had found the leaflet on safe sleeping useful
60% of parents felt the inclusion of books in the baby box had encouraged them to start reading with their baby earlier – younger, first-time and lower income parents were particularly likely to say this
66% of parents said they found the leaflet on breastfeeding useful and 68% found the leaflet on post-natal depression useful
Children’s Minister Clare Haughey said: “The Baby Box is part of our commitment to making sure that every child, no matter what their circumstances, has the best start in life. I am delighted that so many parents continue to value the box, and that they and their babies are benefitting from it and its contents.
“It is encouraging to see that the positive impacts of the Baby Box are felt right across all families, but particularly among first-time parents, younger parents and families on lower incomes.
“This evaluation really highlights the positive impact it is having on parents and their newborns – a fitting tribute on its fourth birthday.”
Jackie Tolland, from Parent Network Scotland, said: “As a parenting organisation, we were delighted to be part of the launch of the Baby Box in 2017. Since then, we have heard many stories about how helpful and very much-needed the Baby Box has been to families.
“We continue to promote the Baby Box and thank the Scottish Government for keeping parents in mind at the start of their parenting journey. We appreciate all the support.”
The city council is to launch a recruitment drive to boost the Capital’s schools with scores of new permanent teaching and pupil support roles available.
Adverts will go live in the coming weeks offering permanent positions for around 70 teachers and approximately 30 pupil support assistants to work in schools across Edinburgh as the city continues to recover from the pandemic.
Councillor Ian Perry, Education Convener, said: “We know all teaching staff have been under enormous pressure during the pandemic and this extra funding is extremely welcome.
“I’m really pleased to say that we can push forward and use this much needed funding now so anyone interested should look out for our adverts to recruit for around 70 additional teachers and approximately 30 pupil support assistants in permanent roles in the coming weeks.
Councillor Alison Dickie, Education Vice Convener, said: “There’s no greater opportunity than helping to make a direct difference to the lives of our children and young people, and our teachers and pupil support assistants do that every day.
“After what has been the most stressful of times, this is a chance for us to employ more staff to work with our amazing and resilient pupils across Edinburgh, and to support the very best of educational and life outcomes for them.”
The jobs will be advertised through myjobcotland and the Council looks forward to welcoming the new recruits to their new school communities during the 2021/22 academic year.
A group of young people at Pilton Youth and Children’s Project have been working over the summer holidays to design and build two Little Free Libraries for children in the local community.
The idea was brought to us by Alison McLuckie, a paediatrician working with children and young people in Edinburgh and Mark Stares, a research doctor based at the Western General Hospital.
Alison said: “In my work as a paediatrician, I understand the importance of early literacy and reading for pleasure, and we were thrilled to work with PYCP on the project”.
Alison and Mark and PYCP Youth Workers Aga, Caryn, Adrianna, Adele and other volunteers worked with young people aged 8 to 12 from the “PYCP Adventurers” group, taking the project from the idea stage to building both libraries.
The Adventurers group meet weekly and do all sorts of outdoor activities and learn how to use tools safely, so this was the ideal project for them!
The idea is that local families can take free books from the libraries which are positioned outside of the PYCP building.
A number of Little Free Libraries are all over Edinburgh, including in the New Town, Stockbridge, Starbank Park and Leith Links.
This has been a fantastic project and the young people at PYCP will continue to steward the libraries, making sure they are well stocked and looked after. Families are also welcome to bring a book to leave in return for taking a new one.
The libraries were officially launched on Tuesday (10th August) by Bruce Adamson the Children and Young People’s Commissioner and Nick Hobbs from the office of CYPS.
Young people from the group met with Bruce and Nick and talked him through the design and building process. Bruce and Nick also brought along some books to put in the libraries which were greatly appreciated by the young people.
There are two Little Libraries outside The Greenhouse, both designed by and built with the Young Adventurers.
The first is aimed at children nursery to Primary 2 and is the design of a rainbow hot air balloon. The second is a Harry Potter library for children aged Primary 3 to 7.
Following the announcement from the First Minister on the reopening of Scotland’s schools, EIS Assistant Secretary David Belsey said: “The EIS welcomes the Scottish Government plans for schools to reopen with broadly the same mitigations in place as when they closed earlier this year.
“We agree the continued wearing of facemasks, physical distancing measures, effective ventilation of classrooms and good hygiene regimes need to remain in full force.
“The Scottish Government’s acknowledgement of the importance of strengthening the guidance around ventilation and the additional funding to close any gaps in this provision is extremely welcome and a significant improvement to the current mitigations.
“The completion of vaccination programmes for all school staff is vital and the EIS believes that voluntary vaccination of 12 – 17 year-olds would be sensible and may go some way towards making schools safer places and help to address the anxieties of some young people.
“The six week period of no changes to mitigations will provide a degree of reassurance to school staff and some certainty as to what to expect when returning to classrooms.
“This will also allow for meaningful consultation between Scottish Government, Local Authorities and teachers’ unions before any further changes. The EIS will study the new guidance and seek to address any emerging issues with the Scottish Government and employers.”
Edinburgh Festival Fringe gets underway with dynamic programme of over 700 in-person and online shows
Today, Friday 06 August, the world-renowned Edinburgh Festival Fringe officially comes to life with an exciting hybrid programme of over 700 in-person and online shows.
From 06 – 30 August, Edinburgh will once again be host to a diverse and exciting selection of work from the worlds of theatre, dance, circus, comedy, music, musicals and opera, cabaret and variety, children’s shows, spoken word, exhibitions, events and more.
This year’s Fringe also features a scaled-back programme of street events in managed locations; a range of community engagement work, including the return of Fringe Days Out; and a programme of activity for artists and arts industry professionals via Fringe Connect and Fringe Marketplace.
All work is being delivered in strict accordance with Scottish Government covid-19 guidance, to ensure a safe, secure and enjoyable festival for artists, audiences and residents. More information can be found below.
Commenting on the launch of the festival, Shona McCarthy, Chief Executive, Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, said: “The Fringe is always a remarkable feat, but this year, it’s nothing short of extraordinary.
“In the face of complex restrictions and enormous challenges, the Fringe community has created a diverse and engaging programme of over 700 shows to entertain us, bring us joy, and ultimately, do what culture does best: tell stories that help us understand where we are, what we’ve been through, and where we need to go.
“I’m enormously proud of the artists, venues, creatives and workers that have made this festival not only possible, but safe, engaging and entertaining. It’s so good to be celebrating the Fringe again this August, and I’d like to thank every artist, producer, worker, audience member, funder, sponsor and supporter that has got us here today.”
Phoebe Waller-Bridge, President, Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, said: “The Edinburgh Fringe is BACK! In an act of pure artistic heroism, the Fringe Society and thousands of artists, writers, dancers, actors, designers, comedians, musicians and creatives have fought to bring this festival back to the streets of glorious, glittering Edinburgh. We have a lot of time to make up for and this festival is more than ready for you.
“With hundreds of live and online events you can see as many shows in a week than you would have in the whole of last year and we are finally able to reconnect, inspire, surprise, and entertain each other like we used to. I have never wanted to have a leaflet thrusted at me more. We’re being offered a giant cultural sprinkler after a year of drought and I can’t wait to jump through it, shrieking, with you all.”
Benny Higgins, Chair, Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, said: “The Edinburgh Fringe is a remarkable arts festival that has created an unparalleled legacy for the city and the country, and it will have an important part to play in how we move forward after such a difficult period.
“The cultural value that the Fringe holds is enormous, and its launch today is the first step on a long road to recovery – for the festival and for Scotland. We must all play our part in ensuring an inclusive, diverse, and accessible festival for the future, with wellbeing at its heart.”
Angus Robertson, Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Scottish Government, said: “A huge amount of work has gone on behind the scenes to support the return of these globally significant cultural events and the benefits they bring to Scotland in terms of tourism, trade and our place on the world stage.
“Edinburgh’s festivals were sorely missed last summer and their return is another step in the right direction and testament to the determination of festival organisers, along with the artists, venues and businesses involved. I’m delighted that the Fringe will be able to welcome back audiences and give festival goers something to cheer this year.”
Councillor Amy McNeese-Mechan, the City of Edinburgh Council’s Culture and Communities Vice Convener, said:“The return of live August festivals events and performances truly reflects our city’s on-going recovery and, of course, our cultural DNA, and we’re delighted to see an exciting Edinburgh Festival Fringe programme.
“There’s no doubt it was greatly missed last year and it’s so lovely for our city to be welcoming audiences again to the Festivals this August. To everyone taking part, we ask you to continue to follow the safety guidance and to enjoy this year’s fantastic festival experiences safely.”
Barbara Smith, Managing Director of Johnnie Walker Princes Street, said:“As Johnnie Walker moves closer to opening the doors to our new venue on Princes Street, it’s fantastic to see Edinburgh continue to open up for cultural events, and for locals and visitors alike to enjoy the best that the city has to offer.
“The Fringe Festival will always be an important part of the city’s cultural calendar and the team at Johnnie Walker are delighted to once again support the Fringe Society in bringing the festival to life through our Fringe Club whisky bar on The Mound. We can’t wait to welcome visitors from home and away as they enjoy the best of what this world famous festival has to offer.”
In-person, online and on-demand shows
In 2021, audiences will be able to access a wide range of amazing Fringe shows through socially distanced in-person events, scheduled online performances and on-demand digital shows. Tickets and information for all kinds of registered Fringe shows – live, online, paid and free – can be found at edfringe.com.
Around 440 shows are taking place in person. Many shows are taking place in new, creative outdoor locations across Edinburgh, including a football ground, a car park and a racecourse.
Familiar Fringe operators such as Acoustic Music Centre, Assembly, Dance Base, French Institute, Gilded Balloon, Laughing Horse Free Festival, Monkey Barrel, PBH’s Free Fringe, Pleasance, Scottish Storytelling Centre, the Stand, theSpaceUK, Summerhall and Zoo are all taking part in this year’s festival with physical spaces in the city.
All in-person performances will be fully Covid compliant, following the latest guidelines on social distancing, mask wearing, ventilation and hygiene.
Currently, live events must operate at one-metre distancing. On 09 August, Scotland moves to level zero and restrictions on distancing will be dropped.
Every Fringe venue operates individually. For up to date information on capacity and distancing at individual Fringe shows, please check with the relevant venue.
In an exciting move for the festival, more than 260 shows are taking place online, providing a global platform for artists, while enhancing the Fringe’s commitment to accessibility and sustainability.
There will be two kinds of online events available this year: scheduled and on demand.
With scheduled shows, audiences can buy tickets as they would to a traditional in-person event. Shows will have a dedicated start and end time and are treated as an ‘appointment to view’ event. For on-demand shows, audiences can buy tickets to watch at their leisure.
Audiences can view Fringe shows on online platforms including the new Fringe Player streamed by Brightcove (NASDAQ: BCOV), the global leader in video for business.
Available via edfringe.com, this bespoke digital platform offers an easy-to-use viewing experience for audiences whilst giving artists a platform to present and showcase their work digitally. The player will be accessible to audiences from 06 Aug, with auto-subtitling built in. Both on-demand and scheduled online shows are available on this platform.
Where other platforms (such as Zoom, YouTube and Vimeo) are being used to host online work, information on how to access these is clearly provided at the point of purchase.
Online shows will be available to watch from August but can be pre-booked from today.
Street events
The city’s world-famous street events are returning this year, with a scaled-back programme of live performances.
A fantastic starting point for any Fringe-goer, events will run daily from 11.30am until 8.30pm in the High Street’s designated Fringe safe street performance area, West Parliament Square.
There will also be a programme of activity on the Mound, as well as additional opportunities for buskers and other street artists well known in the Fringe landscape.
All performances will be delivered in accordance with current and relevant Covid guidelines. Limits on audience numbers will be introduced in line with social distancing, and event details will be published online to audiences in advance to allow them to plan.
Strict hygiene measures will also be in place, including masks and sanitisation, to help everyone enjoy the events safely.
Community, access and learning
We are continuing to work alongside communities, venues and artists to ensure the Fringe is as inclusive as possible.
Our Fringe Days Out scheme is a long-term commitment by the Fringe Society to reach out to communities that have not traditionally engaged with the Fringe. Through this programme in 2021, we have delivered Fringe vouchers, Lothian bus tickets and access support through our 30+ community partners, including The Welcoming, The Citadel Youth Centre, Lothian Autistic Society, Vintage Vibes and Capability Scotland.
In response to some groups being unable to visit the festival in person, or being hesitant about attending, we are also continuing our Fringe in Communities programme. This will see street performers going out to locations across the city to perform during July and August.
The Fringe’s commitment to improving disabled access remains a priority. Customers with access requirements can use our Access Bookings system and search specific shows which are accessible such as relaxed, audio described, captioned and signed performances. Plus, a free personal assistant ticket is available for anyone who needs assistance to attend the Fringe. Customers can also search for shows in performance spaces with wheelchair access.
This year, we are once again providing sensory bags for children and adults on the autism spectrum. Each bag contain a fidget toy, earplugs, water bottle and a stress reliever. These items are designed to help users relax and overcome stressful or intense situations and are distributed to select partners across the city.
Our street events offering will see BSL interpretation on the West Parliament Square Stage on Saturday 21 August, and there will be a wheelchair accessible viewing area on the High Street throughout the festival.
We are also continuing Teachers’ Theatre Club, our partnership with Imaginate, which brings Edinburgh teachers to the Fringe. Each show seen will be followed by a group discussion with some of the artists and creative teams who made and/or presented the work, covering both the content of the show and how it could enhance and inform teaching practice.
And we’re making sure that Edinburgh’s schoolchildren can also take part in the Fringe fun by working with Gracemount High and selected Edinburgh primary schools to make sure they see Fringe shows too. .
Support for artists and arts industry
This year, the Fringe Society is hosting two digital platforms for artists and industry professionals: Fringe Connect and Fringe Marketplace.
Launched last month, Fringe Connect is an exciting new year-round platform, designed to bring Fringe artists together with peers and members of the arts community.
Described as ‘part social network, part events space’, Fringe Connect gives users the opportunity to populate their own profile with information about their professional experiences and interests (both Fringe-related and otherwise).
Registered users will have access to exciting industry news and opportunities, alongside access to year-round digital events aimed at supporting and facilitating professional development.
Guests and speakers during the Fringe include Lyn Gardner, Andrew Miller, Amy Conachan, Tarek Iskander, Jo Clifford and Richard Jordan, plus many more.
And after a successful pilot year in 2020, Fringe Marketplace has returned for2021. This dedicated showcase platform aims to connect arts industry delegates all over the world with professional and tour-ready artists.
The work that will appear on the platform has been selected by Fringe venue programmers and assessed by Fringe associates: an independent cross-genre industry experts who have experience and understanding of the Fringe.
Work with strategic partners
The Fringe Society is delighted to be working with three strategic partners this year: Something to Aim For, Parents and Carers in Performing Arts and Somewhere EDI. All three partnerships help us to better support and engage with significant groups of participants and understand the barriers they might be facing at the Fringe.
Something to Aim For is the charity devoted to supporting public health and (re)building social fabric through the creative industries.
Parents and Carers in Performing Arts work to promote best practice employment and support for parents and carers in the performing arts sector.
Somewhere EDI is a platform for positive LGBTQ+ culture, learning and activism, championing and empowering LGBTQ+ people to be out and visible in business, culture and in wider society.
Johnnie Walker
The Fringe Society is delighted to be working with Johnnie Walker for a third year. 2021 sees the return of the popular Fringe Club, a dedicated bar space for visitors to the festivities for the entire duration of the festival. Located on the Mound, an exciting spot with live street performances, the bar will once again serve a number of delicious highballs, cocktails and drams for guests in the dedicated whisky lounge.
Festival-goers will also have the chance to win exclusive prizes through the Johnnie Walker Ticket prize giveaway. Prizes include complimentary highballs at the Fringe Club, bottles of Johnnie Walker Blue Label, £20 vouchers for shows at the Fringe and tour tickets to Johnnie Walker Princes Street. With each ticket bought via the Fringe, customers can click on the ticket banner in their booking confirmations to be entered into the prize draw.
Edinburgh Gin
2021 is the first year of our exciting new partnership with Edinburgh Gin, who are working to support Fringe artists affected by the pandemic.
The team have collaborated with Fringe Society president Phoebe Waller-Bridge to create a special limited-edition bottle, which captures the wonder of Edinburgh through the lens of Fleabag.
Every penny of profit will go towards a new fund, being run in partnership with the Fringe Society, which will support artists to create and bring work to the Fringe. More than £150,000 is hoped to be raised.
Sponsors and supporters
As a charity, the work of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society would not be possible without the valuable support of our partners, sponsors and funders. We are delighted to be working with Johnnie Walker for the third year running as our official whisky partner.
We are proud to be partnering with the newly opened St James Quarter and are excited to be working with them this year and beyond.
We are excited to be partnering with Crowdfunder again through our FringeMakers fundraising platform, supporting Fringe artists and venues with vital fundraising efforts.
We have teamed up with Rare Birds Books to a create a limited-edition book bundle with books selected by the women behind three of the Fringe’s most iconic venues; Rowan Campbell, the General Manager of Summerhall, Dani Rae, the General Manager of Assembly and Katy Koren, who co-runs Gilded Balloon. Proceeds of the sale of this bundle will support go directly to supporting Fringe artists bring work to the Fringe.
We would also like to thank Lothian Buses for their continued support of our Fringe Days Out programme.
We’re thrilled to welcome Edinburgh Gin on board as Official Gin of the Fringe and look forward to working with them.
We are grateful for funding through the PLACE Programme, a partnership between the Scottish Government -through Creative Scotland -the City of Edinburgh Council and Festivals Edinburgh; Scottish Government for Made in Scotland through the Festivals Expo Fund -managed through Creative Scotland -and the continued support of the City of Edinburgh Council. Thanks also to Scottish Government for funds from their Get into Summer campaign.
We are grateful for funding from the Pivotal Event Business Fund, the SCVO Adapt and Thrive programme, the Foyle Foundation and the UK Government to enhance our digital capabilities.
Our thanks also to the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, the Pump House Trust and the Turtleton Charitable Trust.
With thanks to EventScotland and City of Edinburgh Council for supporting Street Events.
Thank you to Brightcove, our streaming partners, for their support in delivering the Fringe Player.
Our thanks also to our Fringe Angels, Patrons, Friends and supporters whose passion and generosity made a real difference this year.
World leading festivals begin bounce back from impact of COVID-19
Edinburgh’s world-leading summer festivals are back, with their recovery from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic supported by more than £5.4 million from the Scottish Government.
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe opens today, followed by the Edinburgh International Festival (EIF), with the Edinburgh Art Festival already open.
The Edinburgh International Book Festival will open a new chapter in a new venue on August 14, and the Edinburgh International Film Festival will welcome audiences from August 18.
The Scottish Government’s Gateway process has also allowed a small number of flagship events with national significance to take place in 2021, with limited numbers of spectators and subject to health advice, and both the EIF and the Fringe will stage events as part of the process.
Cabinet Secretary for Culture Angus Robertson said: “Edinburgh’s festivals are back – a significant moment for these landmark, world-leading events, and for our nation’s capital.
“The festivals were sorely missed last summer, and their return is a major step in the right direction as well as testament to the determination of festival organisers, along with the artists, venues and businesses involved.
“Already a huge amount of work has gone on behind the scenes to support the return of these globally significant cultural events and the benefits they bring to Scotland for our culture, for tourism, for trade and our place on the world stage.
“I’m delighted to welcome the Edinburgh Festivals’ return and see the world’s leading festival city come back to life in 2021.”
Chair of Festivals Edinburgh Sorcha Carey said: “The support of the Scottish Government and its agencies has been crucial to the very survival of our world-famous festivals, and we’re deeply grateful.
“All those who’ve worked tirelessly and are now able to manage a careful restart will be delighted to reconnect the people of Scotland with the live culture they’ve so badly missed.
“We want to support the vision of the First Minister and her team that culture will be at the heart of recovery, and we look forward with hope that Edinburgh’s peak festivals season can mark a turning point for Scotland’s culture sector.”
The award has been given by the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom (CLOtC), the national voice for teaching beyond the classroom which is known to contribute significantly to raising attainment and improving pupil and staff wellbeing.
As part of their submission for Gold status, St Andrew’s excelled in the following important areas:
capitalising on their resources, including nearby Corstorphine Hill, to ensure learning was based in local, accessible places
maximising commitment to learning for sustainability and their core ecological values; nurture, inspire, flourish
ensuring that their work was rooted in Curriculum for Excellence and that all learning was underpinned by progressive skills for learning, life and work
Rebecca Favier, Head Teacher at St Andrew’s, said: “Being awarded the gold mark is a tremendous achievement for all the staff and pupils. That we are the first school in Scotland to achieve this makes it even more special! It shows that we are providing our pupils with potentially life-changing opportunities to learn in meaningful contexts.
“We’re thrilled to get national recognition for our efforts, and we look forward to continuing to develop what we do, helping our pupils achieve their potential and to promoting the many benefits of taking teaching and learning beyond the classroom walls.”
Primary 5 pupil Billy said: I love learning outside my classroom on Corstorphine Hill. We do maths, language, science, nature studies and art and it’s fun doing it in the fresh air.
“Even when it isn’t sunny we keep our outdoor clothes in school for all weather. It makes learning feel like playtime with my friends. St Andrew’s is the best school ever!”
Councillor Ian Perry, Education Convener for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: Well done to all the teaching staff and pupils at St Andrew’s who have made such a massive contribution to achieving this award.
“It’s great to see such innovative learning and teaching being taken out of the classroom and getting the national recognition that it fully deserves.”
Councillor Alison Dickie, Education Vice Convener for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “This past year has been a real challenge for our young people and teaching staff so a massive thumbs up to St Andrew’s for leading the way in Scotland.
“This is creative learning at its best and these outdoor experiences both improve pupils’ academic attainment but also personal development and health and wellbeing.”
Kerr Willis, Chair of St Andrew’s Parent Council, said: “Big congratulations to all the staff and pupils for achieving Gold Award status in LOtC.
“It’s great to see the school making use of the incredible outdoor space near the campus to provide the children with a creative and practical approach to learning. Keep up the great work!”
Dr Anne Hunt, Chief Executive of CLOtC said: “Learning outside the classroom has many proven educational benefits as well as providing some of the most valuable and memorable experiences in a child’s school life.
“Achieving LOtC Mark (Gold) demonstrates that St Andrew’s Fox Covert RC Primary is a leader in providing learning experiences outside the classroom and that these sessions are a genuine part of the everyday life of the school, are available to all of their children and young people.
As restrictions lift, getting back to ‘normal’ is simply out of reach for many families and children, who are lacking the funds and resources to reconnect with friends and family, play sport, visit attractions and play outdoors.
At the same time, Oxford Brooks University research has highlighted that lockdown restrictions have had a detrimental impact on children in particular, as reduced play and more sedentary behaviour has the potential to damage their long-term development.
In response, In Kind Direct, the UK charity that distributes large scale donations of products to charitable organisations, has set it’s sights on supporting Save the Children and the #SummerOfPlay initiative aimed at helping children get mentally and physically active this summer. At it’s heart it aims to give children the summer they deserve.
Over 100,000 products have been donated to In Kind Direct so far, which they will be distributing to the 7,000 UK charitable organisations in their network across the summer.
Products include arts and crafts, board games, stationery, lunch boxes, backpacks, jigsaws, books, toys, sports kits, balls and outdoor play equipment – all to support schools, charities and community groups with their holiday activities and aiming to address the startling statistics:
Almost a quarter (23%) of children revealed they’re playing less sport and being less active than they used to be
77% of charities in In Kind Direct’s network are seeing declining health and wellbeing in their areas
76% of respondents from In Kind Direct’s charity network report people they support are feeling increasingly isolated and lonely
In Kind Direct has joined forces with a number of incredible donating organisations and brands such as; Flying Tiger Copenhagen, PZ Cussons, TCC Global, Micro Scooters, Amazon, Mitre Sports and Hasbro – all have generously donated a wide range of products that will have an incredible impact and enable charitable organisations to do so much more across the summer holidays.
Activity specialists Merlin, Junior Adventures and Big Game Hunters, have also donated generously, offering free placements at theme parks, opportunities to attend activity camps and chances to win outdoor play equipment – helping to boost physical and mental wellbeing at a time when it has been negatively impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.
Debbie, from Pilton Youth & Children’s Project in North Edinburgh, said: “We work with children living in an area of multiple deprivation, so we try to make summer school holidays as fun as possible.
“We want children to remember their summers and have stories to tell their children when they become adults. By giving them access to toys and fun activities they are very happy and can start to create some happy memories together.”
Rosanne Gray, In Kind Direct CEO, comments: “It’s heart-breaking to see the statistics of how much the pandemic has impacted children’s mental and physical development. Not having access to simple pleasures like a football or puzzles which many families take for granted has stopped many kids from being active and social.
“We cannot let this pandemic continue to impact physical and mental wellbeing for our younger generation, which is why we are encouraging any businesses with products or services to donate and make a difference over these summer months.”
If you are a manufacturer, retailer or supplier and want to donate contact:
Fresh Start and @EdinUniformBank are running a free ‘nearly new’ school uniform drop in for families in need of help with school uniforms on Wed 11th & Thurs 12th August at Fresh Start Pantry, 28 Ferry Rd Drive, EH4 4BR.
PLEASE NOTE: This event is ONLY for families at Forthview, Craigroyston, Pirniehall & St David’s Primaries and Craigroyston High School. We will not have uniform available for other schools.
Numbers will be limited due to Covid restrictions & uniform is subject to availability.
Best Start Foods payments are increasing this month marking the achievement of another commitment for the first 100 days of the Scottish Government.
Social Security Minister (and local MSP for Edinburgh Northern and Leith) Ben Macpherson paid a visit to Fresh Start’s Pantry on Ferry Road Drive at lunchtime to meet staff and customers who are benefitting from the payments.
The payment supports low income families to buy healthy food for children under the age of three, and forms part of the Scottish Government’s national mission of eradicating child poverty.
Best Start Foods is part of a package of five family payments administered by Social Security Scotland. It is made every four weeks on a pre-paid card to buy healthy food including eggs, milk, fruit, vegetables and pulses. The payment is increasing to £18 from £17 during pregnancy and for any children between one and three years old. It’s also increasing to £36 from £34 for children under one.
Between December 2018 when the first payment started and 31 May 2021, £60.8 million has been paid to 179,575 families for Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods -£16.7 million of these payments were for Best Start Foods.
Social Security Minister Ben Macpherson said: “Unwarranted welfare cuts by the UK Government and the impacts of the pandemic are putting even greater pressure on family budgets.
“It’s our priority to do everything within our power to eradicate child poverty across Scotland. We committed to increasing Best Start Foods within the first 100 days of this Government and we have swiftly delivered.
“We have also delivered on our 100 day commitment to pay £100 as part of Scottish Child Payment Bridging Payments worth £520 in both 2020 and 2021. Families will now have received £200 for each eligible child this year, almost two years ahead of the planned full roll-out of Scottish Child Payment for older children.
“We are set to invest £77 million both this year and next through this measure which is expected to benefit around 145,000 children and young people in receipt of Free School Meals on the basis of low income.
“Families in Scotland now have a unique package of payments that will help them as their child grows and I encourage all families on low incomes to check what they are entitled to. There are many forms of support available to ensure every child in Scotland has the best start in life.”
Further information on all five family payment can be found by visiting:
A scheme to provide children in eligible pre-school settings with milk and a portion of fruit or vegetables launched yesterday (1 August).The Scottish Milk and Healthy Snack Scheme replaces the UK Nursery Milk Scheme, making more healthy produce available for more children.
All pre-schoolers who spend two hours or more a day in eligible childcare settings registered with the scheme will be entitled to a serving of fresh milk.
Unlike the UK scheme, a piece of fruit or portion of vegetables will also be offered and children who cannot drink cow’s milk for medical, ethical or religious reasons will be offered a specified non-dairy alternative.
More than 3,000 childcare settings and over 116,000 children are already signed up to the new scheme and it is anticipated that more will register to benefit in year one. The Scottish Government is expected to provide around £9 million to £12 million funding to local authorities, depending on uptake, to administer the scheme in the first year.
Eligible settings who register will receive up-front payments via their local authority.
Children’s Minister Clare Haughey said: “We know that diet impacts on children’s health and their ability to learn. This scheme not only provides eligible pre-school children in Scotland with access to excellent sources of nutrition but we hope it will set up healthy eating habits for life.
“With this expanded and improved offer, the Scottish Government has gone further than the UK scheme. Working in partnership with COSLA and other key partners, we are investing in children’s outcomes, providing increased money up-front, and offering a wider range of healthy produce while supporting our vital Scottish food and drink sector.”
COSLA Children and Young People Spokesperson Councillor Stephen McCabe said: “The provision of milk and healthy snacks to children is an important part of ensuring that they can get the best from their learning and contributes to their overall health and wellbeing.
“The scheme will provide for children at a crucial stage in their development and we have worked in partnership to ensure that as many children as possible benefit.”
