Our creative sessions for local children are back this week after the summer break! Let’s get messy, move, and make things together.
CREATE (ages 0–5, with parents/carers)
Thursdays 10am–12pm & Saturdays 10.30am–12.30pm | Starts 27 August
A hands-on, messy-play art experience for our youngest artists and their grown-ups, using low-cost materials you can easily recreate at home.
Saturday Arts & Dance (ages 5–12)
Saturdays 10.30am–12.30pm | Starts 29 August
A relaxed morning of art-making, games, movement and play, split into two age groups (5–7 and 8–12).
Both sessions are completely free and run during term time, for families living in Muirhouse, Pilton, Granton & Drylaw. Healthy snacks are provided.
Places are first-come, first-served, so we’d recommend arriving in good time to avoid disappointment. Registration is required (but if you’ve already signed up earlier, no need to do it again)
Visit our website for more details or get in touch with us:
Less than one in five people in Scotland (18%) are confident that young people in their local area would share information with the police if they knew someone was carrying a knife, according to new UK-wide research from YouGov commissioned by charity Crimestoppers.
The research also found people in Scotland are more than twice as confident young people locally would share that information with an anonymous service (43%).
The findings raise concerns that vital information about knife crime could be going unreported, despite the devastating impact serious violence has on victims, families and communities.
While the YouGov research found confidence in young people sharing information about knife crime with police is low across Scotland, the research suggests anonymity could make a significant difference.
More than 2 in 5 (43%) of people in Scotland said they were confident young people locally would share information with an anonymous service, highlighting the important role anonymous reporting can play in helping young people share information safely.
Fear of retaliation also remains a significant barrier. More than four in ten (44%) people in Scotland cite fear of retaliation if they report crime as a reason they might not report information about crime to the police, among a range of options.
The regional findings come as Crimestoppers launches a new campaign through its youth service, Fearless.org, after the research also revealed a significant reporting gap among young people.
UK-wide, just 31% of UK 16 to 25-year-olds say they would be very likely to report information about knife crime directly to the police, compared with 45% of adults*.
The findings challenge the perception that young people are unwilling to help tackle knife crime. Instead, they suggest fear, mistrust and uncertainty are preventing many from speaking up, even when they may have information that could help prevent serious violence – for example, 41% of 16-25s say fear of retaliation is a barrier that could stop them sharing information about knife crime with the police, while 28% say lack of trust in the police could stop them.
The campaign features the story of Charlie Cosser, who was tragically murdered in 2023 after being stabbed while trying to protect a friend.
Charlie’s father, Martin Cosser, is now working with Fearless to encourage young people to understand that anonymously sharing information about knife crime could help prevent future tragedies and save lives.
Martin Cosser, Charlie’s father and co-founder of Charlie’s Promise, said:“No family should have to experience the heartbreak ours has endured. We know fear can stop people speaking up, but one piece of information can make all the difference. I hope this campaign helps young people understand they can share what they know anonymously and potentially save someone’s life.”
Fearless is Crimestoppers’ dedicated youth service, providing young people with trusted information about crime, personal safety and the law, alongside a safe and completely anonymous way to pass on information about crime.
Independent of the police, Fearless.org never ask for a name or any details that could identify the person making the report.
The research also found that only 32% of people in Scotland are aware that Crimestoppers reporting service is completely anonymous. Furthermore, only 34% realise they are independent from the police.
Through this campaign, the charity hopes more young people will understand there is a safe, anonymous way to share information that could help prevent knife crime and protect others.
Anyone with information about knife crime or other serious criminal activity can contact Fearless anonymously by visiting Fearless.org.
Legislation to protect pupils’ education and wellbeing
Pupils, parents and teachers are among those being encouraged to share their views about restricting phones in schools with the launch of a public consultation today.
The Scottish Government’s consultation will inform the development of legislation to restrict phone use in schools, given concerns about the harmful effect on pupils’ education and wellbeing. Views are sought on the extent, scope and potential impact of any restrictions, as well as any possible exemptions.
Updated guidance, published in June, already encourages schools to restrict the use of phones during teaching and learning time as a minimum while the proposed mandatory legal restrictions are being developed.
The consultation has been published alongside practical guidance for parents to keep their children safe online and manage their screen time – with the advice being posted from today on Scottish Government social media channels.
Speaking ahead of a visit to Perth Grammar School, Education Secretary Màiri McAllan said: “Smartphones are a fact of modern life, and it is important that we equip the next generation with the necessary skills, knowledge and resilience to thrive.
“However, the evidence of the risks that phones can pose to young people is compelling – from disruption to education, sleep and wellbeing, to more severe harms including bullying, harassment and radicalisation.
“The Scottish Government is treating this as a public health issue. We are publishing content from today about how parents can help keep their children safe online, alongside surveys to seek views on what more can be done to support families.
“We have already used guidance to encourage headteachers to restrict the use of phones, but we know teachers, parents, carers and pupils want a consistent approach across Scotland. That’s why national legislation is important.
“This consultation gives children, young people, parents and carers, school staff and education authorities the opportunity to share their views on what this legislation should look like.”
Inspiring local youngsters to become the next generation of eco-champions
Utilita is thrilled to announce the expansion of its Summer Sustainability Club, a free programme of fun, hands-on activities for children and families, taking place across all 12 of its high street Energy Hubs.
Designed to inspire the next generation of eco-champions, the Summer Sustainability Club blends creativity, education and play to help children understand sustainability in an engaging and accessible way.
The initiative builds on Utilita’s award-winning High 5 campaign, which encourages households to adopt simple, everyday behaviours to save energy, reduce waste and lower bills.
Children and families visiting the Leith Utilita Energy Hub at 41 Newkirkgate, Edinburgh, EH6 6AA will be able to take part in a series of free sustainability-themed activities throughout the summer.
Next up, youngsters will be able to take part in the following interactive sessions:
Friday, 28August 12-3pm: Energy and Saving Power at Home
Through interactive games, activities and discussions, children and families will discover what’s wasting electricity in the home and learn practical ways to reduce energy consumption and save money.
Friday, 4 September 12pm-3pm:Food Waste
This engaging session will explore ways to waste less food through interactive discussions and activities. Participants will also take part in a fun “grow your own pumpkin” task, encouraging sustainable food habits from an early age.
Natasha Baillie, Hub Supervisor in Leith, said: ” The school holidays will no doubt have been an expensive time for many families. Keeping children entertained, managing household costs and, during the warmer months, trying to keep homes comfortable can all put added pressure on family budgets.
“That’s why we’re proud to offer free activities that give children the chance to learn, create and have fun, while parents and carers can access practical support and advice on saving energy and reducing household bills.
“Our Summer Sustainability Clubs have proven to be very popular, helping to bring the community together and showing that small changes at home can make a real difference to both the environment and household finances.”
A key part of the programme is the support and expertise provided by Utilita’s Energy Hub Eco Experts, who are on hand to guide families through each activity, offer practical advice and share simple ways to reduce energy use at home. These specialists play a vital role in helping communities build sustainable habits, ensuring that lessons learned during the workshops can be carried into everyday life.
The Summer Sustainability Club reinforces Utilita’s commitment to community engagement, education and environmental responsibility. By combining hands-on learning with real-world advice, the initiative aims to empower families to make small, meaningful changes that contribute to a more sustainable future.
All activities are free to attend and open to children of all ages.
For more information about Utilita’s energy-saving advice or the High 5 campaign, visit your local Energy Hub or go to www.utilita.co.uk.
Providing every child with the best start to school
Around 47,000 children starting Primary One in the next academic year, 2027-28, will be the first to receive a Welcome to School backpack in a variety of colours, to help them start school feeling excited, supported and ready to learn.
Procurement of the first bags is now underway following engagement with children, families and teachers to ensure they provide the practical contents and equipment that will help cut the cost for families as children start school.
The bags will be lightweight, made of durable, recycled materials, have multiple versatile compartments and pockets, reflective piping for safety, and space for name tags and a window in which children can place a drawing to personalise their backpack. Each one will contain:
a pencil case
stationery including pens, pencils, coloured crayons and a notebook
a water bottle
resources to encourage reading, writing and maths practice at home
Education Secretary Màiri McAllan met children at Orbiston Community Hub in North Lanarkshire, who will be among the first to receive the bag, to work on designs they could personalise their bag with.
Ms McAllan said: “Every child and family should feel excited and ready for their first day of school, which is why the Scottish Government is offering Primary Ones their very own Welcome to School Bag, filled with things to help them learn.
“We worked with children, families and teachers to create the design and ensure it provides what a child needs as they take their first steps into school life.
“Building on the success of the Baby Box, alongside the School Clothing Grant, Best Start Grant School Age Payments, breakfast clubs and free school meals, the Welcome to School Bag will help ensure that no child’s start to school is determined by their family’s financial circumstances.
“This is an essential component of our determined focus to eradicate child poverty, which is why we have prioritised work during the first 100 days of Government to ensure the first bags reach children by the time they start school next year.”
Your postcode shouldn’t determine your shelf life.
Right now, people in parts of the UK are living up to 18 years less than in others. That’s not because of bad luck or just individual choices, but because things like mouldy homes, toxic air, and the struggle to afford the basics are cutting lives short.
We are proud to support the Health Equals campaign, which is calling for a change in the law to tackle health inequalities.
Explore the campaign and find out how to get involved here:
Scotland’s Bairns’ Hooses will be supported with multi-year funding from the next year to help them better plan for the future and ensure that every child who needs its services can access those by 2031.
Bairns’ Hooses bring together essential services such as health, justice and social work and recovery around a child in a trauma-informed approach.
They provide better support for children who have been victims or witnesses of abuse or violence that has caused or is likely to cause significant harm. This ensures children do not have to repeatedly recount their experiences while accessing the support they need.
By providing multi-year funding certainty, the Scottish Government is enabling partners to plan for the long-term and recruit key practitioners more easily. The multi-year funding will cover financial years 2027-28 to 2029-30, with the level of funding being set out in next year’s Budget.
Children and Young People Minister Siobhian Brown said: “No child should have to face the aftermath of abuse or trauma alone, or be made to tell their story over and over again to different people, at what is already one of the most difficult times in their life. Bairns’ Hoose exists to wrap support around children when they need it most, bringing together the people who can help.
“The proposed multi-year investment, covering financial years 2027-28 to 2029-30, would build on more than £30 million already invested in the programme. Nine Bairns’ Hooses are currently operational across Scotland, providing trauma-informed, child-centred support to children who have experienced abuse or violence – and with a tenth site in Fife expected to be up and running soon.
“Local partnerships are at the heart of delivering of Bairns’ Hoose, bringing key statutory partners across justice, health and recovery support services together around the child.
“We have listened to feedback from partnerships who asked for multi-year funding to give the certainty needed to plan, recruit and scale up services effectively, supporting the Scottish Government’s commitment to ensure every child who needs it has access to a Bairns’ Hoose by May 2031.”
Fife Bairns’ Hoose Partnership said: “Multi-year funding provides partnerships like ours with the stability needed to embed services, strengthen collaboration across agencies and focus on delivering lasting change for children and families. A
” longer-term funding commitment would also support the development of a sustainable and committed workforce and effective commissioning arrangements, creating the conditions for successful implementation and continuous improvement.
“This approach would enable our Bairns’ Hoose to fulfil its vision and purpose for children and young people across Fife, ensuring they benefit from a coordinated, trauma-informed response that delivers positive outcomes over the long term.”
Children First, Scotland’s national children’s charity, has responded to news that Scotland’s Bairns Hooses will be supported with multi-year funding from next year.
In response to the Scottish Government’s announcement of multi-year funding for Scotland’s Bairns Hooses, Mary Glasgow, Chief Executive of Children First said: “The guarantee of multi-year funding for the Bairns Hoose model is a vital investment in the future of children who have experienced violence and abuse.
“Every child has a right to get all the trauma-informed care, justice, protection, advocacy and recovery support they need through Bairns Hoose to move on with their lives, without delay.
“While Scotland has made significant progress since Children First opened the first Bairns Hoose in 2023, there must now be a greater focus on funding the therapeutic recovery, advocacy and participation which lie at the core of the model. Without it, Bairns Hoose will not deliver the transformation in systems that children need and which the Scottish Government aspires to.
“The roll out of Bairns Hoose is a wider step to ensuring that no child is asked to go to court unless it is absolutely and unavoidably necessary.
“Alongside today’s commitment and the funding that will be required to fully deliver the Bairns Hoose model, the principle that court is no place for children needs to be enshrined in legislation to give child victims confidence that their wellbeing and recovery is the priority.”
Surveys to explore families’ experiences of smartphones, social media and going online
Families are being invited to share their experiences of using smartphones, social media and the internet through surveys aiming to identify what support they need to stay safe online.
The first survey explores how children and young people use screens, apps and social media, as well as assessing the possible effects on their wellbeing and their confidence in staying safe on the internet.
The second asks parents or carers about their own screen use, how confident they are in supporting their children’s screen use, and what resources they would find helpful, among other questions.
While legislation to manage online safety lies with the UK Government, Scottish Ministers are focused on what more can be done within devolved powers.
The Scottish Government is therefore also conducting a review of more than 140 post-Covid research papers examining the impact of digital media use on the wellbeing of children and young people. The findings from the surveys and the review will be used to deliver new policy to reduce the impact of online harms.
Children and Young People Minister Siobhian Brown said: “Going online and using social media gives young people access to huge amounts of information, which can have positive benefits for their learning and connection to friends, family and the world.
“However, it can also have a harmful impact on their physical and mental health and wellbeing. We also know parents and carers are worried about how long young people spend online, what content they may be viewing and the addictive nature of some apps.
“We will continue to push the UK Government to go further – for example we want to see a Social Media Levy applied to online platforms which can then be reinvested back into our young people. However, we are also focused on what we can do within our powers in Scotland to ensure children and young people are safe and supported in their online lives, as part of a public health approach to online safety.
“To that end, we are seeking the views of as many people as possible, particularly around what support and information they would find most helpful. The surveys are completely anonymous and will help us to inform any public health campaign on this important issue.
“This work comes on top of our action to create phone-free learning environments to ensure pupils can learn free from the disruption associated with mobile phones.”
The Scottish Government has provided funding to organisations supporting the emotional health and wellbeing of children and young people, including:
Mind Yer Time, an online hub on digital wellbeing designed by children and young people from the Children’s Parliament and the Scottish Youth Parliament
the AyeFeel online hub and award-winning ‘This is How AyeFeel’ podcast, delivered by Young Scot in collaboration with children and young people.
Parent Club provides advice for parents and carers on supporting the mental health and wellbeing of their children and families, including on how to manage screen time and ensure children have a healthy balance of screen-based activities and offline play and exercise.
This week, Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh North Western, visited Oaklands School in Edinburgh with Edinburgh Northern MSP, Sanne Dijkstra-Downie where they received a warm welcome from both staff and pupils.
Oaklands provides a supportive and significantly adapted learning environment for those with profound learning disabilities and associated health care needs.
The main topic of conversation centred on respite care throughout the school holidays, as many pupils and families from the school struggled to secure some, if any. This pressure on families, often unpaid carers, can be difficult to sustain.
Alex is now calling for the Scottish Government to support the City of Edinburgh Council in providing a higher level of provision for families, especially in the school holidays.
Speaking after the visit, Alex said: “Visiting Oaklands School always brings me so much joy. The staff and pupils are a delight and welcome you into their space with such kindness.
It is so hard to see these pupils struggle outside of term time, as well as their families, by not having access to appropriate levels of respite care and holiday hubs.
“Many families are also going without Section 23 assessments. The awareness amongst families of their right to a Section 23 assessment is not nearly high enough. The Scottish Government needs to act on this to ensure families have the support they need.
“Councils need support from the Scottish Government as to how we up the ante for those who need it most during the summer months and other school holidays. We need to get it right for them and their families.”
CREATE (ages 0–5, with parents/carers)
Images by Olly Benton: Creative sessions at the North Edinburgh Community Festival 2026
