The new Best Start Grant package is putting more money in the pockets of low income families than the DWP system it replaced.
Since it started making Best Start Grant payments last December, Social Security Scotland has made more than 42,000 payments to families in Scotland, totalling £12.9 million. Continue reading Best Start Grant: greater support for low income families
As Scottish Book Trust marks its 21st anniversary, the independent national charity transforming lives through reading and writing has launched a new fundraising campaign to provide crucial support to vulnerable families and help fight the effects of living in poverty through reading and books. Continue reading Scottish Book Trust launches anti-poverty campaign
With just over a month to go until Edinburgh’s Kiltwalk, Scotland’s largest children’s charity is offering free entry to the event for those pledging to walk for them. Continue reading Charity offers free places to Edinburgh Kiltwalkers
MUIRHOUSE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT GROUP
Autumn Programme starts Monday 2nd September
Hey everyone! Our new programme hot off the press!
It starts week beginning Monday 2nd September 2019.
Any questions please just give our office a call on: 0131 332 3356.
See you all soon!
Craigroyston Community Football Club needs players born in 2012
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon joined Portobello High School students from S1-S3 yesterday to launch a new app, Bookzilla, at Portobello Library.
Developed by Scottish Book Trust, the national charity transforming lives through reading and writing, and digital agency Dubit, Bookzilla is aimed at early secondary school students in Scotland. The app encourages pupils to read for pleasure, whether they are already regular readers or just embarking on their reading journey. Continue reading First Minister launches new app for teen readers
Education, Children and Families Convener Councillor Ian Perry writes about the positive progress being made in meeting the increased 1140 hours early learning and childcare in a year’s time:
Last week heralded one year to go before we have to meet the ambitious target of providing an additional 1140 hours funded early learning and childcare in Edinburgh. Providing double the number of hours for three and four-year-olds plus eligible two-year-olds is a huge undertaking.
It presents many challenges but thanks to innovative thinking by the Council and early years staff and full Scottish Government funding we are making positive progress towards meeting this ambitious target.
Our exciting and forward-thinking plans, underpinned by four key themes of quality, flexibility, accessibility and affordability, are transforming the early years learning and childcare landscape in the Capital.
Unlike some other local authorities Edinburgh started implementing the additional hours two years ago giving us plenty of time to take on board any lessons learnt and adapt our plans going forward.
We already have over 3,000 children benefitting from the extra hours and our proactive approach to taking our partner providers with us on this journey has resulted in 79 of them coming on board and five forest kindergartens up and running by late October to add to the mix.
There’s no doubt that two of the biggest challenges are recruiting staff and providing the necessary infrastructure.
Through our recent national recruitment drive we have an additional 360 staff already in place ranging from senior early officers and practitioners to modern apprentice trainees. Add to this our own Early Learning and Childcare Academy which is helping grow and develop our workforce by delivering training and upskilling staff.
Our new state-of-the-art early years settings are all designed on sector-leading research to support children’s learning and development and aim to be nurturing environments which are homely, inviting and calming.
New buildings have already opened at Corstorphine, Davidson’s Mains, Ferryhill and Leith primary schools with early years centres also opening at Granton and Tynecastle.
We are currently on site building five more nurseries this coming year at Craigentinny, Granton, Nether Currie, St John Vianney and St Mark’s primary schools. Each of these will provide between 64 and 137 places and are expected to open their doors in Spring 2020.
Other innovative ideas to meet the additional hours include our partnership with the Scottish Childminding Association and our successful Forest Kindergarten project which is going from strength to strength.
We now have three fully operational forest kindergartens sites at Laurieston Castle, Cammo and Cliftonhall and a further two sites will be ready in October at Craigmillar and Newbattle providing a blended model of early learning and childcare for around 200 children.
There are now 11 local authority settings open from 8am to 6pm all year round and we are considering proposals to open more settings for 50 weeks a year.
Obviously, we will continue to engage with the community as our plans progress and are always wanting to hear innovative and new ideas.
This is an exciting time for early learning and childcare in Edinburgh. We and our partners are grasping this opportunity with both hands to ensure our children get the best possible start in life on their journey to becoming successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens and effective contributors.
A record number of children have benefitted from holiday activities and nutritious meals while schools are shut. With Edinburgh pupils going back to school today, national charity Cash For Kids expect to provide activities to more than 61,000 children, up from the 37,000 children supported last year.
National charity Cash for Kids received £250,000 to fund a range of community groups offering holiday programmes, linking up with local authority activity across Scotland.
Communities Secretary Aileen Campbell visited Milton Holiday Hub in Invergordon, which provides one-stop access to childcare, activities, healthy food and family support. It is part of a pilot scheme to widen access to children in rural locations.
Highland Council and third sector partners received £43,000 Scottish Government funding to run the hub five days a week over the summer holidays, providing childcare as well as activities, meals and wider family support.
Ms Campbell said: “School holidays should be a time for fun and excitement for children, but for some families it brings financial pressures, particularly due to UK Government welfare cuts and austerity. We want to ensure that families who need additional support have access to a place where their children can go and receive a healthy meal and take part in fun activities.
“The partnership with local authorities and the third sector is key to tackling food insecurity and child poverty. This is a priority for this government and we are ensuring that those most in need receive the right support.
“We also recognise that there are specific barriers to accessing support in rural communities which we’re overcoming with the Milton Holiday Hub this summer. This helps ensure those communities are able to still receive support while the local school is closed.”
The Scottish Government has focused £2 million from the £3.5 million Fair Food Fund specifically on school holidays, with £692,000 awarded for 2019-20 to support families send their children to a holiday club scheme.
Continue reading Record numbers access increased school holiday support
Payment card replaces paper vouchers
Pregnant women and families with babies and children receiving certain benefits are to be offered increased access to healthy foods. The new Best Start Foods payment replaces the UK Government’s Healthy Start paper vouchers with a new payment card, and it’s now open for applications. Continue reading Best Start Foods payment launched
As ever, there are some big names at this year’s Edinburgh International Book Festival – but the biggest star of them all kicked off the annual event in Charlotte Square Gardens yesterday. The Gruffalo came to town to get the party started – which is quite appropriate as the children’s favourite is celebrating his twentieth birthday!
Gruffalo author Julia Donaldson was joined by illustrator Catherine Rayner for her Performing Picture Books event at the Edinburgh Book Festival. Continue reading Happy Birthday, Gruffalo!
