More than 70 leaders and organisations from across Scottish society have joined together to call on the First Minister to speed up the introduction of a new income supplement to tackle child poverty. Continue reading #KidsCantWait: First Minister urged to speed up child poverty benefit
CHATTERBOOKS IS BACK!!!
The book group with a twist is back at Muirhouse Library, with loads of fun activities, quizzes, crafts and of course, loads of awesome books to read and talk about!
Starting Tuesday 2nd July and every Tuesday after
2pm – 2.45pm during the summer holidays, 3.15pm – 4pm when schools are back!
Summer Fair Party
Thursday, 8 August, 4 – 6pm
Royal Commonwealth Pool, Dalkeith Road
Join Edinburgh Leisure for two hours of all the fun of a summer fair plus soft play at Clambers, where little ones can climb their walls and burn off all the pent-up energy, plus a disco plus a free healthy slush to keep cool. Continue reading Summer Fair Party at the Commie Pool
Young carers in Scotland aged 16 to 18 could benefit from a new £300 social security payment.
The Young Carer Grant is the first of its kind in the UK. It will be available to 16, 17 and 18 year olds who help care for someone in receipt of a certain type of disability benefit. The payment will be introduced this autumn.
Following feedback from young carers, eligiblity is being widened to include all 18-year-olds, not just those in education.
In a further another extension of the policy, young carers will now also be able to combine the hours they spend caring for more than one eligible person in order to reach the 16 hours a week requirement.
Young carers will also be able to take respite weeks without this impacting upon their application.
Social Security Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “We are using our new social security powers to recognise the extraordinary contribution young carers make to the lives of those they care for.
“This is the first time young carers aged 16 to 18 will be given a cash benefit to spend as they choose. We will be making these payments at what could be a pivotal stage in their lives – when they may be finishing school, looking for employment or starting further education or training.
“Young carers make an invaluable contribution to society but many have difficulty participating in the normal activities their peers can enjoy. The Young Carer Grant will help ensure they are treated with the dignity, fairness and respect they deserve.”
The Scottish Government is investing £600,000 to support nearly 2000 young carers in 2019/20.
The Young Carer Grant will open for applications in autumn this year and applications can be made online, over the phone or by post.
A new public health campaign, Keeping Kids Safe in the Home, which aims to reduce the number of domestic accidents involving under 5s in Edinburgh, has been launched by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA). Continue reading New campaign aims to prevent accidents among Edinburgh’s under-fives
The proportion of young people who enter work, training or further study within nine months of leaving school is now the highest on record. Official statistics published yesterday show that 93.2% of school pupils had a positive destination nine months after leaving school. Continue reading Deprivation gap in school leavers is lowest ever
MUIRHOUSE MILLENNIUM PARK
Starts Thursday 4th July: 6 – 7.15pm
Helping Hands have launched our Free Summer Football Programme 2019 in memory of Bradley Welsh, one of our founders, our friend and comrade. After discussions with Brad’s family and our coaches, Helping Hands have decided to go ahead with our plans for this years kids football programme. Plans that Brad was key to putting together. Continue reading Free kids football in Muirhouse during school holidays thanks to Helping Hands
Her Royal Highness Princess Beatrice of York, Patron of the Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity, will officially launch Oor Wullie’s BIG Bucket Trail in Edinburgh today. Continue reading Jings! HRH Princess Beatrice of York to launch Oor Wullie’s BIG Bucket Trail
The charity Who Cares? Scotland has published first of their kind statistics, revealing that young people in care across Scotland are continually having to fight for basic rights every single day. These have today been published in a report entitled, “We Don’t Have to Wait.” Continue reading Scotland ‘risks a forgotten generation’
Rock Trust and Cyrenians are joining forces to deliver an entirely new local service to reach young people before they become homeless. Continue reading New partnership launched to prevent youth homelessness in Edinburgh
