Here’s our fun-filled programme of activities for children & families during the school break
And we’re very excited to announce a special children’s magic show with Tricky Ricky on Friday 21st February, 2pm.
*book your free spaces for children to attend: https://TrickyRicky_MagicShow.eventbrite.co.uk
Women can expect improved miscarriage care Public Health and Women’s Health Minister Jenni Minto has pledged, after unveiling a new framework, backed by £1.5 million funding.
The framework sets out a range of actions for Scotland’s NHS boards to implement, including ensuring that women going through miscarriage have a separate, private space. It will introduce a graded model of miscarriage care across the country. This means all women can receive tailored support and services, and won’t have to wait until a third miscarriage. This will include access to progesterone prescriptions – where clinically appropriate – both for threatened and recurrent miscarriage.
These changes will be supported by £1.5 million Scottish Government funding and aim to ensure that early pregnancy care is equitable so that no women are disadvantaged, regardless of where they access and receive care.
The Minister for Public Health and Women’s Health said: “The loss of a baby, no matter at what stage of pregnancy, has a profound and lasting impact on women and their families.
“To all who have experienced such a tragedy, I offer my deepest sympathy. The Scottish Government recognises this impact and is clear that women and families who have experienced pregnancy or baby loss must be provided with the right information, care and support, tailored to their individual circumstances.
“I am very grateful to everyone in Scotland’s NHS who works to provide miscarriage care and support.
“I know there is already a lot of good work underway within NHS Boards to improve miscarriage care services. The 2025-26 Budget, if approved by Parliament, will provide £1.5 million to support NHS Boards to improve delivery of sensitive and compassionate miscarriage care.”
Kath Abrahams, Chief Executive of pregnancy charity Tommy’s commented: “We are delighted to see the Delivery Framework for Miscarriage Care in Scotland launching today.
“The Framework is a real milestone on the path to excellent care for women and families in Scotland and Tommy’s has been pleased to work closely with our colleagues in Scottish Government as they have developed the Framework, which aims to ensure the right support and care for parents after every tragic loss.
“With compassionate care at its heart, we are looking forward to continuing to support our Scottish colleagues as they oversee the rollout.”
The Miscarriage Association’s Chief Executive Vicki Robinson said: “We are extremely pleased to see the publication of this important Framework for Miscarriage Care in Scotland, which represents a significant step forward in ensuring that those experiencing miscarriage receive the compassionate, high-quality care they deserve during such a heart-breaking time.
“This framework is a vital step in providing evidence-based care and offering women additional support in early pregnancy. We are proud to have contributed to its development and look forward to seeing it bring positive change. This is a crucial milestone in ensuring that miscarriage care is accessible, equitable, and compassionate across Scotland.”
AN ANNOUNCEMENT FROM NORTH EDINBURGH CHILDCARE
A record breaking (and heart-breaking – Ed.) 10,360 children are trapped in often unsuitable temporary accommodation, latest figures from the Scottish Government has revealed.
The number of children in temporary homes has risen for the 10th year* as figures detail the stark reality for thousands of families across Scotland. The statistics cover from 1 April 2024 to 30 September 2024 – during which time the Scottish Government declared a national housing emergency.
It is a national scandal that 7,545 households have been stripped of their rights in only six months, as councils failed to offer a place to those requiring temporary accommodation, also known as gatekeeping.
While Shelter Scotland welcomes the Scottish Government reversing the cuts for housing, it must be clear that funding has returned to the same level as it was in 2022.
The latest figures show:
– 10,360 children living in temporary accommodation on 30 September 2024, an increase of 250 children compared to the previous six months. That’s an increase of 149% since 2014.
– 7,545 instances of failure to offer a place to a household requiring temporary accommodation, also known as
gatekeeping, between 1 April to 30 September 2024. This an increase of 277% in just 6 months or 3.8 x higher. In the 12-month period to September 2024 gatekeeping was at 13,500 recorded cases, a 541% increase compared to the year prior.
– 4,085 breaches of the Unsuitable Accommodation Order between 1 April and 30 September 2024 – a 11% increase compared to the previous six months.
– 16,634 households in temporary accommodation as of 30 September 2024 an increase from 16,330
– 32,272 live homeless cases as of 30 September 2024 an increase from 31,794.
Shelter Scotland is calling on the Scottish Government’s renewed housing budget to focus on reducing the number of children trapped in temporary accommodation, and to ensure local services are fully funded to ensure lifeline housing rights are upheld.
This comes at a time when wider cuts in the public services may push more people closer to the brink of homelessness.
Shelter Scotland Director, Alison Watson, said: “This is the harrowing reality of decades of under-investment in social housing. No child should have to experience homelessness, yet the numbers keep rising to a record-breaking amount and are now staying in temporary accommodation for longer.
“These figures show the direct consequence of the Scottish Government and local authorities failing to prioritise housing and the desperate need for more social homes.
“Everyone deserves the right to be in a safe and secure permanent home where children can thrive. We know children living in unsuitable temporary accommodation can have their mental and physical health detrimentally impacted.
“Children are paying the highest price for the politicians’ failures and the devastating reality of the housing emergency in Scotland. If the Scottish Government is serious about ending child poverty with their new budget, social homes need to be urgently delivered.
“The Scottish Government reversed the brutal cuts to housing, but it needs to acknowledge it brings us to the same amount of funding that we had in 2022. Since then, the number of people living in temporary homes has risen, people are trapped in the system for longer, the number of people rough sleeping has increased dramatically, and the cost of living has skyrocketed.
“The reversal alone will not be enough to end homelessness and there desperately needs to be a long-term plan from politicians, targeting money to the areas where it is most needed.
She added: “The way people are experiencing homelessness is changing with more people becoming homeless and faster than councils can close cases. The Scottish Government need to invest in the areas where applications are the highest. Services to support families at risk of homelessness also desperately need funding from local authorities.
“Children in Scotland forced to live in temporary homes don’t need excuses, they need action if the Scottish Government want to end child poverty in their next budget.”
See full report: https://www.gov.scot/publications/homelessness-in-scotland-update-to-30-september-2024/pages/main-findings-april-to-september-2024/
*Excluding pandemic periods of lockdown 2020-mid 2021
With worrying levels of children experiencing anxiety, distress and fear, this children’s mental health week, Children First is asking people to leave a gift in their Will to help protect the next generation of children in Scotland.
With Scotland’s children in the grip of a mental health crisis, Scotland’s national children’s charity predicts their support services will be needed more than ever.
In November, the charity revealed that nearly 100 referrals a day were being made to child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) across Scotland, following a freedom of information request (FOI). More than 60 percent of people who call Children First’s national support line are worried about a child’s emotional wellbeing.
The charity has launched a campaign asking the public to make their legacy a brighter future for Scotland’s children.
Michelle Supple, director of fundraising, marketing and communications at Children First, said: “There is a childhood emergency in Scotland and an increasing need for the vital services we offer children and families across Scotland.
“By leaving a gift in your Will to Children First, you are leaving a legacy to protect Scotland’s children and give them a brighter future, a gift for generations.
“These special gifts ensure we can keep babies, children and young people safe and help them recover from trauma today, tomorrow and in the years to come.”
For over 140 years Scotland’s national children’s charity has protected children from harm and supported them to recover from trauma and abuse through its national and local services, including a support line for anyone in Scotland who is worried about a child.
Thanks to gifts left in Wills to Children First, young people can have a better future, due to the emotional and practical support the charity provides for children and young people to recover and move forward after difficult experiences.
Reflecting on their experience with Children First, one young person said: “Children First really helped me. I’ve grown more confidence, have volunteered at a mental wellbeing group and got my first proper job.”
Anyone interested in leaving a gift in their Will to Children First or receiving a free legacy guide can visit www.childrenfirst.org.uk/legacy.
Children First’s new legacy advert began airing on STV yesterday, which you can view here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRz7wEn6Qcc
LOTTERY SUCCESS FOR THREE CAPITAL INITIATIVES
Projects working to improve the confidence and wellbeing of young people across Scotland are today (WEDNESDAY 5th FEBRUARY) sharing in £1,271,922 of Young Start funding this Children’s Mental Health Week.
The funding, which comes from dormant account cash and is delivered by The National Lottery Community Fund, is used to support thousands of children and young people annually all over Scotland, many of whom face mental health and wellbeing issues.
Three Edinburgh projects receive funding in the latest round of grants:
Big Hearts Community Trust receives almost £85,000 to support the expansion of their Welcome Through Football initiative, using football to engage young refugees, migrants and asylum seekers aged 15-24 facing trauma, hardship and social
exclusion.
Across the city in Leith, Hibernian Community Foundation also score with £95,000 to support neurodivergent young people aged 16-25 to develop essential life skills by delivering a structured programme of activities and community participation. Over the next three years 240 young people are expected to take part and supported by 40 volunteers.
Making it a hat-trick for the capital is Castlebrae-based Edinburgh Development Group, who receive £100,000 to provide a three-year project, supporting neurodiverse and disabled young people, who are working towards employability.
Founded in 2005, Lochaber Hope supports young people facing crisis periods in their lives. In recent years the charity has concentrated its efforts on a number of peer support projects and activity groups which focus on the well-being and improvement of young people’s mental health and from this the Bright Minds Project was born.
Bright Minds is a local youth initiative, created for young people and guided by a youth advisory board. The project offers events and training opportunities, as well as campaigning for changes in mental health culture and advocating for better support systems for young people.
An award of £54,220 means they can help more young people like 24-year-old Shaun Wallace from Lochaber.
Shaun previously worked with the charity as a project assistant but left to go to college and study to be a veterinary care assistant. When he was going through a difficult time, Lochaber Hope offered him seven free counselling sessions.
Shaun explained: “I’ve always struggled with my mental health, all the way through high school I was dealing with anxiety, depression and bi-polar disorder.
“This would, at times lead to suicidal thoughts or thoughts of self- harm and did result in an incident where I had to be taken to hospital. Thankfully I decided to seek out support and this was the beginning of me getting better and going to counselling sessions provided by Lochaber Hope. I owe so much to Lochaber hope and don’t know where I would be today, if it wasn’t for them.
“I loved giving something back by helping at events and when the chance to get involved with the Bright Minds project came up, I was more than happy to. I might be the oldest in the group, but we all have big ambitions and I’m able to offer support and advice to the younger members of the group.
“We’re only small but we’re making a big impact. Ideally, I would love a lot more people to get involved and experience the huge changes in their lives that I have.”
Alyson Smith, Founder Manager, Lochaber Hope said: “Young Start has been a very special fund for Lochaber Hope.
“We can see how young people are better managing their mental health by building resilience and confidence, and we look forward to the events and activities they have organised that will be taking place over the coming months.”
Another organisation nurturing young people’s talent and wellbeing is Toonspeak Young People’s Theatre.
The north Glasgow based charity receives £100,000 to run its PROGRESS: Empowering Young People for Creative Careers project which provides a range of entry points and routes for training and employment for young people to enter the creative industries.
Jennifer Belle Baird, 25, from Glasgow, is a published writer but would never have dreamed of speaking in public before she joined Toonspeak three years ago.
Jennifer said: “I had gone through school living with anxiety and was diagnosed with generalised anxiety disorder at 14. Being part of the project I was able to get feedback in a supportive way, without criticism. It was so good for my self-confidence and helped rid me of imposter syndrome.
“There’s no pressure to perform because it’s not all about performance, they value all areas of creativity here. Being a writer can be so isolating and now I actually enjoy performing too. I’m a member of the Toonspeak performance collective, the Young Company and have even written a play for The Merchant City Festival.
“I now view myself as a working artist and hope to work in a theatre. I often think how lucky the younger people here are to have Toonspeak at their age, Hopefully I can continue being part of the organisation and my work can uplift younger people.”
Chi Nguyen, Funding Officer, Toonspeak Young People’s Theatre said: “We’re incredibly grateful for the support from Young Start.
This funding allows us to create life-changing opportunities for young people to develop skills, confidence, and networks in the creative industries. Already, PROGRESS is helping them take big steps toward their future careers, and we’re excited to see the continued impact this will have.”
The National Lottery Community Fund, Scotland Chair, Kate Still, said: “We are so pleased to announce our latest Young Start funding, which helps enable organisations to directly support the health and wellbeing of children and young people.
“Shaun and Jennifer’s stories are two examples of the many young people who’ve benefitted from Young Start funded projects and we are always keen to support more ideas. If your group has a project that could improve the lives of young people in Scotland, then we’d love to hear from you.”
“To find out more visit www.TNLCommunityFund.org.uk “
See full list of projects: – Young Start Table of Awards February 2025 (1).pdf
The latest Joseph Rountree Foundation (2025) UK Poverty 2025 Report clearly shows that work doesn’t protect families from poverty.
In particular, the report highlights the “shockingly high” number of children living in poverty in working families:
Working-age adults are also impacted:
Responding to these figures, TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said: “Every worker deserves to earn a decent living. But many working households are struggling to keep their heads above water.
“This is unacceptable. Working people should be able to put food on the table for their families and keep their children warm during the winter.
“After 14 years of Tory chaos and stagnation, we urgently need to boost living standards.
“That’s why this government’s Make Work Pay agenda is so crucial for millions of families up and down the country.
“More money in working people’s pockets means more spend on our high streets – that’s good for workers and good for local economies.
“And the Employment Rights Bill will mean more good and secure jobs – boosting productivity for businesses and giving workers more control over their lives and better chances to progress.
“Better work is crucial for ending child poverty, but decent social security matters too. The Government must remove the two-child benefit cap which is keeping too many children in working households in poverty.”
EXHIBITIONS & DISPLAYS
National Museum of Scotland
Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF
Open 10:00–17:00 daily
Injecting Hope: The Race for a COVID-19 Vaccine
Until 27 Apr 2025
Special Exhibition Gallery, Level 3
Free
Injecting Hope is a new, free exhibition at the National Museum of Scotland that presents the science behind the COVID-19 vaccine.
This exhibition brings together more than 80 objects that were acquired in real time during the peak of the pandemic by curators across the UK. Learn the science behind the creation of the vaccine and understand the logistics behind its global roll-out.
Find our more, nms.ac.uk/exhibitions/injecting-hope
Cold War Scotland
Until 4 Jan 2026
10:00 – 17:00
Special Exhibition Gallery 2, Level 3
Free
Scotland’s unique geography and topography provided a useful base for Allied military preparations and research during the Cold War, a 40-year nuclear stand-off between the USA and the Soviet Union following the end of the Second World War.
Cold War Scotland is an output of Materialising the Cold War, a collaborative research project between National Museums Scotland and the University of Stirling. The project explores how the Cold War heritage is represented and how museums can adapt to tell this story in future. The exhibition will explore both the visible and invisible legacies of the war in Scotland.
Find out more nms.ac.uk/ColdWarScotland
Theravada Buddhism
Until 9 Mar 2025
Gallery 3, Level 1
Free
A thought-provoking display charts the history and influence of the Theravāda Buddhist tradition across the world, including its role in Scotland today. The display includes a Buddha on loan from The Dhammapadipa Temple in Edinburgh. The Buddha was designed and made in Thailand in 2013, then later gifted to Temple where it is now used in their garden meditation room.
Find out more nms.ac.uk/theravadabuddhism
EVENTS
National Museum of Scotland
Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF
Open 10:00–17:00 daily
Relaxed Morning
2 Feb & 2 Mar
10:00-12:00 (quiet space open until 12:30)
Free admission, drop-in
Join us for our monthly Relaxed Morning for anyone who would appreciate a calmer visit to the museum. This session is primarily for, but not limited to, families with autistic children; autistic young people and adults; adults living with dementia; adults and children with mental health problems and any other visitors with sensory needs or who may prefer a more relaxed experience, plus their families, friends and carers. Friendly staff will be there to give you a warm welcome and support your visit, as you explore some areas of the museum without noisy interactives and videos to give a more relaxed environment.
Find out more, nms.ac.uk/events/relaxed-morning
Sensory Sunday
2 Feb & 2 Mar
11:00-12:00 and 14:00-15:00
Free, book required
Exciting, hands-on sensory play sessions for children with additional support needs. Families with children with additional support needs and disabilities are invited to join our programme of sensory play sessions. Explore the museum’s collections, get creative and meet other families. Sensory Sunday sessions are relaxed, fun hands-on, and respond to the needs of the families participating. You are welcome to come and go at any point during a session.
Book now, nms.ac.uk/events/sensory-sunday
Magic Carpet Minis
Block 1 (5, 12, 19 Feb)
Block 2 (5, 12, 19 Mar)
10:30–11:15 or 14:00–14:45
£15.00 per child for block of 3
£13.50 per Member child for block of 3
Magic Carpet Minis introduces you and your little one to some of the wonderful galleries, objects and themes in the museum in a fun and gentle way. Taking place in different spaces around the museum, you will explore subjects such as the Natural World, Space, World Cultures and Scottish History through songs, stories, rhymes, actions, objects and sensory play.
Book now nms.ac.uk/events/magic-carpet-minis
Half Term: Collective Climate Action
8 – 15 Feb
10:30-15:30
Free, drop-in
This half term we will be home to an Agency for World Change climate action booth inspired by the Museum of Bern’s Planetopia project. Meet climate impact advocates, get creative, learn more about what the museum is doing for climate action and make your pledge of what small change you can make to live more ecologically.
Read more, nms.ac.uk/events/collective-climate-action
Museum Socials
21 Feb
10:30-12:00
Learning Centre Seminar Room, Level 4
Free, booking required
Museum Socials are designed for people living with dementia, their relatives, friends, carers, and supporters. Relaxed and informal, each session explores a different museum theme through various interactive activities, including curator talks, object handling and creative crafts. And tea, cake and a warm welcome are always provided.
Book now, nms.ac.uk/events/museum-socials
Curiosity Club: Ice Age
22 Feb
10:30-12:00
£10 (Members and Concessions £9)
Inspired by some of the museum’s most exciting collections, our Curiosity Clubs are a chance for kids to explore the museum without their adult helpers through games, activities, and gallery visits.
Book now, nms.ac.uk/events/curiosity-club
Relaxed Curiosity Club: Ice Age
22 Feb
14:30-15:30
£10 (£9 Members and Concessions)
Relaxed Curiosity Club sessions are particularly aimed at children with additional support needs, neurodivergent children or children with disabilities. Parents/carers (up to two per participating child) are invited to stay and either join in with the activities or enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the foyer of the activity area.
Book now, nms.ac.uk/events/relaxed-curiosity-club
Relaxed Magic Carpet
24 Feb
10:30-11:15 or 14:00-14:45
£ 3 per child
Join us for a relaxed Magic Carpet session as we explore the museum through interactive songs, rhymes, and sensory play. This is a monthly, relaxed version of our Magic Carpet event, for babies, toddlers and children aged 0-6 with additional support needs or for anyone who would prefer a calmer session and a slightly more relaxed pace. This is not a set age range for participants and we welcome all families who feel they may enjoy these sessions.
Book now, nms.ac.uk/events/relaxed-magic-carpet
Morning Curator Tour: Injecting Hope
25 Feb
09:15-10:00
£12 Adults, £10 Members & Concessions
Join our exhibition curator for an exclusive early morning tour of our Injecting Hope exhibition which details the rapid research, development and delivery of the COVID-19 vaccine. Discover the science behind the creation of the vaccine, the logistics behind its global roll-out and will also share some of the uniquely Scottish experiences of the global pandemic.
Book now, nms.ac.uk/events/morning-curator-tour-injecting-hope
Magic Carpet Gaelic Week Special
26 Feb
10:30-11:15
Free, booking required
Come along to our Edinburgh Gaelic Week 2025 Magic Carpet special. This interactive session, suitable for under 5s and their accompanying adult, features songs, stories, rhymes, and play with no knowledge of Gaelic required.
Book now, nms.ac.uk/events/magic-carpet-gaelic-week-special
Creative Workshop: Sustainable Statement Jewellery
1 Mar
10:30-16:00
£50 Adults, £45 Members and Concession
Join sustainable jewellery designer Syrah Jay to design and create your own statement necklace. Taking inspiration from National Museums Scotland’s nationally significant collection of modern and contemporary jewellery, discover how accessories don’t need to be made from precious metals.
Book now, nms.ac.uk/events/creative-workshop-sustainable
Relaxed Access Evening: Injecting Hope
6 Mar
17:30-19:30
Free
Join us for a relaxed after-hours visit to Injecting Hope: The Race for a COVID-19 Vaccine. During this session, visitor numbers will be reduced, and sounds will be lowered to create a more relaxed experience.
This session is primarily for, but not limited to, neurodivergent visitors and those with sensory or additional support needs who would prefer a more relaxed experience, plus their families, friends and carers.
Book now, nms.ac.uk/events/relaxed-access-evening-injecting-hope
Banners, Ballads and Badges
8 Mar
13:00-15:30
£5, £3 (Members and Concessions)
Join an afternoon of talks and crafts as we discuss the vibrant anti-nuclear protests between the 1970s and 1990s and consider the unique role women played in Scotland’s peace movement.
There will be speakers from National Museums Scotland, the National Library of Scotland and the Gareloch Horticulturalists (Horties). Together they will discuss the significance of Scotland’s peace camps and vibrant anti-nuclear protests, which attracted women from all over the world.
Book now, nms.ac.uk/events/banners-ballads-and-badges
Creative Workshop: Hand Embroided Stories
9 Mar
11:00-16:30
£50 Adults, £45 Members and Concession
Join textile artist Louise Goult to create your own unique hand embroidered artwork. Taking inspiration from the treasure trove of creativity in our Fashion and Style gallery, you will learn the skills, stitches and techniques to make a unique hand embroidered artwork.
Book now, nms.ac.uk/events/hand-embroidered-stories
Audio Descriptive Tour: Injecting Hope
13 Mar
17:30-19:00
Free, booking required
Join our tour guide for an audio descriptive tour and a chance to look round the Injecting Hope exhibition after hours. This tour is aimed at blind, partially sighted and visually impaired visitors, and is most suitable for those aged 14+.
Book now, nms.ac.uk/events/audio-descriptive-tour-injecting-hope
Friday Friends
14 March
14:00 – 16:00
Free, pre-booking required
Our Friday Friends programme offers a welcoming space for visually impaired and D/deaf children and their families. The groups meet monthly and explore the themes of the museum through objects, music, art and activities.
Find out more nms.ac.uk/events/friday-friends
Morning Curator tour: Cold War Scotland
18 Mar
09:15-10:00
£12, £10 (Members & Concessions)
Join this tour of our current exhibition Cold War Scotland to better understand a time when the world stood on the brink of nuclear war.
Dr Meredith Greiling, Principal Curator of Technology will delve deeper into stories explored within the exhibition, from the emergence of nuclear energy in Scotland to the vibrant anti-nuclear protests and political activism of the period.
Book now, nms.ac.uk/events/morning-curator-tour-cold-war
Injecting Hope BSL Tour
20 Mar
15:00-16:00
Free, booking required
Join BSL guide Trudi Collier for a guided tour of the Injecting Hope exhibition with a focus objects connected to the Deaf experience of the pandemic.
Book now, nms.ac.uk/events/injecting-hope-bsl-tour
National Museum of Rural Life
Philipshill Road, East Kilbride, G76 9HR
Open 10:00–17:00 daily
Tractor Tots
Until Mar 2025
10:15 & 13:30
Various dates
£20 per child for block of 3, £15 per Member child for block of 3
Ticketed
Running in blocks of three Friday morning sessions, Tractor Tots offers a fun, focused experience for our younger visitors, introducing them to the museum and farm, and bringing it to life through interactive creative play. Each session will take place in a different location at the museum and working farm, and will feature handling objects from our learning boxes, singing, storytelling, rhymes, actions and sensory play to learn all about life in the countryside.
Book now nms.ac.uk/events/tractor-tots
National Museum of Flight
East Fortune Airfield, East Lothian, EH39 5LF
Open Weekends only, 10:00–16:00
Half Term: Code Breakers
14-16 Feb
11:00-15:00
Free with museum admission
At the National Museum of Flight this half term, learn how secret Second World War codes were made and broken. Learn how secrets were hidden and shared during the Second World War with our family activities. Make your own code and learn how codes were broken. Then try your hand at Morse Code, semaphore and secret writing.
Book now, nms.ac.uk/events/half-term-code-breakers
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Follow us on Instagram…instagram.com/nationalmuseumsscotland/
For booking, opening times and location details, contact National Museums Scotland on 0300 123 6789.
PARENTS in Edinburgh have called for urgent action after new figures emerged it could take 25 YEARS to clear a road safety backlog unless budgets are increased.
Parent Councils from 53 primary and secondary school from across the city have written to all their MSPs and Councillors calling for an increase in road safety funding, which they say is needed to keep children safe.
The Freedom of Information (FoI) statistics were gathered after a child was killed on their way to school in North Edinburgh last year.
In the FoI response, parent council’s discovered that, as of June 2024, there are 96 red flag sites on Edinburgh City Council’s speed reduction list.
Shockingly, despite this, only 19 roads have been improved in the last five years. At this rate, it would take 25 years to act on all the Edinburgh roads currently on the list.
The Parent Councils have now written to Edinburgh and Lothian MSPs and City of Edinburgh councillors demanding that budget makers prioritise road safety around schools.
In that letter, they point out that it’s only a matter of time before another tragedy occurs.
The parents say that an increased road safety budget is needed to tackle the backlog and ensure that future changes are made within a year of a site being identified for speed reduction measures.
Another FOI response showed that, in 2023/24, the road safety budget was £1.5m which was just 1% of the total road and transport budget for that year.
Kim Pratt, vice chair of the Davidson’s Mains Primary School Parent Council, said: “A 25 year backlog in speed reduction measures is condemning every child in Edinburgh to navigating unsafe roads for the rest of their school days.
“No child should be risking their life when traveling to school and it’s unacceptable that safety recommendations are being ignored.
“We do understand that the council is under financial pressure but getting children to school safely must be a priority.
“The call from parent councils from across Edinburgh shows that this is a systemic problem. Politicians in Edinburgh have the power to protect our children by increasing road safety funding and by making road safety around schools a priority in all future road developments.”
Lynsey Houston, chair of Craiglockhart Parent & Carer Council said: “I know that since Craiglockhart parents first raised concerns about road safety, some of the children have now graduated high school!
“A potential timescale of 25yrs is ridiculous but highlights the desperate need for more resources. After all, when we ask for improvements, we are asking for our council and government to prevent a tragic outcome.”
THE LETTER READS:
Monday, 3rd February 2025
To all Edinburgh and Lothian MSPs and City of Edinburgh
Councillors,
INCREASE THE CITY’S ROAD SAFETY BUDGET TO KEEP EDINBURGH
CHILDREN SAFE
We represent parents of children who attend schools across Edinburgh and we are calling on you, as our political representatives with control over the City of Edinburgh Council’s budget, to increase funding for road safety.
Our children are being harmed on their way to and from school. Last year, a child was killed on their way to school in Edinburgh and we believe, in the current situation, it is only a matter of time before this happens again.
A response to a Freedom Of Information request has shown that, as of June 2024, there are 96 sites on the Council’s speed reduction list and only 19 roads have been improved in the Last five years. At this rate, it will take 25 years to act on
all the roads currently on the list.
This is unacceptable to many parents, whose children will grow up and leave school before changes are acted on. Our children are navigating unsafe roads now.
Whilst we understand that the Council is under huge pressure around funding, we believe that road safety, particularly around schools, should be more of a priority than it currently is.
Another FOI response showed that, in 2023/24, the road safety budget was £1.5m which was just 1% of the total road and transport budget for that year. You must increase Edinburgh Council’s road safety funding to reduce the backlog in speed reduction improvements and make future changes in a reasonable and responsible time period. We believe that, once a site is identified for speed reduction
measures, improvements should be completed within a year and the Council should be funded appropriately.
All road budget spending should consider how safety around a school can be
built into improvements.
We look forward to your response.
Yours faithfully,
Kim Pratt, Davidsons Mains Parent Council
On behalf of the following Parent Councils of Edinburgh:
Letter to MSPs and Councillors from parent councils, sent Monday 3rd February 2025
Join us on Friday the 14th for our 3rd Wellbeing Festival 
Our Wellbeing Festivals are an open youth club for all ages – young and old (under 8s must be accompanied by an adult).
It gives our Young people a chance to share some fun activities and tools to look after our mental health and wellbeing.
Expect;
Carnival Games
Baking 
Sensory Room 
Face Painting 
Arts & Crafts 
Mad Hatters Afternoon Tea 
… and much more!
Lots of prizes to be won on the day!
Please join us 12-3 for our Carnival of Self Love 
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