Police Scotland is acutely aware that the diversity of our communities is increasing all the time. We recognise the importance of our communities being able to relate to our police officers and we are therefore actively reaching out to our BME communities and encouraging you to consider a career in policing in Scotland.
During the 90 minute online recruitment event, users will learn about the recruitment process, the training, the role of a police officer and the endless opportunities which are available to you once you embark on this exciting career path.
The date of the event is: Thursday 24 September from 6.30pm – 8pm
In order to participate in the event, Microsoft Teams will be required.
For more information and to reserve a space please email:-
Last month, children’s book company Little Box of Books launched a crowdfunder with the support of presenter, author and musician Rochelle Humes hoping to diversify the bookshelves of schools across the UK – and today is the last chance to donate.
The crowdfunder, ‘Change the Story’ is raising £55,000 to diversify the bookshelves in some of the most disadvantaged schools in the UK and the charity is still £10,000 short of it’s target.
In a report released last year it was revealed that only 4% of children’s books published in 2018 had a black, Asian or minority ethnic main character, meaning 96% of main characters were either white, animals or inanimate objects.
Rochelle said: “I am a big advocate of driving representation of the BAME community through literature, which is one of the reasons why I started writing children’s books.
“The best way to stamp out racism is through awareness and by educating children at grassroots level. Stories are the window into the wider world, and the more that children are exposed to different people from different backgrounds, the more accepting they will be as they grow.”
Owner and founder of Little Box of Books Lynsey Pollard believes it’s crucial that every primary school should have a full and diverse collection of books, fully accessible to all pupils.
“We want our children to grow up to be anti-racist, to accept difference with understanding and respect. Whether that’s differences in skin colour, family set up, socioeconomic background, disabilities.
“But this is at odds with the books we give them; we can’t keep giving children lessons on the importance of accepting and celebrating diversity, telling them everybody is different and everybody is normal, then sending them back to bookshelves which don’t back that message up.”
Amanda Matsangou, the Assistant Headteacher of Newton Leys Primary School, Milton Keynes recently diversified her school library. She said: “Our school is incredibly diverse, but it has been an exceptionally hard and time-consuming process to even begin to find story books that feature characters that our pupils identify with.
“Little Box of Books has curated book collections that are much more reflective of the UK population. They remind our children that anything is possible”
The crowdfunder closes today at 4pm.
If you would like to support the initiative, the crowdfunder can be found here:
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service is underlining its commitment to building an inclusive and diverse workforce as the country celebrates Pride Month 2020.
Pride Month is an annual event which brings together communities in celebration of the LGBT+ community. It is an opportunity for people to stand together in unity as well as protest against discrimination in all its forms.
The SFRS has already been recognised by Stonewall Scotland as a Diversity Champion, and continues to work closely with Stonewall and other partners to encourage people from all walks of life to consider a career with the service.
The coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic and the ongoing need to socially distance has seen many Pride events postponed or moved during June.
However the national service will be taking part in socially distanced or virtual Pride events whilst also promoting positive discussion and debate for staff around building a more inclusive workforce.
The rainbow flag is also flying over SFRS’ regional headquarters at Dyce in Aberdeenshire, Newbridge in Edinburgh and Hamilton in Lanarkshire as well as over the national headquarters and training centre in Cambuslang, near Glasgow.
Meanwhile, a rainbow version of the SFRS crest is proudly displayed on internal platforms and digital channels and rainbow lanyards are being made available for staff.
Less than one per cent of the SFRS’ 8,000 strong workforce across Scotland currently identifies as belonging to the LGBT+ community.
Liz Barnes is the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service’s director of human resources and organisational development. She said: “It is imperative that our service reflects the very diverse communities we serve.
“There is clearly much work still needing to be done – but we will continue to make every possible effort to achieve this ambition by working alongside our partners and our communities as well as our staff.
“We are therefore delighted to celebrate Pride Month 2020 and not only fly the pride colours from our buildings across the country but take part in active discussion and debate throughout the course of this month.”
She added: “We recognise that nothing can change overnight, and that true equality and diversity is earned through hard work and consistently challenging discriminating behaviours.”
Scotland is an increasingly diverse country and Police Scotland want to represent this change.
Police Scotland is running one day events aimed at encouraging you to ‘Discover your Journey’ towards considering a career in policing. The courses are designed to provide an insight into the role of a police officer/special constable
During the day attendees will receive inputs from specialist departments, speak to police officers and learn about the recruitment process.
What impact will new laws have on political participation? This is the question that Holyrood’s Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee is asking as it launches a call for views on the Scottish Elections (Franchise and Representation) Bill.
The Bill extends candidacy rights for Scottish Parliament and local government elections for foreign nationals, as well as setting out a number of changes to the electoral franchise in Scotland.
These changes include provisions extending the electoral franchise to include all those with a legal right to live in Scotland and extending the right to vote to some prisoners.
Now the Committee is asking what effect this will have on political participation in Scotland.
Committee Convener, Bill Kidd MSP said: “Although the Bill before us is small, its ambition is clear. By extending the right of who can stand in Scottish Parliament and Local Government elections, it is aiming to increase diversity and of course political participation.
“But we want to hear about how this would work in practice and whether this change really will have an impact on who gets involved in politics.”
More information about the Committee’s call for views can be found here.
Scottish Secretary David Mundell will host a reception in Edinburgh to mark LGBT History Month this week. Thursday’s event will celebrate the work of Scottish LGBT campaigners and organisations who support the LGBT community in Scotland. Continue reading David Mundell celebrates LGBT History Month
