Poverty – Page 42 – The NEN – North Edinburgh News

STV Appeal raises over £2.6m for children in poverty

This year’s STV Appeal has raised an incredible £2,610,427 for children living in poverty in Scotland. Popular presenter Lorraine Kelly revealed the fantastic total live on STV tonight.

The big finale of this year’s STV Appeal, STV Appeal 2014 – The Big Live, brought together celebrities and fundraisers who have made the STV Appeal 2014 an overwhelming success.

Hosted by Lorraine Kelly from STV’s Pacific Quay studios in Glasgow, the programme was packed with live entertainment including music from Nicholas McDonald, celebrity appearances by Des Clarke and Team Scotland, and inspiring fundraising stories from across the country.

Co-presenter Michelle McManus and Fred MacAuley joined Lorraine in Glasgow, with Sean Batty from RBS Gogarburn in Edinburgh, links to Andrea Brymer at Codonas in Aberdeen, and Nicola McAlley in Inverness.

Lorraine also made a surprise appearance on stage at the SSE Hydro in Glasgow during Still Gamewhere Jack and Victor got the audience on their feet to text the STV Appeal, raising over £10,000.

Cheques from a range of fantastic STV Appeal fundraising challenges, including freshnlo Pedal for Scotland, Lorraine Kelly’s Shimmy across Scotland and Sean Batty’s Highland Fling, were presented across the country with Lorraine bringing the evening to a close by revealing the total sum raised for this year’s STV Appeal.

The STV Appeal raises money for children and young people affected by poverty in Scotland.

Lorraine Kelly, presenter and STV Appeal trustee, said: “It has been a fantastic evening here at STV and the perfect way to celebrate the fundraising efforts of this year’s STV Appeal. The incredible amount of money raised tonight and throughout the campaign will make a real difference to the lives of children and young people affected by poverty in Scotland. A huge thanks to everyone who has given generously to this hugely important cause. There is still time to donate for the STV Appeal, so please keep giving!”

Sir Tom Hunter, STV Appeal trustee, said: “Central to the referendum debate was the issue of social justice and poverty. Once again Scots have backed the STV Appeal brilliantly in the full knowledge that every penny raised up to the first one million pounds is doubled by the Scottish Government and then channelled to support young people challenged by poverty and social justice. Not one penny goes to administration; every last penny goes to helping those most in need. Congratulations to everyone who supported the STV Appeal it’s a fantastic effort from all across Scotland and makes me hugely proud to have co-founded the Appeal.”

Garreth Wood, Trustee of The Wood Foundation, said: “The hard work, commitment and generosity from individuals, communities and businesses means that this fantastic total will go a long way towards helping tackle the poverty crisis facing too many of Scotland’s children. To think that one in five children in Scotland today are living in poverty, families struggling to meet their basic needs, is a particularly difficult statistic to accept and one that, together, we can work to change.

“Over the last year, since The Wood Foundation first became involved with the STV Appeal, it has been a privilege to be involved in events and cheque presentations across Scotland. To witness first-hand the difference these donations are making is overwhelming and to meet some of the inspirational young people who have been affected by child poverty really highlights the key role that local charities play in supporting young people and their families. The Wood Foundation hopes that our continued involvement and contribution to the STV Appeal will make a clear difference to the lives of Scotland’s most vulnerable children.”

Rob Woodward, chief executive of STV, said: “2014 has been an incredible year for the STV Appeal and we have seen some fantastic support from fundraisers all over the country, with everything from charity concerts and quiz nights to bag packing and bake sales taking place to raise money and awareness for children affected by poverty in Scotland.

“The STV Appeal is committed to investing in projects that will make a real difference in their lives and the amazing total of £2,610,427 will go a long way to achieving this. We could not have done this without the support of local communities, corporate fundraisers and STV viewers and we would like to thank everyone who has donated so generously to this year’s STV Appeal.”

Opponents must put differences aside to tackle poverty

Whatever the result of Thursday’s vote, Scotland will still have deep social problems to address and campaigners are urging both sides in the referendum debate to unite to tackle poverty.

As the referendum campaign enters its final few days the Poverty Alliance has called on all sides to maintain the passion and commitment that has been shown through the campaign and to turn it to finding lasting solutions to poverty and inequality in Scotland.

Throughout the referendum campaign issues of poverty and social justice have been central to the debates. Whether on issues of food poverty, low pay, unemployment or child poverty, all sides have stated that they are committed to making real change to create a more socially just Scotland.

On 19 September politicians and activists from both campaigns must begin to find ways of working together to bring people together and tackle poverty.

The referendum has shown that not only is there an appetite for social change, but that more people than ever want their voices to be heard. With more than 100,000 people registering to vote in the last month alone, we need to find ways to ensure that the democratic impulse that many people have experienced for the first time is sustained and turned into genuine grassroots democratic politics, regardless of the outcome of the referendum.

Whatever changes over the coming months and years we are calling now for all political leaders to commit to ensuring that the voices of those who are living in poverty, those who have been the subject of so much debate during the campaign, are genuinely involved and actively shape the new Scotland that will emerge.

A little over three weeks after the referendum the Poverty Alliance will be coordinating Challenge Poverty Week, which will take place from the 12 -18 October.

Poverty Week leaflet

This will be a week of debates and action designed to show what has been done to tackle poverty. It will be one of the first opportunities after the referendum for campaigners to come together to show what they intend to do to address poverty now. We hope campaigners from both sides will get involved in Challenge Poverty Week and show the same enthusiasm for tackling poverty as they have for our constitutional future.

Peter Kelly, Director of the Poverty Alliance, said: “This is an exciting time in Scottish politics and many people will consider the referendum to be the most important election of their lives.

“It is fantastic to see so many people registered to vote and I hope turnout will be high on the day.

“Poverty and social justice has been at the centre of the debate on independence and it been heartening to see so much debate about the type of Scotland we want to live.

“In 2012-13, 16 per cent of people in Scotland were living in poverty, more than 800,000. People on both sides of the debate have agreed that this is unacceptable and that we need to re-think our approach to tackling the problem, whether it is low benefit levels, unemployment or low pay. What the campaigns disagree on is how we best achieve this.

“It has become increasingly clear that the results will be close and it is important that people on both sides of the debate believe their voices will be heard regardless of the result. In particular we must ensure that the voices of those who are rarely heard, those people living in poverty, are taken seriously after the result of the referendum is known.

“Both campaigns must be prepared to set aside their differences and work together for a better Scotland, one where the blight of poverty is effectively tackled.”

Governments ‘must do more’ to address poverty’

Largest UK poverty study calls on governments to tackle rising deprivation

The percentage of households who fall below society’s minimum standard of living has increased from 14 per cent to 33 per cent over the last 30 years, despite the size of the economy doubling. This is one of the stark findings from the largest study of poverty and deprivation ever conducted in the UK.

Other key figures reveal that almost 18 million people cannot afford adequate housing conditions; 12 million people are too poor to engage in common social activities; one in three people cannot afford to heat their homes adequately in the winter and four million children and adults aren’t properly fed by today’s standards.

The Poverty and Social Exclusion in the United Kingdom (PSE) project, led by the University of Bristol and funded by the Economic and Social Research Council [ESRC], has shown that full-time work is not always sufficient to escape from poverty and calls on the Scottish and UK governments to take action.

The report’s findings will be discussed at a conference in Edinburgh.

Researchers from the University of Bristol, Heriot-Watt University, the Open University, Queen’s University Belfast, University of Glasgow, University of Oxford, University of Birmingham, University of York, the National Centre for Social Research and Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency found that:
• About 5.5 million adults go without essential clothing.
• Around 2.5 million children live in homes that are damp.
• Around 1.5 million children live in households that cannot afford to heat their home.
• One in four adults have incomes below what they consider is needed to avoid poverty.
• One in every six (17 per cent) adults in paid work are poor.
• More than one in five adults have had to borrow in the last year to pay for day to day needs.

The PSE standard of living survey results show that more than one in every five (22 per cent) children and adults were poor at the end of 2012. They had both a low income and were also ‘multiply deprived’ – suffering from three or more deprivations such as lack of food, heating and clothing due to a lack of money.

More than one in four adults (28 per cent) have skimped on their own food in the past year so that others in the household may eat. Despite this over half a million children live in families who cannot afford to feed them properly.

In 93% of households where children suffer from food deprivation, at least one adult skimped on their own food ‘sometimes’ or ‘often’ to ensure others have enough to eat. Women were more likely to cut back than men – 44 per cent of women had cut back on four or more items (such as food, buying clothes and social visits) in the last 12 months compared to 34 per cent of men.

Professor Jonathan Bradshaw, from the University of York, said: “The research has shown that in many households parents sacrifice their own welfare – going without adequate food, clothing or a social life – in order to try to protect their children from poverty and deprivation.”

Wages are low and working conditions are bad in many parts of the UK. One in every six (17 per cent) adults in paid work are poor – they suffer from both a low income and cannot afford basic necessities.

For a large number of people, even full-time work is not sufficient to escape from poverty. Almost half of the working poor work 40 hours a week or more. One third of adults currently in employment (35 per cent) are in ‘exclusionary work’ – in poverty, in low quality work and/or have experienced prolonged periods of unemployment in the last five years.

Nick Bailey, from the University of Glasgow, said: “The UK government continues to ignore the working poor; they do not have adequate policies to address this growing problem.”

Although more people today see a range of public services as ‘essential’ than in 1999, including libraries, sports centres, museums, galleries, dentists and opticians, the use of many services has declined since 1999 primarily due to reduced availability, cost or inadequacy.

Professor Glen Bramley, from Herriot-Watt University, said: “It is worrying that in the 21st century more than 40 per cent of households who want to use meals on wheels, evening classes, museums, youth clubs, citizens’ advice or special transport cannot do so due to unavailability, unaffordability or inadequacy.”

The findings will be discussed at an Edinburgh conference which has been jointly organised by the PSE team and the Scottish government.

Greens: Citizen’s Income would reduce inequality

Green Yes, the Scottish Green Party’s campaign for a Yes vote in the independence referendum, has published a paper showing how a Scottish Parliament with responsibility for welfare could implement a Citizen’s Income to reduce inequality.

The Greens have worked with Dr David Comerford, research fellow in economics at the University of Stirling, as well the Citizen’s Income Trust, to model the impact of the policy on household incomes.

One of the aims of the policy is to reduce the incredible complexity of the tax and benefits system, which penalises those with unreliable work or insecure housing. A longstanding Scottish Green policy, the Citizen’s Income would sweep away almost all benefits and the state pension and replace them with simple, regular payment to every child, adult and pensioner.

The paper is the latest in a series produced by the Green Yes campaign showing how independence opens up possibilities for progressive change in Scotland. Other papers have covered jobs, wages and the economy, local democracy, banking reform and digital rights.

CITIZEN’S INCOME – 70% CENT OF HOUSEHOLDS BETTER OFF

Under the model detailed in the paper:

– Weekly payments are proposed of £50 to children, £100 to adults and £150 to pensioners.
– 70 per cent of households would be better off than presently.
– Those in the lowest income bracket would benefit the most.
– Measures of inequality would be brought in line with some of the most equal countries in the world.
– Income earned in addition to the citizen’s income would continue to be taxed progressively.

Patrick Harvie MSP, Co-convener of the Scottish Greens, said: “This is a policy to recapture and renew the idea of a welfare state that looks after everyone. Scotland is a wealthy country, and we should be able to choose a different approach to austerity and the harmful attitude which pits people on poverty pay against those on benefits.

“A Citizen’s Income would ensure everyone’s basic needs are met. It’s a simple idea that could transform this country by reducing inequality and allowing each of us to make our own decisions about working, caring, learning and creating, without ending up on the breadline.”

Alison Johnstone, Green MSP for Lothian and member of Holyrood’s Economy Committee, said: “The referendum debate allows us to imagine what sort of Scottish welfare system we could design after a Yes vote, and this is the Greens’ vision for a simpler and fairer approach. A Citizen’s Income would be an especially positive policy for women as it would make it easier to combine working and caring roles.”

One million Scots are living in poverty

One million people in Scotland – one in five of our population – are living in poverty, according to latest statistics published today.

The report produced by National Statistics (attached below) covers the period 2012 – 13, and takes into account welfare reforms introduced in April 2012. The report defines relative poverty as having a household income of less than 60 per cent of the average, and this is calculated both before and after housing costs.

The largest rise in poverty was for families with children, showing:

• 19 per cent of children were living in relative poverty in 2012/13.
• This amounts to 180,000 children in poverty, 220,000 after housing costs are taken into account.
• Both have increased by 30,000 since 2011/12.

The increase in child poverty in the latest year is driven by a fall in incomes for working households with children. The reduced entitlement to tax credits has contributed to a fall in household incomes for those with lower earnings. At April 2013, there was a 26 per cent decrease in the number of households with children in receipt of in-work tax credits, compared with April 2012.

The report also shows that:

• Scotland’s poorest households have seen the largest decrease in income – with a reduction of eight per cent in 2012/13 – the equivalent of £20 a week.
• In-work poverty in Scotland increased in 2012/13. Now six in ten children living in poverty are from households where at least one adult is in employment.
• In total across 2012/13, 820,000 people were living in poverty, 110,000 more than in 2011/12.
• This rises to one million people in poverty in Scotland when housing costs are taken into account.

Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “Scotland is one of the richest counties in the world and there is no reason for children to be living in poverty in our society.

“The fact is that the reduction in poverty seen in recent years is now being reversed. Westminster welfare reforms, such as the reduction in in-work tax credits, are reducing incomes for some of our poorest households.

“The Scottish Government has focused on doing everything we can to mitigate the harmful effects of Westminster welfare cuts – and we will continue to do so – but the impact is still being felt by the most vulnerable in our society. What is even more worrying is that 70 per cent of the welfare cuts are still to come – Scotland will see its welfare budget reduced by over £6 billion by 2015/16.

“And some estimates suggest that up to 100,000 more children could be living in poverty by 2020 if we continue with Westminster policies. In other words, the unacceptable increase in the number of children living in poverty revealed by today’s statistics could be just the tip of the iceberg.

“These figures show incomes are falling for families in Scotland. Our ‘social contract’ policies and our efforts to mitigate the impact of welfare cuts are designed to help, but we need the powers to do more. In an independent Scotland we would have the powers to provide one of the most comprehensive child care packages in Europe which would allow more parents to work.

“We would also be able to set up a commission to consider a new ‘Scottish Minimum Wage’ – which would at least rise in line with inflation – and ensure that benefits, allowances and tax credits keep rise with the cost of living.

“Today’s figures demonstrate just how vital the full powers of independence now are, to enable us to create a different approach – one that supports our most vulnerable, encourages people into the workplace and provides a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work.”

NS Poverty and income inequality

City rivals kick off STV Appeal’s Street Soccer initiative

Street Soccer FC has launched in four of Scotland’s most socially deprived areas with a grant of over £238,000 from the STV Appeal.

Former Hearts hero Allan Preston and Hibs legend Paul Kane met up in Edinburgh to officially launch the initiative which will provide free community football programmes to children and young people from areas of high deprivation.

Street Soccer FC is a unique programme newly developed through the partnership between Street Soccer Scotland and the STV Appeal. It aims to deliver the initiative in four of the most socially deprived areas in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee and Aberdeen. Street Soccer FC will be delivered and supported by participants from Street Soccer Scotland and graduates from its ‘Football Works’ Personal Development Courses.

Street Soccer Scotland is a non-profit social enterprise which delivers a range of football related services to socially disadvantaged adults and young people across Scotland, and the organisation will now benefit from over £238,000 funding from the STV Appeal which raises money for children in Scotland affected by poverty.

One in five children in Scotland lives in poverty – a shocking 220,000 children across the country. So far the STV Appeal has raised over £5.6 million with 198 big and small grants distributed to projects across all 32 local authority areas in Scotland, providing much needed support to over 29,000 children.

Now in its fourth year, the STV Appeal is determined to make an even bigger difference in the lives of children and young people living in poverty in Scotland. The money raised is distributed to provide practical help like food and warm clothes; create opportunities for training and employability; and enable social and emotional support for those who need it most.

The STV Appeal was launched in 2011 by The Hunter Foundation and STV. In 2013, the Wood Family Trust pledged its support to The STV Appeal for projects in the North East.

Just magic: he's still got it! — Just magic: he’s still got it!

Elizabeth Partyka of the STV Appeal, said: “The long term aim of the STV Appeal is to tackle both the causes and effects of poverty and disadvantage and create long-term, sustainable change in the lives of Scotland’s most at-risk children and young people. Street Soccer FC is a fantastic project to be involved with as it engages with kids in Scotland’s most deprived areas. The ethos behind the initiative really resonates with the aims of the Appeal as this grant will help to stimulate learning and positive change.”

David Duke, founder and chief executive of Street Soccer Scotland, said: “Street Soccer FC is a new, simple ‘football for all’ programme that will see free football sessions and activities being provided to children and young people from socially disadvantaged backgrounds and areas of high deprivation in our four biggest cities – Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee and Aberdeen. Our long term aim is for Street Soccer FC to become self-sustaining by being embraced and supported by the whole community with ownership of the project eventually passing over to the community themselves.

“We know that the young people will benefit from the breaking down of social barriers and there will be a positive impact on their health and wellbeing but there are real benefits to the community too. Street Soccer FC will help in the battle with some of the direct impacts of child poverty and help tackle instances of anti-social behaviour by providing a safe and friendly environment for children and young people to meet, and make new, friends.

“With the backing and partnership of The STV Appeal we can quickly roll out Street Soccer FC and, as we look well into the future, we are hopeful that by reaching young people now we’ll see fewer of them attending other Street Soccer Scotland projects in their later lives. Without The STV Appeal’s investment and support Street Soccer FC would have taken longer to become a reality.”

Garreth Wood, Trustee of the Wood Family Trust: “2014 is a big year for sport in Scotland as Glasgow play host to the Commonwealth Games; an event likely to attract an incredible amount of attention and positive energy from across the country. The Wood Family Trust are proud to be able to support the STV Appeal and it is heartening to engage with initiatives such as Street Soccer Scotland that are proving to be invaluable in empowering young people affected by social exclusion to make positive changes in their lives. Fitness and exercise are great ways to inspire young people towards developing life-skills, encourage team work, and meet new people in a healthy, safe environment. We are confident that this programme will make a huge difference to the lives of young people across Scotland who are enthusiastic about creating a positive, bright future for themselves.”

The STV Appeal 2014 is now well underway with an exciting line-up of fundraising activities planned for the year ahead.

www.stv.tv/appeal

Jobs alone will not eliminate poverty, report warns

New jobs alone will not tackle the chronic problem of poverty in Scotland, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation has warned. The report was published yesterday – 100 days from the Referendum – and authors say Scotland’s public services must improve to support families and make work pay, whatever the outcome of September’s vote.

Latest research shows by the mid-2020s, one in seven working-age adults and children could still be below the poverty line – two thirds of them in working families.

The findings are detailed in the third and final referendum briefing written by the New Policy Institute (NPI) and published by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) today. The research looks at the challenge that Scotland would face to tackle poverty, even with a much higher employment rate.

Scotland’s employment rate has remained at or above the UK’s employment rate for the last eight years. It currently stands at 73.5% and on rates of growth achieved in the ten years to 2007, it could reach 80% by 2025. At current population levels, this would mean an extra 300,000 jobs in the economy.

The report authors analysed the impact of this growth, looking at what would happen to poverty levels under two scenarios, depending on whether the extra jobs were full or part-time. They found:

If the 80% benchmark was reached by the creation of only part-time jobs, poverty among working age adults and children could fall from 800,000 (19.4%) to 670,000 (16.2%).
But if most of those extra jobs were full-time, the number in poverty would fall further, to 600,000 (14.6%). 65% of them would be in working families.

The lower poverty rate of the second scenario (of full-time jobs) shows the importance of a higher ‘work intensity’ – where families are able to access jobs with more hours. But this brings problems of its own: policy makers will need to ensure there are sufficient high quality, flexible and affordable public services such as transport, childcare, adult social care and health services, to make it possible for a family to work longer hours.

Dr Peter Kenway, Director of NPI and report co-author, said: “As employment levels rise, post-referendum Scotland must avoid replacing a problem of material deprivation with one of inflexible services and a lack of time: families short of cash are often short on time as well. Both sides of the independence campaign have to address the long-term challenges faced by struggling families of finding secure work that pays sufficiently.”

Jim McCormick, Scotland adviser to JRF, said: “These scenarios highlight the challenges that Scotland must meet if poverty rates are to decrease. Much higher employment would cut poverty, but jobs alone will not eliminate it while low pay and inadequate working hours remain so widespread.

“We need to ensure work pays enough to be a route of out poverty. Working more hours is only part of the answer: housing costs, rates of pay and the tax, tax credit and benefit systems are all implicated. Scotland after the referendum will need policy responses to all of these, whether independent or not.”

JRF poverty-work-scotland-summary

£0.5m Foodbank fund open for applications

Food aid organisations in Scotland can now apply for funding through the £500,000 Emergency Food Fund (EFF).

The Scottish Government fund is part of a £1 million investment in food aid, with £500,000 already committed to charity FareShare which redistributes surplus food from retailers to charities supporting their local communities.

According to figures produced by the Trussell Trust, the number of people who used food banks in Scotland between 1 April 2013 and 31 March 2014 rose to 71,428 compared to 14,332 people in the same period of 2012 to 2013.

EFF will support projects which respond to immediate demands for emergency food aid and help to address the underlying causes of food poverty.

Applications are invited for larger grants, up to four of which will be awarded at between £30,000 and £50,000 each. Smaller grants of up to £10,000 each will also be awarded, with £1000 being the minimum value for any individual grant.

Grants will be given to projects that concentrate on preventing food crisis recurring, those that build connections between food aid providers, advice and support agencies and organisations working to promote healthy eating and reduce food waste.

Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “The amount of people experiencing food poverty in Scotland is simply not acceptable. Welfare reform, benefit delays, benefit sanctions and falling incomes are all having a detrimental impact on the people of Scotland.

“The Scottish Government’s Emergency Food Fund will help food aid organisations combat food poverty in Scotland by working in partnership with other local agencies. I urge relevant organisations to apply.

“One of the most depressing trends over the last few years has been the rapid rise of food poverty in our country.

“The only upside to this is seeing communities come together, gathering and distributing food for those in need. It is important that we support these people and organisations through initiatives such as the Emergency Food Fund.

“Most people recognise that the increase in foodbank use is directly linked to welfare reform and benefit cuts. Only an independent Scotland will have the full powers we need to protect people from poverty and help them fulfill their potential in work and life.”

Application deadline is w/c July 11, with successful projects due to be announced in early August.

Anna entertains at OneCity birthday event

Broughton High School pupil Anna McLuckie was the star attraction at a charity event held to support the OneCity Trust at the City Chambers last week.

The fundraising dinner, hosted by the Honorary President Lord Provost Donald Wilson, celebrates 10 years since the Trust’s inception and was attended and supported by key businesses in Edinburgh including Qatar Airways and Petroleum Experts.

Guests were entertained by compere Grant Stott, and teenage harpist Anna McLuckie. Anna, who’s from Stockbridge, made her public debut at the Lord Provost’s annual garden party and made a huge impression across the country when she appeared on BBC One’s The Voice earlier this year.

The mission of the OneCity Trust is to promote equality of opportunity and a sense of community throughout the capital. The OneCity Trust funds and manages projects that help advance, facilitate and promote social inclusion and the tackling of poverty in Edinburgh communities.

As part of the Trust, the Lord Provost’s Rapid Acton Fund supports smaller community group projects that require urgent help through grants.

The Trust places great emphasis on bringing together different groups to work together in innovative and creative ways to tackle the problems of social exclusion, and is this year funding initiatives for the allotment group Piershill Plotters, Edinburgh’s Northwest Foodbank Warehouse, and the Edinburgh Garden Partners SOS Programme which helps disabled and older people care for their gardens*.

The Lord Provost, Donald Wilson, said: “On becoming Lord Provost it was clear to me that the role had great fundraising potential and my objectives chime identically with the OneCity Trust. As the Honorary President, I am delighted the fundraiser has received so much support from Edinburgh based businesses.”

“The money raised will go directly the Trust’s continued promotion of community initiatives in the city, and will enable us to support even more worthy projects that tackle poverty and inequality in Edinburgh. I’d like to extend my sincere thanks to everyone who has shown support for the OneCity Trust and all of those who have worked so hard make this fundraiser such a success.”

Matthew Haggis, Chair of the OneCity Trust, said: “Edinburgh is a divided city, and perhaps always has been, with wealth and privilege rubbing up alongside poverty and deprivation. The OneCity Trust attempts to bridge those divides, bringing many parts together for the benefit of all.

I hope that the dinner has not only raised money, but raised awareness. And that some of the companies who supported us will seek ways to tackle social exclusion in the city themselves, with or without the help of the Trust.”

The OneCity Trust also sponsors the prestigious Edinburgh Lectures Series 2014 which is running throughout May and June. For details and tickets, please visit

The Edinburgh Lecture 2017

If you have an interest in applying for funding or supporting the Trust, please visit www.onecity.org.uk

Lessons to be learned: call to close poverty gap

The attainment gap between poorer and richer children in Scotland still remains ‘persistent and significant’, according to a new report for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) published today (7 May). The JRF report, and analysis of the latest government data also published today, paints a bleak picture of a life blighted by poverty for too many of Scotland’s children.

The report, (attached below) written by University of Strathclyde, looks at how well Scotland’s education system is serving those from low income families. The authors say interventions can be made at ‘all stages and all ages’ in a child’s school career to close the gap. Despite an overall increase in school standards, children from low income backgrounds are still being left behind and achieving less than their better off peers.

Children who grow up in poverty tend to do less well in education because of factors in their home background for example having parents who are more stressed, less able to afford educational activities and resources and less well-placed to help them with their school work. To meet the needs of such children, schools need to dovetail their systems, curriculum and teaching to ‘bridge’ between home and school so that children living in poverty experience success in education and can use it to lever themselves out of poverty.

The report found the attainment gap begins before school and is amplified as children move through the school system. By age five, children from poorer families are around 12 months behind their richer peers in problem solving and vocabulary.

In early secondary school, only 28% of children from poorer families are performing well in numeracy, compared to 56% of those from advantaged backgrounds. Children from poorer families are more likely to leave school early and without a qualification.

Failure to close the gap wastes the talent of Scotland’s children and costs Scotland economy. On leaving school, poorer children are three times as likely to be unemployed, twice as likely to work only part-time hours and if they do find work, they will earn only around half as much as children from richer backgrounds (a gap of £23 per week for men and £45 for women).

The report authors say the Scottish Government, Education Scotland, local authorities and schools need to focus strongly on the attainment gap. Specifically:

Scottish Government should raise awareness of and provide clear guidance on how schools can close the gap.
Education Scotland, which is responsible for curriculum advice and inspection, and local councils need to ensure that every school has the data to tell them what their attainment gap is and what impact their actions are having for different groups of children.
Every head teacher and teacher needs to use the data and take action by designing a curriculum that meets the needs of the community the schools serves. Proven teaching methods such as peer-tutoring and one-to-one tutoring, study skills, mentoring opportunities and working with parents on supporting children’s learning at home can also help those from poorer families.

Jim McCormick, Scotland adviser at JRF, said: “Scottish education serves many children well, but too many poor children risk becoming poor adults unless we close the attainment gap. This limits their life chances and prospects, which not only has a knock-on effect for them through unfulfilled potential, but for Scotland’s economic performance.

“At all ages and stages in a child’s school career, there are interventions which can be made to break the cycle of low attainment. Closing the attainment gap must be a higher priority for everyone concerned with education in Scotland.”

Sue Ellis, co-author of the report and from the University of Strathclyde, said: “Inequality between pupils from poorer and better off families does not need to continue. Schools need to pay greater attention to closing the attainment gap but they need help in the form of clear, evidence-informed and helpful advice from Government, national agencies, local authorities and universities.

“Every teacher wants to do their best for all their children and it doesn’t need to cost a lot of extra money. This report shows how this can be achieved – everyone has a responsibility to address the poverty experienced by children throughout their school life.”

education-attainment-scotland-full

New analysis published today has revealed that one in three Scottish children live in homes that have ‘almost no wealth’.

Thirty per cent of all children in Scotland live in the country’s poorest households, which have almost no wealth – meaning they do not own property, have an occupational pension or savings, or own items such as cars and household goods.

Analysis of the Wealth and Assets Survey 2008-10, shows Scotland, like Great Britain as a whole, is a deeply unequal society with the wealthiest 10 per cent of households owning 900 times the wealth of the least wealthy 10 per cent.

The wealthiest 30 per cent of households owned over three quarters of all private household wealth in Scotland, while the least wealthy 30 per cent of households owned less than two per cent.

Lone parent families and single working age adults are most likely to have little or no wealth.

Financial wealth and occupational pension wealth were the most unequally distributed, with the wealthiest 30 per cent of Scottish households owning 81 per cent of all financial wealth and 84 per cent of occupational pension wealth. These households also owned 70 per cent of all property wealth (land and houses).

Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “The UK is one of the most unequal countries in the developed world. Living standards have been falling for those on middle and low incomes, and the gap between rich and poor is getting wider.

“These alarming figures highlight that almost one third of our children are not getting a fair start in life.

“Our poorest households do not have the income needed to gain the wealth – and security – that comes from owning property or having pension wealth. Unless action is taken soon, this cycle of deprivation will continue, with more children continuing to be born into poverty.

“We’re currently doing everything we can within our limited powers to tackle this huge inequality.

“However, the reality is that over the years the Westminster system has failed to properly address the deep social inequalities which exist in Scottish society, with generation after generation feeling the impact.

“Tackling and reversing this inequality requires key economic and social policy levers being in the hands of the Scottish Government.

“That’s why we need the full economic levers available to us to create a different approach – one that supports our most vulnerable, encourages people into the workplace and works towards making Scotland a more equal country to live and work.”

This is the first detailed analysis of Scottish data from the Wealth and Assets Survey, a Great Britain-wide survey from the Office of National Statistics. The survey gathers information on the ownership of all assets by households, including pension wealth, financial wealth, property wealth, and physical wealth.

The full statistical publication is available at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Social-Welfare/incomepoverty/