Vision for progress in St Andrew’s Day address ahead of 2025-26 Budget
First Minister John Swinney will use an address ahead of St Andrew’s Day to outline his vision for government – and his determination to deliver government from the ground up.
The First Minister will set out the need for collaboration and consensus-building to deliver solutions to some of the problems facing communities in Scotland.
Speaking ahead of next week’s Scottish Budget, the First Minister will commit the Scottish Government to prioritising funding and investment needed to build on his four priorities – eradicating child poverty, growing the economy, investing in public services and tackling the climate emergency.
The First Minister is expected to say: “Scotland is best served when we collaborate, when we build consensus and work together across sectors, across disciplines and across cultures.
“The need to do so has never been more urgent. For the issues we face now are complex, pervasive and entrenched – and they are mounting.
“In these last seven years, we have seen global challenges stacked upon global challenges. From Brexit and COVID-19, to international conflicts, economic crises and climate disasters.
“On top of this, we have seen domestic problems, such as delayed discharge and the availability of housing, become more and more acute, due to rapidly increasing need in our society.
“Yet, too often – and particularly in politics – discussions and the public discourse are dominated by surface solutions, because they are the few that can gain consensus.
“The temptation then arises to throw money and strategies at a problem, or simply to find someone to blame for it, because the hard work of finding true consensus, of peer reviewing ideas in good faith, can feel unrealistic in our increasingly polarised reality.
“We must maintain enough hope and energy to work together, to understand the root causes and the complexity of problems and to find the right solutions.
“These solutions may not always be quick or easy – but that does not make them any less necessary. This is the approach that people should expect from a Swinney government.
“I want to bring people closer to their communities, which is particularly important in a country like Scotland, where the picture in the Central Belt or the Borders can be so different to the Highlands or the Islands.
“Being closer to our communities also makes it easier for us to bring those communities into policy-making: government from the ground up.”
Lamb took centre stage at the Scottish Parliament as part of Lamb for St Andrew’s Day, an initiative to encourage people across Scotland to celebrate with Scotch Lamb on the patron saint’s day.
Scotch Lamb was served, and sold out, in the canteen for Members of Parliament and staff at Holyrood, while the two key industry organisations driving the industry-wide campaign #LambForStAndrewsDay met with MSPs.
Quality Meat Scotland (QMS), which promotes the sustainable production, integrity and quality of red meat in Scotland, and the Institute of Auctioneers and Appraisers in Scotland (IAAS), the representative body for livestock marts in Scotland are behind the campaign, now in its 13th year, to make lamb synonymous with 30 November, as turkey is for Christmas and haggis for Burns’ Night.
At parliament, they spoke to a number of MSPs, highlighting the growing success of the Lamb for St Andrew’s Day campaign, which was celebrated internationally this year, both ahead of COP28 in Dubai and at the Ambassador’s Residence in Paris, and the need to support such an indigenous industry.
Sarah Millar, Chief Executive of QMS, said it was also an opportunity to discuss the economic, social and environmental influence of the £290m lamb sector in Scotland and areas for market growth.
“The export market is strong and growing due to a global appreciation of the quality of Scotch Lamb and its environmental credentials, but there is great opportunity to bring more UK consumers back to lamb to consolidate the home market,” she said.
“It ticks a number of boxes around nutrition, food miles and sustainability. Lamb production is a natural fit with Scotland’s high rainfall and plenty of available grass, producing a tasty, versatile homegrown red meat packed with nutrients.
“Every year the awareness built from the #LambForStAndrewsDay campaign has a tangible impact, boosting sales in the livestock rings as well as from retail shelves.”
Compared to beef, which in 2022 saw 19.2kg consumption per capita in Scotland, the equivalent in lamb is 2.2kg. Scotland is 186% self-sufficient in sheep meat so QMS is looking to maximise every possible market potential.
The #LambForStAndrewsDay campaign illustrates that lamb can be enjoyed on any budget and works well with different cuisines from across the world, promoted through QMS’s advertising and social media campaigns, as well as recipe inspiration on the Scotch Kitchen website.
In 2020, IAAS introduced The Lamb Bank, gathering financial and ‘lamb’ donations from across the industry to deliver lamb into schools, for free, in the last week of November. To date, 89,000 school children across Scotland have had the chance to cook, eat and learn about lamb in school canteens and Home Economics classes with 114 schools participating this year.
In the last three years, figures show that sales in the livestock marts to butchers and processors have increased every year in the month of November, demonstrating the growing impact of the campaign.
Neil Wilson said: “Our visit to Parliament today was another platform to demonstrate the positive impact of the lamb sector across the supply chain on Scotland’s economy, rural livelihoods and food security and why we need to drive lamb sales to protect and promote the profitable future of our industry.
“We had some really interesting, constructive conversations with Members of the Scottish Parliament, and it was a great that many of those we spoke to knew about the campaign, more than ever before – and that the canteen sold out of lamb!”
Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Mairi Gougeon, who met at AgriScot with both the Chair of QMS, Kate Rowell, and the President of IAAS, Alan Hutcheon, as part of Lamb for St Andrew’s Day, said: “I am pleased to be involved in this year’s Lamb for St Andrew’ Day campaign.
“This year, Scotch Lamb will be on the plates of decision-makers from Paris to Dubai. This is an excellent opportunity to showcase the very best that our sheep producers have to offer.
“The high quality of Scottish lamb gives it mass appeal to customers, and I know that this year’s campaign will help to enhance this message across the globe.”
The initiative is also supported by National Farmers Union (NFU) Scotland and the National Sheep Association (NSA). QMS provided Scotch Lamb for The National Sheep Association in Scotland St Andrew’s Dinner in Lauder this week, held for 100 people from across the industry.
WESTMINSTER’s Scottish Affairs Committee has published the UK Government’s response to its report on Promoting Scotland Internationally, in which MPs found the UK and Scottish Governments often collaborate well when promoting Scotland’s interests abroad but more work is needed to highlight modern Scottish successes.
In its report, the Committee found a clear strategy was needed to ensure UK embassies have access to guidance and clear expectations for holding events on key Scottish dates such as St Andrew’s Day.
The cross-party group of MPs recommended embassy staff of all levels be trained up on the current Scottish industry landscape and the UK Government’s priorities for Scotland in order to ensure a more consistent base of knowledge.
They also found more needed to be done to celebrate contemporary Scottish successes in fields such as scientific research, space and energy in addition to the more traditional attributes of the Scottish brand which still resonate on the international stage.
In its response, the UK Government highlighted past events but didn’t commit to implementing a strategy for celebrating key dates in the Scottish calendar across all embassies.
The UK Government also indicated senior staff receive adequate training but did not commit to giving staff of all levels updated training on the Scottish market and industry landscape.
The UK Government indicated agreement with the Committee that officials from the UK and Scottish Governments regularly work collaboratively overseas in order to deliver the best possible outcomes, and also acknowledged the importance of maintaining regular communication between teams.
The UK Government failed, however, to address a number of the Committee’s recommendations, including no commitment to provide specific information on the UK Government’s current priorities and objectives for promoting Scotland internationally.
Scottish Affairs Committee Chair Pete Wishart MP said: “Scotland is home to a fantastic array of research and development organisations, businesses and academic institutions – so it’s critical that Scotland’s success stories are promoted in a consistent and coherent way on the world stage.
“As a Committee, we found there were differing levels of engagement and knowledge related to Scotland’s key interests around the globe as well as a lack of a clear idea of exactly what the UK Government’s priorities are for promoting Scotland internationally.
“As Scots worldwide celebrate St Andrew’s Day, I’m disappointed that the extent to which embassies around the globe are telling the nation’s story and celebrating Scottish culture will remain inconsistent.
“Unfortunately, it was hard to identify a clear plan which will ensure Scotland receives the international recognition it deserves. It is, therefore, difficult to see how the UK Government will fully support Scotland to maximise the potential offered by our brilliant industries.”
Local communities, businesses, tourist attractions, retail units, charities and transport providers across Scotland have come together to share a message of kindness in the run-up to St Andrew’s Day today, in efforts to highlight the importance of community and compassion for others and the environment that we live in.
A special kindness-themed illustration to support the Scottish Government’s St Andrew’s Day campaign, featuring the message ‘When Kindness is Shared it Grows’ by Edinburgh-based artist Emily Hogarth has been created,inspired by the many small acts of kindness that have made a positive difference to many across the country this last year.
Organisations right across the country have lent their support across the weekend in the lead up to Scotland’s national day.ScotRail, Loganair and Stagecoach were among the transport groups that displayed and broadcast messages across their networks, from Edinburgh’s iconic Waverley Station to Inverness Station.
From Dundee City Square to Edinburgh’s Festival Theatre and St James Quarter to the V&A Museum, the message of kindness was also displayed in the form of clean graffiti in Scotland’s cities. Passers-by were encouraged to stop and reflect this St Andrew’s Day, and importantly, to share kindness with others.
Up to 100 individual cultural and community events have been taking place in cities and towns around the country to mark St Andrew’s Day, delivered by EventScotland, BEMIS Scotland, the Fair Saturday Foundation and the English Speaking Union Scotland on behalf of the Scottish Government.
Many events were also broadcast online, bringing more people together from further afield to enjoy the celebrations – both in Scotland and beyond.
The Scottish Government has provided funding support of up to £430,000 to deliver Scotland’s Winter Festivals event programme in 2021/22 which provides a significant opportunity to boost Scotland’s dynamic tourism and event sectors as they progress towards post-pandemic economic recovery and bring diverse communities together to celebrate the resilience, community spirit and shared kindness.
For further information on the Andrew’s Day events programme visit:
Scotland’s community foundation has distributed over £130 million to date
Foundation Scotland, Scotland’s community foundation, is marking the organisation’s silver anniversary this St Andrews Day – also aptly ‘Giving Tuesday’ this year.
Originally established in 1996 as ‘Scotland’s Community Foundation’, the major funder has distributed more than £130 million to charitable organisations, social enterprises, and community groups operating across Scotland since its launch 25 years ago.
Set up with an initial group of three staff, the Edinburgh-based foundation now has over 30, managing around 100 different national and local funding programmes each year.
Earlier this year the foundation began offering investment for social enterprises following the integration with Resilient Scotland, further expanding the breadth of financial support offered to charitable groups and enterprises.
Through the pandemic, Foundation Scotland awarded over £1.1 million in crisis support grants to 268 Edinburgh-based community projects.
Supported groups included The Eric Liddell Centre, East Lothian Roots and Fruits, Sikh Sanjog, Bridgend Farmhouse and The Edinburgh Tool Library (above).
Quite often, groups can be eligible for more than one source of funding from the foundation and some organisations have received ongoing support from Foundation Scotland for many years.
The team pride themselves in getting to know and understand funded groups, supporting them with essential funding and vital advice to help them to develop and sustain their services.
Giles Ruck, Chief Executive at Foundation Scotland, said: “We are proud to be Scotland’s community foundation. For 25 years, we’ve maintained the vision of supporting confident, thriving, resilient communities across Scotland.
“And for every community to thrive, it should be resourced to match its vision and powered by transformative funding. That’s where we come in. Over the last quarter of a century, we have connected the generosity of donors, corporates and individuals, to enable and empower vital projects and grassroot-led change.
“As we look ahead, we will continue to work hard to reach and connect with new donors keen to distribute funds effectively at a local level so that together we can continue to deliver extraordinary support.”
The generosity of local donors
Foundation Scotland is an independent charity. The funds awarded to projects within Scotland’s communities are thanks to the generosity of donors who support the foundation’s work.
The breadth of donors includes individuals, families, companies, community bodies and other charities who distribute funds. The foundation connects donors funds with community organisations working on the ground, ensuring their support stays relevant to local circumstances and delivers real impact.
Even throughout the pandemic, new donors have come on board, and new funds have opened to help support communities through the crisis and beyond.
In the summer of 2020, Edinburgh-based investment company Martin Currie approached Foundation Scotland to design and brand a new fund to help them support charities and community groups in Edinburgh, with consideration for projects across Scotland.
Their priorities were to address inequality and support initiatives that improved social and environmental sustainability. The Martin Currie Community Partnership Programme launched in September, and to date has awarded almost £44,000 between 8 organisations Recent grantees include Edinburgh Remakery, Venchie Children and Youth Project and the Salisbury Centre.
Jennifer Mair, Chief Operating Officer for Martin Currie said: “The Martin Currie Community Partnership Programme (MCCPP) is delighted to partner with Foundation Scotland to support local charities that promote diversity and inclusion, or social and environmental sustainability.
“The MCCPP was established in 2020 and focusses on the communities where we live and work by partnering with and building deep and lasting relationships with organisations who are well placed to help us deliver Martin Currie’s goal to improve lives.”
Case Study: The Melting Pot
The Melting Pot is Scotland’s Centre for Social Innovation. Based in Edinburgh’s city centre on Carlton Road, the organisation runs a large coworking hub, meeting venue and events programme for charities, social businesses, campaigners and freelancers.
Foundation Scotland has supported The Melting Pot for over 15 years. The organisation received its first award from the funder back in 2006 and has received £120,000 from a number of different funds to support their growth and development since 2006.
Claire Carpenter, Founder and CEO of The Melting Pot said: “Foundation Scotland have been an instrumental investor for me and The Melting Pot. They’ve been part of the birthing story – twice now!
“Back in the 00’s when “Coworking” wasn’t a thing you could Google, they saw the potential in my big, novel and very practical idea to better support our sector, in all its diversity. Then, due to Covid, the landscape changed once again – for good.
“We’ve been able to play to each other’s strengths to help #BuildBackBetter. I’m looking forward to seeing how together we co-create the conditions for social innovators to thrive in the years ahead.”
More Info:
From grantmaking to social investment opportunities, legacies to bursaries, Foundation Scotland is continually developing innovative and effective ways for donors to help Scotland’s communities thrive.
Anyone interested in finding out more can contact:
BUBBLED-UP pensioners at a care home are proudly flying the Saltire flag as a week of dedicated activity culminates in a glamorous St Andrew’s Day Ceilidh Ball today (30 November).
Thanks to the hard work and creativity of its lifestyle and kitchen team, Edinburgh’s Cramond Residence has enabled a bumper week of patriotic activities in the lead up to the celebration of Scotland’s patron saint.
This has included heather and tartan broach making, bunting making, an interactive history presentation, Gaelic lessons and a ceilidh dancing tutorial and practice – all helping its community enjoy the ball while keeping stimulated, engaged and active.
The ball will feature a traditional haggis neeps and tatties lunch with ingredients from local suppliers, along with a dram of whisky – and a virtual ceilidh performance.
Lisa Sohn, Lead Lifestyle Co-ordinator at Cramond Residence, said: “In these times it is lovely to see our home pull together and really revel in the spirit of St Andrew’s Day.
“It’s been very educational too – and the residents feel great pride in their roots, the historic Scottish language, traditional dances – and of course the food and drink.
“The whole team are looking forward to the ball – a big celebration is something all of our residents deserve.”
Activities are resident-led and aim to make life as fun and fulfilling as possible. The Lifestyle Team are continually looking for new exciting and engaging activities to implement into each month’s carefully-planned programme.
The home has even recently arranged a Grand Tour of Scotland thanks to a tie-up with the Association of Scottish Visitor Attractions (ASVA), bringing virtual tours of many of Scotland’s best attractions, including the National Galleries of Scotland, Rosslyn Chapel and the Andrew Carnegie Birthplace Museum to the home over the coming weeks.
Cramond Residence offers high quality care for up to 74 residents utilising a small-group living concept in nine houses, with all residents enjoying an exceptional range of amenities and activities, delicious food and bespoke care from our highly-trained team.
Each resident enjoys a luxury room with en-suite bathroom facilities. The Care Home maintains a minimum ratio of 1:4 of care staff to residents during the day.
The official society studying the life and work of Winston Churchill has called for greater recognition of the former war leader’s links to Scotland.
Churchill’s birthday falls on St. Andrew’s Day (November 30, 1874). No greater or emblematic, and perhaps ironic, connection exists than Churchill’s close friendship with a founder and leader of the Scottish National Party, Andrew Dewar Gibb.
HGF9BY 1916.Churchill as Lieutenant-Colonel,commanding the 6th Battalion.the Royal Scots Fusiliers.Near Ploegstreert, Belgium.
Churchill commanded the 6th (Service) Battalion of the Royal Scots Fusiliers in 1916. He was a Lieutenant Colonel. Serving as his adjutant was Major Andrew Dewar Gibb, then a captain, who went on to become a founder and leader of the SNP (1936-40).
Dewar Gibb released a book in 1924 about his time with Churchill in the trenches. He published the book anonymously as Captain X.
The book was re-released in 2016 (With Winston Churchill at the Front, Winston in the Trenches 1916), this time with a foreword by Randolph Churchill, Winston’s great-grandson and an introduction by Dewar Gibb’s son, Nigel (now 88years old, who resides in Glasgow).
To mark the centenary, Randolph and his family returned with Nigel to Ploegsteert near Ypres, Belgium in 2016 to visit where his father and Winston served with the Royal Scots Fusiliers in the trenches of Flanders. The people of Ploegsteert gave them a reception, and also celebrated Nigel’s revised and enhanced edition of his father’s book.
Churchill’s connections to Scotland are plentiful and have recently been documented by The International Churchill Society (ICS), in their journal Finest Hour with a foreword by former Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
Mr Randolph Churchill, Winston’s great-grandson, said:“The Churchill family is delighted that efforts are being made to bring together my great-grandfather’s relationship with Scotland. He not only had great admiration for Scotland but considered many Scots among his friends.
“Churchill had immense respect for the men under his command. This story is one of the many about Scotland that has fallen out of public knowledge.
“Whatever the political debates of today, they have no bearing on an objective view of history. My great-grandfather had a plethora of connections to Scotland, her politicians, her institutions, and her people. He was quite correct when he said he owed Scotland his wife, his constituency and his regiment.”
Mr Nigel Dewar Gibb said of his father and Winston Churchill:“I very much welcome efforts to remember this important chapter in the lives of both Winston Churchill and my father, Andrew Dewar Gibb.
“My father was very proud to have served with Churchill as his adjutant and prouder still of his country. My family and I are delighted at the efforts to bring this chapter to the fore of people’s minds.
“I hope it will serve as a starting gun for more discussion about Churchill’s connections to Scotland, as well as a happy remembrance of my father’s lifetime commitment to Scottish public life. Father went on to become Regius Professor of Law at Glasgow University from 1934 till 1958.”
Mr Andrew Dewar Gibb, MBE QC (1888-1974) said in his book: “I am firmly convinced that no more popular officer ever commanded troops. As a soldier he [Churchill] was hard-working, persevering, and thorough. He is a man who is apparently always to have enemies.
“He made none in his old regiment, but left behind him there, men who will always be his loyal partisans and admirers, and who are proud of having served in the Great War under the leadership of one who is beyond question a great man.”
The ICS is also launching an appeal for more information about Churchill’s many associations with Scotland to enable further study about how the famous wartime Prime Minister and the Scottish people affected one another.
Churchill said that the three most important things he received from Scotland were his wife, his constituency, and his regiment. During the First World War, he commanded the 6th Battalion of the Royal Scots Fusiliers on the Western Front in 1916.
Churchill was the Liberal MP for Dundee for fourteen years. First elected in 1908, he was re-elected to the seat four times before finally losing (to a Prohibitionist candidate!) in 1922. The same year Churchill was elected to Dundee, he married Clementine Hozier, a granddaughter of the tenth Earl of Airlie.
In 1912, Churchill was among the first senior British politicians to call for Scottish home rule and UK federalism. He received his first government appointment from Scottish prime minister, Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman in 1906. He was close friends with the former Prime Minister Lord Rosebery, in his time a highly regarded Scottish politician.
Despite Churchill having had many other personal and professional connections with Scotland, there is little in the country today to mark his presence.
Two plaques to his time in Dundee were erected in 2008, and there is an outstanding portrait of him by Scotland’s Sir James Guthrie in the Scottish National Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh. Otherwise, there are merely a handful of busts around the country including a miniature sculpture in Glasgow’s Kelvingrove Museum.
Gordon Brown, former British prime minister (2007–10) said: “So much has been written about every aspect of Winston Churchill’s life that it is surprising that one important area—his relationship with Scotland—has commanded so little attention.
“That is why this set of essays in Finest Hour must start to rectify this and rescues Churchill’s Scottish connections from the condescension of posterity.”
David Freeman, the editor of Finest Hour, said: “The connections are innumerable and substantial, and we’re thrilled to be among the first to bring these together formally.
“Finest Hour, our subscription magazine, is free to view this month to kick start this conversation. If you’re sitting with old photos or other memorabilia from one of his many trips to Scotland, please get in touch.”
Allen Packwood, Director of the Churchill Archives, said:“Churchill is often thought of and referred to as a quintessentially English figure, but this overlooks a multitude of Scottish connections.
“I am certain that there is new material awaiting discovery in attics and basements that will shed more light on his reception, connections, and activities in Scotland.
“We’re delighted to start that process with our dedicated team of academics and enthusiasts, and this is a conversation that we’re delighted to begin with Scotland and, indeed, the world.”
St Andrew’s Day, 30 November 2020 is our national day and the perfect opportunity for everyone across the country to come together and celebrate the resilience, community spirit and shared goodwill that has helped us through these difficult times.
We may not be able to travel and get together right now but that doesn’t mean we can’t continue to look out for each other. Whether you’re a Scot or a Scot at heart, at home or overseas, let’s celebrate St Andrew’s Day and make connections with others through acts of kindness, sharing a message of hope and positivity from Scotland to the rest of the world.
A St Andrew’s Day message from First Minister Nicola Sturgeon:
https://twitter.com/i/status/1333350208495869952
Scottish Secretary Alister Jack celebrates how much we have collectively achieved, thanking everyone who has done their bit to help us all get through 2020 so far:
St Andrew’s Day is a chance for us to celebrate all that is great about Scotland, and Scots, and to reflect on what it means to be Scottish.
In 2020, St Andrew’s Day will feel very different.
We are living through a global pandemic. Our lives are almost unrecognisable from a year ago.
But I believe that, this year more than ever, we should take the time to mark just how much we have collectively achieved.
Over the past few months, we have risen to the challenge of the, frankly terrifying, virus. We have, and are, all doing our bit to defeat it. We have made huge personal sacrifices because we know it will save lives and protect our precious NHS.
Our frontline workers – from health care staff to supermarket workers, teachers and everyone in between – have been nothing short of heroic. Looking after the ill, supporting the vulnerable, and keeping the country going. You are an inspiration to us all.
So many others have also done their bit. From picking up shopping and prescriptions, to organising spirit-lifting video chats and amazing charity fundraisers – individuals up and down the land have gone out of their way to look after friends, relatives and neighbours, and also strangers in need.
We have much to be proud of. In 2020, it seems to me, being Scottish is about fortitude and kindness. And also optimism. With new vaccines on the way we are starting to see some light at the end of the covid tunnel.
So, this St Andrew’s Day, I ask you to join me in thanking everyone who has done their bit to help us all get through 2020 so far. I have never felt more proud to be Scottish.
To mark St. Andrew’s Day (Saturday, November 30th), why not join us from 3-4:30pm for a special free screening of From Scotland with Love ? A 75-minute documentary created entirely from archive film material from the National Library of Scotland and Scottish Screen Archive.
It is purely visual with no voiceover – only a musical soundtrack by King Creosote. No age restriction – everyone welcome!
