Gordon MacDonald, MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, is urging young people in the area to apply for the Job Start Payment if they are starting a new job after a period of unemployment.
The Job Start Payment is available to 16-24-year-olds who have been on certain benefits for six months or more. Eligible young people can apply for the one-off payment worth £252.50, or £404 if they have children.
The payment will help with the costs of starting a job including travel, new clothes or childcare. People can apply via www.mygov.scot/job-start-payment or by calling 0800 182 2222.
SNP MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, Gordon MacDonald said: “The pandemic has been particularly difficult for young people in Edinburgh and the Job Start Payment is a fantastic source of support for young people to ensure they can get off to a good start in a new job.
“Starting a new job can be very expensive for young people when you take into consideration the costs of travel, buying clothes and other costs associated with a new job.
“I would encourage all young people who have been unemployed for a long period of time and are starting a new jo or have recently started one to apply for this support.”
A new programme of events will put the voices of young people in Scotland at the heart of the climate conversation during COP26.
Young Scot, Keep Scotland Beautiful and YouthLink Scotland will lead on delivering a youth climate programme across the country backed by £450,000 of Scottish Government funding.
Young people will co-design the programme, recruiting local champions from every local authority to help connect with communities to tackle climate change.
Minister for Environment, Biodiversity and Land Reform Mairi McAllan met the North Lanarkshire Youth Climate Ambassadors at Strathclyde Park to discuss the climate issues that are important to them.
Ms McAllan said: “Young people in Scotland are driving the cause of climate action. This programme will give them a platform to make sure their voices are not just heard, but acted upon.
“Scotland has world leading targets to be net zero by 2045 and we are already more than half way there. With COP26 in Glasgow this year, all of us have a unique opportunity to advance the society and economy-wide transformation demanded by the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss.
“We’re taking action and putting people at the heart of all we do. Young people have been demanding change for a better future and this programme will empower them to go even further. I look forward to hearing their ideas and engaging with them as we work together to end our contribution to climate change.”
Heather Ashworth, former Climate Action Intern with Keep Scotland Beautiful, said: “We can work together by talking, sharing our knowledge and our success stories. We need to support each other to learn and understand climate issues and the actions we can take.
“Young voices must be heard, but regardless of age or background, we all need to come together to ensure Scotland becomes a net zero nation.”
The youth programme will run up to and beyond the UN climate conference in November and will include a range of activities to support young people as they engage in the fight against climate change, along with the chance to receive accredited training.
In addition to the programme, Young Scot, Keep Scotland Beautiful and YouthLink Scotland will deliver a COP26 Scottish Youth Summit ahead of COP26, including a Scottish Youth Climate Declaration.
Young people with an interest in climate change can apply to be part of the programme by visiting the Young Scot website.
Snapchat, Reddit, TikTok and YouTube partnered with UK government to encourage users to get the vaccine
Collaboration comes as all adults aged 18 and over invited to get a jab
Filters and a range of stickers will be available on Snapchat from today
Other platforms will host live question and answers with medical experts providing vaccine advice
Leading social media platforms popular with young people including Snapchat, Reddit, TikTok, and YouTube, are supporting the vaccination programme by encouraging their users to get coronavirus (COVID-19) jabs.
The partnerships come as all adults aged 18 and over are invited to receive a vaccine in England as the vaccination programme continues at unprecedented pace and scale.
Snapchat users can use NHS stickers, a filter, and later this month, an augmented reality lens that all read: ‘I’ve had my vaccine’ for UK users to share on their accounts.
The platform is also hosting a series of question and answers with medical experts on the Prime Minister’s snapchat account. The most recent took place on Saturday (19 June) with Dr Kiren Collison, the interim Deputy Medical Director for Primary Care for NHS England, who answered questions from the public about the vaccine.
Snapchat has also expanded its: ‘Here For You’ feature which provides in-app resources to people looking for more information around health, mental health and wellbeing.
When someone searches for ‘COVID-19’, ‘vaccine’, ‘NHS’ and ‘vaccination’, they will have access to expert NHS resources on the vaccine to make sure they are well informed, build confidence and tackle misinformation.
The activity supports the NHS ‘every vaccination gives us hope’ campaign encouraging younger people to get their vaccine and join the millions of people who have already received their jabs.
The government met its target of offering a vaccine to the most vulnerable by 15 April and is on track to offer a first dose to all adults by 19 July, 2 weeks earlier than planned. NHS England has extended the offer of a vaccine to all adults.
Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock said: “With the offer of the vaccine now extended to all adults in England, we are leaving no stone unturned to boost uptake and encourage everyone to get the jab when eligible.
“I am delighted that Snapchat, Reddit, TikTok and YouTube – some of the most influential social media platforms – are coming together to support the biggest and most successful vaccine effort in NHS history.
“We’re accelerating our vaccine programme on the road to recovery and I urge everyone to come forward for the offer, roll up their sleeves and join the millions that already have the fullest possible protection from 2 doses.”
Digital Secretary Oliver Dowden said: “Our vaccine rollout has been a great success story and is now available to all adults.
“We have worked closely with social media platforms throughout the pandemic to promote life saving vaccine information, and this new initiative with popular platforms will help drive take-up even higher.
“We are also tackling misinformation online through our new Online Safety Bill to make sure people are not bombarded by harmful content.”
The community network platform Reddit has hosted 2 live ‘ask me anything’ sessions on its coronavirus forum, featuring experts such as Dr Amalina Bakri answering questions from Downing Street. Reddit will continue to host question and answers over the coming weeks to help people access factual and reliable information from a range of experts.
TikTok’s support for the vaccine rollout includes adding the NHS ‘I’ve had my COVID vaccine’ stickers to its library for users to share, and working with Team Halo – a group of scientists using the platform to provide the latest information on vaccines with entertaining and shareable videos.
Vaccines Minister Nadhim Zahawi said: “I’m thrilled that some of the leading social media platforms are joining forces to boost vaccine uptake among younger people. This is another incredible asset to our vaccination programme, which is already saving lives.
“The vaccine is our way out of this pandemic and we have made incredible progress so far with more than 4 in 5 adults receiving at least one dose and all adults being invited.
“I encourage everyone to get the jab – it could stop you becoming seriously ill and protect your loved ones.”
Ed Couchman, UK Regional General Manager at Snapchat, said: “With Snapchat playing a key part of the lives of young people around the world, we’re thrilled to collaborate with the government to make sure they have accurate and trusted resources to stay safe, healthy and informed.
“As well as creative tools, it’s great to be expanding our in-app health and wellbeing support portal with NHS resources about the vaccine and to host question and answer sessions with key government officials from the Prime Minister’s official Snap Star account.
“As we enter this next phase of the COVID-19 recovery in the UK, we continue to explore new ways we can collaborate with trusted partners and organisations to help support the health and wellbeing of our Snapchat community.”
In collaboration with the NHS, YouTube has rolled out a video campaign with the tagline: ‘Let’s Not Go Back’ to remind its core 18 to 34-year-old audience of the importance of being vaccinated through messaging that speaks to their personal experiences from a year in lockdown.
The campaign is running on YouTube, and on national billboards and bus stop advertising, and on social media. Collectively, these information panels have served over 400 billion impressions worldwide.
Ben McOwen Wilson, UK Managing Director at YouTube, said: “We are delighted to have been able to support the NHS with our ‘Let’s Not Go Back’ campaign to encourage young people to get vaccinated. From billboards to bus stops, online and off, we reached young people wherever they are to raise awareness of the key role they have to play.
“It has been fantastic to witness the public response to our national initiative and to have seen the rates at which young people have stepped up. We will continue to work to combat the pandemic by using YouTube’s extensive reach among young people to help in this critical national effort.”
Dr. Jessica Ashooh, Director of Policy for Reddit said: “Building bridges between policymakers, industry experts, and online communities is central to how we elevate authoritative vaccine information on Reddit.
“Our partnership with 10 Downing Street has enabled us to promote quality COVID-19 resources for Redditors in the United Kingdom.”
Last year Digital Secretary Oliver Dowden and Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock agreed new measures with social media platforms to limit the spread of false vaccine information and help people find the information they need about any COVID-19 vaccine.
At a virtual roundtable, Facebook, Twitter and Google committed to the principle that no company should profit from or promote false information about COVID-19 vaccines, to respond to flagged content more swiftly, and to work with authorities to promote scientifically accurate messages.
The government has also developed a toolkit with content designed to be shared via WhatsApp and Facebook community groups, as well as Twitter, YouTube and Instagram, to tackle false information about the vaccine.
Earlier this year we announced that Facebook and Instagram are backing a new nationwide social media campaign launched by the government and the NHS for people to show their support for the vaccine roll out.
The initiative allows users to update their profiles with a range of specially-designed profile frames and graphics. People can use these to show ‘I’ve had my vaccine’ or make a pledge that ‘I will get my vaccine’.
The government met its target of offering a vaccine to the most vulnerable by 15 April and is on track to offer a first dose to all adults by 19 July, 2 weeks earlier than planned. NHS England has extended the offer of a vaccine to all adults.
More than one million jabs were booked on Friday and Saturday after vaccinations opened to all over-18s in England.
SNP MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, Gordon Macdonald, has expressed his delight as the City of Edinburgh Council is set to receive £846,000 from the Scottish Government to encourage children to play and socialise as part of the recovery from the pandemic.
Councils across Scotland will receive a share of £15m to support summer activities that are already in place in certain areas.
The support will specifically target those aged up to 25 from low income households who may otherwise struggle to access such experiences during the holidays.
£5m will also be distributed among prominent Scottish children’s charities such as Barnardo’s and Who Cares Scotland.
SNP MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, Gordon MacDonald, said: “I am absolutely delighted at this investment in Edinburgh’s children and young people, who have been hit particularly hard by the pandemic as they have not been able to meet up with friends or play the sports they love.
“Coming out of the pandemic young people have told us that their mental health will be a priority and the SNP Scottish Government has listened to them and is investing in summer activities.
“This will have a positive impact on the mental and physical wellbeing of our young people, which will be extremely important when coming out of lockdown and into recovery.”
A NEW campaign, Our Isles and Oceans, has launched in Scotland today, which will create funded programmes for young people affected by the pandemic and lockdown.
The Our Isles and Oceans’ mission statement is ‘Youth Opportunity and Professional Development for Sustainable Livelihoods’ and it intends, through the vehicle of sport and business, to highlight the importance of a sustainable future for the next generation, through activities and partnerships with sustainable organisations and enterprises.
The cornerstone of the project will be a partnership with the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race.
Through this partnership, Our Isles and Oceans and the Clipper Race will be providing funded sailing programmes for young people to learn to sail on the West Coast of Scotland.
Our Isles and Oceans is calling for 18-to-35 year-olds to apply to its initiative, as the pandemic has had a negative impact on the age group’s education and employment opportunities over the last 15 months.
The charity, Young Minds, ran a survey earlier this year and found that 67 per cent of young people believe that the pandemic will have a long-term negative effect on their mental health. Our Isles and Oceans aims to provide positive experiences for these young people.
This new project will create social benefits and business growth in the UK, develop enriching participatory events, and spread positivity and inclusion throughout the British Isles.
Through the programmes, businesses will work with young people to provide opportunities for professional development and will focus on building confidence and promoting sustainable livelihoods. This will be a training atmosphere where individuals will gain life experiences and will be fun, exciting and unique.
The Clipper Race is one of the only events of its kind which offers everyday people the opportunity to train to become ocean racing sailors. The confidence built and the skills learnt through the sport of sailing can be transferred from on deck to the workplace which is why the first Our Isles and Oceans programme to launch will take place on a Clipper Race yacht.
This summer, along the west coast of Scotland, up to 50 successful candidates will take part in a funded sailing course on board an Our Isles and Oceans-branded (68ft) Clipper Race training yacht.
Under the guidance of a Clipper Race training skipper, each group of recruits will be challenged to learn new practical skills, develop their self-belief and work as a team.
In addition, ten of these recruits will then be offered the opportunity to apply for an additional four weeks of intensive ocean racing training, to be held at the Clipper Race Training HQ in Gosport, Hampshire.
If successful, they would receive a funded place on board the (70ft) Our Isles and Oceans team entry which will be competing in the Clipper 2023-24 Race. Each recruit would complete one leg of the Clipper Race circumnavigation.
Taking part in this endurance challenge would see them face oceans such as the North Pacific, North or South Atlantic and Southern Ocean, carrying the message of Our Isles and Oceans from a national to a global stage. The Our Isles and Oceans team will compete alongside other organisations and cities and will visit notable ports across the world.
With young people being particularly impacted this past year, Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, the first person to sail solo, non-stop around the world and co-founder of the Clipper Race, hopes this new programme will make a positive change in the successful candidates’ lives.
He said: “Sailing is so much more than just a sport or pastime as it gives you experience that is as useful in the workplace as it is on board a yacht. The sport develops self-confidence and self-esteem which is so important to restore following the pandemic.
“Everything you do on board a sailing boat is practical and I feel practical skills have somewhat been lost over the years. Knot tying is one of the obvious skills that will be learnt but the crew will also start to understand the weather, the enormity of the sea and how to cope with them both.
“Problem-solving is key to sail training, as is leadership and teamwork. You’ll often find young people are judged too early. Putting them on a yacht, with a team, is a great equaliser. You’ll see things are picked up quickly and as each challenge is overcome, confidence grows, with a new belief in themselves that they can achieve anything.”
Recruitment for the Our Isles and Oceans campaign opens today.
Applicants aged 18-35 can apply through www.ourislesandoceans.co.uk. The focus of recruitment will not be based on past job or work experience but will instead be based on an applicant’s ambition to take part in this special programme. The campaign is looking to assist people who may think opportunities such as these are out of their reach.
Our Isles and Oceans founder, David Stewart Howitt, explains: “In these challenging times, Our Isles and Oceans seeks to bring together the powerful forces of business and sport to offer an inspiring opportunity for the youth of today.
“Our Isles and Oceans will offer applicants the chance to learn from experienced professionals and to push themselves outside their comfort zone to equip them for the challenges of today’s marketplace.
“Outwardly focused and with a relentlessly positive approach, we at Our Isles and Oceans believe that there is opportunity for all given the right chance. We also want to bring awareness to the plight of the oceans and to promote the importance of sustainable livelihoods.”
The Our Isles and Oceans campaign begins with the first series of sailing programmes in July 2021.
120 young people from Edinburgh create multi-artform production
Strange Town, one of Scotland’s leading theatre companies for young people, is delighted to announce that their large scale multi-artform project – theatre, movement, spoken word, film, sound – ‘Generation Z: The Future is Unwritten’, will culminate in a live promenade performance and video installation event at Out of the Blue Drill Hall, Dalmeny Street on Friday 18 and Saturday 19 June.
Despite the challenges of Covid-19 restrictions throughout the five-month project, Strange Town’s most ambitious production to date has involved more than 120 of Edinburgh’s young people (aged 8 -18), with support from the company’s emerging playwrights (aged 18-25) and directors; and guided and mentored by industry professionals.
Using the stimulus, ‘Can Young People Change the World?’, ‘Generation Z: The Future is Unwritten’ has been created by, and will be performed by, members of the eight Strange Town Youth Theatre Groups from across the city.
The members of Strange Town Youth Theatre responded to the stimulus with work addressing a range of topics including isolation, technology, identity, generational division, Black Lives Matter, climate change, ideal society/world, protest, kindness, having your voice heard and Covid-19.
In order to maximise the opportunities audiences will have to experience the live performance and video installation, the 60-minute promenade event will be presented to 20 socially distanced audience members three times a night in three separate spaces.
The whole audience will come together to experience a live performance from just six actors before being split into two separate groups to watch film and listen to audio material.
Additionally, a site specific eight-minute video will be projected on a wall next to the St. Andrew, Ukrainian Catholic Church of Our Lady of Pochaev, on Dalmeny Street, which will include a specially choreographed movement piece. This will also be be a ticketed event for socially distanced audiences.
On 26 and 27 June there will be an opportunity to pay to view a film of the live event together with a variety of additional video, audio and written material developed by the groups.
The eight groups have met for weekly online digital drama workshops and face-to-face creative sessions, where possible, to explore the question and to create, write, film and record material. The groups have also worked together with members of the new Strange Town Young Writers Group who have both developed the work the groups have devised and written their own additional scenes.
As well as theatre, choreography and movement has played a big part in the project. 70 young people from the company got involved in a professionally choreographed movement piece, reflecting on the stimulus. This involved Zoom rehearsals and everybody recording their final performance on their mobile phones.
Rehearsals for the live performance are now underway with a drastically reduced number of actors working to strict guidelines, while video and sound design and editing is nearing completion
The Creative Scotland funding has also enabled Strange Town to employ a full technical team and additional production staff that include film editors, projection mappers, sound designers, a choreographer and production designer.
Steve Small, co-creative director of Strange Town and producer of ‘Generation Z: The Future is Unwritten’, said: “The Gen Z project is a testament to the hard work put in by everybody involved in the company.
“Despite the challenges and difficulties of the pandemic, watching the enthusiasm, skill and pride with which the production team has undertaken this task and having seen how the young people have adapted and risen to the challenge, as well as the range and quality of the work they’ve produced, it’s impossible not to feel massively encouraged. Despite the dark days of the lockdown restrictions, we hope better days are coming. People will always find a way to be creative.
“Thanks to the funding from Creative Scotland, Generation Z: The Future is Unwritten’s mix of indoor and outdoor and digital work means that everyone will be able to enjoy it wherever they are. We hope it will create some much-needed hope and enjoyment for 2021.”
Scran Academy, a leading social enterprise in Edinburgh, is delighted to announce the launch of the new Scran Café, a professional café within NHS Lothian’s Comely Bank Centre, planned, launched and run by inspiring young people aged between 13 and 21 from across Edinburgh.
The café’s initial focus will be to create a welcoming, relaxing and safe haven for as many as 100 frontline NHS workers and clinical trainees on a daily basis, offering freshly made meals, drinks and other refreshments.
With an innovative social business model involving a voluntary, private and public sector collaboration, this unique partnership between Scran Academy and NHS Lothian will see more than 100 young people, too often judged and failed by both their city and country, access dedicated employment experience and skills support over the coming three years.
Through the charity’s existing community-based Academy School and Scransitions, a new 16+ employability programme, this ground-breaking social venture will empower these young people with the skills and confidence to lead in the hospitality industry.
At the same time the programme will take a significant bite out of the poverty-related barriers, life challenges and injustices they face on a daily basis – being care-experienced, disengaged from mainstream school, at risk of homelessness, unemployed or suffering from poor mental health.
Scransitions is supported by The National Lottery Fund’s Young Start Project, the Edinburgh Thrive initiative and Walter Scott Giving Group, who have all generously enabled the £300,000 project to run for three years.
The Café will open to the public later in the year as restrictions are eased. There are already strong signs that the café will become an essential resource to the wider community, instrumental in joining up other Scran programmes and initiatives.
Through the charity’s partnerships and intergenerational work including projects involving low-income family, elderly and homeless organisations, there are hundreds of individuals keen to access the cafe and get involved.
The cafe will also provide a free community library, with support from Edinburgh International Book Festival and other bookstores.
Founder of Scran Academy and social entrepreneur, John Loughton BEM (above), himself a young person who grew up struggling in North Edinburgh, said: “At Scran we do hand-ups, not just hand-outs.
“We must all respond and adapt to what is an oncoming crisis for today’s generation that has resulted from education systems failures, a bleak employment context and the rising grip of poverty and mental health. It’s brutal for young people and our work has never been more needed.
“What Scran’s story shows is that if we support local community organisations that are run with passion and authenticity, we can develop creative solutions to social inequality. It also shows that unlike the stereotypes so often in the media, young people make a real and positive contribution to society and your post code does not have to be your destiny.
“I also want to take this opportunity to thank all our funders, schools and volunteers whose contribution to the operation of Scran has made a huge difference to the young people of Edinburgh.”
Young people returning to work are being urged to check if they are eligible for Job Start Payment.
Over 1,000 young people have already benefited from this support since it launched during the COVID-19 pandemic. That’s more than £277,000 invested so far in helping those whose job prospects have been hardest hit over the past year.
Job Start Payment is now £252.50, or £404 if the applicant has children and is available to young people who have been on certain benefits for 6 months or more. This payment could help with travel costs or could be used for clothing, lunches and other expenses that need to be met before someone receives their first salary.
Figures recently released cover the period from 17 August 2020, when Job Start Payment launched, to 31 March 2021.
People can apply for Job Start Payment for up to 3 months after their start date.
You can find out more and apply through mygov.scot or by calling 0800 182 2222.
Duke and Duchess of Cambridge experience LTA Youth – the LTA’s new and innovative junior tennis programme
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were today given a first-hand introduction to LTA Youth, the new LTA programme that will help more children enjoy the benefits of playing and staying in tennis – whatever their age, gender, ability, disability or background.
The Duke and Duchess were visiting Edinburgh Leisure’s Craiglockhart Tennis Centre to learn more about the new programme and take part in a series of LTA Youth drills with local children.
After an explanation of the principles behind the programme by Scott Lloyd (Chief Executive, LTA) and Olly Scadgell (Participation Director, LTA) the Duke and Duchess went on court to join children from Canal View Primary School, Edinburgh, and try their hand at three fun games that help teach progressive skills for tennis as well as for other sports.
Firstly they did a hopscotch warm up, before picking up racket and ball to play floor tennis against a partner. The Royal couple competed with the children to see who could keep rallies going the longest.
Finally Their Royal Highnesses each captained a team of children in an epic game of ‘team cones’ with each child playing a mini match against the others to secure a point for their team.
Graham Watson (Chair, Tennis Scotland) and Blane Dodds (Chief Executive, Tennis Scotland) explained about the implementation of the programme in Scotland and the opportunity for parents to book courses locally.
Before leaving all the children present were given LTA Youth rackets to inspire them on their journey to becoming young tennis players.
Scott Lloyd, LTA Chief Executive, said: “It was great to be able to show Their Royal Highnesses our new junior tennis programme first hand.
“LTA Youth is designed to be fun, inclusive and competitive and help children enjoy tennis whatever their age. Courses across the country can be booked via the LTA website.”
LTA Youth courses are available to book now across Britain at:
