Leith lies to the north of Edinburgh and is now a hive of activity and redevelopment. However Leith has existed for several thousand years with its main activity coming from the Port of Leith. The Leith Community Council covers an area running from Bernard Street, Salamander Street out to Restalrig and down Easter Road although this is in the process of being reviewed.
The aim of the Community Council is represent the people of our area. To bring forward new ideas and to work with the local Council to help improve things for local people. The aim of this website is to inform the people of our area and outwith our area as to what we are doing and why and to encourage more community involvement in the area.
The award winning Mary King’s Ghost Fest returns to Edinburgh from 9th – 18th May 2008. Now entering it’s fourth year, the festival is bigger and better than ever before with a program of events to keep the most avid of ghost hunters and the most serious of sceptics entertained for hours….Who dares join us on the other side as we, again, delve deep into Edinburgh’s dark and mysterious past…
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Wednesday’s chamber business will include a Ministerial Statement by the First Minister on Moving Scotland Forward and a debate on supermarket dominance in Scottish retailing.
Thursday will start with Parliamentary Bureau Motions and a Ministerial Statement on Equality and Diversity, with First Minister’s Question Time following at 12 noon . Thursday afternoon begins with Themed Question Time on Finance and Sustainable Growth before Decision time at 5.00pm.
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Young people with visual impairments, or other print disabilities, in Scotland will have access to the best educational material available from next term.
From August, they will be able to use the Scottish Books for All database powered by SCRAN, one of the largest educational online services, to access learning materials.
The database will contain a list of adapted materials which teachers can access to ensure that all pupils with additional support needs receive curriculum materials at the same time as their classmates in a format that meets their needs.
Adam Ingram, Minister for Children and Early Years, announced the move during a debate around a call by RNIB Scotland for a national transcription service for young people.
He said:
“RNIB have been very helpful in drawing this issue to our attention but we believe that with the steps we have taken there is no need for the type of national transcription service they propose. We are totally committed to ensuring that all our pupils can access the curriculum. The Books for All report has enabled us to identify gaps in provision and take positive steps to ensure that we can achieve this aim.”
A recent study, entitled Books for All, by the national Communication Aids for Language and Learning (CALL) Centre, at University of Edinburgh, reported that pupils with visual impairment in Scotland are already very well catered for and there were many more pupils with a print disability who would also benefit from adapted materials.
Until recently, one of the biggest stumbling blocks in schools related to Copyright legislation. The Schools copyright license only allowed materials to be adapted for those with visual impairment or physical impairment but from April this year, the Copyright Licensing Agency agreed to extend the license to cover those who are visually impaired or otherwise disabled which is of course a much wider definition.
Mr Ingram said:
“This is a fantastic achievement which will benefit a large number of pupils with a range of needs, including those with dyslexia. It is essential that all young people meet their full potential and that schools play their role in this by providing all pupils with accessible curriculum materials.”
The Scottish Government has also funded the CALL Centre to take forward a project which will enable pupils to listen to digital curriculum materials spoken out in a Scottish voice. This high quality computer voice, known as “Heather”, ( the voice of ‘Heather the Weather’ )can be downloaded by all schools free of charge from the CALL centre website.
The database, Scottish Books for All, is being piloted with local authorities who are GLOW users and by those who were represented on the stakeholder group. Learning and Teaching Scotland began the pilot in April and will feed back their findings in June.
The Education (Disability Strategies and Pupils’ Educational Records) (Scotland) Act 2002 requires that all disabled pupils are able to access the curriculum and that includes ensuring that they have access to accessible curriculum materials.
The annual pupil census recorded 1,156 pupils with a visual impairment recognized as an additional support need in Scotland’s school in September 2007.
source-Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Government has backed the Disasters Emergency Committee Myanmar (Burma) Cyclone Appeal and encouraged all Scots to do the same.
External Affairs Minister Linda Fabiani said generous Scots had already responded to Burma’s desperate need by
donating £400,000 since the DEC appeal was launched on Thursday morning.
To make a donation call 0870 60 60 900
or go to www.dec.org.uk
After a meeting with DEC representatives today Ms Fabiani said:
“Our thoughts are with the people of Burma at this very difficult time. The Scottish Government fully supports the DEC aid appeal and I understand that although access has been a challenge, aid is now being delivered through established channels in Burma. Scots have a strong humanitarian ethos and I am sure many people across the country will support this appeal to help those that are desperately suffering in the wake of Cyclone Nargis.
“The Scottish Government is in touch with the Department for International Development as well as the DEC in Scotland and we will consider any requests where we can provide additional support and assistance that can help the people of Burma.”
Gerry McLaughlin, Chair of the DEC in Scotland, said:
“Our priority is to deliver aid to those who need it the most and we can do that through our member local teams already working on the ground. Our agencies are impartial and non-political and it is important that we maintain impartiality for protection of our staff to enable them to deliver aid to those in desperate need of our support.”
“Aid is getting through via our agencies and we are calling on people to donate to our DEC Myanmar (Burma) Cyclone Appeal.”
The Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) agencies are Action Aid, British Red Cross, CAFOD, CARE International UK, Christian Aid, Concern Worldwide, Help the Aged, Islamic Relief, Merlin, Oxfam, Save the Children, Tearfund and World Vision.
source-Scottish Parliament
SCOTLAND NEEDS ”HUNDREDS” OF new foster parents, charities have warned, or vulnerable children could be left languishing in care, unable to rebuild their lives.
The call for volunteers comes at the beginning of foster care fortnight, which starts tomorrow. It is hoped the annual awareness campaign will show people the benefits of fostering and encourage more families to take in children who otherwise would remain in care homes.
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