The Edinburgh Reporter June 2023 issue

4 NEWS

More resources for community asset transfers

Festivals need more regular funding says Shona McCarthy

Fringe CEO hits out

HMRC HAVE reported that the number

of people who filed their self assessment

tax returns early has doubled for the tax

year to 6 April 2023.

More than 77,500 tax payers have

already submitted the tax return for the

year to 6 April 2023 on the first day of the

new tax year, so avoiding the stress of last

minute filing of returns.

Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s Director General

for Customer Services, said: “Filing your

Self Assessment early means you can

spend more time building your business

or doing the things that you enjoy and

less time worrying about completing your

tax return. To find out how you can start

yours and get help with budget planning,

search ‘Self Assessment’ on GOV.UK.”

CLEAN AIR D AY takes place on 15 June

when attention is turned to the UK’s

largest campaign against air pollution.

The website http://www.actionforcleanair.org.

uk has some examples of letters people

can send to their local councillors asking

for action.

This year’s theme “Clean up our air to

look after your mind this #CleanAirDay”

draws attention to the growing evidence

base that shows air pollution can impact

our mind and brain health.

Environmental Protection Scotland say

that there is increasing evidence to show

that people breathing polluted air are

more likely to develop mental health and

brand conditions such as depression,

anxiety and dementia. Everyone who can

is urged to use active travel or public

transport on the day itself to reduce

air pollution.

THINK TANK Reform Scotland is

joining forces with British Future to hold

an in person discussion about the

challenges of attracting new immigrants

to Scotland on 7 June.

Emma Roddick MSP, Minister for

Equalities, Migration and Refugees, will

address the meeting. The event will be

held at the Scottish Storytelling Centre 45

High Street EH1 1SR from 5.30pm to

7.30pm. The panel includes Heather Rolfe,

Director of Research and Relationships at

British Future Augustijn van Gaalen,

Policy and Participation Officer -

Migration, Population and Diversity at

COSLA and Mina Ko, Refugee

Communications Project Manager at

Welcome Churches (UKHK).

NEWS IN BRIEF...

By PHYLLIS STEPHEN

EDINBURGH FRINGE boss Shona McCarthy,

claims that artists and venies are still suffering

financially from the Coronavirus pandemic.

And while supportive of the Scottish

Government’s new short term lets legislation,

the Edinburgh Festival Fringe CEO said it will

have unintended consequences - especially for

artists in Edinburgh.

She also said that the “dreaded rising cost of

accommodation” in the capital must be looked

at strategically, and that soaring bills are the

“grim reaper”.

She continued: “I think Scotland probably

does not realise just what an incredible brand it

has in Edinburgh’s Festivals—particularly those

that happen over that concentrated period in

the summer months. I have just come back

from my first experience at Tartan Week in

New York and Washington, and was absolutely

blown away by the extent to which the Fringe

brand is known. It is a household name and a

recognised brand across the US. Indeed, I saw

at least eight shows billed in theatres in New

York and Washington that had come directly

from the Edinburgh Fringe.

“There is an enormous amount that The

Scottish Government and the UK Government

could do to promote the Festivals overseas.

There is much more that we could do in terms

of our physical presence at other festivals and

events, but our ability to do that is limited by

finance and resourcing.”

Ms McCarthy who heads the organisation

which received capital funding of £7.6 million

from the UK Government this year to assist in

renovating a former school building on

Infirmary Street, said she feels that both the

Scottish and the UK governments need to help

the festivals more.

Deidre Brock, MP for Edinburgh North and

Leith, and a former Edinburgh council Culture

Convener asked Ms McCarthy directly about

how she (and the International Festival who

received around £1 million of funding) had

achieved that. Ms McCarthy said the plans

came from a 2017 blueprint in the festival’s

70th anniversary year, noting that “there was

nowhere that told its history or its story”.

She also said: “In a parallel process, we have

been asking the levelling-up agenda for support

for a building - a community hub - in

Edinburgh through the community ownership

agenda. At the same time, we have been asking

the Departure for Culture Media and Sport

(DCMS) for recognition of the Fringe as a

major event and for support for artists, for

theatre tax relief for our venues and for a list of

things. This ask has been on the table for a very

long time, and the bit that we were successful

with was the capital project, the building of the

community hub project.

“I am at pains to point out that that is very

much a capital gift: it is not revenue funding

and it does not address the wider piece about

the survival of the Fringe, the change in its

economic model, the support for artists, the

support for venues and the infrastructural

support to enable the Festival to happen

every year. That is still an ask on the table

with DCMS.”

Ms Brock pressed further on the matter of

the capital funding, asking whether the funding

announcement had come out of the blue. Ms

McCarthy replied it was a bit of both - expected

after all their requests, but also a surprise. She

said: “We had been talking at length with the

UK Government, particularly on the levelling-

up agenda around the capital project and the

need for a new community space. We had

submitted paperwork and given an outline of

what we thought it might cost and so on. But

the inner workings of the UK Government are

not within my gift or understanding.

“When the announcement was made, it

happened at greater speed than we had

anticipated. It was very welcome news, but we

would have loved to have seen the wider issues

of the actual cost of the Fringe taken into

account. The ongoing running costs and

support that is needed for artists and for the

infrastructure of the Fringe was as big an issue

to us as looking for our new community hub. I

assume it is easier to find capital when you

approach the Government than it is to find

long-term revenue.”

By STAFF REPORTER

The Scottish Government

will increase the Scottish

Land Fund (SLF) by £1m.

The fund helps community

groups to take over ownership

of land and buildings,

and was used successfully

in Edinburgh, such as

Bellfield and at Newhaven.

Rural Affairs, Land Reform

and Islands Secretary, Mairi

Gougeon said on a visit to the

Granton Community Gardners

project, also supported by the

Fund: “Since 2016, hundreds of

local groups have benefited

from SLF. It allows people to

buy land and buildings in their

areas to puts the needs of

their community first - helping

to create jobs, mitigate climate

change, and tackle social

isolation and loneliness. It is

only right that those that

know what’s best for their area

have a say in how local land

and buildings are used.

“The Granton Community

Gardeners have gone from

strength to strength since

their humble beginnings in

2010. The project is a prime
      example of what the power of
      community action can achieve
      and the positive impact that
      the group has had on their
      local area is inspirational.”
      “We want more
      neighbourhoods to benefit
      from the opportunities that
      land ownership brings. This
      increase in funding will allow

even more community groups

to realise their ambitions and

is part of our three key

missions for Scotland: equality,

opportunity and community.

“By 2026 the SLF will have

doubled to £20 million.

I encourage any group with

ideas about how the land and

buildings around them could

be improved to get in touch.”

Shona McCarthy,

CEO of Edinburgh

Festival Fringe

Society

Mairi Gougeon MSP