Five things you need to know today

• NHS Lothian 2016/17 funding confirmed
• Yoga Mix beginners classes
• Canned Laughter
• Oxfam Candidate Café
• COMPETITION – Win your race day tickets here

The Scottish Government has announced that NHS Lothian will get an additional £77.6million in the next financial year.

This means that the budget available to NHS Lothian will increase by 6.3 per cent to £1,3 billion.

Part of the funding has already been announced. £35.3 million will be invested in the integration of health and social care, part of £250million committed by the budget announced recently by the Deputy First Minister.

Health Secretary Shona Robison said:

“The Scottish Government’s commitment to increasing NHS Lothian’s budget demonstrates our continuing investment in improving care.

“This comes as Scotland’s total health spending reaches almost £13 billion for the first time ever.

“We’re clear that people in Lothian should have access to the right care, in the right place, at the right time. With this increase in funding, health boards are being given more support to achieve this.

“The integration of health and social care, which comes into full force on April 1, is the most significant reform of our health and social care services since the creation of the NHS and our investment of £35.3 million for Lothian’s health and social care partnerships will help improve people’s experience of care.

“This funding will allow people to be supported to maintain their independence for as long as possible, in their own homes and communities and mean that fewer people need to go to hospital to receive care. Where hospital care is necessary and appropriate, they will spend less time there and return home more quickly.”

On Saturday 5 March Yoga Mix are running a Beginners’ Workshop at their new studio. This will be an introduction to Vinyasa Flow and their are limited places as there will be 2 teachers and 12 students.

More details here.

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Pantomime stalwarts Grant Stott, Allan Stewart and Andy Gray are appearing in a new show which is touring Scotland and coming to Edinburgh at the end of March.

Canned Laughter is directed by Ed Curtis who directed the Susan Boyle musical, and now the trio are joined by none other than… a woman – Gabriel Quigley! Ms Quigley has an impressive list of roles behind her in Rab C Nesbitt, The Karen Dunbar Show and Chewin the Fat.

This is a seriously funny new play set in the 1970s when the three men were a top Scottish comedy act, but which is brought right up to date when the three are no longer one.

The Edinburgh Reporter went to meet them at rehearsals and of course there was a lot of laughter along the way.

Our interview will be up soon but meantime you can buy tickets for King’s Theatre, Edinburgh, Tuesday 29 March – Saturday 2 April 2016 www.edtheatres.com

The Scottish Parliamentary Elections 2016 take place on 5 May 2016.

Ahead of that date there will be much campaigning and many hustings. Next week Oxfam is joining up with Stop Climate Chaos to hold a Candidate Café at St. Andrews and St. George’s West Church, 13-17 George St, EH2 2PA on Wednesday  9 March 5:30-7:30pm.  Although the charity Oxfam is strictly a non-political organisation it has a view on poverty and inequality. Last October the charity released a report ” Even it Up: Scotland’s Role in Tackling Poverty by Reducing Inequality at Home and Abroad”.

The event starts at 5.30 and will run for two hours. You can register for the event here.

Oxfam Scotland Campaign Manager Lisa Stewart said: “The Scottish election in May 2016 is an opportunity for every political party to commit themselves to creating a more equal Scotland within a more equal world. Everyone in Scotland can and must make their voice heard, and the Oxfam Candidate Cafe is a space where everyone can do exactly that”.

Jamie Livingstone, Head of Oxfam Scotland, said: “At a time when nearly one in five Scots live in poverty, and global inequality is on the rise, we want to make sure everyone in Scotland has the chance make their voice heard.

“Right now, the political parties are listening. This event will give people the chance to tell candidates what they think is important and to hear how the different parties think the Scottish parliament can contribute to reducing poverty at home and abroad.”

Our competition to win tickets for Good Friday at Musselburgh Racecourse is proving very popular, but it is a few days yet till we pick the winner. You can enter here.

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