Latest news with #SeanClerkin
The National
20-05-2025
- Politics
- The National
Activists demand update on 'offensive' Edinburgh Castle cafe name
The Redcoat Cafe found itself at the centre of intense controversy earlier last year, when it reopened after a refurbishment and Scots discovered the name on social media. The backlash saw calls for a 'swift rebrand', and a petition calling for the 'deeply offensive' name to be changed was set up and gathered more than 5000 signatures. In response, Historic Environment Scotland (HES) pledged to review the name of the cafe, as well as the name of the Jacobite function room. READ MORE: Tom Devine weighs in on Edinburgh Castle's Redcoat Cafe row At the time, a spokesperson for HES said: 'We have listened to the strong feelings on both sides of the debate about the name of the cafe at Edinburgh Castle. "The name has been in place since 1992 and reflects the military history which is told throughout the castle, however, the way we interpret history is constantly evolving. "As part of our new visitor experience plans for Edinburgh Castle in the coming financial year, the names of both the cafe and the function room will be reviewed and any changes communicated in due course.' Come the end of the referred-to financial year, running from April 6, 2024, until April 5, 2025, activists are now calling for an update on the review. READ MORE: The UK now officially admits it's arming Israeli extremists – but won't stop "I think it's taken far too long for this review to take place. It's been well over a year. The issue was raised back in February of last year, and here we are in May 2025. Surely by now, they could have come to a conclusion," Sean Clerkin told The National. Clerkin (below) and other activists delivered a letter to the cafe calling for customers to boycott the cafe if management did not concede to demands for a name change in March 2024. He added: "What I believe happened is that after the initial criticisms, they hoped the controversy would die down. They were probably just planning to keep the name and let everything quietly fade away. "But that's not going to happen. Too many people oppose the name. It would be like opening a café in Dublin and calling it the Black and Tan Cafe — it's the exact same thing. "The name must be changed. It's important because it reflects something much bigger. The continued use of the Redcoat Cafe name at Edinburgh Castle sends a message that Scotland is not in an unequal union. READ MORE: 'A magnificent effort': New independence hub opens with weekly Gaelic classes "Having a name like that at one of our most iconic landmarks is a symbol of colonization. "To change that perception, the name must be dropped — along with any lingering ties to British symbolism. "This review needs to conclude soon, and the outcome should be clear: the name has to go." When asked for an update on the review, and clarification on whether it had been delayed, a HES spokesperson said: "As highlighted previously, the review is part of wider visitor experience plans for Edinburgh Castle, this work is ongoing and a decision on the names will be taken in line with this in due course."
Glasgow Times
20-05-2025
- Business
- Glasgow Times
Report outlines plans for credit union near Glasgow
A report by East Renfrewshire Council's director of business operations and partnerships (DBOP) outlining the plan for Barrhead was published this morning (May 20) as part of the agenda items for next Thursday's (May 29) cabinet meeting. It will be music to the ears of many residents, particularly the elderly and disabled, who have been left reeling at the prospect of their town turning into a banking desert when the Main Street branch of the Bank of Scotland (BoS) closes tomorrow (May 21) with its cash machine also to disappear. The development has been declared a victory by the founder of the Save the Last Bank campaign who has led a determined fight over the last few months to retain a face-to-face banking presence in Barrhead. Sean Clerkin praised the council for 'saving the day' and said: 'It's absolutely certain that this will go through so this is a clear victory for the people of Barrhead and everyone who was part of the campaign. 'We are very pleased that East Renfrewshire Council (ERC) has taken such a positive approach to saving face-to-face banking in Barrhead and it validates what the campaign was all about. 'Yes there will be a delay between the closure of the bank this week and the establishment of the credit union but we do know now that there will be a face-to-face banking presence," he added. 'It's a community-based initiative based on the needs of local people and vulnerable people, so hopefully the Bank of Scotland in Barrhead will not be missed going forward." READ NEXT: Residents urged to sign petition to save Barrhead's last bank Credit unions are not-for-profit savings organisations or co-operatives whose members pool their savings to provide each other with credit at a low interest rate. East Renfrewshire has been without a local credit union service since the demise of the Barrhead-based Pioneer Mutual Credit Union in 2021, which had 3,500 members at the time of closure. The DBOP's report states: 'There has been a long-standing commitment to reinstating a credit union back into East Renfrewshire and discussions over several years with potential providers, which have struggled to get beyond scope for online-only provision." This commitment, it said, has been further strengthened by the closure of the last remaining bank in Barrhead, which also served the broader communities of Neilston and Uplawmoor. READ NEXT: Concerned community launch campaign to save bank Specifically, the report asks Cabinet members to give the green light to partnership working with Pollok Credit Union Ltd (PCU), one of the largest community-based credit unions in the West of Scotland, and other community planning partners to re-establish a credit union presence in East Renfrewshire. PCU's proposal is to establish a branch in Barrhead which would open between three and five days per week and would look for prominent premises, preferably in the Main Street area of the town. Cabinet members will also be asked to approve 'initial seed-funding of up to £200,000 over three years from the Community Capacity Building Reserve (via the recent top-up from the Investment for the Future Reserve) for the plan. This will support the start-up costs of the credit union until a break-even position is maintained for a local shop-front branch. Subject to Cabinet approval, it is planned that the council will work with PCU to identify a possible site for a local branch in Barrhead, which is likely to be a rental site, either council-owned or by a private landlord. It further states that given pressure on suitable Main Street/central Barrhead locations at the current time, it may be that the credit union is established in temporary premises as soon as possible, but with a view to finding longer-term premises as opportunities arise. West Scotland MSP Paul O'Kane, who has endeavoured to help retain access to critical services since the bank's closure was announced, also welcomed the news. 'I said from the very beginning that if the bitter blow of losing the branch couldn't be reversed then our focus would turn to ensuring that Barrhead residents would still have access to critical banking services – I am very pleased that the provision of a credit union will give access and support,' he said. 'The Barrhead community, campaigners, Councillor Danny Devlin, Blair McDougall MP, council leader Owen O'Donnell and I have all passionately opposed the loss of the last bank and have worked positively together to ensure ERC take this decisive action. 'I will continue to play my part to ensure that the delivery of the credit union is efficient and timely, but also to explore additional ways Barrhead residents can use banking services locally through hub services including via the Post Office.'
Daily Record
09-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Record
Campaigners say Barrhead bank closure is 'doomsday' scenario for elderly and vulnerable
Sean Clerkin held a press conference outside the Bank of Scotland branch in Barrhead which is facing closure yesterday. The closure of the last bank in Barrhead was yesterday described as 'five minutes to midnight on the doomsday clock' for elderly, vulnerable and disabled people. That was the message from Sean Clerkin, who has headed up the Save The Last Bank in Barrhead campaign, speaking in front of the Bank of Scotland branch in the town's Main Street. Previously, the Paisley Daily Express reported how Sean and other protesters took part in a demonstration in a bid to halt the axe of the last remaining bank in Barrhead in March. The shutters are set to be pulled down for the last time on Wednesday, May 21. Around 40 campaigners descended on the branch as they cranked up the pressure on top brass at the Bank of Scotland. The premises were also occupied for around 30 minutes with police called. Sean says that, if there is no replacement of the last outgoing face-to-face banking, it will impact the elderly, vulnerable and disabled who struggle with online banking. He said: 'Unless there's something to replace it – a banking hub or a credit union coming in, something like that – it's going to decimate the lives of elderly people, disabled people and other vulnerable people. 'The elderly, for example; there's a sheltered housing complex across the road, there's one just down the road and there's an awful lot of elderly people living in Barrhead. 'They depend on the face-to-face banking. Internet banking and banking apps are a foreign country to them, especially people in their 80s, and people who get into their 90s. They're not going to learn this. 'The bottom line is they're dependent on that face-to-face contact and some of them don't trust internet banking either.' If the closure of the branch goes ahead, customers in surrounding areas such as Neilston, Uplawmoor, Glenburn and Pollok in Glasgow will all be affected. The nearest branch will be Newton Mearns. Sean accuses the Lloyds Banking Group, which owns the Bank of Scotland, of 'profiteering at the expense of the wider community' and 'stand condemned in the court of public opinion'. He feels that, although more work is still to be done, there are signs that there could still be life in face-to-face banking surviving in East Renfrewshire. He added: 'It still needs more action but, East Renfrewshire, they are now talking openly about trying to save a face-to-face banking presence in Main Street by the use of a credit union. 'A private information notice was published for tendering for a credit union across East Renfrewshire. 'And the headquarters would be in Barrhead so that has come from the demonstrations and the number of people taking part in the demonstrations. It's largely as a result of that that East Renfrewshire Council are taking the action that they are taking. 'We are basically saying that the politicians need to get their finger out collectively and they need to get a face-to-face banking presence maintained on the Main Street in Barrhead.' A Bank of Scotland spokesperson said: 'As many customers now choose to bank through their app or online, visits to our Barrhead branch have fallen over recent years. 'When the branch closes later in May, customers can continue to manage their money online, by calling us, in person at Newton Mearns branch or the local Post Office on Cross Arthurlie Street.' A council spokesperson said: 'The council has had a long-standing ambition to bring a credit union back into East Renfrewshire. This has intensified with the imminent closure of the last bank in Barrhead. 'We are now making progress on a firm proposal and a paper is due to be considered by our cabinet shortly. Discussions are at an early stage and a location has not yet been identified.'
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Homeless hotel owners see a massive jump in cash from council
The owners of hotels used to house homeless people in Glasgow have seen a huge increase in income from the council. In the last year, from April 2024 to March 2025, the council paid more than £45 million to private hotels and B&B owners in the city. Demand for homeless accommodation has rocketed, and the council said it is seeking help from the UK and Scottish governments. READ NEXT:Families could be stuck on housing list for more than 100 years in Glasgow The cash paid to owners, some of who own several hotels, has rocketed by almost 70% in a year. In 2023/24 it was £26, 724,422. Last year, the total bill was £45,292,346. The year before the bill was £20,368,474, meaning the money paid to open increased by 122% in just two years. The Glasgow Times launched the End the Homeless Hotel Shame campaign to highlight the conditions people were living in. Mike Dailly, Solicitor Advocate at Govan Law Centre has called for a new approach where the public sector provides accommodation. He said: "It is lunacy and such a waste of Scottish taxpayers and Glasgow council taxpayers' money to keep throwing millions of pounds at poor quality and super expensive homeless hotels in our city. People should have dignity and taxpayers should get value for money. 'We need to build our own temporary accommodation and work with housing associations to build temporary accommodation. That would ensure high-quality temporary homes for homeless people. It really is a no-brainer. READ NEXT:Glasgow councillor removed from powerful city committee The bill could have been higher as not everyone who needs it is able to get a room in one of the 40 hotels. The data also revealed that on 3058 occasions, someone was refused emergency accommodation in the last year. The council said this is because all rooms were full. The information was requested by the Scottish Tenants Organisation. Sean Clerkin, campaign director, said: 'The housing and homeless disaster in Glasgow only worsens, ruining the lives of thousand of men, women and children, whether they be the new refugee to the city or the family that was evicted yesterday for rent arrears in Maryhill. 'The profiteers of homeless misery continue to make their tens of millions of pounds unabated, with no improvement in the basic conditions of the homeless, especially women and children and 3,058 people are still refused homeless accommodation. Those sleeping on the streets of Glasgow doubled in number from 154 to 323 in the space of weeks. He agreed with Mr Dailly on a new approach. Mr Clerkin added: Mike Dailly the top housing lawyer and columnist for the Glasgow Times has repeatedly stated correctly that tens of millions of pounds can be re-directed to Glasgow City Council to directly build good quality temporary accommodation especially safe single sex halfway accommodation for women and children and then move them rapidly on to safe and secure permanent homes. 'This cannot and must not be allowed to continue, as there has to be a housing revolution in Glasgow.' A spokesperson for Glasgow City Council said: 'We're duty-bound to find and provide emergency accommodation to those affected by homelessness. "We are having to spend more and more on hotels and bed & breakfast use in our attempts to meet the increasing demand for accommodation and avoid people having to sleep rough. 'Unfortunately, we are aware of a rise in the number of refusals for accommodation - this happens when there is no accommodation available. We currently use 40 hotels across the city to accommodate those whom we have a confirmed duty for. 'There is no quick alternative. We are in continual dialogue with both Governments about these challenges and continue to seek the additional resources necessary to address the challenges we are facing.'
The Herald Scotland
25-04-2025
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Glasgow homeless hotel owners get massive jump in cash from council
Demand for homeless accommodation has rocketed, and the council said it is seeking help from the UK and Scottish governments. The cash paid to owners, some of who own several hotels, has rocketed by almost 70% in a year. In 2023/24 it was £26,724,422. Last year, the total bill was £45,292,346. The year before the bill was £20,368,474, meaning the money paid to open increased by 122% in just two years. Our sister title, The Glasgow Times, have been highlighting the conditions people live in with a campaign launched last year. Mike Dailly, Solicitor Advocate at Govan Law Centre has called for a new approach where the public sector provides accommodation. He said: "It is lunacy and such a waste of Scottish taxpayers and Glasgow council taxpayers' money to keep throwing millions of pounds at poor quality and super expensive homeless hotels in our city. People should have dignity and taxpayers should get value for money. Read More Families could be stuck on Scottish housing list for more than 100 years 'We need to build our own temporary accommodation and work with housing associations to build temporary accommodation. That would ensure high-quality temporary homes for homeless people. It really is a no-brainer. The bill could have been higher as not everyone who needs it is able to get a room in one of the 40 hotels. The data also revealed that on 3058 occasions, someone was refused emergency accommodation in the last year. The council said this is because all rooms were full. The information was requested by the Scottish Tenants Organisation. Sean Clerkin, campaign director, said: 'The housing and homeless disaster in Glasgow only worsens, ruining the lives of thousand of men, women and children, whether they be the new refugee to the city or the family that was evicted yesterday for rent arrears in Maryhill. 'The profiteers of homeless misery continue to make their tens of millions of pounds unabated, with no improvement in the basic conditions of the homeless, especially women and children and 3,058 people are still refused homeless accommodation. Those sleeping on the streets of Glasgow doubled in number from 154 to 323 in the space of weeks. He agreed with Mr Dailly on a new approach. Mr Clerkin added: Mike Dailly the top housing lawyer and columnist for the Glasgow Times has repeatedly stated correctly that tens of millions of pounds can be re-directed to Glasgow City Council to directly build good quality temporary accommodation especially safe single sex halfway accommodation for women and children and then move them rapidly on to safe and secure permanent homes. 'This cannot and must not be allowed to continue, as there has to be a housing revolution in Glasgow.' A spokesperson for Glasgow City Council said: 'We're duty-bound to find and provide emergency accommodation to those affected by homelessness. "We are having to spend more and more on hotels and bed & breakfast use in our attempts to meet the increasing demand for accommodation and avoid people having to sleep rough. 'Unfortunately, we are aware of a rise in the number of refusals for accommodation - this happens when there is no accommodation available. We currently use 40 hotels across the city to accommodate those whom we have a confirmed duty for. 'There is no quick alternative. We are in continual dialogue with both Governments about these challenges and continue to seek the additional resources necessary to address the challenges we are facing.'
