Latest News –  Martin Whitfield MSP

The Eilidh MacLeod Memorial Trust has launched its 2025 funding round and is inviting applications from young musicians and youth music groups. The Trust is keen to see as many applications as possible from all genres and disciplines of music across the length and breadth of Scotland and Martin Whitfield MSP is helping promote it to local groups and individuals. Eilidh’s Trust was established as a small grants charity in memory of the 14-year-old from the Isle of Barra who was a victim of the 2017 Manchester Arena attack. It supports young musicians in recognition of her own love of [...]

Today (Monday 12th May) is International Nurses' Day and Martin Whitfield MSP is joining parliamentary colleagues in helping celebrate and thank nursing staff across South Scotland and the rest of the country for everything they do for us. International Nurses’ Day marks the anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale and is an opportunity to celebrate the incredible skill, dedication and impact of nursing. The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) and other nursing organisations and unions celebrate the day and what it means to nurses and use it to help promote the profession and the contribution of nursing staff around [...]

Martin Whitfield MSP has joined cross-party parliamentary colleagues in supporting Chest, Heart and Stroke Scotland's Tartan Tea Party Day which is taking place on Wednesday 21st May. It is one of the charity's main fundraisers and is crucial to helping fund its work supporting the one in five Scots who are affected by chest, heart, stroke or long covid conditions. Martin Whitfield MSP said: "I'm pleased to support this year's #TartanTeaParty, which raises vital funds to support the one in five Scots affected by chest, heart, stroke or long covid conditions. "If this is a cause you support, why not [...]

The next Asda Foundation grant scheme - the high value Local Community Spaces fund - is opening today (7th May). Martin Whitfield MSP is encouraging groups across South Scotland to consider applying to the fund, which has a total value of £1 million and is aimed at charities and not-for-profit organisations that benefit local people. Grants of between £10,000 and £20,000 can be made and groups have until Wednesday 28th May 2025 to apply. Martin Whitfield MSP said: "The Asda Foundation's Local Community Space Fund is a great opportunity for charities and other community groups to access funds to help [...]

This year's Cleft Lip and Palate Awareness Week is taking place from Saturday 3rd to Sunday 11th May. The annual event, run by the Cleft Lip and Palate Association (CLAPA), is dedicated to raising awareness and supporting the thousands of people affected by cleft lip and palate across the UK. As this year's week gets underway, Martin Whitfield MSP is joining parliamentary colleagues to support the charity's awareness-raising campaign. Each year, around 1,200 babies are born in the UK with a cleft lip and/or palate that is roughly three every day. CLAPA provides vital services – from information and emotional [...]

Martin Whitfield MSP has welcomed the launch of a new campaign from Trading Standards Scotland (TSS) aimed at raising awareness of consumer rights. The ‘Know Your Rights’ campaign has been launched following a poll by TSS which found that almost half of Scots have been targets of aggressive or misleading sales practices, impacting their mental and physical wellbeing. Victims of such practices are being encouraged to report rogue traders, seek support and to access trusted sources for reputable local traders via www.approvedtrader.scot. Fiona Richardson, chief officer of Trading Standards Scotland, said: “It is shocking that so many people in Scotland [...]