Latest News –  Martin Whitfield MSP

Martin Whitfield MSP and Douglas Alexander MP have welcomed the launch of a new campaign to encourage the public to be more confident in situations where someone requires first aid. The ‘Taking the Fear Out of First Aid’ campaign has been launched by St Andrew’s First Aid (SAFA), Scotland’s leading first aid charity, after research revealed that fear - particularly of doing something wrong - remains the biggest barrier to bystander intervention in first aid. To address this, SAFA has launched its campaign, aimed at breaking down psychological barriers and encouraging wider engagement with first aid training. By raising awareness [...]

Martin Whitfield MSP is encouraging East Lothian residents to get involved in the Summer Solstice Coastal Sweep on the weekend of 21st and 22nd June. Organised by The Scottish Coastal Clean Up and Scottish Seabird Centre with East Lothian Council's Countryside Rangers Service and local community litter picking groups, the beach clean is aiming to cover 25 miles of coastline from North Berwick to Portobello in just one weekend. Martin Whitfield MSP said: "I'm looking forward to joining in with The Scottish Coastal Clean Up and Scottish Seabird Centre's Summer Solstice Coastal Sweep beach clean on the weekend of 21 [...]

The Mental Health Foundation's annual Mental Health Awareness Week is taking place from Monday 12th to Sunday 18th May. This year, the event is focussed on celebrating the power and importance of community. Martin is joining his parliamentary colleagues in helping to raise awareness about the role of community in our mental health. It's also important to be aware of how we interact in online communities, particularly for young people. 85% of young people in the UK who use online communities like X or TikTok every day. Nearly 7 in 10 have encountered harmful or disturbing content. Not enough is [...]

Commenting on this evening's Stage One vote on the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill, which saw the bill passed by 70 votes to 56, Martin Whitfield MSP said:  "Tonight I have voted in favour of the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults Bill. This was a vote on the general principle that the Bill should proceed to scrutiny."My support at this stage doesn’t mean backing the Bill as it stands. I’ll keep listening as it progresses."

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 [...]