A pledge by pupils at Hunter primary school in East Kilbride to each perform an act of kindness was celebrated in the Scottish Parliament chamber last week.

Their commitment was highlighted during a Member’s Debate led by Linda Fabiani MSP, who visited the school recently to witness the presentation of the Sconestone, a small stone carving inspired by ancient Celtic carvings which is intended to inspire acts of kindness in all those who touch it.

The Sconestone travels from keeper to keeper around the world. It began its journey at Hunter primary school and has since travelled to countries including Canada, the United States, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Austria.

Explaining to MSPs that the Sconestone is intended to go on a “never-ending journey of kindness”, Linda Fabiani said:

“The children at Hunter primary school were certainly inspired. They loved the story and the stone.

“Every one of them who was there that day touched, rubbed or held the stone and pledged to perform an act of kindness.

“They made a kindness tree to mark the day on which the stone visited their school.

“They endorsed entirely the ethos of the stone and they were delighted that such a beautiful object—essentially Scottish in form and symbolic values—was heading round the world.”

Ms Fabiani continued:

“If the children of Hunter primary school in East Kilbride can be inspired and understand the concept of spreading good, so can adults from all walks of life.”

Closing the debate, Scottish Government Culture Minister welcomed the opportunity to publicly recognise the kindness pledge made by the Hunter primary school pupils, saying:

“I do not think that we have talked in such terms about kindness and the inspiration of kindness in the chamber before. We have not celebrated the work of individuals and the children at Hunter primary school for their involvement in such a project before. We have not had the time to step back and reflect on what kindness is and how it spreads around the world.

The full text of the motion which triggered Linda Fabiani’s Member’s Debate in the Scottish Parliament is:
That the Parliament welcomes the initiation of the First Keeper of the Sconestone, the Reverend Neil Galbraith, and the historic associations that the Sconestone has with the ancient traditions and symbols of Scotland; congratulates Hunter Primary School in East Kilbride on entering into the spirit of the ethos of the stone by creating a kindness tree to mark the day, 4 September 2009, when the school hosted the Sconestone prior to its travels around the globe to promote kindness to others as a value that Scots seek to uphold; and congratulates sculptor Warren MacLeod on his design, inspired by ancient Scottish orbs first used by the Scots’ earliest ancestors, and the concept of using Scottish symbolism and values to stimulate acts of kindness in people around the world.

More information about the origins, meaning and purpose of the Sconestone can be found at www.sconestone.com.

Linda spoke in the debate on 12 November.

“Scotland needs many things, and improvements to our record on fires and fire fatalities should be near the top of our list. It is important that we all pay tribute to the fire prevention work that is being done by fire boards and Scotland’s firefighters. The report makes it clear that there is a long-term downward trend in fire-related deaths in Scotland, and much of that must be due to the hard work of the fire boards and firefighters in preventing fires and persuading people to take responsibility for their own safety. The downward trend is also due to the continuing improvements in the fire service that have come about through hard work and continuous training. We should note that contribution to the overall health of our nation…

Looking at the report, I see that there is a bit of an elephant in the room. According to the report, alcohol plays a part in 62 per cent of fire deaths across Scotland. Almost two thirds of all fire deaths are connected to the consumption of alcohol, as far as is known, but the figures might be underreported; in fact, the report speculates that the figure probably is underreported, because there is no requirement on fire investigators to look for evidence of alcohol consumption being related to fire deaths. The figures will report only when there is overwhelming evidence that alcohol consumption was a factor in the fire. We are left to speculate on what the true figure might be.”

Read the full text of Linda’s speech at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-09/sor1112-02.htm#Col21204.

Linda led a Members’ Debate on 11 November.

“At the end of August this year, the Rev Neil Galbraith—the parish minister in Cathcart and the founder of the Glasgow the Caring City initiative—called to tell me all about the Sconestone that was to be presented to him by the First Minister, and the honour that he felt at being chosen as the Sconestone’s first keeper, prior to its being sent round the world on a never-ending journey of kindness. I was intrigued, and I became even more so when, along with Neil Galbraith as the first keeper, I went to Hunter primary school in East Kilbride. Along with all the pupils, I learned more about the stone and how its sculptor Warren MacLeod, from Nova Scotia, was inspired…

The stone is a six-sided orb with three carved portals, each of which represents a view into the past, the present and the future. It represents wisdom: the wisdom to learn from the past, understand the present and plan for the future…

When Warren MacLeod spoke to Calum MacDonald of Runrig about the possibility of launching the stone at the band’s homecoming Scotland 2009 concert in Scone, Calum suggested that it be called the Sconestone, which links it to the stone of destiny upon which the kings of the Picts and of Scotland were crowned. Warren liked that idea—he said:

“my stone is a new stone … with a new destiny … to go on a never-ending journey of kindness from hand to hand, keeper to keeper around the world.”

That is simple, straightforward and inspiring, as many of the best ideas are…

All too often, initiatives such as the Sconestone and aspirations such as spreading kindness can be considered naive and, some would say, over idealistic. However, if the children of Hunter primary school in East Kilbride can be inspired and understand the concept of spreading good, so can adults from all walks of life. If the life of any one person in this world is cheered by the Sconestone, it is worth while. If the legacy of the first keeper is to help eradicate child poverty in Scotland, we should all embrace the concept of using Scottish symbolism and values to stimulate acts of kindness.”

The full debate can be read at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-09/sor1111-02.htm#Col21092

Linda Fabiani MSP has warmly welcomed the news that East Kilbride is to benefit from the Scottish Government’s Town Centre Regeneration Fund to the tune of £100,000.

The SNP MSP said that she is “delighted” that her home constituency has been awarded the cash, which will help to fund new equipment for the town’s shopmobility service and transform a vacant retail unit into a supervised soft play area.

Ms Fabiani continued:

“This funding will provide genuinely useful services and give East Kilbride town centre a real boost.

“East Kilbride and District Shopmobility is already a much loved service, helping people with disabilities to get out and about in the town. The purchase of new, up-to-date equipment and a new mobile service unit will help to make that service even better and let Shopmobility keep providing the independence that their clients value so much.

“It’s a sad fact that the recession has forced some local businesses to cease trading and left a few empty units. Turning one of those units into a supervised soft play area is a fantastic idea; people will be able come into the town to do a bit of shopping or grab some lunch in the knowledge that there is somewhere for their children to play safely and securely.

“The £100,000 that the SNP government is providing to fund these services will allow people to make the most of East Kilbride, support local jobs and businesses, and help to keep our town centre the busy and vibrant place we all want it to be.”

Linda Fabiani MSP has signed up to ‘Think Positive’, a campaign run by NUS Scotland to tackle mental health issues among students in Scotland.

It is estimated that over 19,000 students in the Scottish Parliamentary Central Scotland region, which includes East Kilbride, will suffer from mental ill health at some point in their lives. Across Scotland it is estimated that up to 140,000 students currently studying at college and university will experience mental health problems.

Think Positive is a project run by the National Union of Students in Scotland to tackle the stigma of mental ill health, raise awareness of this issue among students, college and university staff and the general public.

Linda Fabiani said:

“I was very pleased to sign up to NUS Scotland’s Think Positive campaign, which highlights an important issue for students.

“We have a growing student population in this area, with flourishing institutions such as South Lanarkshire College and the University of the West of Scotland Hamilton campus.

“University and college years are an exciting time, but they can also be very stressful. Any student experiencing mental health problems needs to have quick and easy access to effective advice and support.

“It’s in all our interests to make sure that mental health problems don’t stand in the way of our students realising their full potential and getting the most from their education.”

Kainde Manji, NUS Scotland Women’s Officer, said:

“NUS Scotland’s Think Positive campaign is working with students, colleges and universities across Scotland to tackle mental ill-health among students. We believe that mental health is becoming a bigger issue across colleges and universities in Scotland and it is therefore more important than ever that we work to get the support services that people need.

“It’s great to have the support of politicians from across all parties for this valuable project and we will be working hard over the coming months and years to come together to make a difference for students suffering mental ill health.”

REALITY OF SCOTLAND’S BUDGET CUTS WITHIN UK

Commenting on the Audit Scotland report published today – which confirms the scale of the squeeze on Scotland’s budget from the Labour Government at Westminster – SNP MSP Linda Fabiani, a member of the Scottish Parliament’s Finance Committee, said that it exposed the “fiscal fantasy land” opposition parties were living in as they routinely demand EXTRA spending in the Scottish Parliament, including reinstating the Glasgow Airport Rail Link.

Commenting Linda Fabiani said:

“The Audit Scotland report is extremely welcome, because it confirms everything that the SNP Government have been saying about the spending squeeze being imposed by the UK Government at Westminster – not just £500 million next year, but up to £3 billion by 2013/14. Given that the latest Government Expenditure and Revenue Scotland (GERS) analysis shows Scotland in budget surplus – with a surplus of some 2.3 billion pounds in the past three years – the Audit Scotland report reinforces the need for Scotland to be responsible for our own tax and spending decisions with independence.

“The Scottish Government have already risen to the challenge, not just in an ambitious efficiency programme which will deliver £3.2 billion in savings by 2011 while delivering the same level of services, but also in taking tough decisions such as cancelling the unaffordable rail link to Glasgow Airport – where the cost of work at the airport alone had spiralled from £8 million to £70 million without a single yard of track being laid.

“In demanding MORE spending virtually every day in the Scottish Parliament – including reinstating GARL, and more money for local government – while Scotland’s budget is being CUT by the UK Government at Westminster, Labour and other opposition parties are living in a fiscal fantasy land.

“The Audit Scotland report sets out the reality of Scotland’s budget cuts within the UK. Labour and the rest of the opposition have to get real over their ridiculous spending demands. And Scotland needs to acquire the real financial and economic powers that come with independence.”

Linda Fabiani MSP has tabled a motion in the Scottish Parliament congratulating South Lanarkshire College on its recent successful hosting of the finals of the 2009 Skillbuild competition and the College’s students who won medals at the event.

The College, which is located in Ms Fabiani’s home constituency of East Kilbride, hosted last month’s three day event, in which over 100 apprentices and young tradespeople from across the UK battled it out in skills categories such as carpentry, joinery and painting and decorating. South Lanarkshire College students Douglas Robertson and Steven Butler won the bronze medal for carpentry and the silver medal for roof slating and tiling respectively.

Commenting, Ms Fabiani said:

“That South Lanarkshire College is playing host to such large-scale, UK-wide events as the Skillbuild finals is a real sign of its ongoing success.

“Having a flourishing further education institution in the town is a in itself a good thing for East Kilbride, but even more important is the supply of graduates who put their training to good use in crucial industries and services from construction to childcare.

“These graduates and the skills they bring are vital, not only to the local economy in East Kilbride, but also to the future economic success of Scotland as a whole.

“I look forward to seeing the college, its students and its graduates go from strength to strength.”

The full text of Linda Fabiani’s motion is:

S3M-05036 Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (Scottish National Party): Skillbuild 2009, Congratulations to South Lanarkshire College, East Kilbride— That the Parliament notes that South Lanarkshire College successfully hosted the Skillbuild 2009 Competition; offers congratulations to all Scottish winners in their construction categories, including Douglas Robertson and Steven Butler, both students of South Lanarkshire College, who won the bronze medal for carpentry and the silver medal for roof slating and tiling respectively; notes the ongoing success of South Lanarkshire College, and congratulates all those involved.

Linda spoke in the debate on 4 November 2009.

“I look at the principles and objectives of our two national parks as written and followed in the Cairngorms and Loch Lomond and the Trossachs. Those of the Cairngorms talk about conserving and enhancing biodiversity and landscapes, as well as sustainable deer management, which is very particular to that area. The Loch Lomond and the Trossachs national park recognises that it represents some of Scotland’s most iconic landscapes and reflects Scotland’s identity through the natural and cultural heritage that it promotes and protects. So we start from a good base of what national parks are about.

However…also behind the national park designations and their progress were issues such as the economic and social development of communities. Our national parks are about people, as well as wildlife and landscapes.”

To read the full text of Linda’s speech, go to http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-09/sor1104-02.htm#Col20803