Seòmar agus comataidhean

That the Parliament congratulates Coaltown of Wemyss Primary School on receiving the Gold School Sport Award in recognition of the sporting activities and opportunities provided for the pupils, both in school and through after-school clubs; notes that the sportscotland School Sport Award is a national initiative designed to encourage schools to put young people at the heart of decision-making, planning and implementation of extra-curricular school sport, and that it encourages schools to self-reflect and continuously improve and recognise and celebrate successful school sport models; commends what it sees as the commitment and hard work of staff to achieving the best outcomes for the children at Coaltown of Wemyss Primary School in relation to physical education provision and wellbeing, and wishes them all the very best for the future.

That the Parliament congratulates East Kilbride Youth Disability Sports Club on receiving £9,775 in grant funding from the National Lottery Community Fund; notes that the group will use the funds to take 25 young members and 10 helpers to Scout Adventure Lochgoilhead for a weekend of outdoor activity; celebrates the hard work of the club, which, since its founding in 1999, has helped countless young people, families and carers to get involved in sport by providing what it sees as vitally important services for disabled people and those with special needs; understands that the club strives to encourage volunteering and participation in disability-inclusive sport; further understands that the National Lottery distributes funding of more than £30 million each week to good causes throughout the UK; thanks all those who support East Kilbride Youth Disability Sports Club in its hard work, and wishes the members an exciting weekend at Lochgoilhead.

That the Parliament congratulates the Loch Ken Trust on securing vital funding from the Holywood Trust to continue the Loch Ken Trust Youth Water Safety Awareness Programme in 2024; understands that the programme, which recently featured in the Water Safety Scotland publication, Experiential Learning Guidance, aims to show people how to support water-based activities and sessions safely; further understands that the programme, which takes place at the Galloway Activity Centre, offers free sessions and teaches young people the vital skills required to stay safe on and around water and is recognised as an example of best practice for youth water safety; thanks the Holywood Trust, the Loch Ken Trust and the Galloway Activity Centre for their collaborative work to secure this vitally important programme for a second year, and wishes all involved, including all future programme participants, all the very best.

That the Parliament recognises Reids of Milngavie on its recent success at the Scottish Independent Retail Awards; understands that this is the second consecutive year that the Milngavie shop has won the award for Fashion and Accessories Retailer of the Year; further understands that the Scottish Independent Retail Awards are in their 11th year of celebrating the best of Scotland’s independent shops; congratulates staff at Reids of Milngavie, and wishes them every success for the future.

That the Parliament recognises what it sees as the contribution of the Galloway Food Hub, a fortnightly online farmers market located in the village of St John’s Town of Dalry, in Dumfries and Galloway, to increasing access to climate- and nature-friendly produce, providing local employment and volunteering opportunities within a highly rural area, and educational opportunities within partnering schools and community organisations; further recognises it for making what it considers to be a positive impact on food poverty with food donations; understands that the Food Hub’s online shop includes a wide range of dairy and bakery products, meat, wool, honey, candles, preserves, plants, and even one-on-one vegetable gardening consultations; further understands that the Hub is one of many such groups served by the Open Food Network UK software platform, built for selling food in unusual amounts, for instance, a dozen eggs, a bunch of parsley, or whole chickens in variable weights, and that it allows producers to create online shops, collect payments, and sell through other shops that are on the platform, with reduced-rate courier services; understands that wholesalers can integrate the software with their existing systems and can manage buying groups to supply customers with their own produce; recognises that the Open Food Network can be accessed by communities to bring together producers in their local area; applauds what it sees as the creativity and ingenuity behind a food distribution system that is good for the planet, and wishes everyone involved with the Galloway Food Hub every success for the future.

That the Parliament congratulates Eugenie Aroutcheff on winning the 2024 My Place Community Champion Award; understands that she was recognised for developing and running Grow 73, a charity aiming to help people of all ages and abilities to grow their own produce, learn how to lead more sustainable lives and support local biodiversity; notes that Grow 73 leases a piece of unused land in Overtoun Park, in Rutherglen, and has gradually transformed it by adding raised beds, a pond, a nature walk and more; considers that the My Place Awards provide a national stage for grassroots, community-led regeneration projects, many of which have not received formal recognition for their hard work, and believes that the awards not only provide a platform for celebration, but also serve as a key networking tool for community-led regeneration projects across Scotland to learn about similar initiatives, share ideas and provide peer-to-peer support.

That the Parliament congratulates Michelle Black, the first female captain at Murcar Links Golf Club on the east coast of Aberdeen; notes that Michelle joined Murcar Links in 2012 after developing a passion for golf in her twenties, recognising in particular the sociable nature of the game, as well as its mental and physical benefits; understands that Michelle spent four years as finance convenor of the club before becoming captain, when she successfully secured £1 million of funding for a new irrigation system; commends Michelle for overcoming what it sees as the barriers that women can experience in golf, and for successfully breaking through the glass ceiling to become the first female captain in Murcar Links Golf Club’s 116-year history; recognises that being club captain requires professionalism, good communication skills and transparency; acknowledges Michelle’s emphasis on inclusivity and equality in golf, which foster a broader range of experience, opinions and ideas to facilitate innovation and progression; encourages women and girls to try golf and to continue to break down barriers in the sport, helping to grow female membership and participation; believes, however, that everyone has a role to play in achieving equality in the sport of golf; notes that the R&A has chosen Murcar to host the 2024 Women’s and Men’s Amateur Home Internationals in August 2024, and wishes Michelle, the club and everyone involved a successful championship.

That the Parliament congratulates Portugal on the 50th anniversary of the Carnation Revolution, which took place on 25 April 1974, bringing back democracy to a country that had been run by an authoritarian government since 1926; understands that this allowed many of those forced to leave the country for fear of political repression to return, and looks forward to working closely with Portugal once Scotland gains what it sees as its rightful place as an independent nation and re-joins the EU.

That the Parliament welcomes the news that Laura Green, a trainee Biomedical Scientist, has received the Rising Start Award in the Chief Scientific Officer National Awards 2024, recognising her initiative, skill and commitment; understands that in working in NHS Forth Valley's Pathology Department, Laura started off as a medical laboratory assistant before progressing to becoming an associate practitioner and then a trainee biomedical scientist in 2023; acknowledges that Laura completed two degrees during this time, one in material science and another in biomedical science, which she achieved with first-class honours, and that she also undertook top-up modules to enable her to become a HCPC-registered biomedical scientist, all whilst working full-time in the pathology department; joins her colleagues in praising her dedication and skills, as well as highlighting how well she has been performing in her new role; understands that, elsewhere in the pathology department, the Mohs team, whose work involves a type of surgical technique for treating skin cancer, was shortlisted for the Excellence in Workforce Collaborative Award; considers that Feraz Ahmed, Deputy Head for Paediatric Audiology Services in NHS Forth Valley was also shortlisted for the Inspiring the Future Workforce Award, and that Bryan Hynd, Head of Medical Physics for NHS Forth Valley and NHS Lanarkshire was shortlisted for the Transforming Service Delivery Award, and commends all nominees and winners for the contribution that they make to the delivery of high-quality patient services.

That the Parliament congratulates Sue Imrie and Julia Nairn on opening their student textile exhibition, entitled Warped, at the Shetland Textile Museum; understands that the two students are in their third year of the BA (Hons) Contemporary Textiles course at University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) Shetland, and that they are exhibiting their woven textile pieces from 23 April to 28 May 2024; further understands that Sue Imrie’s work is inspired by the local natural environment, and uses natural dyeing techniques to create different coloured yarns, and that Julia Nairn’s work uses bright colours and distorted weave structures to create pieces based on a sense of place; notes with sadness and concern that this is reportedly the final UHI student textile exhibition, following the decision by UHI Shetland to end the BA (Hons) Contemporary Textiles course; considers that this contemporary textiles course built on Shetland’s rich heritage of design and textiles, and that its loss will be felt in the textiles sector, and wishes Sue Imrie and Julia Nairn a successful exhibition and all the best with their future textile design work.