It was decided that the photographic group of outlook based at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital would collectively go on a photo shoot to get material for a project.
Outlook is an adult learning project, this particular one is aimed at patients and ex-patients attending the hospital. By it's very nature, the vast majority of people involved in the outlook project will be on some sort of long term benefit such as sickness or invalidity and not on unemployment benefit. This means that because you are too ill to sign on then you have a book or sent a giro instead of having a UB40.
It was with horror that when five of us visited Edinburgh Castle to take photographs for the outlook project bearing in mind it was part of an adult learning group, all of whom were on invalidity benefit, that we were not entitled to any concession since we did not have a UB40.
The ticket office would not accept any other proof of unemployment. Considering the nature of the outing, the people involved, the tight budget of outlook, and the illusion of ' care in the community ', it is a disgraceful reflection of the attitude of various Local Boards in practising what they preach regarding help, support and care in the community.
Hamish
Email: [email protected]