Listening service to ease court visit fears

A SERVICE has been launched aimed at supporting people who may be upset or uncertain about attending court.

The Listening Service was introduced at Edinburgh Sheriff Court and Justice of the Peace Court yesterday and is the first resource of its kind in Scotland.

Launched on behalf of the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service in partnership with the Edinburgh Interfaith Association, the service is staffed by volunteers to provide confidential support to all court users.

The concept aims to help people who may feel the need to talk to someone during what can be an unknown and stressful experience attending court.

The Reverend Andrew Letby, of Edinburgh and Forth Circuit Methodist Church, pushed for the service’s creation after he heard about a couple in his congregation who felt the need to talk to someone about a process they had never experienced before.

A group of 18 volunteers has been recruited and trained for the new service and will be present in court at busy times to listen to those who want to talk, help people navigate the building or refer them on to other organisations and services.

Welcoming the initiative, Edinburgh interim sheriff clerk Les McIntosh said: “Having someone available to listen can be a real comfort at a stressful time and we are pleased to be leading the way by making this available.

“This initiative has the full backing of Sheriff Principal Mhairi Stephen, QC, and has the potential to provide a valuable service to court users, particularly those attending for the first time or are distressed or upset.” THESE students at City of Glasgow College are gearing up for their annual festival of music, drama, art and literature.

Flora Halfhide, Anders Lupinanez, Natasha Hall, Angus Hyde and Charlene McElhinney are involved in this year’s event, the largest ever.

As part of the event, which is entitled Creative City 2017, actress Elaine C Smith and the production team behind BBC sitcom Two Doors Down will discuss their work at the City Campus lecture theatre on March 15 at 7.30pm.

The college’s head of media David McKinney said: “This is the third year we have held this festival and it is getting bigger and better every year. A few years ago we looked at Glasgow’s West End Festival and saw it was improving with each passing year.” Picture: Mark Gibson