Out and about in the Lothians
THERE ARE MANY aspects of being the MSP for Lothian region that I love, from working through issues with constituents to holding the Scottish Government to account in the Parliament Chamber. However, my favourite part of the job is travelling around the region and meeting with businesses, charities, and other groups to learn about the work that they are doing in our communities.
The conversations that I get with these people and organisations provide a window into the innerworkings of many of the institutions that make our city flourish.
I have often found myself in these meetings wishing that that there was a way I could provide this kind of access to my constituents. A way for the people of the Lothians the get a better understanding these institutions, some of which they rely on in their every day lives and others that they interact with occasionally for pleasure and leisure.
It is for this reason, I have started my podcast, Out and About in the Lothians.
Over the course of this session of Parliament, I will be travelling around the Lothians bringing you in on conversations with people who work hard to make our communities better. From Charities to local businesses, I will be seeking out a wide range of people to give you a broad view of what is going on in our area.
So far, we have had excellent conversations with a range of organisations. Dale MacPhee from the Waldorf Astoria (The Caledonian Hotel) gave us a peak behind the curtain on how one of the largest hotels in Edinburgh operated during the Pandemic. Ann Leslie gave an interesting explanation of how LAR Housing Trust provides midmarket housing for those in need in Edinburgh. And finally, in the most recent episode David Field gives us an engaging look at the running of Edinburgh Zoo and how they are making the Zoo more accessible for everyone in Lothian.
Episodes will be released every two week and will last between 10 and 25 mins, making them the perfect length for listening on part of a commute or during a lunch break.
You can find the Podcast on most major players, including Spotify and Amazon Music. You can also find it at the podcasts website: outandaboutinthelothians.buzzsprout.com