Academies of Learning

Two extremes of places of learning today - but both offering insight, challenge and inspiration.

First was a launch event at the Sky Academy in Livingston of a programme to celebrate and encourage more young people to volunteer. The Academy is an amazing space - fully kitted out high spec TV studios where groups of young people can come and create their own news reports and documentaries about issues that matter to them - all for free. It's a wonderful learning opportunity - and the results are so fast. The young people walk away with footage edited and uploaded after just a few hours!

Then on to ornate historical Bute Hall at the University of Glasgow to hear the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon deliver the third annual Jimmy Reid Memorial Lecture "Workers' Rights are Human Rights". It felt especially symbolic and poignant as the Hall - and indeed the lectern she stood at - was the very place where Jimmy Reid delivered his world famous "The rat race is for rats" speech when he was elected as Rector of the University - rightly recognised one of the greatest and most electrifying political orations ever. So much of it resonates still - perhaps even more so.