Ferguslie Park residents and volunteers travelled to Edinburgh on Saturday 25 October 2025 to join Scotland Demands Better, a major anti-poverty march that set off from the Scottish Parliament and finished with a rally and family-friendly festival in The Meadows. Dozens from The Tannahill Centre, Ferguslie Seniors, Darkwood Crew, Community Together and Pachedu made the early start, adding their voices to calls for action on poverty, fair work, investment in essentials and a stronger social security system.
Organisers estimate around 5,000 people took part alongside more than 230 civil-society organisations, trade unions, faith groups and environmental partners, making it Scotland’s largest anti-poverty mobilisation in years. Attendance figures are organiser estimates.
“Ferguslie Park has long been expert at treating the symptoms of poverty, keeping neighbours warm, fed and connected when systems fail them,” said Terry McTernan, Volunteer Coordinator at The Tannahill Centre. “Today marks a shift. We’re moving from crisis-response to challenging the causes: pushing for fair jobs that pay the bills, investment in homes and services, and a social security safety-net that actually keeps people out of poverty. Our community is stepping forward with greater individual and collective consciousness and action.”
Why Ferguslie marched
The Scotland Demands Better campaign brings together hundreds of organisations behind three clear demands:
Better jobs with fair conditions and wages that cover the cost of living
Better investment in life’s essentials, including affordable homes, good public transport, a thriving natural environment and strong public services
Better social security so everyone has a stable foundation
The day in brief
Assemble: 9:30 to 10:15 outside the Scottish Parliament (Horse Wynd)
Route: Royal Mile → George IV Bridge → The Meadows
Finish: Rally and mini-festival with music, speakers, stalls and family activities
Photos
Photography by David Cameron. Images documenting Ferguslie Park’s participation are available on request. Sample captions:
“Ferguslie on the Move” Volunteers from Ferguslie Seniors, Darkwood Crew, Community Together, Pachedu and The Tannahill Centre gather at Horse Wynd before the march.
“Banners on the Mile” Ferguslie Park contingent joins thousands on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile, demanding action on poverty.
“From Care to Change” Ferguslie residents at The Meadows rally, highlighting the shift from treating symptoms to tackling root causes.
Media contact
Terry McTernan, Volunteer Coordinator, The Tannahill Centre and Project Lead, Darkwood Crew Phone: 07780 437 578 Email: tmcternan@fpha.org.uk
In Pictures: Paisley Halloween festival shows visitors a wicked good time!
Pictures by Jamie Simpson/Renfrewshire Council
Paisley Halloween Festival is back at its spooky best as thousands of visitors attended the first night of the festival.
The popular Halloween parade was the main spectacle of the night featuring popular characters from Children’s books and movies such as Harry Potter, Mark Poppins, Fantastic Mr Fox and many more.
The parade was its biggest yet with more than 400 professional performers and community groups winding through the town centre to delight the crowds on Friday night.
The funfair is located at the Lagoon Car Park and East End Park offering plenty of opportunities to entertain children and adults alike.
Paisley has become Scotland’s home of Halloween in recent years and this was the first of two nights of the free-to-attend event. The event will take place from 2pm – 9pm on Saturday 25 October with the parade starting from 7pm.
For anyone looking to attend the event on Saturday there will be plenty of daytime entertainment on offer with live performances on the stage at County Square and street performances around the town centre, arts and crafts sessions at The Art Department as well as marshmallow pits and a selection of street food options.
The town is dressed in its spooky best with monster installations and eerie lighting displays on some of the town’s most well-known buildings.
Full programme information is at www.paisley.is/halloween. Anyone attending is advised to plan ahead.
The event is delivered by Renfrewshire Council in partnership with performance specialists Cirque Bijou.
Pictures by Jamie Simpson/Renfrewshire Council
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