Highlands and Islands MSP Emma Roddick has welcomed new figures that show the Scottish Government's Young Patients Family Fund has helped Shetland families with children in hospital. The fund, which helps parents and carers with the costs of travel and food while their child is receiving inpatient care, is a lifeline for people in the [...]

Emma Roddick, Highlands and Islands MSP, has continued her long-standing support and celebration of the Baby Box Scheme, first introduced in 2017. Emma noted the success and impact of these boxes on families within the Highlands and Islands previously, when the fifth anniversary of the scheme rolled around, noting they are "more important than ever [...]

Emma met with Safe, Strong & Free to hear about the work they do to prevent sexual assault and the exploitation of children across the Highlands. Safe, Strong & Free visits schools, carrying out workshops to teach children about serious issues in a fun way. They speak to children about a variety of topics including [...]

Emma Roddick has heard of the difference the Inverness InSpire Project has made in the local community.  The InSpire Project launched in 2016 offering "Bags of Hope" and has since grown to offer toiletries, emergency food parcels, uniform, and winter jackets for children and their families who are in need of extra support in the [...]

Emma has chosen the winner of her 2023 Christmas card competition. P4 pupils at Rosebank Primary School were asked to create Emma's Christmas card for this year with a design that would show recipients from across the Highlands and Islands "Nairn at Christmas". Devyn was the winner of the competition, with a design that showed [...]

Highlands & Islands MSP Emma Roddick has praised the Scottish Government’s progressive approach to its benefit and taxation policies, saying low-income families in Scotland will now be better off as a direct result. Speaking in the parliament chamber, Ms Roddick highlighted a report from the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) which found that amongst the [...]

Highlands & Islands MSP says scheme’s milestone is a testament to SNP’s commitment to tackling child poverty Highlands & Islands MSP Emma Roddick has welcomed the news that Scotland’s Baby Box has reached 250,000 deliveries across Scotland. Speaking in the Scottish Parliament, Ms Roddick asked the Minister for Children and Young People, Clare Haughey, to [...]

Highlands & Islands MSP Emma Roddick has been out and about in Uist speaking to several local organisations, parents, and employers with colleagues from the Scottish Parliament’s Social Justice and Social Security Committee as part of its Poverty and Parental Employment Inquiry. Ms Roddick, Deputy Convenor of the Committee, delivered an introduction on the first [...]

Highlands and Islands MSP Emma Roddick has welcomed the refreshed Baby Box, saying the scheme will be more important than ever in the coming months as families face rising costs. Scotland’s Baby Box is receiving a makeover for its fifth birthday. According to the latest figures of boxes distributed by health boards, 235,622 boxes have [...]

“It’s impossible to leave politics at the door on this" Social Justice and Social Security Committee member Emma Roddick MSP has condemned what she described as the UK Government’s hamstringing of the Scottish Government’s efforts to end child poverty in Scotland. The Highlands and Islands MSP pressed witnesses on the difficulties of a hybrid social [...]