SPPA meets the First Minister

In his first official function at Edinburgh Castle in his role as First Minister, Alex Salmond MSP, hosted an anti-sectarian reception in the Great Hall at the castle the day following his address to the reconvened Northern Ireland Assembly at Stormont in June. The First Minister congratulated all those who had worked effortlessly in the past few years, including his predecessor Jack McConnell MSP, in striving to stamp out discrimination from our society.

Among the guests invited to the reception were SPPA’s Chairperson, Clare Nugent, and Chief Executive Ian McLaughlan. Clare and Ian were given an opportunity to brief the First Minister on SPPA’s recent seminar on ‘Respecting Difference’ in the early years. Mr Salmond also spoke positively of the government’s plans for an early years strategy that will promote early interventions for agencies working with young children.