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Take a look at some of the main stories from the week and an insight into The Ferret's work.
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Hi ,

This week's newsletter is not only packed to the gills with excellent stories. We also have some important things to announce.

Firstly, today we are launching Scotland’s first national register of Common Good assets! Usually managed by councils, Common Good assets are meant to be managed for the good of local people. But The Ferret has reported on allegations many are being misspent. Scroll down for more details.

Secondly, we have exclusive early access tickets for our It's Criminal theatre show!!

Come and join us for a journey into the world of crime and the media. Who chooses the headlines? Who chooses the stories? Is there a tsunami of crime or does the news make things feel worse than they really are?

Could we, just could we, imagine a better way of doing things?

Tickets are now bookable and we're offering them to Ferret Underground subscribers before they go on general release. The show is in Edinburgh on Thursday 22 June and tickets are free.
Yours,
Ali
Story of the week
An in-depth look at a Ferret investigation
The white nationalist group, Homeland, deemed Britain’s “most dangerous” UK far right organisation by anti-fascists, has applied to become a political party.

The group has made an application to the Electoral Commission under the name Homeland Party, which is currently under review.

The commission said it could not comment on ongoing applications but would “assess whether the party’s constitution and membership policy would breach equalities law”.
Read the full story
What did we dig up this week?
A round up of our investigations in the last seven days
How a Nigerian NGO is pushing back against period stigma…one boy at a time
In Nigeria period poverty, and girls’ subsequent fear of being ridiculed and shamed drives many young women to miss school everyday.
Violent assaults increasing at Scotland’s troubled private prison
Violent assaults have been rising more steeply at HMP Addiewell – Scotland’s troubled private prison – than any other jail last year.
The tampon dispatch – Perth’s solution to menstrual equity
Tampon Taxi volunteers use their own vehicles to deliver free period products at doorsteps across Perth.
Why are highly protected marine areas so controversial in Scotland?
A Scottish Government plan to put new protections in place for areas of Scotland’s seas has led to controversy in fishing communities.
Common Good
Building a national register of Common Good assets

Common Good assets are unique to Scotland – something that we should all treasure – and they are are collectively worth an estimated £860m.

They can be anything from painted portraits to farms, shops, libraries, parks and theatres. Usually managed by local authorities, they must be accounted for separately and managed for the good of local people. Together Common Good assets generate around £20m per year for good causes.

But campaigners claim details of the Common Good Funds are far from transparent.

In recent years investigations by The Ferret have looked at accusations that many Common Good Funds, created to benefit local communities, are being mismanaged. In 2022 we found their value collectively plummeted by nearly £8m in four years.

We’ve also reported on claims that Common Good Funds has been misspent – on boozy civic receptions, on foreign flights, and the portraits of Lord Provosts.

So now we’re responding to these criticisms by inviting people to collaborate with us to build Scotland’s first national record of the Common Good.
commongood.scot
Question of the Week
Should the highly protected marine areas
plan be rethought?
Yes
No
We now have a platform exclusive for Ferret Underground subscribers where you can share ideas about future investigations, answer polls and more!

Create an account here to get access.
Best of the rest
Investigations we've enjoyed from around the world
Survivors Of Kissinger's Secret War In Cambodia Reveal Unreported Mass Killings
Exclusive witness interviews and archival documents detail killings of hundreds of Cambodian civilians. (The Intercept)
Can humans ever understand how animals think?
A flood of new research is overturning old assumptions about what animal minds are and aren’t capable of. (Guardian)
Kid Cop Returns (Again and Again)
As a teenager, Vincent Richardson became a Chicago legend after successfully impersonating a police officer. (The Verge)
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Any comments? Have you seen something we could include? Email us at contact@theferret.scot.

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