College Sports Festival encourages students into sport

College students demonstrated their sporting prowess at the inaugural College Sports Festival held at Edinburgh College, aimed at encouraging college students to participate in sport during their studies. The event, hosted by Scottish Student Sport (SSS), saw around 250 students taking part in a variety of sports including football, basketball, touch rugby, touchtennis, volleyball and ultimate frisbee. Continue reading College Sports Festival encourages students into sport

Medics Against Violence: tackling violence in young people

250 health volunteers reach over 30,000 young people across 90 schools

School pupils are benefitting from the advice of their peers as part of an innovative programme aimed at reducing violent crime. Medics Against Violence is led by health professionals and was created in 2008 in response to the level of young people sustaining injuries following violent incidents. Continue reading Medics Against Violence: tackling violence in young people

Next stop Newhaven: councillors back tram line extension

The Outline Business Case (OBC) for taking trams to Newhaven has been approved by the City of Edinburgh Council. The OBC has been scrutinised by members of all political groups on the Council over recent weeks and gained approval from the Transport and Environment Committee earlier this month.  Continue reading Next stop Newhaven: councillors back tram line extension

Scotland coach Gregor Townsend helps send 4.5 million poppies on their way

Scotland national rugby head coach Gregor Townsend MBE visited Lady Haig’s Poppy Factory (LHPF) yesterday to be a part of the Poppyscotland ‘National Uplift’ – a special occasion to mark the day that the 4,500,000 poppies begin the journey to the four corners of the country ahead of the 2017 Scottish Poppy Appeal. Continue reading Scotland coach Gregor Townsend helps send 4.5 million poppies on their way

Gazumped! Green concerns over Sick Kids sell-off

Green MSP Alison Johnstone used yesterday’s First Minister’s Questions to highlight the “gazumping” of one of Scotland’s first major urban community buy-outs, the Sick Kids Hospital site at Sciennes. Green councillor Claire Miller also raised the issue of the Sick Kids sell-off during yesterday’s full council meeting. Continue reading Gazumped! Green concerns over Sick Kids sell-off

Letters: Unity is strength

Dear Editor

Capitalism, the system under which we live, constantly tries to retain control over the population. The ways of doing this are many, as a reading of history will show: a catalogue of land thieving, forced clearances, draconian laws and the prosecution of those who resisted. A policy of ‘divide and rule’ always was, and still is, the main tactic.

A recent example, the financial collapse of 2008, is blamed on the Labour Party, dividing organised political resistance against the savage cuts in public services and wages. It is now admitted that the financial crisis was worldwide caused by the banking industry.

From 2010 divide and rule was stepped up,with people not in work accused of being skivers and scroungers. It was then extended to disabled people and those who for many reasons were unable to work, having to claim benefits on which to live. They were then subjected to an assessment on their fitness to work by a private company – despite their having medical certification.

The housing shortage is partly blamed on people occupying a house or flat deemed to have spare rooms, and now this is followed by stories of elderly people being financially better off at the expense of younger generations.

All these example, and many more, are designed to set one against another, making unity more difficult.

To counter this we must show that there are many issues common to everyone, to get people thinking and acting again in a positive manner and making these issues work for the benefit of all.

We all need energy supplies, water and utilities, and a good reliable public transport system. It is not right that these essential services are mainly privately-owned, instead of being run for the benefit of all.

Unity, not division, will change things. There is so much on which to unite, making progress to a better life for all.

A. Delahoy, Silverknowes Gardens

Scotland’s early silver: new exhibition at National Museum of Scotland

A new exhibition at the National Museum of Scotland supported by Glenmorangie will show for the first time how silver, not gold, became the most important precious metal in Scotland over the course of the first millennium AD. Continue reading Scotland’s early silver: new exhibition at National Museum of Scotland

One Spa Edinburgh introduces Cancer Touch Therapy

One Spa, part of the 5* Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa in Edinburgh, has launched a Cancer Touch Therapy treatment in partnership with Made for Life Organics for those currently living with and recovering from cancer. Continue reading One Spa Edinburgh introduces Cancer Touch Therapy