Dobbies’ Edinburgh and Lothian stores invite nominations for national community initiative

Dobbies, the UK’s leading garden centre, today launches Dobbies Community Gardens, to offer support for community and charity groups in Edinburgh and the Lothians to help transform, restore or start their indoor or outdoor green spaces.

Committed to bringing a smile to its local communities, Dobbies is inviting anyone who has a community space that needs gardening knowledge and inspiration – indoors or outdoors – to get in touch, with applications now open.

Dobbies’ colleagues are passionate about gardens and plants, championing garden living all year round to create experiences that bring people and communities together.

The Stockbridge little dobbies and Edinburgh store will select a project to support from the nominations that are made. The winning groups will receive products, tools and plants to help bring their community space to life during a personal-shopper session with a dedicated Dobbies’ colleague. In addition to this, there will be volunteer hours allocated to help bring the project to fruition.

Successful applicants will receive support over the year to keep their indoor or outdoor space blooming.

Nick Anderson, Dobbies’ Operations Director, is looking forward to hearing from groups across the country. He said: “There are so many brilliant community groups near our Stockbridge little dobbies and Edinburgh store – from schools and nurseries, to In Bloom Groups and charities, and even local sports teams.

“Our store colleagues are ready to take on a fresh challenge for this year and we want to hear from groups in Edinburgh and the Lothians who would benefit from our support.

“If anyone knows of a community group that has a garden living project in need of our help, please encourage them to enter.”

Applications are now open and taking part couldn’t be easier. Those entering must be located within 20 miles of Dobbies’ Edinburgh store or five miles of the Stockbridge little dobbies store. For more information about how to get involved in Dobbies Community Gardens, visit Dobbies Community Gardens

Nominated projects will be invited along to the Edinburgh store for the free Grow How session on Saturday 4 May, 10.30am, and the winner will be announced. The Stockbridge little dobbies store doesn’t hold a free Grow How session, the winner will be contacted separately.

The winning team for each store will meet a colleague that will support them throughout the project.

LifeCare Community Clothes Swap

SATURDAY 6th APRIL from 2 – 4pm

Join us at The LifeCare Centre, 2 Cheyne Street, for an afternoon of guilt free shopping on Saturday 6th of April between 2pm and 4pm at our Community Clothes Swap Event!

To register your interest call 0131 343 0940 or email:

enquiries@lifecare-edinburgh.org.uk

New St Columba’s Stockbridge shop to open on Wednesday

We’re putting the finishing touches to our brand new Stockbridge shop, which will now open on Wednesday 21st February instead of Saturday 17th!

We can’t wait to welcome everyone along to Stockbridge’s newest addition at 10-12 Hamilton Place at 10am!

Free Trad Dance sessions at Stockbridge Library

Join us for a new series of 5 FREE world trad dance sessions at Stockbridge Library.

Dance to the tunes & steps of Old Time Scottish, Bollywood, Pizzica, American Line and Lindy Hop – led by our qualified dance teachers + live music!

REGISTER NOW: https://linktr.ee/traddanceforumscotland

Shelter Scotland’s Stockbridge shop January Spectacular returns for 2024 

Shelter Scotland’s much loved January Stockbridge new year launch event returns for its 21st year on Wednesday 3rd January 2024. 

Running since 2003, the event attracts excited shoppers from across Edinburgh and beyond.  

Every year, staff and volunteers at the Stockbridge shop offer up a huge range of some of the most exciting and intriguing items donated over the course of the year.  

With a scintillating selection on offer, this year’s extravaganza is sure to create a real buzz among the Capital’s collectors, connoisseurs, and fashionistas.  

Bookworms can grab a signed first edition of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets or a first edition of HG Wells iconic The War of the Worlds.  

The designer brands on offer include Armani, Gucci, and Ralph Lauren.  

For homeware enthusiasts there are beautiful vintage coffee sets tea-sets, and Portmerion China. 

All that in addition to a range of records, pop-culture collectables, board games, jewellery, art, and more. 

Shelter Scotland Director, Alison Watson, said: “For more than two decades now the Shelter Scotland’s January Stockbridge launch event has been marked in the calendars of Edinburgh’s discerning shoppers.  

“Scotland is in a housing emergency: there are more than 9,500 children in Scotland with nowhere to call home, more and more people are becoming homeless, while the housing budget has just been slashed. 

“Your support keeps us in the fight against homelessness, so ahead of this exciting event I’d like to thank all our customers and donors for their generosity.” 

Shetler Scotland Stockbridge Shop Manager, Peter Jew, added: “I can’t wait to welcome all our customers to what is at this point an almost legendary event in Edinburgh. 

“This is a chance to showcase and celebrate our donations and we’re immensely grateful to everyone who contributed.  

“This year we have a truly magnificent selection on offer, this is a great opportunity to grab something special while supporting Shelter Scotland in the fight against the Housing Emergency.” 

LifeCare Edinburgh brings the local community together for festive Christmas lunches  

LifeCare Edinburgh brought members of the local community together to enjoy some early festive cheer this year at their annual charity Christmas lunches. Over 150 two course lunches were served across three days in the charity’s Community Café, CafeLife, by volunteers from aerospace engineering company Leonardo, who chose LifeCare as their charity partner last year.  

Guests also enjoyed entertainment from local choir, The Cheyne Gang, a community singing group for people living with long term respiratory conditions such as COPD, Asthma and Bronchiectasis, as well as a Tombola and Christmas Quiz. 

 LifeCare CEO, Sarah Van Putten, said: “Our Christmas Lunches are a fantastic way of bringing people together in support of a good cause.

“All the money we raise from our lunches and other Christmas activities go directly towards our Winter Warmer Appeal which we launched back in November, due to unprecedented demand for our services through the cost-of-living crisis.

“These funds will enable us to continue to provide vital support to local older people and unpaid carers during the difficult winter months. A huge thank you to all those who came along, including our wonderful volunteers and of course our fabulous choir. Your support funds ours, and it really does make a huge difference.” 

LifeCare Edinburgh is a local charity with a proud 80-year-history of providing uplifting, positive and practical support for older people.

Their vision is of a society where no older person is alone or isolated, and their professional and high-quality support is delivered to the most vulnerable members of the community – including those living with dementia and unpaid (often older themselves) carers – within the home and out and about. 

The LifeCare Christmas lunches have become a key date in the diary for many Stockbridge locals, with the 2023 events the second to take place since the covid-19 pandemic.  

Dobbies’ Edinburgh stores welcome donations for Cash for Kids’ gift drive

Dobbies, the UK’s leading garden centre, is announcing a collaboration with grant-giving charity, Cash for Kids, to give children in need a gift this Christmas. Dobbies’ Edinburgh store and Stockbridge little dobbies will host a gift donation drop-off point for the charity’s Mission Christmas initiative.

Mission Christmas is set to make a difference to children and young people in communities across the UK who are affected by poverty, illness, neglect or have additional needs. This initiative aims to spread the joy that comes with unwrapping a Christmas present on Christmas Day. 

Dobbies now invites customers along to its drop-off point at its Edinburgh stores, encouraging those who can, to bring a gift and help Santa reach young people in need this year.

Dobbies’ Community & CSR Communications Executive, Chloe Bell, said: “There’s nothing like the joy of unwrapping a Christmas present on Christmas Day, especially for a child. It’s disheartening to think that, due to circumstances beyond their control, some children might miss out on this magical experience. 

“We are delighted to be partnering with Cash for Kids to make Christmas extra special for these young people. We hope that the spirit of Christmas, centred around sharing and giving, inspires everyone to donate a present or two at our Edinburgh stores.”

Victoria Hendry, Charity Manager from Cash for Kids added: “We believe every child deserves the magic of Christmas and teaming up with Dobbies allows us to spread joy this year, making a real difference to children and young adults.

“We’re turning generosity into gifts, creating smiles, and ensuring that every child feels the warmth of the festivities.”

Participating stores that have a donation box are; Aberdeen, Ayr, Edinburgh, Dundee, Dunfermline, Livingston, Perth, Stirling, Inverness and little dobbies Stockbridge. For more information on how to get involved, visit dobbies.com.

If you would like to make a financial donation to Cash for Kids’ Mission Christmas to allow them to buy a gift on your behalf, Braehead, Milngavie and Sandyholm have donation pages, visit:

Mission Christmas 2023 with Dobbies Garden Centres | Bauer Radio Cash for Kids – Cash for Kids (cashforkidsgive.co.uk)

LifeCare launches Winter Warmer appeal

LifeCare encourages people to ‘share a little warmth’ through the charity’s  Winter Warmer appeal 

As the winter approaches older people are faced with difficult choices; colder weather and long dark nights make it harder to keep well and warm at home, and it can be trickier to safely get out and about, worsening issues of isolation. 

As we face another winter of continued high prices, many local older people are struggling to make ends meet and are facing real choices around putting the heating on versus food shopping. 

Local charity, LifeCare has over 80 years’ experience offering the vital care and support people need all year round, but with the organisation’s own costs rising they do not currently have the capacity to meet the increasing demands from a growing population of older people.  The charity is calling on local people and businesses to get involved and help raise funds to support LifeCare and those struggling this winter. 

Older people have been disproportionately affected through the recent covid, cost of living and health crises and charities such as LifeCare have never been needed more. LifeCare experienced a 250% increase in enquiries post-pandemic and recently a 67% increase in enquiries from people living on low incomes. LifeCare aims to keep service costs low, or free for those that most need it, so that they are accessible to everyone.

Recent research from Age Scotland shows that the numbers of older people living in poverty increased this year with approximately 1 in 6 older people living in relative poverty and 41% feeling financially squeezed (up from 26% in 2021). 

70% of people surveyed were already cutting back on energy and heating costs, 50% said their standard of living had dropped and 38% were socialising less. 

The long-term health and wellbeing impacts are still unknown, but with over 85% of LifeCare’s clients living alone, local older people in Edinburgh are becoming increasingly isolated and in desperate need of considered and caring support.  

Originally established in 1941 as the Edinburgh and Leith Old People’s Welfare Council, LifeCare’s professional and high-quality services enable older people to thrive in their own homes and be active in their communities all year round. 

Through its relationship-based approach the charity supports the growing numbers of people living with dementia, in isolation, with reduced mobilities, experiencing mental health, and those living on low-incomes.

Activities are delivered within the home, out and about within the community and from three registered day clubs across the city.  Collectively the charity supports over 1,000 older people a year.  

Through the ‘Winter Warmer’ campaign LifeCare aims to continue to deliver affordable care for those that need it most.  This includes offering hot meals on wheels, unpaid carers support, dementia-friendly hairdressing and community engagement activities for those that need it. 

And with support, the charity will continue to run CafeLife, the charity’s community café on Cheyne Street, as a welcoming Eat & Meet warm space offering free hot food, companionship and activities across weekends.  The charity will also launch a series of workshops and groups such as ‘cooking on a budget’ and ‘mend and repair’ classes to help maximise limited incomes. 

LifeCare is calling on everyone, from individuals to local businesses, to join their appeal, share a little warmth and give a donation to help deliver support to those that need it most this winter.

Sarah van Putten, Chief Executive of LifeCare saidWe are extremely worried about local older people this winter, with continued high prices for food and fuel, it will be devastating for many. On top of the ‘heat or eat’ dilemma they are also at risk of serious social isolation. It’s times like these which highlight the critical need for services such as ours. 

“LifeCare has a long history of supporting and empowering older people to live life to the full, but as a charity we rely on donations to enable us to deliver our vital support and care.  Thanks to our services, we ensure that each older person receives the support they need. 

“We make sure they are warm in their homes, they eat well, have company to look forward to and are able to get out and about to activities safely.  Our regular, reliable and non-rushed support is delivered by the same friendly faces, so friendships are formed and care is consistent.   And we know it works; in our recent survey over 91% of day club clients felt more social connected and 85% felt their health and wellbeing had improved. 

“It’s frustrating because we know we can deliver the care that people want and need, but we are facing increased costs too. We are asking local people and businesses to consider giving a one-off or regular gift through our Winter Warmer appeal. 

“Donations can be made on our website or alternatively people can come along to our community café to pledge their support.  Even choosing to have your coffee or lunch from our café will help us to deliver the care local older people need to ensure they continue to thrive at home.” 

Local MSP Jeremy Balfour is supporting the charity’s campaign encouraging people to get involved.

Jeremy Balfour MSP for Lothian said: “I am delighted to be supporting LifeCare’s Winter Warmer campaign.

“Winter can be a difficult time of year for people of all ages, however it is an especially tough period for older people and the work that LifeCare does to support them over the winter months is life changing.

“I would commend anyone who is able to support their work in any way that they are able.”

All money raised through Winter Warmer will go directly towards supporting older people in the city. 

For more information about LifeCare’s services visit https://www.lifecare-edinburgh.org.uk/ or call 0131 343 0940 to chat with the friendly team. 

TODAY: Graystone Gallery opens in Stockbridge  

TODAY, Friday the 27th October, Graystone Gallery will be opening the doors to their new home at 52 Hamilton  Place in the heart of Stockbridge.

The first exhibition, ‘The Colour & The Shape’, brings together  four talented artists to offer a different perspective of the natural world and built environment around us. This  intriguing exploration of light, shape and line features the work of Hetty Haxworth, Connie Liebschner, Richard  Marsden, and Bronwen Sleigh. 

>> ‘The Colour & The Shape’ running from Friday 27th October – Saturday 18th November >> Graystone Gallery, 52 Hamilton Place, Stockbridge, Edinburgh, EH3 5AX 

The gallery was previously located in Leith and since opening, they have built a reputation for being one of  Edinburgh’s most exciting new fine art destinations.  

Gallery Director Lesley Briggs comments, “We are thrilled to announce the opening of our new gallery in  Edinburgh’s Stockbridge, a hub of independent business, art and culture.

“The contemporary gallery space at  Graystone will be home to a carefully curated selection of art that will inspire our customers, and we look  forward to welcoming some fantastic artists through our rolling programme of artist talks and exhibitions. 

Art helps us to make sense of the world around us and these creatives use their observations to show us different perspectives. Hetty Haxworth’s artworks turn the landscape into a geometric study, she documents the movement of light over the landscape, capturing moments in colour. 

Connie Liebschner creates a depth in her work exploring immersive spaces through line, shape and colour.

Drawing influences from architecture, Richard Marsden admires  the forms of buildings under construction, admiring the structure and dynamics underneath, before they’re enveloped by the rest of the building. 

Bronwen Sleigh shares Richard’s love of architecture and challenges our perceptions of unused and forgotten urban spaces and environments at the edge of the city.  

View the artworks here https://graystonegallery.com/