The need for school uniform support doesn’t just happen at the start of the term—growth spurts, changes in circumstances, or unexpected hardships can happen at any time of the year.
We want every family in Edinburgh to know that support is available, whether you need emergency help or a discreet option right inside your school.
Head to the following link to find out more about how our referral system works or how your school can partner with us: https://edinburghuniform.org/packs/
Three youngsters and two Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) emergency responders have been recognised at this year’s Brave@Heart Awards.
The awards celebrate acts of courage by members of the public, blue-light services and voluntary rescue organisations across Scotland.
Christopher Chopping, 10, Joshua Miller, five (above) , Jordan Kerr, 15, and SAS staff Harriet Barr and Ailsa McAleer received their awards at a ceremony at Bute House on Tuesday, 6 October, attended by the First Minister and SAS Chief Executive Michael Dickson.
Christopher, from Penicuik, saved his father Lee’s life by calling 999 after he suffered a medical emergency caused by an underlying heart condition. Lee said his son’s quick thinking ensured help arrived in time.
Joshua, from Ayr, called 999 when his mum suffered an asthma attack, calmly providing the family’s address and updates on her condition to the call handler. His mum said his actions prevented the situation from becoming far more serious.
Jordan, an Army Cadet of Drumchapel, used CPR skills learned through the cadet programme to help save the life of a young boy who collapsed at a train station.
The 15-year-old restored the boy’s pulse before the ambulance arrived and has since launched a campaign to install a public defibrillator at the station.
Harriet, a Technician, and Ailsa, a Paramedic, from Fort William Station, rescued an elderly woman from an icy stream while off duty.
Despite challenging conditions, they pulled her to safety, called for help and supported the responding crew throughout the incident.
SAS Chief Executive Michael Dickson said: “The actions of all our Brave@Heart recipients are truly commendable.
“Whether performing CPR on a member of the public, calling 999 for a parent, or retrieving a walker from a river, their quick thinking and selfless actions undoubtedly prevented far more serious outcomes.
“Each recipient has demonstrated exceptional courage and is thoroughly deserving of this accolade.”
Fake weight loss medicines worth approximately £2 million were seized on Wednesday night in a raid executed by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and West Midlands Police
On October 14, over 12,000 fake retatrutide and tirzepatide pens were seized along with packaging for around 30,000 more products. The raid took place at an industrial unit in Birmingham.
Tim Duffield, Head Intelligence at the MHRA’s Criminal Enforcement Unit said: “We are tackling the organised criminal gangs whose illegal trade in unauthorised medicines puts people at risk of serious harm.
“Our officers seized around £2 million worth of fake weight loss medicines from a filthy warehouse on an industrial estate. These products have not been assessed for safety, quality or effectiveness, and there is no guarantee of what they contain or whether they have been contaminated with harmful substances.
“Retatrutide has not been authorised for use in the UK. Products being sold as retatrutide outside legitimate clinical trials are being supplied illegally and could pose serious risks to public health.
“We urge people to avoid buying weight-loss medicines from unregulated sources. Anyone considering GLP-1 treatment should speak to a healthcare professional and only obtain medicines from a registered pharmacy against a valid prescription.”
October’s raid is the latest in a series of MHRA operations that has removed tens of thousands of doses of unauthorised GLP-1 weight loss medicines from circulation:
In May 2026, two people were arrested following a raid on a country estate believed to have been used to manufacture, assemble and distribute unlicensed weight-loss medicines. Around 12,000 doses were recovered, together with packaging materials and suspected pharmaceutical substances
In February 2026, around 2,000 doses of unauthorised weight-loss medicines awaiting dispatch were seized, alongside manufacturing equipment, suspected pharmaceutical ingredients, packaging and commercial vehicles.
In October 2025, the MHRA dismantled the first illicit weight-loss medicine production facility discovered in the UK, seizing 5,000 unauthorised retatrutide and tirzepatide pens, thousands of empty pens and raw chemical ingredients. Together, the finished products and ingredients represented the potential for tens of thousands of doses.
The MHRA #FakeMeds website offers helpful guidance and advice for staying safe when buying medicines online.
Anyone who suspects they are having a side effect from a medicine are encouraged to talk to their doctor, pharmacist or nurse and report it directly to the MHRA Yellow Card scheme.
Unknown Man on display at National Galleries Scotland: Portrait
Free to visit
First in a new series of YouTube films by National Galleries of Scotland, artist Ken Currie and forensic anthropologist Professor Dame Sue Black reunite to reflect on the story behind the haunting portrait Unknown Man.
From Currie witnessing his first dissection with Black and making life masks together, to the matter of who the real subject of the portrait actually is, the film lifts the lid on the relationship between sitter and artist.
Portrait Stories brings together remarkable sitters and artists for an in-depth conversation about the creative process. The first film starring Ken Currie and Professor Dame Sue Black, is available to watch now on YouTube for free.
Having met for the first time during a live broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on a show called Art and Anatomy, Black invited Currie to come see his first dissection to understand how she worked.
Out of the experience emerged the nearly 3 metre painting, Unknown Man, on display at the National Galleries Scotland: Portrait in Edinburgh for free.
Recalling her first encounter with the portrait Black said: “I didn’t know how I was going to react, but I did tear up, there was no doubting that. I looked at it and I thought oh my word, this is incredible.”
In the early 1990s, Scottish artist, Ken Currie was much affected by political and humanitarian events in Eastern Europe, and he began to depict decaying and damaged bodies as a response to what he felt was the sickness of contemporary society.
Although still as socially aware as his earlier work, his style became less linear over time. From the mid-1990s, Currie’s paintings became simpler. He focused on individuals instead of crowds and painted in haunting, luminous colours.
Despite painting bodies in this way and with great accuracy, in the film Currie shares how he had never seen a dissection.
He said: “I think that like many Sue assumed because I went to art school I had seen a dissection because it was very much part of the old training. But I hadn’t.”
Attending his first ever dissection after being invited by Black live on air, Currie remembers: “I watched Sue there, standing over the body and of course I had never seen anything like that in my life before. It was really fascinating and then of course this germ of idea began to grow in my head [for the portrait]. Just Sue and the body”.
In 1999, Professor Black made her first tour to Kosovo, in order to identify the human remains of war crimes committed during the Balkan Wars, which deeply impacted her. So, for Black the portrait was an opportunity to give more of a story to the people whose bodies have been donated to science.
She said: “The people underneath these sheets are so important because these are people who in life choose to donate their body. They do it because they believe they want to pay something back.
“We talk about them being our silent teachers, because these cadavers will teach our students more than any living teacher could ever.”
From this came the name of the portrait Unknown Man challenging the viewer to look beyond the woman standing prominently in the portrait and think about the person who lies under the sheet. Black also hoped that in seeing the painting in the Portrait gallery in Edinburgh, it might inspire more young women to go into a field which is traditionally dominated by men.
As Black was unable to do multiple portrait sittings Currie made a life mask as a record of her appearance. A life mask is created by placing a mould over a person’s face to capture their features and requires that the subject doesn’t move while the moulding sets.
It allowed the Currie to create an accurate representation of how Black’s face may look in different lights. Currie was keen that that the portrait portrayed what Black may look like after a long and tiresome 12-hour shift.
In the Portrait Stories film, Black recounts how she has never done anything like this and the process required trust in the artist, which she gave completely.
She said: “I have to say the process for me was one I never expected. It was an honour, it was a privilege, but please don’t ask me it do it again.
“I genuinely feel I have made a really dear friend in Ken. He treated me with great respect and he has a huge level of artistic talent. It is my honour to have been a sitter on something he created”.
Watch Ken Currie and Professor Sue Black chat more about the story behind this fascinating portrait on the National Galleries of Scotland YouTube.
The Portrait Stories series will continue with Scottish writer Ian Rankin and photographer Hamish Campbell, available on YouTube later in 2026.
BBC Scotland’s Tom English to host marquee discussion featuring two of rugby’s greatest captains at The George Hotel
Sandy Young/scottishphotographer.com
Watsonian Football Club has announced that former All Black captain and World Cup winner Sean Fitzpatrick and Scottish rugby icon Gavin Hastings will headline ‘The Hoodoo Lunch’ at The George Hotel on Friday, 6th November 2026.
Taking place on the eve of Scotland’s Nations Championship test match against New Zealand, the event brings two of world rugby’s most legendary figures together on stage.
Chaired by BBC Scotland chief sports writer Tom English, the feature discussion will examine rugby’s ultimate rivalry, shared memories of battling the All Blacks, and Scotland’s ongoing quest to break the “Hoodoo”.
Gavin Hastings is the only Scot to captain a winning test match side against the All Blacks, in the second Lions test in 1993, and the afternoon will also feature contributions from Watsonian internationalists who took on New Zealand over the decades.
Watsonian Football Club president John McLellan said: “New Zealand don’t seem to be getting any weaker, but we hope our first Hoodoo lunch will also be the last if Scotland score a historic victory the day after.
“We’re looking forward to hearing from Gavin and Sean about how it might be achieved.”
The lunch is in aid of Maggie’s Centre, in memory of Scott Hastings, the British Heart Foundation and Watsonian Football Club.
Consumers urged to check doormats and letterboxes for a letter confirming £150 off bills
345,000 Scottish households to receive the Warm Home Discount automatically this winter – an increase of around 250,000
This follows action to remove VAT from electricity bills, giving people breathing space on the cost of living
From today, Scottish households should check their doormats and letterboxes for confirmation they will get £150 off their energy bills this winter.
Around six million households across Britain will benefit from the Warm Home Discount this winter, with nearly 2.3 million additional families, including around one million with children, receiving the rebate last year after the expansion of the scheme.
This winter, 345,000 Scottish households will receive the £150 rebate automatically – an increase of around 250,000 – benefitting from reforms to the way the Warm Home Discount is administered.
The onus has previously been on many Scottish households to get in touch with their supplier to receive the money. These changes have simplified the process for the majority of those eligible in Scotland, bringing the scheme closer into line with that in England and Wales – where most recipients already get the rebate automatically.
The Warm Home Discount follows on from the VAT cut on electricity bills in October, capping bus fares at £2 and removing £150 of costs off bills earlier this year, giving families breathing space this winter.
Minister for Energy Consumers Polly Billington said:“I know that many Scottish families will be struggling with their energy bills this winter.
“That is why I urge those who think they qualify for the Warm Home Discount to keep an eye out for a letter confirming their eligibility.
“Energy is an absolute essential, which is exactly why in October we cut VAT on all electricity bills and earlier this year we removed £150 of costs off bills, giving families breathing space this winter.”
Letters will be issued from this week through to January 2027 and will advise if the recipient will either get the Warm Home Discount automatically or if they need to phone the helpline to receive the money.
Households asked to phone the helpline and provide extra information to ensure they get the discount this winter must do so before 26 February 2027.
If you would like to help shape the future of the centre, maybe you would like to join the Management Committee. Or maybe you have a skill that you can share?
Fort Kinnaird is inviting families to make the most of the October week, with a range of activities, offers and seasonal treats available across the centre.
Whether families are planning a full day out or simply looking to fill a few spare hours, there’s plenty to enjoy this autumn, from discovering the latest seasonal fashion trends to trying new menus and making the most of family activities.
This includes:
Kids eat free offers: Families can enjoy a meal out for less, with Kids Eat Free at Frankie & Benny’s until 25th October, where children can tuck into a free main, two sides, a drink and a dessert with every paying adult main. Over at Wagamama, children can enjoy the £7.50 Kids Bento, a mix-and-match meal served with gyoza and crispy prawn crackers.
Family films at ODEON: Big-screen favourites have hit cinemas in time for rainy days, including the animated Minions & Monsters, action-packed Avengers: Endgame Encore and Halloween favourite Hocus Pocus. Families can also look out for ODEON Kids screenings, with discounted tickets available for selected family films.
Halloween crafting at Hobbycraft: Hobbycraft has everything needed to get creative this Halloween, from pumpkin-decorating kits and paints to costume-making essentials and spooky decorations – ideal for keeping children entertained on rainy afternoons.
Pumpkin spice and autumn treats: For those who love a seasonal drink, Starbucks has brought back its popular Pumpkin Spice Latte, alongside new additions including the Iced Apple Crumble Matcha Latte and Pumpkin Marble Loaf Cake. Frankie & Benny’s autumn menu also features the Hot Honey Fried Chicken Burger, Pumpkin & Ginger Sponge and Spiced Pumpkin Latte.
Autumn fashion inspiration: From UGG boots and suede styles to oversized knits and burgundy shades, there are plenty of new-season trends to explore ready for autumn. Families can browse the latest footwear at schuh and OFFICE, or pick up inspiration from Primark, M&S and Next for everything from chunky jumpers and autumn accessories to fluffy slippers and pyjamas for a cosy night in.
Halloween treats from M&S: Shoppers can stock up ahead of Halloween with themed biscuits, chocolates and sweets for trick or treaters, as well as seasonal baking kits and ingredients for making treats at home.
Liam Smith, centre director at Fort Kinnaird, said:“We know keeping the kids entertained during school holidays can be a challenge, particularly when the autumn weather isn’t on your side.
From a trip to the cinema and a family meal out, to getting creative with some Halloween activities at home, there are plenty of ways to enjoy the October break.
“Whether families are planning a full day out or just looking for a few hours of fun, we hope these ideas help them make the most of their time together.”
