Scotland’s national mental health charity is calling on supporters to put their best foot forward and raise vital funds for life-saving mental health support with the return of an iconic event.
SAMH (Scottish Action for Mental Health) is encouraging people across Scotland to get involved in the revival of SAMH Stomp: a stair-climbing challenge where every penny raised makes a difference.
Returning after a six-year hiatus, the event will see SAMH and its supporters take over Barclays Hampden on Saturday 10 October 2026, which marks World Mental Health Day.
Registrations open today, with participants choosing to complete either a single or double lap of the steps in the stadium, totalling 4,968 stairs – or a whopping 9,936 stairs!
As the last Stomp was held virtually due to the Covid-19 lockdown in 2020, this year’s event marks an opportunity to bring together mental health supporters from across the country for a fundraiser full of energy and hope.
Allie Bowen, a SAMH supporter from Dundee who took part in the most recent Stomp, said the sense of community was a key motivator to get involved: “2019 was one of the hardest times in my life, I lost my partner and his mum just a month apart. Taking part in SAMH Stomp helped me turn that grief into something meaningful and showed me I wasn’t alone.
“During lockdown in 2020, being unable to see loved ones was heartbreaking – and it made me realise just how vital mental health support really is. That’s why I’ve continued supporting SAMH, raising around £6,000 in total and helping spread awareness.
“That’s also why people should take part in SAMH Stomp 2026, because every step makes a difference, for yourself and for others who need to know they’re not alone.”
SAMH operates around 70 services in communities across Scotland, from supported accommodation and care-at-home services, to suicide prevention training and employability support.
This includes Time for You, which offers free wellbeing coaching or counselling via phone or video call, and The Nook: Scotland’s first national network of walk-in mental health and wellbeing support hubs.
The first Nook is now open in Glasgow’s Merchant City, with The Nook in Aberdeen to open this summer, with three more to follow across the country.
Hazel McIlwraith, Director of Fundraising and Major Appeal, said: “We want everyone to get behind the return of SAMH Stomp. You don’t need to be an elite athlete to take part – our strength is in our numbers. Every step, every cheer, and every stomp echoes far beyond the stands of Scotland’s most iconic stadium, raising vital funds and awareness for mental health support across the country.
“This is our first big public event since the pandemic, so as well as being a fantastic opportunity to fundraise it’s also a chance for us all to get together to show our support and make our voices heard.
“Gather your friends, family and workmates, or come along as you are, and join Team SAMH as we step up the pace in our mission for a Scotland where anyone can ask once and get help fast.”
Recipe for Change launches a citizen-led call for a healthier, fairer food system, with the public urged to add their name
New Citizens’ Charter, based on citizen workshops and polling, urges ministers to back calls to stand up to big food companies and make healthy food more affordable
Almost half of the British public (47%) say it is harder to eat a balanced diet now than it was 20 years ago
60% say eating a balanced diet is hard
Of those, 81% say one reason for this is rising food prices and 70% say less healthy food is often cheaper than healthier options
79% of Britons say government should be doing more to make a balanced diet affordable and 84% saying food companies should be doing more
Nearly eight in ten people (79%) are not confident that food companies will cut sugar, salt and saturated fat levels without government intervention
The polling underpins a new Citizens’ Charter from Recipe for Change, calling for tougher action on the food industry and building pressure for stronger regulation on food businesses
A major new public campaign launched by Recipe for Change, a coalition of 45 organisations led by Sustain, The Food Foundation and the Obesity Health Alliance, is sending a clear message to government and industry that people want their health to be prioritised alongside corporate profit-makings.
New YouGov polling reveals almost half of the British public (47%) think it is harder to eat a balanced diet now than 20 years ago, with a food system that makes unhealthy choices cheap, prominent and hard to avoid, while healthier options remain too expensive for many families.
The polling is part of a new Citizens’ Charter, developed by people across the UK and launched by Recipe for Change, urging the public to sign a collective call to ministers to take tougher action on the food industry.
Among Britons who say it is hard to eat a balanced diet now, more than eight in ten (81%) say one reason for this is rising food prices, and 70% say it is because less healthy food costs less than healthier options. Among the entire population, there is also a clear sense that both government and industry are falling short, with 79% saying government should be doing more to make it affordable to achieve a balanced diet, and 84% saying companies themselves should be doing more.
Kate Howard, Children’s Food Campaign Coordinator at Sustain, said:“Food companies are incredibly good at innovation when there’s a profit in it, and I see no reason why that same drive can’t be turned towards making healthier food the easy, affordable option. Clearer rules benefit everyone, including industry.
“The people across the UK who developed the calls in this charter showed just how frustrated they are and how much they want change. That’s why we’re urging everyone to add their name. The more people who sign, the harder it is for government and industry to look the other way.”
The findings also point to deep public scepticism about voluntary action from the food industry. Nearly eight in ten people (79%) are not confident that companies will reduce the levels of sugar, salt and saturated fat in their products without government intervention.
Almost two thirds (63%) also think that supermarkets and companies that make food have increased prices by more than necessary to boost profits.
Out of the 95% of people who said they think food prices have generally gone up in the past year, only 3% cited health or environmental regulations as a reason among a list of options.
This comes as analysis by OC&C and The Grocer found that the UK’s 10 largest packaged food and drink manufacturers posted combined operating profits of more than £1.7 billion in 2025.
Support for tougher action is strong. Almost three quarters of the public (73%) would back legislation to regulate sugar and saturated fat levels in food, with similarly high support for regulations on the levels of salt in food (70%).
There is also backing for the principle that companies should contribute to the damage linked to the products they sell, with 61% saying they think food and drink companies that sell products high in salt, sugar, and/or saturated fat should be required to help fund the costs of treating ill health related to such products.
Dr Amos Ogunkoya, BHF Health Ambassador says: “As a doctor, I’ve seen that a poor diet is one of the biggest threats to our health in this country, and it’s not down to bad choices, it’s down to a bad system. Unhealthy food is cheap, it’s everywhere, and it’s heavily marketed. Healthy food is more expensive and hard to find. That has to change.
“We’ve seen what’s possible – the sugar levy proved that when government acts, industry follows. We need that same boldness now, across the whole food system. That’s why I’m backing this Charter and urging everyone to add their name.”
The Citizens’ Charter will gather signatures over the coming months before being handed in to MPs in Westminster this autumn, demonstrating growing concern about unhealthy food environments and public support for stronger regulation across the food system, including as part of the implementation of the NHS 10 Year Health Plan and Government’s Food Strategy.
By the time they reach their first year of school, children in the most deprived fifth of the population are almost twice as likely to be living with obesity as those in the least deprived fifth. On average, children are eating less than half the recommended amount of fruit and vegetables, while consuming around twice the recommended amount of sugar.
While families are being squeezed and food-related ill health is rising, many of the businesses currently driving unhealthy diets continue to generate strong returns with the government urgently needing to ensure commercial incentives aren’t designed to support this. There is too little accountability, and it is children who are paying the price through worsening health.
Backers of the Charter, which include the British Heart Foundation and Impact on Urban Health, say voluntary action has failed and that ministers must now act with more confidence. The campaign is calling for a healthier, fairer food system and for stronger safeguards to prevent food companies from weakening or delaying public health policy behind closed doors. With public support clear and growing, the time for bolder action is now.
Show your support for a healthier, fairer food system
Katharine Jenner, Executive Director, Obesity Health Alliance said:“At a time when families are struggling with expensive shopping baskets, the public can see exactly where the pressure is coming from – almost two thirds believe food companies have increased prices beyond what is necessary to protect profits, while only 3% think regulation is to blame for higher food prices.
“With the 10 Year Health Plan and the forthcoming food strategy, government has a major opportunity to supercharge its moonshot to end the obesity epidemic by creating a food system that makes healthier choices easier, more affordable and more accessible for every family.”
John Maingay, Director of Policy at the British Heart Foundation, said:“Poor diet is fuelling ill‑health across the UK, including high blood pressure, obesity and heart disease. Too much salt, sugar and unhealthy fat hidden in everyday food is putting millions of hearts at risk, and it’s simply not fair to keep asking families to ‘choose better’ in a food system stacked against them.
“That’s why we’re backing this campaign and calling on government to take decisive, mandatory action to ensure food companies make everyday food healthier, so healthier choices are affordable, accessible and the easy choice for everyone.”
Dr Kawther Hashem, Senior Lecturer in Public Health Nutrition and Head of Research and Impact at Action on Salt & Sugar based at Queen Mary University of London said: “It’s never been clearer that people across the country want and deserve food that is both healthier and more affordable – yet government and the food industry continue to fall short.
“We have decades of evidence showing food can be made with far less salt and sugar, but as the polling shows, nearly 8 in 10 people don’t believe this will happen without strong government action.
For too long, responsibility for making better choices has been unfairly pushed onto families, even when the system works so hard against them, driving record levels of diet-related ill health. Signing the Charter is an important way for the public to demand change, take back control, and call for a food system built on transparency, accountability and public health, not profit.
“The findings echo what citizens have said in campaign focus groups and that is people are tired of being told to “make better choices” in a food environment that is stacked against them and fundamentally unfair.”
Dr Hannah Brinsden, Head of Policy and Advocacy, The Food Foundation, said:“This research brings to life the challenges felt by citizens up and down the country with accessing healthy and affordable food.
“We know voluntary action doesn’t work – we need strong government directions and policies to level the playing field and ensure that all companies play their role in supporting citizens to access the healthy and affordable food they clearly want.
“The NHS Plan set out a clear vision – but we know there’s much more that can be done to shift the incentives in our system to support good growth for businesses, while also protecting our health.”
Show your support for a healthier, fairer food system
All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 2087 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 9th – 10th March 2026. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18+).
EDINBURGH COMMUNITY FOOD comments:
🧑🏽🧑🏼🧒🏽 We’re proud to support Recipe for Change, which today launches We’re Fed Up!: A people-powered call for healthy, affordable food.
Too many people across the UK can’t find or afford healthy food where they live. Families are having to fight the system just to feed their kids well. And children are growing up in food environments that work against them, not for them.
@edincomfood believe everyone deserves access to healthy, affordable food, no matter where they live. That’s why we’re backing this citizen-led call for a food system that works better for all of us.
Gilded Balloon are delighted to present Wanging On LIVE at the Kings theatre this August, which sees the return to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe of globally recognised comedian, author and television presenter, Graham Norton alongside his friend, podcast co-host and fellow Fringe stalwart, Maria McErlane, to host their podcast, Wanging On, live on stage for the first time.
Produced by Platform Media, Wanging On is the weekly podcast that reunites Graham Norton with his dear friend Maria McErlane to dish out average advice and so-so solutions to your everyday dilemmas.
Together Graham and Maria do their level best to tackle office politics, friendship tensions, unruly pets, neighbourly disputes and family bust-ups. Plus, the ‘Wangers’ wade in with their nuggets of wisdom too. Each week, Graham and Maria also share the latest in their life – be it bikes, books, haircuts or hangover cures – and they pass judgement on your most peculiar proclivities in Am I Weird?
Wanging On is available to watch and listen on Spotify, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. This live version is a Gilded Balloon presentation by arrangement with YMU and Platform Media.
Staged in Edinburgh’s iconic King’s Theatre after its highly anticipated two-year renovation project, Gilded Balloon are delighted to be one of the first shows presented in the ‘new’ King’s Theatre with Wanging On Live on the official opening day of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2026.
“We can’t wait to take the podcast from studio to stage at the Edinburgh Fringe, armed with decades of friendship, sharp observations, and absolutely no expertise. Expect audience dilemmas, questionable judgement in Am I Weird?, and the Wangers in the room… so anything could happen” said Graham Norton & Maria McErlane.
Karen and Katy Koren, Artistic Directors at Gilded Balloon, said: “We couldn’t be more excited to have Graham Norton as part of our Fringe programme as he continues to support the festival attending shows regularly each year.
“We were lucky enough to have Graham compere the Final of Gilded Balloon’s comedy competition for newcomers, So You Think You’re Funny? regularly in the 90s and we are delighted to see him back at the Fringe once again.
“And not to mention, lovely Maria McErlane, a Gilded Balloon pal from the 90s and a perfect partner to Graham in this special version of their podcast.”
Follow Wanging On on Instagram: @wangingon Follow Wanging On on TikTok: wangingon Follow Wanging On on Facebook: Wanging On
ALLIANCE TO LIBERATE SCOTLAND ON COURSE FOR LECTION BREAKTHROUGH?
Tommy Sheridan in Glasgow and Craig Murray in Lothians East set to be elected to Holyrood alongside other Alliance to Liberate Scotland candidates
The Alliance to Liberate Scotland says two recent opinion polls conducted by Find Out Now point to a breakthrough result for the new pro-independence party at the Holyrood election on 7 May.
The respected polling company conducted two Scotland-wide surveys of 1,000 voters on behalf of the party, one in late March and the second in late April. The striking feature of both polls is their consistency.
In the late March poll, 8% of voters said they were either “definitely” or “very likely” to vote for the Alliance to Liberate Scotland. In the late April poll, 6% of voters said they were “definitely” or “very likely” to support the party on the regional list, which Find Out Now rounded up to 7%.
That matters because around 6% of the regional vote is widely regarded as the threshold for winning a seat in many of Scotland’s regional contests. On that basis, the two polls suggest the Alliance to Liberate Scotland is in genuine breakthrough territory.
Smaller regional samples also point in the same direction. In Glasgow, Tommy Sheridan’s support is shown fluctuating between 5% and 7%. In the 2021 election, the final regional seat in Glasgow was won by the Conservatives on just 6.1%, placing Sheridan within striking distance of election.
Although pollsters caution that smaller samples are less reliable than the standard national sample of 1,000, the repeated pattern across Glasgow, Lothians East and the national polling suggests rising support for the Alliance to Liberate Scotland across Scotland.
Commenting on the latest poll, Glasgow lead candidate and former two-term MSP Tommy Sheridan said: “One poll predicting an Alliance to Liberate Scotland breakthrough is encouraging.
“Two polls, with remarkable consistency, predicting support on the regional vote at between 6% and 8%, is a very real sign that the Alliance is fast becoming the choice of independence supporters who understand that SNP list votes are wasted votes.
“As more people grasp the two-vote system, more SNP supporters are realising their constituency vote for SNP matters, but their regional vote for SNP is futile. That approach helped unionist parties in 2016 and 2021. In 2021 the SNP won only two regional seats out of 56 contested, despite attracting over one million votes.
“Now independence supporters are increasingly choosing to give their regional vote to the party that makes independence its sole priority: the Alliance to Liberate Scotland.”
Sheridan added: “As the reality of the voting system becomes clearer, independence supporters can see the opportunity before them. The regional vote should not be wasted on the SNP, and it should not be diverted to the Greens, whose obsession with gender identity and culture-war politics has increasingly overshadowed the central mission of securing Scotland’s freedom.
“Genuine independence supporters are choosing to give their regional vote to the Alliance To Liberate Scotland over the Greens because they know independence is simply not a priority for the Greens.
“The Greens prioritise gender identity politics over Scotland’s freedom and that’s why independence activists are deciding to back the single-issue Alliance to Liberate Scotland party.”
THE decaying facade of an historic inn made famous by Scottish bard Robert Burns is to be restored to its former glory.
Work on the Whigham’s Inn – a prominent but long-derelict building on the High Street of Sanquhar in Dumfries and Galloway – is due to start this week.
Layers of paint, which are trapping moisture and damaging the building, will be removed using an innovative dry ice blasting process to reveal the original sandstone.
It is planned for this initial phase of restoration, to be carried out by Annan-based Dry Ice by Eco, will be the start of a much wider multi-million-pound revamp of the building.
Ronnie Bradford is the Community Development Officer with the Sanquhar Enterprise Company (SEC) which bought the building in June 2025. He said: “Whigham’s Inn has huge historical and cultural significance for Sanquhar, but for many years it has also been a visible reminder of how vulnerable heritage buildings can become if they are left without a sustainable future.
“Starting work on the facade is a major step. It demonstrates progress on the ground and shows the community that this building is finally on a path towards restoration and reuse.”
Whigham’s Inn is one of the town’s most historically important buildings, with strong links to Robert Burns through his friendship with former owner Edward Whigham. The Inn provided Burns with accommodation during his travels between Ayrshire and Dumfriesshire, at a time when Sanquhar was a key stop on historic coaching routes.
Despite its prominence on the High Street, the building fell into decline during the late 20th century, passing through a number of speculative owners and standing largely unused for nearly 40 years.
Its deteriorating condition eventually led to it being identified as a priority site within the Royal Burgh of Sanquhar and District Community Action Plan, paving the way for its purchase by SEC, with the assistance and support of both The Royal Burgh of Sanquhar Community Council and the Upper Nithsdale Community Trust, and the start of long-term restoration planning.
The facade works mark the first visible phase of a wider multi‑million‑pound redevelopment project, which aims to bring the building back into active use while respecting its historic character.
Plans include a mix of self‑contained apartments within the main structure, alongside office space, and a small bunkhouse facility to maintain the building’s historic connection with travellers and accommodation.
Alongside the physical redevelopment, proposals are also being developed to interpret the inn’s literary and cultural heritage. These include the potential use of digital and virtual reality technology to bring the building’s history to life and explore its connections to Robert Burns and the wider story of Sanquhar, within a limited footprint.
The initial cleaning and conservation work will be carried out using a dry ice blasting process, which allows surface coatings to be removed without the use of water or abrasive materials.
The technique is particularly well suited to historic stone buildings, as it avoids saturation of the stonework and reduces the risk of further damage.
The work will be undertaken by specialist contractors Eco Dry Ice, who have experience using the technique on sensitive heritage projects across the UK.
Steven McCreadie, Head of Dry Ice by Eco, said: “Being part of the restoration of Whigham’s Inn is a real privilege.
“It’s especially rewarding to work on such a historic building that means so much to the community, helping bring it back to life using our innovative dry ice cleaning technology.
“Our role is to thoughtfully remove modern coatings that are causing harm to the stone, while protecting as much of the original material as possible.
“Using dry ice cleaning, we’re able to work in a gentle and controlled way, revealing the natural sandstone beneath without introducing moisture or harsh abrasion.
“This is about helping the building breathe once more and supporting its longevity for generations to come.’
The Count down has started and The Meadows Festival Edinburgh Posters are out for this years Festival 6& 7th June 2026!
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please note that all applicants must go through our website we will only contact you through our association email addresses (we don’t use gmail, yahoo, hotmail, outlook etc).
Calling all children in P3-7 who love to sing! Join us for an afternoon of singing songs on the theme ‘Earth, Sea and Sky’, on Friday 19th June, 2-4:15pm, led by our Assistant Director of Music Imogen Morgan.
The afternoon will include a break for juice and a biscuit, and children will be fully supervised by Cathedral staff for the duration of the workshop. The afternoon will end with a short, informal performance of songs learnt during the afternoon at 4pm.
Parents and families are warmly invited to join us for this!
Chatterbooks, our P4-7 book group is on this Tuesday 6-7pm! As it is our first week back since the Easter break please bring along any of your favourite library books for us to discuss.
Something you love, recommend to a friend or just want to tell us about! (You can also bring us something you didn’t enjoy instead, if you want to give us your review!!)
We will also be planting sunflower seeds, focussing on non-fiction books and fiction featuring flowers and plants! Come along for books, reading, snacks and fun!
Affiliation to Scotland’s largest trade union body has grown this past year as the Scottish Trades Union Congress embed their national project for trade union organising within local trades councils.
The number of trade unionists in Scotland affiliated to the STUC has grown by 14,000 in a move General Secretary Roz Foyer said showed “vindication for trade union organising within workplaces and communities”.
The news comes as the Employment Rights Act, the biggest “generational upgrade” to workers’ rights starts to come into full force. Recent enhancements to trade union recognition, industrial action ballots and protection from unfair dismissal have all been enacted with further legislative changes on fire and rehire and reducing exploitative work forthcoming.
The STUC ‘Our Rights in Action’ project from the trade union body is the national campaign to strengthen the resources and reach of local trades councils, embedding trade union organising and education within communities and networks.
The project seeks to enhance the work of existing schemes, such as the Inverclyde Advice & Employment Rights Centre, Edinburgh Support at Work and the newly emergent Trade Unions in the Community initiatives as avenues to promote cohesion and unity within communities.
The news was announced on day two of the STUC Annual Congress in Dundee this week.
Commenting, STUC General Secretary Roz Foyer said: “We’re pleased that affiliation numbers to the STUC have grown by 14,000. This is vindication for trade union organising within the workplace and within our communities, showing how working people are united against injustice and intolerance.
“Providing enhanced rights at work is one of the core focuses of our movement. The full swathe of the Employment Rights Act, promised to trade unionists, must be enacted quickly if we’re to turn the tide against bad bosses and poor employers.
“It’s through intensive work at community level – through our trades councils with our Rights in Action project and alongside existing schemes – will we ensure workers value the strength of our unity rather and choose to unite around commonality rather than gravitate towards those preaching division.
“Our Congress will make clear that trade unions are at the heart of inclusive, thriving communities. We will take that message both across the country and directly to the politicians all too content on stoking tropes and undermining worker solidarity.”
We’re delighted to be welcoming back The Three Inch Fools to perform in our beautiful gardens this summer at Lauriston Castle!
Get ready for King Arthur and the Holy Fail – a brand new comedy packed to the brim with medieval mayhem. Expect heroic exploits, questionable chivalry, live music, and a lively flock of fire-breathing swans.
Saddle up – things are about to get legendary! For all the family!
🧑🏽🧑🏼🧒🏽 We’re proud to support Recipe for Change, which today launches We’re Fed Up!: A people-powered call for healthy, affordable food.
