With the summer holiday season coming to an end, many of us will be familiar with the strict rules on what we can bring home to the UK from a foreign trip. Whether it’s cheese from France or exotic fruits from more far-flung countries, there are a host of restrictions on what travellers can bring through customs.
So it may come as a shock to readers that hunting trophies – made from the body parts of hunted animals like lions, elephants and cheetahs – can still be legally bought into the country simply by being granted a licence by Government.
This is despite repeated promises from the Government to ban hunting trophy imports, and research consistently showing that more than four in five Brits believe hunting trophy imports should be illegal*.
Whether they live in our gardens or on another continent, wild animals belong in the wild, not on display as souvenirs. That’s why we’re calling on the Government to finally bring in a ban on trophy hunting imports so we can make 2026 the last summer this abhorrent practice is allowed.
Readers can help by signing up to support the campaign being run by Humane World for Animals UK, Born Free and Four Paws UK at:
The number of areas in Scotland at Significant Water Scarcity has increased from three to five this week, with prolonged low river flows continuing despite heavy rain in parts of the country.
The latest weekly water scarcity report from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) shows the Dee (Galloway) and Urr Water in Dumfries and Galloway have moved to Significant Scarcity. They join the River Teviot and Ettrick Water in the Scottish Borders and the Lower Dee and Water of Feugh in Aberdeenshire, which remain at Significant Scarcity.
The prolonged nature of the dry conditions can be seen in river flows. Ancrum on the River Teviot in the Scottish Borders has experienced 46 days of continuous low flows, with flows earlier this month reaching their fifth-lowest level in a 53-year record.
In Dumfries and Galloway, Dalbeattie, the reference gauge for Dee (Galloway) and Urr Water, has experienced the greatest number of low-flow days in 20 years. The Lower Dee and Water of Feugh in Aberdeenshire have also experienced around of 38 days of continuous low flows.
Heavy, thundery rainfall fell in parts of Scotland on Wednesday and some rivers have responded. However, there has been limited improvement in the overall water scarcity picture and further sustained rainfall will be needed for more widespread recovery.
There remains a marked contrast across the country. Much of northern and western Scotland remains at Normal Conditions, while prolonged dry conditions mean large parts of eastern Scotland continue to experience some level of water scarcity. River flows remain low to very low across much of the country, particularly in the east.
Eilidh Johnston, Senior Leader in Compliance, said: “What we’re seeing this summer demonstrates why a few days of rain can’t be viewed as an automatic end to water scarcity. When rivers have been running low for weeks, recovery can require sustained rainfall in the right places.
“For businesses that rely on water from the environment, that uncertainty needs to be part of long-term planning. Using water efficiently and building resilience now can help businesses prepare for periods when water availability becomes more constrained.
“We appreciate the way abstractors have responded to this year’s water scarcity situation and the restrictions that have been necessary. We continue to see good compliance, helping to protect rivers at a time when they are under significant pressure.”
No irrigation licences are affected by Dee (Galloway) and Urr Water moving to Significant Scarcity. Restrictions remain in place for affected abstractors in the River Teviot and Ettrick Water areas.
Families in Scotland can now apply to get their hands on Aldi’s brand-new Superfam Pass, which offers one lucky household a full year of free groceries
Aldi is launching a Superfam Pass to give one lucky household a full year of free groceries.
Britain’s biggest discounter is on the lookout for a household of devoted Aldi shoppers, offering them the chance to have a year’s shopping covered.
The winning household will receive Aldi’s exclusive Superfam Pass, which offers £800 worth of free shopping every month across the year – totalling £9,600 – with the lucky winner able to shop everything from weekly essentials and fresh favourites to those iconic middle-aisle finds.
The Superfam Pass holders will also receive a whole host of Specialbuys tailored to their household, from toys and activities to homeware and garden equipment worth £400 as part of the prize, helping to keep the whole household stocked up throughout the year.
How to apply
Aldi is calling on households in Scotland to explain why they would make a brilliant first-ever Aldi Superfam. Whether you’re a busy household that plans every meal around the weekly Aldi shop or you’ve turned the middle aisle into a weekend tradition, Britain’s biggest discounter wants to hear your story.
To enter, email ALDISuperfam@aldi.co.uk with your family or household members’ names, ages, location and why they deserve to be named Aldi’s Superfam.
Rachel Geary, Communications Director at Aldi UK, said: “The weekly shop is a big part of the household budget, so imagine being able to take it off your list of expenses for an entire year.
“That’s what we want to give one household with our first-ever Superfam Pass – £800 to spend at Aldi every month for 12 months, plus a few Specialbuy surprises along the way.
“At a time when households are looking for every opportunity to make their budgets stretch further, we hope taking care of the weekly shop will make a real difference to our winners.”
The deadline for entries is Monday 21st September at 11:59pm and the winning household will be contacted by Monday 5th October 2026.
Scotland’s Bairns’ Hooses will be supported with multi-year funding from the next year to help them better plan for the future and ensure that every child who needs its services can access those by 2031.
Bairns’ Hooses bring together essential services such as health, justice and social work and recovery around a child in a trauma-informed approach.
They provide better support for children who have been victims or witnesses of abuse or violence that has caused or is likely to cause significant harm. This ensures children do not have to repeatedly recount their experiences while accessing the support they need.
By providing multi-year funding certainty, the Scottish Government is enabling partners to plan for the long-term and recruit key practitioners more easily. The multi-year funding will cover financial years 2027-28 to 2029-30, with the level of funding being set out in next year’s Budget.
Children and Young People Minister Siobhian Brown said: “No child should have to face the aftermath of abuse or trauma alone, or be made to tell their story over and over again to different people, at what is already one of the most difficult times in their life. Bairns’ Hoose exists to wrap support around children when they need it most, bringing together the people who can help.
“The proposed multi-year investment, covering financial years 2027-28 to 2029-30, would build on more than £30 million already invested in the programme. Nine Bairns’ Hooses are currently operational across Scotland, providing trauma-informed, child-centred support to children who have experienced abuse or violence – and with a tenth site in Fife expected to be up and running soon.
“Local partnerships are at the heart of delivering of Bairns’ Hoose, bringing key statutory partners across justice, health and recovery support services together around the child.
“We have listened to feedback from partnerships who asked for multi-year funding to give the certainty needed to plan, recruit and scale up services effectively, supporting the Scottish Government’s commitment to ensure every child who needs it has access to a Bairns’ Hoose by May 2031.”
Fife Bairns’ Hoose Partnership said: “Multi-year funding provides partnerships like ours with the stability needed to embed services, strengthen collaboration across agencies and focus on delivering lasting change for children and families. A
” longer-term funding commitment would also support the development of a sustainable and committed workforce and effective commissioning arrangements, creating the conditions for successful implementation and continuous improvement.
“This approach would enable our Bairns’ Hoose to fulfil its vision and purpose for children and young people across Fife, ensuring they benefit from a coordinated, trauma-informed response that delivers positive outcomes over the long term.”
Children First, Scotland’s national children’s charity, has responded to news that Scotland’s Bairns Hooses will be supported with multi-year funding from next year.
In response to the Scottish Government’s announcement of multi-year funding for Scotland’s Bairns Hooses, Mary Glasgow, Chief Executive of Children First said: “The guarantee of multi-year funding for the Bairns Hoose model is a vital investment in the future of children who have experienced violence and abuse.
“Every child has a right to get all the trauma-informed care, justice, protection, advocacy and recovery support they need through Bairns Hoose to move on with their lives, without delay.
“While Scotland has made significant progress since Children First opened the first Bairns Hoose in 2023, there must now be a greater focus on funding the therapeutic recovery, advocacy and participation which lie at the core of the model. Without it, Bairns Hoose will not deliver the transformation in systems that children need and which the Scottish Government aspires to.
“The roll out of Bairns Hoose is a wider step to ensuring that no child is asked to go to court unless it is absolutely and unavoidably necessary.
“Alongside today’s commitment and the funding that will be required to fully deliver the Bairns Hoose model, the principle that court is no place for children needs to be enshrined in legislation to give child victims confidence that their wellbeing and recovery is the priority.”
YMCA Edinburgh recognised at global summit for creating leadership opportunities for young people driving community change
Eleven-year-olds Edie Chaw and Tarek Hydara Estribio are being celebrated by YMCA Edinburgh after showcasing that you don’t have to be an adult to drive real change. Both are residents of Cables Wynd House in Leith and active members of youth-led advocacy groups supported by the charity, and they are leading the charge in helping develop their neighbourhood for the better.
Edie and Tarek are active participants in several of YMCA Edinburgh’s initiatives, including The Cables Wynd House Youth Residents Forum, a youth-led advocacy group where they held consultations with their peers and collaborated with adult residents and Making Rights Real to present a comprehensive housing report to the City of Edinburgh Council. As part of the initiative they were also consulted on public space improvements.
Edie and Tarek are also involved in The Next Generation Youth Forum, a programme focused on empowering the next generation of changemakers. They also work on local green space projects, sustainable food and composting workshops, and creative community awareness programs like climate-themed banner workshops as part of their involvement in the Climate Change Group.
The success of these youth-led initiatives by YMCA Edinburgh was recently recognised on the global stage.
At the 2026 YMCA World Council in Toronto, Mike Kerracher, Chief Executive Officer of YMCA Edinburgh, represented the organisation alongside international leaders and Felipe Paullier, the UN Assistant Secretary-General for Youth Affairs.
Speaking on a panel, the event had 1,400 representatives from over 120 countries, Kerracher showcased how organisations can move beyond merely consulting young people to actively creating genuine opportunities for them to lead.
Now, YMCA Edinburgh is launching a renewed call to create these leadership opportunities locally and nationally, emphasising that youth are ready to drive real community change if given the chance.
Mike Kerracher, CEO of YMCA Edinburgh, said: “Edie and Tarek are fantastic examples of what happens when young people are empowered to take the lead.
“True community change happens when we stop making decisions for young people and start making decisions with them, when we give them a genuine seat at the table and invest in their ideas, they shine.”
Edie Chaw, 11, said: “Sometimes people think only grown-ups know how to fix things, but kids see the neighbourhood differently.
“When you don’t only ask adults, but also ask what kids want, and when everyone actually listens to each other we can come together and combine our ideas to create something everyone wants.”
Tarek Hydara Estribio, 11, added: “Being part of these projects helps me learn how to communicate, work as a team, and socialise with lots of different people.
“It’s given us a real chance to speak up because we just want to be heard, and it feels great to know we’re actually helping to make things better.”
This international recognition follows a highly successful year for YMCA Edinburgh, which supported over 250 individuals across its services. Mentorship remains a cornerstone of the organisation’s success.
Over the last year, 39 dedicated volunteer mentors provided vital one-to-one support to 59 young people. As a result, 98% of participants reported improved access to opportunities and 94% experienced enhanced wellbeing.
Alongside these programmes, the organisation successfully delivered seven weeks of free holiday activities, expanding sports, outdoor learning, and wellbeing support for local families.
YMCA Edinburgh is committed to creating even more opportunities for young people to lead, influence decisions, and shape the future of their communities.
Young people who want to make a difference are encouraged to get in touch to find out more about the Next Generation Youth Forum and other participation opportunities. The organisation is also keen to hear from adults interested in volunteering as mentors, collaborating with young people around meaningful climate action in the local community, or supporting its wider work.
Whether through mentoring, partnership, fundraising, or simply encouraging a young person to get involved, everyone has a role to play in empowering the next generation. To find out more, email admin@ymcaedinburgh.com.
Surveys to explore families’ experiences of smartphones, social media and going online
Families are being invited to share their experiences of using smartphones, social media and the internet through surveys aiming to identify what support they need to stay safe online.
The first survey explores how children and young people use screens, apps and social media, as well as assessing the possible effects on their wellbeing and their confidence in staying safe on the internet.
The second asks parents or carers about their own screen use, how confident they are in supporting their children’s screen use, and what resources they would find helpful, among other questions.
While legislation to manage online safety lies with the UK Government, Scottish Ministers are focused on what more can be done within devolved powers.
The Scottish Government is therefore also conducting a review of more than 140 post-Covid research papers examining the impact of digital media use on the wellbeing of children and young people. The findings from the surveys and the review will be used to deliver new policy to reduce the impact of online harms.
Children and Young People Minister Siobhian Brown said: “Going online and using social media gives young people access to huge amounts of information, which can have positive benefits for their learning and connection to friends, family and the world.
“However, it can also have a harmful impact on their physical and mental health and wellbeing. We also know parents and carers are worried about how long young people spend online, what content they may be viewing and the addictive nature of some apps.
“We will continue to push the UK Government to go further – for example we want to see a Social Media Levy applied to online platforms which can then be reinvested back into our young people. However, we are also focused on what we can do within our powers in Scotland to ensure children and young people are safe and supported in their online lives, as part of a public health approach to online safety.
“To that end, we are seeking the views of as many people as possible, particularly around what support and information they would find most helpful. The surveys are completely anonymous and will help us to inform any public health campaign on this important issue.
“This work comes on top of our action to create phone-free learning environments to ensure pupils can learn free from the disruption associated with mobile phones.”
The Scottish Government has provided funding to organisations supporting the emotional health and wellbeing of children and young people, including:
Mind Yer Time, an online hub on digital wellbeing designed by children and young people from the Children’s Parliament and the Scottish Youth Parliament
the AyeFeel online hub and award-winning ‘This is How AyeFeel’ podcast, delivered by Young Scot in collaboration with children and young people.
Parent Club provides advice for parents and carers on supporting the mental health and wellbeing of their children and families, including on how to manage screen time and ensure children have a healthy balance of screen-based activities and offline play and exercise.
New Zealand Army Band brings the Haka to Jupiter Artland
The New Zealand Army Band swapped Edinburgh Castle Esplanade for the great outdoors as they took to Jupiter Artland’s iconic Cells of Life to perform the Haka as part of their appearance at this year’s Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo.
The band’s powerful performance provided a striking Kiwi soundtrack to one of Scotland’s most distinctive art installations, as the musicians join more than 800 performers from around the world at the spectacular “A Call To Gather”.
The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo runs until 29 August at Edinburgh Castle.
The eighth annual Big Brain Tumour Benefit has raised £20,000 for groundbreaking research into new treatments for brain tumours.
Eight acts performed for this year’s benefit: Nish Kumar, Rosie Jones, Rhys James, Larry Dean, Catherine Bohart, Emmanuel Sonubi, Felicity Ward and Justin Moorhouse.
Underbelly announces the 8th Annual Big Brain Tumour Benefit has raised £20,000 for Professor Richard Gilbertson’s lab at The Cancer Research Centre in Cambridge, helping to fund new treatments for the most aggressive forms of brain tumours in children.
This year’s star-studded lineup included performances from Nish Kumar, Rhys James, Rosie Jones, Larry Dean, Catherine Bohart, Emmanuel Sonubi, Felicity Ward and Justin Moorhouse.
Underbelly created the Big Brain Tumour Benefit in 2017 following co-founder Ed Bartlam’s son Alfie being diagnosed with Ependymoma, a rare and aggressive form of brain cancer. Alfie passed away two years later, at the age of seven. 100% of the profits from the Big Brain Tumour Benefit will be donated to Professor Richard Gilbertson’s lab to fund brain cancer research.
Ed Bartlam, Underbelly’s co-founder said: I am so grateful to everyone who attended Underbelly’s 8th annual Big Brain Tumour Benefit last night, and to the fantastic line up of comedians who gave their time and talent to make it such a success.
“It’s incredible that as a community we have raised more than £20,000, with all of the funds going to Professor Richard Gilbertson’s lab and directly funding cutting-edge tumour prevention and treatment.
“The Big Brain Tumour Benefit is always such a special night, and together we can continue to raise vital funds that save lives.”
Professor Richard Gilbertson said: “We are truly excited and humbled by the amazing partnership with Underbelly and Angel Child. Everyday, we work to end the devastation caused to children and their families by brain tumours.
“We will accept nothing less than total eradication of these devastating childhood cancers. Thanks to the support we have already received we are about to take a completely new therapy to the clinic.
“We could not have done this without Underbelly and Angel Child. Together with our collaborators, we have developed a number of other, completely new and kinder treatments, taking us even closer the day when no child will suffer or die from a brain tumour.
Brain tumours are the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in people under 40. They shorten life expectancy by an average of 27 years, the most of any cancer. Despite this, brain tumour research is underfunded compared to many other cancers.
The principal aim of Professor Richard Gilbertson’s Lab is to improve the accuracy of brain tumour classification and treatment, with a particular focus on children’s brain tumours.
Their research involves conducting genomic analyses of brain tumours to identify cancer-causing abnormalities, and using that knowledge to develop effective new cancer cures through clinical trials of molecular targeted therapies.
Underbelly’s Big Brain Tumour Benefit is a one-night-only show. For more information on the wider programme for the remainder of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, please visit the website here.
FOOTBALL was firmly in focus after Muirhouse Housing Association scored a winner with new kit for local young players.
The housing association has provided the team with winter kit – bringing a boost to their football activities during the colder months.
Muirhouse said this week that the sponsorship is another example of its commitment to supporting the local community and investing in opportunities for young people.
The sponsorship came about after Scott Lockhart, one of the coaches of “Craigroyston 2013 Yellows”, approached the Association looking for support.
The Association was very keen to help as many of the young people who play, or have previously played for the team, come from Muirhouse and the wider local community.
In addition, several Muirhouse tenants are involved with the club as volunteers and supporters.
Two members of staff from Muirhouse – Asset Manager Glenn Rivers and Community Engagement Officer Debbie Brown handed over the kit during a visit to the club.
Susan Bell, Chief Executive of Muirhouse, said: ”We are delighted to support the young players, who undoubtedly look very smart in their new kit bearing the housing association’s logo.
“We place great importance on supporting our community whenever and wherever we can. Sport provides young people with opportunities to stay active, build friendships, develop confidence and enjoy positive experiences.
“Supporting the team aligns closely with our commitment to promoting wellbeing, strengthening community connections and creating opportunities for young people to thrive.”
