Month: March 2022

National Trust for Scotland announces ambitious ten-year strategy

The conservation charity launches ambitious 10-year strategy, aims include:

  • Commitment to become carbon negative by 2031, as Scotland’s largest independent conservation charity
  • Expanding the number of people welcomed to Trust sites across Scotland to more than 6 million people per year by 2032
  • Investment of £38 million in the care of the Trust’s places within the next three years, and £100 million across the lifetime of the strategy
  • Commitment to increasing the Trust’s learning work, through developing skills and new learning and research programmes

Today conservation charity, the National Trust for Scotland, has unveiled a new strategy – Nature, Beauty & Heritage for Everyone, as it refocuses its vision of caring for, sharing, and speaking up for Scotland’s magnificent heritage.

The bold strategy will be delivered over the next ten years as the Trust works towards its centenary in 2031, by which point it intends to be carbon negative.

Chief Executive Philip Long OBE says the strategy is a ‘firm renewing’ of the charity’s commitment to its founding principles of caring for Scotland’s special places and working to make these places as accessible as possible and inspirational for all.

The charity also revealed for the first-time figures which show the scale of its social and economic impact on Scotland. Economically, the direct and indirect impacts of the National Trust for Scotland in 2019-20 are estimated at 7,430 jobs, which can also be expressed as £148 million Gross Value Added.

However, the study went further, using feedback from member and visitor surveys to identify the proportion of visitors who gain strong positive wellbeing benefits that they are unable to obtain elsewhere. When these proportions were applied, it equates to an additional £73 million of annual social value. 

And these figures are set to grow further, as the charity is currently recruiting for around 300 seasonal and permanent roles to deliver its new ten-year vision, which has been created to ensure the Trust’s places are cared for and bring benefit to Scotland’s people and communities for years to come.

Recognising the integral role that members play in the future of the charity, from championing Scotland’s heritage through to speaking up for the invaluable work the Trust does, the new strategy also outlines the Trust’s commitment to grow its diverse membership base to over half a million people across Scotland over the next ten years.

At the heart of the strategy is a programme of projects and investment, with a spend of £38 million planned for 2021 – 2024, and with the intention to invest £100 million across the lifetime of the strategy, supported by the Trust’s fundraising work.

Hundreds of individual projects are planned and on top of that there will be many new initiatives to create opportunities to get more people involved in, and learn from, Scotland’s heritage.

Projects include:

  • On the Isle of Canna, the Trust is continuing to work in partnership with the community, restoring Canna House to better care for its collections as well as developing new visitor and community facilities.
  • On Staffa, one of Scotland’s most important islands for seabirds, geology and cultural heritage, the Trust is improving the island infrastructure and further conserving and protecting this special place of natural beauty that has influenced artists, musicians and writers from around the world since its ‘discovery’ in the 18th century.
  • The Corrieshalloch Visitor Gateway in Ross-shire will be a new addition to the National Nature Reserve with one of the deepest and most spectacular gorges of its type in the British Isles. It currently has no visitor facilities, so the Trust is improving access with a much needed, sensitively designed visitor gateway building, to help visitors enjoy and find out more about Corrieshalloch’s wonderful nature. This project is supported by the Natural and Cultural Heritage Fund which is led by NatureScot and funded through the European Regional Development Fund.
  • In Dumfries and Galloway, the Threave Landscape Restoration Project is transforming 81 hectares of land at Kelton Mains into rich habitats for flora and fauna, restoring the site’s wetlands and native woodlands.

The new strategy is the most collaborative in the National Trust for Scotland’s 90-year history and has been shaped by its employees, volunteers, members, supporters, partners and communities, through consultation which has aimed to find out what the Trust’s places need and what people want from the National Trust for Scotland in the coming years.

This feedback informed three ‘pillars’ of activity:  conservation, engagement and sustainability, which combine to deliver the Trust’s charitable purpose.

These pillars are served by eleven strategic objectives which will support the Trust in its work to protect and share Scotland’s special places and minimise the charity’s environmental impact. 

Philip Long OBE, Chief Executive of the National Trust for Scotland, said: “We’ve begun an exciting new chapter for the National Trust for Scotland, building on the experience, knowledge and skills we’ve gathered over the last 90 years, throughout which time our charity has received phenomenal support from its members and many others.

“Everyone can benefit from Scotland’s heritage and from the work of the Trust, and in the years ahead we want to involve as many people as possible in this. Our new strategy is a response to all that our charity has achieved over its long history, and to the current health, economic and environmental challenges which affect everyone.

“In creating our new strategy we’ve set out a framework that charts our ambitions for the Trust’s tenth decade, describing our intended achievements: from becoming carbon negative by 2031, through to championing Scotland’s heritage for everyone, restoring and protecting habitats, historic buildings and landscapes and uncovering and sharing more of our nation’s stories to a larger and more diverse audience of 6 million annual visitors.

“We’re also recruiting colleagues to bring even more experience to our dedicated and passionate team throughout the country, to allow us to realise these ambitions.”.

For more information on Nature, Beauty & Heritage for Everyone, and to learn more about the strategy and its objectives, visit: www.nts.org.uk/our-work/our-strategy.

Nature-Beauty-Heritage-for-Everyone.-A-National-Trust-for-Scotland-ten-year-strategy.Download

Last of COVID-19 regulations to go

Face covering rules to change in April

Legal requirements to wear face coverings on public transport and most indoor public settings will be replaced with guidance in the coming weeks, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced today.

From Monday the legal requirement to wear a face covering in places of worship or while attending a marriage ceremony, civil partnership registration, funeral or commemorative event will end.

The requirement to wear face coverings in other indoor areas such as retail spaces and public transport will become guidance on 18 April.

The most recent ONS Covid infection survey – for the week ending 20 March – indicated that one in 11 people in Scotland had Covid, with daily case figures suggesting case numbers are high but may be stabilising.

The First Minister told Parliament that the very high level of infection and ongoing pressure within the NHS had been taken into account when making the decision, and that data will continue to be assessed closely.

She said: “We will, of course, continue to encourage the wearing of face coverings in certain indoor places, especially where significant numbers of people are present.

“This phased approach strikes, I think, a sensible balance between our desire to remove this one remaining legal measure, and the common sense need for continued caution – not least for the sake of the NHS – while this wave of infection does subside.

“I recognise that face coverings are an inconvenience. However, given all the sacrifice of the past two years, and in view of the current pressure on the NHS, I believe the vast majority of people will accept that for a further two weeks this is a proportionate precautionary measure while we pass the peak of this latest wave. It also of course provides some additional protection to those who are most at risk from the virus.”

It was confirmed earlier this month that people without COVID-19 symptoms will no longer be asked to take regular lateral flow tests from 18 April.

The change forms part of the Test and Protect Transition Plan, which sets out how testing will become more targeted, with the aim of reducing serious harm from COVID-19.

The changes to Test and Protect mean that from 18 April:

  • most people without symptoms will no longer be asked to take COVID-19 tests
  • free lateral flow devices (LFDs) for the purposes of twice weekly routine testing will no longer be available for the general population given the changing advice, but will continue to be free for any purpose for which testing continues to be advised – for clinical care, for health and social care workers and for people visiting vulnerable individuals in care homes or hospitals
  • until the end of April, people with symptoms should still isolate and get a PCR test
  • vaccinated close contacts of someone with COVID-19 should continue to test daily for seven days with LFDs

People who have symptoms of COVID-19 will still be able to book PCR tests in the usual way until 30 April.

From that date, test sites will close and people with symptoms will no longer be advised that they need to seek a test. The public health advice for people who feel unwell will be to stay at home until they feel better, to reduce the risk of infecting other people.

Dua Lipa is the most popular female artist on Spotify

Dua Lipa has more than double the monthly listeners of Beyoncé 

New research has revealed that Dua Lipa is currently the most popular female artist on Spotify.

The study, commissioned by shopping experts Coupon Ninja, compared Spotify data for 70 of the world’s biggest female music artists, using the number of monthly listeners to reveal the most popular artists.

Dua Lipa is the most popular female artist on Spotify. The London-born pop singer has 67.9 million monthly listeners – more than twice that of the Queen Bee, Beyoncé herself. Dua Lipa is also the fourth most popular artist in the world on Spotify, surpassed only by Ed Sheeran, Justin Bieber, and The Weekend.

With more than 56 million monthly listeners, Doja Cat comes in second place, making her the most popular female rapper on Spotify. The Californian ‘Say So’ singer also sits in the seventh position worldwide.

In third place is Taylor Swift, America’s pop and country music star. Swift has more than 55.4 million listeners every month, which also puts her in the eighth worldwide position on Spotify.

Although she started her career on screen as a teen actor, Ariana Grande is now the fourth most popular female artist on Spotify, with more than 54 million fans listening to her music every month, and currently sitting in the tenth worldwide position.

Adele has 53.2 million monthly listeners on Spotify, making her the fifth most popular female artist on Spotify. The British Soul artist’s most recent album ‘30’ was the best-selling album of 2021 despite only being released in November.

As well as playing a huge part in the beauty and fashion industries, Barbadian R&B singer Rihanna is also included in the top 10 most popular female music artists on Spotify. RiRi currently sits in the sixth position with more than 48.6 million monthly listeners.

Top 10 Female Artists on Spotify 

Rank Artist Spotify Monthly Listeners Worldwide Position 
1 Dua Lipa 67,908,917 4 
2 Doja Cat 56,010,550 7 
3 Taylor Swift 55,456,584 8 
4 Ariana Grande 54,019,195 10 
5 Adele 53,241,958 12 
6 Rihanna 48,603,273 18 
7 Billie Eilish 47,792,885 21 
8 Katy Perry 44,113,004 26 
9 Olivia Rodrigo 42,211,010 28 
10 Karol G 40,972,252 31 

Billie Eilish is in seventh place with 47.7 million monthly listeners, followed by Katy Perry with 44.1 million and Olivia Rodrigo with 42.2 million, in the eighth and ninth positions. Finally in tenth place is the Colombian reggaeton singer Karol G with more than 40.9 million monthly listeners.

A spokesperson for Coupon Ninja commented on the study: “The music industry is known to be heavily male-dominated, with women making up just 21.6% of music artists and only 12.6% of songwriters*, making the achievements of these artists even more incredible.

“It is great to celebrate their popularity on a streaming service like Spotify, which reflects the taste of more than 365 million users.

“It is fascinating to see the wide variety of artists who make up the top ten most popular on Spotify, with varying ages, genres, and nationalities. Some of the artists are not surprising to see, but the results also gave some unexpected results, with artists such as Beyoncé, Mariah Carey and Cardi B sitting much lower in the list than some might have thought.”

The analysis was conducted by Coupon Ninja, which aims to provide exclusive coupons on major brands for online shoppers.

Sizzling Pubs team up with Make-A-Wish UK to make dreams come true

Sizzling pubs, including The Robin’s Nest in Edinburgh, are teaming up with Make-A-Wish UK to help make dreams come true for seriously ill children across the UK. 

As part of the ‘Sizzling Community Change’ campaign, the pub chain has set themselves the goal of collectively raising one million pennies for their charity partner Make-A-Wish UK, and other local community good causes, through a series of fundraising activities.

With over 243 pubs across the UK, Sizzling prides themselves on their sense of community spirit – and this partnership with Make-A-Wish UK will help make a real difference to the lives of children in the local communities that their pubs are at the heart of.

Currently, around 63,000 children across the UK are eligible for a wish because they have a life-limiting or life-threatening condition. And Make-A-Wish UK aims to create hope, happiness and memories for the whole family to cherish by empowering children with the chance to choose a wish that’s unique to them.

The pub chain’s fundraising activity is set to kick off with the introduction of Sizzling’s ‘Light Nights’ menu, which will feature a charity dessert. The special Eton Mess Sundae will help raise money for Make-A-Wish UK, with 25p from each pudding being donated to the charity.

Tom Redwood, Operations Director at Sizzling Pubs, said: “Supporting local charities is part of what gives us our Sizzling spirit, and we hope this new partnership will help make a big difference to the lives of children and their families across the UK.

“We’re so proud to be supporting Make-A-Wish UK as part of our Sizzling Community Change campaign, and our charity dessert is just the beginning when it comes to the exciting fundraising activities we have planned for this year.”

Jason Suckley, Chief Executive at Make-A-Wish UK, said: “The power of a wish can revive a childhood stolen by critical illness. We are very grateful for the generous support of Sizzling Pubs, which will help Make-A-Wish UK be a light in the darkness for more children and their loves ones, granting wishes that leave a profound and lasting impact on all their lives.”

Discover which seriously ill children need help in your area and help make a wish come true using the Make-A-Wish UK ‘Wish Map’:

https://www.make-a-wish.org.uk/wishes/wish-map/

RLSS UK and partners aim to make UK’s aqua parks among the safest in the world

The Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK) is working with The Aqua Parks Association UK & Ireland to ensure the safety of the fast-growing industry as the UK looks forward to another bumper staycation summer.

Aqua parks first launched in the UK in 2015. Today, there are approximately 65 parks in the UK. Suitable for adults and children alike, the floating assault courses offer a variety of obstacles ranging from climbing walls and trampolines to water slides and runways.

The sector has boomed during the pandemic with the launch of new parks and established operators expanding their aqua park offering. 

RLSS UK is working closely with The Aqua Parks Association UK & Ireland – formerly the Aqua Parks Steering Group – to promote safety standards in the industry to maintain public confidence in UK aqua parks.

The association has developed a set of minimum industry standards and launched the UK’s first accreditation scheme for aqua parks. The accreditation scheme introduced a recognised and consistent safety standard, making accredited UK aqua parks some of the safest in the world. As appointed auditor for the association, RLSS UK audits parks that have signed up to the accreditation scheme.

Consumers should look out for aqua parks that hold the Industry Approved Aqua Park status; awarded to aqua parks that have met the operational and equipment standards set out within the guidance.

There are two accreditations: ‘Silver’ shows that an aqua park has the correct documents, procedures, staff, and training in place for all the sessions they run, while the ‘Gold’ accreditation indicates that the aqua park not only meets all the operational standards demanded by ‘Silver’ accreditation but also that all its equipment has been third-party tested to meet ISO 25649.

(The International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) is an international standard-setting body composed of representatives from various national standards organisations).

Helen Bowker-Steer, Head of Commercial Services, said: “It is an exciting time for the aqua park industry – the development of the Aqua Park Association UK and Ireland in 2021 is a huge step forward.

“The industry now has a voice. It also has an elected board of individuals with the safety and success of the industry at its core. As the auditing partner for the Aqua Parks Association UK and Ireland, RLSS UK is committed to supporting all aqua parks which sign up for the industry approved process.”

Foysol Choudhury MSP gets up to speed with broadband

Holyrood drop-in session highlights the national digital network’s plans for Scotland’s ultrafast future and commitment to apprenticeship programme

Lothian MSP Foysol Choudhury met engineers and apprentices from Openreach to discuss the roll out of full fibre broadband and the economic benefits fast, reliable connectivity is bringing to Scotland’s economy during a drop-in session at the Scottish Parliament.

The Lothian MSP was updated on work being done to upgrade the country’s broadband network – including across the Lothians, where 190,000 properties now have access to the new, ultrafast technology. He also met apprentices Hayley Goldthorpe and Jack Cotton to hear first-hand about their experiences.      

Openreach recently announced it will create and fill around 500 more Scottish jobs during 2022 – including around 390 apprenticeships – as it continues to invest billions of pounds into its UK broadband network, people and training.

Foysol Choudhury MSP said: “Reliable connectivity is a hugely important feature of life in modern Scotland and a necessity for people living and working across Lothian. Openreach engineers and apprentices are working tirelessly to roll out full fibre broadband to more local homes and businesses each week.

“The event in parliament was a great opportunity to quiz management about the priorities ahead and the challenges in more complex areas of build – and discuss how policy changes could help. It was great to learn more about opportunities that can be unlocked, especially for remote and rural communities, by ultra-reliable full fibre broadband.”

According to thinkbroadband, the UK’s largest independent broadband news and information site, nearly 95 per cent of Scots can currently access superfast broadband at 30Mbps+.     

At the beginning of the year Openreach announced that more than half a million Scottish homes and businesses can connect to its new gigabit-capable, full fibre network.

Around 40 locations across Lothian – from Edinburgh to Gullane, Loanhead and Dechmont – are included in its plans to reach 25m premises with the technology by the end of 2026.

The drop-in session was hosted by Fraser Rowberry, Openreach’s Chief Engineer for Scotland, who thanked Emma Harper MSP for sponsoring the event.

Fraser Rowberry said: “We know that reliable, ultrafast internet connections can have a transformative effect on businesses, online learning and people’s daily lives. That’s why we at Openreach are committed to rolling them out to homes and business premises across Scotland.

“Research from Cebr last year evidenced the hugely positive economic impact universal connections could have in Scotland. A comprehensive full fibre network could enable 76,000 people to re-enter the workforce and contribute billions of pounds to the Scottish economy.

 “We were delighted to be able to take that positive story to MSPs and set out our vision and plans for bringing ultrafast broadband to more of Scotland.”

Thousands of families can receive help towards Easter childcare costs

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is reminding working parents in Scotland to not miss out on the opportunity to get up to £2,000 a year to pay for regulated childcare, including holiday clubs and other out-of-school activities, during the Easter holidays. 

Tax-Free Childcare provides thousands of eligible working families with up to £500 every three months (or £1,000 if their child is disabled) towards the cost of holiday clubs, before and after-school clubs, childminders and nurseries, and other approved childcare schemes.

For every £8 deposited into a Tax-Free Childcare online account, families will receive an additional £2 in government top-up, and it is available for children aged up to 11, or 17 if the child has a disability.

More than 19,800 working families used the scheme in December 2021, in Scotland. Overall, HMRC paid out more than £34 million in top-up payments, which was shared between nearly 328,000 families across the UK.

With recent research estimating that around 1.3 million families could be taking up this government support, parents and carers can check their eligibility and register for Tax-Free Childcare via GOV.UK. 

This scheme can help working families including the self-employed and is one of many ways the UK Government is supporting households to reduce their costs and keep more of what they earn to help pay for other bills. 

Helen Whately, HM Treasury’s Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, said: “There are lots of brilliant holiday clubs and childcare providers to help working parents during the Easter holidays, and Tax-Free Childcare is a great offer that can help cut the childcare bills. 

“I urge families across the UK to take advantage of this support and put extra pounds in their pocket – sign up now and save on your childcare costs.” 

By depositing money into their accounts, families can benefit from the 20% top-up and use the money to pay for childcare costs when they need it. Accounts can be opened at any time of the year and can be used straight away.

For example, if parents and carers have school-aged children and use holiday clubs during school holidays, they could deposit money into their accounts throughout the year. This means they could spread the cost of childcare while also benefitting from the 20% government top-up. Any unused money that is deposited can be simply withdrawn at any time.

Tax-Free Childcare is also available for pre-school aged children attending nurseries, childminders, or other childcare providers. Families with younger children will often have higher childcare costs than families with older children, so the tax-free savings can really make a difference.

Childcare providers can also sign up for a childcare provider account via GOV.UK to receive payments from parents and carers via the scheme.

First INSA Meet & Greet event for Indian students in Scotland

Indian National Students Association-UK (INSA) in Association with the Consulate General of India  (CGI), Edinburgh organized the “Meet & Greet event for Indian Students in Scotland”, over the  weekend. 

Taking INSA’s motto of “Creating a home away from home,” to Scotland, the event was a success in  terms of being insightful, instructive, and motivating to students who attended.

The programme was  joined by Indian students from various levels and subjects of study from major Scottish universities.  “Unity in Diversity” was at full display in the event as these students represented various states and  languages in India. 

The event started with everyone standing for the Indian National Anthem and needless to say that it  brought back patriotic and emotional connect to the motherland from far a distance. 

Mr. Sagar Kumar Indian Society President for UcLan University shared his experience of being guided  by INSA and its objectives to nurture his ambition of helping his fellow Indian students at his  university. 

Later, Prof. Roger Jefferey, Associate Director, Edinburgh India Institute, lent his support to Indian  students and warmly welcomed Indians to the city, even proposing to organize an Indian history tour  at the city. He highlighted the historical connect between India and Scotland which was all very new to all the attendees. 

Mr. Alok Tripathy, Director, Wipro UK & Ireland, delivered an inspirational message to the students.  He emphasized on how as international students they need to come out of their comfort zones of languages / regions and try new experiences while interacting with people of different regions of the  world.

He provided valuable tips for students with regards to improving their communicating skills  which will help in securing right job opportunities. 

The keynote address was delivered by His Excellency Shri Bijay Selvaraj, Consular General of India,  Edinburgh as he expressed his support for Indian students across the United Kingdom and  particularly in Scotland.

He encouraged them to seize opportunities and offered to assist them in any  way they needed. He assured the students that the Consulate intends to be their Home away from  Home and invited them to pop-in if and when they are in need of support. 

Vote of thanks came from Mr. Amit Tiwari, President-INSA UK who spoke about INSA’s next steps and encouraged new students to join in and get involved.

This was followed by delicious dinner  offered by the CGI. Mr. Kishore Dattu (Head of Media & Public Relations – Incharge of North Zone),  Mr. Puneet Dwivedi (Co-ordinator, Scotland), and Mr. Niranjan Sharma (Co-ordinator, Scotland)  were among the National INSA Team members who attended the event.

The CGI staff, notably  Consul Shri Satyaveer Singh and Consul Shri Asif Saeed, contributed to the success of the occasion. Altogether, it was wonderful to be the anchor for the evening, and a great opportunity to get out on  a sunny day and network with such accomplished industry executives.

With excellent feedback  received from students, INSA – UK is looking forward to launching more valuable events in the future.

Puneet Dwivedi

Scotmid launches search for new charity partner

Charities are being invited by Scotmid to become its new Charity Partner for 2022/23.

The community retailer is looking for an organisation that shares its values and passion for supporting local communities and would like to build a creative and fun partnership to encourage participation and fundraising from staff, members and customers alike.

With a presence in Scotland, Northern England and Northern Ireland, the partnership must be able to span a wide geography.

Over the last 20 years, Scotmid has raised millions of pounds for their Charity Partners, including the Scottish SPCA, Samaritans, ChildLine and Alzheimer Scotland.

John Brodie, Chief Executive of Scotmid, said: “Our Charity Partnerships are incredibly important to us. Partners benefit from both an exceptional level of fundraising and extended support in their cause from our colleagues and communities.

“We are excited to hear about projects that can benefit our communities from new potential charity partners.”

Scotmid’s current Charity Partner is Children’s Hospice Association Scotland, better known as CHAS. Funds raised through the partnership have supported the vital development and expansion of CHAS’s outreach service, CHAS at Home, helping the charity on its ambitious mission of reaching every child and family that needs their help in communities across Scotland.

Three other children’s hospices across Scotmid’s trading areas have also benefited from funds raised: Jigsaw, Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice and St Oswald’s Hospice.

Staff working in Scotmid’s food stores, Semichem stores, Scotmid Funerals and Lakes & Dales stores across Scotland, Northern Ireland and Northern England enthusiastically take part in physical challenges, events and traditional in-store fundraising.

Community engagement is also a key element for Scotmid. At the end of last year, children throughout Scotland were invited to design a mascot to represent Scotmid’s charity partnership.

The winning designs, Cuthbert The Fox and Tildy Toadstool, were then brought to life, much to the delight of the talented designers and those who have met the colourful couple!

Angharad Low, Corporate Partnerships Manager at CHAS, said: “It’s been great working with Scotmid to raise awareness and funds for our outreach service, CHAS at Home.

“The passion of Scotmid colleagues, members and customers makes the partnership really special.

“We’re so thankful for the funds that have been raised, which will help families receive quality care in the comfort of their own homes. We would absolutely recommend other charities apply!”

Kirsteen Campbell, CEO Scottish SPCA, said: “Our 2018/19 partnership with the Scotmid Co-operative family was our most successful charity of the year partnership in Scottish SPCA’s history, raising an incredible £325,000.

“Support from Scotmid colleagues enabled us to deliver our ‘Prevention through Education’ programme delivering workshops to 1818 schools and 124 community groups, reaching over 60% of Scotland’s school children! With Scotmid’s support we were able to spread the joy of the human-animal bond further than ever before.

“We’d encourage all charities to apply for this exciting opportunity to be Scotmid’s next Charity Partner.

“You’ll be combining forces with an incredible organisation who really cares about making a massive difference in local communities What are you waiting for? Apply today!”

To apply to be Scotmid’s Charity of the Year 2022/23, please go to:

https://scotmid.coop/community-and-charity/charity-of-the-year-applications/

Applications are open until 5pm on Friday 6 May 2022.

The Nickleodeon Experience is coming to Saughton Park this summer

Nickelodeon has announced a brand new outdoor immersive event, The Nickelodeon Experience, set to launch this summer in Saughton Park.

This first-of-its-kind experience promises to be an epic adventure for the entire family, with it also being the first time in ten years that a Nickelodeon event has taken place in Scotland. 

Kicking off in one of Edinburgh’s most beautiful green spaces, Saughton Park, the experience will be touring the UK from July 2022 making further stops at Knebworth House and Heaton Park in Manchester.

Adventure seekers, aged 2-14 years old, can explore the worlds of their favourite Nickelodeon TV shows and discover ten activity zones. From multi-sensory and interactive adventures to creative and skill-based challenges, kids get to map their own journey and curate their own fun.

Kids can go behind the scenes of some of Nickelodeon’s most popular shows including The Thundermans School for Superheroes where they’ll learn to acquire their own super-powers. Step into an episode of Henry Danger, where Nick fans must navigate Henry Danger’s Maze full of secret twists, turns, puzzles and passages. They can also race against the clock to solve the Hunter Street Escape Room mystery, which puts teamwork to the test in an attempt to crack the code and find the key. 

The adventures don’t stop there! From a trip to Adventure Bay with an opportunity to meet PAW Patrol’s fan-favourites Chase and Marshall, to a sub-terranean adventure in The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ underground lair, complete with ooze covered tunnels, Nick fans will be utterly captivated in this immersive outdoor adventure.

What’s more, an arts and crafts zone featuring Baby Shark’s Big Show and Blue’s Clues themed activitiesawaits all budding artists. Attendees can also jump on a giant pirate ship, play in rock pools, and make a splash in an immersive play zone based on the swashbuckling world of Santiago of The Seas.

For the perfect finale to the experience, you’re invited to the Slime Time Party to finally know how it feels to get SLIMED – the ultimate Nickelodeon honour!

Alongside these immersive zones, children and their parents can relax at SpongeBob SquarePants’ Bikini Bottom Beach, where they can also sample delicious delights from the many themed food and beverage stalls and visit the Nickelodeon store and take home the perfect memento from an incredible range of exclusive Nickelodeon Experience merchandise.

Capacities are limited but you can book your tickets now at: 

www.thenickelodeonexperience.co.uk 

Kids tickets start at £29.50 and infants under two years old go free.

THE NICKELODEON EXPERIENCE LOCATION AND DATE

  • SAUGHTON PARK, EDINBURGH – 1st July – 14th July
  • HEATON PARK, MANCHESTER – 23rd July – 5th August
  • KNEBWORTH HOUSE, HERTFORDHSIRE – 14th – 27th August

The Nickelodeon Experience is proudly produced by The Luna Cinema and suitable for children aged two to fourteen years old.

George Wood, founder of The Luna Cinema says: “We cannot wait for the launch of The Nickelodeon Experience in Edinburgh this summer!

“For years we’ve wanted to develop a truly interactive experience that allowed kids to immerse themselves in the worlds of their favourite TV shows, just as we do with Friends fans at FriendsFest and film lovers with our Luna Cinema screenings, and it’s amazing to be able to bring Nickelodeon to families in Scotland for the first time in ten years!

“To have such an iconic catalogue of shows, including global brands like PAW Patrol, The Thundermans and SpongeBob SquarePants under the Nickelodeon umbrella is a treasure trove of content to explore and bring to life, and we’re really excited to make it happen.” 

Virginia Monaghan, VP, Events and Experiences, ViacomCBS UK, commented: “We are thrilled to be partnering with The Luna Cinema to bring our hugely popular Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. shows to life through this uniquely immersive experience.

“This is a chance for children to make new memories with friends, in a safe and fun setting, and with their favourite characters. Nickelodeon hasn’t been to Scotland for ten years now, so it’s going to be extra special to be able to kick-start the nationwide tour in Edinburgh.”

For more information and to purchase tickets please visit: 

https://www.thenickelodeonexperience.co.uk/