Eight boys have been charged in relation to the racial abuse and assault of two adults in the North West of Edinburgh.
The boys, aged between 12 and 15 years, were identified following an investigation into the incident which took place at Silverknowes Road on Saturday 5th March, and they have now been traced and reported.
Inspector Jonny Elliott of Drylaw Police Station said: “We are committed to an immediate and robust response when faced with antisocial behaviour. We will not tolerate this sort of behaviour and officers left no stone unturned to ensure a positive outcome.
“I’d like to thank the local community for their support during this enquiry.”
Hate crime can be reported to police by calling 101 or 999 in an emergency. Find out more about hate crime and how to report it via the Police Scotland website:
An Edinburgh ambulance crew have been praised for saving the life of a man who had an allergic reaction to wheat after eating a Scottish morning roll while on holiday.
Terry and Elizabeth Hanson, of Blaydon, Tyne and Wear, have passed on their thanks to Scott Atkinson, Paramedic, and Andrew Innes, Technician, both of Edinburgh City Station.
The pair were on holiday and were walking in Newhailes around 2pm when Terry had a reaction to wheat, which quickly turned into anaphylaxis.
Terry, 71, said: “We were visiting friends. I had breakfast, and I foolishly had a Scottish morning roll, even though I knew I had an allergy to wheat flour.
“Everything was okay until I started walking and the times I’ve had anaphylaxis in the past, it’s always been associated with eating wheat flour and then exercising afterwards, so it was just totally the wrong thing to do.”
Elizabeth said: “I noticed he was very pale and just didn’t look right. He kind of staggered to a bridge. After a few minutes, he totally lost consciousness.”
She said a group of cyclists passing by stopped by; one called an ambulance and Elizabeth administered an EpiPen.
She explained: “The ambulance arrived very, very quickly and just in time to save my husband’s life. The two ambulance staff were accompanied by a university student who was observing and helping.”
She said they were “blue lighted” across Edinburgh by Scott and Andrew to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, adding: “My husband was seen immediately and stabilised. One of the ambulance staff found me in the waiting area and updated me with everything, even though it was extremely busy.
“Nursing staff also took the time to update me in the waiting area too.
“I am in no doubt that his life was saved by the swift actions of the ambulance staff and I would like to pass on our sincerest thanks and gratitude to them – I hope they realise how incredible they all are.
“The staff who attended to him were all very efficient and friendly. I feel he received the absolute best care that he could have possibly received.”
Following the incident on November 13, 2021, Terry was discharged at 3am the following morning.
He has now recovered at home and added: “I just want to say thanks very much to the ambulance crew for saving my life. I’m sure I would not have made it if not for them.”
Regional community leaders and volunteers are in line to win a security kit worth up to £200 for their organisation, thanks to an initiative called the ‘Secure Communities Scheme’ currently being run by security specialist Burg-Wächter UK.
It’s simple to apply to the scheme to nominate a particular project or initiative for a chance to win a bundle of Burg-Wächter security products.Any regional initiative that is run by or supports the local community can apply.
Burg-Wächter launched the scheme in recognition of the fact that people around the country who are doing their bit for their community should not have to worry about the security of their premises, equipment or storage areas. The company’s Secure Communities Scheme is its way of saying thank you to community leaders for supporting people in their area.
The type of project or organisation that the scheme is open to is very wide-ranging. It could be a scouts group; a local sports group like a cycling or football club; a school after-hours club; a hospital or healthcare community programme; a provider of events for children or OAPs; a facilitator of village activity; or a town/village charity.
As long as the initiative is run by or supports the local community, and it has a specific security need Burg-Wächter would like to hear about it. Successful applicants will each receive a tailored security kit to help secure property, premises, equipment or storage areas to the value of £150 – £200 at retail price.
The Secure Communities Scheme is an ongoing initiative, which has already helped 97 regional causes through the provision of over 2,000 pieces of security equipment. Burg-Wächter is helping regional community leaders and volunteers with security so that they can get on with being heroes for their local community.
To apply to the scheme and for details of the rules of entry head to:
Tax cut worth up to £1,000 for eligible businesses announced by the Chancellor at the Spring Statement takes effect today
Increase in Employment Allowance from £4,000 to £5,000 benefits around 495,000 businesses – 30% of all UK firms
Takes the total number of firms not paying the Health and Social Care Levy to 670,000
Nearly half a million UK businesses will benefit from a tax cut worth up to £1,000 from today (6 April 2022).
The Employment Allowance has risen from £4,000 to £5,000 – meaning smaller firms will be able to claim up to £5,000 off their employer National Insurance Contributions (NICs) bills.
Announced by the Chancellor at last month’s Spring Statement to reduce employment costs, the change takes an extra 50,000 firms out of paying NICs and the Health and Social Care Levy. This increases the total number of businesses not paying NICs and the Levy to 670,000.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak said: “This tax cut for half a million businesses will help them thrive and grow to help drive our economic recovery.
“It comes on top of a suite of wider tax cuts available to firms, including 50% business rates relief, a record fuel duty cut and the super-deduction, the largest two-year business tax cut in our history.”
This is the third time the government has increased the Employment Allowance since its introduction in 2014, demonstrating an enduring commitment to supporting smaller businesses. Firms will be able to employ four full-time workers on the National Living Wage without paying employer NICs at all.
94% of businesses benefitting from the £1,000 increase are small and micro businesses, and the sectors that will see the highest numbers of employers benefitting are the wholesale and retail sector (87,000); the professional, scientific and technical activities industry (63,000); and the construction sector (52,000).
Today’s Employment Allowance change is one of a number of measures on offer to spur business growth, including that:
Last week eligible high street businesses saw the start of a new 50% business rates relief worth almost £1.7 billion, subject to a £110,000 cash cap per business.
Businesses across the board are also benefitting from a freeze to the business rates multiplier, putting the brakes on bill increases and worth £4.6 billion over the next five years.
Businesses are already benefitting from our temporary twelve-month-long 5p cut to fuel duty.
Companies have one year left to make investments that benefit from the super-deduction, the largest two-year business tax cut in modern British history.
Our landmark Help to Grow programmes are supporting SMEs to adopt productivity enhancing software and to get mini-MBAs.
We will ensure that our tax regime for innovation is globally competitive and properly incentivises higher business investment in R&D, with further plans to be set out in the Autumn.
Michelle Ovens CBE, founder, Small Business Britain, said: “The Chancellor’s move to increase the employment allowance is welcome, and will certainty play a role in helping those businesses with employees deal with the huge cost-of-living challenges they are currently facing.
“In particular, it is good to see the immediacy of this rise in employment allowance, which will go towards helping businesses asap.”
Martin McTague, National Chair of the Federation of Small Businesses, said: ““The increase in the Employment Allowance helps small firms do what they do best, creating and sustaining jobs.
“This was FSB’s ‘hero ask’ at the Spring Statement, and we have hugely valued the time taken by Treasury officials to work with us on the positive impact this will have not just on work opportunities, but also training and investment.
“The Chancellor has now raised the Allowance twice since his appointment, stepping up for small businesses.”
Lee Harris-Hamer, from White Horse cleaning services based in Thirsk, North Yorkshire, said: “As a growing company, we appreciate the opportunity to reduce our annual NI liability because this helps us to invest the savings in other areas like staff training and further growth.
“Staff are our key asset and we want to be able to continue recruiting and offering more employment opportunities locally. Government has supported us with the change and we are proud to be members of FSB who championed the increase.”
Jo Bevilacqua, owner of Serenity Loves hair and beauty salon, Peterborough: “This rise in the employment allowance offers welcome breathing space for my small business and others like us across the country.
“In an age where we are all facing increasing costs from all angles and every penny counts, this will help ease some pressure, allowing us to invest more in staff – whether it is increasing salaries or offering training.”
A new three-day music event, Over the Bridge, is set to take place in Edinburgh this summer. The event will see some of Scotland and the UK’s biggest music acts take to the stage including James Arthur, Ella Eyre, Feeder and Razorlight, over one weekend from Friday 29th – 31st July at Raeburn Place sports ground in Stockbridge.
Day and weekend tickets go on sale this Friday 8th April via Ticketmaster. Each day, live music will start at 1pm, ending at 9pm.
On Friday 29th July, Over the Bridge will be headlined by Say You Won’t Let Go singer James Arthur (above), with Ella Eyre, Cassia, RATS, Alex Amor, Stina Marie Claire, and Aaron Smith completing the days line up.
Saturday will see Glasgow rock band Twin Atlantic headline (below), with Feeder, Declan Welsh and the Decadent West, Liz Lawrence, Zuzu, Beren Olivia and Swiss Portrait also on the bill.
Following the recent announcement of a reunion of the original lineup, the final day will see Razorlight (below) take to the stage, made famous for hits including America, Golden Touch, andIn the Morning to see out Over the Bridge after a day of music from Sports Team, Sam Ryder, Daytime TV, Luke La Volpe, Charlotte Jane and False Friends.
Over the Bridge will also support Edinburgh’s favourite food and drink traders for guests to enjoy over the three days. The event will be using a reusable cup scheme to remove single use plastic waste. This will help improve sustainability, as well as reducing litter generally on and off the site.
Taking place at Raeburn Place in Stockbridge, Over the Bridge has been developed by Stockbridge residents Edward Wilson and Preston Mommsen.
Two years ago, the duo brought The Neighbourgood Market to the same location with the popular, vibrant food and drinks market returning last year over a twelve-week period.
The market showcased some of Scotland’s best food and drink offering from the likes of Stockbridge favourite Good Brothers Wine Bar, Innis & Gunn, The Peruvian, Pizza Geeks, Stag Bites, Edinburgh Gin and many more whilst visitors were also able to enjoy live music from local artists.
As residents who live and run businesses in Stockbridge, the pair recognised the potential impact that the event could have on local residents. They went through a thorough public consultation process with locals and the wider community to ensure Over the Bridge is a positive event that everyone can enjoy. This included liaising with the major community groups, letters to residents, door knocking and face to face Q&A sessions in the area.
Over the Bridge co-founder, Edward Wilson, said: “We’re extremely proud to be Edinburgh locals, and two years ago we wanted to bring something special to the city, which is when The Neighbourgood Market was born.
” After two tough years for Edinburgh, including a scaled back version of Fringe Festival, live music and arts have been on hold. This year, we wanted to bring live entertainment back to the city, so we are excited to announce the launch of the three-day music event, Over the Bridge.
“With a line up of amazing local and national acts, and with day and weekend tickets available, we hope it will be one of the highlights of this Summer in Edinburgh.”
Tickets for Over the Bridge go on sale at 10am on Friday 8th April, with day tickets starting at £50.
For more information, or to purchase tickets, visit:
Go Dharmic is a global charity that organises hot food distribution across UK. On Sunday (2nd April) Go Dharmic launched a new weekly distribution of hot meals for Edinburgh’s homeless and vulnerable people.
Martin Dover, 18, a medical student from St. Andrews University, is head of food distribution for the Go Dharmic charity, which aspires to create positive change in the lives of individuals and their communities.
At the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, the charity put its efforts into providing food and hot meals to the people who are desperate for it, and seeing the benefits it brings.
Martin along with another volunteer Puneet Dwivedi has now launched the second distribution chain in Edinburgh.
They had their first Food distribution near Haymarket station in Edinburgh, where the hot food was donated by Kripa Bhama of Corstorphine’s Dangal Indian Restaurant.
Many people living at the homeless centre at The Haymarket Hub benefitted from this food distribution. The free food was also served up to anyone who wanted it!
Our amazing team of volunteers – Martin, Sumit, Nidhi and Puneet, along with young children Aarya, Aarush & Mahi – have been busy serving Hot meal, Crisp, Banana, water and juices.
The team were amazing and connected with some wonderful beneficiaries.
If anyone is looking to volunteer or donate please contact us directly at:
A fleet of NHS ambulances will provide urgent care for those injured by Russian attacks in Ukraine following a donation from the UK.
UK NHS trusts donating around 20 ambulances to the Government of Ukraine
donations will help replace Ukrainian ambulances lost to Russian bombardments and provide urgent care to injured
Ukraine’s health services stretched as Russian attacks hit civilian shelters and hospitals
The donation of around 20 NHS ambulances will help bring vital lifesaving care to Ukrainians remaining in towns and cities under attack from Russian bombardments.
This donation will help replace those Ukrainian ambulances lost to Russian attacks, bolstering the existing fleet’s resilience as the barbaric war goes on.
It is estimated more than 12 million people are currently in need of humanitarian assistance across Ukraine.
The conflict has stretched Ukraine’s health services, with Russia’s indiscriminate attacks targeting civilian shelters and even hospitals.
South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SCAS) is leading the way, donating four of its ambulances, with further donations from NHS trusts across the country soon to follow.
The first ambulances will arrive in Ukraine this week, destined for Lviv in the west of the country, where they will be transported on to those areas most in need.
Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said: “We have sadly seen day after day the horrific impacts of Putin’s cruel war on the people of Ukraine, including evidence of appalling acts by Russian troops in towns such as Irpin and Bucha.
“The UK has been among the biggest aid donors, providing food, medicines and generators to help those affected. These world class NHS ambulances will now help bring lifesaving care directly to those injured in the conflict.”
Health and Social Care Secretary, Sajid Javid, said: “The UK government has stood shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine and provided them with the lifesaving medical equipment they need.
“The invasion has damaged key medical infrastructure and the generous donation of four ambulances by South Central Ambulance Service will ensure people in Ukraine can receive urgent care. It marks the first of many ambulances the UK government and the NHS is donating to Ukraine in the coming days.”
Paul Kempster, SCAS Chief Operating Officer said: “Ambulance Trusts around the country have been rallying to provide ambulances and we in SCAS are immensely humbled to also be able to support those in need in Ukraine.
“We hope that this small gesture goes some way to helping provide immediate frontline healthcare support to the many people who desperately need it.”
This latest funding and donation comes in addition to the nearly £400 million (£394 million) already pledged by the UK for the conflict in Ukraine, including £220 million of humanitarian aid.
