Day: May 13, 2022

Top 10 favourite songs from the Eurovision song contest 2022 

  • Italian entry ‘Brividi’ by Mahmood and Blanco is the most popular entry song in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, with more than 77.2 million streams 
  • Second is Sweden’s entry ‘Hold Me Closer’ by Cornelia Jakobs, with 16 million streams  
  • S10’s ‘De Diepte’ from the Netherlands is the third favourite, reaching more than 14.7 million streams via Spotify and YouTube 

New research reveals Italy’s song ‘Brividi’ by Mahmood and Blanco is the internet’s favourite entry for Eurovision 2022.   

The study by entertainment experts JohnSlots analysed all 40 Eurovision songs from each country based on how much they had been played on Spotify and YouTube, to discover which song has generated the highest stream count this year. 

Storming in first is Italy’s ‘Brividi’ by Mahmood and Blanco; the song has been played more than 77 million times on Spotify and YouTube. Italy has won the annual contest three times, first in 1964 and most recently in 2021 with the song ‘Zitti e Buoni’ by Maneskin. This track has seen more than 300 million streams on Spotify, which this year’s winners will hope they can replicate. 

Second with a total stream count of 16.8 million is Sweden’s entry with ‘Hold Me Closer’ performed by Cornelia Jakobs. The country has taken a storming total of six wins in the contest, with its last win in 2015. 

S10’s ‘De Diepte’ has gained a sum of 14.7 million streams – 2.8 million from YouTube and 11.9 million from Spotify – placing Netherlands third in the ranking. The Netherlands won the second-ever Eurovision contest and have racked up four more wins since. 

Representing Spain, Chanel’s single ‘SloMo’ ranks fourth, with a combined stream count of 10.8 million.  

‘Stefania’ performed by Kalush Orchestra, claims fifth in the ranking for Ukraine, from its total stream count of more than 8.9 million plays.  

Norway’s entry has gathered 6.8 million via Spotify and 618,000 views on YouTube, totalling 7.4 million in streams; the single ‘Give That Wolf a Banana’ by Subwoolfer takes sixth place.  

Austria’s entrance this year with ‘Halo’ by artists LUM!X and Pia Maria claim seventh place with more than 7.2 million streams.  

https://youtu.be/udsMTb2NIak

Representing the United Kingdom, Sam Ryder’s ‘Space Man’ has a sum of 5.8 million plays. Sam was selected from an internal process with TaP Music, which also manages A-list stars such as Dua Lipa and Ellie Goulding. With a win count of five from the UK, the country hasn’t won for more than two decades.  

Malik Harris’s ‘Rockstars’ claims ninth, having accumulated 4.4 million streams. Germany has won twice before in previous years of the contest, the last being 2010 with ‘Satellite’ by Lena Meyer-Landrut.  

Finland follows in tenth, the entry ‘Jezebel’ by The Rasmus has gained more than four million streams . 

The favourite Eurovision song of 2022 
Rank Country Artist Song Spotify streams YouTube plays Total Listens 
1 Italy Mahmood & Blanco Brividi 75,975,566 1,226,438   77,202,004  
2 Sweden Cornelia Jakobs Hold Me Closer 15,074,571 1,804,558   16,879,129  
3 Netherlands S10 De Diepte 11,910,235 2,868,311   14,778,546  
4 Spain Chanel SloMo 9,448,460 1,362,667   10,811,127  
5 Ukraine Kalush Orchestra Stefania 5,363,922 3,601,829   8,965,751  
6 Norway Subwoolfer Give That Wolf a Banana 6,802,424 618,372   7,420,796  
7 Austria LUM!X & Pia Maria Halo 4,193,160 3,050,754   7,243,914  
8 United Kingdom Sam Ryder Space Man 3,688,338 1,999,882   5,688,220  
9 Germany Malik Harris Rockstars 4,051,151 381,903   4,433,054  
10 Finland The Rasmus Jezebel 

HMRC: Almost 66,500 file their Self Assessment on 6 April

Nearly 66,500 customers filed their 2021 to 2022 tax return on the first day of the new tax year – 6 April 2022 – HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has confirmed.

In recent years, there has been an increasing number of ‘early-bird’ customers filing their completed Self Assessment tax returns at the start of the new tax year – almost 30,000 more customers filed their returns on 6 April this year, compared to 2018 – and HMRC is encouraging others to change their filing habits and do it as soon as they can.

Customers have been able to file their 2021 to 2022 Self Assessment tax return since 6 April. And while many wait until nearer the annual filing deadline on 31 January, for some it is an opportunity to beat the last-minute rush and get it done as soon as they can, while they have the relevant information to hand.

Customers can file their tax return online. It is the quickest way to complete a Self Assessment return and it does not need to be finished in one go, as customers can access their return online anytime and save their progress until it is completed and ready to submit.

Customers who file their tax return early could benefit from:

·         receiving a tax refund on any overpaid tax from the 2021 to 2022 tax year sooner. Once a customer has filed their tax return, they can check if a repayment is due via their Personal Tax Account

·         managing their tax bill via direct debit. Customers can use the Budget Payment Plan service to set up weekly or monthly direct debit payments to spread the cost of any tax owed. The Self Assessment tax payment deadline for balancing payments remains unchanged – 31 January 2023

Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s Director General for Customer Services, said: “You don’t need to wait for the January rush to send us your tax return. More and more people are getting theirs out of the way early – search ‘Self Assessment’ on GOV.UK to get started.”

HMRC has updated the Self Assessment guide to help customers navigate through the tax return process. It includes helpful information on:

·         how to get help with your tax return

·         what to do when declaring furlough payments, Self-Employment Income Support Scheme grants or other COVID-19 support measures

·         what information you need before you can start completing your tax return

·         help with paying your Self Assessment tax bill

·         what to do if you have overpaid tax and are due a refund

Earnings and payments received during the pandemic will need to be reported on the tax return meaning customers must declare any grants or payments from the COVID-19 support schemes received between 6 April 2021 and  5 April 2022 as these are taxable, including: 

  • Self-Employment Income Support Scheme 
  • Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme 
  • other COVID-19 grants and support payments
  • any coronavirus payments incorrectly claimed

The Self Assessment deadline to file a return and pay any tax owed for the 2021 to 2022 tax year is 31 January 2023.

Lettuce Celebrate! Great value, healthy lunch options to feed the whole family

Aldi Scotland’s experts have curated a selection of recipes to feed the family on a budget

Leading value supermarket, Aldi Scotland, has revealed a selection of healthy and budget-friendly lunch options all ranging between £4 and £8.

Whether you’re working from home, in the office, or packing up lunchboxes to go, Aldi Scotland’s three delicious low-cost lunch options are the perfect mid-day meal, and are all made using the finest, locally sourced ingredients.

With Aldi’s generous portion sizes, each meal can feed up to a family of four, with options to stretch the ingredients across recipes to make the most of what is in the fridge and reduce food waste.

Mediterranean style salad with sweet potato and chicken – £4.41

With one sweet potato containing 400% of your daily required Vitamin A, low in calories and fat, while also being high in fibre, this superfood offers a nutritional yet comforting mid-week meal that is budget-friendly at only 99p per bag at Aldi Scotland.

Chop the sweet potatoes into chunks and cook in the oven alongside tomatoes, onions, and diced Scottish Chicken Breast Fillets (£1.85) for a Mediterranean style lunch packed full of goodness. Toss in some iceberg lettuce and season with salt and pepper to ignite the flavours.

  • Nature’s Pick Sweet Potatoes – 1kg – 99p
  • Nature’s Glen Scottish Chicken Breast Fillets – 300g – £1.85
  • Nature’s Pick Iceberg Lettuce – 46p
  • Everyday Essentials Cherry Tomatoes – 250g – 48p 
  • Everyday Essentials Red Onions – 1kg – 63p

Baked potato with ham and veg medley, plus a fruity dessert – £7.65

Pick up a four pack of Nature’s Pick Medium Baking Potatoes for only 42p for the perfect base, which will complement a variety of delicious and interchangeable toppings. For this recipe, Aldi Scotland suggests creating a medley of Nature’s Glen Ayrshire Cured Cooked Ham (£1.69), cherry tomatoes (48p) and red onions (63p). Top with a sprinkling of Glen Lochy Scottish Mature Cheddar (£1.89) this will become a firm family favourite for only £5.11.

Looking to bulk it out for hungry mouths? Add a dollop of Rowan Glen’s Greek Style Natural Yoghurt (55p) to your topping mixture and use the left-over yoghurt for an after-lunch snack piled with Aldi Scotland’s Nature’s Pick Fresh Scottish Strawberries for only £1.99 taking your final total for lunch and dessert to just £7.65.

  • Nature’s Pick Medium Baking Potatoes – 4 pack – 42p
  • Nature’s Glen Ayrshire Cured Cooked Ham – 125g – £1.69
  • Everyday Essentials Cherry Tomatoes – 250g – 48p 
  • Everyday Essentials Red Onions – 1kg – 63p
  • Glen Lochy Scottish Mature Cheddar – 400g – £1.89
  • Rowan Glen’s Greek Style Natural Yoghurt – 150g – 55p
  • Nature’s Pick Fresh Scottish Strawberries – 400g – £1.99

Chicken BLT – £5.92

Even the healthiest eaters need some carbs now and again – so why not treat your family, and your wallet, to a classic fan favourite – a chicken BLT sandwich for only £5.92 with enough ingredients to feed six people. 

Finely slice Aldi Scotland’s Scottish Chicken Breast Fillets (£1.85) and Specially Selected Scottish Bacon (£1.99,240g), mix in a splash of mayonnaise (59p), before loading up Authentic Scottish Bakeries Wholemeal Rolls (55p) with a layer of iceberg lettuce (46p) and some cherry tomatoes (48p).

At Aldi Scotland salads can be as cheap and delicious as they are good for you, so make sure to use your leftovers wisely – chop up your remaining iceberg lettuce and throw on what’s left of the bacon, chicken and tomatoes for a quick and easy salad, offering another meal for four at no additional cost. Top tip: cut the remaining rolls into squares, drizzle with oil and salt and bake for home-made salad crouton for some extra crunch.

  • Nature’s Glen Scottish Chicken Breast Fillets – 300g – £1.85
  • Specially Selected Scottish Bacon – £1.99 – 240g
  • Nature’s Pick Iceberg Lettuce – 46p
  • Everyday Essentials Cherry Tomatoes – 250g – 48p 
  • Authentic Scottish Bakeries Wholemeal Rolls – 6 pack – 55p
  • Bramwell’s Mayonnaise – 500ml – 59p

Graham Nicolson, Group Buying Director, Aldi Scotland, said: “With the cost of a weekly shop more important that ever, we are delighted to work with local producers to offer such a wide range of healthy weekly meal solutions that all the family can enjoy.  Our customers don’t have to compromise quality for value when they chose to shop with us.” 

You can find your nearest Aldi store here.

Aldi currently works with over 90 Scottish suppliers, stocking 450 Scottish products and are constantly looking to bring more of what Scotland’s vibrant food and drink industry has to offer to their customers. 

Expansion to Hospital at Home

£3.6 million to expand services

A further £3.6 million is being made available to support the expansion of Hospital at Home services, with the aim of doubling current capacity by the end of 2022.

The purpose of the service is to reduce hospital admissions for elderly patients by providing treatments in the comfort and familiarity of their own home.

The service enables people to receive treatments that would otherwise require them to be admitted to hospital, such as an intravenous drip or oxygen supply. It also provides access to hospital tests under the care of a consultant in their own home.

Evidence shows that those benefitting from the service are more likely to avoid hospital or care home stays for up to six months after a period of acute illness. For older patients, it means being able to stay at home longer without losing their independence and this has contributed to overall improvements in patient satisfaction. It also helps alleviate pressure on hospital beds.

The Scottish Government’s total investment in these services is now £8.1 million since 2020.

As well as Hospital at Home, the Outpatient Parenteral Antimicrobial Treatment scheme and Respiratory Community Response Teams now offer more than 600 virtual beds to treat patients for conditions that would traditionally need hospitalisation, an increase of more than a third from 440 virtual beds at the start of January 2022.

Health Secretary Humza Yousaf announced the further funding on a visit to NHS Forth Valley’s Hospital at Home service. He said: “Hospital at Home is one of the many ways we are providing more care in the community and reducing pressure on hospitals. 

“From the success of the scheme so far, we can see that there is a real benefit to treating people at home where possible.

“We know that frail patients tend to occupy hospital beds for a longer period of time and that is why we are expanding the scheme. In reducing the number of prolonged hospital stays, we will free up more hospital beds.

“With additional funding, all health boards can apply for money to either develop or expand their services with the aim of doubling the capacity of Hospital at Home by the end of the this year.”

Dr Sarah Henderson, Consultant Geriatrician for NHS Forth Valley’s Hospital at Home Team, said: “Developing this important service has enabled us to provide the same high standard of clinical care and treatment patients would receive in hospital without the need for them to leave their own home.

“We know from feedback how much local patients have valued being able to stay in familiar, comfortable surroundings without the anxiety and disruption often associated with an admission to hospital. This is also less stressful for family and friends who know that their loved one is getting all the medical care and attention   they require at home.”

Helen Sammels from Alloa has been supported twice by the Hospital at Home team when she required treatment for a respiratory condition.

She said: “I am sure I got better, quicker by being able to stay at home. It really made a difference being in my own surroundings, but I still got the care, services and tests I required. The Hospital at Home team were great, and I feel really grateful for all the treatment and support they provided.

“I also have a little dog and I didn’t want to leave her so being able to stay at home with her was very important to me and fortunately with the support of the Hospital at Home team I was able to do this.”

Queen’s ‘inspirational’ faith inspires free children’s book

  • The Church of England and Thy Kingdom Come prayer movement are giving away up to 500,000 FREE story books to children, in honour of The Queen’s faithful reign  
  • The book is inspired by the Queen’s dedicated service to the country for 70 years, and her Christian faith 

The Queen’s commitment to the country and her Christian faith has inspired a free story book, which will be distributed to half a million children in honour of Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee.  

The book, which is based on faithfulness, honours The Queen’s 70 steadfast years on the throne and is being issued by The Church of England and Thy Kingdom Come, The Archbishop of Canterbury’s global prayer movement. 450,000 of the books have already been requested and given away.  

The free story, Queen CJ and the Bouncy Castle, is a product of The Cheeky Pandas – a children’s cartoon series featuring contributions from stars including CBeebies’ Gemma Hunt, and Archbishop Justin Welby.

In the book, a little panda who owns a bouncy castle and doesn’t want to share it with her friends, learns that a good ruler is faithful to her people and serves her country through the ups and downs – just like Queen Elizabeth II.  

Alongside the book, there will also be a special ‘Royal’ themed Cheeky Pandas episode by the makers of CBBC’s Andy and the Band and CBeebies’ The Baby Club, with voiceovers from Gemma Hunt, and free activity packs (including a widget version for children with additional needs), assembly plans and music videos to use in homes, schools, and churches. 

Cartoon episodes will also be available in BSL.

  

Pete James, the creator of the Cheeky Pandas said: “It is an honour to partner with Thy Kingdom Come and the Church of England this year to create these resources to nurture young children’s faith in a fun way, in celebration of Her Majesty the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.” 

You can order the free books here on The Cheeky Pandas website, as well as other free Jubilee resources. 

There is also an extended version of The Cheeky Pandas free Jubilee book, available for purchase.  

Four Edinburgh charities welcome donations from Amazon

Four charities based in Edinburgh have received donations totalling £14,000 from Amazon Development Centre Scotland. 

Edinburgh Refugee Sponsorship Circle and Edinburgh and Lothians Regional Equality Council (ELREC) received £5,000 each, and The Yard and Four Square Scotland each received £2,000.

The charities received the donations following nominations for support from employees at Amazon Development Centre Scotland in Edinburgh and the company’s Head Office in London. 

Formed in 2020 with the goal of making Edinburgh a safe place for refugees and asylum seekers to live, Edinburgh Refugee Sponsorship Circle organises safe pathways for families fleeing conflict zones and helps them secure a new life in Edinburgh.  

Edinburgh and Lothians Regional Equality Council works to combat inequality and discrimination. The charity promotes equality of opportunity and good relations between people in Edinburgh and across the region. 

Four Square Scotland supports people impacted by homelessness in Edinburgh. The charity provides accommodation, advice, support and learning and employability training for homeless and vulnerable people. 

The Yard has been involved with the Edinburgh community for more than 35 years, supporting disabled children and young people, and their families, through adventure play.

Speaking on the donations, Oliver Masting, Managing Director at Amazon Development Centre Scotland, said: “Edinburgh has been a happy home to Amazon for many years and we’re proud to be a part of the community in the city.

“We’re passionate about supporting great organisations in our community with donations and it’s great to lend a helping hand to these four important charities.”  

Jane Devine, Chief Executive from Four Square Scotland added: “It’s fantastic to get this support from Amazon Development Centre Scotland.

“On behalf of all the staff and volunteers at Four Square Scotland, I’d like to say a big thank you to the Amazon teams in Edinburgh and London for their kind support.” 

Angus Robertson MSP added: “Each of these charities provide huge support and excellent services to so many in Edinburgh and beyond. They are thoroughly deserving of these donations and I thank Amazon Development Centre employees for their nominations.” 

The charities received the donations as part of Amazon’s programme to support the communities around its operating locations across the UK. 

Community donations are one of a number of ways in which Amazon is supporting communities across the UK during COVID-19.

Throughout the pandemic Amazon has provided disadvantaged students with online STEM courses and supported virtual classrooms with no-cost resources from AWS and Amazon Future Engineer.

The company has also teamed up with charity partner Magic Breakfast to deliver more than five million healthy breakfasts to disadvantaged families around the UK.

For more information on how Amazon is supporting the UK during COVID-19, click here.

Tennis Scotland provides advantage to youngsters in deprived communities

New partnership programme with UK charity

Tennis Scotland has partnered with ‘Rackets Cubed’ to enhance the lives of school children in deprived areas of the nation through an innovative tennis programme which aims to support fulfilment of academic potential whilst improving physical and mental wellbeing.

Rackets Cubed, a UK-registered charity currently operating South of the border, delivers integrated programmes comprising of racket sports, STEM education and nutritious meals as part of its weekly activities.

Founded in 2016, the organisation has a vision of ensuring that primary pupils perform to the best of their ability by benefiting from participation in sport, enhanced extracurricular lessons and an introduction to healthy eating: driven by evidence that active children perform better in school, whilst a healthy diet has been proven to have a positive impact on classroom behaviour.

Research suggests that children in disadvantaged areas are less likely to participate in physical activity outside of school, subsequently leading to issues such as low self-esteem and obesity which can impact their academic achievements and overall wellbeing.

Designed to provide stability and project sport as a positive vehicle for change in communities, Tennis Scotland launched pilot sessions of the Rackets Cubed programme in Glasgow yesterday, with pupils at St Paul’s Primary School in Shettleston alongside students at Antonine and Camstradden primary schools in Drumchapel, the first to benefit from the initiative.

The Drumchapel programme will see students continue their development outside of official school hours at Drumchapel Tennis Club; a facility that has been selected as an ‘aspirational’ venue to host the sessions, aiming to increase youngsters’ confidence in joining and participating in activities at local community clubs.

Capitalising on increased interest in tennis and substantial growth of club memberships in recent years, the governing body also plans to roll out the programme over the next 12 months to continue increasing the provision of tennis activities to underrepresented groups, having already engaged around 350 youngsters from socially deprived areas last year through the LTA SERVES initiative.

Blane Dodds, Chief Executive of Tennis Scotland, said: “Tennis Scotland’s mission is to Open tennis up, and this exciting programme will enable us to take tennis to more disadvantaged communities and use tennis the vehicle to raise wellbeing and attainment of young people.

“Over the last couple of years during the covid pandemic, many children have been less active and missed out on education. This exciting programme is a great opportunity to increase children’s physical activity, wellbeing and support extra education and nutrition resulting in a positive impact on the children.”

Geoff Newton CEO of Rackets Cubed: “Rackets Cubed is delighted to be partnering with Tennis Scotland to offer opportunities to young children from disadvantaged backgrounds to learn a new skill, and help open up tennis to a wider audience.

“Combined with additional tuition in a STEM subject, and a nutritious meal, all in an ‘aspirational’ location, we are delighted to launch the first programmes in Glasgow and look forward to working closely with Tennis Scotland to develop many more.”

Places still available at May one-day outdoor Adult Education Courses

One Day outdoor courses in May – some places still remaining:

Friday 20th – Geocaching Introduction.

Using navigational techniques to find, hide and seek containers at specific locations marked by global coordinates. Once you learn the skills you can keep going worldwide and keep having fun. An experienced and friendly tutor can reveal tips and techniques in this course from 10am-3pm.

Saturday 21st – Archaeology of the Cammo Estate.

Learn about the old and more modern archaeology and the digs taking place in this lovely environment. The tutor can answer any queries for a fun day out. Runs from 10am – 3pm. 

Sunday 22nd – Photography Workshop at the High Street.

Find little nooks, statues and crannies and discover how to make best use of your camera. The session is from 10am – 3pm. 

Very reasonable charges from £16.50-£20.63 for a day of enjoyment, exercise and extraordinary well-being to celebrate mental Health Awareness

For more information and to enrol follow link below:

https://www.joininedinburgh.org/?q=outdoor&at=&ns=

Or call 0131 556 7978 or 0131 469 3003

UK trade suicides visualised in Lunch atop a Skyscraper recreation

For Mental Health Awareness Week (9th-15th May), the iconic ‘Lunch atop a Skyscraper’ image has been recreated with 11 mannequins to represent the number of tradespeople who die from suicide each week. 

The display was organised by IronmongeryDirect as part of its annual campaign to raise awareness of mental health amongst the UK trades. 

Its 2022 report found that more than four in five (82%) UK tradespeople deal with some form of mental health problem due to work, and sadly, many take their own lives as a result. 

Government data shows that there are 589 suicides in the industry each year, which works out at 11 per week, on average. 

To visualise this tragic statistic, IronmongeryDirect positioned 11 mannequins on a platform, which was then lifted 30m into the air by a crane that was kindly donated by the excellent team at Bandshire Crane Hire. 

This year marks the 90th anniversary of the original skyscraper photo being taken, and the number of ironworkers in the scene matches the weekly suicide figure. 

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The original Lunch atop a Skyscraper photo from 1932 

As part of its campaign, the Essex-based ironmongery supplier has partnered with the mental health charity, Basildon Mind, and is donating over £3,000 to support its crucial services. 

Emma Mamo, Head of Workspace Wellbeing at Mind, said: “In male-dominated industries such as construction, employees are often less willing and able to open up about their mental health and ask for support.

“This can be problematic because mental health problems often become worse if left untreated, and the consequences can be fatal.  

“We urge employers to create cultures where employees can speak openly and honestly about their mental health.” 

Dominick Sandford, Managing Director at IronmongeryDirect, said: “The Lunch atop a Skyscraper image is famous for its message of hope for the industry and camaraderie between workers, so it’s heart-breaking to think that the same number of tradespeople seen in the photo die from suicide every single week. 

“Unfortunately, our research found that almost nine in ten individuals don’t feel comfortable talking about their mental health, yet this is one of the most positive steps people can take to start addressing any issues.  

“We hope that by raising awareness of mental health in the trades, this stigma can be removed and the situation can start to improve.” 

To read IronmongeryDirect’s Mental Health in the Trades: 2022 report, visit: https://www.ironmongerydirect.co.uk/research/mental-health-in-the-trades/  

The Health and Safety Executive’s Working Minds campaign aims to raise awareness of the legal obligations that employers have to protect employees from work-related stress and its impact on mental health.

Take the Working Minds quiz to find out more preventing work-related stress Working Minds Quiz – Work Right to keep Britain safe (campaign.gov.uk)

Fringe Days Out launched for 2022

Project celebrates five fantastic years

Today, Friday 13 May, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society launched Fringe Days Out, its flagship community engagement programme, for the fifth year.

Generously supported by Baillie Gifford, Fringe Days Out involves partnerships with 33 schools, community groups, charities and organisations around Edinburgh, and provides Fringe vouchers, bus tickets and additional support to help marginalised communities engage with the festival.

Since starting as a pilot programme in 2017, nearly 10,000 people have been given the opportunity to have a Fringe Day Out at one of the world’s greatest celebrations of arts and culture – right on their doorstep.

Commenting on the launch, Shona McCarthy, Chief Executive of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, said: “It is so important to us that Fringe Days Out is back for another year.

“This project started out as a modest thank you to people in Edinburgh for hosting the Fringe. We feel it only makes sense that Fringe Days Out should make the festival available to those who feel on the fringes of the city and the arts, no matter their background or circumstances.  

“This project is about breaking through the barriers that stand in the way of people and communities in Edinburgh engaging with the arts. And while there is undoubtedly more work to do in making the Fringe fully inclusive and accessible, I am proud of this step along the way.” 

Testimonials from some of our partner organisations:

The Broomhouse Hub (Youth and Families): A community hub providing services in Southwest Edinburgh

“We are all delighted that Fringe ’22 is taking place and we can’t wait to get involved. The young people and families we work with will again soak up what is a great atmosphere.

“We have been involved with Fringe Days Out from the beginning, and we receive great support from the Fringe Society.”

Vintage Vibes: An Edinburgh-based charity tackling loneliness and isolation

“Fringe Days Out has allowed the removal of barriers for people to engage with the Fringe. Some of our VIPs [Vintage Vibes’ over-60s community members] had lost a bit of confidence to go along or decided it was no longer for them – which certainly isn’t the case!

“We had one VIP who attended a show with her volunteer a few years ago; she said afterwards that getting along to a show like that again, such as she had in her youth, had made her feel herself for the first time in years, and brought her back to the ‘land of the living’!”

Capability Scotland: Delivering care, support and education for disabled adults and children across Scotland

“It’s great having different people of different cultures from all over the world visit and perform.”

“What an amazing journey: watching our service users choose what they would like to go and see, trying new things and having an adventure with their friends… enjoying themselves, talking about what they saw at the Fringe and writing about it in their newsletter.”

“It’s been great seeing the performers, dancers and musicians put smiles on our service users’ faces and getting them to interact with each other, all with fun and laughter!”

Background:

Fringe Days Out launched in 2017 as part of our Fringe Blueprint, a series of commitments published to mark the festival’s 70th anniversary. The Fringe Society wanted to say thank you to the people of Edinburgh for hosting the Fringe, and to ensure that every single resident felt welcome at the festival; as such, we carried out research to discover which communities might have typically felt excluded from the festival.

Working from the results of this research, we made initial contact with 26 community organisations and charities to help us better foster local connections; five years on, the programme has grown to include 30 community groups and three schools.

How does it work?

The Fringe Society provides Fringe Days Out partner organisations with free ticket vouchers for the Fringe and bus passes, so that cost is not a barrier to participation and engagement with the Fringe.

By providing people with Fringe ticket vouchers, we empower them to explore the full Fringe programme, inviting them to see any show at the Fringe.

Some Fringe Days Out participants are often unfamiliar with the city centre; this programme gives them the support and opportunity to travel outside their immediate neighbourhood, developing their confidence and experience of the city, without the potential barrier of paying for transport. For groups that experience challenges around bus and tram access, we also now include some budget for taxis.

The community organisations we work with are long-term partners of the Fringe Society, enabling the groups to take the time they need to build up knowledge, experience and confidence in the festival. Community members may go on an organised group trip one year, feel confident in attending alone the next, and end up organising group trips themselves by the third. The stories we hear and the numbers we saw grow each year between 2017 and 2019 reflect this.

Fringe Days Out 2017 – 2021 (including schools)  

 2021*2019 2018 2017 
Visits (estimated)  5243,805  3,009  2,585  

*Excluding schools as these couldn’t visit the festival in 2021. Instead, we facilitated digital shows in the classroom with our school partners; these numbers are not included.

Purpose of Fringe Days Out:

Our aim for this project is simple: to ensure that everyone involved has a good day out at the Fringe. The success of the Fringe relies on Edinburgh and its residents, and we are committed to finding more ways for even more local people to engage with and enjoy the arts.

We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to express themselves through creativity and experience the thrill of live performance, and that the Fringe is an incredible opportunity to do this. No matter who you are or where you come from, everyone is welcome.

About Fringe Days Out Partners:

The Fringe Society works with a broad range of individuals and groups including young people, single parents, isolated elderly people, disabled people, ethnic minority communities, refugees and asylum seekers, LGBTQIA+ people and many more.  

Examples of some of our partner organisations include Citadel Youth Centre, Vintage Vibes, Multi Cultural Family Base and Dads Rock.

The groups we work with are trusted partners in their communities who have built long-lasting relationships with their members. These relationships are crucial to the success of Fringe Days Out: by having open conversations with people they know and trust, participants can feel encouraged to take more risks in whether they choose to go and what they choose to see.

These conversations also help the Fringe Society better understand what else they can do to open doors and enable communities to celebrate culture and creativity on their own terms.

Pictures: Lesley Martin & Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society