Weekend visitors to Silverknowes Promenade in Edinburgh should keep their eyes peeled for a sack race with a difference.
The Great Scottish Tattie Run is back after a three year absence and more than 300 participants are expected to race with a 20kg sack of Branston Potatoes on their back.
The fun event on Sunday (26 June) is free and open to all ages – female runners can opt for a 10kg bag of tatties – while youngsters grouped according to age can enter the Spud & Spoon race.
And every runner can cash in their chips, taking home their free Branston bag of spuds, in addition to a bespoke medal marking their completion of the race.
The 6th Great Scottish Tattie Run gets underway at 2pm and entries can be taken on the day for people arriving by 1.30pm. The adult race for men and women is 1 mile long, followed by a relay race featuring teams of four who will run 400 metres each, and rounding off the fun with the children’s event.
Event organiser Terry Crossley, of Great Scottish Events, said: “There is nothing quite like The Great Scottish Tattie Run and we hope the people of Edinburgh will come along to take part or just to cheer on the runners.
“Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors, Branston, race entry is free and participants can also take home their 10kg or 20kg bag of tatties, and for younger runners they will have great fun in the Spud & Spoon race.
“After an absence of three years due to Covid restrictions, we are delighted to be back at wonderful Silverknowes and hope we can establish The Great Scottish Tattie Run as a not-to-be-missed fun family annual event.”
Kevin Imrie, general manager of Branston’s potato-packing site in Abernethy near Perth, said: “We’re delighted to be sponsoring this fantastic event once again and helping to raise funds for some very worthy charities in the process.
“Twenty kilos is a hefty weight to carry, never mind running a mile with it, so it’s real test of strength and stamina as well as a great way to work up an appetite for all those tatties.”
For more information and to enter the race, visit The Great Scottish Tattie Run or turn up on Sunday at Silverknowes Promenade near to the Boardwalk Beach Club by 1.30pm.
Specialist business property adviser, Christie & Co, has announced the sale of the former Melville House Nursery in Edinburgh.
Melville House Nursery was previously registered for up to 105 children aged from baby to school age. The now-vacant nursery, which occupies the ground floor of the property, was recently refitted and refurbished to a high standard and is located in an affluent area of Edinburgh, which is within walking distance of Morningside, Merchiston, Polwarth and Bruntsfield.
Previously owned and operated by Ms Meg MacLeod of Childcare Scotland Properties, the site was extended and fully refurbished before being brought to market. The property generated a high level of interest and attracted a number of operators throughout the Edinburgh and surrounding region.
Following a confidential sales process, the former nursery has been sold to large growing operator, Mini Rainbows Limited.
Ms MacLeod comments: “We purchased Melville House in 2003 and opened it in 2004. After 33 years, it was time for me to semi-retire, relax a bit, and spend more time with family.
“Both myself and fellow Director, Yvonne McDowall, wish Mini Rainbows every success in their new venture!”
Speaking on behalf of Mini Rainbows Limited, Director of Nurseries, Andrew Clifford, said: “We are delighted to complete our purchase of such a wonderful period property at Melville House, and wish Meg and Yvonne all the very best for the future.
“We are looking forward to bringing our inspirational environments and unique ethos to Melville House, which is due to re-open in late 2022.”
Rosie Adlem, Director, and Martin Daw, Senior Director, at Christie & Co, who handled the sale, work with childcare operators across the Scottish region as part of the Childcare & Education team.
Rosie comments: “We were delighted to act on behalf of Ms MacLeod in relation to the marketing and sale of this property.
“Being located in such a prime area of Edinburgh, we had no hesitation that the opportunity would be highly sought after and, despite running a confidential process, a number of parties expressed interest quickly and an agreed deal subsequently followed.
“We now look forward to seeing the nursery re-open in the near future with Mini Rainbows at the helm and seeing new families welcomed into the setting.”
The Forth Awards, a night of celebrating the great and the good of Edinburgh and the East, came back with a bang, with the sold-out Usher Hall playing host to a night to remember.
Wet Wet Wet were on hand to surprise guests after the Forth Awards, alongside performances from award winners Tony Hadley and Heather Small.
The Forth Awards, which celebrate the best of Edinburgh and the East, returned on Thursday (23 June) after last year’s noticeable absence due to the lockdown measures.
In total, ten awards were handed out with local heroes and celebrities all part of the celebrations.
Local heroes, Keith Armour and Steven Carr were awarded Volunteer of the Year and Local Hero respectively, with both raising huge sums of money over the past two years for good causes.
Emma St. Clair won the coveted Teacher of the Year award, with Edinburgh Zoo picking up the Visitor Attraction of the Year award, following the first full year of allowing visitors into the park.
Elsewhere, Tony Hadley won the Forth Icon award after decades of working across the music industry, and Heather Small won The Forth Music Recognition award, with both performing to the crowd.
Joining the already star-studded line-up, The Eves and Vula took to the stage to perform their biggest hits.
The Forth Awards were, once again, a celebration of the best music and entertainment around, with the opportunity to hear inspiring stories from Forth’s local heroes. Whether simple acts of kindness by local teachers, or staggering amounts of money raised for life-altering charities, everyone had an afternoon to remember.
Richie Jeffrey, Head of Events said: “The Forth Awards are always a truly incredible and inspiring afternoon, with our return from a two-year hiatus made it extra special.
“From the unrivalled Usher Hall atmosphere, to our non-stop entertainment and moving stories from very worthy winners, it is with real pride that Radio Forth is able to support and reward people in our community in this way.”
Full list of winners on the night:
THE FORTH FRINGE AWARD WITH MULTREES WALK
Winner: DANIEL SLOSS
THE FORTH BEST ARTIST AWARD WITH VICTOR PARIS
Winner: CALLUM BEATTIE
THE FORTH ICON AWARD WITH THE EDINBURGH PLAYHOUSE
Winner:TONY HADLEY
THE FORTH MUSIC RECOGNITION AWARD WITH THE LIQUID ROOMS
Winner: HEATHER SMALL
THE FORTH BEST RESTAURANT AWARD WITH HERITAGE PORTFOLIO
Winner: PRANA INDIAN GRILL
THE FORTH CHARITY VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR WITH NEWTOWN REFURBISHMENTS
As the founder and chairman of Dnipro Kids, Steven has put his business and family life on hold to help evacuate 50 orphans and their house parents from the war in Ukraine, and found them a safe haven in Scotland.
Steven has been chairperson and founder of Dnipro kids charity since 2005 when he and a group of Hibs supporters visited local orphanages in the city of Dnipropetrovesk at the time Hibs played a UEFA cup tie in the city. Steven built a strong relationship with the orphanages, and this was the founding of Dnipro kids.
Since then, he has visited 25-30 times once or twice a year to take donations over and to help out in any way he can. Since the outbreak of war in Ukraine Steven has taken it upon himself to travel to the country in order to help evacuate orphans from a number of Dnipro orphanages to the safety of Poland and in due course hopefully to settle in the UK.
Emma is the teacher all the children at Colinton Primary School want . At 62 years of age, she has worked at the school since graduation. She encourages by example, has an incredible way of building confidence and always makes learning fun.
Throughout her career, Emma has been the ‘soil’ to the children she teaches where she has nourished, nurtured and protected them as well as feeding them with the knowledge and skills they need to survive in life. She is well-thought of by the whole-school community
One of the entries said ‘She is a phenomenal person who loves the job she does and the kids love her in return.’
Taxpayers can use Repayment Agents to make claims for repayments of tax, and many are happy with the service they receive. On the other hand, many taxpayers have complained that the scale of the charges are unclear or even hidden, while questions have been raised about how some agents secure agreements from customers.
The consultation proposes various ways to better protect the public from unscrupulous practices and ensure they receive the money they are entitled to, while also asking various questions to better understand the problem.
This includes seeking views on:
restricting the use of assignments, where contracts legally transfer the right to a repayment from a taxpayer to an agent
introducing measures designed to ensure taxpayers see material information about a repayment agent’s service before entering into a contractual agreement
requiring repayment agents to register with HMRC
HMRC is aware of a number of specific concerns with the industry including excessive amounts of commission charged for routine tax repayments. However, taxpayers can make a claim directly through HMRC’s free online service on GOV.UK and keep 100% of the repayment themselves.
There is also strong evidence that many taxpayers do not understand the terms they are signing up to and feel misled, some even believing they are dealing with HMRC directly rather than a third party.
Other concerns include the submission of high volume or speculative claims where no repayment is due, resulting in delays to genuine claims, as well as the use of assignments which means the repayment goes to the Repayment Agent instead of the taxpayer.
Jonathan Athow, HMRC’s Director General for Customer Strategy and Tax Design, said: “We want to make sure taxpayers receive their full tax claims – putting 100% of the money they are due into their pockets – and not be taken in by the unscrupulous practices of some Repayment Agents.
“The ‘Raising standards in tax advice’ consultation aims to seek views so we can better understand and address the issues to help raise standards in the tax advice market. We’re urging anyone affected to respond to the consultation and share their experiences.”
HMRC is interested in hearing the views of all tax agents, particularly those who specialise in helping taxpayers claim repayments; taxpayers who have claimed or considered claiming tax refunds through repayment agents; those who have seen adverts from repayment agents; charitable organisations; consumer groups; and accountancy professional bodies.
The consultation is now open and will run until 14 September 2022.
HMRC is also reminding taxpayers that they remain responsible for their own tax. If they do appoint an agent, they should take care to ensure they are aware of fees and the terms and conditions of service, and not to share their HMRC login details with them.
HMRC has published standards for agents and will take action against agents who breach them.
A luxury Edinburgh care home has enhanced its bespoke five-star care with the resumption of monthly resident meetings after Covid restrictions were lifted.
Residents at Cramond Residence will have the chance to engage in active, regular discussions about their experience in the home and to provide open and honest feedback.
The meetings were halted at the outset of the coronavirus pandemic but care home management believe the facility is an important aspect in promoting independent lifestyles and ensuring residents are mentally fulfilled.
Cramond Residence staff will be able to respond to any question on the running of home – from daily food menus and programmes of activities to the general service – all aimed at promoting community inclusivity.
The monthly meetings have been designed to give residents a key role in their own health and wellbeing and aligns with Cramond Residence’s ethos of ensuring residents continue to live interesting and fulfilling lives, doing things they want to do on their own terms.
Managing Director at Cramond Residence, Graeme Kelly said: “We are delighted to be adding the resident monthly meetings back into our already jam-packed schedule at the care home.
“It will provide our residents with the perfect opportunity to raise any queries so that we can continue improving and adapting, and above all, continue putting the needs of the residents at the heart of what we do.
“Cramond Residence provides an array of activities and specialised, tailored programmes and receiving feedback is an important way of confirming that we are meeting the needs of our residents and maintaining our status as a high-quality care home, providing the best possible care.”
Included in the home’s current offering for residents and curated by its dedicated lifestyle team are bespoke physiotherapy sessions provided by boutique experts, as well as specialist dementia care delivered in an environment that combines luxury hotel living with the reassuring feeling of being in your own home.
Graeme continued: “The resident meetings are optional however, we fully encourage all of our occupants to attend in order to get the best outcomes. We are really looking forward to adding this highly worthwhile service back into our programme of events and will welcome any feedback that we receive.”
Located in Cramond, the care home was launched in 2018 to offer uncompromising nurse-led care, as well as respite and dementia specialist services, and provides small-group living for up to 74 residents in nine luxuriously-appointed homes.
In addition to deluxe accommodation, residents are provided with freshly prepared nutritious meals, best-of-class facilities and a wide range of entertainment. The medication and care provided is based on a detailed personal care plan, which is continually assessed and revised by health care professionals and other experts to ensure that the best possible care is being delivered.
Facilities provided include a cinema and function room, a dedicated games room and also a sensory experience which offers therapeutic activities for those with dementia.
Cramond Residence offer tours of their quality accommodation and facilities, allowing potential residents and loved ones to see the residence for themselves, meet the team and discuss requirements.
Union United Methodist Church was established in 1857. For over 160 years it has been a hub for Christ-centered ministry in the Irmo, SC area.
Union is well-known in the community for its loving and welcoming congregation, outstanding facilities, many ministries, and excellent music. The Music and Worship Arts Ministry of Union UMC consists of the Chancel Choir, Unity Choir, Youth Choir, two Children’s Choirs, the Union Brass, Mary Bonnett Chancel Chimers (handbells), Leaps of Faith (liturgical dance, three ensembles, all ages), Orchestra (special events), and the ElevenTen Praise Band.
As the primary musical ensemble for “traditional” worship at Union, the Chancel Choir performs a weekly anthem and leads musical worship for the 9:00am Sunday Worship Service.
The Choir frequently collaborates with other Union ensembles for special performances incorporating soloists, liturgical dance and additional instrumentation.
Once a quarter, the Chancel Choir becomes the Unity Choir, inviting people of all ages to come experience singing with the group. In addition to weekly worship responsibilities, the various ensembles of the Ministry collaborate to produce two to three major worship events and/or concerts every year.
The Union Chancel Choir has performed on tour in Austria and Hungary with Dr. Larry Wyatt and the University of South Carolina Concert Choir (2006). They have also performed in massed choirs conducted by Dr. Alicia Walker at Carnegie Hall (World Premiere performance of World Without End by Daniel Elder, 2015) and David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center (Mass in Blue by Will Todd, 2019). The Chancel Choir is thrilled to be going on tour to England and Scotland this summer (2022).
Donald Kirkindoll
Donald Kirkindoll, Director of Music Ministries at Union United Methodist Church in Irmo, South Carolina, earned the Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance from Centenary College of Louisiana, and the Master of Music degree in Conducting from the University of South Carolina, where he was a student of Dr. Larry Wyatt.
An experienced vocalist, Kirkindoll has performed at the White House, Carnegie Hall, and Lincoln Center, as well as concerts in Germany, France, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Bulgaria, South Africa, and throughout the southeastern U.S.A., including two performances of Star Wars in Concert with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Anthony Daniels, and the World Premiere performance of Lux: The Dawn from On High by Dan Forrest with the Greenville Chorale and the Greenville Symphony Orchestra.
He performed as a baritone and soloist for the Greenville Chorale and the professional Herring Chamber Ensemble from 2014 through 2018 under the direction of Dr. Bingham Vick, Jr.
Kirkindoll has directed choirs of all ages in churches, schools, and community organizations for the last twenty-five years. He has served as the Director of Music Ministries at Union UMC in Irmo, SC, Advent UMC in Simpsonville, SC, and Ashland UMC in Columbia, SC. Previously, he served as the Choral Director at Blythewood High School and the Vocal Director of the Tri-District Arts Consortium.
Choirs under his direction have performed at Walt Disney World (solo concert at Epcot, 2011), Carnegie Hall (World Premiere performance of The Peacemakers by Karl Jenkins, 2012) and David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center (Mass in Blue by Will Todd, 2019).
The Music Ministry of Union UMC continues to thrive and grow under Kirkindoll’s direction. In the summer of 2022, the Union Choir will perform on tour at Wesley’s Chapel (London, England), Canterbury Cathedral (Canterbury, England), St. Helen’s Church – Stonegate (York, England), and Canongate Kirk (Edinburgh, Scotland).
He lives in Chapin, SC with his wife and best friend, Kriss, and their daughter, Nat.
Clifford Leaman
Critics have hailed Clifford Leaman as “an artist of the first order…intuitive, exciting, and enthralling.” (Paul Wagner, The Saxophone Journal) Leaman reveals himself to be {an} artist of technical brilliance and emotional commitment.” “The range of colors is impressive…” (Jack Sullivan, American Record Guide)
Associate Dean, Director of Graduate Studies, and Professor of Saxophone at the University of South Carolina, Leaman is in great demand as a soloist and clinician and has performed and taught throughout the United States, Canada, Italy, Spain, France, Slovenia, Croatia, Sweden, Australia, Thailand, Taiwan, and China.
Leaman has recorded four compact discs with piano, and two discs with percussionist Scott Herring as the RoseWind Duo. In addition to his work with piano and marimba, Leaman has performed as a concerto soloist with numerous Wind Ensembles and Orchestras and has recorded concerti by Brant, Bassett, and Dahl.
He has given masterclasses at major schools of music and conservatories across the globe, including the Northwestern, Eastman, Michigan, North Texas, Florida State, Paris, Boulogne-Billancourt, Strasbourg, Aragón, Escola Catalunya, Beijing Central, Shanghai, and the Sichuan Conservatories, among many others.
An avid supporter of contemporary music, Leaman has commissioned and given the world premiere performances of over 35 works, including concerti by William Bolcom, Leslie Bassett, Frank Ticheli, Stacy Garrop, and Michael Colgrass. Leaman is an artist-clinician for D’Addario and the Conn-Selmer Company, Inc. and performs exclusively on Selmer saxophones and D’Addario Reserve reeds.
Dobbies, the UK’s leading garden centre, is set to host a series of workshops this summer in Edinburgh for its Little Seedlings Club. Magnificent Microgreens will take place on Sunday 3 July, and back for 2022 is Dobbies’ Summer Holiday Club sessions, perfect for keeping the little ones busy during the school break.
Dobbies’ Little Seedlings Club is a free children’s gardening club for children aged 4-10 in Edinburgh which explores the exciting ways children can connect to plants, wildlife and the environment, nurturing their minds with fun-filled activities.
The Magnificent Microgreens workshop will take a deep dive into the science behind the nutritious leafy greens, showcasing all the health benefits of eating these superfoods and how attendees can easily grow their own at home no matter the space by making their very own windowsill planter to take home and grow.
The not your average garden centre will also be demonstrating all the ways in which chefs use microgreens in the kitchen to help encourage kids to eat their greens.
Dobbies’ Summer Holiday Club sessions in Edinburgh will take place on 26 and 27 July between 11-12 am. These interactive workshops will explore how children can create their very own summer sanctuary in the garden for plants and wildlife to flourish.
Here attendees will take a closer look at the insects, birds and animals that call the garden home during the summer months, making bug hotels, learning interesting animal facts, and finding out all the ways we can make our garden into a wildlife haven.
Dobbies’ Partnership and Events Manager, Sarah Murray, explained: “Summer holidays are a great chance for the little ones to harvest a new passion for gardening, enjoy time with kids of a similar age and learn something new.
“Our free Little Seedlings workshops are open to all, and this summer we’re showing our young gardeners that anything is possible in their green space if they have the right knowledge and tools.”
Advance booking is required for the free events to secure your space. For more information about how children can get involved in these workshops at Dobbies’ Edinburgh store, visit the following links.
LAWYERS WARN OF MORE VICTIMS IN NHS LOTHIAN AUDIOLOGY CASE
Lawyers supporting victims of the NHS Lothian hearing service scandal have warned that the number of children affected could be far greater than those identified in the independent report.
An audit of the health board’s audiology services found significant concerns in 155 of the 1007 patients treated between 2009 and 2018, which led to some children being identified with hearing loss years later than when first tested.
However, it has now emerged that THOUSANDS of children could be affected as lawyers highlight the 1,007 patients analysed in the audit was just a “sample” of those tested during the 9-year period.
Grace Smith, Associate at global law firm PGMBM, who are supporting parents affected by the scandal, said: “Whilst the audit highlighted those 155 children who were significantly affected by the failures at NHS Lothian, it is clear that the real number of families affected is much higher.
“The audit was performed on a sample of just over 1000 patients that were treated at NHS Lothian between 2009 and 2018. Within that 9-year period there were far more children through the doors of the Paediatric Audiology Service. The patient case load for this time frame was 22,900.
“The audit found concerns with 88% of the records within the sample. If that same percentage is applied to the full patient caseload across that time period, then the number of families affected by the report, delays and misdiagnosis could run into five figures. We know that there are children who were not included in the audit sample who have been affected by the failings highlighted in the audit report. ”
PGMBM are representing a parent whose child was not included in the audit sample – but experienced significant and serious delays in diagnosis.
Grace added:. “One of the families we are representing was seen by NHS Lothian’s Audiology Service several times from 2019 after their child failed a hearing test at birth.
“Despite repeatedly raising concerns about their child’s hearing, they were dismissed again and again and told that their child’s hearing was normal. However, at almost three years old, an external second opinion diagnosed their child with severe hearing loss. This significant delay in diagnoses happened at a key developmental stage for their child.
“There are clearly more people affected than were reviewed in the audit sample. We would appeal to anyone worried to get in touch with either NHS Lothian or ourselves and we can look at ways to support you.”
The British Academy of Audiology report found systemic failings which led to babies and children undiagnosed or experiencing significant delays in diagnosis and treatment.
It was found that there were a series of serious issues particularly within the under-five age group of the Paediatric Audiology service. The root causes of these failures were found to be a lack of scientific leadership, knowledge, reflection and enquiry in the presence of a lack of routine and robust quality assurance process.
The report found that staff were not following professional standards, training was almost exclusively in-house and insufficient, testing was not carried out correctly and there was no evidence of consistent management protocol or structure for children after results of tests. As such children who presented with similar test results and histories were being managed in different and contrasting ways. It also found that parents concerns were often dismissed.
NHS Lothian apologised following the report which was published last December.
Anyone who thinks they might be affected by the issues identified in the audit and would like more information can speak to PGMBM lawyers at:
