Edinburgh Leisure is offering Pickleball Taster sessions at four of its venues next week.
Invented in the USA over 50 years ago by a family who named it after their dog Pickles, Pickleball is the fastest growing sport in the world.
Played on a court very similar to badminton but with a lower net, it is played with a ball and a paddle, and uses racket skills from tennis, squash, badminton and table tennis. The rules and scoring system mean that pickleball is very accessible for the young and not so young, making it a family activity for everyone to enjoy.
Led by Pickleball Scotland ambassadors, the free adult taster sessions will be offered at the following venues. No need to invest in a paddle or balls as the kit will be supplied on the day.
Monday, 30th January – 1pm – 3pm
Meadowbank Sports Centre, 139 London Road, Edinburgh EH7 6AD
Wednesday, 1st February – 7 pm – 9 pm
Ainslie Park, 92 Pilton Drive, Edinburgh EH5 2HF
Thursday, 2nd February – 1 pm – 3 pm
Craiglockhart Tennis Centre, 177 Colinton Road, Edinburgh EH14 1BZ
Friday, 3rd February – 1 pm – 3 pm
Drumbrae Leisure Centre, 30 Drumbrae Terrace, Edinburgh EH4 7SF
No need to invest in a paddle or balls as the kit will be supplied on the day.
To book your free space, visit here, select the venue of your choice and choose activity type ‘Social Sport Class’. Or select the Social Sports icon on the Edinburgh Leisure App at your chosen venue.
Detectives in Edinburgh are appealing for information after a man was assaulted and robbed by three youths in Seafield.
Around 5.30pm on Tuesday (24 January 2023) the man sustained minor injuries after three males struck him on the head with a weapon and stole his rucksack and laptop as he made his way along the cycle path between Seafield Street and Pirniefield.
The suspects are described as:
The first was around 14-years-old, with a Scottish accent, slim build, wearing a snood, dressed in black and riding a black scooter.
The second, with the weapon, was about 16/17-years-old, stocky build, 5ft 9, Scottish accent, wearing a dark hoodie with the hood tied tight, red snood, black jogging bottoms and black trainers.
The third was around 14/15-years-old, wearing dark clothing and silver trainers. Both were on electric bikes.
Detective Sergeant Keith Taylor, Violence Reduction Unit, said: “Extensive enquiries are ongoing to trace the people responsible, and we encourage anyone with information about this attack to contact police.
“Think back, did you see these three youths in the area around this time?
“We are also appealing for anyone who may have relevant dash-cam footage from the Seafield Road area around 5.30pm on Tuesday to get in touch.
“Please contact Police Scotland on 101, quoting reference number 3094 of Tuesday, 24 January, 2023.”
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt will set out a long-term plan for prosperity made possible by Brexit.
Hunt will make the case against “declinism”, with the UK growing faster than France, Japan and Italy since 2010.
He will also confirm post-Brexit reforms to unlock £100bn of private investment this decade will be implemented in the coming months.
Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt will today set out his approach to tackle poor productivity and boost growth, using the new freedoms won by Brexit as a catalyst.
Following the Prime Minister New Year address outlining his five priorities which include growing the economy, halving inflation and getting debt down – the Chancellor will speak about how this will be accomplished.
Delivering the speech at Bloomberg’s European headquarters in London, Mr Hunt will caution against an attitude of “declinism” about Britain and set out the case for optimism as the UK aims to play a leading role in Europe and across the world in the industries of tomorrow. Since 2010 the UK economy has grown faster than France, Italy and Japan, and since the EU referendum the UK economy has grown at around the same rate as Germany.
The Chancellor will also confirm that post-Brexit reforms to Solvency II will be implemented in the coming months, which could unlock £100 billion of additional investment into the UK’s most productive assets this decade – such as clean energy and UK infrastructure.
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is expected to say: “Our plan for the years that follow is long term prosperity based on British genius and British hard work.
“[And] world-beating enterprises to make Britain the world’s next Silicon Valley.”
The Chancellor will also caution against declinism, with the UK aiming to play a leading global role:
“Declinism about Britain was wrong in the past – and it is wrong today.
“Some of the gloom is based on statistics that do not reflect the whole picture.
“Like every G7 country, our growth was slower in the years after the financial crisis than the years before it. But since 2010, the UK has grown faster than France, Japan and Italy. Since the Brexit referendum, we have grown at about the same rate as Germany.
“If we look further ahead, the case for declinism becomes weaker still. The UK is poised to play a leading role in Europe and across the world in the growth sectors which will define this century.”
The Chancellor will focus on key growth industries, including Digital Technology, Green Industries, Life Sciences, Advanced Manufacturing and Creative Industries – areas where Britain has a competitive advantage to build on further.
Mr Hunt will also set out some of the challenges the UK faces, including poor productivity, and set out a plan to long-term prosperity, using the UK’s new-found Brexit freedoms to support growth and entrepreneurship.
In the Autumn Statement, the Chancellor set out the government’s strategy for boosting growth by investing in our people, in the infrastructure that connects our country, by creating the right environment for business investment, and by supporting our world-leading financial services companies and innovators.
To further support investment across our economy, the Chancellor also announced a decision to proceed with reforms to Solvency II – an EU Directive that governs the amount of funds British insurers are required to hold in reserve. The Association of British Insurers suggest the Chancellor’s reforms are expected to unlock up to £100 billion of private investment this decade into UK infrastructure and clean energy, such as nuclear power.
And in December, the Chancellor went further and announced the Edinburgh Reforms – a package of reforms to drive growth and competitiveness in the UK’s financial services sector, while retaining our commitment to high international standards. This included the publication of our ambitious plan for repealing and reforming EU law for financial services.
The Chancellor is also expected to say: “Confidence in the future starts with honesty about the present, and we should not shy away from the biggest challenge we face which is our poor productivity. Our plan for long term prosperity tackles that challenge head on.
“It is a plan necessitated, energised and made possible by Brexit which will succeed if it becomes a catalyst for the bold choices we need to take.
“Our plan for growth is a plan built on the freedoms which Brexit provides. It is a plan to raise productivity. It is a plan to use the proceeds of growth to support our public services at home, to support businesses in the new low carbon economy and to support democracy abroad. It is the right course for our country and the role in the world to which we aspire.”
With a UK tech sector worth one trillion dollars the Chancellor will call on other businesses to consider the UK as a place for investment by tech entrepreneurs, life science innovators and energy companies.
The UK is an attractive location for tech investment; the recently announced digital markets regime aims to open the UK’s digital markets up to greater competition and spur increased innovation across the sector. The regime is an alternative to the EU’s Digital Markets Act – the UK’s proposals are widely regarded as more proportionate, targeted and flexible than the EU’s.
This month PwC surveyed more than 4,400 top chief executives in 35 countries and found that the UK has risen the joint third most important country to invest, behind only the US and China and equal with Germany.
A free independent advocacy service to support disabled people to access Scottish Government benefits has marked its first year in operation.
The Scottish Government is investing more than £20 million to deliver this service over the course of four years. This independent service is available to people with a disability who may need extra support. This could include people with a sensory disability, mental health condition or learning disability. The service is also available to parents or carers who need support to access benefits for a child.
The service, which was introduced in January 2022, enables disabled people to be more involved in the processes and decisions which affect them and advocates will provide the most appropriate form of support to each individual based on their circumstances.
Minister for Social Security Ben Macpherson said: “I am delighted that, in its first year, the Independent Advocacy Service has supported over 550 people applying for Scottish Government social security benefits.
“The service is a key part of our human rights approach to social security and how the values of dignity, fairness and respect in our social security system work in practice.
“The service helping disabled people to access the financial support they are entitled to, and is delivering on our commitment to make our system as inclusive as possible.
“With the Scottish Government’s commitment to invest more than £20 million in it, the advocacy service will be able to assist even more disabled people access the help they are entitled to over the coming years.”
CEO of VoiceAbility, Jonathan Senker said: “Over our first year of delivering the Independent Advocacy Service, people tell me that it enabled them to apply for social security benefits when before they felt daunted by the process. They say that advocates supported them to express themselves openly, when previously they felt obliged to ‘put on a brave face’ or underplay their needs.
“It’s vital that people can access the benefits to which they are entitled. I am proud of VoiceAbility’s skilled team of advocates, who are ready and available to support disabled people across Scotland. I encourage anyone who thinks an advocate could help them to access benefits to contact us. We’re here on the phone, online and in-person to make sure you’re heard when it matters.”
The independent service was introduced in January 2022, ahead of a pilot for Adult Disability Payment – which replaces Personal Independence Payment (PIP) in Scotland. Adult Disability Payment was introduced across Scotland in August 2022.
Did you know you can get free, independent support to access Social Security Scotland benefits if you’re disabled? If you’re based in or near Edinburgh, come and chat to Alex at one of our drop-ins:
Alternating Mondays, 1-3pm: Edinburgh Food Project, Pilton food bank at St Margaret Mary, Boswall Pkwy, EH5 2JQ – from 16 January
Every Wednesday, 10am-2pm: The Salvation Army, 36 Wardieburn Drive, EH5 1BZ
Every 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month, 1-3pm: Edinburgh Food Project, Broughton food bank at Broughton St Mary’s Parish Church, Bellevue Crescent, EH3 6NE
Every 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month, 9.30am-1pm: Citizens Advice Bureaux at 23 Dalmeny Street, EH6 8PG – from 12 January
Every 1st and 3rd Friday of the month, 11am-1pm: Craigmillar Library at 101 Niddrie Mains Road, EH16 4DS
Responding to reports that the Muirhouse Millennium Centre was holding a ‘Save Our Centre’ public meeting last night, Thursday 26th January, due to fears that they are at risk of closure, Foysol Choudhury MSP said:“The Muirhouse Millennium Centre is sadly at risk of becoming another community loved facility threatened with closure.
“Citizens up and down Scotland depend on these community facilities, especially during the cost-of-living crisis where warm banks and food hubs have become a lifeline for many households.
“When local authorities aren’t given adequate funding, it is not just the community centres who miss out. It is the people who themselves are dependent on these community centre services who are hit the hardest, especially in areas of high deprivation.
“Over the past weeks, I have attempted to ask questions in the Scottish Parliament about the Centre being at risk and potential solutions. Unfortunately, my questions have not been chosen but I will continue to try and raise awareness of this matter wherever possible.
“It is time for the Scottish Government to wake up and listen to the effect that their funding cuts are having on local services and people. They have starved Scotland’s councils of funding for years and unfortunately they show no sign of stopping.
“Unless the Scottish Government increases funding to local authorities, community, culture, and sport groups will not have the necessary funds to support essential community centres such as the Muirhouse Millennium Centre.
“I will continue to support our essential community groups and will be paying close attention to the outcome of the public meeting on Thursday. Enough is enough, action is needed now before the Scottish Government strips away all of our essential community lifelines.”
Historic Environment Scotland (HES) has revealed its refreshed Edinburgh Castle whisky recipe, packaging design and bottle shape, introducing a modern edge to the landmark Scotch.
Paying homage to the eponymous icon behind the single malt Scotch, the simplified label showcases a sketch of Edinburgh Castle, while allowing the russet-coloured liquid to speak for itself as it shines through the bottle.
With the updated whisky launching off the back of Burns Night celebrations, HES views this as the perfect opportunity for people to try the Edinburgh Castle 10-Year-Old Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky.
Natasha Troitino, head of retail at Historic Environment Scotland, which operates Edinburgh Castle, gives a hint of what people can expect from the new liquid: “On the nose, there are a myriad of shortbread biscuit notes with a hint of vanilla essence and honey.
“To taste, there are an abundance of earthy sherry flavours, orange peel with a vanilla, shortbread note, with just a hint of earthiness at the end from time spent in ex-sherry casks.”
In celebration of the launch, HES has also partnered with award-winning Scottish mixologist Sean Cavanagh to create a signature serve using the Edinburgh Castle 10-Year-Old whisky.
Using Sean’s expertise and flair for flavour, he has identified key ingredients to enhance the flavour profile and tasting notes of the Scotch to deliver a delicious signature serve –
Edinburgh Castle Single Malt signature serve recipe:
o 40ml Edinburgh Castle 10-Year-Old whisky
o 10ml Creme de Banane
o 5ml Pedro Ximéne
o 25ml lemon juice
o 10ml honey/agave (if vegan)
o 1 drop orange blossom water
o 25ml egg white/ 4 drops vegan foamer (if vegan)
Simply shake, strain into a glass and garnish with 3 drops of angostura bitters.
Extending the range, the single malt – distilled and bottled in Scotland and exclusively sold at Edinburgh Castle shops and the Stòr online shop – is now also available in three sizes: 5cl (£7.50), 20cl (£24) and 70cl (£56).
Natasha added: “We’re excited to launch our refreshed product which has completely transformed the look, feel and taste of our whisky, bringing it into 2023 while reflecting the history and heritage of its Scottish roots.
“Whether you try your hand at Sean’s signature cocktail serve or prefer it neat, we hope this brand refresh will both remind connoisseur of the quality of our Scotch and intrigue those new to the category as we invite them to give it a try.”
The Edinburgh Castle 10-Year-Old Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky is available exclusively online at www.stor.scot and at Edinburgh Castle shops.
In joint operations, Tracker Network (UK) and the UK police force uncovered 32 illegal chop shops during 2022 – over a 300% increase on the number of chop shop closures recorded by Tracker since 2021.
Alongside vehicles recovered that were fitted with Tracker units, it has helped return 100’s of other non-Tracker fitted vehicles to their rightful owners as well as seize valuable vehicle parts worth millions of pounds.
With the popularity of chop shops amongst organised crime gangs significantly on the rise, the stolen vehicle recovery (SVR) expert, Tracker, is warning vehicle owners to be extra vigilant.
Clive Wain, Head of Police Liaison at Tracker said, “We have seen a record number of chop shops being discovered and closed down in the UK last year.
“Essex has always been and continues to be the UK’s chop shop prime hot spot. Only recently, Essex police and Tracker found a number of stolen vehicles at a Tilbury chop shop site, which had been stolen over the weekend from the Met Police area. Other key regions for chop shops being found include, London, Kent, Bedfordshire, Manchester and the West Midlands.
“The lack of parts for new car manufacturing in recent years has driven a surge of sales in the second-hand car market, which in turn, generated a higher demand and price for used car spare parts, especially in 2022.
“This resulted in creating a perfect opportunity for thieves. Inside the illegal shops, batteries, engines, and steering wheels are stripped from cars ready to be sold for cash or on the black market. Criminals are working 24/7 to steal cars for their parts to then sell-on to criminal networks, not only in the UK but also in Europe, Middle East and Africa.
“We work very closely with UK police forces recovering stolen cars in ‘chop shops’ nationwide. A large percentage of vehicles that are stolen to order, are taken to ‘chop shops’ where the criminals strip the parts and try to mask their identities, which can often happen within just a few hours of them being taken. Given the current cost of living crisis this industry is booming adding demand for high-value parts being removed for re-sale.”
Tracker is the only SVR provider offering vehicle tracking systems that are supported nationwide by UK police forces.
Tracker’s SVR solutions work like an electronic homing device. A covert transmitter is hidden in one of several dozen places around the vehicle. There is no visible aerial, so the thief won’t know it’s there. The combination of VHF with GPS/GSM technology unique to Tracker, confirms its SVR devices as a superior security defence against determined thieves.
Tracker’s top tips for vehicle security
Protect your key fob: Keyless car theft works through a relay-style electronic device tricking your key fob signal into thinking the key is near to the car and then the device can assume all key fob power. To prevent this, keep the key – and the spare too – away from where the vehicle is kept when not in use, and block the signal by keeping the key fob in a closed tin or faraday bag.
Switch off and lock up: Never leave your car running idle and unattended, even when defrosting windscreens and windows on a cold morning.
Make life difficult: Fit security posts or a substantial gate if parking on your drive, physical barriers will make thieves think twice.
Don’t advertise your stuff: Never leave your belongings on show, lock them in the boot or take them with you.
Keep paperwork indoors – Don’t store car documents or spare keys inside the car as it makes it easier for thieves to sell it on.
Plan for the worst: Take car security measures to protect your car from being stolen in the first place, such as installing security lighting where you park your car and using a steering wheel lock. If criminals find a way to steal your car, having a vehicle tracker fitted can help the authorities to recover your vehicle.
The Edinburgh Graduate Theatre Group (EGTG) has successfully secured funding to host the second StagEHd Festival this summer.
The local amateur theatre company has been granted £5,000 from The National Lottery Awards for All Scotland fund to present the free-to-attend theatre festival at the Ross Bandstand in Princes Street Gardens on Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 June.
Launched in 2022 by members of EGTG, StagEHd Festival is an open access theatre festival programmed to showcase the best of Edinburgh’s amateur and emerging performing artists.
Last year’s event proved popular with over 1,200 attendees across the weekend enjoying performances from puppetry to opera; including a retelling of Polish folklore Wawel Dragon from bilingual theatre company Lustro SCENY (The Mirror of Stage); a performance of the traditional Scottish folktale Galoshins by Scotland’s only all-women mumming group, The Meadows Mummers; and a resounding rendition of songs from the musicals from local youth musical theatre company Momentum Performing Arts.
The programme for StagEHd 2023 is still to be announced, but festival founder, Hannah Bradley Croall shared her excitement upon receiving the support: “We’re incredibly grateful to The National Lottery and its players for their support in making StagEHd 2023 happen.
“And we’re excited to present another weekend of entertainment at the Ross Bandstand; a venue which, if it wasn’t for community efforts like ours, would sit vacant and closed off for the majority of the year.
“This money will pay for the hire of the venue, and cover the cost of bringing in the equipment necessary to produce live performance in the space. The Ross Bandstand is such an asset to have in the centre of our city, and it’s a shame to see it underappreciated and unutilised for most of the year.
“We’re looking forward to unlocking the space and giving a stage to some of Edinburgh’s best performing artists in a two-day celebration of our city’s culture.”
The National Lottery Community Fund Scotland Chair, Kate Still, said: “This project, delivered by the Edinburgh Graduate Theatre Group, is a great example of community activity in action, showing just what can be achieved when people come together for a common cause or to help others.
“It’s all thanks to National Lottery players that we can help give charities and community groups throughout Scotland greater certainty during challenging times.”
StagEHd Festival is a free-to-attend theatre festival celebrating the best of Edinburgh’s performing arts. StagEHd 2023 will take place at the Ross Bandstand in Princes Street Gardens on Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 June.
For more information and to sign up to receive updates visit:
More than £2,000 has been won by people across Scotland who are helping to tackle the litter emergency.
Keep Scotland Beautiful’s innovative partnership with behaviour change app LitterLotto recently passed the halfway mark and, to date, the charity has had 11 winners who have shared £2,400 with prizes ranging from £50 to £500.
Angela Breward from Fraserburgh was the first winner back in November, winning £250.
Since then we’ve had winners from all over Scotland including Glasgow, Dundee, the Highlands, Inverurie, Brechin and Inverclyde.
Lynn Seymour, James Sutherland, Bryan McMahon, Simon McGinley all also went on to win £250.
Lilly Cumming, Kirsty Murdoch and Allan Cherrie then won £50 each before the prize rocketed in the new year.
Katherine Thomas won £250 before Allan Bruce, the most recent winner, won £500.
Catherine Gee, KSB Deputy Chief Executive, said: “I’m delighted to see so many people from all over Scotland being rewarded for doing the right thing through our partnership with LitterLotto.
“This collaboration is all about encouraging people to help tackle the country’s looming litter emergency and it’s brilliant to see people across the country getting involved.
“I’m looking forward to seeing many more Scottish winners benefitting from helping to keep Scotland beautiful, and with our Spring Clean due to kick off in March it is the ideal time for people to get involved in making a difference.”
Dawn, Campaign Project Manager at LitterLotto, said: “It’s great to see our Scottish users benefiting from this regional jackpot.
“We hope that our partnership with Keep Scotland Beautiful will encourage others to get involved.
“Our users help keep their communities clean and green and with LitterLotto you can win cash while doing good.”
This innovative venture is one of the many ways we are tackling the litter emergency with a national poll conducted by the environmental charity earlier this year highlighting two thirds of people believe that litter is an issue in their local area, and 87% believe that it is an issue across Scotland.
With the partnership continuing until the end of March there is still plenty of time for more people to get involved and be in with a chance of winning.
The LitterLotto app is available to download for free on the App Store and Android Store.
Scottish Government campaign aims to help fill vacant posts
A marketing campaign to support the recruitment of more adult social care workers has launched To help address the high level of vacancies in the sector.
The campaign – titled ‘there is more to care than caring’ – will raise awareness of the career opportunities available in adult social care and encourage people to apply. Activity includes radio, outdoor and digital advertising, highlighting the important work done by adult social care workers.
It is part of the Scottish Government’s commitment to attract more people to work in adult social care, retain existing staff and raise its status as a profession. This builds on a pay uplift for all adult social care staff which guarantees them a minimum of at least £10.90 an hour from this April.
Social Care Minister Kevin Stewart visited Leuchie House in North Berwick yesterday to see the work it does to support people affected by stroke, multiple sclerosis and neurological conditions.
Mr Stewart said: “Working in adult social care can be challenging but offers the opportunity to have a hugely positive impact on people’s lives on a daily basis.
“We are increasing pay, improving terms and conditions in the sector, and developing clear career pathways for the workforce, ahead of the introduction of the National Care Service. This will lead to more rewarding roles for the existing adult social care workforce, and for new entrants to the profession.
“This campaign highlights that while relevant experience can help, it is core interpersonal skills such as communication, compassion, empathy and respect that are most highly valued. If these are skills you possess then adult social care could be the career for you.”
Alternating Mondays, 1-3pm: Edinburgh Food Project, Pilton food bank at St Margaret Mary, Boswall Pkwy, EH5 2JQ – from 16 January
