Month: May 2023

Train for a career in sports with the city’s leading sports and leisure provider


Edinburgh’s leading sports and leisure provider, Edinburgh Leisure, will be running a series of coaching academies that will provide nationally recognised qualifications that will enable successful learners to lead safe and enjoyable sport/physical activity.

Targeted at young people aged 16-24 years, and fully funded through Edinburgh Leisure’s Active Communities, The Coaching Academy will assist young people to learn new skills for the job market, using the capacity of sports coaching to transform lives, increase motivation, encourage learning, and support personal development. 

The inaugural 2023 intake will be limited to 16 candidates with learning focussed on studying for a sport leadership qualification and sports’ specific coaching course qualifications. 

Candidates will gain the SCQF Sports Leaders Level 5 qualification carried out as a week-long course starting Monday 17th and finishing on Friday 21st July at Meadowbank Sports Centre delivered by Edinburgh Leisure.

The Sports Leaders sessions use sport to deliver fun and engaging physical activities with other attendees. Candidates will plan, lead, and evaluate sports/physical activity sessions over a number of tutored hours and then demonstrate their leadership skills as part of an assessment.

Upon completion of Sports Leaders, a series of three coaching qualifications will be delivered once weekly at Meadowbank Sports Centre for the 16 candidates.  Attendance at all courses is required.

Those qualifications are:

Scottish Badminton: Badminton Basics course: 27th July 2023

‘Badminton Basics’ is a six-hour course geared towards coaches with little or no badminton experience. It focuses on fun games for beginners, allowing participants to lead sessions at schools and assist more experienced coaches at clubs. Badminton Basics is a core component of the new coaching awards and, as such, is the first step on the pathway.

Scottish Athletics: Leading Athletics course:  3rd August 2023

The three-hour ‘Leading Athletics’ workshop is available for coaches and allows for the training and development of new volunteers, with the aim of supporting existing leadership programmes and attracting more young leaders into the sport of athletics. The ‘Leading Athletics’ workshop is aimed at individuals looking to gain the skills to lead athletics activities for young athletes.  Individuals completing the course will be able to support Coaching Assistants and Athletics Coaches.

Scottish FA: 1.1 Introduction to Football Coaching course: 10th August 2023

The Scottish FA Level 1.1 Introduction to Coaching course aims to develop a basic understanding of The Scottish FA coach education pathway and the coach’s learning journey focusing on effective communication and player interaction to develop effective delivery.

Participants will be signposted to Edinburgh Leisure volunteering opportunities within sports venues and holiday programme provision, where they will be immersed in all aspects of the sport and leisure coaching environment. This can lead to employment opportunities within Edinburgh Leisure.

Edinburgh Leisure will host a celebratory closing event.

To apply, click this link or scan the QR code to fill in the initial application form.

Edinburgh Leisure is looking for candidates with a passion for sport, enthusiasm for learning and looking for a new opportunity.  

Registration closes on Friday, 30th June 2023.  Edinburgh Leisure is looking for initial candidates with a passion for sport, enthusiasm for learning and looking for a new opportunity.

For further information, contact Gary Hocknull, Sports Development Officer at Edinburgh Leisure – garyhocknull@edinburghleisure.co.uk

Edinburgh brewery on track for £5m global turnover following support from Business Gateway

An Edinburgh-based independent craft brewery, which began as a home-brewing project in its co-founder’s spare bedroom, is now shipping internationally after receiving support and signposting to funding from Business Gateway.  

Vault City was launched to modernise traditional brewing styles with its own take on fruited sours beers. 

The beers, which are more aligned to cocktails and fruit ciders than IPAs or pale ales, are loaded with real fruit ingredients to develop flavours ranging from Raspberry Rocky Road and Strawberry Sundae to Cloudy Lemonade and Blackcurrant Choc Chip Waffle. 

On a mission to convert non-beer and traditional beer drinkers, the brewery introduces new flavours every two weeks.  

Co-founder Steven Smith-Hay, who describes himself as an “obsessed homebrewer”, had experimented with different sour and fruit beers while working in IT, and, with encouragement from his friends and family, took the plunge to set up Vault City in 2018.  

Having never run a business before, he approached Business Gateway in search of expert guidance to develop the skills necessary for turning his vision for modern craft beer into a reality.  

Steven’s local business adviser helped him to establish a business plan and identify routes for growth, as well as providing practical advice on how to manage cashflow.  

Through Business Gateway, Steven learned about the requirements needed to set up an alcohol business online and received specialist support to develop a website, which established Vault City’s digital presence, increasing brand awareness and generating sales as a result.  

Business Gateway was also instrumental in signposting Vault City to £100,000 of grant funding from Scottish Enterprise, which went towards the purchase of a decanter centrifuge.

This new piece of equipment helped the business increase its yield and decrease its waste by 30%, in turn reducing its environmental impact. Within five years of launching, Vault City has landed deals with the country’s biggest retailers, including Tesco, Morrison’s, Sainsbury’s and Waitrose.  

More recently, following advice from Business Gateway the business, which has grown to a team of almost 30, now exports to over 20 countries globally, including Singapore, Sweden and Thailand. Vault City is continuing to focus on exporting in 2023, with plans to break into the Chinese market.  

Steven Smith-Hay, Co-founder, Vault City Brewing, said: “I spotted an opportunity to carve a niche in the craft beer industry, but I needed guidance to make it happen.

“Having one-to-one support from Business Gateway has been excellent. My adviser was a safe pair of hands throughout the process and really helped me to unpack all the obstacles that come with starting your own business. 

“I’m really proud to say that four in every five sour beers sold in the UK comes from Vault City and can’t speak highly enough about the ongoing support I’ve received from Business Gateway since launching.” 

Lindsey Sibbald, Business Gateway adviser, said: “Over the years, we have been able to support Vault City with a range of Business Gateway’s services.

“It has been fantastic to watch the business’ stratospheric growth since launching, which is testament to Steven and the team’s dedication. I look forward to watching them continue to grow and to find out what flavour is next on the cards.” 

To find out how Business Gateway can help your business, visit:

 https://bgateway.com. 

Lidl is cheapest supermarket in UK

  • ​​​​​​Lidl has officially been named the cheapest supermarket in the UK, beating all major retailers, and undercutting Aldi, in latest price comparison survey
  • The analysis, conducted by The Grocer, found a basket of everyday items at Lidl cost just £50.27, making it cheaper than competitors even with their discount schemes applied
  • Lidl’s everyday grocery items clocked in more than 10% cheaper than Tesco, and a whopping £19.91 cheaper than the most expensive retailer, Waitrose

Lidl has once again been named cheapest supermarket in The Grocer’s ‘Super Grocer 33’, beating all major supermarkets, including Aldi.

The price index, which compares the price of 33 everyday grocery items across the UK’s seven major supermarkets, found Lidl to be £19.91 cheaper than Waitrose, the most expensive retailer. This win comes as Lidl’s fourth accolade, out of five surveys since the Grocer 33’s inception.

The survey also found Lidl came out cheapest even after other supermarkets’ discount schemes were applied. Overall, the discounter was found to be ten per cent (£6.17) cheaper than Tesco – and still £5.13 after Clubcard discounts were applied. Similarly, the same products at Sainsburys cost £6.80 more, with no benefit from the supermarket’s Nectar Prices.

The accolade also comes despite traditional supermarkets recently announcing an array of price drops, demonstrating that the discounter still offers better value.

The Grocer compares prices of items on shopping lists across the nation as part of the monthly analysis – from fresh produce, such as milk and grapes, to deodorant, and branded items including Hovis Bread and Kellogg’s Corn Flakes. 

Lidl offered the cheapest price on 26 products – and exclusively the lowest price for five products across a range of categories, including:

  • Baby corn at £2.79 (76p cheaper than the most expensive and 4p cheaper than the next cheapest)
  • Kellogg’s Corn Flakes at £2.05 (25p cheaper than the most expensive and 20p cheaper than the next cheapest)
  • Domestos bleach at £1.39 (21p cheaper than the most expensive and 10p cheaper than the next cheapest retailer)
  • Prawns at £1.99 (£1.76 cheaper than the most expensive and 20p cheaper than the next cheapest)
  • Custard creams at 54p (26p cheaper than the most expensive and 1p cheaper than the next cheapest)

It’s not just the Super Grocer 33 basket proving this – for the past fourteen weeks Lidl has also been cheapest in a weekly price comparison conducted by the Manchester Evening News on essential groceries.

Ryan McDonnell, Chief Executive Officer at Lidl GB, said: “Every week, independent analysis shows we are consistently the UK’s cheapest supermarket. As a result, we are seeing more customers coming through our doors and switching their weekly shop to Lidl from the traditional supermarkets.

“We know people switch to us make savings, but then stay with us when they realise that they’re not having to compromise on quality.”

SupermarketRatio Price SummaryPrice compared to Lidl
Lidl£50.27– 
Aldi£50.46+19p
Asda£54.42+£4.15
Tesco£56.44+£6.17
Sainsbury’s£57.07+£7.30
Morrisons£60.05+£9.78
Waitrose£70.18+£19.91

Call for apprentices as Council increases investment in homes

Adverts are now live for over 30 jobs and apprenticeships across a variety of roles as part of the council’s plan to hire over 80 recruits in the housing service in the coming weeks.

Designed to boost inhouse capacity to maintain, improve and repair tenants’ homes, the raft of positions will cover everything from plastering, painting and plumbing to carrying out emergency repairs. Opportunities are available to develop skills in joinery, gas engineering and to join the capital investment team.

Craft apprenticeships are available which will provide budding tradespeople with the opportunity to earn a qualification and learn new skills while being paid. Every role forms part of a team with lots of support and mentoring and a college place to become fully qualified.

Graduate apprenticeships have also been created which will involve working within the council’s surveying team and attending university to gain a BSc (Hons) in Construction and the Built Environment. Successful applicants will learn design skills, contract and risk management and financial costings. 

Further posts will be advertised soon, with details of all positions to be found on Myjobscotland.

Kerr Williamson, Empty Homes Team Leader at the City of Edinburgh Council and a former apprentice, said: “Sending in my apprenticeship application was the greatest thing I ever did.

“Nine years on, I’ve progressed to become an empty homes team leader. I worked as an apprentice for four years, worked on the tools then shadowed my boss to gain the knowledge I needed to do the job I’m in now.

“Working for the council’s housing service means working as part of a team where we are all trying to provide a good standard of work, repair homes quickly and see tenants able to move back in to them.

“The perks are building good relationships with a team of people, a guaranteed monthly wage and being able to arrange jobs in advance so that you can plan your day and your week. There is a good holiday allowance, sick pay and discount scheme available. Plus, there is room for progression.”

Councillor Jane Meagher, Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener, said: “With over 80 in-house roles being advertised in the coming weeks, this is one of the biggest recruitment drives we’ve ever carried out within the council’s housing service.

“It comes at a time of big challenges with demand for affordable and energy efficient housing in Edinburgh at an all time high. Our stock of council homes is aging and we are in the process of investing millions of pounds into improving older homes. We are cracking down on issues like damp and by boosting our workforce we’ll be able to increase our ability to carry out repairs to tenants’ homes and do this quickly. 

“We also have a big housebuilding programme which means recruits can develop skills and expertise in-house to maintain people’s homes with solar panels and new technology.  

“With apprentices forming such a valuable part of our workforce I’m pleased that we’re able to offer a variety of posts to support young people and graduates into careers. We’re committed to be being a fair Living Wage employer with a diverse workforce and these are excellent paid opportunities to learn new skills and gain qualifications.”

Apply for a role through Myjobscotland. 

Volunteer at Let’s Rock Scotland and enjoy the event for FREE!

Are you fan of 80s and 90s music? Child Bereavement UK needs you! The charity is looking for music fans to give 4 hours of their time to volunteer at Let’s Rock Scotland at Dalkeith Country Park on 24 June 2023. 

Volunteers sell wristbands and raffle tickets to raise funds to support the charity’s work and in return get to enjoy the rest of the event free of charge!

The line-up for the festival includes The Human League, Wet Wet Wet, Tony Hadley, Midge Ure, Roland Gift, The Farm, The Beat, Betty Boo, Stray Cats Slim Jim Phantoms Trio, Hue and Cry, and Doctor and the Medics.

Child Bereavement UK helps families to rebuild their lives when a child grieves or when a child dies. The charity supports children and young people (up to the age of 25) when someone important to them has died or is not expected to live, and parents and the wider family when a baby or child of any age dies or is dying. 

Lorna Murchie, Fundraising Partnership and Engagement Manager for Child Bereavement UK said: ‘This year Child Bereavement UK is delighted to be the beneficiary charity of some of the UK’s most anticipated festivals and gigs.

“Our volunteers tell us they have a great time soaking up the festival atmosphere and seeing their favourite acts, in return for just a few hours of their time helping us raise much-needed funds.  If you’re tempted to join in, please visit our website to find out how you can get involved .’

For more information on volunteering or to see our full list of events please visit: 

https://www.childbereavementuk.org/Event/festivals

To find out more about the charity and for support please visit: 

www.childbereavementuk.org or call 0800 02 888 40

Crumbs! Scotland’s National Chef takes the biscuit for Mary’s Meals

Gary Maclean celebrates National Biscuit Day by asking people to support charity 

This National Biscuit Day (Monday 29 May), celebrity chef Gary Maclean is calling on people to raise some dough by supporting the school feeding charity Mary’s Meals. 

Mary’s Meals serves nutritious school meals to more than 2.4 million children in 18 of the world’s poorest countries – including Ethiopia, Syria and South Sudan. The promise of a daily meal attracts children into the classroom, where they can gain an education and hope for the future.  

Gary, winner of 2016’s MasterChef: The Professionals, is supporting the charity’s Raise Some Dough campaign, which asks people to host a fundraising bake sale to help feed hungry children. 

The National Chef of Scotland says: “Today may be National Biscuit Day but, like many people, I enjoy a biscuit all year round. 

“That’s why baking is such a great way to raise money for Mary’s Meals – and to put a smile on the face of not only your friends, family and colleagues, but also the hungry children who rely on this wonderful charity.” 

People across the UK can download a free Raise Some Dough fundraising pack from the charity’s website, which includes a book packed full of tasty biscuit recipes from some of the UK’s favourite celebrities – including Stephen Fry, Dame Joanna Lumley, Ellie Taylor, Rosemary Shrager and Judy Murray. 

The charity will also send bakers a free mug-shaped cookie cutter, based on the mugs from which many children eat their daily serving of Mary’s Meals.  

It costs just £19.15 to feed a child with Mary’s Meals for a whole school year, which means every penny raised through baking will help to transform young lives around the world. 

Dan McNally, head of grassroots engagement at Mary’s Meals, says: “£19.15 can buy you 14 packets of chocolate digestives or 35 packs of my personal favourite, the ginger snap! It is also enough to feed a hungry child every day for a school year with Mary’s Meals. 

“By taking part in Raise Some Dough, you can enjoy biscuits with your friends and family, while feeding children in some of the world’s poorest countries. So please get baking!” 

Last November, Mary’s Meals ran a UK-wide survey which found that the digestive is the country’s favourite biscuit for dunking in a cuppa. 

The survey also revealed that one in three people have dunked their biscuit in someone else’s cuppa (33%); just 12% of respondents said they never dunk biscuits, with a further 12% saying they don’t eat biscuits. 

To order your free Raise Some Dough fundraising pack, please visit: marysmeals.org.uk/raise  

Gary Maclean’s Ginger Snap recipe 

You’ll need: 

300g Plain flour  
50g Fine oatmeal  
175g Soft brown sugar 
100g Unsalted butter  
1 Egg  
4 tbsp Golden syrup 
1 tsp Bicarbonate of soda  
2 tsp Ground ginger  
This recipe works just as well with gluten free flour and non-dairy butter. 

Method: 

  1. Preheat the oven to 180˚C/350˚F. 
  2. Sieve the flour, ground ginger and bicarbonate of soda in mixing bowl. 
  3. Add the fine oatmeal, next dice the butter and rub into the flour mix until crumbly. 
  4. Next, add the soft brown sugar, golden syrup and egg, mix well until it forms a firm doughy mixture. 
  5. Roll out the dough on a floured surface to about ½ cm 1/8 inch thick. 
  6. Cut to your required size and place onto a non-stick tray. 
  7. Pop the tray into the preheated oven.
  8. Remove after 7 to 10 minutes or when golden.
  9. Cool and then serve. 

ELREC’s new Creative Kitchen project

ELREC is pleased to announce our new small project, The Creative Kitchen, thanks to the cost of living part of The Lottery Community Fund. And in partnership with Cyrenians who give us fresh ingredients.

The project aims to deliver free weekly workshops on sustainable cooking, making simple yet nutritious and fresh meals from whatever you have left in the fridge.

The sessions will be delivered in different locations, with the first one held at Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre, by our staff member and chef, Shana.

You can find out more by following us on Instagram:

THECREATIVEKITCHENCOMMUNITY

The sessions are free, to sign up please email: bolyn@elrec.org.uk

PDSA: How to make dog-friendly gingerbread biscuits

World Biscuit Day – 29th May, 2023

From delicious cakes to yummy biscuits, homemade goodies always go down a treat. With the cost of living continuing to put households across the UK under more and more pressure, baking your own treats from scratch is a great way to keep the costs down – but it is important not to forget about your four-legged family members!

The vets at the UK’s largest veterinary charity PDSA have revealed the paw-fect dog-friendly recipe for easy-to-make gingerbread biscuits so dig out your mixer, pop on your apron and get your bake on.

Recipe from PDSA Vet Nurse Nina Downing

You will need:

  • 300g flour
  • 60g smooth dog safe peanut butter. Be extra careful to make sure your peanut butter doesn’t contain Xylitol (also called Birch sugar), as this is toxic to dogs. Check the ingredients before you start – the higher percentage of peanuts, the better!
  • 1 apple, peeled and grated (or very finely chopped if you don’t have a grater!)
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 tbsp blackstrap molasses (black treacle)
  • 120ml water
  • 5cm x 4cm gingerbread template or cookie cutters

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to gas mark 4 or 180°C (160°C for a fan oven) and line a baking tray with baking paper.
  • Add all the ingredients to a large bowl and mix thoroughly. We recommend sifting the flour for a smoother mixture, although this isn’t necessary!
  • Once your mixture has formed a dough, roll it out on a lightly floured surface to about ¼ inch thick.
  • Cut out your biscuits and place them on your lined baking tray.
  • Cook biscuits in the oven for 20 minutes or until they are golden.
  • Let the biscuits cool and voila – your pooch’s treats are ready to enjoy!

PDSA Vet Nurse Nina Downing said: “We’re sure your dog will enjoy this special treat but remember not to give them too many.

“At 5cm x 4cm these biscuits are a decent size and include molasses, so a bit of a sweet treat! We suggest feeding just one biscuit per day for smaller dogs (below 10kg) and two per day for your bigger dogs (above 10kg). These biscuits can be stored in a treat tin and enjoyed for the days following, so no need for your dog to scoff them all at once!

“Treats should make up no more than 10% of your dog’s daily food intake, and you’ll need to reduce their normal daily food to account for their gingerbread biscuits – you don’t want your pup to pile on the pounds.

“This recipe does make quite a few, so if you’re planning to make these just for your pooch, we’d recommend reducing the ingredients by half. Or freeze the leftover mixture so it doesn’t go to waste!”

Road Safety event at Gyle Shopping Centre

FRIDAY 2nd JUNE 8.30am – 2pm

Road policing officers in Edinburgh are holding a Road Safety event using an interactive simulator for drivers to test their reactions and observations behind the wheel.

The technology tests a driver’s reaction time against the times in the Highway Code. It can also highlight any potential vulnerabilities that could affect driving ability.

The equipment will be set up at the Gyle Shopping centre from 8.30am until 2pm on Friday (2 June, 2023).

Officers will be on hand to give general road safety advice including information on Drink/Drug Driving. There will also be representatives from other partner agencies, including ROSPA and Road Safety Scotland.

Road Policing Officer, Police Constable Stewart Sinclair, said: “We are committed to reducing road casualties through positively influencing the behaviour of road users. This fun, but accurate, test provides a safe environment for drivers to have a go on the equipment and test their skills

“It will help people think about how they would react to hazards and other scenarios that we all face on the roads on a regular basis and assess their fitness to do so.

“Anyone can come along and take part. We hope it will give peace of mind to those who may worry about their reaction times “.

“Unfortunately crashes can be caused by poor eyesight and slow reaction times. Having a go on the equipment can give people peace of mind and advice will be available at the event.”