There’s still time to try something new this new year as places are available on a wide range of January-start courses at Scotland’s Capital College.
Edinburgh College’s January courses start later this month – meaning potential applicants still have time to book their place and take the next step in their education and career journey.
Places are available in subject areas including: Music; Computing; Cookery and Hospitality; Travel and Tourism; Business; Science; Health and Care; and Sport and Fitness.
In addition to full-time courses, a variety of flexible study options – including evening and part-time – are available to suit the needs of those with family commitments or those in employment.
Courses are delivered by expert lecturers across the College’s four campuses: Granton; Midlothian; Milton Road; and Sighthill – all of which house state-of-the-art equipment and facilities.
As well as high-quality learning, students also have access to extensive support services including: funding, learning support and wellbeing during their time at the College.
Audrey Cumberford, Edinburgh College Principal, said: “We’re looking forward to launching our January-start courses for 2024. It is always an exciting time for us to welcome new students to our Edinburgh College community.
“Our courses are delivered by expert teaching staff and are designed to provide students with the skills they need to either continue their learner journey or achieve their chosen career. We look forward to supporting our next wave of students to take their next step.”
Please have a look at our programme below as we have a bunch of new opportunities including new Drop Ins to help young people create CV’s and apply for jobs, extended P1-4 clubs and targeted group work provisions
We can’t wait to see you all next week – if you’re joining any groups for the first time please grab a consent form!
Culture and Communities Convener, Councillor Val Walker reflects on a fantastic Winter Festivals season:
Over the past seven weeks we’ve been treated to an incredible programme of events and experiences with the full and welcome return of Edinburgh’s Christmas and Hogmanay – once again shining a light on our wonderful Capital city.
The 30th anniversary edition of Edinburgh’s Hogmanay certainly lived up to expectations, with Pulp delivering a spectacular headline performance that will echo through the years. Alongside the revamped Torchlight Procession, Night Afore Disco, Street Party, the First Footin’ and much more we hosted 95,000 people across our fantastic four-day programme.
I’m looking forward to seeing the full review with total visitor numbers and economic impact for our city. However, the initial indications are that these have provided a welcome boost for the city’s economy.
New figures from the Scottish Retail Consortium (SRC) revealed that footfall in Edinburgh increased by 6.4% in December 2023 compared to the same period the year before.
The Capital was the only city in Scotland to register an increase and was the top performing city in the UK. This bucked a national trend with overall Scottish footfall falling by 2.2% and the UK average decreasing by 5%.
At the markets there were over 80 independent stallholders, two-thirds of which came from Scotland and almost half were Edinburgh-based businesses. We’re committed that our residents and businesses are able to enjoy the many benefits of our Winter Festivals.
So, there can be no doubt as to the economic benefit our Winter Festivals bring to the city but we’re absolutely clear that all of Edinburgh should get a chance to join in these celebrations.
I’m pleased that over 120 community groups and charities have been gifted over 6,000 tickets and tokens to attractions at Edinburgh’s Christmas or provided with discounts to the Ice Rink and Big Wheel.
This has included both large and small charities and community groups, ranging from Four Square, Deaf Action, The Action Group, Barnardo’s, Whizz Kids and Sight Scotland to community and youth groups in Muirhouse, Pilton, Drylaw, Corstorphine and beyond. Going forward we’re committed to spreading the celebrations further out with the city centre.
This showed that there was overwhelming support amongst respondents with 86% saying that they should continue. We also agreed to look at spreading the celebrations more widely across the city centre, increasing community benefits, sustainability and accessibility as part of the recommendations.
I believe that we have made good progress on these commitments this year and I’m also encouraged to hear from residents who have enjoyed themselves these past seven weeks. We’ll continue to listen to their feedback and work with our producers to make sure our Winter Festivals remain a key part of the city’s social, cultural, and economic calendar. I can’t wait to see what future editions bring.
Wishing you all the best for a healthy and happy 2024.
A scheme to encourage members of the local community to “get chatting” in cafés in a bid to tackle loneliness and social isolation is being launched at local charity LifeCare Edinburgh’s community café, CaféLife, in early 2024.
Part of the Chatty Café Scheme, the “chat and natter” tables offer a designated space in CaféLife where customers of all ages can come together to meet new people and have a chat.
The scheme is set to turn “blue Monday” to “brew Monday” as customers will enjoy free tea and coffee between 11am and 2pm, as well as the opportunity to meet lots of new and friendly faces, at the launch on Monday (15th January).
LifeCare Chief Executive, Sarah Van Putten, said: “Our community hub and café is a unique space, embedded in the local community, that brings together generations for activities, classes, and groups. Signing up to be part of the Chatty Café Scheme with the addition of our “Chat and Natter” table will further enhance our already significant social value.
“100,000 older people in Scotland feel lonely all or most of the time1, with Edinburgh named recently as one of the loneliest cities in the UK2. Loneliness is an epidemic that can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender, race or background. Something as simple as a regular conversation could change a person’s life.
“We’re delighted to be turning Blue Monday to Brew Monday by offering free tea and coffee on the day of the launch, and we hope it will make the start of 2024 a little bit brighter for those in our local community who need it.”
LifeCare Edinburgh is a local charity with a proud 80-year-history of providing uplifting, positive and practical support for older people. Their vision is of a society where no older person is alone or isolated, and their professional and high-quality support is delivered to the most vulnerable members of the community – including those living with dementia and unpaid (often older themselves) carers – within the home and out and about.
Demand for the charity’s services have risen at an unprecedented rate through the cost-of-living crisis, and they recently launched an urgent appeal to raise funds so they can continue to provide vital support during the difficult winter months.
The charity’s thriving community Cafe, CaféLife, has become a vital lifeline for many loyal customers.
71-year-old David, who has lived in Stockbridge all his life, has been coming to the Café for almost 10 years: “I stay in sheltered housing in the local area, and they don’t offer meals there. We can come, eat, and get a blether, we’re made so welcome and it’s a fabulous place with fabulous staff. It gets you out and about.”
The Café also holds a special place in the heart of Sofiya and her friends: “We’ve been coming to the café every Wednesday for over 10 years. In the beginning there were four of us, one person sadly died, the other person is now living with dementia and is about to go into a home so there’s now only 2 of us left.
“We think the staff are exceptional. We’ve got to know them all very well over the years and we have a good laugh every week.”
The “chat and natter” tables will be a permanent addition to CaféLife following on from the launch, with two-hour sessions, supported by volunteers, taking place on a weekly basis. All proceeds from CaféLife fund the charity’s vital services.
Jenny Bimpson, Volunteer Manager at Chatty Café, said: “The Chatty Café Scheme, launched in 2017, helps reduce loneliness via the use of Chatter & Natter tables.
“Designating a few tables in a café, pub or community centre creates a space for people to connect, have conversations and meet new people. The sessions are supported by Chatty Café volunteers, welcoming people to the table and helping to create a friendly atmosphere”.
The Chatty Café scheme is a brainchild of Alexandra Hoskyn, who founded it after a miserable day at a supermarket café with her infant son, where she noticed that no one was talking to each other.
She found that by simply putting ‘Chatter and Natter’ signs on tables in cafes it created a space for people to talk.
Anyone can join the table; if you’re on your own, in a couple, with a friend, if you’re a carer why not sit there with who you care for, mums and babies, dads and babies, grandparents and babies, young people, older people and anyone in between!
It’s a great way to meet new people in your community.
LOCAL organisations, charities and social enterprises have been left homeless due to water damage to the former Centrica building at 1 Waterfront Avenue.
The organisations lease space at Waterfront through Edinburgh Pallette, occupying floors 2 and three of the building.
Karen Black, founder and CEO of SHE Scotland, explained: “We were notified on 3rd January and it is unlikely to be fixed until next month at earliest! We have only today (Wednesday 10 January) been told we can only have limited access to small items and still no full access to our resources.
“You can understand this had impacted negatively on local services, delivery of services, moral of staff and volunteers. At this time when the pressure on funding, staff retention, cost of living impact and now the issue with space is causing a real strain to all of us.”
Among the organisations affected are:
SHE Scotland
Scran Academy
Edinburgh Uniform Bank
North West Carers
Who Cares
Project Esperanza
Passion for Fusion
Social Print
Veterans Society
Baby Bank
Sharp Stuff
The affected organisations have written to Centrica:
We are writing on behalf of a number of Edinburgh charities and small voluntary sector companies who lease space in one of your sites – 1 Waterfront Avenue, Edinburgh. You may be aware that this site has had to close due to flooding in the basement of the building.
Fortunately, Centrica employees have been very quickly relocated to offices in another part of Edinburgh with little or no business interruption.
Unfortunately, the other businesses who lease the space who form the signatories of this letter – all low-income charities and community interest companies – have not been supported in the same way and many face business-critical disruption. We were advised on Friday 5th January that the building would be closed until the 31st January.No priority was given to ensure access to files or materials essential for continued business operation. In fact, it was not until one week later that we were finally advised that we could enter the building accompanied to collect small items.
This closure will cause all of these voluntary sector organisations considerable business interruption and possible loss of contracts. This will directly impact the support our organisations provide for local communities, as well as risking loss of income and reputation. Not only are there business delivery consequences to this but there is a substantial human cost. The stress on our staff and volunteers of finding out that their place of work has lost its’ operating base literally overnight is considerable.
Every tenant is now scrambling around trying to find alternative premises instead of focusing on core delivery. Delivery which is essential to the well-being of our local communities. The knock-on impacts of this are unmeasurable – businesses have been told they can have accompanied access to the building to collect ‘small items’. Where does that leave the Edinburgh School Uniform Bank, who store hundreds of uniforms to distribute to under-privileged school children or SHE Scotland who run workshops for young girls?
All these organisations have limited resources and rely on funding to survive so it is not a simple task to find alternative premises at short notice. We would like to advise you that we will be seeking compensation for business interruption and breach of lease obligations.
We feel we need to escalate this issue to a speedy resolution, and wish for Centrica to help our organisations, and the children, families and communities we support, to return to our space as quickly as possible.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Tenants of 1 Waterfront Avenue
Waterfront Avenue office accommodation and facilities are advertised on Edinburgh Palette’s website:
Waterfront Avenue provides flexible, open-plan office accommodation in the heart of North Edinburgh’s evolving Waterfront area. The building is located adjacent to the iconic Granton Gasworks, which is due to undergo renovation to be transformed into a tree-lined amphitheatre for cultural events.
Currently occupying floors two and three. Opening hours for the building are between 8:30am and 6pm Monday to Friday and closed on Saturday and Sunday. The building will also be closed on all public holidays.
Facilities include:
Security access, in addition to security desk, and full intruder alarm
Climate controlled heating and cooling
Good quality toilet facilities
Fully accessible with two passenger lifts and accessible toilets
Access to One Waterfront Café on the ground floor, serving a selection of hot and cold food and drinks
Numerous breakout areas, strategically located within the spacious open plan space
Secure cycle parking
On major bus routes: 24, 38, 47, 113, X37 & X47. Buses 8, 14, 16, X29, N16 & Skylink 200 all stop on West Granton Road which is a short 6-minute walk
A leading medical college has joined forces with NHS Highland (NHSH) to establish a new Surgical Education Research and Innovation Lab (SERI Lab), marking a significant leap forward in research of surgical education and innovation.
The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd) and NHSH have formed a five-year partnership to co-host the virtual SERI Lab, set to become an internationally renowned hub for Surgical Education Research and Innovation.
Set to launch in the new year, the lab, will be used for healthcare professionals to share and develop new ideas and methods to help surgeons learn and practice.
Professor Rowan Parks, President of RCSEd, said it will allow surgical professionals to research advancements in surgical training technology such as robotics, artificial intelligence and virtual reality, all of which will help to shape the next 30 years of surgical practice.
Professor Parks explained: “The establishment of the SERI Lab is a pivotal moment for surgical education and research, and this new, dynamic hub is set to have far-reaching impact—locally, nationally, and globally.
“The virtual hub will support research fellows who can be geographically based anywhere, with space also being made available in the College or in NHS Highland.
“Most research done in the UK right now is laboratory-based, clinical trials and patient-oriented, but there is relatively little education research.
“We want to be the lead in this area and take forward education-based research and innovation, and that includes training using simulation, robotics and AI based technologies.”
Its launch will be spearheaded by RCSEd Council Member and Consultant Surgeon Professor Angus Watson, and its mission will be to create programmes and tools that can improve surgical training, not only in the UK but around the world.
Professor Watson commented: “This collaborative initiative between RCSEd and NHS Highland demonstrates our commitment to advancing the field and providing cutting-edge training methods for surgeons globally.”
The strategic partnership aims to bridge the gap between theory and practice in surgical education, fostering a community approach and establishing a Fellows’ Boot Camp.
Channelled through RCSEd, the Boot Camp will involve intensive training ‘retreats’ that will allow mentors and selected research fellows to come together and participate in accelerated learning projects.
David Tolley, Past President and Chair of the Pilmuir Trust, which has helped fund the new hub, said: “Over the past 12 years, NHSH has been a key player in developing the SERI Lab, a unique concept among surgical colleges, which will be primarily based in the Highland Academic Surgical Unit (HASU).
“The ground-breaking new SERI Lab will be a place where new ideas flourish, helping to improve patient safety outcomes and ensuring more positive ways for surgical trainees to learn and practice.”
Overseeing the SERI Lab will be two recently appointed RCSEd Chairs, Ken Walker, as Professor of Surgical Education & Innovation, and Jennifer Cleland, as Professor of Surgical Education Research, both recognised as distinguished leaders in the field of education and research.
Speaking of the new appointment, Professor Walker said: “I am honoured to take on this role and contribute to advancing surgical education.
“This collaboration with NHS Highland marks a significant step towards improving training methodologies for surgeons worldwide.”
Professor Jennifer Cleland, Professor and Director of Med Ed Research & Scholarship, also commented: “Collaborating with NHS Highland and RCSEd presents a unique opportunity to influence the future of surgical education, and I am eager to contribute to the success of the SERI Lab.”
The virtual hub has been funded for the next three years, with a long-term vision for groups to help shape policy in how surgical training should be carried in the UK, whether that be developing curriculum, the use of simulation, and other technologies that can be used by the next generation of talented surgeons.
Dr Beth Sage, Director of Research, Development and Innovation for NHS Highland said: “NHS Highland has a successful track record supporting high impact research and innovation, and the launch of the SERI Lab demonstrates our commitment to extending this to advancing UK surgical education, both locally and nationwide.”
Sustainable living ranks among top New Years resolutions
New survey from Zero Waste Scotland shows people living in the Edinburgh area are taking action to live more sustainably this year – as 61% say they’re more concerned about climate change than in 2023
Scotland is bucking the International Quitter’s Day trend (Friday 12th January) with more than half saying they plan to keep up their sustainable changes past 2024
Half of Edinbugh residents are prepared to buy fewer ‘new’ products in 2024 – which Zero Waste Scotland has deemed “the ultimate action” to tackle climate change
People living in Edinburgh and the Lothians are prioritising the fight against climate change in 2024, as 61% say they’re more concerned about climate change now, compared to this time last year.
While resolutions tend to include goals such as eating more healthily, losing weight, or cutting out sweets and alcohol, new research, commissioned by Zero Waste Scotland, shows nearly a quarter (24%) of people in the area, who made a New Year’s resolution for 2024, have vowed to live more sustainably.
Reducing food waste was the top eco action people said they would take this year, with 72% saying they would target this as part of their sustainable lifestyle efforts. Recycling more or better was another top pick for the planet, with 67% of respondents indicating they would take this on.
Encouragingly, half (50%) of people in Edinburgh and the Lothians surveyed said they would consider buying fewer new products this year – a move with huge potential to cut our contribution to climate change.
The data was released on International Quitter’s Day(Friday 12 January 2024)– the day on which people around the world are most likely to give up on their New Year’s resolutions.
Despite this global trend, more than half (56%) of people surveyed said they intend to keep up their sustainable pledges for longer than 12 months – a sign that Edinburgh-based Scots are ready to do their part in the fight against climate change.
Iain Gulland, Chief Executive of Zero Waste Scotland, explained: “While some circular lifestyle choices have become second nature to many, it’s fantastic to see an increasing appetite from Scotland to live more sustainably. And what better time to create new habits than in the New Year.
“Curbing our consumption is the ultimate action we can all take, as it reduces demand for the finite raw materials needed to make new products. Doing so can help us cut the climate impacts of our purchasing decisions down to size, avoid the worst effects of climate change, and live within the limits of our natural environment.
“There are plenty of resources available to help people in Scotland live more sustainably in the long-run and landmarks like the Scottish Government’s upcoming Circular Economy Bill and Routemap will only galvanise our efforts.
“Let’s all make small changes that have huge impact in 2024 and beyond.”
Other green lifestyle choices highlighted by survey respondents included:
Reducing use of single-use cups (39%)
Repairing or altering clothing instead of buying new (40%)
Exploring sharing and leasing (e.g. for clothing, toys, tools etc.) over buying new (21%)
Giving alternative gifts – like time, skills, or experiences (15%)
Taking more direct action against climate change, e.g. writing to my MSP, attending protests, etc. (18%)
To help empower people to embrace sustainability, Zero Waste Scotland has created an interactive online Circularity Quiz which challenges users to think about their consumption habits and how they might impact Scotland’s carbon footprint.
Throughout the quiz there are hints and tips to help people make positive changes and highlight the incredible work being done across communities, local authorities, business, and government to strengthen Scotland’s circular economy.
A Holyrood Committee has concluded that reform to the way Scotland manages and delivers benefits related to industrial injuries and ill health at work is needed, but, has agreed by majority that the Scottish Employment Injuries Advisory Council Bill will not deliver this.
The Bill, introduced by Mark Griffin MSP, proposes that a Scottish Employment Injuries Advisory Council be established to provide expertise about support for people living with a workplace injury or disease.
Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit is currently delivered by the UK Government’s Department for Work and Pensions on behalf of the Scottish Government. The delivery of this benefit is expected to become the responsibility of the Scottish Government in March 2026.
Witnesses characterised the current Industrial Injuries Scheme as failing to deliver for women and people from ethnic minority backgrounds. They also said that the current system is slow to effect change and does not consider modern occupations and diseases. The Committee understood and agreed with these concerns.
However, the Cabinet Secretary, Shirley-Anne Somerville, told the Committee that, even if the Bill was given Parliamentary approval, the Scottish Government would not be able to act on any recommendations the Council made regarding the benefit as it is constrained by its current agreement with the Department for Work and Pensions.
Furthermore, the Committee’s report raises concerns that the creation of a new, statutory body (which would work alongside other public bodies, like the Scottish Commission on Social Security), would add to an already cluttered public body landscape, making the social security system more complex to administrate.
The Committee did, however, share the frustration of witnesses and Mr Griffin regarding delays to the promised Scottish Government consultation on its approach to replacing the Industrial Injuries Scheme in Scotland.
The Committee urges the Scottish Government to provide detailed timings for this consultation.
Collette Stevenson MSP, Convener of the Social Justice and Social Security Committee, said:“The current Industrial Injuries Scheme, at over 70 years old, is inadequate. It fails to take account of modern work practices and diseases and does not deliver for women or people from ethnic minority backgrounds.
“However, a majority of the Committee believe that this Bill would not provide the reform that stakeholders want to see and recommend that it should not be agreed to.
“Instead, we call on the Scottish Government to urgently provide detailed timings for the consultation on its approach to replacing the Industrial Injuries Scheme in Scotland, so that workers who are injured, or suffer from ill health, because of their employment, can access the compensation they deserve.”
Drugs worth a six-figure sum have been recovered by police in Edinburgh.
Around 11.40 am on Thursday, 11 January 2024, police acting under warrant recovered a quantity of controlled drugs whilst searching addresses in Lochend Quadrant and Lochend Road South, Edinburgh.
The drugs, believed to be diamorphine, crack cocaine and cannabis, have a combined estimated street value of £247,500. A five-figure sum of cash was also recovered.
Two men, aged 57 and 30 years, have been arrested and charged following the find. They are due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court today (Friday, 12 January ). A report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.
Detective Inspector Gavin Howat, Edinburgh Pro-active CID, said: “Officers will continue to disrupt the supply and possession of drugs in our area.
“This work often relies on the support of the public, so if you have any information or concerns about drug misuse, please call Police Scotland on 101 or report this anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”
Please have a look at our programme below as we have a bunch of new opportunities including new Drop Ins to help young people create CV’s and apply for jobs, extended P1-4 clubs and targeted group work provisions 
