Edinburgh Youth Gaitherin’ is back in partnership with Edinburgh Tradfest to offer an exciting opportunity for young musicians in 2024, with support from the William Grant Foundation.
EYG Big Band is a three-day programme for ages 13–18. It will be led by some of Scotland’s finest musicians, who will support participants to learn traditional music together and create their own arrangements as a group. Band tutors are Kirsty Law, Tom Oakes and Lori Watson, supported by Shea Martin and Jonathan Foster.
New for 2024, there will be two optional taster workshops in advance of the EYG weekend, where young people can try out some music-making together and get to know each other and the tutors.
This event is for young people who would like to develop their skills on their instrument, play with other young musicians, sing, write their own songs and learn tunes. There will be also be exclusive performances and Q&A sessions from some of the acts appearing at Edinburgh Tradfest. EYG Big Band is all about creativity, making friends through music and having fun.
Taster workshops will take place 10am–1pm on 20th and 27th April at the Scottish Storytelling Centre, Edinburgh.
EYG Big Band will be based at the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh from 10am–4pm on 4th–6th May. The group will perform on the evening of 6th May as part of Edinburgh Tradfest’s special commission show, Everyone’s Welcome To Edinburgh.
Council Leader Cammy Day said: “I’m glad that a replacement plaque has been installed this morning. Since the original plaque was stolen last September, I’ve been clear that we will not allow the actions of a minority to derail the important ongoing work to address the legacies of slavery and colonialism in our city.
“Following the refusal of the Melville Monument Committee to return the original plaque, we filed an official report with Police Scotland in October. This investigation is ongoing, and our legal team will continue to monitor the situation closely.
“We’ll also be seeking to recover the costs of this replacement plaque from the Melville Monument Committee.
“We’re rightly proud of the steps we’ve taken to properly address the legacies of slavery and colonialism here in Edinburgh.
Chair of ESCLRIG, Irene Mosota said: “Today is a really significant milestone for our city, with the return of the plaque to the base of the Melville Monument. It’s only through properly acknowledging and exploring our collective past that we can address the challenges of the present and putting ourselves in a strong position to shape a positive future.
“This is a very exciting time for ESCLRIG as we now look towards implementing the recommendations of the independent review. Together, I’m confident that we can forge the foundations for a more tolerant, just, and equal Edinburgh that we can all be proud of.”
Edinburgh Council, together with Sir Geoff Palmer and heritage experts, agreed the wording for a new plaque which was installed on the monument in 2021, to expose Dundas’ role in slavery and to recognise those who suffered enslavement as a consequence. The new replacement plaque has the same wording.
Foysol Choudhury, Labour list MSP for Lothian, supported the retention of the plaque after a descendent of Dundas submitted a planning application to remove it last year.
Following the news that a replacement plaque was installed yesterday (18 March) Mr Choudhury commented: “I am glad a replacement plaque has now been installed on the Melville Monument.
“We cannot allow people to silence history – we must address Scotland’s past and build the trust of communities across Scotland who are affected by modern-day consequences, such as racism, of this past.
“The removal of the plaque was a step backwards in our fight to address Scotland’s historical role in slavery and colonialism and caused severe damage to trust from the communities who this past has affected.
“I’m glad that a replacement plaque has now been installed to address historical prejudices and educate the public on parts of Scottish history which have caused decades of hate, racism and discrimination.
“I hope that this important work continues to build a more equitable, just future for Edinburgh and Scotland which addresses past wrongs and their modern-day consequences.”
TWO council-run care homes – Clovenstone and Ford’s Road – will close and third sector projects will see their funding cut by 10 per cent – £1.4 million – following yesterday’s Edinburgh Integration Joint Board meeting.
Board members were faced with a stark choice – accept the swingeing package of cuts tabled or leave the officers to do it themselves. The meeting heard there was no realistic alternative – no Plan B.
UNISON City of Edinburgh branch secretary David Harrold told EIJB board members: “Each and every one of you is presiding over the silent slaughter of Edinburgh’s essential care services. Yet each and every one of you has the ability to stop this by speaking out.”
But despite impassioned pleas from a succession of delegations urging a rethink, board members voted without dissent to accept officer recommendations to slash costs by almost £60 MILLION in an attempt to balance their books.
As ever, it’s the most vulnerable that will suffer most – the poorest communities, carers, older people … all will feel the effects of cuts of this magnitude.
The cuts will see projects cutting back the services they currently provide and in some cases will make redundancies inevitable.
Cuts to core funding will also limit match funding opportunities, and voluntary boards and management committees now face some dreadful decisions with the start of the new financial year less than two weeks away.
Other health and social care partnerships across the country are facing the same financial challenges:
THINK! Launches CLICK, the first new seat belt campaign for 13 years
aimed at young men, it will highlight how a simple click can save lives
partners include various county football associations, which will promote belting up on matchday
A new campaign to remind young men to CLICK their seat belt in a bid to shift attitudes and save lives on roads across England and Wales has launched.
Every week, 4 young people aged 17 to 29 are either killed or seriously injured on our roads when not wearing a seat belt, with young men more likely to not wear one, especially on short or well-known journeys. In 2022, 30% of fatalities among 17- to 29-year-olds were unbelted.
To help combat this, alongside targeted advertising on roadside posters, radio and social media, CLICK will collaborate with several partners, including various county football associations and local clubs to promote ‘belting up’ when travelling to matchdays to keep themselves and their teammates safe.
Taxi and private hire vehicle companies, including Uber, are also supporting the campaign and looking to introduce direct reminders to passengers to wear their seat belt when making journeys in cabs.
Roads Minister, Guy Opperman, said: “We know how important wearing a seat belt is, reducing the risk of death for drivers in a collision by 50%.
This campaign is part of the government’s plan to make our roads even safer and aims to make clicking in a seat belt second nature to young men, who currently run the highest risk of death or serious injury – reminding them that a simple CLICK can save lives.
Backed by £1.2 million of funding, this campaign – the first seat belt specific campaign since 2011 – pulls on relatable, personal moments between friends to drive home the consequences of not wearing a seat belt.
It acts as a reminder that something as simple as clicking your seat belt could save your life and that of your friends.
RAC road safety spokesman, Rod Dennis, said: “To most people, it’s second nature to wear a seat belt, but every time someone forgets to click theirs into place, they’re putting themselves and other passengers at risk.
“Young male drivers are much more likely to be seriously injured or killed than any other age group because they haven’t buckled up. For this reason, we’re in full support of THINK!’s ‘CLICK’ campaign urging all car occupants to wear their belts in transit, but especially young male audiences for whom this message could literally save lives.”
The campaign will also serve as a reminder of the importance of wearing a seat belt when travelling on a minibus, bus or coach, with drivers expected to clearly signpost rules and individual responsibilities when it comes to belting up, and with passengers over 14 expected to take responsibility for themselves and ensure they are buckled up.
POLICE are continuing enquiries following the murder of 65-year-old Nashir Ahmed on Sunday, 10 March, 2024.
Mr Ahmed was standing with a 48-year-old man at a bus stop on Ferry Road, Edinburgh, Leith Library, around 8.30pm when they were approached by another man who then attacked them.
Emergency services attended and both men were taken to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh. Mr Ahmed later died in hospital on Friday, 15 March, 2024.
Mr Ahmed’s family said: “Nashir was a loving husband and father. He was a big part of our family and we are devastated at losing him.
“He was heavily involved in Edinburgh’s Bangladeshi community and will be greatly missed. He loved life and cared for all his family and friends. We will always remember his warmth and his kindness.”
His attacker is described as black, around 30-years of age, with short, dark hair. He was wearing a red tartan scarf and a long, black jacket with a hood.
Detective Chief Inspector George Calder said: “A family has been left feeling bereft as they come to terms with losing someone so integral to their lives. The circumstances are heart breaking, and I can’t possibly imagine the pain they are feeling during these difficult times.
“We continue to follow up several lines of inquiry and I would reiterate my appeal to anyone who has any information about this crime or the person responsible to contact us. Any small piece of information could be crucial in our ongoing investigation, so please do pass it on.
“Anyone with information should contact 101 quoting reference 2805 of 10 March. Alternatively, Crimestoppers can be contacted on 0800 555 111, where anonymity can be maintained.”
Avant Homes Scotland will deliver 170 new homes in Rosyth with a gross development value of £43.85m after acquiring a 16.5-acre site with planning permission off Admiralty Road.
Called Stewart’s Quarter, the development will comprise a mix of two-, three-, four- and five-bedroom homes.
It will feature 13 of Avant Homes’ practically designed, energy-efficient detached and semi-detached properties. Prices for homes at Stewart’s Quarter will be released at a later date.
The housebuilder will be investing around £27m to deliver the development, supporting local businesses and communities over a five-year period.
Stewart’s Quarter will form part of the Rosyth Garden Village master plan which will see the delivery of a mixed-use development. Once complete, it will comprise up to 390 new homes, retail units, offices, sheltered housing and a care home.
Work has started at Stewart’s Quarter and it is anticipated the first homes will be released for sale towards the end of March. A show home is scheduled to open this September and the first residents are scheduled to move into their new homes in October.
Avant Homes Scotland managing director, Jim Wilkinson, said: “We are very pleased to have been able to acquire what is an excellent residential development site in Rosyth. It is a great place to live which will be enhanced even further by the Rosyth Garden Village master plan.
“Our objective is to build quality new homes for everyone and our mix of practically designed, energy efficient properties at Stewart’s Quarter available at a range of price points will ably demonstrate that.
“We already have many enquiries from people wanting to live at the development and now we have started work it has stimulated further interest. We look forward to releasing the first homes for sale and providing people with the opportunity to make their ideal next move.”
Avant Homes Scotland is part of the Avant Homes Group, whose house types are ideal for the private, rented, and affordable sectors. The company operates across Scotland, the north of England and Midlands from eight regional operating businesses.
At present, Avant Homes Group employs more than 600 people. The housebuilder’s ambition is to develop its multi-tenure business further across its existing regions and beyond, creating communities as well as providing employment opportunities.
Avant Homes Group is also committed to its environmental, social and governance (ESG) responsibilities in line with its vision to construct and sell “quality homes, for everyone”.
The housebuilder’s ESG strategy recognises its obligations to all stakeholders to deliver a sustainable future. Avant Homes’ house types are significantly more energy efficient compared to existing housing stock and appeal to a wide range of customers with different affordability requirements.
Each of Avant Homes’ developments provides a safe place for employees and sub-contractors to work as well supporting its supply chain. The housebuilder creates communities in places where people want to live.
Avant Homes is committed to securing sustainable growth through private for sale, PRS and additional affordable housing.
This better serves customers and communities, particularly where the cost of living has increased and affordability is stretched.
Avant Homes has invested in the internal expertise to develop and deliver strategic relationships with PRS investors as well as affordable housing providers.
The Group recently announced the sale of 306 new homes across eight developments to a leading private rented housing provider, Sigma Capital Group, for over £59.5m.
Four of the developments are in north east England, two in Yorkshire with the balance in the East Midlands. This significant PRS transaction demonstrates the company’s ability to deliver a significant volume of quality new homes to a major PRS investor.
For the year ended 30 June 2023, the Avant Homes Group delivered 1,766 completions.
Scottish developer Ken Ross, CEO of Hallhill Developments (HDL), is continuing to support the community of Dunbar by gifting 34 acres of land to the Dunbar Community Development & Heritage Trust (Trust) in a partnership with the local council and local community.
The land has been symbolically presented to the Trust for the sum of £1 and was accepted by Trust Chairman Norman Hampshire. This brings the total land gifted by the company over the last few years to the local community up to almost 100 acres.
The Trust plan to create a quality path network, a woodland classroom for local schools, a children’s play area, and a football pitch and changing rooms. Other exciting plans, subject to approval, include a skate park and pump track, and a community café. A Woodland Management Plan will also be developed to benefit the community of Dunbar and its local wildlife.
As part of its commitment to the local community and reflecting its sustainable values, in addition to the land gifted today, HDL previously gifted 15 acres of land which now hosts the Healthy Living Centre. This is a community sports hub with excellent facilities and is home to most of the community sports clubs in the town.
Land was also provided to East Lothian Council at a subsidised cost to deliver the primary school. In addition, over 50 acres of woodland has previously been gifted by HDL to the Trust, which is managed by Lochend Community Woodland Trust for the use of the community.
Ken Ross is passionate about creating healthy environments for people to live, work and play. His team, together with East Lothian Council, the Trust and others, incorporate active travel, safe routes to school together with access to open space and woodland areas to encourage and facilitate healthier lifestyles in their developments.
Hallhill Developments has been involved in the Dunbar area for over 30 years. An independent economic assessment in 2018 by Mackay Consulting identified that more than 600 jobs have been created in the area. To date, over £40m is now being contributed to the local economy every year at Hallhill and 1,700 homes have been built or are under construction in the area.
Since the inception of Hallhill, the population of Dunbar has increased from around 8,500 to circa 14,400, facilitating the delivery of education, road infrastructure and sporting facilities for the town.
Ken Ross, Director of Hallhill Developments, said:“Hallhill is now an area where people want to work, live, and play. Creating sustainable developments that will help to address climate change and the wider healthy living needs of the community is extremely important and is part of the wider vision of Hallhill Developments.
“This land is a gift to the local community of Dunbar, via the Trust. We want to see local people having access to this land and utilising it for a variety of active lifestyle purposes. I’m delighted with the plans the Trust have for the land.”
Norman Hampshire, East Lothian Council Leader and Chair of the Dunbar Community Development & Heritage Trust commented: “I am delighted on behalf of the Trust to accept this further gift of land for the people of Dunbar.
“This project is a perfect example of how a partnership of the Community, Council and a developer can work together to create a strong sustainable community.
“The Community will produce a Woodland Management Plan to improve the woodland for the benefit of the Dunbar community and its wildlife. We will have a quality path network and a woodland classroom that will be an asset for the school.
“The open space area in the middle of the woodland already has planning consent for a football pitch and changing rooms, along with a children’s play area. The Trust have applied to also deliver a skate park and pump track, along with a community café alongside the football pitch. This will complete one of the best community sports and recreation facilities in Scotland.”
Loch Ness Centre calling for eager explorers to join 8-month search
Last summer, The Loch Ness Centre hosted one of the largest ever hunts for Nessie. Over the course of the weekend, thousands of people took part, searching for the elusive creature that has captured the world’s imagination. Results from the weekend included an influx of mysterious sightings and unexplained noises, furthering the belief that something is out there waiting to be discovered.
This Spring, The Loch Ness Centre is embarking on another exhilarating journey as they delve into the mysteries in and around the famous loch. From March 29th to November 3rd, the Centre will be conducting research to map and photograph the vibrant wildlife thriving around the Scottish waters.
The Loch Ness Centre is asking both locals and visitors to join the search in attempt to uncover the secrets of Loch Ness and document the magnificent deer, graceful salmon, enigmatic eels, or perhaps even the legendary monster.
With the new season on the horizon, The Loch Ness Centre is gearing up to welcome a flurry of new visitors eager to learn more about the iconic loch and its history.
Spring is synonymous with new life and budding nature, the perfect time for The Loch Ness Centre to launch its Wildlife Watch and encourage people, from near and far, to look out for the beauty and abundance of wildlife in and around the Loch.
The Scottish Highlands is home to a variety of amazing wildlife and eager eyes may witness playful otters, majestic buzzards and kites, whimsical red squirrels, and the awe-inspiring flights of eagles and ospreys.
Participants are being asked to report on what they see and when, alongside further details such as the weather conditions and the loch’s surface water condition, with all findings being logged for the final report in November. Where possible watchers are being asked to take a photo of any findings.
The warmer weather also facilitates the return of the Deepscan Cruises, giving visitors the opportunity to climb onboard with Captain Alistair Matheson, to search the water right from the source. This one-of-a-kind, intimate experience takes guests on a journey across the incredible body of water, to witness the breath-taking beauty of Urquhart Castle and search the depths of the loch using world-class sonar equipment on board.
Paul Nixon, General Manager of the Loch Ness Centre, said:“We’re so excited to be launching our Wildlife Watch.
“When talking about Loch Ness we instantly think of Nessie, yet there are so many other amazing creatures right on our doorstep here in Loch Ness. We encourage everybody to take part in spotting some of Scotland’s amazing wildlife and who knows what else, or who else, you might see along the way!
“We can’t wait to see what people find and document, to give us a better understanding of what we share this amazing place with.”
Anyone can join the adventure and be part of the Wildlife Watch, whether that’s from onboard the Deepscan or watching from the loch shores.
NHS Lothian has launched a striking new campaign to stub out smoking on hospital sites.Staff members across NHS Lothian hospitals have teamed up to urge patients, visitors and other members of staff not to light-up near hospitals.
They aim to create a healthier environment for patients, visitors, and employees and help protect those most at risk as they receive urgent care in hospitals across Lothian, including the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, the Western General Hospital, St John’s Hospital and the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People and Department of Clinical Neurosciences.
The campaign, titled “All Areas Are Smoke Free”, uses life size pop-up banners which feature seven members of staff asking people not to smoke on hospital premises.
The banners, which are strategically placed in high-traffic areas where the most smoking takes place, serve as a visual reminder of the importance of maintaining clean air and smoke-free environments.
Healthcare staff, who help deliver lifesaving care every day, are some of the most trusted and valued people in society and it is hoped that their direct appeal will make a difference.
Dona Milne, Director of Public Health and Health Policy, NHS Lothian, said: “Smoke Free Hospitals are about ensuring that our patients, staff and visitors can come to our hospitals and breathe clean air.
“Unfortunately, there are still areas on our hospital grounds where we know people are smoking. This is why we’re pleased to launch this campaign as part of our ongoing commitment to promoting health and well-being on our hospital sites.
“We hope to create a cultural shift towards smoke-free environments that prioritises the health of everyone who walks through our doors.”
All hospital grounds have been designated as smoke free areas since 2015. This was further enhanced in 2022 by the introduction of a £50 fixed penalty notice to those who smoke within the 15 metres of a hospital building.
NHS Lothian aims to amplify the reach and impact of the campaign and has been running Smoke Free information sessions with staff members to foster a supportive network committed to reducing smoking prevalence on NHS Lothian hospital sites.
Kate Thomas, a Radiologist at the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People who features in the campaign, said: “Children come to our hospital to be treated for asthma and cancer.
“We need them to breathe clean air.“Please do not smoke on our hospital grounds.”
Joanna Mackenzie, Consultant Clinical Oncologist, Edinburgh Cancer Centre, was also featured in the campaign and said: “I ask my patients to do the difficult job of stopping smoking before their head and neck cancer treatment.
“Please support our cancer patients by not smoking on our hospital grounds.”
Stephen Gallacher, Advanced Nurse Practitioner, A&E, St John’s Hospital, said: “Patients are being treated in A&E for serious, life-threatening and life changing conditions.
“It is not acceptable for our patients to be met with smoke when they come into hospital. Please do not smoke on our hospital grounds.”
Support for anyone who wants to stop smoking is available from the Quit Your Way service.
The Fringe Be Inspired Fund is an opportunity for teachers and schools in north Edinburgh to receive up to £400 of funding at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2024.
The funds must be spent on accessing live performance, engagement with companies and opportunities for further experience and education in performance for your young people.
