EVE transforms into Taylor’s Playground with Drag-themed Brunches and Iconic Tribute Performances
Get ready to shake it off and sing along as this June, Virgin Hotels Edinburgh will be turning up the Taylor Swift tunes for a weekend celebration across the 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th.
For those that missed out on landing tickets to see Taylor live, Virgin Hotels Edinburgh is offering tribute performances and drag themed brunches to ensure it’s a party like 1989.
Eve, Virgin Hotels Edinburgh’s all day dining concept situated on Cowgate is preparing for a Taylor Swift themed weekend. The hotel will play host to themed brunches, accompanied by drag performances as well as tribute acts and Taylor Swift inspired friendship bracelets, making it the perfect Swiftie experience.
TAYLOR SWIFT THEMED BRUNCHES – 7th, 8th, 9th June (12:00 – 16:00)
On the 7th of June, Krystal Kleer will be kicking off the weekend with a brunch fit for a Swiftie, filled with Taylor’s greatest hits and DJ performances that will keep the party going.
On the 9th June, Virgin Hotels Edinburgh will be extending its existing brunch menu to include some of Taylor’s favourites, including burgers, chicken tenders, and a healthy sandwich option all created in true Eve style, by Executive Head Chef Giulio Morroni. This re-styled menu will also be available on 7th of June.
Virgin Hotels Edinburgh has revamped its cocktail menu for the occasion, ensuring it has all of Taylor’s favourites renamed to match her Eras album. Cocktails include Bad Blood, Mad Woman, Cruel Summer, and Champagne Problems
Custom Taylor themed bracelets will be created for guests during the weekend brunches, adding a personal touch to the fan experience with custom charms and colourful beads inspired by her iconic albums and lyrics.
Venue: Eve
Drinks package available including four Taylor Swift themed cocktails for £30pp.
TAYLOR SWIFT BIG BOOZY BRUNCH WITH ALICIA TRYDE – 8th June (12:00 – 16:00)
On the 8th of June, Alice Tryde will be host for the Big Boozy Brunch, an interactive experience for guests, with performances of songs from all Taylor’s albums, lip sync battles, and finish the lyrics challenges with exciting prizes up for grabs.
Venue: Eve
Priced at £35pp which includes buffet starters, desserts and a la carte for the mains which includes a vast selection of seafood, charcuterie, cheese, and salads.
TAYLOR SWIFT TRIBUTE HOSTED BY SHY BAIRNS ENTERTAINENT – 9th June (12:15 -16:00)
For the ultimate Taylor Swift experience, Shy Bairns Entertainment will perform a homage to Taylor, performing all of her hit classics making it impossible not to sing along.
To those that weren’t able to grab tickets to The Eras Tour, Virgin Hotels Edinburgh is on hand to offer a star performance that will ensure it is a party like 1989.
Eve will be transformed into an immersive experience, with performers singing and dancing to medleys spanning Taylor’s successful career.
Between performances, guests will have the opportunity to embark on a Taylor-themed scavenger hunt with each winner rewarded with a complimentary Eve cocktail.
Venue: Eve
Free of charge
THE SWIFTIE LOUNGE – 7th, 8th, 9th June (All day)
Virgin Hotels Edinburgh will transform its iconic Scarlet Lounge into ‘The Swiftie Lounge’ for the Taylor Swift weekend
The Swiftie Lounge will host screenings of The Eras Tour all weekend, where guests are free to drop in throughout the 7th – 9th
Taylor themed cocktails will be available to order as well as complimentary popcorn
Venue: Scarlet Lounge
Price: Free of charge
WINE DOWN THURSDAY WITH A TAYLOR SWIFT TRIBUTE – 6th June (18:30 – 20:30)
Kick off the Taylor Swift celebrations on Thursday 6th June as the talented Maryjane performs a special Taylor Swift set at Wine Down Thursdays.
Maryjane is set to get crowds singing along, with performances from all of Taylors iconic Eras.
Eve’s all day dining menu of delicious share plates will also be available.
Two men and a woman have been convicted of human trafficking and brothel keeping offences in Glasgow and Edinburgh.
Qin Huang, 31, Xiao Min, 38, and Guolei Huang, 35, pled guilty at the High Court in Glasgow today (Tuesday, 28 May, 2024).
They are due to be sentenced on Tuesday, 25 June, 2024.
Detective Inspector Mark Dines said: “Human trafficking is a despicable crime that has an unmeasurable long-term impact on its victims.
“We are committed to working with our partners to conduct thorough investigations, to identify those responsible and to protect vulnerable victims from harm.
“During this operation we worked in partnership with the Home Office Criminal & Financial Investigation Team and received assistance from officers of the Metropolitan Police and Cambridgeshire Constabulary.
“We will continue in our efforts to tackle human trafficking and information from people within our communities is key to helping us to identify those involved.
“I ask that anyone with any information or concerns about the welfare of someone they suspect has been trafficked to contact us on 101.”
Scottish Businesses to benefit from global expert insight on tackling Modern Slavery
Scotland Against Modern Slavery (SAMS), which focuses on the elimination of modern slavery and human trafficking has announced an accelerator series of webinars designed to help Scottish businesses tackle the issue in their supply chains.
Businesses in Scotland have supply chains, and often operations, which span the globe. The International Labour Organisation believes that 63% of forced labour happens in the private economy, which accounts for 16million of the 28million men, women, and children in forced labour.
In Scotland alone, 765 referrals were made to Police Scotland as potential victims of human trafficking last year – the highest number since records began. This is up from 600 in 2022.
Human rights and supply chain expert, Elaine Mitchel-Hill, has engaged with SAMS to develop and deliver a Human Rights in Supply Chain Accelerator Series on a pro-bono basis.
She said: “The introduction of the UK Modern Slavery Act in 2016 has had limited impact on tackling human rights abuses by corporations, and there are moves to review and address these, including the recent Commercial and Public Authorities Duty (Human Rights and Environment) Bill put forward by Baroness Young of Hornsey.
“Global environmental and human rights due diligence legislation is moving apace, signalled most recently by the passing of the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive.
“The truth is that many businesses still do not know where human rights risks lie. Nor do they know where to begin to find out where risks lie. Too many have their heads buried in a ‘compliance’ only approach.
“Still more are not significantly motivated by potential prosecutions and fines – although this is changing. This accelerator series is a great opportunity to engage with global experts to learn and to share.”
Shan Saba, director at Brightwork and a founder of SAMS, said: “The stats don’t lie and this issue is not going away so we hope as many people as possible sign up to the SAMS Human Rights in Supply Chain Accelerator Series to learn more and thereby improve the situation.
“Slavery is a global issue so listening to and learning from our international partners will be invaluable in our efforts to help ensure compliance, eliminate modern slavery, and support human rights.
“Since inception, SAMS has brought together the Scottish Government with over 56 businesses, charities, and NGOs, with the core aims of raising awareness of the problem, supporting survivors into positive employment opportunities and protecting vulnerable communities from exploitation.
“All areas of Scotland have reported cases of human trafficking – anyone can be susceptible, and it is happening in our towns, cities and rural communities, as well as in our global supply chains.”
Eight key areas to improve brain tumour diagnosis have been identified in Scotland following a roundtable discussion with healthcare experts.
The Brain Tumour Charity and Dxcover Ltd. facilitated a discussion with GPs, NHS representatives, researchers, the co-convenor of the Cross Party Group on Cancer and representatives from the Chief Scientist’s Office, to improve diagnosis for people with a suspected brain tumour.
Each year, more than 1000 people in Scotland are diagnosed with a brain or central nervous system tumour (1), leading to urgent calls to prioritise better care and improve pathways to a faster diagnosis.
Following the discussion with the panel of experts in February 2024 and further research, a report was produced in partnership with The Brain Tumour Charity and Dxcover which identified eight key areas as having the most potential for improving brain tumour diagnosis.
They include ensuring that patients are monitored throughout their diagnosis until symptoms are explained or resolved, enabling optometrists to refer directly to neurology if a person presents with concerning visual symptoms and prioritising innovation to improve diagnosis of brain tumour.
12 recommendations have now been made to NHS Scotland and the Scottish Government about the changes required to ensure diagnosis pathways are effective.
The recommendations include providing guidelines to improve care and raise awareness of brain tumours, allowing opticians to refer directly to neurology and establishing a diagnostic/triage tool that would help diagnose people faster (2).
The roundtable also started a discussion on where a diagnostic tool would be most suitable in healthcare pathways. Dxcover Ltd is a Glasgow based company developing diagnostic tools for brain tumours and has developed a liquid biopsy test with artificial intelligence that could be used in the brain tumour diagnosis pathway.
The Brain Tumour Charity and Dxcover will continue to work with NHS Scotland and the Scottish Government to ensure that people with a suspected brain tumour are prioritised and that the pathway to diagnosis is improved for patient benefit.
Cameron Miller, Director of External Affairs and Strategy at The Brain Tumour Charity said: “The recommendations we are suggesting to improve the brain tumour diagnosis pathway in Scotland are based on a fruitful and impactful discussion The Brain Tumour Charity and Dxcover initiated with Scottish healthcare professionals and policymakers.
“These are stepping stones to improving diagnosis for people living in Scotland and we are committed to ensuring that people facing a brain tumour diagnosis have the support they need to ensure they are diagnosed faster and have the quickest access to the best treatments available.”
Prof. Matthew J. Baker, CEO of Dxcover said: “Dxcover was founded to enable the earliest detection of cancer. We believe that the combination of Dxcover’s multi-omic spectral analysis and machine learning will lead to the greatest impact on patient recovery, lifespan and quality of life post-diagnosis.
“We have recently launched our EMBRACE study, a pan-Europe 2,200 patient performance evaluation of the Dxcover® Brain Cancer Liquid Biopsy which will enable CE marking and provide a much-needed tool for patients.”
BRIEFING from the Council Waste Team on the current bin collection backlog.
KEY POINTS:
Please do not put your blue glass box out for collection this week.
If your green recycling bin or grey non-recyclable waste bin has not been collected, please leave it at the kerbside and we’ll collect it as soon as we can.
Cllr Scott Arthur said: “As you may be aware, we are currently experiencing delays to kerbside wheelie bin collections (non-recyclable waste and mixed recycling bins) in some areas of the city due to unexpected staffing issues.
“There are a smaller number of delays relating to food waste collections.
Crews worked over the weekend to catch up on collections and will work hard to get the service back to normal as soon as possible, however delays are expected to last until the end of the week.
“To minimise the level of disruption and allow us to catch up on delays to these collections we are taking the following actions:
Suspending kerbside glass collections for this week. Residents due to have a blue glass box collection this week are being asked not to put their box out for collection. This service is expected to resume on Tuesday 4 June.
Anyone with a missed non-recyclable waste or mixed recycling bin collection should leave their bin out at the kerbside and we’ll collect it as soon as possible.
Food waste collections will take place as normal and residents should put their food caddies out on their normal collection day.
“Advice for residents and information on delays and affected areas is available on our website and social media updates will be sent out over the coming days: https://edinburgh.gov.uk/missedbin
“Please be assured that the service will be working hard to get back on track as soon as possible.”
Rachel’s personal journey leads to educational Degree Show project
A pop-up shop being showcased as part of Edinburgh Napier’s Degree Show is providing food for thought to attendees as it aims to debunk the myths and stigma surrounding type 1 diabetes.
“Food for Thought” has been created by Edinburgh Napier fourth year graphic design student Rachel Cartledge.
The speculative shop is stocked with fun, eye-catching products that aim to address specific issues relating to type 1 diabetes, including some of the misunderstanding around diagnosis, hypos, carb counting and more.
Cereals called ‘Dia-wheaties’ and ‘Hypos’ bury some of the myths around the condition alongside providing information on what to do if a diabetic is experiencing low sugar levels.
‘In A Pickle’ jars provide information on what you can do to help someone with type 1 diabetes and drink cans called ‘Shots’ share more on type 1 diabetes and drinking alcohol.
‘Myth Milk’ again looks into some of the different myths around type 1 diabetes and tins called ‘Can you carb count’ provide knowledge on the importance of weighing out portions of food – something that is vital when using insulin.
Rachel – who is 22 years-old and from Edinburgh – was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when she was just four years old.
The project, and its items, have been created as a direct response to some of the misconceptions and stigma that Rachel has experienced being a type 1 diabetic throughout her life so far.
Rachel said: “I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when I was 4. As I grew up, and as I started to understand more about the condition myself, it became obvious that there wasn’t a great deal of information out there that gave people knowledge on what type 1 diabetes is and its causes and symptoms.
“People kept on telling me that I had it because I ate too much sugar, which simply isn’t true. I remember visiting the hospital and the diabetes posters were quite extreme. People don’t realise that type 1 is vastly different from type 2 diabetes.
“Type 1 is an auto-immune condition. There is no way of preventing it and it can happen to anyone.
“This led me to creating Food for Thought. I wanted to catch people’s attention and use design to express how I feel about the stigma and misinformation surrounding the condition. Creating it has been a bit like therapy – but it has been a lot of fun too.
“I’m in a lucky position that I’ve grown up with it. I’ve had a supportive family and friend network around me, and I’ve adapted my lifestyle – it hasn’t stopped me from doing anything that I’ve wanted to do. However, if you were in your mid 20s and got diagnosed with it tomorrow, I’m not sure the resources would be there to help you understand the condition and how to live with it. That’s been a key driver behind the whole project.”
Alongside exhibiting at Edinburgh Napier’s Degree Show, Rachel’s Food for Thought project has also been in display at a recent diabetes discovery day organised by the JDRF charity in Aberdeen.
If you would like to see Rachel’s project, and others from the University’s School of Arts and Creative Industries, the Edinburgh Napier Degree Show runs from 24 – 30 May at Merchiston campus.
CALL FOR END TO VAPES MARKETING TARGETING YOUNG PEOPLE
ASH Scotland is marking World No Tobacco Day by urging youth groups in Edinburgh to join the health charity’s campaign calling for the end of vapes advertising and marketing being targeted at children and young people.
‘Protecting young people from tobacco industry interference’ has been chosen by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the theme for this year’s campaign.
ASH Scotland is aiming to amplify the voices of youth groups and youngsters who want to stop the marketing of sweet flavoured, brightly coloured vapes and their promotion by organisations funded by tobacco firms targeting young people.
The charity believes concerns by the next generation of voters about marketing luring young people to start using and becoming addicted to health harming vapes should be heard loud and clear by all candidates in the General Election.
Sheila Duffy, Chief Executive of ASH Scotland, said: “In supporting WHO’s World No Tobacco Day 2024 campaign in Scotland, we are keen to hear from children’s and youth groups in Edinburgh who want to speak out about predatory tobacco industry marketing tactics promoting vapes and creating a new wave of addiction.
“For decades, tobacco industry promotions lured young people into starting to use their addictive and harmful products and, in recent years, the same is now happening with vapes.
“Vapes contain high levels of nicotine, which is very addictive, as well as toxic chemicals that have not been safety tested for breathing in and can damage lungs over time.
“We want to support young people in Edinburgh to raise their concerns about vape marketing that is targeted at them and their friends, and there is no better opportunity than during the General Election campaign!”
JetBlue flights from New York to Edinburgh taking off
Daily non-stop seasonal service from New York to Edinburgh introduces the airline’s award winning Mint® and Core product offerings to its fifth transatlantic market
To celebrate launch, limited roundtrip fares starting at £399 and $499 in Core and £1999 and $2999 in Mint Available
JetBlue has expanded its transatlantic offerings with new, non-stop flights to Edinburgh taking off from New York.
Daily summer-seasonal service from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Edinburgh Airport (EDI) will operate through September 30, 2024, bringing JetBlue’s signature low-fares and great service to the United Kingdom’s second most popular tourism destination.
This new service, only the second direct offering from New York’s JFK to Edinburgh, provides much needed competition for customers travelling in and out of New York.
“JetBlue has redefined transatlantic travel by introducing low fares and great service in markets dominated by high fare legacy carriers,” said Marty St. George, president, JetBlue.
“We look forward to connecting Scotland and the Northeast this summer with our award winning Mint and core service that will bring this signature JetBlue experience to Edinburgh.”
John Lamont, UK Government Minister for Scotland said: “Our relationship with the US is a special one. We welcome hundreds of thousands of visitors to Scotland and the wider UK from North America every year and it’s also our top export market. This new direct JetBlue route from Edinburgh to New York City will really help strengthen links between our two great countries.
“Just last month, I walked down Sixth Avenue with other representatives from the UK Government as part of the annual Tartan Day celebrations in Manhattan, promoting our most important exports – whisky, energy and financial services, and our rich culture.
“This flight route will make it easier for visitors from the U.S. to come and see for themselves what a uniquely attractive destination we have here, while also easing travel for Scottish visitors wanting to explore the Big Apple and beyond.”
“I’m delighted to see JetBlue’s new Edinburgh to New York JFK flight take off, as it will help enhance Scotland’s direct connectivity to the US and strengthen important links for business connectivity, exports, and inbound tourism,” said Jim Fairlie, Connectivity Minister.
“This is the first time JetBlue has served Scotland and it demonstrates the confidence they have in the Scottish market. It also strengthens Edinburgh Airport’s case for establishing a U.S. pre-clearance border facility to help make travel more seamless and provide added benefits for Scottish businesses and visitors.
“I wish Edinburgh Airport and JetBlue every success with the new service, and I am sure it will be welcomed by travelers in both Scotland and the US.”
“We are excited to welcome JetBlue to Scotland with the launch of this new direct service. North America is our most valuable international visitor market, and we are seeing record levels of demand here, welcoming almost one million visitors last year, surpassing not only pre-pandemic levels but also other parts of the UK,” said Malcolm Roughead, Chief Executive of VisitScotland.
“We know these visitors are drawn to Scotland for a variety of reasons from our dramatic landscapes to our rich history and culture and warm people, with Edinburgh, Scotland’s capital offering a well-connected gateway for exploring the rest of the country.
“These visitors who often stay longer and spend more, are hugely important to Scotland’s tourism industry and wider economy supporting businesses, jobs and communities and why making it as easy as possible for people to visit here with direct access is key.
“Following a difficult few years for the travel and tourism industry, we are delighted to be working with new partner JetBlue to promote this new direct service and encourage more US visitors to choose Scotland for their next holiday.”
Gordon Dewar, chief executive of Edinburgh Airport. “We are excited to see another new airline and tailfin as JetBlue adds Edinburgh Airport to its fast-growing European network.
“Transatlantic travel from Edinburgh has been a real success story and adding more capacity to New York opens up another route for passengers to travel to and from Scotland and the USA, bringing our two countries even closer together.
“It’s always great to see a new airline make its home in Edinburgh and we are really looking forward to welcoming JetBlue’s passengers and our new colleagues to Scotland’s capital.”
Schedule between New York (JFK) and Edinburgh (EDI)
Daily seasonal service starting May 22 (Eastbound) & May 23 (Westbound)(through September 30, 2024)*all times local
JFK-EDI Flight #73
EDI-JFK Flight #72
9:12 p.m. – 9:30 a.m. (+1)
12:30 p.m. – 3:06 p.m.
Flights to Edinburgh will operate daily on JetBlue’s Airbus A321neo with Mint aircraft with 16 redesigned Mint Suite® seats, 144 core seats and Airbus’ Enhanced Cabin with XL Bins. The A321neo with Mint features an average 20 percent increase in fuel efficiency and up to 500 nautical miles in additional range.
The JetBlue Experience
JetBlue, currently the sixth largest airline in the U.S., is known for its unique, customer-focused model that offers great service at an attractive fare. With this new destination, JetBlue is once again disrupting transatlantic service with an elevated experience specially designed for its Airbus A321neo with Mint aircraft.
The airline’s Mint premium experience offers customers fully lie-flat private suites and a custom-designed seat cushion developed by innovative mattress company Tuft & Needle. In addition to countless intuitive design touches, every customer will feel at home in the air with the stylish and reusable Mint amenity kits designed by Caraa, containing popular wellness products from New York-based brands Dr. Dennis Gross and Plus Ultra, and sleep amenities by Tuft & Needle.
Mint customers enjoy delicious, restaurant-style small plates curated by Delicious Hospitality Group’s (DHG) popular New York City restaurants Legacy Records, Charlie Bird and Pasquale Jones. Their inventive culinary style and hospitality expertise brings the best inflight dining experience to Mint tray tables.
JetBlue’s industry-leading core experience offers a new level of service to customers who want an elevated inflight experience at an attractive fare with the most legroom in coach1 as well as innovative, fresh meals by NYC-based culinary partner DIG and a free selection of brand-name snacks, soft drinks, coffee, tea, beer, wine and liquor.
With the recently launched platform, Blueprint by JetBlue™, customers in both core and Mint enjoy a personalized inflight experience through AVANT seatback touchscreens, featuring new ways to watch, save and discover a robust selection of inflight entertainment, including exclusive content from JetBlue’s streaming partner, Peacock. All customers also stay connected throughout the flight with fast, free and unlimited high-speed Fly-Fi2 for a multi-screen experience–just like they enjoy at home.
Book better with JetBlue
To celebrate the launch of new service to Edinburgh, seats are on sale today with low fares for U.S.-originating travelers starting at $499 round-trip for the airline’s awardwinning core experience and starting at $2,999 for JetBlue’s premium Mint experience. Scotland-originating travelers can enjoy special introductory round-trip fares starting at £399 for core and £1,999 for Mint available on jetblue.com3
Customers who book directly through jetblue.com are guaranteed to find our lowest fares and enjoy additional benefits including access to all of JetBlue’s fare options, as well as fare sales and promotions, some of which may not be available through other third parties; the ability to earn 2x TrueBlue points and participate in Points Pooling; seamless seat selections and upgrades to Even More® Space; 24/7 direct access to JetBlue’s customer service channels; and more.
About JetBlue
JetBlue is New York’s Hometown Airline®, and a leading carrier in Boston, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood, Los Angeles, Orlando, and San Juan. JetBlue, known for its low fares and great service, carries customers to more than 100 destinations throughout the United States, Latin America, the Caribbean, Canada, and Europe. For more information and the best fares, visitjetblue.com.
1) Based on baseline seat pitch of transatlantic aircraft
2) Fly-Fi® is available on all JetBlue-operated flights. Coverage area may vary by aircraft. Details on inflight wi-fi and entertainment:https://www.jetblue.com/flying-with-us
3) New York (JFK) to Edinburgh (EDI) requires round-trip purchase & 3-night minimum stay. Book by 5/24. Travel 5/28/2024 – 7/31/2024. 3-day advance purchase required. Terms apply.
Scottish entrepreneurs share £1.5 million prize fund as 23rd round of awards takes place
35 businesses with high-growth potential are celebrating after winning shares of a £1.5 million prize pot at Friday’s Scottish EDGE award ceremony.
For their 23rd round the awards returned to the Royal Bank of Scotland Conference Centre in Gogarburn, Edinburgh, with winners hailing from across the country, from Orkney to the Borders.
This year’s ceremony saw the introduction of two new awards which are set to open new avenues for aspiring entrepreneurs. The inaugural £80,000 Scale EDGE Award, which is supported by Royal Bank of Scotland and includes access to a high-growth account manager and placement on one of Scale-Up Scotland’s growth programmes, was awarded to Edinburgh based Talonmore Drinks, a family-run business producing ginger-based alcohol alternatives.
Meanwhile a new Creative EDGE Award, facilitated with support from Creative UK, which champions, connects and promotes the development of the creative industries across the United Kingdom, gave a boost of £100,000 to Una Watch, which produces sustainable, repairable-at-home, modular GPS sports watches.
Veteran award categories returned for the 23rd round, with sustainability remaining a key focus. The Circular Economy Award, supported by Zero Waste Scotland, went to Evolve Metals, who secured £90,000 for their development of a copper refinery which refines metals from scrap, while Smart Gym CIC, which supports families through innovative and affordable wellbeing services, won £75,000 in the Social Enterprise category, supported by the Postcode Innovation Trust.
The Young EDGE and Wild Card categories returned this round, with the former supporting companies whose managing directors are under 30 and the latter providing a grant to pre-trading businesses which need support to bring their products to market.
Winners of the Scottish EDGE supported Young EDGE award included Lairg-based Candles from the Croft, which won £10,000 for its sustainable, vegan and cruelty-free luxury fragrances, while seven businesses were successful in the Wildcard Category, including West Linton-based Hulk Bio, which was awarded £15,000 towards its production of stem cell-based human milk for infants in cases where breastfeeding is not possible.
The STV supported award of £70,000 plus £75,000 worth of ad airtime, went to Alloa fudge makers Ochil Fudge Ltd, while the women-led business StrEAT Events emerged as winner of the Scottish Government backed Pathways category, winning a £75,000 award for their online catering marketplace.
Judith Cruickshank, MD Commercial Mid-Market at the Royal Bank of Scotland and One Bank Scotland Chair, said: “The Scottish EDGE awards offer a fantastic opportunity to showcase the talent and ingenuity within Scotland’s entrepreneurial community, and the addition of two new categories for this year illustrates how that depth of skill and creativity continues to grow.
“Royal Bank of Scotland once again was delighted to host the finals here at Gogarburn and we would like to congratulate all those businesses who were awarded funding at last night’s awards.
“We are proud to have supported the inaugural Scale EDGE award and extend our special congratulations to the category winner Talonmore Drinks and look forward to supporting the business as it takes its next steps.”
Sir Tom Hunter, entrepreneur and philanthropist said: “Scottish EDGE is a key driver of economic growth, a critical stepping stone for many scaling businesses and its refreshing that earlier this week our Government recognised that with additional funds to support more entrepreneurs intent on building successful businesses.
“Their success builds Scotland’s success – nothing more needs said.”
Jane Martin, Managing Director of Innovation and Investment at Scottish Enterprise said:“We’re delighted to continue our support for the Young EDGE category, which never fails to deliver a wealth of talented entrepreneurs.
“It’s incredibly exciting to see these innovative young people turning their ideas into businesses that will develop and flourish, and I’d like to congratulate all this year’s Scottish EDGE award winners, who look set to do amazing things both for Scotland’s economy and society as a whole.”
Evelyn McDonald, CEO of Scottish EDGE, said: “It’s been an honour to help unlock the huge potential within the Scottish business landscape through the 23rd round of the Scottish EDGE.
“With the introduction of two new awards this year – the Scale Award and the Creative Award – we’ve been able to dedicate more resources than ever to giving promising Scottish entrepreneurs a helping hand on their journeys.
“We would like to express our gratitude to all our partner organisations and supporters for their contribution towards helping our businesses to thrive”.
Supported by The Hunter Foundation, the Royal Bank of Scotland, the Scottish Government and Scottish Enterprise, Scottish EDGE has a key role to play in facilitating the nation’s economic growth.
List of winners (alphabetical)
Scottish EDGE
Clean Carbon UK – £85,000 – West Lothian – A circular economy through carbon capture and utilization that provides a reliable and green supply of CO2.
Confidence Plus – £100,000 – East Kilbride – Confiplus has been created to contain leaks from stoma bags to allow the wearer time to get to a toilet without soiling their clothing/bedding.
Evolve Metals – £90,000 – Circular (Zero Waste Scotland) – Edinburgh – We are building a copper refinery. Our patented technology developed with the University of Strathclyde refines copper directly from scrap, creating a circular economy.
Looper Tech – £70,000 – Edinburgh – Looper is a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) software that helps manufacturers generate product climate certifications in one place.
Naked Kimchi & Co – £65,000 – Glasgow – We specialise in fermented food & beverages designed for a modern lifestyle, promoting gut health and cultural appreciation. We support local farmers, create zero-waste ferments, and empower refugees.
Noost Ltd – £70,000 – Lochinver – Noost Knit Co aims to make “Made in the Northern Highlands” mean something in the knitwear industry, selling our own products and manufacturing for others.
Ochil Fudge – £70,000 plus £75,000 worth of Ad Spend – Alloa – STV – Ochil Fudge embodies craftsmanship, hand-producing Scottish Fudge. With local talent, quality ingredients, and traditional methods, we deliver an authentic homemade taste to delight our customers.
Optimum Business Growth – £60,000 – Glasgow – Our Bid Journey model has helped clients win over £800m of contracts since 2020 by taking a more proactive, strategic approach to bidding for work.
Smart Gym CIC – £75,000 – Glasgow – Social Enterprise (Postcode Innovation Trust) – Smart Gym is a social enterprise that supports families through innovative and affordable wellbeing services.
StrEAT Events t/a AndMunch – £75,000 – Glasgow – Pathways (ScotGov) – AndMunch is an online catering marketplace for discovering and booking food trucks & mobile bars for events.
Tailored Spirits – £100,000 – Edinburgh – An Edinburgh-based company who coordinates every aspect of a whisky cask’s journey from barrel to bottle for clients seeking bespoke small-batch bottlings.
Talonmore Drinks – £80,000 – Edinburgh – Scale Up (RBS) – Talonmore is a family-run business focused on enhancing healthier socialising through non-alcoholic drinks. Offering a versatile, ginger-based alcohol alternative, that replicates a dark spirit experience.
Tax Torch – £75,000 – Hamilton – Revolutionary Tax Planning Platform leveraging AI to offer personalised, real-time and future tax planning based on an individuals profile, goals, HMRC guidance, and legislation.
The Ink Balm Co – £50,000 – Alloa – The Ink Balm is a vegan, eco-packaged tattoo aftercare product, created and made in Scotland, celebrating the art of tattoo.
Una Watch – £100,000 – Edinburgh – Creative (Creative UK) – Built with sustainability in mind, Una is a modular, repairable GPS running watch. We also design smart watches for industry customers using our modular system.
Whitebox Dental – £100,000 – Glasgow – We are a dental laboratory that specialise in the manufacture of orthodontic appliances, manufacturing braces, retainers and aligners and whitening products for specialist orthodontic clinics.
Young EDGE
AMJ Tech Consultants – £15,000 – Edinburgh – AMJ provides an export tool and API builder application for no-code databases.
Candles from the Croft – £10,000 – By Lairg – Based in the North of the Scottish Highlands on a working croft, we offer sustainable, vegan-friendly and cruelty-free luxury hand-poured home fragrances.
CYKELWORX DESIGN LTD – £10,000 – Westhill – Cykelworx Design focuses on innovation across the outdoor market, with the flagship design, ‘The Assistant’, a new bicycle roof carrier with built-in assistance.
GRPZ Ltd – £10,000 – Westhill – GRPZ Sports is a sportswear brand that specialises in premium, innovative anti-slip socks that eliminate slippage between an athlete’s foot and shoe.
Harlyy – £10,000 – Glasgow – A B2B SaaS platform that provides restaurants across Scotland and Pakistan with an automated customer feedback and marketing analytics so that they can make better-informed decisions.
LifeRites – £10,000 – Glasgow – Life Rites provides digital resources for those with terminally ill loved ones, helping them to have a good death.
Maria Elizabeth – £10,000 – Paisley – Maria Elizabeth is a Scottish based wedding and event design studio that offers hand-drawn fine art stationery, styling, calligraphy workshops, brand artistry and storytelling worldwide.
MedSnapp – £10,000 – Glasgow – MedSnapp is the world’s first gamified medical education platform for medical students, allowing them to learn medicine through diagnosing and treating patients inside a game.
Moonshine Candle Co – £15,000 – Kirkwall – Moonshine Candle Co. offer luxury hand poured fragrance products, inspired by the calm moments of the Orkney Islands.
Mude – £10,000 – Edinburgh – Mude is an adaptive brand of clothing for people whose health depends on wearing medical devices, currently focussed on solutions for insulin pump users.
New Found Hope – £10,000 – Dunfermline – a Scottish adaptive children’s brand providing therapeutic footwear solutions to address the issue of toe-walking in neurodivergent kids aged 0-5 years old.
NUYRO Ltd – £10,000 – Glasgow – Development and sale of advanced nutraceutical formulation for retail audience in the UK.
Wild Card EDGE
55th Parallel Coffee – £10,000 – Edinburgh – We are a small batch coffee roastery, selling to cafes and restaurants alongside at-home buyers via our website.
AllArmed – £10,000 – Glasgow – Novel personal protection for anyone who may feel vulnerable when alone in public.
FourFourFive Ltd – £10,000 – Edinburgh – FourFourFive Ltd is a software solution which, while working with existing platforms, enables a more timely, accurate and value-giving solution for accountants to prepare monthly business financials.
Hulk Bio – £15,000 – West Linton – Hulk Bio is offering stem-cell based human milk, when breastfeeding isn’t possible.
ProCedure VR – £10,000 – Dunfermline – Creating virtual reality training software libraries to support the immersive learning of surgical procedures.
TinyGyms – £10,000 – Newport on Tay – TinyGyms provides private exercise spaces for people who feel intimidated by traditional public gyms. Unlike other gyms, you get the whole place to yourself.
TiroBio – £10,000 – Dundee – TiroBio Ltd will discover novel natural products such as enzymes and medicines from DNA microbiomes.
Charity dedicated to preventing homelessness highlights true value to taxpayers during national housing crisis
A groundbreaking study into the impact of Scottish charity Right There has revealed it generates over £300m of savings every year for the public purse, through its unique approach to preventing and tackling homelessness.
As Scotland’s national housing crisis deepens, the report, entitled “The difference Right There makes” takes a social return on investment approach to impact evaluation, and sets out how much Right There’s work saves the taxpayer through the likes of long-term health and social care, unemployment benefits, emergency accommodation and by helping to stop people’s problems from worsening.
It has been carried out in the context of the current landscape of economic, political, social, and environmental factors that have and are continuing to shape the third and public sectors, to show the social benefit to society achieved through the charity’s work.
Right There, formerly Ypeople, part of the YMCA movement, has provided practical assistance, advocacy, and empowerment for 200 years, assisting individuals facing tough times.
The charity is built on the principle of meeting people where they are without judgement and walking alongside them, tailoring support to their ever-changing needs from providing safe homes to emotional wellbeing and family support as well as community outreach.
In addition to implementing programmes or interventions, Right There stands by individuals, offering unwavering life-improving support and a helping hand when they need it most. That includes accessing medical help, guiding them toward employment opportunities and, ultimately, a secure long-term home.
Through creating five archetypes, based on a series of ‘typical’ storylines about the lives of people that Right There helps, the study has mapped out the journey that supported individuals take, selecting relevant and realistic metrics to measure the impact of the charity as a financial cost to the public purse, had those individuals not been supported by Right There.
Savings that have been measured in the report include the cost of NHS treatment for issues such as substance use and poor mental health; the avoidance of future interactions with the criminal justice system; the benefits of individuals moving into longer term, more sustainable accommodation and savings to the Scottish economy in supporting individuals towards employment.
Janet Haugh, CEO of Right Theresaid: “As a charity we are driven by the desire to help individuals, one person at a time. Our support is tailored to each person, and we pledge to be right there for as long as it takes. To see the impact of our support defined in such large financial terms is quite overwhelming.
“Right There is saving taxpayers in excess of £300m annually through relieving pressure on NHS and social care costs, unemployment benefits and emergency accommodation.
“At a time when Scotland’s housing crisis is intensifying, budget cuts are increasing and the prediction that homelessness will increase by a third by 2026, compound just how critical our work is and the social benefits it delivers for society as a whole.”
Introducing a new series of awards celebrating the best across Edinburgh’s August Festivals: The Skinny-Fest Festival Awards (for festivals) – aka The Besties (We like it when it rolls off the tongue!)
The Award is a partnership between The Skinny, Capital Theatres and Premier Scotland.
The teams behind The Skinny and Fest magazines, Capital Theatres and Premier Scotland have come together to create a new series of awards spanning all of Edinburgh’s August festivals: The Skinny-Fest Festival Awards in association with Capital Theatres, supported by Premier Scotland.
Reflecting the broad and diverse coverage both magazines produce every summer and responding to the need for a pan-festivals award, The Besties will span all the festival activity taking place in the city over the month of August, including the Edinburgh Art Festival, Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Edinburgh International Book Festival, Edinburgh International Festival and the Edinburgh International Film Festival and others, making them the only awards to celebrate the full spectrum of culture in the city.
Winners of The Besties will be chosen each week by the editorial teams of The Skinny and Fest, drawing on their cross-festival expertise to celebrate the best work happening anywhere in the festivals.
The categories will reflect the diversity of the magazines’ coverage, with an Outwith award highlighting the best international talent, while the Great Scot will honour work from closer to home among others.
As the only publications (that we know of) with a canine comedy correspondent, there will of course be an award chosen by our very own Fringe Dog, a sort of spirit of the Fringe accolade dubbed The Terrier Fringe Dog Award for Waggiest Tail.
The weekly awards ceremonies are to be produced by Premier Scotland and hosted by Capital Theatres at the Festival Theatre on Saturday mornings in the festival season, featuring entertainment and a guest host to help hand out the awards.
The Besties award is being designed by artist Camillo Feuchter who is currently finishing his degree in Interior & Environmental Design at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design in Dundee.
Passionate about craftsmanship and featuring sustainable design and recycled materials, Camillo will produce The Besties using recyclable plastics gathered at the Festival Theatre Café and leftover wood harvested from cultural venues in the city. The Besties’ eco-chic will be unveiled in due course.
Rosamund West, Editor-in-chief of Radge Media said:“We’re delighted to be working with Capital Theatres and Premier Scotland to bring a new awards series to the Edinburgh festivals.
“Through The Besties, we’re hoping to draw on our reviewing teams’ cross-cultural knowledge to present something which celebrates the incredible calibre of the work on show, while also retaining a sense of the joyful and at-times-chaotic spirit of Edinburgh in August.
“Working with Camillo Feuchter on the awards themselves is a fantastic opportunity to place sustainability at the centre of our thinking.”
Fiona Gibson, Chief Executive of Capital Theatressaid: “After a few years of the festival awards being silent, we are so excited to be bringing them back in partnership with The Skinny and Fest magazines and Premier Scotland.
“The launch of this brand-new series of awards, now known as The Besties, allows us the opportunity to host such amazing talent in our city at the Festival Theatre each week, celebrating the incredible array of creatives presenting and performing across all of the Edinburgh summer festivals this year.
“We can’t wait to welcome you, start the weekend together every Saturday in August and enjoy a bit of fun, sustenance and networking. See you there!”
Susie Gray, Executive Director of Premier Scotland said: “We are really thrilled to be part of the team bringing pan-festival awards back to Edinburgh’s amazing August celebration of culture.
“The breadth of talent in the city over the month is what makes it truly special and it feels important to mark that with the new Skinny-Fest Festival Awards – aka The Besties!
“Festival Theatre is a fantastic place to bring everyone together from comedians to world class musicians on a Saturday morning and we look forward to working with The Skinny, Fest and Capital Theatres to make this a fitting celebration.”
