NEXT Wednesday afternoon, a group are running this bake sale, as a fundraiser for a local disabled person.
Donations of baked treats are welcome and can be brought along on the day..
We’ll also have our regular gardening club open drop-in (1-4pm) and free lunch at 2pm. Dress for the weather!
Later at 5pm, we’ll also have our regular monthly community meal with the Scran Van. Free, all welcome! (Weds 27th Nov)
Hooligans who wreak havoc on local communities will face tough restrictions under new powers announced by the Home Secretary today.
Meeting a manifesto pledge to crack down on anti-social behaviour, the new Respect Orders will give the police and local councils powers to ban persistent offenders from town centres or from drinking in public spots such as high streets and local parks, where they have caused misery to local people. These will be piloted prior to national rollout to make sure they are as effective as possible.
Perpetrators can also be required to address the root cause of their behaviour by being mandated to undertake positive rehabilitation, such as attending drug or alcohol treatment services, or an anger management course to address the underlying causes of their behaviour.
Failure to comply with Respect Orders will be a criminal offence. Police will have the ability to immediately arrest anybody who is breaching their Respect Order.
Police will also be given stronger powers to seize vehicles involved in anti-social behaviour will also be strengthened, with officers no longer required to issue a warning before seizing the vehicles which bring misery to local communities.
This will allow police to deal more swiftly with the scourge of off-road bikes in public parks and dangerous e-scooters on pavements, street racing and cruising. It will also assist the police in tackling car meets, which can see hundreds of cars gather in public spaces that often include loud aggressive engine revving and intimidating music.
Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper said: “Too many town centres and neighbourhoods across our country are being plagued by anti-social behaviour, be it street drinking, harassment or vandalism on the high street or noisy and intimidating off-road bikes terrorising our estates.
“Antisocial behaviour chips away at communities’ sense of confidence and pride, undermines local businesses and can have a devastating impact on victims.
“This cannot be allowed to continue. Respect Orders will give police and councils the powers they need to crack down on repeated anti-social behaviour, keeping our communities safe and ensuring repeat offenders face the consequences of their actions. We will also make it easier to seize the vehicles causing misery in too many neighbourhoods, including deafening off-road bikes or e-scooters ridden dangerously on the pavement.
“These new powers alongside thousands more neighbourhood officers and PCSOs will help this government deliver on our mission to take back our streets.”
As well as prison sentences of up to two years, criminal courts will also be able to issue unlimited fines and community orders, such as unpaid work, and curfews as punishment for breaching a Respect Order. This will ensure that the most serious offenders are dealt with before their behaviour can escalate and cause further harm.
The new powers will be introduced as part of the forthcoming Crime and Policing Bill, partially replacing existing Civil Injunction powers for adults, to ensure a wider range of penalties as breaches will be dealt with in the criminal courts, alongside the new power of arrest. Existing legislation will be amended to allow the police to seize nuisance off-road bikes – and other vehicles which are used in an anti-social manner – without having to first give a warning to the offender.
Enhanced powers will complement the government’s commitment to restoring neighbourhood policing in England and Wales. The Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee will bring back police patrols to town centres, recruit thousands of additional officers to neighbourhood roles and ensure every community has a named local officer to turn to.
Deputy Chief Constable Andy Prophet, National Police Chiefs’ Council Lead for Anti-Social Behaviour, said: “I welcome the introduction of Respect Orders and stronger powers to seize vehicles being driven in an anti-social manner.
“Respect Orders will give the police and councils the ability crack down on those who persistently make our streets and public spaces feel unsafe. I am pleased to see the ability to ban offenders from our high street and parks, with a power of arrest for those who ignore such direction, as well as the power to require individuals to seek help for underlying causes of their poor behaviour such as drug or alcohol misuse.
“Similarly, giving officers the option to immediately seize vehicles from those who use their vehicle in an anti-social manner is welcome addition to the powers available to officers to crack down on ASB and make our street safer.”
Harvinder Saimbhi, ASB Help CEO said: “As the national charity that supports victims of ASB, we regularly hear from victims who share with us the impact and harm they experience from repeated incidents of ASB.
“We welcome the approach of addressing the root causes of the anti-social behaviour which will in turn work towards reducing reoffending rates, therefore bringing respite to victims and communities. We are keen to see how the respect orders will be implemented.”
Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) has extended its partnership with gas distribution network SGN to raise awareness about the dangers of carbon monoxide (CO) and protect communities from its potentially deadly effects.
Many people in the UK using carbon fuelled appliances, such as gas cookers, are not aware of the dangers of CO and do not have a working audible CO alarm. In 2020, out of 8,000 people surveyed, 45% didn’t know that CO doesn’t have a smell, while only 42% had a working audible CO alarm.
As part of the collaboration, they will work together to provide essential safety advice focusing on the hidden dangers of the colourless and odourless gas that can be fatal. They will also promote the importance of installing CO alarms and maintaining gas appliances, helping to ensure even more homes across Scotland remain safe. All the areas covered are listed below.
The initiative builds upon SGN’s existing partnerships with SFRS operating in Clackmannanshire, Fife & Stirling, and Perth & Kinross, Angus and Dundee (PKAD), as well as similar partnerships we’ve rolled out in southern England, where they’ve seen a positive impact in educating the public about CO safety.
SGN has provided CO alarms to each SFRS partner to give to customers in their area during Home Fire Safety Visits. Alongside the lifesaving CO alarms, customers will also receive a helpful tips leaflet which provides all the information they need to stay safe from the ‘silent killer’, and what steps to follow if they suspect CO is present in their home. SGN has produced and shared this leaflet in nine additional languages to meet regional community needs.
SGN Social Impact Programme Lead Dan Edwards said: “One of the major aspects of my role is developing projects and partnerships using the Vulnerability and Carbon Monoxide Allowance (VCMA) to raise CO awareness and reduce CO harm.
“Working alongside Scottish Fire and Rescue Service means we can reach even more customers within our network area to make sure everyone stays safe and well. Partnering with vital emergency services to help us spread the word on the dangers of CO will help us to meet our top priority of keeping our customers safe and well all year round.”
The partnership now includes:
Steven Low, Group Commander for the Safer Homes Team at Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, said: “We’re delighted to extend our partnership with SGN to all SFRS areas across mainland Scotland.
“We’ve been working together closely for many years and we know our collaborative approach has been an effective way of achieving our joint goals of making our communities safer.”
The UK’s first children and young people’s bereavement charity, Winston’s Wish, is delighted to announce its new partnership with cancer care charity Maggie’s. These two national charities are pleased to work together to help ensure that children and young people receive true wraparound support when someone in the family or friend circle is living with advanced cancer.
Winston’s Wish is the UK’s first charity established especially for bereaved young people. Estimates suggest that, devastatingly, each day, more than 100 children in the UK are bereaved of a parent and that figure doesn’t equate how many young people are coping with the death of a sibling, grandparent, friend, or another significant individual in their lives.
Maggie’s has 24 cancer centres built in the grounds of NHS hospitals throughout the UK. The charity provides expert support from diagnosis onwards for the person with cancer as well as family and friends.
Maggie’s Chief Executive Dame Laura Lee said: “Our experts are there for people at possibly the hardest time of their lives, offering free practical and psychological care and support when they need it most. We are here for people with cancer and those who love them for every stage which includes pre bereavement or when bereaved.
“In 2023 we supported people living with cancer more than 300,000 times and we know that number will only rise as more people find themselves living with cancer.”
Each year Winston’s Wish supports and impacts the lives of more than 80,000 grieving children and young people when their lives are turned upside down by bereavement.
Winston’s Wish supports grieving young people up to the age of 25, offering offers a range of services designed to support children 12 and younger to explore grief through arts and play such as creative therapy. The charity also provides special support and content designed for 13–25-year-olds on the charity’s Talk Grief website which includes real life stories and articles regarding what it’s like to grow up with grief.
They also produce a special podcast entitled Grief in Common which features interviews from the charity’s dedicated Youth Ambassador Team, made up of those with lived experience of grief.
As well as providing support with bereavement, whether it is from traumatic circumstances, illness or other circumstances, the charity also provides advice for pre-bereavement when there is a terminal diagnosis including offering expert support surrounding how adults can talk to younger children about death and dying, the importance of using direct language and tips about how to remember their special person.
In a similar vein, Maggie’s supports the entire family when there is a cancer diagnosis and offers support to young people when somebody in their circle receives the news that someone they love has cancer.
Winston’s Wish vision is that no child is left to grieve alone and as such, Winston’s Wish is pleased to be joining forces with the national cancer charity, in order to be visible and accessible in relevant spaces. As part of the partnership, each charity’s services will be signposted to service-users to ensure that they know of the specialised support available to them.
Letizia Perna, Director of Services and Service Transformation at Winston’s Wish is pleased to officially announce the partnership between the two charities. She says, “As we publicly announce the partnership between Winston’s Wish and Maggie’s, we will be combining expertise in childhood bereavement and cancer support.
“This strategic partnership between our two charities demonstrates a profound commitment to supporting children, young people, and families impacted by cancer, particularly those navigating the challenges of bereavement. Together, we will offer a compassionate network that embraces bereaved children, young people, and families, ensuring they feel seen, understood, and supported through their grief journey.”
Maggie’s Chief Executive Dame Laura Lee said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Winstons’ Wish. By working together, we will ensure that thousands of children and young people experiencing bereavement through cancer get exactly the right support they need.
“We see and hear in our centres everyday how the impact of a cancer diagnosis ripples out through families.”
Together with Maggie’s, Winston’s Wish is keen to ensure that its services are visible and accessible to the countless children, young people and their families throughout the UK whose lives are turned upside down by grief. With support from Maggie’s and their expert cancer support, the charities are pleased to announce their partnership and work together to improve the accessibility of support for young people when cancer is close to home.
Winston’s Wish is keen to reassure bereaved young people and their families that they are welcome to chat online, email or call for free to speak to a bereavement support worker by calling 08088 020 021 between 8-8 weekdays, emailing ask@winstonswish.org or using the live chat at winstonswish.org.
Winston’s Wish is pleased to launch its Christmas appeal, entitled ‘Colour Their Christmas’. This heartwarming animated video serves to remind people that this winter there are children and young people facing the festive season without the special person they love.Winston’s Wish can’t take their grief away, but we can help grieving children and young people find glimmers of hope. And with your support, together, we can bring colour back into their world. To donate, please visit Colour their Christmas | Winston’s Wish.
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Tickets are on sale now for Santa’s Stories here
Santa Claus and his elves are ready to welcome families at St. Andrew Square where they can find Santa’s Stories, a letter writing station and a post box with a direct line to Santa’s workshop. Santa’s Stories begins Saturday 23 November in the Piccolo Spiegeltent, with each visit ensuring kids get the opportunity to meet Santa himself before the big day, and take home their own present.
Also in St. Andrew Square, the all-new Christmas Tree Maze opens on Saturday 23 November, until 24 December. This immersive holiday experience, with tickets from £5, offers one of the UK’s largest illuminated Christmas Tree walks.
Time to lace up your skates! Edinburgh’s premier outdoor Ice Rink opens on George Street from Friday 22 November 2024 and runs through until Saturday 4 January 2025. With a covered rink, it’s the perfect festive activity, rain or shine.
Edinburgh’s Christmas is now open featuring a jam-packed programme of festive family fun! Get ready for bright lights, Christmas tunes and mulled wine as the festive season kicks off! Located in Edinburgh’s historic city centre, Edinburgh’s Christmas offers a winter wonderland experience like no other.
Edinburgh’s Christmas transforms the city into a festive haven for all the family, with Traditional Christmas Markets, funfair rides, spectacular live outdoor events, delicious food and drink, plus so much more.
Edinburgh’s East Princes Street Gardens brings the capital’s famous Christmas festivities to the heart of the city. Running until Saturday 4 January 2025, the market is filled to the brim with the finest local and international producers to find that perfect Christmas gift. East Princes Street Gardens also boasts the famous 80m Star Flyer, LNER Big Wheel and more daring fairground rides.
Just along the street, West Princes Street Gardens’ Festive Funfair complete with thrilling rides, fairground games, food & beverage, light installations and ticketed illumination events every evening. Families are welcome to join the fun until Saturday 4 January 2025.
FREE – Tickets still available!
Detectives are appealing for information following an attempted robbery in Wester Hailes.
Around 11pm on Friday, 15 November, 2024, two men approached a vehicle on Hailesland Road, threatened the driver, demanded money from him and damaged the vehicle. The men then got into a light-coloured car and drove along Murrayburn Road in the direction of Longstone Road.
Detective Constable William Doughty said: “This was a frightening ordeal for the victim and we are carrying out extensive enquiries to identify the men responsible.
“We are appealing to anyone who was in the area at the time, who witnessed the incident or noticed anything suspicious, to come forward.
“Additionally, we urge anyone with CCTV, doorbell or dashcam footage to review it and bring anything significant to our attention.”
Anyone with any information is asked to call 101, quoting incident 4500 of 15 November. Alternatively, details can be provided anonymously through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
A new drop-in session for veterans living in the Edinburgh area is opening next week (26 November).
Emma Weir, who is the Community Builder for the local area for Help for Heroes is bringing a ‘Heroes Café’ to the Gyle Shopping Centre, as part of a programme to reach out to even more veterans across Edinburgh and the surrounding region.
Emma, who has been supporting veterans in Edinburgh for three and a half years, said: “We know that the city and surrounding area has one of the highest populations of veterans in the country. Over the years we’ve helped hundreds of people who have got in touch with us for support.
“The cafés give veterans an easy way to connect with others in the local area. People can just drop in and have a chat and a brew with others who share their life experiences. They can also find out about the different services we offer. It’s a gentle way to dip your toes back into the water and to feel like you’re part of a community again.”
Former service men and women can sometimes feel they’ve lost their support network, which can leave them feeling isolated and lonely.
Adjusting to civilian life can also bring challenges, for example a recent report showed that over a quarter (27%) of adults who have served in the UK’s armed forces have run out of food in the last 12 months, and they did not have money to buy more*.
Help for Heroes offers practical support for anyone who has served from any branch of the UK military – regulars or reserves – irrespective of length or place of service, and locally embedded civilians who worked under the command of UK Armed Forces..
Chloe McKenrick, aged 49 and from Dumferline, was in the army for 22 years and has been supported by the Hidden Wounds service, which helps veterans deal with mental health challenges and has taken part in different sports and social activities. She said: “I’ve attended a number of Help for Heroes Cafés and have always found them to be a great way to catch up with fellow veterans.
“It enables you to socialise in a civilian setting, which can be hard for some of us for a variety of reasons – and being with people who genuinely understand and support you makes you feel more relaxed and safe.”
The Help for Heroes café will be held on the fourth Tuesday of every month at Space to Be in the Gyle Shopping Centre.
You can find out more by going to Help For Heroes | Community Taster Sessions | Help For Heroes or by contacting Emma Weir emma.weir@helpforheroes.org.uk
Energy regulator Ofgem has today (Friday 22 November) announced a 1.2% increase of the energy price cap for the period covering January-March 2025.
The change to the price cap – which sets a maximum rate per unit and standing charge that can be billed to customers for their energy use – will rise by £21 for an average household per year or around £1.75 a month.
For an average household paying by Direct Debit for dual fuel this equates to £1,738 per year. This is 10% (£190) cheaper compared to January-March 2024 (£1,928) and 57.2% (£2,321) less than the energy crisis (January-March 2023).
It comes as analysis by Ofgem shows around 1.5million households switched tariff over the past three months. The regulator is urging customers to take advantage of the rising choice in the market and look for the best deal to help keep their household bills down. By switching, savings of up to £140 are currently available.
Following a call by Ofgem in August for suppliers to offer more choice with low and no-standing charge tariffs, there has been an increase in the number of suppliers offering these kinds of deals. There are currently 8 available that are at least 10% below the level set in the price cap.
However, while these come with a lower standing charge, they do have a higher unit rate. They could benefit customers with lower energy usage but will not work for everyone so consumers should carefully consider what works for them.
Tim Jarvis, director general of markets at Ofgem, said: “While today’s change means the cap has remained relatively stable, we understand that the cost of energy remains a challenge for too many households.
“However, with more tariffs coming into the market, there are ways for customers to bring their bill down so please shop around and look at all the options.
“Our reliance on volatile international markets – which are affected by factors such as events in Russia and the Middle East – means the cost of energy will continue to fluctuate. So it’s more important than ever to stay focused on building a renewable, home-grown energy system to bring costs down and give households stability.
“In the short term though, anyone struggling with bills should speak to their supplier to make sure they’re getting the help they need and look around to make sure they’re on the best, most affordable deal for them.”
The regulator is encouraging customers to consider the way they pay their bills. Around 5 million customers pay by standard credit payments – which means paying for energy after it has been used. But this is much more expensive, particularly over the winter months.
Customers could save £100 by simply switching from standard credit payments to Direct Debit payments or smart PPM, which remains the cheapest way to pay for energy.
The cheapest deal on the market could save a typical dual fuel customer £210 compared to the upcoming price cap level. However, this requires signing up for an additional boiler cover service.
There are other cheaper fixed deals on the market which don’t require additional services that could save customers more than £140 per year compared to the upcoming cap level.
If consumers are worried about paying their bills, they can contact their supplier for support. Ofgem’s rules mean they must work with their customers to agree an affordable payment plan. They may also be able to help by offering more time to pay, access to hardship funds and advice on how to use less energy.
New legislation will introduce a range of measures to improve renting in Scotland, including strengthening tenants’ rights to keep a pet.
Measures in the Housing (Scotland) Bill will allow a renter to make a request to keep a pet in their home and for that to not be unreasonably refused by their landlord. Currently, it is entirely up to the landlord whether a tenant can keep a pet, and they must be given written permission to do so.
Other provisions aimed at providing a good quality, and affordable rental market also include a system of long-term rent controls, with the Scottish Government working with tenants, landlords, investors and developers to bring forward a system that works for tenants and supports investment in private rented housing.
Housing Minister Paul McLennan said: “Pets are an important part of the family for many people across Scotland. Tenants have the right to feel at home in rented accommodation and having more control over keeping a pet can play a big part in that and can have additional benefits for their mental health and wellbeing.
“This is just one of a range of measures in the Housing (Scotland) Bill, including long-term rent controls, which will help improve the lives of renters and create an affordable, high-quality, and fair private rented sector.
“The Bill also meets the Scottish Government’s ambition to improve the renting experience in Scotland, whilst also encouraging landlords to invest.
“We will continue to work to create a system that strengthens renters’ rights and supports continued investment in the rental market.”
Gilly Mendes Ferreira, Director of Innovation and Strategic Relations for the Scottish SPCA said: “We welcome the provisions included within the Housing (Scotland) Bill, particularly the safeguarding of the rights of tenants to keep pets and hope that these measures will foster a more inclusive and compassionate rental market.
“Our research has found that over 75% of tenants stated they had a pet for emotional (77%) and mental health (83%) support.
“This survey also highlighted that seven out of 10 tenants would risk becoming homeless if they were no longer able to keep their pet in their current accommodation.
“Sadly, we also found that 37% of tenants stated that they have had to make that unimaginable choice between having a pet and having a roof over their head.”
