Please note, from Monday 6th January, the Pantry membership fee will increase to £5.00 as per Your Local Pantry guidelines and rising food/supply costs.
If you have any questions, please contact Pantry@freshstartweb.org.uk or admin@freshstartweb.org.uk
We wish you all a very peaceful and restful Christmas and Happy New Year.
A major upgrade to the playing surfaces at Oriam is now complete ushering in a new era of sporting excellence at the Edinburgh venue.
The £800,000 project, funded by Heriot-Watt University, has resulted in the renovation of three synthetic pitches. Each was uplifted and then replaced with cutting-edge materials using sustainable innovations.
Such is the quality of the new playing surfaces that they have achieved the prestigious FIFA 2 Star* MX Elite Professional Standard and IRB Compliant World Rugby certification.
This upgrade is expected to have a lasting impact on Oriam’s customers and professional athletes and teams who use the venue, including the Scottish Rugby Union, Scottish Football Association, Heart of Midlothian FC, and Heriot-Watt University Sports Union. It also reaffirms Oriam and Heriot-Watt University as a hub for sport and exercise in Scotland, catering to professional, university, and recreational athletes alike.
The project was led by Oriam’s Head of Operations, John Lowe, and took six months to complete. Reflecting on this achievement, John said: “It has been an honour to oversee the synthetic pitch replacement project.
“Heriot-Watt University’s £800,000 investment not only ensures Oriam remains a leader in world-class sports facilities but also demonstrates remarkable ambition. Completing the project from financial approvals to installation in under eight months is a testament to the dedication of my colleagues and the successful collaboration with Sportex and Sports Labs.”
The refurbishment was carried out by Sportex, a company who specialise in sports surfacing.
Luke McGeechan from Sportex highlighted their commitment to sustainability during the process: “At Sportex, we are proud to support sustainability through our Sportex Recycling programme. By carefully removing, separating, and repurposing the old turf from Oriam, we’ve minimised waste while promoting a more eco-friendly sports industry.”
The arrival of the new playing surfaces highlights the University’s commitment to deliver the best facilities for its students. This continued investment in sport has seen Heriot-Watt attract top sporting talent from across the world through the introduction of a range of undergraduate and postgraduate degree courses and the University’s innovative Sports Scholarship Programme, which allows student athletes to balance their studies whilst continuing to compete at the highest level.
Lynda Johnstone is Global Director of Estates and Facilities at Heriot-Watt University. She said: “This major upgrade to the playing surfaces at Oriam is an £800,000 investment by Heriot-Watt University and showcases our continued commitment to providing world-class facilities for athletes at all levels, from students to professionals.
“By embracing cutting-edge, sustainable innovations, we have reaffirmed Oriam’s position at the heart of sports and exercise in Scotland.”
After opening at the weekend past in Carnegie Hall to rave reviews, the Christmas Special is moving to Edinburgh, opening just in time for Christmas!
Join Kevin Quantum & guests Art of Illusion and Daiquiri for a festive night of magic, mystery and high jinx at the Church Hill Theatre.
24, 27 Dec 12pm and 4pm
23 Dec & 28-30 Dec 2pm & 7pm
Tickets are selling fast for the pre Christmas shows, get yours now!
Staff at Utilita’s Energy Hub, located at Leith’s Newkirkgate Shopping Centre, would like to thank all customers who entered into this year’s Christmas Raffle.
The team raises funds throughout the year and were able to kindly gift back to the local Leith Community, having bought items worth £250.00 to create a Christmas food hamper raffle.
In the spirit of festive giving, raffle tickets were gifted to the Hub’s regular customers in a free to enter draw and Natasha Baillie, Leith Energy Hub Supervisor, was delighted to present a beautiful hamper to the raffle winner, Mr. Potter, a regular customer who tops up and pays his bills at the Hub.
Natasha said: “Mr. Potter was so delighted with the news that he called us his angels! He popped down and was so happy and emotional at the win. Mr. Potter did tell us to choose what we wanted but we managed to convince him otherwise, so he’s going to share the hamper with his neighbours!
“It’s something we have very luckily been able to do each year – and our previous winners still visit our Leith Hub, which is lovely to see.”
Utilita’s high street hubs make it super simple to manage your energy – no phone lines or online dashboards, just a friendly face to speak to.
Whether you’re looking for account support, help to manage your spend or energy-saving advice, Utilita’s Energy Experts are on hand to help.
Two men have been arrested and charged in connection with a number of keyless car thefts in Wishaw, Uddingston, Stirling, Bathgate and Edinburgh.
The incidents happened between Friday, 1 November and Thursday, 28 November, when six cars were reported stolen in different locations.
Officers carried out enquiries and on Friday, 6 December, a 35-year-old man was arrested and charged in connection with these thefts. He appeared at Hamilton Sheriff Court on Thursday, 19 December.
On Saturday, 21 December, 2024, a 36-year-old man was arrested and charged in connection with two of the thefts and driving whilst disqualified. He is expected to appear at Hamilton Sheriff Court on Monday, 23 December.
Sergeant Steven Brown said: “We urge all vehicle owners to be aware and take extra precautions to combat this type of criminal activity including not keeping keys or fobs near doors or windows.
“Buying a secure signal blocking pouch, such as a Faraday bag or RFID signal blocker that can block the transmission of the signal from the key, can also help keep your vehicle secure.
“Steering locks can also be effective, while vehicle trackers and tracking devices are also a form of additional security and can assist police in recovering stolen vehicles quickly.
“Anyone with information about these thefts should contact officers via 101 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”
Further information on keeping your vehicle safe can be found here:
https://www.securedbydesign.com/guidance/crime-prevention-advice/vehicle-crime/relay-theft
