Is your cupboard full of “one-day-I’ll-use-this” gifts? This Christmas, why not turn them into joy for someone else?
We’re collecting new, unopened items for our Christmas Tombola—a festive fundraiser to support our community. It’s the perfect chance to donate those unused presents and spread holiday cheer!
What we need:
– Toys, games, and puzzles
– Beauty sets or toiletries
– Kitchen gadgets, candles, and home goods
– Anything unopened and giftable!
Drop-offs welcome until: Thursday 19th December
Bring your donations to: Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre
Your generosity helps us make this season brighter for everyone!
You are welcome to join us for a Granton Heritage Walk on Saturday morning 14th December.
We will leave from Granton:hub (Madelvic House, at the end of Granton Park Avenue, EH5 1HS) gathering at 10.15am for a 10.30am start, and returning to the starting point at 12 noon.
We will be following part of the Curious Edinburgh Walking Tour and going by Granton Station, Saltire Square, Caroline Park, Granton Castle Walled Garden Doocot and new mural, Forthquarter Park and the Gas Tower.
This walk is on pavements and is suitable for buggies, wheelchairs and people of all ages including those with dogs (on a lead please). Please wear suitable clothing and shoes for the weather and bring some water with you.
After the walk, participants will be invited inside Madelvic House for refreshments and to view the community consultation exhibition organised by Edinburgh College of Art as part of their ‘Heritage on the Edge’ research project.
More details on this event will be available later.
The tour will have a maximum of 15 people. Headsets will be used to ensure everyone can hear the commentary.
On arrival, all participants will receive a brochure with full details of the walk.
The Granton Walking Tour is also available in Polish and Arabic. Please contact tamsinlgrainger@gmail.com for more details.
A new survey from workplace expert Acas has found that around nine in ten employees (89%) think it is important for bosses to prioritise staff mental health at work.
Acas is encouraging employers to talk to their staff to ensure mental wellbeing is supported in the workplace.
Not everyone will show obvious signs of poor mental health. Some possible signs include:
appearing tired, anxious or withdrawn
increase in sickness absence or being late to work
changes in the standard of their work or focus on tasks
being less interested in tasks they previously enjoyed
changes in usual behaviour, mood or how the person behaves with the people they work with.
Acas Head of Inclusive Workplaces, Julie Dennis, said: “Bosses should treat poor mental health at work in the same way as physical illnesses and regularly ask their staff how they are doing.
“Some people with poor mental health can also be considered disabled under the Equality Act, which means an employer must make reasonable adjustments at work.
“Mental health includes emotional, psychological and social wellbeing. It affects how someone thinks, feels and behaves. Having conversations with staff in a sympathetic way can be a good first step.”
By law (Equality Act 2010) someone with poor mental health can be considered to be disabled if:
it has a ‘substantial adverse effect’ on their life – for example, they regularly cannot focus on a task, or it takes them longer to complete tasks
it lasts, or is expected to last, at least 12 months
it affects their ability to do their normal day-to-day activities – for example, interacting with people, following instructions or keeping set working times.
When making reasonable adjustments for mental health, employers should take into account that:
every job is different, so what works in one situation might not work in another
every employee is different, so what works for one employee might not work for another
mental health changes over time, so what works for an employee now might not work in the future
most reasonable adjustments are relatively
easy and are of little to low cost but can make all the difference.
It’s a good idea to work with the employee to make the right adjustments for them, even if the issue is not a disability. Often, simple changes to the person’s working arrangements or responsibilities could be enough.
They can cover any area of work, be inexpensive to implement and as simple as giving someone more frequent, shorter breaks or providing quiet rest areas.
According to the Office for National Statistics, 18.5million days were lost in 2022 through sickness absence for mental health conditions.
Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth has formally opened the new Wallyford Learning Campus in East Lothian, marking completion of another high school to be funded through the £2 billion Scottish Government Learning Estate Investment Programme (LEIP).
The Wallyford Learning Campus features the new state of the art Rosehill High School, in addition to:
facilities for pupils with additional support needs (ASN), including a hydrotherapy pool and a specialist provision hub for adults with complex needs
Wallyford Community Centre, Margaret Oliphant Community Library and a grab and go coffee shop
community sports facilities including a fitness suite and sports pitches
The £47.2 million campus is a joint initiative between the Scottish Government and East Lothian Council, with Scottish Government investment totalling around £22.1 million. The high school was a ‘population growth’ priority project for the Council, and will help respond to significant new house building in East Lothian.
The completion of the high school comes as figures show the proportion of schools in “good” or “satisfactory” condition across Scotland has increased from 62.7% in April 2007 to 91.7 % in April 2024.
Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth said: “The Wallyford Learning Campus is a prime example of the Scottish Government delivering for communities through our £2 billion Learning Estate Investment Programme. It is fantastic to see the Campus come to life, and I am very pleased to officially open the facilities today.
“The new campus was needed as a result of significant population growth in this area, and through our investment 91% of schools in Scotland are in ‘good’ or ‘satisfactory’ condition, a marked increase from 62.7% in 2007.”
East Lothian Council’s Cabinet member for Education and Children’s and Family Services Councillor Fiona Dugdale said: “We are delighted to welcome Ms Gilruth to Wallyford Learning Campus today along with so many people involved in the development and running of this fantastic building.
“This has been an ambitious project bringing together a range of facilities under one roof, improving connections and offering a range of opportunities to the widest community.
“It is a testament to partnership working using Scottish Government funding, East Lothian Council investment and officers’ skills, our construction partners’ expertise, and community involvement. The results of this careful collaboration are evident in the quality of the spaces and the benefits that are already being successfully delivered.”
Rosehill High School Headteacher Gail Preston said: “After an incredible year one as Headteacher of Rosehill High School on the Wallyford Learning Campus, we are delighted to have been able to hold our Official Opening Ceremony and to have the Cabinet Secretary join us in our growing, thriving local community.
“Projects like this are a huge learning curve for everyone involved, and relentless hard work, but seeing the positive impact that the learning spaces have on the young people makes it all worthwhile. We are very proud of all that has been achieved so far and excited about the future of both the school and the campus as whole.”
Later this week the Prime Minister will set out ambitious milestones for change that will deliver ‘real, tangible improvement to the lives of working people across the country’
PM to galvanise action across government and beyond with radical next phase of Mission delivery
Measurable milestones will be set out in new Plan for Change, that will put working people’s priorities first
Relentless prioritisation will ensure that the government delivers for working people this Parliament
The Prime Minister will set out ambitious milestones for change that will deliver real, tangible improvement to the lives of working people across the country in this Parliament, later this week.
The Plan for Change will mark the next phase of Mission-led government, as the PM continues to take an unrelenting approach to delivering on the priorities of working people.
The Missions – growing the economy, an NHS fit for the future, safer streets, secure power through clean energy and opportunity for all – are part of a decade of national renewal, built on the foundations of a stable economy, national security and secure borders.
The government has already made significant progress on its Missions since July; fixing the foundations of the country and kicking off the first steps to deliver real change. This has included stabilising the economy, establishing a new Border Security Command that will smash the gangs and tackle small boat crossings, and investing an extra £22bn building an NHS fit for the future including an extra 40,000 appointments.
This action has all taken place having inherited the unprecedented twin challenges of crumbling public services and crippled public finances. The government has had to make difficult decisions, including reforming agricultural property relief and targeting the winter fuel allowance.
Having taken action to fix the foundations and kick off the First Steps, the Plan for Change will set out ambitious but achievable milestones on the Missions that will be reached by the end of the Parliament, driving real improvements in the lives of working people.
Achieving them will demand that the attention and resources of government are relentlessly focused on making sure the Missions are delivering on what matters most to working people in every corner of the UK.
The milestones are part of the Prime Minister’s drive to do government radically differently, and will reflect the priorities of working people, allowing them to hold government to account on its progress.
Work to deliver them will be underpinned by innovation and reform, alongside close working with partners across business, civil society, and local government.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “This Plan for Change is the most ambitious yet honest programme for government in a generation.
“Mission-led government does not mean picking milestones because they are easy or will happen anyway. It means relentlessly driving real improvements in the lives of working people.
“We are already fixing the foundations and have kicked-started our first steps for change, stabilising the economy, setting up a new Border Security Command, and investing £22bn in an NHS that is fit for the future.
“Our Plan for Change is the next phase of delivering this government’s mission. Some may oppose what we are doing and no doubt there will be obstacles along the way, but this government was elected on mandate of change and our plan reflects the priorities of working people.
“Given the unprecedented challenges we have inherited we will not achieved this by simply doing more of the same which is why investment comes alongside a programme of innovation and reform.”
The relentless prioritisation will be at the heart of the choices made in the next Spending Review – which will look at every pound the government spends, line by line, taking a zero-based approach to how departments are funded.
The milestones will be underpinned by an ‘ambitious programme of public sector reform’, building on the reform work already started on planning, national infrastructure, pensions, industrial strategy, and the labour market.
As part of this work, the Prime Minister will also charge the new Cabinet Secretary and all Cabinet Ministers to reform Whitehall so that it is geared to Mission delivery rather than working in the traditional silos that focus on fiefdoms not outcomes.
Clear Out and Give Back! 
What we need:
Drop-offs welcome until: Thursday 19th December
Bring your donations to: Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre
