NORTH EDINBURGH’s‘LOCAL TREASURE’ TO OPEN EARLY 2025
£1.7 million Community Ownership Funding secures North Edinburgh Arts
Government funding will save at least 35 community centres, helping fix the foundations of our communities as part of the Plan for Change
Money will boost opportunities and help grow local economies, supporting the government’s drive for national renewal
This will help kickstart economic growth and rebuild Britain in a decade of renewal
Cherished community centres are among the 85 local venues across the UK that are set to receive government support to stay open, helping to fix the foundations of our communities.One of these is North Edinburgh Arts, which will receive £1.7 million.
An additional £36 million of funding has been provided to back local communities, including the rescue of at least 35 community centres, protecting vital local services, boosting opportunities for working families and supporting local economies.
As set out in its Plan for Change, the government is committed to kickstarting economic growth and raising living standards. Thriving communities lie at the heart of a thriving economy, and the support provided by the Community Ownership Fund will inject funding where it is most needed, making change happen and bringing people together in the process.
The projects will support the government on its path to national renewal, helping realise our regions’ huge potential while creating safer and happier streets by restoring community pride.
Deputy Prime Minister, Angela Rayner said:“We are delivering on our Plan for Change by saving these vital community assets to provide important opportunities for working people and their families.
“These projects represent what is so special about communities across the UK – bringing people of all ages together, providing vital support and giving them a sense of purpose and belonging.
“Every project will support social causes in the community, keeping widely used services open and thriving to improve people’s health and wellbeing.”
In Scotland, £5 million will be awarded to 11 projects including the £1.7 million to refurbish and expand the community arts centre in Muirhouse – North Edinburgh Arts’ MacMillan Hub.
In a statement, North Edinburgh Arts said: “North Edinburgh Arts is delighted to be one of 85 community owned venues across the UK receiving support from the Community Ownership Fund. Announced yesterday, £1.7m is earmarked for NEA to complete our build programme, kit out the venue and refurbish our much-loved community garden.
“Sitting at the heart of our community the expanded and refurbished venue will run to over 2000m2, housing a 96 seat theatre, 72 seat café, welcome area, 2 wood workshops, 5 multi-purpose studios, 6 artist studios, music room, 4 offices, greenhouse, and the half-acre community garden. It will be bustling again in 2025 with a creative and community programme; shaped by the people who own, use, and love it.
“Funders of all types, large and small, public and private, have supported the community’s vision and bought into NEA’s ambitious plans. Many individuals have supported our crowd funder over the past year too.
“The Board and NEA team are thankful to all our supporters, and thrilled that the Community Ownership Fund brings us to our capital target. We couldn’t have achieved this without the support of our local Councillors, MSPs, and our MP, Tracy Gilbert.
“But, mostly, we couldn’t have done this without the support of our neighbours, participants, and our community. Thank you all. We’ll see you in 2025 when we throw the doors open once again!”
Edinburgh North and Leith MP said: “I am delighted that the UK Government have announced the successful projects in the Community Ownership Fund including £1.7 million for @northedinarts in Edinburgh North and Leith.
Minister for Local Growth, Alex Norris said:“These are all multi-functional spaces that do so much for local people and most of us will have fond memories in treasured places like these.
“We’ve prioritised these grants to help preserve and upgrade what these vital places offer to their communities – whether that’s improving access to sport and education, tackling loneliness or boosting family services for parents and children.
“This is just the start of our work to support communities and give them greater control of their assets and we’ll be setting out our full strategy next year.”
Action4Youth, a youth charity in the South East, has been given £300,000 to refurbish the George Amey Centre in Milton Keynes, securing its future as a centre for outdoor education and supporting the charity’s work to tackle knife and gang crime.
Chief Executive of Action4Youth, Jenifer Cameron said:“We are so grateful to have funding which will enable us to complete our renovation project and to ensure the future of the outdoor centre which benefits 15,000 children and young people each year.
“We can now look forward with optimism and hope to support many more young people in future.”
Nineteen sports clubs and leisure facilities across the country will be saved, including four historic swimming pools. These include the 1960s Portishead Lido in North Somerset – where funding will also be used to renovate the café, supporting the local economy – and one of the last tidal pools left in the country, the Victorian Shoalstone Pool in Devon.
On the Isle of Wight, the Isorropia Foundation will receive more than £1m to purchase and renovate the Medina Valley Centre so it can provide a range of community services including mental health support, training and educational opportunities. And Elmfield Hall in Accrington will be renovated to secure its future as a location for counselling, mentoring and employment courses.
The MacMillan Hub in Edinburgh will be backed with £1.7m so it can continue to promote culture, learning and training opportunities, work and well-being in and around the town centre, and expand its café.
And more than £1m will be used to restore the Higher Woodhill Viaduct so the East Lancashire Railway can continue to deliver a heritage railway experience, boosting the local tourism industry in the process.
To tackle loneliness and support rural communities, £3.8 million will go to eight parks and eight pubs, including £300,000 to help buy back a popular village pub in North Yorkshire – The Punch Bowl Inn. £300,000 will also be used to renovate a 200-year-old countryside pub in Gwyned, Wales – Tafarn y Plu. This funding will back local businesses, create jobs and drive growth while restoring community pride.
The Westminster government is also developing proposals for delivering on its manifesto commitment to introduce a stronger ‘Right to Buy’ and take over important community assets so they can determine their future in a meaningful way.
This will be a genuine shift so local people feel far more control, power and agency in the places they live.
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.
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.”
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:
New OnePoll survey finds almost one in five shoppers in Scotland estimate 75% of their purchases will be pre-owned in three years
Scottish shoppers also say the most thoughtful, original, or romantic gifts are also pre-loved
Amazon’s sales of second-hand goods in the UK have increased by more than 15% over the past two years
Savings of up to 50% off recommended retail prices found on quality returned, refurbished, or open-box gifts on Amazon Resale this festive season
As gifting season approaches, four in 10 (42%) shoppers in Scotland say the most thoughtful, original, or romantic presents to give are second-hand, according to a new survey of more than 4,000 UK adults for Amazon by OnePoll.
Scottish shoppers also estimate that 23% of what they already own is pre-loved, while almost one in five (17%) believe the majority of their purchases will be second hand by 2027.
When it comes to gifting, four in 10 (42%) Scottish shoppers feel that pre-loved or nearly-new gifts are the most romantic, original, or thoughtful, according to the survey. More than one in four (28%) also believe it feels better for the environment to be gifted something which isn’t brand new.
Scottish shoppers intend to cut down on new purchases by 35% in the next two years, with one in five (24%) saying they get more of an endorphin rush finding pre-owned items than buying them new. 49% of Scottish shoppers think the endorphin rush of buying pre-owned is due to the quality often being as good as buying new, while a further four in 10 (44%) feel the rush is because it reduces the impact on the environment.
Almost half (45%) of Scottish shoppers are also keen to buy more pre-loved items in the next two years – intending to cut down on their new purchases by 35%. And more than a third (37%) of shoppers in Scotland make sure their homes stay clutter-free by following a ‘one-in-one-out’ policy at home – donating or selling items they already own to make way for new possessions.
Jamie Strain, General Manager at Amazon in Dunfermline,said: “It’s great to see people actively planning to purchase non-new items even more in the future.
“As well as being better for the environment, second-hand items are often more affordable. The second-hand economy is growing quickly, and as Christmas approaches, we expect to see a big uptick in people searching for refurbished or pre-loved items for their friends and family members.”
Sam Littlejohn, Head of Returns and Repairs at Amazon, added: “It’s clear that pre-loved and refurbished gifts are celebrated as much for their quality as their uniqueness. This is reflected on our store – with sales of second-hand goods in the UK rising by 15 per cent over the past two years alone.
“People are finding that such gifts show a level of care and thoughtfulness that stands out, especially at a time when individuality is cherished and people are looking for bargains. As this trend continues, we expect to see it become a staple part of how people think about gifting, adding a new layer of meaning to special occasions.”
During Amazon’s Black Friday Week and Cyber Monday holiday shopping event, customers in the UK gave returned products a second chance by shopping through Amazon Resale; with some of the most popular second-hand purchases over the past few weeks including Russell Hobbs Steam and Cleans, Fisher-Price baby projection mobiles, Xbox Series S consoles, and Ultimate Ears speakers.
For out more information about shopping for quality returned, refurbished, and open box products, visit Amazon Resale.
The magic of Christmas begins in childhood. Hanging stockings, sharing festive food, presents under the tree. It’s a time for children to feel loved and make memories that last a lifetime.
But for vulnerable children, Christmas is anything but magical – it’s a stark reminder of what they lack. Their first memories of Christmas could be going to bed hungry, being too cold to sleep and losing all hope when Santa doesn’t come.
A staggering 4.3 million children in the UK now live in poverty – that’s three in ten children. It’s the highest number ever recorded, with 100,000 more children in poverty last year than the year before. More children are suffering, and more families are reaching crisis point.
As a long-standing supporter and Ambassador of Action for Children, I’ve seen firsthand the life-changing work the charity does for vulnerable children and families. They have over 2,500 dedicated frontline workers on the ground who see children without a bed sleeping on the hard floor with just blankets, families phoning them in tears because they cannot afford to feed their children. It’s relentless, it’s heartbreaking – and they can’t keep waiting around for a Christmas miracle.
With the ongoing cost of living crisis continuing to hurt too many children and families, they need your support now more than ever. I know times are tough for many people, but if there’s one thing the British public is known for, it’s their incredible generosity. Your donations could help ensure a child doesn’t go hungry, keep them warm, provide them with a Christmas present of their own and give them hope for a brighter future.
Be a Secret Santa and you could help a vulnerable child feel the magic of Christmas.
To become a Secret Santa and donate to Action for Children visit iamsanta.org.uk
Home Security 101: Protecting What Matters Most! 
Secure Entry Points: Reinforce doors and windows with sturdy locks and deadbolts.
Install Security Cameras: Modern technology allows you to keep an eye on your property, even when you’re away. It’s a powerful deterrent.
Outdoor Lighting: Illuminate your property to deter intruders. Motion-activated lights are a smart choice.
Landscaping Matters: Trim bushes and trees near windows to eliminate potential hiding spots.
Get to Know Your Neighbours: A strong sense of community can deter crime. Join Neighbourhood Watch Scotland for local support and resources.
