Day: February 27, 2025

Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home announces in-person cat first aid training course

The Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home is proud to announce the launch of in-person Cat First Aid Training courses, designed to equip cat owners with the vital skills needed to handle emergencies and common health issues with confidence.

With cats being prone to a variety of injuries and illnesses, this innovative course aims to empower owners and ensure their feline companions receive immediate and effective care when needed most.

The full day course, priced at £110, will be held at the Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home and covers a wide range of crucial topics to help cat owners deliver first aid.

Participants will be taught; how to respond quickly in cases of choking or suffocation, how to handle wounds with proper care and bandaging and how to identify and manage common medical conditions like feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), kidney disease, and hyperthyroidism.

The course also covers environmental hazards, including poisoning and electric shock, and provides guidance on maintaining a proper diet and nutrition to support a cat’s overall health.

Participants will learn how to perform a weekly health check to identify early warning signs of illness and injury in their feline friends, as well as how to assess vital signs and effectively evaluate their cat’s condition. The course also includes essential life-saving skills such as recognising and responding to shock and performing CPR.

Carla Harris-Tait, Education Officer at Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home, explains: “Cats are incredibly good at hiding pain, so it’s vital that owners know how to spot subtle signs of distress and illness.

“This course provides them with the knowledge and confidence to take action, which could mean the difference between life and death for their cat.”

This course marks a significant development in cat welfare education, as it is one of the first in-person Cat First Aid courses to be offered in the UK. While similar courses are available online, this hands-on approach ensures that pet owners gain practical, lifesaving skills in a real-world environment.

In the UK, there are over 10 million cats*, yet a significant number of cat owners are unaware of the common health issues that can affect their pets. Only 45% of cats are insured*, making costly vet bills a concern for many owners.

This training course will help mitigate these concerns by teaching preventative care and early detection, which can reduce the likelihood of serious health issues and lower vet bills.

Lindsay Fyffe Jardine, CEO of Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home, added: “Our mission at the Home has always been to support pets and their owners, and this new training course is a vital step in achieving that.

“By equipping owners with these essential skills, we’re empowering them to be their cat’s strongest support system, ensuring their pet gets the care they truly deserve.”

The total cost of the Cat First Aid Training delivered by Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home goes directly to the home, supporting their mission. As they receive no government funding, every contribution helps them continue their vital work.

For more information on how to book Cat First Aid Training, please visit Cat First Aid – Edinburgh Dog & Cat Home

Party in the Park!

SATURDAY 5th APRIL 11am – 1.30pm at GASHOLDER 1 PARK

Join us for the official launch of Granton’s newest public park at Granton Gasholder 1!

Enjoy a day for all the family and celebrate with the community. Activities will include:

🎤 A one-off community singalong with Pianodrome at 11am
🎀 A ribbon-cutting ceremony at 11.15am
🎨 Family arts and craft activities
⚽ Penalty shoot-outs with Craigroyston Community Youth Football Club
🍦 Free ice cream from Lucas
🙂 Free facepainting
🎪 Exhibition stalls

🌞Bring your family, friends and a picnic blanket for a fun day out. All are welcome! We can’t wait to see you there! 🌞

First Minister to convene gathering on ‘democracy and respect’

A new initiative to unite Scotland together against extremism

First Minister John Swinney will convene a pivotal gathering of Scottish society to work together and unite Scotland against the “increasingly extreme far right”. 

Representatives from key organisations across Scotland including churches, trades unions and charities will be invited to attend a gathering in April, alongside the leaders of Scotland’s parliamentary parties.

Speaking at a press conference at Bute House, following the passage of the 2025-26 Budget, the First Minister said the new gathering will be an opportunity renew public trust in politics and unite Scotland in a common cause – “for democracy and respect.” 

The First Minister said: “At the start of the year, I warned that failure to pass the budget would send a signal that Parliament and politics could not deliver. That failure would only serve the interests of an increasingly extreme far right and leave devolution dangerously exposed.

“But the budget has passed, and a different story can be told. Yesterday’s vote demonstrated that partnership and collaboration are possible. And that is something precious, something vitally important itself.

“But we must do more. It is time to come together to draw a line in the sand. To set out who we are and what we believe in. 

“The threat from the far right is real. But that leaves me all the more convinced that working together is not only the right choice, but the only choice. 

“That is why I want to share a new initiative to bring Scotland together in common cause. I want us to work together to agree a common approach to asserting the values of our country, to bringing people together and creating a cohesive society where everyone feels at home.

“It was a mobilisation of mainstream Scotland that delivered our parliament a quarter of a century ago. And I have no doubt, it is only by mobilising mainstream Scotland that we can protect those things we care most about, those things that are most important to us today.”

The First Minister will write to all party leaders and the leaders of civic organisations with the details of the upcoming gathering in due course. 

A new initiative to bring Scotland together: First Minister’s speech – 26 February 2025 –

Growth and security at heart of PM’s meeting with President Trump

The Prime Minister will be focused on delivering prosperity and security for the British people, when he meets President Trump today in Washington D.C – but what Mr Trump will be focused on is anyone’s guess

  • Prosperity and security for working people focus of Prime Minister’s meeting with President Trump.   
  • Special relationship between UK and US critical to deliver growth and security, with further collaboration on AI and tech.    
  • Prime Minister to reiterate shared US-UK commitment to reaching a durable and lasting peace in Ukraine, and the need for Europe to step up to the challenge.

The Prime Minister will be focused on delivering prosperity and security for the British people, when he meets President Trump today (Thursday 27 February) in Washington D.C.

The UK and the US share a unique and historic relationship, based on shared values and a mutual commitment to economic and defence cooperation.  

The UK and the US have one of the biggest trading relationships of any two countries in the world, worth around 400 billion dollars and supporting over 2.5 million jobs across both countries.     

This visit comes just days after the third anniversary of Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine. The Prime Minister and President Trump share a commitment to delivering lasting peace in Ukraine, and the Prime Minister will reiterate the UK’s commitment to securing a just and enduring peace, bringing an end to Russia’s illegal war.     

The Prime Minister will be clear that there can be no negotiations about Ukraine, without Ukraine and will recognise the need for Europe to play its part on global defence and step up for the good of collective European security.    

On Tuesday, the Prime Minister announced that defence spending will increase to 2.5% of GDP from April 2027, with an ambition to reach 3% in the next parliament. This will drive economic growth and create jobs across the UK, while bolstering national security and protecting borders.   

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “The world is becoming ever more dangerous, and it is more important than ever that we are united with our allies.     

“A stable economy, secure borders and national security are the foundations of my Plan for Change, and the US-UK relationship is integral to delivering them. These principles will be at the heart of discussions with President Trump today.  

“There are huge opportunities for us to deepen our special relationship, deliver growth and security, and improve the lives of working people in both our great nations.”

Both countries are world leaders in AI and advanced technologies, and the Prime Minister will be looking to build on these strong foundations to create jobs and economic growth.     

The discussion will have a particular focus on the opportunities that further technology and AI partnerships could deliver. These include a proposal of high-ambition shared moonshot missions across top technologies including quantum and AI, and a deeper partnership on space.     

The US and UK are the only two allied countries with trillion-dollar technology eco-systems, and the Prime Minister will make the case for further integration between the two countries’ tech sectors to make them the most efficient, ambitious technology sectors in the world.     

In October, US tech firms announced a £6.3 billion package of investment to support UK data centres – a central pillar of the government’s plan to ramp up the country’s AI capacity. In January a further £12 billion investment from Vantage Data Centers created over 11,500 jobs as the government published its AI Opportunities Action Plan.   

These investments represent just one facet of the deepening science, innovation, and technology collaboration between both countries. In AI, researchers from both sides of the Atlantic have dedicated research exchange programmes to share knowledge and expertise in delivering the next wave of cutting-edge innovations that improve people’s lives in areas such as personalised care, autonomous surgeries, and cancer diagnosis – on top of a broader AI partnership which has also been signed by the AI Institutes of both countries. 

On a visit to the West Coast at the end of last year Technology Secretary Peter Kyle met a range of companies to bang the drum for further investment in the UK’s technology sector. Just two weeks ago, he also put pen to paper on a new partnership with leading AI firm Anthropic which will explore how the technology can be put to work to transform the public services that UK citizens rely on, and deliver on the government’s Plan for Change.   

The Prime Minister will join President Trump at the White House today, where he will be greeted by the President before signing the White House Guest Book and a tete a tete at the Oval Office. This will be followed by a bilateral lunch, and a joint press conference. He will also carry out a defence focused visit.   

On arrival on Wednesday night, he met a select group of CEOs from large US businesses to discuss their existing and growing presence in the UK, and the importance of UK-US trade and investment.

He will outline the strength of the UK offer to investors: policy stability; an active partnership with government; an open, trading economy; and a reform agenda focused on making it easier to do business.   

The Prime Minister will be accompanied by the Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who will join the Prime Minister’s programme at the White House.

COMMUNITY COUNCIL ELECTIONS: FINAL REMINDER

COMPLETED FORMS MUST BE SUBMITTED BY 4pm TODAY

LAST CALL FOR COMMUNITY COUNCILLORS!

As at 2pm yesterday (Wednesday 26 February):

25 Community Councils currently have the minimum elected members numbers to form. Vacancies remain on ALL CCs.

22 Community Councils still require more elected member nominations to form. Of these, seven CCs have received NO nominations.

IT’S NOT TOO LATE – DEADLINE TO APPLY IS 4pm TODAY

Form can be downloaded here:

http://edinburgh.gov.uk/downloads/file/36320/2025-community-council-election-nomination-form