Day: November 26, 2025

A message from North Edinburgh: Never Give Up!

Thanks to everyone who came along the National Gallery yesterday to take part in the Resistance – North Edinburgh panel discussion.

It was great to see so many old friends and colleagues and a pleasure to meet new ones too. Participants were not only from North Edinburgh, ‘outsiders’ were also welcomed: we had Leithers, we had folk from Gorgie, Stockbridge and a wee crowd from Wester Hailes too.

But there’s got to be a special mention for one particular online viewer – he was watching from Sydney, Australia (or maybe it was just a bloke called Sidney?)!

Wherever and however you were watching, though, I hope you enjoyed the discussion as much as we did. As you know we went slightly over our allotted time (at one point I thought we might have to apply for a late license!) and we appreciate the organisers at the National Gallery allowing us some leeway.

Even so, I know there was a lot more to share so apologies if you didn’t get the opportunity to ask your question – if it’s any consolation I know I didn’t get to ask half of mine!

Our hope before the event was that it would be informative, interesting and enjoyable and a celebration of vibrant communities, and I think we got there.

I’d like to think we could do it all again one day before too much longer, before we all get just too old and our memories and recollections of events, experiences and the characters who have helped to shape North Edinburgh’s proud history dim and fade.

And if there’s just one message to remember, it’s this: NEVER GIVE UP!

DAVE P

See below for a recording of the event

https://youtu.be/Zc5kFwp-XaY

The celebration continued at the National Portrait Gallery in Queen Street, where the Solidarity Wins: Creative Resistance in North Edinburgh exhibition was launched after an excellent lunch provided by North Edinburgh’s very own Empty Kitchens, Full Hearts.

The exhibition was created by a local collaboration of North Edinburgh Arts’ Art for Grown Up in partnership with Royston Wardieburn Community Centre’s Arts & Culture Group and features art works, music, archive films and research material.

The exhibition will be on display in the Portrait Gallery’s Contemporary Space until – do visit if you can.

And to end the day on a high note, there was music from the Resistance Choir – a new song, no less!

SOLIDARITY WINS: A SONG FOR GREATER PILTON may not become the Christmas Number 1, but it definitely struck the right note with Portrait Gallery punters yesterday!

All together now:

We all come from somewhere and now we’re all here …

PICTURES: CRAIG MCLEAN

Free event for Community Councils

FUTURE WOODLANDS SCOTLAND WEBINAR

Free webinar for Community Councils coming up next month!

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Wednesday 17th December 6-7pm

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 Hear how Future Woodlands Scotland can support communities to create greener, healthier places for people, wildlife, and future generations.

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 Find out more about the Urban Forestry Challenge Fund which is now open and how communities can apply.

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 Learn about the 3-30-300 rule and find out the tree equity score for your community!

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Sign up and book your free place:

https://tinyurl.com/25jbbt9c

Culture Secretary welcomes review

Opportunity to improve culture sector support

Culture Secretary Angus Robertson has welcomed the publication of the independent review of Creative Scotland.

The review determined that while the organisation’s remit remains relevant, improvements in delivery and leadership are needed to support the breadth of the culture and creative sector’s needs.

Thirty-six recommendations were made with the majority for Creative Scotland, and others for enterprise agencies, local authorities and the Scottish Government.

They covered five themes of: purpose, functions and structure; governance and leadership; performance; finances and distribution of funds; and collaboration, relationships and partnerships.

The Culture Secretary said: “I warmly welcome this report that shows the area where change is needed to ensure Creative Scotland fulfils its potential to support our creative and cultural sectors. This is the first ever review of the organisation since its inception in 2010 and the context within which it operates has changed in the last 15 years.

“Having successfully delivered groundbreaking Multi-Year Funding for cultural organisations, Creative Scotland is now well placed to look at these review recommendations and help the arts and screen sector go from strength to strength.  

“As the Scottish Government continues to deliver its commitment to increase culture funding by £100 million per year, it remains vital to ensure the public sector partners tasked with supporting the sector are able to do so as effectively as possible. The recommendations of this review will be key to that.

“I will carefully consider the recommendations made for Scottish Government and will update parliament in due course.”

Chair of the independent review Angela Leitch said: “I am very grateful to everyone who has taken the time to attend an engagement session or send me their views.

“In concluding my Review of Creative Scotland it is evident that there is a need for a strong national body for the arts, culture and creative sector. However, improvements are required to ensure that Creative Scotland can fully deliver all aspects of its remit.

“While my report has focused on Creative Scotland there will need to be input from others including the Scottish Government, local authorities and enterprise agencies. It is therefore important for others to consider my recommendations.”

Read the Review report

Strachan House launches initiative to help combat loneliness at Christmas

DON’T DINE ALONE ON CHRISTMAS DAY

Local care home Strachan House in Blackhall is opening its doors to members of the community in a bid to help tackle loneliness this Christmas.

Older community members, who might usually eat alone, are invited to join staff and residents at the home on Christmas Day from 12.30 pm onwards for a free three course meal and a good old natter.

Diners will be treated to a tasty Christmas lunch in the home’s dining room. Guests will have a chance to mingle and get into the festive spirit with music and tales of Christmas’s gone by as well as taking part in the festive cheer throughout the day.

The ‘Don’t Dine Alone’ initiative was launched by Barchester Healthcare as a way to reach out to isolated or vulnerable members of the local community.

The company has its own Charitable Foundation, a registered charity that gives grants to older people and other adults with a disability or mental health problem to help combat loneliness and enable people to connect with their local communities. 

The home’s talented Head Chef Paul Dow will be creating an array of delicious dishes all cooked from scratch using fresh produce for diners to enjoy. 

Fran Fisher, General Manager at Strachan House said: “Loneliness and isolation can have a huge impact on people, especially older members of the community. 

“We want all our neighbours to know that they are welcome to come and dine with us here at Strachan House,, we very much hope that anyone feeling lonely will join us for a hot meal on Christmas day”.

Strachan House care Home is run by Barchester Healthcare, one of the UK’s largest care providers, which is committed to delivering personalised care across its care homes and hospitals. Strachan House provides residential care, nursing care and dementia care from respite breaks to long term stays.

Despicable: Men jailed for serious assault and robbery of pensioners

Two men have been jailed following a serious assault and robbery in Edinburgh’s Old Town.

Andrew Stobbs, 40, was sentenced to three years and five months and Jon Wood, 46, was sentenced to two years and six months in prison on Monday, 24 November 2025 at Edinburgh Sheriff Court.

A 79-year-old woman and a 77-year-old man sustained serious injuries as a result of attack and robbery, which happened on Saturday, 30 November, 2024 in High School Wynd.

Stobbs and Wood, who were wearing face coverings grabbed the woman’s bag and dragged her to the ground, causing serious injuries. The man attempted to intervene which saw him being punched.

Detective Constable Michael Campbell said: “This was a violent, needless and deeply distressing attack on the couple. I hope this sentence brings some measure of comfort to them.

“Violence of this nature will never be tolerated. We remain committed to protecting the public, supporting victims and bringing offenders to justice.”

More than 300,000 children supported by Scottish Child Payment

Commitment to eradicating child poverty

Social Security Scotland’s Scottish Child Payment is supporting 322,230 children across the country, newly published figures show. 

Launched in February 2021, the Scotland-only benefit gives families with low incomes crucial financial support to help with the cost of raising children.

The weekly payment of £27.15 is paid every four weeks for every eligible child under the age of 16 within a household. 

Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said:   “Eradicating child poverty is the Scottish Government’s top priority and a national mission.

“This support is helping parents and carers with the essential costs of raising children and is contributing to lowering child poverty rates in Scotland compared with the rest of the UK.

“That progress is the result of our decision to invest in measures that directly support household budgets and improve the wellbeing of children.

“While we should recognise the positive impact this is having for thousands of families, we know there is still much more to do. One child in poverty is one too many, and we remain firmly committed to doing everything we can to support families and give every child the best possible start in life.

“Scottish Child Payment continues to be a central part of that mission, and these figures demonstrate why this support is so important to communities across Scotland.”

Chancellor’s Budget ‘to build a fairer, stronger and more secure Britain’

The Chancellor will deliver a Budget later today [26 November] that takes the fair and necessary choices to deliver on the Government’s mandate for change.

It will include action to cut NHS waiting lists, cut debt and borrowing, and cut the cost of living to secure a strong future for the country, built on fairness and fuelled by growth.

Action to keep prescription costs under £10 (in England – Ed.), freeze rail fares for the first time in 30 years and increase the National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage by £1,500 and £900 respectively has already been confirmed to put more money in people’s pockets at this Budget.

Investment for 250 Neighbourhood Health Centres (in England – Ed.) has also been confirmed as part of the Chancellor’s commitment to slash NHS waiting lists further and end the postcode lottery of healthcare access.

Ahead of her Budget speech, Rachel Reeves said: “Today I will take the fair and necessary choices to deliver on our promise of change.

“I will not return Britain back to austerity, nor will I lose control of public spending with reckless borrowing.

“I will take action to help families with the cost of living…cut hospital waiting lists…cut the national debt.

“And I will push ahead with the biggest drive for growth in a generation. 

“Investment in roads, rail and energy. Investment in housing, security and defence. Investment in education, skills and training.

“So together, we can build a fairer, stronger, and more secure Britain.”

“GENERATION DEFINING” BUDGET MUST DELIVER FOR WORKERS

Scotland’s largest trade union body has issued a stark warning ahead of the Chancellor’s budget calling on Rachel Reeves to “deliver for workers” as the UK Government sets out, what the STUC call, a “generation defining” budget.


The Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) has set out five tax demands ahead of the statement, including actions on wealth taxes, bank profits and a “settling up” tax for those moving wealth and assets abroad.  

The trade union body, as part of the wider Scotland Demands Better campaign, has also reiterated the call to scrap the two child-benefit cap in a move STUC General Secretary Roz Foyer said was “long overdue”.   

The STUC is further calling for increased investment in publicly owned energy as well as direct support for workers in carbon intensive sectors such as those in Grangemouth and Mosmorran.

Commenting, STUC General Secretary Roz Foyer said: “The upcoming statement from the Chancellor is generation defining. It will signal to all whether the UK Government will continue to adhere to self-imposed financial rules and chaotic quick fixes, or whether they will invest in the public services and the industries and jobs of the future, delivering for workers with bold, radical policies to redistribute wealth.

“We’ve set out how the Chancellor can target those with wealth and assets and use it for the public good. For too long Labour Government policy has been about meeting self-imposed fiscal rules rather than setting out a bold plan for public sector-led growth.

“That must change. We must see, once and for all, the long overdue scrapping of the two-child benefit cap in addition to targeted action on reforming Capital Gains Tax. The Chancellor must also reign in the wild-west of banking profits, raising the surcharge from 3% to 35%, potentially netting £50 billion over four years.

“The people of Scotland and the wider United Kingdom voted for change. It’s high time it was delivered and the Chancellor simply cannot afford to waste this opportunity come Wednesday.”