Will you join us for a Wee Read?
On 7 October 2026, people across Scotland will come together for one shared moment to celebrate the joy of reading and the positive difference it can make to our wellbeing, learning and everyday lives.
POLICE have recovered drugs with an estimated street value of over £1.4 million in Edinburgh and Uphall.
On Tuesday, 1 September, 2026, officers executed warrants at addresses in the Leith, Granton and the Uphall areas where cannabis, cocaine and a six-figure sum of cash were seized.
Two men aged 37 and 62 were arrested and charged in connection with this recovery. They are due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court at a later date.
A 52-year-old man was arrested and released pending further investigation.
Detective Inspector Gavin Howat said: “This significant recovery highlights our commitment to tackling dangerous and illegal drugs in our communities.
“We are determined to protect the public from this harmful criminality by disrupting the drugs trade and preventing them being circulated on the streets of Scotland.
“This operation underlines our commitment to the Serious Organised Crime Taskforce and the country’s Serious Organised Crime Strategy.
“Information from the public is crucial. Anyone with information or concerns about drugs should contact Police Scotland on 101 or make a call anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”
Scotland’s most ambitious businesses are set to gain direct access to funders, investors and expert advisers when the national FUEL roadshow arrives in Edinburgh this September, building on the success of the first two events which have already generated a funding pipeline of more than £10 million for UK businesses.
On Thursday 24th September, hundreds of ambitious business owners will descend on Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium for a day of pre-arranged meetings with lenders, investors and business advisers, giving the nation’s SMEs the opportunity to explore funding options, receive expert guidance and build the relationships needed to accelerate growth.
The roadshow follows successful events in the North East and Yorkshire, where businesses took part in hundreds of one-to-one meetings with finance providers. Many of those conversations have already resulted in significant investment potential, with more than £10 million in funding now expected to flow into businesses across the two regions.
Rather than a traditional exhibition, FUEL has been designed as a practical event that removes many of the barrier’s businesses face when raising finance. Every attendee is triaged, and if appropriate, matched with relevant funders and advisers before the event, ensuring each meeting is tailored to their ambitions and funding requirements.
For business leaders that are unsure of which funding option is right for them or are not yet ready to seek finance, workshops are also available throughout the day which are designed to build confidence, develop investor and finance readiness and connect them to advisers who can help them on their journey.
Businesses attending FUEL Scotland will have the opportunity to meet representatives from a broad mix of funding organisations, from high street banks and specialist commercial lenders to alternative finance providers and investors.
Confirmed organisations include Barclays, Royal Bank of Scotland, Allica Bank, Scottish Enterprise, Creative UK, Maven, DSL Business Finance, The FSE Group and more, offering delegates the chance to explore funding options tailored to businesses at every stage of growth.
Delivered by business support and funding specialists, UMi, FUEL builds on almost two decades of helping businesses navigate funding, unlock investment and access expert advice. Since 2007, UMi has helped businesses secure more than £1 billion in grants, loans and private investment.
Nicki Clark OBE, CEO of UMi, said: “The response to FUEL has exceeded our expectations. Businesses have told us they value being able to speak directly with the people making funding decisions, while funders have welcomed the opportunity to meet ambitious companies that are ready to grow.
“With more than £10 million expected to be unlocked through our first two events, we’re excited to bring that momentum to Scotland, whether a business is looking to invest in innovation, expand its workforce or overcome cashflow challenges, FUEL is designed to make accessing finance, simpler, faster and far less daunting.”
Cameron Gordon, Accelerator Community Manager, Royal Bank of Scotland said: “As the UK’s biggest bank for business, we know that access to the right support is crucial for businesses to succeed.
For time-poor business owners, however, knowing what help is out there and what is best for their circumstances is not always clear. Through our Accelerator, we support a growing community of more than 30,000 entrepreneurs across the UK, and I am pleased that the Royal Bank of Scotland is supporting UMi’s FUEL roadshows, building on this work to champion small businesses and help them find the right support at the right time.”
Small Business Minister Lord Leong said: “One of the biggest challenges facing small businesses in Scotland is securing the right finance at the right time to invest, expand and create the good jobs local people deserve.
“That is why we are proud to support roadshows such as FUEL, which bring practical advice, specialist expertise and potential funding partners directly to founder-led and owner-managed businesses. By helping entrepreneurs understand their options, become investment-ready and access finance suited to their ambitions, FUEL helps turn growth plans into reality.
“Alongside this, we are working with the British Business Bank to increase the supply of finance across every region and nation of the UK. Our message to ambitious business owners is clear: wherever you are based and whatever your background, we want to help you overcome the barriers to growth, fulfil your potential and build the successful businesses and good jobs of the future.”
FUEL roadshows will be taking place throughout the UK at the following locations:
Business owners interested in attending any of the events above can book tickets, or register their interest in future events, via the website: www.fuelroadshow.co.uk.
Spartans Alternative School are organising a charity event we for the local community:
On Friday 2nd October 2026, we are hosting a charity football match at Spartans, with students taking on staff, and we would love to see families, young people and community groups from across North Edinburgh come along and support us.
YOUNG PEOPLE’S CHARITY FOOTBALL MATCHFriday 2nd October 2026
Gates open: 1:00pm
Kick-off: 1:30pm
Entry: £5 per person
The event is raising money for Therapet, a charity that is particularly important to us.
We have four therapy dogs who regularly support young people at the Alternative School, and we get so much from the time we spend with them.
They provide companionship, support and positive experiences for many of us, so this year we wanted to give something back to a service that has given so much to us.
The afternoon will be family-friendly, with lots happening alongside the football:
Bake sale
Raffle
Tombola
Ice cream
Therapy dogs
Half-time performer – to be announced Students vs Staff football match
…and much more!
All money raised will go to Therapet.
What makes this event particularly special is that it has been planned, organised and will be delivered by us — the young people.
For the past six years, as part of our Art sessions and social enterprise work, we have organised a wide range of events, including art exhibitions at the Out of the Blue Drill Hall, art pop-up shops, DJ events and previous charity football matches.
Through these events, we have raised approximately £8,000 for a variety of charities and community causes.
With support from our Art Teacher, we take responsibility for the different parts of our projects — from coming up with ideas and planning, to promotion, fundraising, activities and helping to run the events themselves.
This year, we really want to open the event up to our local community and invite the people of North Edinburgh to come along, have some fun and get behind the young people.
For us, this isn’t just about football or fundraising. It’s about young people coming together, developing skills, creating something positive and finding ways to give something back to the community that we are part of.
You can follow our social enterprise journey and see some of the work we have been doing through our Art Offenders Instagram page:
https://www.instagram.com/theartoffenders
We hope you might be able to help us spread the word and encourage people from across North Edinburgh to come along on 2nd October.
Thank you for taking the time to read about our project and for supporting local community stories and initiatives.
We hope to see you there!
Best wishes,
The Young People of Spartans Alternative School
Neighbourhood Engagement and Support Team
#NEST (City) Special Constables and their coordinator have been out conducting routine transport safety patrols across Edinburgh last night.
• The team traced two females, aged 13 and 14, in connection with an assault and vandalism incident in St Andrew Square. Both have been charged and will be reported to the relevant authorities.
• The team also located two vulnerable people and ensured they were safely conveyed to appropriate care and health settings.
• Patrols were also conducted in support of policing colleagues at Edinburgh Airport.
• Community Engagement – Our dayshift team members also attended a community fun day at Norton Park, joining colleagues from other emergency services and helping to support a fantastic event for the local community.
• Throughout our shift, support was also provided to community and response teams across the city, assisting colleagues wherever we could.
A busy day focused on keeping people safe, supporting vulnerable members of our community, and collaborating with partners across Edinburgh.
TUESDAY 8th SEPTEMBER 11am – 1pm at ELREC
COMMUNUTIES REDUCE REUSE & RECYCLE
Autumn season is getting closer, and it means start of our cosy indoor activities where you can relax, meet new people and get creative!
We are excited to invite you for the first of our Winter Creative Writing workshops organised together with Open Book and lead by local writer Amy Moreno who will be using existing stories and poems to help you develop your own writing skills in a relaxed and informal setting. In these sessions we will hear a selection of different stories and poems, and will also have an opportunity to try our strengths in creative writing focusing on nature related topics.
You’ll have the opportunity to share and hear what others have written in a supportive and encouraging space.
Date: 8th September (Tuesday) 2026
Time: 11am-1pm
Location: ELREC, 14 Forth St, Edinburgh EH1 3LH
Language: English
Registration: https://forms.gle/7DyF88h1Q7VPbHZ39
Granton & District Community Council has sent an open letter to members of the Council’s Transport and Environment Committee (TEC), who will discuss the future of proposed tram extensions at their meeting on 10 September.
Read the full letter here: https://grantoncc.scot/…/trams-to-from-granton…/
We believe that future construction of the Granton section is vital in bringing much-needed economic, social and environmental benefits to the communities of North Edinburgh.
Our part of the city faces significant socio-economic challenges, along with imminent population growth resulting from the Granton Waterfront development.
Development of a rapid transport link is essential to improving quality of life for those already living here, and ensuring that the new Granton Waterfront precinct becomes a thriving, sustainable community, rather than an isolated ghetto at the northern edge of the city.
Both the current route options for the Granton leg have their merits and drawbacks. However, we fear that the complexities and public controversies around both have led to a position where it may seem easiest for Councillors simply to ‘kick the can down the road’ and de-prioritise the Granton leg in principle – without due consideration of the socio-economic impact on present and future communities here in North Edinburgh and reneging on two decades of promises.
NEN COMMENT
THE change in priority from delivering the North Edinburgh section first may indeed have been caused by the ongoing stushie over the best route (i.e Orchard Brae vs Roseburn Path); yes, it’s divisive and there are council elections next year!
But whatever route councillors do eventually decide for North Edinburgh (and assuming that a robust business case can be made), there is a strong argument that the tram remains a key element, economically and socially, in the ongoing regeneration of the waterfront and wider North Edinburgh.
Failure to deliver this section (AGAIN!) would be seriously detrimental to progress which has been stop/start for years already; for it to happen again now is hardly a vote of confidence in what remains one of the UK’s biggest regeneration projects and sends out the wrong message both to both potential investors and communities that have been let down too often before – Ed.
IMPROVING SERVICES?
A period of intense engagement is underway to ensure streamlined public services are delivered for Scotland, Public Service Reform Secretary Ivan McKee has said.
This week’s Programme for Government set out how the Scottish Government plans to deliver stronger and efficient public services that are sustainable for generations to come.
Plans include replacing the current 14 territorial health boards with two strategic health boards, removing unnecessary duplication and overlap in public services and seeking a clear shared direction on substantial reform to local governance, including social care.
Mr McKee said: “Public service reform is at the heart of this Government’s priorities for the next five years and this work will help to ensure that every pound of investment is focused on frontline delivery, with the right staff in the right roles to deliver real improvements in public services.
“I will meet public sector leaders and other key partners at the Public Service Reform Summit later this month to discuss the challenges and opportunities posed by public service reform and the agenda set-out in the Programme for Government.
“My colleagues and I are also engaged in intensive dialogue with public bodies, NHS Boards, local government, trade unions, the third sector, businesses and communities to strengthen the work that is already taking place and to ensure that proactive leadership and collaboration are central to our approach.
“Our focus over the coming months is to build a shared understanding of how we will deliver the changes necessary to support the needs of diverse communities across Scotland.”
COSLA President, Councillor Shona Morrison, has responded to Scottish Government’s Programme for Government plans: “The Programme for Government is a significant statement of the Scottish Government’s priorities, and we will take time to consider its detail carefully.
“There are important implications for local government and council services, particularly the proposed NHS reforms and what they will mean for the future delivery of social care.
“Over the coming days, COSLA will engage closely with our member councils and with Scottish Ministers to ensure these proposals are focused on what is best for communities across Scotland and respect the democratic legitimacy of local government.
“Public services work best when decisions are taken as close to communities as possible. We look forward to meaningful engagement with the Scottish Government and believe that the dialogue on the future of local governance must be carried forward with councils and COSLA as the collective voice of local government.”
Commenting on the Programme for Government, STUC General Secretary Roz Foyer said: “Presenting the public with a misleading choice of cuts packaged as public service reform was disingenuous at best and a falsehood at worst from the Scottish Government.
“Crushing down Scotland’s health boards into two may seem bold on paper but further centralising power when local communities are crying out for health and social care services tailored to their needs seems more reckless than revolutionary.
“This is not the way to do public sector reform. Before the axe is swung on any public service, whether health, council or social care, Scottish Government ministers would do well to engage meaningfully and purposefully with the workers who deliver on the ground. This cannot be done in the timescales outlined.
“Measures on food cap prices, childcare, breakfast clubs and bus fare caps are welcome. However, by avoiding the big decisions on wealth redistribution – on council tax reform, wealth taxes and taking national stakes in our energy infrastructure – cost of living measures will always fall short of the radical transformation both our economy and communities require.
“We will be engaging actively with Government on its promise to bring forward a responsible strategy for data centres in Scotland. We need to take stock of how such projects can benefit decent jobs, workers and the communities in which they will reside. We need to move away from industrial strategy that allows our heavy industry, manufacturing and renewables sectors to be sold off to the highest bidders with little public benefit in return.
“Finally, it’s deeply welcome the First Minister has pledged further support for survivors of gender-based violence. It’s time that all organisations, employers and society as a whole adopts a zero-tolerance approach to violence against women and girls and it’s correct that this is a strategic priority for the Scottish Government in which the First Minister will find support from Scotland’s trade unions.”
An outfit by Fijian designer Hupfeld Hoerder has gone on display at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh. The outfit was created in the early 1990s using barkcloth and was worn as a wedding dress.
Barkcloth is a type of natural cloth made by stripping, soaking, and beating or weaving lengths of the inner bark from certain trees, often decorated with intricate painted or stamped patterns.
Pacific Islanders have been making barkcloth for millennia, but its use declined during the 19th century. Today it is being revived in places such as Hawai’i and Niue and remains strong in the Islands of Fiji, Tonga and Samoa thanks in part to contemporary fashion designers who create couture from barkcloth.
The striking outfit consists of a skirt, bodice and jacket. It is now on display in the Facing the Sea gallery at the National Museum of Scotland.
National Museum of Scotland
Chambers St, Edinburgh EH1 1JF
Open daily, 10:00 – 17:00
Dear Editor
September is Blood Cancer Awareness Month, and as part of our Let’s talk lymphoma campaign, Lymphoma Action is inviting people affected by lymphoma to write to their MP, MSP or MS and ask them to raise important issues about lymphoma treatment and care in Parliament.
The campaign aims to make it easier for decision-makers to understand the realities faced by people affected by lymphoma, and to encourage practical action to improve diagnosis, treatment and care.
Lymphoma is officially categorised as a rare or less common cancer. The recent National Cancer Plan recognised that people affected by rare and less common cancers often face major challenges with diagnosis and care. Lymphoma is the most common type of blood cancer, but too many people still experience delays in diagnosis, limited access to treatment and unequal care.
For the first time, the National Cancer Plan gives rare and less common cancers dedicated focus and commits to improvements in treatment and care. It recognises that people with these cancers must receive the same priority as those with more common cancers. But making promises is only the first step – they need to become reality.
This September, we want to hold the government to account and make sure the plan is put into action, leading to meaningful change for people affected by lymphoma and other cancers. If you are affected by lymphoma, you can write to your representative this September and ask them to raise lymphoma in Parliament.
Together, we can push for the improvements people affected by lymphoma deserve and help make sure the National Cancer Plan delivers real change.
Find out more about how you can get involved at www.lymphoma-action.org.uk/BCAM.
Once you register your interest, we’ll send you a draft email with the information your representative needs and details of how to send it.
Yours sincerely
Amanda Harris
Lymphoma Action
