Aldi Scotland’s Supermarket Sweep challenge has returned for another year, and customers in Edinburgh have the chance to raise money for a local foodbank of their choice.
The game-show inspired supermarket challenge is guaranteed to make doing the weekly shop more fun. Edinburgh residents have the opportunity to pick up their favourite items from Aldi’s store on Gorgie Park Road.
Launched in 2016, Aldi’s Supermarket Sweep gives shoppers the chance to do a five-minute trolley dash and take home all the Aldi favourites they can grab in that time. Aldi will also donate the cash value of the trolley to a local foodbank.
The lucky shopper also has a chance to double this cash donation and take home a SpecialBuy item of their choice* if they successfully find a hidden inflatable instore.
Edinburgh residents can apply for the Supermarket Sweep from Monday 6 March to Sunday 12 March.
Richard Holloway, Managing Director for Scotland, said:“The Supermarket Sweep is an event in the Aldi calendar that we always look forward to. We are pleased to be bringing the initiative back for yet another year, and to offer one lucky Edinburgh resident the chance to have a truly unique supermarket experience.
“Foodbanks across Scotland are working tirelessly to help those who need their services the most, especially during these challenging times. Last year we donated almost £10,000 to foodbanks through Supermarket Sweep, and we want to build on this in 2023.
“From Glasgow to Aberdeen, Aldi’s Supermarket Sweep will be travelling all over Scotland this year. Not only are they a fun way to raise money for local foodbanks, but they also give our loyal customers the opportunity to stock up on their favourite Aldi products.”
Shoppers will be asked to nominate their chosen foodbank when applying to take part. Entrants must be over 18 years old to take part, and alcohol products and Specialbuys are not included in the sweep.
Neigh ‘horsing around’ as East Lothian venue hosts highest value raceday this year
PARTYGOERS, families and sports enthusiasts will don their most royal outfits as they flock to the Easter Saturday meeting at Musselburgh Racecourse.
Celebrations will take place on 8 April and will culminate in the venue’s highest value race, the prestigious Queen’s Cup, with £100,000 worth of prize money.
The Queen’s Cup received its name following Queen Elizabeth II’s visit to Musselburgh Racecourse for its Bicentenary Raceday in 2016. The racecourse has a proud Royal heritage with The Queen’s Stand also opened by Princess Anne.
The venue will be bringing back its popular ‘Pommery domes’ for the event – which were a huge hit for revellers on New Year’s Day – with a bottle of Pommery Champagne and charcuterie board to enjoy while soaking up the race day atmosphere.
For families, an abundance of free activities for young ones are on offer, with a dedicated ‘Clip Clop Zone,’ offering free funfair rides for all ages and face painting.
Aisling Johnston, Marketing Manager at Musselburgh Racecourse, said: “Easter Saturday is one of our biggest social events in the calendar. It promises to be a day full of music, dancing, street food vendors, champagne bars and of course, first-class racing.
“We also have a host of free entertainment planned for those looking to bring the little ones, including the return of the hugely popular and highly-anticipated Easter Bunny which is sure to go down a treat! The best part is that all kids under 17 are free when accompanied by an adult.
“With a huge variety of exciting activities planned, there is something for everyone to enjoy no matter what your age.”
As well as the Queen’s Cup, there will be a series of key races taking place throughout the day, including the Royal Mile Handicap, the Silver Arrow and Scotland’s fastest race, the Scottish Sprint Cup, which attracts top sprinters from across the country.
Prize money that will be awarded across the day will total £226,000 – the venue’s highest value offered this year. ITV Racing will cover the full sporting event.
Aisling added: “After the last race, revellers will be able to enjoy some music and dancing with the memorable ‘Funkwagen’ party van experience.
“So, strap on your best dancing shoes and come and join us for an unforgettable Easter experience. Tickets are selling quickly, so act now to have the chance of grabbing one for yourself – you won’t regret it!”
Vendors at the event will include some of Scotland’s best street food offerings, such as Well Hung and Tender’s burgers and chips, Dog N Bon’s hot dogs and loaded fries and Bonnie Burrito’s Mexican cuisine.
Purchasing a ticket before midnight on the 7th April will result in a saving of £5 per person. On the day gate admission will be £35. Children 17 years and under go free.
Musselburgh Racecourse provides year-round racing action, with 27 race days across the flat and jump racing season – weekend, midweek and evening.
Every race day offers quality racing with outstanding facilities and an atmosphere to match. Its ‘Sensational 6’ includes New Year’s Day, Scottish Cheltenham Trials Weekend, Easter Saturday, The Edinburgh Cup sponsored by Edinburgh Gin, Stobo Castle Ladies Day and The Summer Finale weekend.
For further information on Easter Saturday and to book tickets now, visit:
This week marks Scottish Apprenticeship Week (6th-10th March), a fantastic opportunity to shine a light on the vital role apprenticeships play in supporting people, employers and the economy.
Modern Apprenticeships allow people from diverse backgrounds, no matter their background and abilities, to gain and develop skills for every business no matter its size or sector.
The rewards of getting young people who are disabled or care experienced into work are well worth it. They bring passion, skills, dedication and drive to the workplace.
Recruiting a Modern Apprentice enables employers to fill the skills gaps that exist within their current workforce, as apprentices begin to learn sector-specific skills from day one, developing specialist knowledge that will positively affect the bottom line.
However, as always, we can do more and support for businesses and other employers is key as it is they who clearly make the vital difference.
As we mark Scottish Apprenticeship Week, we would urge Scotland’s employers to look beyond the label and take on a Modern Apprentice who may have an additional need, taking advantage of the excellent skills offered by many of these young people.
Tennis Scotland has revealed the shortlist for its 2023 Awards with eight Edinburgh and Lothian based clubs, teams, and programmes shortlisted in seven of the most prestigious award categories.
Held at Stirling Court Hotel on Friday 31 March in front of an audience of over 100 members of the tennis community, the Tennis Scotland Awards are a key part of the tennis calendar in Scotland and celebrate the success and hard work within the community game all the way through to the world stage. This year, the awards will be marking an incredible year of growth in the sport with tennis memberships soaring to an all-time high of 75,000.
With last year’s award winners celebrated at the esteemed Davis Cup Finals in Glasgow, the Tennis Scotland Awards return as a stand-alone black-tie event hosted by special guest and comedian Josh Berry.
Twenty-four-year-old Finn McLean and twenty-eight-year-old Katie Hoch have been shortlisted for the Development Coach of the Year award, recognising their contributions to their clubs.
Finn McLean, a full-time coach at Craiglockhart Tennis Centre and Joppa Tennis Club, works to increase tennis participation in East Lothian by offering more local competitions for children embarking on their tennis journey. Hoch is recognised for her work at Abercorn Sports Club to get more women and girls involved in the sport.
Teresa Tait was born in Uphall West Lothian, and currently plays at Elgin Tennis Club and Rothes Tennis Club where she has been shortlisted for the Volunteer of the Year award.
Teresa is inspired by Sue Barker and Virginia Wade and aspires to organise more girls events at her club to increase club participation.
Abercorn LTC have been shortlisted for Club of the Year for their continued work to build a coaching programme to include specific activities for women and girls, with a focus on a pathway for progression from beginners to intermediate.
One of Tennis Scotland’s Development Apprentices, Luke Turnbull, is up for the Rising Star award.
Luke Turnbull has competed for Great Britain’s Learning Disability Tennis team in the past and is currently working towards obtaining his Level 2 qualification while coaching to help players of all ages and abilities reach new heights.
On the shortlist for the Park Venue of the Year award is the city centre’s Meadows Park, who host league games and deliver their junior and adult social coaching programmes at Edinburgh Leisure’s Meadows facility.
Open days, tournaments and events were hosted throughout the year to help support new member growth and reduce court-hire costs during the summer months. These initiatives saw over 23,000 players utilise the courts over the course of the year.
St Serfs Men’s First team are on the shortlist for Team of the Year. The team were undefeated in VMH East of Scotland Division 1 2022 season and went on to win the league.
The three-court club has also been recognised for cultivating a great social environment for all members, which has been reflected on the court through the team’s consistent results.
The East Lothian Open has been shortlisted for Competition of the Year which has been recognised for outstanding organisation and delivery as well as creating a welcoming and enjoyable environment for players and spectators.
The East Lothian Open comprises of almost 40 different events which cater to different abilities and were the first Open Grade 3 tournament in Scotland.
Blane Dodds, Tennis Scotland Chief Executive, said: “It has been a very successful year for tennis in Scotland with record membership numbers and events like the Davis Cup Finals and Billie Jean King Cup Finals being hosted in Scotland.
“With record entries across many competitions, tennis is clearly thriving, and we have decided to return to an Awards dinner to celebrate, with our award nominees and winners, what has been another fantastic year for tennis in Scotland on Friday, 31 March.
We are proud to announce the shortlist for 2023 and recognise the individuals that played their part in growing and developing tennis over the last year. I would like to congratulate everyone who has been shortlisted and look forward to announcing the winners soon.”
The shortlist for the Tennis Scotland Awards 2023 recognises the contributions of individuals, clubs, programmes, and competitions that played a key role in growing the game in 2022.
Twenty-six nominees have been announced across 10 categories, with the winners earning a place at the LTA British Tennis Awards.
Walking needs to be made an easier choice if ’20-minute neighbourhoods’ are to succeed in getting people out of cars, says a new report launched today (7 March 2023).
20-minute neighbourhoods: a community perspectiveis published by Living Streets Scotland, part of the UK charity for everyday walking.
20-minute neighbourhoods are at the heart of Scotland’s fourth National Planning Framework. The concept – based on the idea that people can meet their essential needs within a 20-minute walk – is already popular in cities worldwide like Melbourne, Copenhagen, Paris and Utrecht for its potential to improve public health reinforce, economy as well as reducing carbon emissions from short car journeys.
The Living Streets Scotland report looks at the concept of 20-minute neighbourhoods, studies the evidence behind them, and asks whether they can be applicable in Scotland. The report follows a one-year research project that asked people in Stirling and North Lanarkshire how they travel within their local areas and what a 20-minute neighbourhood might look like for them. It also considered the barriers they currently experience when it comes to walking more.
Participants in the research commented on a lack of safe crossing points missing or and badly maintained pavements, and that pedestrian and disabled access can feel like “an afterthought”. The report recommends much better care and maintenance of local walking routes to make walking and wheeling a realistic and attractive option.
Stuart Hay, Director, Living Streets Scotland said: “Creating safe, accessible and well-connected places will enable more of us to choose to walk or wheel our everyday journeys – helping to boost health, support local businesses and connect us to our local communities.
“Most people who drive report doing so because of the convenience, the lack of time to make another choice, or the necessity of using their car because the walking route is challenging or simply non-existent. While they like the idea of living locally and walking more, they still choose to drive. For 20-minute neighbourhoods to work, walking needs to become the easiest choice.”
The report launches at Living Street Scotland’s Big Walking Seminar, which this year focuses on reducing traffic in car dominated places and is supported by Transport Scotland.
The ‘Keep it Fringe’ fund will support artists bringing work to Fringe 2023
Today, Tuesday 07 March 2023, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society is delighted to launch the ‘Keep it Fringe’ fund, a new initiative to support Fringe artists, which is being led by Fringe Society President Phoebe Waller-Bridge.
This fund, supported by the Fleabag for Charity campaign, and funds donated to the Fringe Society through individual donors and our partnership with Edinburgh Gin, will distribute fifty bursaries of £2,000 which will be awarded to individual artists or companies bringing work to the Fringe in 2023.
Not every artist has the same start in their career, but we believe that shouldn’t stop anyone having access to a stage to showcase their talent at the world’s best-loved festival. There is no Fringe without artists; without risk-taking, and without experimentation. Rooted in our vision to give anyone a stage and everyone a seat, the fund sets out to protect artists’ prospects, by removing some of the growing barriers to performing.
Honorary President Phoebe Waller-Bridge said: ‘For a creative, the festival is one of the most unique places on the planet to launch work, meet other artists and be discovered by audiences, agents, producers and the media.
“For me, today’s announcement is incredibly personal. Edinburgh Fringe gave Fleabag a game-changing platform for everyone involved and we are thrilled that the show can continue to pay-it-forward to the creatives of tomorrow and contribute to those who might not otherwise have the opportunity to take their work to this amazing festival’.
Shona McCarthy, Chief Executive of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society. said: ‘We recognise how difficult the last few years have been for the cultural sector, and today’s announcement is a very direct way for us to give some support for artists performing at this year’s Fringe.
“We are massively grateful to Phoebe, and all our donors, for their generosity and ongoing support of the work of the Fringe Society. This fund is a first step in what we hope to be an ongoing opportunity for Fringe artists.
“We will be actively encouraging new donors and Fringe alumni to work with us through this simple initiative, to get support out quickly and effectively to give someone a stage’.
In June 2022 we launched the Fringe’s Future Development Goals, with new commitments and targets created. Ensuring artists can thrive is key to this work, and today’s announcement will support Fringe artists who face the greatest barriers. As we work to build a better, more accessible and sustainable Fringe, the fund will be used to help make a difference and support creatives to be part of this extraordinary festival.
This fund is a pilot as part of the Fringe Society’s wider fundraising campaign for the Fringe, and our ambition is to provide direct financial support for Fringe artists every year. We recognise that these funds won’t make or break a show but should provide a little bit of financial help to those who want to take part in the Fringe.
A 23-year-old man has pleaded guilty to two counts of armed robbery at the High Court in Edinburgh.
Around 1am on Monday, 9 August, 2021, police were informed an armed robbery had taken place at a casino in Dundee Street, Edinburgh
Hassan Fallah was seen loitering in the underground car park of the premises at Fountainpark before he approached a member of staff and threatened them with a knife. He then forced them to take him into the casino. Once inside Fallah threatened a further two staff members at the cash desk before making off with a five-figure sum of money.
Following enquiries, Fallah was arrested by officers on 12 August 2021.
He pleaded guilty yesterday and has been sentenced to more than four years imprisonment.
Detective Inspector Keith Taylor said: “It’s right that Fallah is behind bars for this disturbing and violent robbery.
“I know his actions impacted directly on several members of staff who may not have been physically injured but were left extremely distressed by what had happened. Despite this, they greatly assisted our investigation and I would like to thank them for their help as I know this was challenging for them. I hope that knowing Fallah is behind bars will offer them some satisfaction as they move forward in their lives”
Property developer S Harrison Developments is giving the public the chance to view updated proposals for residential-led development at Ocean Point 2 in Leith, adding to the ongoing transformation of the Waterfront and delivering further vibrancy to the area.
Neighbouring Ocean Point 1, whose occupiers include VisitScotland, the brownfield site will aim to comprise a mix of homes, a high proportion of which will be for families, alongside other potential uses including purpose-built student accommodation, delivering a truly mixed community.
Along with commercial uses/co-working and amenity space, landscaping and infrastructure, these will occupy two buildings on the site.
Following an initial public exhibition which took place in December, a second exhibition of updated proposals will take place TOMORROW – Tuesday 7 March – between 2pm and 7pm at Ocean Terminal.
In addition to delivering new homes, student accommodation is also being explored with students delivering significant spending power locally and bringing a future skilled workforce to an area which has witnessed little purpose-built student accommodation.
Edinburgh is a university city, and the number of students in higher education has risen by almost a third since the start of the century, with purpose-built student accommodation having the potential to free-up much needed family homes currently occupied by students locally.
Located in Leith, voted in October 2021 by Time Out as one of the “world’s coolest neighbourhoods” and by the Sunday Times as the best place to live in Britain, the proposed development will bring increased vibrancy to the area.
Conveniently situated just two miles from Edinburgh city centre, it is likely to be attractive to those seeking to live, work and study in the area, taking advantage of local shops, bars, restaurants and cafés.
The development neighbours Ocean Terminal, which is set to undergo a £100 million transformation, delivering a mixed-use development comprising residential, commercial, retail and hospitality.
In addition, Forth Ports, which has been named as a Green Freeport and at the centre of a new supply chain for Scotland’s renewable industry, is seeming to deliver an exciting mixed-use development, including residential, a hotel, local retail, flexible workspaces and offices and leisure facilities.
The extension of the tram line between Edinburgh and Ocean Terminal, anticipated to commence running in June, will also provide connectivity between the development and Edinburgh city centre within 20 minutes.
Further information will also be posted on the website at: www.oceanpoint2.com
Harrison has a long pedigree of working in the city, ranging from delivering the Malmaison at St Andrew Square to student developments at Westfield and Gorgie and hotel development at Osborne House, Haymarket.
A spokesperson for Harrison Developments commented: “Our proposed development, if approved, will bring much-needed homes and other uses to an area which is undergoing a rapid transformation, delivering a truly mixed community.
“Regenerating a current brownfield site, we look forward to continue to engage with the local community following our first exhibition last year and providing it with the opportunity to input their views and further shape our ambitious proposals.”
Customers can grab a main, hot dessert and drink for just £8.99
Kids Eat Free offer can be claimed alongside new deal
Available in all cafes now until April 2nd
Morrisons has launched a new two-course set menu in all its cafés allowing customers to get a main, hot dessert and drink for just £8.99.
Favourite dishes such as fish & chips, lasagne and a roast dinner with all the trimmings can be enjoyed alongside a drink and topped off with a Bramley apple crumble or a sticky toffee pudding – all for under a tenner.
The £8.99 two-course deal is available in every Morrisons café nationwide from today until April 2. It comes after customers praised the value of the set menu at Christmas and asked if a similar deal could be introduced outside the festive season.
What’s more, the popular Kids Eat Free offer which allows customers to get a free kids meal with every adult meal costing £4.49 or more, can be claimed alongside the new £8.99 deal. Making Morrisons café the perfect spot to enjoy a delicious meal as a family at great value.
Kids can choose from the all-day breakfast menu as well as the main menu which includes favourites such as fish fingers & chips or chicken nuggets, chips & peas. All items from the children’s menu are served with a piece of fruit and a drink.
Morrisons is committed to providing good quality food at affordable prices in its cafés and this deal follows last week’s two for £10 breakfast offer as well as the permanent price cuts that were made to the café menu at the end of last year.
Morrisons is also continuing to reduce prices across its stores and has cut 1,000s of products this year alone.
Chris Strong, Morrisons Café buyer, says: “Our customers told us how much they appreciated the great value of our set menu at Christmas and asked us if we could bring it back at other times of the year.
“We’re pleased to be doing just that and offering a great value two course meal for just £8.99 – plus a drink! As it can be used alongside our Kids Eat Free offer it means the whole family can benefit.”
