A come and try session for para-climbers is being held at the Edinburgh International Climbing Arena this evening from 7-9pm. Organised by Climb Scotland and the EICA, this will be the first get together for the Scottish Paraclimbing Club, who will be running the ‘Come and Try Paraclimbing’ session. Continue reading Para-climbing Call to The Wall
Strategic charging zones for electric vehicles could be rolled out across the Capital as part of Edinburgh’s first Electric Vehicle Action Plan. The innovative zonal approach to charging hubs – believed to be the first of their kind in Scotland – are one of five key strategic objectives in the Council’s Action Plan, which will be considered by members of the Transport and Environment Committee today. Continue reading Council to launch Electric Vehicle Action Plan
The Simplyhealth Great Edinburgh Winter Run is returning to Scotland’s capital city at the turn of the New Year, with many of the runners taking part to champion the positive effect that running has on their mental wellbeing. Inspirational runners took to Holyrood Park yesterday to share the positive effect that running has on their mental health and how keeping up their training over winter has improved their state of mind. Continue reading Run for your life: inspirational runners gear up for Great Edinburgh Winter Run
Les Matheson, Chief Executive, Personal & Business Banking and other senior Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) executives will appear before the Scottish Affairs select committee in the new year to discuss its plans to close 62 branches in Scotland. Continue reading RBS bosses to face Westminster grilling over branch closures
John Byrne painting will raise funds for charities
A painting by John Byrne has been unveiled as the First Minister’s 2017 Christmas card. ‘Say It With A Kiss!’ is an original artwork in Byrne’s celebrated trademark style. It features a couple about to share a kiss under the mistletoe. The artwork will be auctioned next year with the proceeds going to four charities – Food Train, SCIAF, Scottish Women’s Aid and Teapot Trust.
SCIAF and children’s art therapy charity the Teapot Trust were chosen by John Byrne, while Food Train, which provides a range of services, to older people including grocery shopping and befriending and Scottish Women’s Aid were selected by the First Minister.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “I’m absolutely thrilled to have such a beautiful painting by John Byrne for my Christmas card this year. He is one of our most celebrated artists and this work has a wonderful festive feel while maintaining John’s inimitable style.
“The four charities that will benefit from the sale of the painting do fantastic work on local, national and international levels and I’m very pleased that the card can support such a wide range of good causes.”
John Byrne, while best known as a playwright for his trilogy The Slab Boys, is also a renowned artist, with several of his works exhibited in the Scottish National Portrait Gallery.
He said: “I was both surprised and delighted to be commissioned by the First Minister to produce the artwork for this year’s Official Christmas Card and got to work straight away – I had a notion to paint a young couple from my boyhood days in Paisley, having a great time jiving to the music of Jimmy McCracken’s ‘Big Band’ at the Town Hall c1957 dressed in the style of the day, with a nod to the Festive Season.”
Since 2007, artwork from the First Minister’s official Christmas cards has raised around £170,000 for good causes through sales of the original paintings and limited edition prints. Proceeds from this year’s auction will go to the Archie Foundation, SiMBA, Christine Witcutt Memorial Fund and The Dixon Community.
Saturday 9th December 11am – 1pm
Drylaw Parish Church, Groathill Road North
The Royal College of Midwives is urging more pregnant women across the Lothians to get their flu vaccine to help protect themselves and their babies this winter. The call comes after statistics highlighted that only half (51%) of those pregnant in the Lothians received their flu vaccine last winter and that flu was the cause of death among one in 11 women who died during, or shortly after, pregnancy. Continue reading Pregnant women urged to get flu vaccine
Edinburgh’s communal bin collection system is set to be redesigned to improve the service for thousands of residents across the city, subject to approval by the city council’s Transport and Environment Committee tomorrow. As part of the shake-up, a trial would see communal landfill and packaging bin collections increased to every other day, as opposed to the current average rate of twice weekly.
Continue reading Communal bin collection service to be overhauled
New figures released today by the Energy Switch Guarantee reveal that Yorkshire is home to the savviest energy customers in the UK. The figures show the number of households in each UK Parliamentary constituency that have switched electricity supplier between September 2016 and August 2017. Continue reading UK’s leading energy switchers revealed
Police are appealing for anyone with information to come forward following a serious assault in the city centre. The incident took place around 2am on Sunday (December 3rd) , at the junction of George IV Bridge and Chambers Street, near the National Museum of Scotland. Continue reading Police appeal following city centre assault
