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Supertato author surprises Edinburgh pupils with special storytelling session

Paul Linnet, co-creator of the popular Supertato series of children’s books, visited pupils at Stenhouse Primary School to read to pupils.
Each child received a signed book to take home, while the school’s library received 96 books donated by Paul and his publisher, Simon & Schuster Children’s Books.
The visit was arranged by Tesco as part of its National Year of Reading and Fruit & Veg campaigns.

Paul Linnet, the co-creator of the popular children’s book series Supertato, delighted pupils at Stenhouse Primary School in Edinburgh with a special storytelling session, encouraging their love of stories and reading.

The author recently visited P1 and P2 pupils at the school to read his latest book, Supertato: Despicable Bean, and share his love of stories with the young audience.

Thanks to Paul and his publisher, Simon & Schuster Children’s Books, each child also received a signed copy of the book to take home, with an additional 96 assorted Supertato books donated to the school’s library.

The visit was arranged by Tesco as part of its National Year of Reading campaign, which aims to encourage children to discover a love of reading.

The Supertato series follows the adventures of a superhero potato who uses his ‘potato powers’ to save his fellow vegetables. The series has sold over 1.8 million copies in the UK and is now a CBBC series.

Emily Sinclair, Headteacher at Stenhouse Primary School said: “As a school we were delighted to be selected, through Tesco’s Fruit for Schools initiative, to welcome Paul Linnet in to share his love of stories and vegetables with our children.

“This has been a wonderful experience for our children which has created a real enthusiasm for reading in the classroom. The children have loved reading and learning through Paul’s stories and engaging characters and they have been inspired to write their own stories based on Supertato.

“They have also become very enthusiastic about vegetables and the fun that can be had turning them into various characters.”

Timothy Hammertson, Lead Buying Manager on Books at Tesco said: “We’re delighted to have helped bring Paul Linnet and his Supertato stories to Stenhouse Primary School to inspire children to discover the joys of books, stories and reading.

“It was fantastic to hear that pupils loved the visit and were hugely excited to receive their very own signed copy to keep

“Reading is a brilliant way to spark children’s imaginations, and initiatives like this help bring books to life while encouraging a love of reading from an early age.”

Stenhouse Primary School is also actively involved in Tesco’s Fruit & Veg for Schools campaign, which provides fruit and vegetables to pupils to help them discover healthy eating habits.

The latest book, Supertato: Despicable Bean, is currently featured in Tesco’s Kids Summer Reading Stack, which is available in 400 stores across the UK until 16 September. This initiative is part of the chain’s Go All In campaign, which aims to help get younger children into reading as part of the National Year of Reading.

Two Edinburgh-based Scots awarded Fellowships for international research and musical study

Two Edinburgh-based Scots are among nine recipients of Scottish International Education Trust (SIET) Fellowships supporting international study, research and professional development.

Edinburgh-based researcher Andro Mathewson has been awarded a Fellowship to undertake final-stage doctoral research in Ukraine, while Edinburgh flautist Clio Scott will use hers to continue her advanced musical studies in Vienna.

Andro, who was born in Illinois and brought up in Scotland, is completing a PhD at King’s College London examining unmanned systems in the Russia-Ukraine war. His Fellowship will support a 10-day final-stage research visit to Ukraine, allowing him to undertake research on the ground as he completes his doctorate.

As part of his research, Andro has created the Unmanned Systems Tracker, an open-source, publicly available website showing some of the data behind his research and helping to raise awareness of the importance of unmanned systems in modern warfare.

Andro Mathewson said: “Being funded by the Scottish International Education Trust is a great privilege and honour for me. Beyond the financial award, which will help me to finish my PhD research, including on-the-ground in Ukraine, it means a lot that a Scottish organization is supporting research in the realm of defense and emerging military technologies.

“As part of my research I have already created the Unmanned Systems Tracker (unmannedsystemstracker.com), an open-source, publicly available website showing some of the data behind my research to help raise awareness about the importance of unmanned systems in modern warfare.”

Clio Scott has been awarded a Fellowship to study for a Master’s in Instrumental Studies (Flute Performance) at MDW – University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna.

The award will help Clio meet the costs of her advanced musical training and allow her to focus on her studies with an internationally recognised teacher in Vienna.

Clio Scott said: “Being given an award by the Scottish International Education Trust feels like a huge vote of confidence in me. Training to be a classical musician is a long, arduous path and is also incredibly expensive.

The assistance offered by the SIET will help me to be able to fully immerse myself in my studies without worrying about financial barriers. I am beyond excited to be beginning the next stage of my education in Vienna, where I’ll have the opportunity to study with an incredible teacher in a city that’s renowned for its classical music as well as its beauty!”

The Fellowships are two of nine awarded by SIET in its Autumn 2026 awards round, supporting Scots to pursue international study, research and professional opportunities.

SIET Chair Nick Bibby said: “We are delighted to support another group of talented Scots as they take the next step in their education, research and professional development.

“What unites our Fellows is not a particular subject or career path, but their ambition, drive and the potential of the international opportunities they have chosen to pursue. We are proud to play a part in helping Andro and Clio take these important next steps in their respective fields, and look forward to seeing where their international opportunities lead.”

SIET Director Ken Thomson said: “Our Fellows demonstrate the many different ways in which international education and experience can change the course of a life.

“These awards are about recognising ability and potential, but also about helping to remove financial barriers that can prevent talented people from taking up exceptional opportunities.

“We wish all nine Fellows every success as they embark on the next stage of their journeys, and hope that their experiences overseas will ultimately benefit not only their own careers but Scotland more widely.”

The Scottish International Education Trust was established in 1971 by founders Sir Sean Connery and Sir Jackie Stewart. For more than 50 years, the Trust has supported Scots to access transformative international educational experiences, particularly where financial circumstances might otherwise prevent them from doing so.

SIET typically supports postgraduate education overseas, but also funds musicians, artists, craftspeople and other professionals where education involves developing specialist skills outside a conventional academic setting.

Awards are made twice a year.

TODAY: Waterfront Community Consultation at Granton Station

Come and join us at our community consultation to find out more about the development of Plot B1 & B2.

EVENTS

Dates:

Monday 28th September, 4.00pm – 7.00pm

Monday 12th October, 4.00pm – 7.00pm

Location:

Granton Station

1 Granton Station Square

Waterfront Broadway

Edinburgh

EH5 1FY

SURVEY

The consultation survey will go live on Monday 28 September on the City of Edinburgh Council Consultation Hub:

https://consultationhub.edinburgh.gov.uk/sfc/grantonphase2

Scottish charity celebrates one million operations for children worldwide

Kids Operating Room reaches major global surgery milestone and sets ambitious 2035 goal

A SCOTTISH charity has hit a major milestone, helping create capacity for one million life-changing operations around the world.

Kids Operating Room, founded by Garreth and Nicola Wood MBE, has created over 135 dedicated children’s operating rooms in 39 countries, from Ukraine and Bangladesh to Peru and the West Bank and supported the training of more than 70 surgeons.

The couple marked the achievement at Murrayfield Stadium, returning to an early ambition to one day help enough children to fill its 67,000 seats.

Garreth Wood MBE, co-founder, said: “Standing here today is quite surreal. In the early days, Nicola and I talked about whether we could ever help enough children to fill Murrayfield. Looking around at 67,000 seats, even that felt like an enormous ambition.

“Today, 728 operations take place every day in operating rooms created by Kids Operating Room. That’s enough to fill Murrayfield again every three months.

“It’s incredible to think about, but every one of those operations is about much more than a number. It’s a child getting the surgery they need and the chance to get back to being a child. That’s what this milestone means to us.”

The landmark achievement, and ambitious new goal, follows a review of the charity’s strategy and a new brand built around the idea “Make anything possible”, reflecting what safe surgery means for children: the chance to grow up and live their life to the full.

Nicola Wood MBE, co-founder, said: “We started with one surgeon, one operating room and one country. To now be talking about a million operations is something we could never have imagined.

“The real heroes of this story are the surgical teams we support, working in some of the toughest conditions on earth and doing incredible things every single day. This milestone is theirs as much as ours.”

David Cunningham, Chief Executive of Kids Operating Room, said: “Reaching one million children proves the model works. But there are still millions more waiting for surgery that could change their lives.

“That’s why we’ve sharpened our focus, backing local surgical teams, investing in innovation like solar-powered operating rooms and making children’s surgery a core part of every country’s health system.

“One million operations a year by 2035 is a big ambition, but that’s what it takes and we can only get there with governments, funders and partners behind us.”

The charity’s story began in 2015, when the Woods learned about Dr John Sekabira, Uganda’s only paediatric surgeon, working in Kampala to care for a population of 20 million children without a dedicated children’s operating room. After that first room opened, requests for more poured in, and the couple formally launched Kids Operating Room in 2018.

By 2021, the charity had created 50 operating rooms. Today, it has 136.

The charity transforms unused or derelict spaces, usually in public hospitals, and fits each room with 3,300 pieces of specialist equipment, shipped from its global operations centre in Dundee. Solar technology keeps the lights on during power cuts and bright, colourful artwork helps children feel safe before surgery.

Unlike “fly-in” medical missions, Kids Operating Room never sends in medical professionals from richer countries. Instead, it backs local surgical teams, funds specialist training in partnership with ministries of health, and works with local engineers to keep every room running, with the aim of handing each one over to the local health system as soon as possible.

The charity’s own data, drawn from their paediatric surgical database, shows the difference a dedicated operating room makes.

At one partner hospital in Nigeria, the rate of sepsis after surgery fell from 19.1% to 3.8%, and children’s average hospital stay dropped from 12 days to three. Surveys of school-age patients found that more than half of those missing school were doing so because of their surgical condition.

The charity estimates the operations made possible by its rooms will generate more than £23billion in economic benefit, as children who might otherwise have died or lived with lifelong disability grow up to work, earn and contribute to their communities.

Garreth Wood MBE, said: “Every one of those million is a child who can now run, play, go to school and grow up. Behind every number is a family who didn’t know if their child would make it, and a childhood that hasn’t been stolen by a treatable condition.”

An estimated 1.75 billion children still live in areas without reliable access to safe surgery . You can learn more about Kids Operating Room and help them reach these children here.

Garreth and Nicola Wood were both awarded MBEs in 2025 for services to international health and children’s surgery.

Monday Menu at Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre

The days are getting shorter, the mornings getting colder… Autumn is here!

We have a hearty, comforting menu for you all this Monday. Come in and warm up in the morning with our hot filled rolls and tea and coffee.

We have freshly made lentil soup on for lunch, with fruit crumble for dessert.

As always, this is for everyone in the community. You can sit in or take away your meal.

Five-week strike at Edinburgh University starts today

Members of the University and College Union (UCU) Scotland at Edinburgh University will strike for 25 days over five weeks from today (28 September) in a long running dispute over £140m cuts and 1,800 job losses.

Staff at Edinburgh have already taken multiple days of strike action and participated in a marking and assessment boycott because of the refusal of management to rule out compulsory redundancies. The latest action starts today and will continue through to 30 October.

The dispute centres on £140m cuts announced by the principal, Professor Sir Peter Mathieson, in early 2025 and an estimated 1,800 job losses. The scale of cuts are the largest cut in staff seen in Scottish higher education and is happening at one of the wealthiest institutions in the country and which, earlier this year, confirmed that there was no deficit.

Hundreds of staff have already lost their jobs through hidden redundancies including by fixed term contacts not being renewed as would normally happen and hourly-paid staff having their hours reduced.

Despite 18 months of campaigning and industrial pressure, including three ballots and strikes, the threat to jobs and student education remains while staff continue to face increased workloads because of ongoing restructures.

UCU members voted to undertake the five-week strike earlier in the summer. Since then the union has been pressing senior management to make a serious proposal that could avoid the strike.

The union has called for management to commit to no compulsory redundancies; to address hidden redundancies and workloads; engage in meaningful negotiation to avoid redundancies; and to reconsider the balance between staff and non-staff cuts.

UCU Edinburgh branch co-president Lena Wånggren said: “Our members have been clear that compulsory redundancies must not be the university’s answer to its financial challenges.

“Five weeks of strike action is not what anyone wants, but members are prepared to take action to protect jobs. UCU members are prepared to take action for our colleagues and our students – we want to safeguard students’ education not just for five weeks in Autumn but for the future.”

UCU Edinburgh branch co-secretary Nik Matheou said: “Staff are facing increased workloads, the threat of redundancies, and continuing uncertainty created by restructures and cuts.

“We have given management another opportunity to avoid the strikes. We need a commitment to no compulsory redundancies, meaningful consultation and action to address hidden job losses and increased workloads. We are ready to continue to negotiate and hope management will now come forward with a serious proposal.”

UCU general secretary Jo Grady said: “The unprecedented cuts and job losses at Edinburgh are forcing members to take five-weeks of strike action.

“I previously called the cuts at Edinburgh ‘academic vandalism’ and nothing I’ve seen during this dispute gives me any reason to change that view. Even at this late stage, it’s not too late for the principal to rule out compulsory redundances, engage meaningfully with the union and take action to end this dispute.”

Dovecot Studios celebrates 400 years of Scottish landscapes

The Scottish Landscape: Romance to Reality
Dovecot Studios, 10 Infirmary Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1LT
Friday 5th February – Saturday 22nd May 2027

Dovecot Studios and The Fleming Collection present another major new exhibition that unpacks public and private images of Scotland from the 16th century to the present day. Through painting, print, photography, sculpture and textile, The Scottish Landscape: Romance to Reality explores the role artists have played in creating, challenging and changing perceptions of the Scottish landscape.

At a time when 70% of tourists say Scottish scenery is a key reason for their visit, this exhibition brings together more than 80 key works and looks beyond the picturesque
to question how contemporary artists are highlighting the impact of capitalism and the climate emergency on the landscape for future generations.

The exhibition features work by Pieter Bruegel, Alexander Nasmyth, J.M.W. Turner and Joan Eardley with contemporary artists Peter Howson, Frances Walker, Thomas Joshua Cooper and Victoria Crowe, among others.

It is the third exhibition in a highly successful partnership between the world-renowned Dovecot Studios in Edinburgh and The Fleming Collection, the finest collection of Scottish art outside public institutions, which saw record breaking visitors to the exhibitions Scottish Women Artist in 2023 and The Scottish Colourists in 2025.

Theo Albano, Director of the Fleming Collection comments: “Few nations have shaped the artisticlanguage of landscape as profoundly as Scotland. From the Enlightenment and Romanticism tocontemporary environmental practice, this new exhibition is an opportunity to question and explore how far artists have created a myth of Scottish beauty or a compelling vision of how ourfuture landscape might evolve.

“The exhibition is organised in six sections: The Birth of a Myth; The Romantic and the Sublime;Whose Land; Changing Tides; Scotland Abroad; and Our Changing Landscape.

“Visitors will beencouraged to bask in the beauty of the Scottish landscape while questioning whether artistshave played, and whether they continue to play, a responsible or a dangerous role in promotingScotland’s untamed beauty.

“Within each broadly chronological section, the curators TheoAlbano and Heather Carroll, Dovecot Exhibitions Manager, juxtapose one or more works fromother periods to highlight recurring themes of environmental change, artistic intervention,political memory and cultural imagination.”

Celia Joicey, Director of Dovecot Studios, comments: “The Scottish Landscape: Romance toReality exhibition is a rich opportunity to look through the eyes of artists at the detail of our physical surroundings and, through the process of looking, to develop our own imaginative and emotional response.

“This collaboration with the Fleming Collection is an urgent call forengagement with art and landscape, comparing artwork across four centuries and in a range ofmedia, to protect them for future generations.”

The Scottish landscape has seen itself play a starring role in the arts for over 400 years.

From Pieter Breughel’s idealised engraving of the Bass Rock in 1560 to the Highlands setting for the latest reality series of Celebrity Traitors, Scotland’s natural beauty is a calling card to artists, tourists and cinemagoers the world over.

The Scottish Landscape: Romance to Reality exhibition will be accompanied by an events program featuring curator-led tours and talks by artists and historians including James Knox, andAlice Strang.

A fully illustrated book accompanying the exhibition will also be available.

England’s boarded-up high streets to be revialised with £210m boost

Derelict high street buildings will be transformed into shared workspaces, cafes and community hubs, to bring people back into town centres as part of a £210m package announced on Friday (25 September).

People are proud of where they live, but too many have watched their high streets be hollowed out, with shops shuttered, buildings boarded up and once-busy hubs left empty.

Now the UK government is putting that right, by revamping vacant shopping centres, disused cinemas and abandoned local eyesores.

Through the new £125m Derelict Buildings Fund, government will support local authorities to transform these buildings into what their communities need, from health centres to civic spaces.

An additional £65m will be invested in helping communities right across England rescue and revamp beloved buildings and businesses at risk of closure, like pubs and sports clubs. This builds on existing schemes like the Pride in Place programme, which has helped locals take over the youth centre in Ramsgate and redevelop the former Brunswick Shopping Centre in Scarborough.

And a further £20 million will be split equally between High Street Rental Auctions, letting out properties vacant for 12 months or more, and a new Co-operative Development Programme so local people share in their high street’s success.

This drives forward the Prime Minister’s mission to shift power back to communities, from letting mayors keep a share of income tax to reinvest in local priorities, to supporting the establishment of strategic authorities in every part of England.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham said: “People don’t measure growth by looking at a spreadsheet. They measure it by looking at their local high street. Are shops opening or are the shutters down? Does the place feel like it’s moving forward or being left behind?

£The truth is that too many high streets have been left to hollow out, leaving town centres a shell of what they once were. That must change, and today’s funding will help put power back into the hands of locals who know their area best.

“That’s how we restore pride and bring hope back. Not by telling people things are getting better, but by giving them the power to see and feel the difference where they live.”

Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government Angela Rayner, said: Nobody knows a high street better than the community that it belongs to. That’s why this money puts power directly into their hands.

“We’ll see boarded-up buildings that have been left to rack and ruin turned into places people are proud to visit again, the pubs and clubs that mean so much to them thriving once more, and local businesses growing and creating jobs that put money back into their own community.

“That’s what this government is about. Backing the people who know their communities best, and giving them the tools to shape their own future and breathe new life into their high streets.”

First Secretary of State, Louise Haigh said: “For too long, places in every part of the country have been overlooked by Westminster. High streets neglected, town centres left in decline and local assets left to decay.

“This investment will help to regenerate and breathe new life into our communities – giving local people the resources and powers they need to make a real change.

“This is what devolution means in practice – empowering local leaders to fix things that are broken and protect the things that matter most to people.

“This is what a rewired state looks like: a Government focused on delivering for the people of the country and empowering communities in the hands of the people who live in them.”

The £10 million regional Co-operative Development Programme will help mayors and strategic authorities set up more co-operative businesses, owned and run by the staff, customers and communities who use them, so local people share directly in their high street’s success.

Work forms part of a broader programme coordinated through the Place Regeneration taskforce, spearheaded by the First Secretary of State along with departments, ministers and local government to deliver a roadmap to rebuild Britain. This work will regenerate communities, breathe new life into our high streets and deliver maximum benefit to the people who live there.

Later this year, the government will go further still, publishing a full high streets strategy to transform town centres across England and bring lasting pride back to Britain’s communities.

The £210m package confirmed today is from MHCLG funding already earmarked for high street support and regeneration.

Shanghai Showdown for young Scots

Skills ‘Shoot-Out’ in Shanghai

Two inspirational young professionals from Scotland began the most momentous weeks of their lives when they walked out on the global stage this week in Shanghai.

Stuart Lyons and Charlie Priestley, who face the toughest tests imaginable have been preparing for years to take on the world at the ‘Skills Olympics’.

The are part of a Team UK, selected, trained and honed by WorldSkills UK, young apprentices and professionals taking on 1,400 of their peers to decide gold, silver and bronze medal positions.

Charlie Priestley, aged 21, from Aberdeen, an IT Network Systems Analyst and Mechanical Engineer, Stuart Lyons, also aged 22 from Lanarkshire, have been cheered on by UK Minister for Skills Jacqui Smith, who flew to China to support the team and meet with Chinese officials.

This momentous week in the global spotlight is the culmination of months and years of regional rounds, national finals and exacting team selection processes to ensure that the very cream of the crop rose to the top.

The 28 strong team, are exponents of a wonderfully wide range of different skills disciplines, from Painting & Decorating and plumbing to robotics and renewable energy – essential in the bid to drive efficiency and growth.

Pearson, the lifelong learning company, is the official partner of Team UK for WorldSkills Shanghai 2026.

An Olympic style Opening Ceremony took place on Tuesday night, with honoured guest Premier Li, with the competition reaching a climax on Sunday September 27^th, which will be streamed live on YouTube.

More than 600,000 spectators are expected to attend the 4-day event among them dozens of government representatives from around the World.

Scots in poorest areas 28 PER CENT more likely to develop cancer

New report highlights health impact of deprivation

SCOTS living in the country’s most deprived areas are 28 per cent more likely to develop cancer than their counterparts in the least deprived postcodes, according to new analysis published today by Cancer Research UK.

Today’s figures reveal there are around 4,100 cancer cases associated with deprivation in Scotland each year – that’s around 1 in 8 of all cases.

Socioeconomic deprivation exists across Scotland, with substantial variation even within towns and cities. If all areas of Scotland experienced the same cancer rates as the most affluent areas, researchers estimated that around 80 cancer cases per week could be avoided. The charity is calling on the Scottish Government to urgently close the cancer inequality gap.* 

The complex mix of factors driving the deprivation gap includes:  

Greater exposure to cancer risk factors, including smoking and obesity, meaning people in more deprived areas are more likely to develop cancer 
Lower uptake of HPV vaccination and lower participation in bowel and cervical screening programmes, reducing the opportunity to prevent cancer
Clear evidence that people from deprived areas face barriers to accessing timely care, which contributes to inequalities across the cancer pathway.

The charity is urging the Scottish Government to do more to close the cancer deprivation gap through bold action on prevention, including policies to tackle smoking and obesity. 

To deliver long-term improvements in cancer diagnosis and care in every postcode, targeted campaigns would help break down barriers to seeking help, and providing support for people to participate in cancer screening programmes would be crucial in reducing the inequalities revealed in today’s analysis. 

Cancer Research UK’s chief executive, Michelle Mitchell, said:  “These figures are not only unacceptable but avoidable. Everyone in Scotland deserves to live in an environment that gives them the best chance of a long and healthy life, free from cancer, yet stark health inequalities persist. 

“To help end the cancer postcode lottery, the Scottish Government must step up prevention efforts and ensure everyone can access high-quality cancer care wherever they live.” 

Beyond the physical and mental toll of a cancer diagnosis, people also face financial pressures, including loss of income and increased travel costs for treatment. With higher cancer rates occurring in the most deprived areas, these costs are more likely to impact people already struggling financially. 

Today’s report also revealed that the largest inequalities are in rates of smoking-related cancers, with lung cancer contributing around 2,500 cases linked to deprivation in the Scotland each year. 

Despite progress in tackling the harms of tobacco, the latest Health Survey for Scotland shows smoking prevalence is much higher among adults living in the most deprived areas in Scotland (23 per cent) than among those living in the least deprived areas (seven per cent).

The charity is calling for the Tobacco and Vapes Act to be implemented swiftly in Scotland alongside increased funding to ensure everyone can access local, free stop smoking support as well as accelerating progress to implement a national targeted lung cancer screening programme.

Picture by Lesley Martin
Dr Sorcha Hume, Cancer Research UK public affairs manager in Scotland.

Cancer Research UK’s public affairs manager for Scotland, Dr Sorcha Hume, said: “It is unacceptable that cancer rates remain significantly higher in Scotland’s most deprived areas.

“While the causes are complex, early diagnosis is key to closing the survival gap. We must improve symptom awareness, remove barriers to seeking help, and support informed screening uptake in these communities. Long-term, funded national awareness campaigns targeted at those most affected are also essential.

“One of the report’s most stark findings is that lung cancer contributes more than 6 in 10 deprivation-associated cancer cases in Scotland. Smoking remains the leading cause, and lung cancer is often diagnosed too late for effective treatment.

“To address this, we must see the timely implementation of the Tobacco and Vapes Act, properly funded stop smoking services, and the introduction of a national lung cancer screening programme in Scotland.”

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