GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ (GWR), the global authority on record-breaking achievement can confirm that Pitbull and BST Hyde Park have officially achieved a new Guinness World Records title for the largest gathering of people wearing bald caps with a total of 22,141 people.
The record was achieved on Friday 10th July at American Express presents BST Hyde Park before Pitbull’s headline set.
Guinness World Records Adjudicator, Will Munford said:“The scenes down at BST Hyde Park were absolutely incredible.
“The excitement was palpable and the fact that so many people donned bald caps in the heatwave to break this record alongside Pitbull and BST Hyde Park is a huge testament to the power of music and the communities that fanbases can become.
“Mass participation events like this one are a brilliant way for people to get involved in record breaking, and being part of a massive cultural moment like this is always going to be special and it was a pleasure to be able to declare them all Officially Amazing!”
THE SPARTANS are delighted to announce that City Cabs, Edinburgh’s longest-serving taxi association, have extended their partnership as Principal Home and Away Shirt Sponsor taking them to the end of the 2027/28 season, with their branding taking pride of place on our new first-team jersey – launched on Friday 10th July.
As City Cabs celebrates an incredible 101 years of serving Edinburgh, the partnership brings together two organisations with deep roots in the local community. City Cabs continues to deliver exceptional service, supported by industry-leading technology and a fleet of more than 450 vehicles, offering a comprehensive range of transport solutions to meet every customer’s needs.
Chairman of City Cabs, Gary McFarlane said, “City Cabs are proud and delighted to continue our sponsorship of Spartans FC for a second consecutive year.
“As a community-focused organisation we value the club’s ambition, dedication and strong local support, and it’s fantastic for us to be part of that journey once again.
“We wish the team every success for the upcoming season and look forward to another exciting year ahead both on and off the pitch.”
Graham Carbis, Head of Commercial at The Spartans FC, added “The Spartans are absolutely delighted that City Cabs has renewed its commitment as our Principal Home and Away Shirt Sponsor for the upcoming season.
“They have been valued supporters of the club for many years, with their perimeter advertising a familiar sight around the Vanloq Community Stadium, and it’s fantastic to see our partnership continue to grow.
“It’s particularly pleasing to strengthen our relationship with such a respected Edinburgh business now in their second century of servicing the capital city.
“We’re incredibly grateful for their continued support and look forward to working closely together as we build on what has already been a successful partnership, both on and off the pitch.”
Police Scotland Edinburgh:Your local Community team will be working in partnership with BikeRegister and will be at Inverleith Park TODAY 12/07/2026 between 1400-1700 hours.
We are here to support the community by holding a free bike marking session.
Come along to get your bike marked, sign up to BikeRegister and speak to local officers about bike security & theft prevention (and any other Policing matters you’d like to discuss).
Everyone is welcome and it would be great to see you there.
Whether it’s a walk to the shops or taking the stairs, regular physical activity adds up to real health benefits
The UK Chief Medical Officers have refreshed their Physical Activity Guidelines for adults to reflect new evidence on how moving more improves your health:
The benefits of physical activity at all stages of life for health
Professor Chris Whitty writes for The i paper on the update to the UK CMOs’ physical activity guidelines
Almost everybody reading this will be aware in broad terms that physical activity is good for health. To exercise more is one of the most popular New Year’s resolutions in the UK according to surveys.
Quite how good it is for physical and mental health has however become steadily clearer from multiple studies over the last few years, and the evidence base in both men and women is now very robust. Among the diseases physical activity makes less common, delays or prevents are coronary heart disease, stroke, dementia, diabetes, breast cancer and bowel cancer, arthritis and depression.
The UK Chief Medical Officers (CMOs) have just updated their main physical activity guidelines to reflect the new data.
We have made clearer that for those who do almost no physical activity even small amounts will significantly improve their overall physical and mental health, and this increases rapidly with every increment of activity up to 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week, with the benefits increasing more slowly after that.
Do not therefore be put off if you think you cannot make 150 minutes – make a start and see how you go. Every extra bit will benefit you.
In addition to this general improvement in health, it is important to do things which maintain strength and balance. As we age we all lose muscle mass – keeping strength and balance into older age can be the difference between an active and independent later life and earlier frailty and dependency.
Since the last time CMOs reviewed the guidelines many people have started GLP-1 agonist drugs for diabetes and weight loss and it is important those taking the drugs concentrate on strength as weight decreases to protect muscle.
Physical activity is far more likely to be sustained if it is either useful, enjoyable or both and ideally built into a routine. Active transport including walking, cycling and wheeling; all sports; gyms and running; and dancing are examples of the wide range of activity that help.
Whether it is in groups, with friends or alone, if it works for you it is a good thing to do – and mid-July is often a lot easier to start than the beginning of January.
A consultation is now open inviting Edinburgh residents to share their views on Community Payback Orders and the unpaid work carried out in their area.
Last year alone, just under 50,000 hours of unpaid work was completed in Edinburgh – equivalent to over 6,000 working days. Projects supported over the last year include:
Gyle Park Pavilion – Improvement work to the appearance of Gyle Park Pavilion and the car park. This included repainting exterior doors and step bannisters to cover up unpleasant graffiti and work in the car park to clear vegetation in the car park drainage channels.
The Ferry Road project – The unpaid work team helped clear areas in the community blighted by rubbish and fly tipping. The work had a big impact on the local environment making a previously heavily littered area useable and accessible.
Leith Theatre – The unpaid work women’s group cleared the outdoor space at Leith Theatre. This included weeding, gardening and pruning trees to make the area safe and accessible.
Edinburgh residents are encouraged to share their views on the unpaid work part of a CPO, which replaced community service in 2011. We want to know:
Do you have any experience of people doing unpaid work in your community?
Do you think unpaid work gives people the opportunity to repay the community for the crimes they have committed?
Do you have any ideas about residents, community projects or organisations who could benefit from unpaid work support?
CPOs are given by the Court to enable people to make amends for their crimes as an alternative to a prison sentence, with communities putting forward ideas to their local authority for the unpaid work carried out where they live.
Council Leader and Chair of the Edinburgh Partnership Jane Meagher, said: “Community Payback Orders (CPOs) offer an alternative and more positive way for people to repay locally for crimes committed.
“We know that CPOs are mutually beneficial to both the individual and the wider community. For those completing a CPO, they have the chance to learn new skills, work as part of a team, and make a positive contribution to society.
“This year alone, with just under 50,000 hours of unpaid work carried out, we’ve seen a real difference to communities with previously unused or neglected areas transformed and, in some cases, put back into use.
“I encourage all Edinburgh residents to take the opportunity to have their say on the future of unpaid work and how it could benefit their local community in the future.”
One of Scotland’s largest walking football clubs has marked a decade of success playing at a leading sports facility, where it has helped to improve the health and wellbeing of hundreds over the years.
Oriam Walking Football (OWF) has been playing at Heriot-Watt University’s Oriam, where for the last ten years it has welcomed men and women of all abilities to play.
Recently, over 60 of its members gathered to mark this success at its annual summer gathering at Oriam, with players taking part in a round robin and raising £330 on the day for the club’s 2026 charity partner, Care & Repair Edinburgh.
The celebrations also had a wider community impact: in the week leading up to the event, OWF held a food drive, and presented local charity Community for Food with a cheque for £500.
The club has fast become a vital pillar of the local community, helping older men and women build friendships and improve physical and mental wellbeing in a supportive and accessible environment.
Paul Rendall, club Chair, said: “Our club motto is ‘more than a football club’ and it sums up everything we’ve been building here at Oriam.
“We started as a small pilot in 2015 on the outdoor pitches at Balerno High School, where we wanted to bring walking football to this corner of Edinburgh.
“When Oriam opened its doors in 2016, we jumped at the chance to move indoors, and we’ve just continued to grow every single year since.
“We now have over 135 registered players, the oldest of whom is 84. Walking football here is open to women aged 40 and over and men aged 50 and over – some haven’t kicked a ball in years, others have played all their lives. In 2025 alone, over 4,000 player places were taken up, and in the year to date we’ve already seen a 45% uplift on those numbers
“But what’s been most incredible to witness over the past decade is the friendships that have formed and the camaraderie that’s developed, along with the walking groups, social clubs and other activities that have grown up alongside the football.
“Oriam has been a gamechanger for us. Having world-class indoor facilities means we can play whatever the weather, and for a group of players in their 40s, 50s, 60s and beyond, that accessibility makes all the difference. It’s been remarkable to see the impact it has had on people’s lives.”
Over the past decade, the club has grown into a thriving community, with regular sessions and competitive fixtures taking place at Oriam’s world class indoor facilities, as well as providing a growing range of social activities.
Walking football is one of the UK’s fastest growing sports and is a slower-paced version of the game, where players must keep one foot on the ground at all times.
The ball must be kept below crossbar height, with no heading, no tackling from behind and a three-touch limit per player, rules designed to keep the game safe, fair and enjoyable for all.
OWF currently runs four open social sessions each week at Oriam and fields seven competitive teams across a range of age groups, including over-50s, over-60s, over-65s, over-70s and an over-40s ladies squad, who are currently unbeaten in their first ever league campaign.
Chris Sellar, Director of Delivery at Oriam, said: “When we first supported this pilot back in 2015, we could see the potential for walking football to make a real difference in the local community. What OWF has built over the past decade has surpassed all expectations.
“This is exactly what Oriam is about. Yes, we are home to some of Scotland’s elite athletes, but we are just as committed to ensuring our facilities are open and accessible to people of all ages and abilities.
“OWF embodies that perfectly, proving that sport has no age limit and that staying active, whatever form that takes, can genuinely transform lives.”
Beyond the football, OWF has built a thriving social hub, with a walking group, grub club, golf club, pool club, badminton, all growing organically from the club, ensuring members stay connected year-round regardless of whether they can play.
Charitable giving has also become central to the club’s ethos. Last year, OWF chose Alzheimer Scotland as its charity partner for its tenth anniversary year, raising over £6,200 for the organisation.
It is a milestone that reflects the broader spirit of Oriam itself, which is also celebrating a decade of success since opening in 2016.
Born out of a £33 million national investment, Scotland’s Sports Performance Centre is home to world-class facilities and counts the SFA, Scottish Rugby, and Heart of Midlothian as just some of the large elite organisations that uses its facilities.
Tracy Gilbert MP has called on Rockstar Games, creator of Grand Theft Auto, to recognise the Rockstar Game Workers Union, urging the company to give workers an independent voice in their workplace.
In a letter to Rockstar Games, Tracy highlighted the importance of trade unions in protecting workers’ rights and called on the company to show leadership by voluntarily recognising the union.
Rockstar Games is one of the world’s leading video game developers, and Gilbert said that as an industry leader, the company has an opportunity to set an example for workers’ rights across the games sector.
Only one other UK games studio currently recognises a trade union, and Gilbert has urged Rockstar to take steps to progress discussions with workers and their representatives.
If Rockstar does not voluntarily recognise the union, Tracy has pledged her support for the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain’s (IWGB) application for statutory recognition through the Central Arbitration Committee.
Tracy Gilbert MP said: “I strongly support the work of trade unions and believe that every worker should have an independent voice in their workplace. Rockstar Games has an opportunity to show leadership and recognise the union representing its workers.
“I look forward to hearing what steps Rockstar is taking to move discussions forward.”
An expanded monitoring programme carried out by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) has detected PFAS in surface water and groundwater samples collected from sites across Scotland.
The programme found PFAS at just under 90% of surface water sites monitored and around 60% of groundwater sites monitored. Higher concentrations were generally associated with locations where sources are already known or expected, including activities linked to higher PFAS use or emissions, such as airports and landfills.
No samples exceeded relevant environmental or groundwater standards in this initial dataset.
PFAS, sometimes referred to as “forever chemicals”, have been used globally for decades in industrial processes and consumer products. Because they break down very slowly, they can remain in the environment for long periods and are now recognised internationally as a complex environmental challenge.
SEPA have monitored PFAS in Scotland’s water environment since 2009, but in 2025 the organisation significantly expanded monitoring to include more sites across Scotland and a broader range of PFAS compounds.
The pilot programme covered 97 surface water sites and 37 groundwater sites and was designed to provide a clearer picture of where PFAS are present in Scotland’s water environment. The findings will help identify where future monitoring, investigation and regulatory effort should be focused.
The results provide an early indication of PFAS distribution across Scotland and contribute to a growing UK-wide evidence base supporting the development of future standards, guidance and approaches to managing PFAS.
Professor Paul Dale, SEPA Chief Regulator, said: “PFAS are being detected more widely around the world and, given how extensively they have been used for decades, their presence in Scotland’s water environment is not unexpected.
“It is understandable that people have questions about PFAS and what these findings mean. This expanded monitoring programme gives us a clearer understanding of where PFAS are present across Scotland and helps identify where further investigation and future regulatory effort may be needed.
“Environmental monitoring helps us understand where substances are present in the environment, but monitoring data alone does not determine human health risk and should not be interpreted as evidence of direct impacts on human health.
“PFAS are a complex environmental challenge that will require long-term action across governments, regulators and industry. By continuing to strengthen the evidence base, we can ensure future decisions are informed by the best available science and targeted where they will have the greatest environmental benefit.”
SEPA will continue to expand monitoring and work with regulators, governments, industry and researchers across the UK to improve understanding of PFAS and support the development of future approaches to managing these substances.
Monitoring will continue as part of a multi-year programme, with additional sampling planned in 2026 to further improve understanding of PFAS distribution across Scotland’s water environment.
We all love sharing holiday photos, but posting in real-time could alert criminals that your home is empty. It also puts you at greater risk of identity theft if your personal details or travel plans are shared publicly.
Top tip: Save the snaps for after your trip and keep location tags off your posts.
