NHS 24 is here for you if you need help over the #bankholidayweekend. 
There’s lots of helpful links in our comments to help you get the right care in the right place. including:
When to call 111
symptom checkers – online health advice on common illnesses
Mental health support
Scotland’s Service Directory – Details of health and wellbeing services in Scotland.
Pharmacy First Scotland and accessing medicines
Spring health tips
Workplace expert Acas has offered some recommendations to help employers manage workplace challenges due to hot weather.
Acas Chief Executive Niall Mackenzie said: ““The warmer weather will be welcomed by many, but for some staff getting into work, or those working in warmer environments, it can be uncomfortable.
“Some workers with certain health conditions or disabilities may be adversely affected by the heat. The hotter weather can also impact public transport, which can hinder workers travelling to work.
“Acas has some top tips for employers to help ensure their businesses remain productive during the heatwave while keeping staff happy too.”
By law, employers have a ‘duty of care’ to make sure working temperatures are reasonable for their staff. This includes at the workplace and working from home.
Acas’s recommendations for hot weather working include:
Workplace temperatures should be reasonable
There is no legal maximum working temperature. The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) advice is that the temperature in all workplaces inside buildings must be reasonable.
The HSE offers advice on how to carry out a thermal comfort risk assessment if staff are unhappy with the temperature: http://www.hse.gov.uk/temperature/index.htm
Keeping cool at work
Switch on any fans or air conditioners to keep workplaces comfortable and use blinds or curtains to block out sunlight. Staff working outside should wear appropriate clothes and use sunscreen to protect from sunburn.
Stay hydrated
Employers must provide staff with suitable drinking water in the workplace. Workers should drink plenty of water throughout the day to prevent dehydration and not wait until they are thirsty. Employers could allow extra breaks for staff to get cold drinks.
Dress code
Employers are not under any obligation to relax their uniform or dress code requirements during hot weather but where possible it may be advisable to for employers to relax the rules for wearing ties or suits.
Getting into work
If public transport gets adversely affected by the hot weather, this could affect staff attendance and their ability to get into work on time.
Staff should check timetables in advance, and employers should be flexible. https://www.acas.org.uk/disruption-getting-to-work
Vulnerable workers
Workers with health conditions or disabilities may be affected more by hot weather.
Employers should assess for any risks and discuss what they need to reduce or remove that risk. This might include providing fans, portable air-cooling units or more frequent or longer breaks.
Employers must make reasonable adjustments for workers with disabilities. https://www.acas.org.uk/reasonable-adjustments
For further advice, please see:
https://www.acas.org.uk/extreme-temperatures-in-the-workplace
An Inverness pupil has seen her award-winning design come to life after officially unveiling the finished garden at Scotmid’s Head Office in Newbridge, Edinburgh.
Eleven-year-old Shona Smith captured judges’ attention with her imaginative bee-friendly design in Scotmid’s nationwide competition celebrating teamwork, community and nature as part of the International Year of Co-operatives 2025.
Now, months later, she travelled from the Highlands to Edinburgh with her family to see the completed garden for the very first time.
Working closely from Shona’s original sketch, Scotmid colleagues carefully recreated her vision, keeping the final layout and planting as true to her design as possible.
The project brought together community groups and local suppliers from across Scotland. Herb planters were handcrafted by the Forth Bridges Men’s Shed to create an edible garden, while picnic benches were upcycled by members of Shettleston Growing Project in Glasgow. Logs used in the garden came from a recently felled sycamore tree in Angus.
As part of the original school project, pupils learned about suitable plants and trees for the environment before carefully selecting the varieties included within the design. All plants and trees used in the finished garden were sourced locally.
The finished garden features bee-friendly planting, edible herbs and shared seating areas designed to encourage people to stop, spend time together and enjoy nature.
Shona said: “It feels amazing to see my drawing turned into a real garden. When I designed it, I wanted it to be a happy place for people and somewhere that would help bees too.
“I still can’t quite believe it has actually been built, and that people are going to be able to enjoy it every day.”
Eddie Thorn, President at Scotmid, said: “Seeing Shona’s drawing transformed into a real garden has been incredibly special.
“Her idea perfectly captured community spirit and care for the environment, and we’re proud that her design now has a permanent home at Scotmid.
“This project brought together colleagues, community groups and local suppliers to create something that will be enjoyed for years to come.”
The garden will remain at Scotmid Head Office as a lasting symbol of creativity, community spirit, and co-operative values.
FRIDAY 20 JUNE 2 – 2.45pm
All are invited to our Time to Remember Summer event in Fidra (No.17 Boswall Road) on Friday 19 June, at 2pm. This is an opportunity to gather together to remember loved ones who have died.
It’s an inclusive event, appropriate for all ages, and for people of all faiths and none. If you have children, feel free to bring them too. The event will include: quiet music, readings and reflections, the chance to think about the people we love and to write their name(s), and a gift to take home.
The Iona cafe will be open afterwards offering free hot drinks for anyone who wishes to stay and chat.
To register please complete the form on our website https://bit.ly/4awO4hh.
Please note a separate booking must be made for each person wishing to attend, including children.
This Foster Care Fortnight (11–24 May 2026), the Council is celebrating a significant restructuring of its foster care pay system which has meant an uplift in fees for foster carers in the city.
Over the last year, considerable work to review the structure and fees paid to foster carers has been carried out. This included significant engagement with current foster carers to listen and take on board their views. The new fostering fee structure and payment levels were agreed in the Council’s annual budget setting process for 2026/27.
Changes include moving to a single fee model and a move away from payment based on the age of the child. The carers fees for younger age groups has been uplifted in line with older age groups with a new single fee model rising to £307.50 per week. For those caring for under 12s this is an increase of around 60%.
Specialist fostering fees, including for those who care for a child with a disability, will rise to £490.06 per week and continuing care fees will increase to £307.50 per week.
Councillor James Dalgleish, Education, Children and Families Convener said: It is important that those who choose to foster children in Edinburgh are properly supported in the vital work they do. I am pleased that we have agreed to put in place a new structure and to increase pay for foster carers – recognising the valuable role they play in our city.
“It is understandable that potential carers may hesitate because they worry about the financial impact on their household. We want fostering with Edinburgh to be financially sustainable, particularly in the current economic climate when we know that many households are facing cost of living pressures.
“I hope that this added financial support will help to encourage anyone who was considering becoming a foster carer to take the leap.”
In addition to the professional fee, foster carers receive an age-related payment, the Scottish Recommended Allowance (SRA), towards the cost of caring for a child. An increase of 3.8% this year aligns with Scotland’s Promise, a national commitment to support foster carers and the children and young people living with them, to enable them to thrive.
It is also part of a broader effort to reduce the financial pressure on families looking after vulnerable children.
Foster with Edinburgh carers can receive from £485.20 to £696.78 a week to foster a child under 16 depending on the placement type and needs and age of the child. Annually, that’s between £25,230.40 and £36,232.56 to foster one child.
Find more about fostering and fostering finances online, or by attending one of the regular Foster with Edinburgh virtual or face-to-face drop-in sessions
The swifts are back! They spend the winter flying (without ever landing!) and go all the way to North Africa and back.
During the summer, they’re back, and it’s our neighbourhood where they choose to bring up a family. These amazing birds can eat 100,000 insects per day (including midgies) and can fly at 69mph!
We’re having a wee party to celebrate their return. See poster for details.
Lots of us have been learning more about the different species we share Granton with, and the things we can do to be good neighbours to them. Come join us!
POLICE are appealing after a woman was struck by a tram on Leith Walk at 8.50am tthis morning (Sunday 24 May), near the Scotmid store between Albert Street and Pilrig Street.
Road policing officers are appealing for information.
Emergency services attended and the 19-year-old woman was taken to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh with serious injuries.
No one else was injured.
The road remains closed while crash investigation work is carried out.
Sergeant Michael Thomson said: “Our enquires are ongoing to establish the full circumstances and we are asking anyone who can help who has not already spoken to officers to get in touch.
“If you can assist please calls us on 101, quoting incident number 1043 of Sunday, 24 May, 2026.”
More information: https://orlo.uk/QF0nz
The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) should launch a full market investigation into the live music industry before the end of 2026, says the Commons Business and Trade Committee in new report.
The Committee concludes that for Live Nation, and possibly wider in the live music market, there are concerns against all three of the CMA factors for determining market dominance.
After a public outcry in 2024 over the way Oasis reunion concert tickets had been marketed, a CMA investigation found that Ticketmaster had misled consumers and used unclear ticketing practices.
Ticketmaster initially refused to subject themselves to public scrutiny by the Committee but ultimately appeared in Parliament in February 2025, returning with their parent company Live Nation in June 2025.
The Committee was left with serious concerns about the state of competition in the live music industry in the UK.
Live Nation Executive President Phil Bowdery explained away the company’s large market share in arenas and stadia, saying “we are very good at what we do. Therefore, there is interest from the major artists to be with Live Nation.” But evidence submitted to this inquiry suggests an alternative explanation for Live Nation’s dominant position.
A call for written evidence elicited 45 submissions, with a significant proportion requesting to submit anonymously or confidentially for fear of reprisal: in itself this triggered alarm about whether Live Nation has a dominant and controlling market position, and the climate of fear this may have created in the industry.Concerns
Concerns raised in evidence include:
Rt Hon Liam Byrne MP, Chair of the Committee, said: “Britain’s live music scene is one of our great national success stories, from grassroots venues nurturing new talent to world-class arena and stadium tours that attract global audiences.
“But the evidence we received during this inquiry points to deep concerns about whether competition in the industry is now working fairly for fans, artists, venues and independent promoters.
“What particularly alarmed the Committee was not just the scale of Live Nation’s market position across promotion, venues and ticketing, but the climate of fear we encountered during this inquiry.
“A striking number of submissions requested anonymity because people were worried about the consequences of speaking openly. That alone raises profound questions about the health of competition in the market.
“The CMA should now launch a full market investigation, before the end of this year, so there can be proper scrutiny of whether consumers, artists and independent businesses are getting a fair deal.”
Excitement is building as Lumo prepares to launch its much-anticipated new West Coast rail service on Monday 25 May – and lucky guests have already been given the chance to give it a try.
Community partners, Lumo apprentices and other special guests from along the route all came together to experience the breathtaking views on the route and a first taste of Lumo’s renowned customer service onboard the refreshed trains connecting Stirling with London Euston.
The iconic sound of Scottish bagpipes rung out across Stirling as guests set off on one of Lumo’s six-coach eye-catching blue trains, which have received widespread critical acclaim, with refreshed interiors and a single-class service designed to offer the best value fares; replicating the success of Lumo on the East Coast Main Line.
There are just days to go until customers will be able to get big savings on the popular route. Tickets start from just £29.90 between London Euston and Stirling. Travelling from London to Preston starts from just £23.90 and Preston to Stirling from an impressive £14.90. The service will also call at Milton Keynes, Nuneaton, Crewe, Carlisle, Lockerbie, Motherwell, Whifflet, Greenfaulds and Larbert.
As part of the launch celebrations, Lumo has partnered with Pride Radio, an inclusive station broadcasting across the UK. The radio station’s Breakfast Show was broadcast live from a special ‘Rail Roadshow’ at Stirling Station, giving listeners the chance to win a range of exciting prizes and find out more about the new service. The bus will also be at Carlisle Market on 22 and 23 May.
Residents of Stirling, meanwhile, were treated to a stunning display as iconic local landmarks including the National Wallace Monument were illuminated in Lumo’s distinctive blue on the evening before the special preview train departed for London. The Jamsalana Steel Band treated guests to a vibrant performance as the train arrived in London Euston.
Stuart Jones, Managing Director at First Rail Open Access, said: “We’re just days away from officially launching our new West Coast service and we couldn’t have reached this point without a great deal of hard work and planning from our dedicated team and network of brilliant partners across the industry.
“I’d like to thank everyone who joined us for our special preview train which offered a glimpse of what’s to come. We’re passionate about the benefits that Lumo can offer the West Coast, with a service that is important for both customers and communities along the route.”
Lumo’s West Coast service is creating around 100 jobs, with a new rail base which opened in Preston in March. New roles include customer drivers, instructors and customer experience ambassadors. A recruitment drive has been underway with a particular focus on encouraging people to join the industry from a variety of backgrounds and previous careers.
Graeme Cook, Rail Director, Transport Scotland said: “Lumo’s new Stirling to London route is a very welcome addition to cross-border services which will provide wider economic and connectivity benefits to Scotland.
“The new services will not only boost tourism and hospitality for Stirling and the Forth Valley, but also increase connectivity by now providing customers from Whifflet, Greenfaulds and Larbert with direct access to rail connections on the West Coast Main Line and London.”
Colin Howden, Director of National Sustainable Transport Alliance – Transform Scotland, said: “We’re delighted to see this new service connecting Stirling with London. It delivers a lower carbon option than flying or driving at an affordable price.
“We’re confident that the new service will provide a catalyst for Stirling’s sustainable tourism ambitions. It provides a direct connection for visitors from London as well as for international inbound visitors arriving in London.”
Stirling Council Leader, Cllr Susan McGill said: “We are delighted to mark the launch of Lumo’s new rail service between Stirling and London by lighting up some of our world-class visitor attractions and venues in blue.
“The additional four daily journeys between Stirling and London will enable more people to travel here to visit these landmarks and enjoy everything else we have to offer in the city and the wider region.
“They will also enhance Stirling’s already superb rail and transport connections across the UK, driving economic growth and job creation, as well as providing more sustainable travel options for residents and visitors.
“The sight of the first blue Lumo train in Stirling is an exciting moment, and we will continue to work closely with Lumo to ensure the new service is a success and delivers lasting benefits for everyone across the region.”
The operator has already successfully served the East Coast Main Line for a number of years, linking Glasgow, Falkirk and Edinburgh with the North East of England and London.
Lumo has already established several community partnerships on the West Coast including the popular ‘Bloody Scotland’ crime writing festival and Stirling Pride with more to follow in the coming months.
Lumo has been successfully shortlisted in the Proud Scotland awards taking place on 30th May in Glasgow in the Best Small Employer category.
MycoKids with Vii 
Friday 29 May, 2-3 pm at Granton Castle Walled Garden
Join Vii from MycoBee Mushrooms CIC for a fun and hands-on introduction to the fascinating world of fungi. This family-friendly session is designed for children and parents to explore nature together through engaging, outdoor activities.
At MycoKids, you’ll discover the hidden world of fungi and learn why they are so important for our ecosystems; all in a playful and accessible way.
Book your space: https://www.mycobee.org/…/mycokids-fungi-fun-for-kids…
PLEASE NOTE: All children must be accompanied by an adult guardian.
