Category: Leith

Leith sheltered housing tenants to walk 3,070 miles ahead of Scotland’s first match at the FIFA World Cup

A group of sheltered housing tenants living in Leith have set off on a 3,070-mile walking challenge from Easter Road Stadium.

The ‘Leith Legends’, comprising two teams, are walking the distance from Edinburgh to Boston in 140 days to virtually arrive at the Gillette Stadium ahead of Scotland’s first game against Haiti.

The ‘March to the Match’ will be the longest journey attempted by tenants who have previously walked the distance from John o’Groat’s to Land’s End (1,280 miles) and from Alloway to Dumfries in the footsteps of Robert Burns (60 miles).

The challenge officially kicked-off with a walk around Easter Road Stadium, with the two walking squads adorned with Scotland flags and team t-shirts. They will finish their challenge on Sunday 14 June to coincide with Scotland arriving at the FIFA World Cup for the first time since 1998.

Maureen Combe, Sheltered Housing Manager at Harbour Homes said: “This is an exciting year to be a Scotland supporter. With this challenge, both football fans and non-football fans alike can get involved in all the thrills and the atmosphere that a World Cup brings.

“It is known that increased movement and group exercise are among the best things we can do to look after our health as we age, and those taking part are motivated by the benefits walking brings to them. This year’s teams are up for the challenge, and we’ll be cheering them on every step of the way!”

Kathleen Devine who is participating in the challenge said: “I joined Leith Legends and March to the Match to improve my walking and get my steps up.

“I really enjoyed our first team walk at Easter Road Stadium. It was lovely to participate, and being part of a team walking together felt really good. It was great to meet tenants from the other developments.

“I’m really looking forward to lots more walking and counting our steps together until we reach Boston!”

The two teams taking part are ‘We’re Still-Game’ and the ‘Pro-Aimers’. They will be aiming to walk a collective 22 miles per day for 140 days.

Harbour Homes is the largest social landlord in Leith, currently providing over 3,000 high quality homes at affordable prices in places people want to live.

Harbour consists of Harbour Homes and three subsidiary companies: Harbour Lettings, Harbour Connections and Harbour Multi-Trades.

To find out more please visit: www.harbour.scot/homes

Hibernian Community Foundation: Burns Supper Tea Dance

On Thursday Hibernian Community Foundation, in partnership with Pilmeny Development Project and Edinburgh Community Sports Hub, held our annual Burns Supper Tea Dance at the Hibs Supporters Club in Sunnyside!

The Dance was attended by over 90 elderly people in our community: coming together to enjoy warm company, a traditional Burns’ supper, hours of dancing, and the official Hibs Bagpiper @Lou_piper (above).

The Burns Supper Tea Dance is one of four events we hold a year to bring together elderly people from our community as part of our work in the Leith Older People’s Project.

Slàinte mhath!

Edinburgh College students serve up a Royal feast

A group of Edinburgh College students had the right Royal honour of helping cater and host a ship-naming ceremony attended by The Princess Royal, Princess Anne, in the Port of Leith this week.

Princess Anne took part in the ceremony at Forth Ports Cruise Terminal, breaking a bottle of whisky against the ship’s hull and formally naming the vessel POLE STAR.

The students worked alongside professional caterers in a variety of roles, with some cooking up a storm in the kitchens, others taking on front of house duties to make sure all the VIP guests were as comfortable as possible, and some preparing delicious baked goods and cakes to be enjoyed by all.

The event was put on by East Coast Catering Ltd, which is ran by Edinburgh College graduate Kieran Wight, with our students providing vital support. Their hard work was recognised by The Princess Royal herself, who stopped for a chat and learned from the group all about the skills they are being taught on their course.

Adam Robertson, a Level 1 Hospitality student, set out from his home in the Borders at 5am to make sure he was in Edinburgh in time to do his part in the kitchen. He said it was all worth the effort: “When we found out there was an opportunity to cook for such a prestigious guest, I was desperate to do it.

“I think if you want to go out and work in a professional kitchen, it’s so important to have this sort of experience behind you. The College has given us so many amazing opportunities in the short time I’ve been here, and it’s really helped build up my confidence.”

Jodie Dixon is studying HNC Events and she said it was an honour to take part: “I don’t think you can turn down an opportunity like this, to get involved in a literal royal event.

“There’s so much you can learn just by being here, and it’s really nice knowing you’re part of a group that’s all supporting each other too. The lecturers have been great, and have provided us with a lot of support, but they’re also great at letting us go and do our jobs, it makes you feel like you’re trusted.”

Stephanie Tanner, the Head of School for Cookery, Hospitality, Events, Travel and Tourism, said the experience will prove invaluable for the students: “It’s a proud day for everyone at the College, seeing them putting all of their training to use in the real world, and doing so incredibly well.

“Getting the chance to take part in events like this gives them such an advantage when it comes to finding work after graduation. Employers will be able to look at their CVs, and say ‘Wow, they’ve catered an event for a member of the Royal Family!”

Aisha Elshani, a Professional Cookery lecturer, said the students represented the College well: “They’ve all worked so hard, leading up to the event and on the day itself, and it’s really nice to see how well they are all doing.

“They’re all getting on with their jobs, and just conducting themselves really professionally. I think they all have bright futures ahead in the industry”.

Utilita Energy Hub to host Leith Chooses voting due to lift closure at Newkirkgate

The Utilita Energy Hub in Leith will host part of this weekend’s Leith Chooses voting event after the lift at Newkirkgate Shopping Centre was confirmed to be out of order.

This year, the people of Leith will help decide how just over £44,000 of Edinburgh Council funding is allocated to community projects aimed at improving wellbeing across the area. Leith Chooses is a long‑running example of participatory budgeting, giving local residents a direct say in how public money is spent.

Voting Day – Saturday, 24 January 2026

Voting will take place at Leith Community Centre on Saturday, with a quiet voting hour from 11am, followed by general voting from 12pm to 3pm.

Due to the lift closure at Newkirkgate, volunteers in branded t‑shirts will be stationed throughout the area to support anyone requiring step‑free access.

Voters can either:

  • Access Leith Community Centre via the ramp in the Lidl car park, or
  • Cast their vote at the Utilita Energy Hub, located on the ground floor of Newkirkgate.

At the Utilita Energy Hub, visitors will find volunteers ready to assist, along with complimentary hot drinks, biscuits, and free energy‑saving advice.

Who can vote

Anyone aged 8 or over who lives, works, studies, or volunteers in Leith is eligible to vote. All votes will help determine which local projects receive funding to support community wellbeing.

Online voting also available

Those unable to attend in person can vote online from 27 January to 10 February at:  www.edinburgh.gov.uk/voteleithchooses.

Voters attending in person are also welcome to cast their vote online if they prefer.

Support on the day

Anyone needing additional assistance during the event can contact the team on 07718 569916.

The Utilita Leith Energy Hub, located at 41 Newkirkgate, Edinburgh, EH6 6AA, is open Monday to Saturday.

The Hub offers free community space that can be booked by emailing edinburgh@utilita.co.uk.

More information about Utilita Energy Hubs can be found at: 

https://utilita.co.uk/energy-hub.

Vue Edinburgh Omni welcomes luxurious new seats

Film fans in Edinburgh can enjoy the latest releases in the ultimate comfort with the arrival of Vue’s biggest and comfiest Ultra Lux seat at its venue located within the Omni Centre on Greenside Row.

The Ultra Lux is the best seat in the screen and is available for Edinburgh customers to experience now.

88 Ultra Lux seats have been installed across Vue Edinburgh Omni’s 12 screens. Each seat provides the very best view of the screen and comes with a host of premium features including an extra-wide armrest, beverage cooler and personal table for snacks and beverages, and back and leg rests which recline independently, allowing customers to find the most relaxing viewing position possible.

Robert Smith, General Manager at Vue Edinburgh Omni, said: “We have invested in bringing Vue’s best seating option to Edinburgh Omni and are excited for our customers to enhance their experience on their next visit. It is truly the best way to immerse yourself in a film and to have the most comfortable experience.”

The investment means that customers can now book Ultra Lux seating at both of Vue’s Edinburgh venues with its Ocean Terminal venue introducing the seating in November last year.

Tickets for Vue Edinburgh Omni can be booked online by visiting myvue.com. 

Happy 15th Anniversary, NEN blog!

NEN PUBLISHED OUR FIRST BLOG POST ON THIS DAY IN 2011

The very first NEN blog post was published on this day in 2011. The post read:

Hello, and welcome to the brand new NEN blog.

For those of you not already familiar with the newspaper, we are a local community paper serving the North Edinburgh community. We’ve been here for over thirty years.

This blog, along with our new Facebook page and Twitter stream, represents our first foray into the world of social media.  We really want to encourage more participation, more questions and ideas from the North Edinburgh community – both online and offline – and hope that these new tools will help us to do that.

We already have a good website, where you can always find the latest edition of the printed newspaper. The blog won’t be replacing that, but will instead be there to show people the latest news about the area, and also to help us cover the current funding crisis we are facing as an organisation.

Above all, we want to include your input on the blog – be it ideas for stories, comments, pictures and events. So get in touch!

The NEN’s website was sadly deleted when funding ceased but our social media presence continues on both Twitter and Facebook and the blog is still going strong with 10 – 12 posts daily.

2025 was the NEN blog’s busiest ever year with 36,000 visitors. As I write this we’ve published more than 38,000 posts – all of these remain accessible online – and we’re currently on a run of publishing on 2749 consecutive days.

When the NEN office in Crewe Road North closed much of the NEN archive material was lost, but thankfully some of our picture library was salvaged and can now be found at granton:hub (Madelvic House), where the volunteer archive team has also collated all remaining hard copies of the North Edinburgh News newspaper.

Hopefully, between the physical archive and the NEN blog, you can find all you need to know about our community’s rich history – and we’re adding to that history every day!

Community donations help create free boutique and vital support for homeless women in Leith

Hillcrest Futures’ Lauriston in Leith service has opened a free clothing boutique for women in supported accommodation, made possible by a strong response from the local community.

Staff at the service shared a request for donations on the I Love Leith Facebook group, asking if people could help set up a small clothing store for women moving into Lauriston in Leith with very few belongings. The response was overwhelming. More than 100 people replied and over 30 separate donations were received, including clothes in a wide range of sizes, accessories and clothing rails.

Unused cupboard space at the service has now been transformed into a well-stocked clothing store, which the women have named The Scorpio Boutique.

The boutique is based on a model that has already proven successful elsewhere in the city. Hillcrest Futures has long operated the Clothesline Project, a fashion boutique within its Bruntsfield House homeless accommodation service, which offers anyone in Edinburgh experiencing or at risk of homelessness access to free, good-quality clothing in a welcoming, retail-style environment.

Yvonne Donaldson, Service Manager at Lauriston in Leith, said: “We often see women arrive with very little after experiencing homelessness. We wanted to create something that was practical, but also positive and dignified.

“The response from the Leith community was incredible. People donated far more than we expected, and it has made a real difference to the women who live here.”

The Scorpio Boutique allows women to browse freely and choose items when they need them, with no limits on visits. Staff say the space has become both a useful resource and an enjoyable activity.

Yvonne added: “It is lovely to see the change in confidence when the women visit the boutique. They enjoy choosing things for themselves and often come back to show everyone what they have picked.”

The name The Scorpio Boutique was chosen by the women themselves, who put forward suggestions and voted, with Scorpio winning as many of the voters share that star sign.

One woman using the service said: “I was made homeless after my mum passed away and I lost my home and everything in it. I was left with nothing. Having the Scorpio Boutique means I can have things that belong to me again. It is not just essentials – being able to get accessories is also really important to me.”

The generosity of the local community also extends beyond clothing donations and into everyday practical support.

Recently, a staff member at Lauriston in Leith approached The Gull’s Grocery, an independent grocer in Leith, to ask whether they would consider donating any leftover fresh produce. The shop kindly agreed and is now providing a weekly supply of fresh fruit and vegetables to the women supported by the service.

These donations make a real difference, allowing residents to cook nourishing meals and enabling fresh pots of soup and other communal dishes to be prepared and shared together.

John Booth, Director of Futures, said: “This is a great example of what can happen when a community comes together.

“From clothing donations for The Scorpio Boutique to weekly fresh food from a local independent grocer, these acts of generosity help create welcoming and dignified spaces for women who have been through very difficult experiences.

“We are extremely grateful to everyone who has contributed.”

Lauriston in Leith is a supported accommodation service in Edinburgh for women experiencing homelessness.

Hillcrest Futures would like to thank the Leith community, and local businesses such as The Gull’s Grocery, for their kindness and ongoing support.

Expansion of breakfast clubs

Funding for national rollout by August 2027

New funding will allow every primary pupil in Scotland to access a breakfast club, the First Minister has said.

The Scottish Budget will provide an additional £15 million in 2026-27 to expand breakfast club provision and help schools, councils and third sector partners prepare for the introduction of universal breakfast club services by August 2027.

The Scottish Government then plans to invest £44 million per year from 2027-28 to deliver the clubs for all primary school children in Scotland who want to access them. Every pupil attending a school specifically for children with additional support needs will also benefit.

Breakfast clubs not only give children a nutritious meal before school starts, they can also help improve school attendance and confidence in children, and the option of an early drop-off means parents have more flexibility so they can work or study.

First Minister John Swinney said: “My government is focused on delivering the priorities of the people of Scotland and through our budget, we are acting to provide help with the cost of living and doing all we can to eradicate child poverty.

“We know extending the school day before and after class can help children and their parents, particularly families who might be struggling with balancing the demands of getting to work early as well as the cost of the weekly food shop.

“Breakfast clubs are a perfect example of how we can give families the option of some extra support. Children can get a healthy start to their day as they eat breakfast and play with their friends, while parents are better able to get to work, or to take up training or study, knowing their children are being well looked after – there are clear benefits for the whole family.   

“That is why we will invest £44 million each year to deliver a national breakfast club programme across all primary and special schools from August 2027, with the Scottish Budget investing £15 million in the coming year to support the expansion and help partners prepare.”  

Scottish Budget 2026-27 – gov.scot

Scottish Government funding through the Bright Start Breakfasts programme currently supports 490 clubs and up to 20,000 children.

The 2026-27 Scottish Budget will provide £3 million to continue to support existing Bright Start Breakfasts clubs and a further £15 million to help prepare for expanded provision from August 2027. 

A universal breakfast club offer will be available to all children attending primary or special schools in Scotland.

Leith Energy Hub set to host Warm Welcome Week

This January the city’s only high street energy hub is celebrating Warm Welcome Week, starting on ‘Blue Monday’ and running from 19 to 25 January.

January can be the coldest and loneliest month of the year. It’s the time of year when Warm Welcome Spaces such as Utilita’s Energy Hub are needed most. Warm Welcome Spaces are a lifeline to those who are struggling to keep warm and those feeling lonely or isolated. 

Hub Supervisor Natasha Baillie says: “Warm Welcome Week is all about raising awareness of Warm Welcome Spaces like ours, so more people can find a place of warmth and connection close to home.

“In Warm Welcome Week, we’re taking ‘Blue Monday’ back by giving it a colourful makeover. We’re asking everyone to wear warm colours and get creative with pinks, oranges, reds, and purples to chase the blues away and raise awareness of Warm Welcome Spaces.

“We don’t want anyone to feel cold or lonely this winter, which is why we are working hard to send a message that our Energy Experts are waiting to welcome you in.”

The hub aims to serve the community, offering energy advice to absolutely anyone that requires it, and the team of Energy Experts also engages in community events, as well as working with local charities. 

Natasha continues: “We want more people to know about Warm Welcome Spaces like ours. It’s a wonderful opportunity to connect with others, make new friends, and have some fun. We want everyone to know that a warm welcome is waiting for you just around the corner.

“People coming to our space say they always leave with a smile on their face. We’d love you to come along and get to know us over a cuppa. Please help us to spread the word so everyone can find our Warm Welcome Space.”

David Barclay, Warm Welcome Campaign Director, adds: “We know demand for Warm Welcome Spaces will be high again this winter, not only supporting people struggling to pay the bills but also playing a vital role in connecting communities and giving people a place of belonging.

“The dark winter days and nights of January can be extremely tough. We don’t want anyone to feel cold or alone this winter.

“We’re asking everyone to join us in Warm Welcome Week to raise awareness so more people can find a place of belonging and connection close to home and by encouraging more community spaces to become Warm Welcome Spaces.

“Everyone can get involved; whether you simply pop on an old orange bobble hat or get creative with craft or cooking, together we will chase away the blues. In Warm Welcome Week, we will create a surge of warmth and positivity in the coldest week of the coldest month.”

The Utilita Leith Energy Hub is open from Monday to Saturday at 41 Newkirkgate, Edinburgh, EH6 6AA and anyone interested in using the hub’s dedicated community space free-of-charge can book a session by emailing edinburgh@utilita.co.uk. 

See more on Utilita Energy Hubs at https://utilita.co.uk/energy-hub.

Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign launches Apartheid-Free Zones Map

🚨 Launched: Scotland’s Apartheid Free Zones Map 🚨

SCOTTISH Palestine Solidarity Campaign @scottish_psc has launched a new Scotland-wide interactive map spotlighting 120+ Apartheid Free Zones, including @govanhillapartheidfreezone.

Cafés, shops, unions, musicians, community groups and organisations standing in solidarity with Palestine. 🇵🇸

These spaces have pledged to support the BDS movement, boycott companies complicit in Israeli apartheid, and build anti-racist, ethical communities rooted in justice.

From local workplaces to cultural hubs, AFZs show that while governments stall, people are taking action. An act of solidarity forming a powerful, growing network of hope and resistance across Scotland. ✊

🔎 Explore the map: www.apartheidfree.scot�🏪 Not listed yet? Businesses and organisations are invited to join and help grow the movement.

The Jewish Council of Scotland response to Apartheid Free Zones in Scotland campaign

The Jewish Council of Scotland (JCoS) is alarmed at the announcement reported in yesterday’s media of the Apartheid Free Zones in Scotland campaign – launched by the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign, which aims to achieve a boycott of Israel across Scotland in support of the Boycott, Divestment Sanctions (BDS) movement.

The strident hatred and intimidation associated with this movement has a profound effect on Jews living in Scotland, and with ever increasing incidents of antisemitic behaviour towards the Jewish population this activity is of significant concern to us.

JCoS believes the impact of this campaign will build on the fear created by the so-called Leith ‘Zionist Free Zone’ in Edinburgh, which many Jews in Leith regarded as targeting them, regardless of their personal views on Israel.

“Our concern is that Jewish people in Scotland will be branded as racist”, says Timothy Lovat, Chair of JCoS. “This campaign does nothing to attack racism and promote racial equality in Scotland.”

#ApartheidFreeZones

#ApartheidFreeScotland

#SolidarityWithPalestine

#BDS

#EndIsraeliApartheid