A 65-year-old man has died in hospital after being seriously assaulted in Edinburgh on the evening of Sunday, 10 March, 2024.
Nashir Ahmed was standing with a 48-year-old man at a bus stop on Ferry Road near to its junction with Great Junction Street and Coburg Street, when they were approached by another man who then attacked them.
Emergency services attended and both men were taken to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh.
The 48-year-old victim was discharged after receiving treatment for serious leg and facial injuries however Mr Ahmed later died in hospital on Friday, 15 March, 2024. His family are aware.
Detectives are treating his death as murder and are renewing their appeal for any information which could assist their investigation.
From enquiries carried out so far, the suspect is described as black, around 30-years of age with short, dark hair. He was wearing a red tartan scarf and a long, black jacket with a hood.
Detective Chief Inspector George Calder said: “Our thoughts and condolences are with Mr Ahmed’s family and the other victim and specialist officers are supporting them during this extremely difficult time.
“This was a completely random and unprovoked assault on Mr Ahmed and his friend and it is absolutely vital that we trace the individual responsible for this despicable and senseless crime.
“Ferry Road would have been busy around the time and we would continue to urge anyone who witnessed this attack as well as anyone with dash-cam or private CCVV footage of the area which could be of significance, to please get in touch.
“Incidents of this nature can understandably cause concern to the local community however we are following a number of positive lines of enquiry and there will continue to be additional patrols in the area to provide reassurance.
“Anyone with information should contact 101 quoting reference 2805 of 10 March. Alternatively Crimestoppers can be contacted on 0800 555 111, where anonymity can be maintained.”
A Scottish Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said: “Around 70 firefighters, 12 fire appliances and additional specialist resources are currently in attendance at a well-developed fire involving a high rise building in the Breadalbane area of Bonnington.
“We received the call at 4.10am following reports of a fire within a flat.
“The building has been evacuated and firefighting operations remain ongoing.
“There are no reported casualties at this time involving members of the public.
“One firefighter has sustained minor injuries and has received treatment from Scottish Ambulance Service at the scene.”
POLICE are in attendance at a fire at the block of flats in Breadalbane Road.. Approximately 100 local residents have been evacuated and a police cordon is in place.
UPDATE at 10am:
“Around 70 firefighters, 12 fire appliances and additional specialist resources are currently in attendance at a well-developed fire involving a high rise building in the Breadalbane area of Bonnington, City of Edinburgh.”
The Persimmon Homes building is understood to house 111 flats. Some are believed to have been destroyed in the blaze.
POLICE are appealing for information after two men were seriously assaulted in Leith on Sunday evening (10 March, 2024).
Around 8.30pm, the two men aged 48 and 65, were standing at a bus stop on Ferry Road near to its junction with Great Junction Street and Coburg Street, when they were approached by a man who then attacked them.
Police and ambulance attended and the men were both taken to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh where they are receiving treatment.
The suspect is described as black, around 30 years of age with short, dark hair. He was wearing a red tartan scarf and a long, black jacket with a hood.
Detective Inspector Steven Gray of Gayfield Police Station said: “This is a busy area and I would urge anyone who witnessed this attack take place, or anyone with information that may assist us to come forward as soon as possible.
“I would also ask anyone driving in this area around the time of this incident to check their dash-cam footage and please contact us with anything relevant.
“Anyone with information should contact 101 quoting reference 2805 of 10 March. Alternatively Crimestoppers can be contacted on 0800 555 111, where anonymity can be maintained.”
As part of an operation to combat illegal substances in the north east area of Edinburgh a man has been arrested and charged in connection with drugs offences.
Officers from Operation Elate arrested the 26-year-old man around 5.40pm yesterday (Wednesday, 6 March, 2024) in Elgin Street, Leith. Subsequently, class A drugs with a street value of £5,160 and over £700 in cash were recovered.
The man is due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Thursday 4th April.
Chief Inspector Kieran Dougal said: “Drugs cause miseries in our communities and officers continue to work to remove illegal substances from our streets.
“Information from the public has an important role and we ask anyone with concerns about drugs to contact Police Scotland via 101 or make a call anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”
The Dreadnought, Leith, has won an influential award at the PubAid Community Pub Hero Awards 2024.
Owner Roisin Therese was at the ceremony in the Houses of Commons to accept the award for being the best Community Regular Hero pub in Scotland. The award celebrates the work that the pub does to fundraise or support the community.
The pub saw competition from over 1,000 entries nationwide for the prestigious pub industry awards, now in their fifth year.
On winning the award, Roisin Therese said: “I am very pleased to accept this award in recognition of the work we have done through the Dreadnought and the Save The Pride Bridge campaign to promote queer visibility and representation.
“Despite the many challenges of running a pub during the last few years, we hope to continue to provide a community hub and to support local causes through our fundraising, food bank and winter clothes collection drives, and engagement with other local organisations. We will continue to provide a safe and inclusive space that celebrates the queer community.”
The pub won because it led the Save the Pride Bridge campaign to help protect a local landmark from being demolished. The Pride Bridge is a community art project in a public space that is important to local residents. It is painted by a diverse group of locals and has become a renowned LGBTQ landmark, and the first of its kind in Edinburgh.
Des O’Flanagan, co-founder of PubAid, added: “The annual event is always very special for us and all the pubs who made it through to the finals.
“It is wonderful to hear so many stories of Publicans who do so much for their local communities and it’s heart-warming that pubs raise so much money for local and national charities and their regular customers are so generous when the cost of living makes things tough for many people.
“All 1,000 nominations we received are worthy of a congratulations but a special mention needs to be for those who made it through to the finals. The standard or entry this year has been so high that it gave our expert judges some difficult decisions.”
PubAid, which organises the awards in association with Matthew Clark and the All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group, refreshed the awards and created more categories to congratulate more community pubs throughout the UK. There were 33 finalists in total across five categories.
Blue Ball in England won the Community Support Hero award for its region.
POLICE are appealing for information after a 25-year-old man was seriously assaulted on Pilrig Street, yesterday (Tuesday, 27 February, 2024).
Around 2.05pm, police were called to the entrance to Pilrig Park. The injured man was taken to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh where is being treated for stab wounds. Hospital staff describe his condition as serious.
Detective Inspector Dougal Begg said: “We would urge anyone who was in the area at the time who witnessed this serious assault take place, or who has any information that may assist our investigation to come forward.
“Enquiries are continuing and officers are gathering and viewing CCTV footage for more information. I would also urge any drivers with dash-cam footage or those with personal footage to contact us as soon as possible.”
Information can be passed to 101 quoting reference number 1698 of 27 February. Alternatively, Crimestoppers can be contacted on 0800 555 111, where anonymity can be maintained.
New office move underpins charity’s ‘significant growth‘
AN INNOVATIVE charity hub has created a purpose-built new HQ for one of Scotland’s most important organisations dedicated to ending homelessness.
Cyrenians has already spent 25 years based in Norton Park in Edinburgh but was spread across several units in the former school, which is home to 21 third sector organisations.
When a rare space came available in the building – renowned as the home of charities in Edinburgh – bosses at the hub bent over backwards to ensure it was refitted to perfectly suit the needs of Cyrenians.
Now the 220-strong charity, dedicated to tackling both the causes and consequences of homelessness has moved into a space almost double the size of its previous offices, which had become cramped as the organisation grew steadily.
Last year alone Cyrenians supported over 10,800 people experiencing or who were at risk of homelessness.
Delighted Catherine Bromley, marketing and communications manager with Cyrenians, heaped praise on Norton Park – a charity in its own right – as a brilliant landlord providing specialist and affordable offices space to those in the third sector.
She added: “Being in Norton Park, we are close to many other organisations who are striving towards similar goals. That opens us up to so many opportunities for collaboration, which has been fantastic.
“The facilities and amenities at Norton Park enable our staff to collaborate more effectively as we work to make real, lasting change in the lives of people in Scotland.
“We are launching a strategic plan for 2024 to 2027 and the move to the bigger space is very much consolidation for us as we strive to focus on and strengthen the services we offer at a time when Scotland is facing a housing emergency and we have never been more needed.”
The milestone move for Cyrenians means the organisation is now based in 3100 sq feet of space at Norton Park, where previously its team were spread across 3 units in the building with a total footprint of just 2800 sq ft. It also has offices in Falkirk and the Borders.
Since moving into Norton Park in 1999, Cyrenians has undergone significant expansion, currently providing 63 essential services across seven local authorities.
It attributes the expansion to the growing need for its services as a result of the persisting housing crisis and rising cost of living, leading to heightened levels of homelessness and temporary accommodation placements for many Scots.
Norton Park, in the heart of Leith, was a primary and secondary school which catered to generations of Edinburgh youngsters since 1903.
However, it later fell into disrepair until 1998, when it was rescued by the former Albion Trust (now known as Norton Park SCIO) which was founded to transform the building.
Continued investment means it now boasts a campus of modern shared offices, serviced with a reception – and fully accessible conference meeting and events spaces. Its conference centre, housed in a converted church adjacent to the school, provides space for up to 120 delegates.
It provides rent and services to charities significantly below market rates, enabling them to put more money back into their various missions.
Yolanda Wringe, Chief Operational Officer from Norton Park said: “Over the past 25 years we’ve had the privilege of accommodating Cyrenians and witnessing its remarkable growth as an organisation.
“Our aim to create a supportive community for these vital organisations so they can focus on their mission-driven work.
“From charities with a two people-strong team to 220 people, our premises enable sharing of experiences and resources which can help enable organisations like Cyrenians to grow.”
Norton Park is Edinburgh’s first office complex exclusively for charities and social enterprises, offering discounted rates for registered charities, community groups and public sector organisations.
The eco-friendly building offers flexible leasing arrangements and specially designed spaces to foster productivity and cooperation among non-profits.
The Leith community is being called upon to help design a replacement for the Lindsay Road Bridge, also known as Pride Bridge.
The local landmark was a popular walking, wheeling, and cycling route over Hawthornvale Path and in 2021 was painted in rainbow colours, leading to it being named locally as the ‘Rainbow’ or ‘Pride’ Bridge.
the bridge, which is at the end of its lifespan, was closed due to concerns around health and safety, sparking a local ‘Save the Pride Bridge’ campaign. Council officers have since made a successful application for Transport Scotland funding through Sustrans for the design of a replacement bridge deck, with £232,700 awarded.
Now a designer, Mott McDonald, has been appointed and, along with the Council, they’re looking to work with the local community to develop proposed designs. Two information sessions and an online consultation will help the team to better understand everyone’s needs and gather feedback on proposed designs.
Councillor Scott Arthur, Transport and Environment Convener, said: “The Pride Bridge has been such a well-loved landmark and thoroughfare for the local community, it’s only right that we involve them to develop a replacement.
“I was delighted last year when we secured funding to design a new bridge deck, which would once again provide a safe and convenient walking and cycling route between North Fort Street and Newhaven area.
“The strength of feeling amongst local people for this bridge, and its celebration of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender pride, has been inspiring. I’d like to thank those who campaigned to protect it.”
Kasper Schwartz, Grant Advisor for Sustrans, said: “We’re excited to see how designs for the new Pride Bridge come together over the next year, and are immensely grateful to the local community for their enthusiasm in seeing this vital active travel connection reinstated for North Edinburgh.
“The Pride Bridge is not only a key walking, wheeling and cycling link for communities surrounding the Hawthornvale Path, it is also as an iconic symbol of enduring support for LGBTQ+ people everywhere.”
Róisín Thérèse, who leads the Save the Pride Bridge campaign, said: “The Save The Pride Bridge campaign has worked closely with the Council and design team to communicate the wishes of the local residents in terms of preserving an accessible route, a community space, and an important LGBTQ+ landmark.
“We are excited to participate in the public consultations to reimagine this space and secure it as a valuable community asset for years to come.”
This process is expected to last a year and once it’s complete officers intend to apply to Transport Scotland for between 70 and 100% of the construction funding required to build the bridge.
The work will be delivered alongside the Leith Connections project which is making improvements to community spaces and providing better connections for anyone walking, wheeling or cycling through the streets of Leith.
Lindsay Road Bridge information sessions will take place at the following locations and times:
Thursday 7 March, 6pm – 8pm: Dreadnought Leith, 72 North Fort Street
Saturday 23 March, 11am – 1pm: The Heart of Newhaven Community, 4-6 Main Street
THIRTEEN projects were awarded grants totalling £52,624 at an awards ceremony for the £eith Chooses programme at Leith Community Centre last night (February 22).
In September 2023 applications were invited from community groups in Leith for the 2023/24 £eith Chooses Participatory Budgeting process. 23 applications progressed to the voting stage of the process and 13 of those successfully gained funding.
Grants of up to £5,000 from this participatory budgeting programme were awarded to these local groups. The total budget consisted of £44,624 from the City of Edinburgh Council Community Grants Fund and £8,000 from Trams to Newhaven.
Public voting took place online through the Council’s Consultation Hub from the January 22-Febuary 5 and at the in-person vote day on the 27th January. Over 3000 people took the opportunity to vote and these decided which projects would be funded. A full list of organisations which received funding is available below.
An online open forum for feedback from voters and/or applicants will be offered in early March to encourage feedback and conversation around this year’s process. For more information please contact Leithchooses@edinburgh.gov.uk
Culture and Communities Convener, Councillor Val Walker said: “It’s fantastic to see so many excellent local projects benefitting from the Leith Chooses scheme. Participatory budgeting is a key avenue for our citizens to have more control over public money and this has been carried out successfully in the north of the city for over a decade now.
“I look forward to seeing how these projects make use of the funding in the course of the year ahead.”
Sally Millar, a Member of the Leith Chooses Steering Group:“The £eith Chooses team was delighted to welcome over 40 Leithers to the ‘Results Night’ event, to hear the public announcement of which community groups and charities had been successful in winning funding through the 2023/24 £eith Chooses participatory budgeting process.
“Thirteen out of 23 applicants were awarded funding, based on the numbers of votes received online and at the recent in-person voting day. There were over 3,000 voters, with a total of over 11,000 votes cast.
“The evening was hosted by Leith Walk Councillors Susan Rae and Jack Caldwell, with brief speeches from members of the £eith Chooses Steering Group, a long-time volunteer helper, and Mr. Andrew Field, Head of Community Empowerment and Engagement, City of Edinburgh Council who was able to give reassurances that the same level of Community Grant budget has been secured for next year.
“This is the 14th year of community led decisions about how funds are spent locally, and it is inspiring to see how invested the Leith community is in the process.”
Chief Executive at Leith Community Centre, Rob Levick said:“It was great to finally have In-Person Voting back at the Community Centre after 4 years away.
“For us it’s possibly the highlight of the year, Welcoming Leithers into their Centre, to meet, to blether, and to play an active part in which local projects get support. I only wish we had more money to share out.”
About Participatory Budgeting and Leith Chooses:
Participatory Budgeting is an approach to engaging citizens in giving the decision- making power on the allocation of public funds. This approach has been used in Leith to allocate its Community Grants Fund (CGF) for the past 13 years.
£eith Chooses (previously known as Leith Decides) is the longest running PB project in Scotland, due to its strong identity and brand, as well as a strong and active local community and voluntary sector.
The community process is made possible by a commitment from a steering group of residents, community and city councillors and council workers.
Meeting every Wednesday Afternoon to plan and deliberate on the issues that matter in Leith and informed by dialogue with the community throughout the year.
Leith Chooses Funded Organisations 2023/24:
• Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain (AUGB): £5000
Connecting Cultures community event: family-friendly event, for people of all age groups that will celebrate traditional Scottish and Ukrainian music, dance, and food.
• Citadel Youth Centre: £4900
TGI Citadel: Friday evening Youth club for 16-19 year olds.
• ELREC: £4600
The Conscious Weaving project: Weaving workshops that aim to bring the Leith community together to create art with a positive impact on mental health through giving opportunities for creative work, socialising, learning and self-expression.
• Edinburgh Community Food: £4616
Fun, Fit and Fed: partnership with Leith-based Upmo, to support Eat Community Cafés at local swimming pools and provide free, nourishing, plant-based meals to families.
• Himalayan Centre: £5000
Intergenerational Gardening, Fostering Cultural Exchange and Environmental Awareness in Leith: Targeting elders and youth, especially from ethnic minorities, this initiative promotes learning about traditional and contemporary horticultural practices in a communal garden setting.
• Edinburgh Tool Library: £4920
The Edinburgh Repairmongery: start up of ‘The Leith Repairmongery’, our very own version of ‘The Repair Shop’, in Leith.
• The Men of Leith Men’s Shed: £1400
Opportunities to meet, eat and learn: the development of social and educational lunch meetings at the Shed. We provide a space for men to meet and work on construction and repair projects, both to promote their wellbeing and to serve the community.
• Edinburgh Remakery: £4950
Creative Community Club: Through our Creative Community Clubs, we will collectively create a fantastic piece of community art which will highlight the wonderful people that make our well-loved area of Leith so special.
• Dr Bells Family Centre: £4980
Family Holiday Programme: We know school holiday periods can be some of the most challenging times for families, especially for those already struggling. At Dr Bell’s we want to ensure that families with children under 5 have the resources they need to not only endure these periods, but thrive and make memories too.
• Hibernian Community Foundation (in partnership with Hibernian Football Memories, Pilmeny Development Project and Leith Timebank): £4000
Monday Matchdays & Memories: HCF, in partnership with Hibernian Football Memories (HFM), Pilmeny Development Project (PDP) and Leith Timebank (LTB), will offer weekly activities sessions at HCF, supporting social inclusion and new opportunities for the Leith community.
• Leith Athletic: £4000
Club Equipment: New equipment to enhance the accessibility and inclusion of the club. In recent years the club has welcomed a girl’s section, Leith Athletic Giants and training sessions for Ukrainian families. The new equipment will allow us to cater to more groups.
• Leith Festival: £1210
Leith’s Got Talent: Leith Festival proposes to organise a ‘Leith’s Got Talent’ event series, aimed at adults and young people, culminating in a stage performance for the finalists at next year’s Gala Day (June 2025).
• SHE Scotland: £3048
Mind, Body and Soul at Leith Academy: The ‘Mind, Body and Soul’ programme at Leith Academy will provide a resource, sounding board and safe space for young women in S2-S4.
PARTICIPANTS of an Edinburgh Football Memories group enjoyed a visit from former referee Martin Clark as a Specsavers-sponsored whistle-stop tour of Scotland reached the capital.
The official sponsors of the Scottish FA match officials have facilitated for retired refs to speak to participants of Football Memories, a project which assists people living with memory loss conditions, including dementia and Alzheimer’s, as well as those experiencing loneliness and social isolation.
The tour will also stop in at Dundee and Aberdeen. Ex-whistler Dougie Hope got proceedings under way at Hampden Park on January 25, before Martin entertained the group at Hibernian FC’s Easter Road Stadium with tales from his career.
Established in 2009, Football Memories Scotland is a charitable project run by the Scottish Football Museum in partnership with Alzheimer Scotland.
With 500 groups around the country, often hosted in football settings, Football Memories uses engaging football-themed resources stored in a memory box, such as reminiscence cards, life-size player cutouts, newspaper clippings and books, to stir memories and discussions led by volunteers.
Specsavers have sponsored the boxes for the referee tour and have helped to provide some exciting new contents for them such as old football boots, photographs of former referees and other memorabilia.
Long-term memories can be triggered for many through the visual cues of images, videos, artefacts and discussions taking place in a small group or even a one-to-one setting, unlocking precious happy moments from the past. The impact can be enormous.
Robert Craig, Chair of the Scottish Football Museum, says: ‘We were delighted to welcome Martin to the group as our new partnership with Specsavers continued to demonstrate its power.
‘Their support to the Football Memories project, which impacts the lives of all who touch it, is invaluable and helps us to continue to deliver for those living with memory loss conditions or experiencing isolation.’
Crawford Allan, Scottish FA Head of Referee Operations, says: ‘Football Memories is a fantastic initiative and one our roster of former referees will gladly support, as an extension of our existing partnership with Specsavers.
‘We hope their stories and treasured memorabilia will spark many happy memories.’
Specsavers’ Arlene Stephenson, Scottish Divisional Chair, says: ‘Specsavers is proud of our long tradition in backing Scottish referees, but our latest sponsorship deal sees us going further than ever, helping to raise awareness of the vital work Football Memories does in assisting people living with memory loss conditions.
‘We can’t wait to hear what questions the referees are fielded on their tour of the country and learn about the impact for those attending the groups.’
Specsavers announced in 2021 that it renewed its’ sponsorship deal with football referees in Scotland, marking more than 20 years of support – one of the longest agreements of its kind in sport.
The deal has seen the partnership continue into 2024, not only helping with the training and development of referees, but also helping to raise awareness of para football and grassroots football in Scotland.
