The Edinburgh Retail Crime Task Force launched its first day of action last week in the North East of the city, focusing on Leith Walk and Fort Kinnaird.
This initiative, funded by the Scottish Government and supported by Crimestoppers Scotland , aims to tackle shoplifting and violence against retail workers.
The operation combined two key approaches – Prevent and Pursue:
Plain-clothes officers targeted hotspot areas to identify and apprehend offenders.
High-visibility patrols visited retailers to offer reassurance, crime prevention advice, and act as a visible deterrent.
Retailers have welcomed this proactive approach and the ongoing partnership to address prolific shoplifters.
PC Sarah Brotherston, who led the operation, said: “Shoplifting is not a victimless crime. We know the harm it causes to retailers and staff, and we’re committed to reducing theft and bringing offenders to justice.
“This day of action is just one piece of work that the Edinburgh Retail Crime Task Force are involved in. Further days of action and targeting of those who are repeatedly involved in shoplifting will be taking place in the run up to Christmas”
If you have information about shoplifting or stolen property, report it anonymously at https://orlo.uk/3Fp70 or call 0800 555 111.
Join us on 11th December from 9am – 2pm at OperationStrawberry for a festive day filled with Christmas hampers, warm mulled apple juice, unique gifts, tombola, and more!
22 Tennant Street, EH6 5ND
Free tea, coffee & hot chocolate for all visitors
Cash or card accepted
Come celebrate the season, support a social enterprise, and find something special for everyone on your list!
The Vittoria Group has revealed the first two beneficiaries of its new Vittoria Giving Back programme, launched last month in honour of the group’s 55th anniversary, to support local organisations making a difference across Edinburgh.
The inaugural recipients Teens+ and Prospect Bank School were selected from the first round of applications, with each receiving donations worth up to £1,000. Rather than providing cash, the Vittoria Group chose to fund specific items requested by each organisation, ensuring the support would deliver long-term, practical impact.
Teens+, a transitional education service, based beside Vittoria on the Walk on McDonald Road, supports young adults with complex learning difficulties across its four centres in Edinburgh and East Lothian, helping learners gain confidence and prepare for life beyond school.
As technology becomes central to everyday independence, whether communicating online, completing coursework, making bookings or working toward qualifications, Teens+ highlighted the growing need for accessible IT equipment. The group will receive a specialist laptop to help students build essential digital skills and engage safely in an increasingly online world.
The second recipient is Prospect Bank School in Leith, which supports primary-aged children with complex, long-term additional support needs, including intellectual disabilities and Autism Spectrum Disorder.
The school focuses on helping pupils communicate, manage sensory input, and participate in meaningful learning experiences. Funding from Vittoria Giving Back will enable the purchase of a SENSIS Cube – a piece of sensory play equipment designed for spinning, swinging and climbing, offering pupils calming or stimulating activities tailored to their needs.
The Vittoria Group is encouraging local schools, charities, youth groups and community organisations to apply for the next round of support.
This winter, Leith comes alive with creativity! We’re excited to be taking part again this year with our Winter Arts Markets.
It’s your chance to explore 20 inspiring creative venues filled with markets, open studios, exhibitions, workshops, talks, and pop-up events celebrating Leith’s vibrant artistic spirit.
Come and join us from Friday 5th to Sunday 7th December where over 120 handpicked local artists and makers will be selling their work.
With everything from clothes and textiles, glass and ceramics to paintings, prints and illustrations (and lots more), there’s something for everyone.
As well as the bustling market, there will be food and drink from the fully licensed Drill Hall Cafe (including mulled wine).
The perfect place to pick up a unique Christmas gift and support local artists at the same time.
‘a system under strain and a need for urgent change’
New data shows the need for support has rocketed over the past five years, revealing a growing crisis across schools, families, and workplaces
As Mindroom marks 25 years of championing neurodivergent children, young people, and adults in the workplace, new data exposes a sharp rise in need across the UK, and a system struggling to cope.
Over the past five years, demand for Mindroom’s support has soared by nearly 300%, with families waiting years for assessments, children missing school due to unmet needs, and parents describing a system “at breaking point.”
The charity’s latest Impact Report also shows a 62% rise in families seeking mental health support, a 240% increase in training for professionals, and 93% of young people saying they felt more confident after working with Mindroom – proof of both surging need and transformative impact.
“Everywhere we look – classrooms, GP surgeries, workplaces, kitchen tables – the pressure is mounting,” said Alan Thornburrow, CEO of Mindroom.
“Every week, more families come to us saying they simply can’t navigate the system alone. The good news is that public understanding of neurodiversity has grown hugely. The question now is whether our institutions can keep up.”
This comes amid a worsening national picture. A Scottish Parliament report (June 2025) * described a “concerning picture” of neurodivergent care in Scotland, with over 42,000 children and 23,000 adults now waiting for neurodevelopmental assessments, signalling increases of over 500% and 2,200% respectively since 2020.
Some families face waits of up tothree and a half years, while in England, reports show children waiting more than four years for an ADHD or autism diagnosis.
Mindroom’s 2024 Impact Report shows the charity handled 25,499 direct contacts on behalf of children and young people last year alone, providing vital one-to-one support and advocacy for families in crisis.
At the same time, its training and consultancy arm grew by 160%, equipping professionals in education, health, and business to create “neuroinclusive communities. But despite this progress, the gap between awareness and action remains wide.
A 2024 national workplace report** found that over half of neurodivergent employees had taken time off due to inadequate support or lack of reasonable adjustments. While neuroinclusion is rising up the corporate agenda, too many workplaces still fall short on psychological safety and practical understanding.
To mark its 25th anniversary, Mindroom is launching new initiatives to expand neuroinclusive practice from classrooms to boardrooms and, over the past three years, the charity has trained more than 10,000 people across sectors, a foundation it now plans to build on through national partnerships, policy advocacy, and expanded training.
“Behind every statistic is a person: a child finally getting the right support in school, a parent who no longer feels alone, or a workplace learning to value difference,” Alan Thornburrow added. “That’s what keeps us going.
“With neurodiversity finally gaining visibility in public life – from government policy to entertainment – we have a once-in-a-generation chance to turn awareness into action. Neurodivergent young people are not a side issue; they are the future workforce.”
Founded in 2000 and inspired by the lived experience of Robin and Sophie Dow and their daughter Annie, Mindroom began as a small Edinburgh charity and now supports thousands of families every year. Its mission – to build a society that champions every kind of mind – is more relevant than ever.
To download the latest Impact Report created by Mindroom (2024), please visit: 2024 Impact Report
Launch of The Leith Collective’s Re-Gifting Treeand Christmas Tree Exchange projects
Three in five adults in the UK received an unwanted gift last Christmas. That equates to around 31 million unnecessary presents, many of which ended up in landfill. In a bid to simultaneously put a stop to this staggering seasonal waste and to help families who may be struggling to make ends meet, one local Community Interest Company is launching a brand-new Re-Gifting Tree project.
Commencing on Monday 17th November, all Leith Collective stores across Scotland will feature a Christmas tree adorned with gift tags. Each tag will bear the name of a gift, from a children’s book or a warm scarf to a box of chocolates or toiletries set.
Visitors to the store can take a tag and drop off the corresponding gift at the store, where they will be collected and distributed to those in need this Christmas. Crucially, the emphasis of this project is on re-gifting good quality, unopened presents, rather than encouraging people to purchase new items.
Speaking ahead of the launch of the Re-Gifting Tree project, The Leith Collective founder Sara Thomson said; “We live in such a divided society where some people are literally throwing away unwanted presents while many others are struggling to afford basic essentials such as heating and food, let alone Christmas presents.
“By launching our Re-Gifting Tree project, we hope to keep as many unwanted presents as possible out of landfill and instead direct them to people who will truly appreciate them.”
Monday 17th November also saw the welcome return of The Leith Collective’s popular Christmas Tree Exchange project.
Locals are being urged to search their homes for any unwanted Christmas trees and decorations that may be languishing in cupboards and attics. Instead of sending them to landfill, they can drop them off at The Leith Collective stores where they will be passed on to struggling families whose budgets can’t stretch to non-essentials such as festive trimmings.
Commenting on the return of the Christmas Tree Exchange, Sara added; “We need to pull together as a community because everyone deserves to enjoy the sparkle and magic of waking up to a Christmas tree with a present beneath it.”
Christmas trees and decorations will be available for anyone to collect at Edinburgh’s Fort Kinnaird, Ocean Terminal and Livingston Designer Outlet, as well as Dundee’s Overgate store, during opening hours completely free of charge. No stigma, no judgement, no questions asked.
Following reports of stolen property being reset on Leith Walk, Edinburgh, Leith Community Officers, supported by Edinburgh Retail Crime Team, executed warrants at two business premises.
Approximately £8k of suspected stolen property was recovered, and enquiries are ongoing to ensure the property is returned to its rightful owners.
Two males were arrested and will be reported for reset.
Shoplifting is #NotAVictimlessCrime and #NECPT will continue to work with the #RetailCrimeTaskforce to identify offenders, including those benefiting from the acquisition of stolen property
Film fans in Edinburgh can now enjoy the latest releases in the ultimate comfort with the arrival of Vue’s signature Ultra Lux seat at its Ocean Terminal venue.
The Ultra Lux is the best seat in the screen and is available for Ocean Terminal customers to experience from 7 November.
To mark its arrival, Vue has worked with The Flash Pack to create a bespoke video booth for customers, to give a taster of the immersive experience they can expect from watching a film in an Ultra Lux seat.
Customers visiting Ocean Terminal on 7 and 8 November tried out the special 360 video booth which was located within the foyer, and took a 360 video of customers sitting in the luxurious seat.
112 Ultra Lux seats have been installed across Vue Ocean Terminal’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 and personal table for snacks and beverages, and a back and legs which recline independently, allowing customers to find the most relaxing viewing position possible.
Speaking ahead of the launch, Ian Chester, General Manager at Vue Ocean Terminal, said: “We have invested in bringing Vue’s best seating option to Ocean Terminal and look forward to unveiling it to customers from 7 November. It is truly the best way to immerse yourself in a film and to have the most comfortable experience.
“The interactive video booth is a fantastic opportunity to test out the Ultra Lux and have a fun video to keep and share on social media, which will be emailed to each customer who visits the booth.”
Tickets for Ocean Terminal can be booked online by visiting myvue.com.
A new sauna is coming to Edinburgh this autumn. Puffin Sauna, a converted horse trailer turned wood-fired sauna, will soon be setting up on Leith Links.
Located within Leith Community Croft – home of the charity Earth in Common – the sauna will sit alongside the urban croft’s food-growing plots, Sunday market, Populus Cafe and regular community events. It’s the perfect place to escape the city and unwind.
Set to open on Saturday 29 November, Puffin Sauna will host community sessions for up to six people, with two refreshing cold plunge barrels for the full contrast therapy experience.
Designed to be welcoming and relaxed, Puffin Sauna is open to all, whether you’re a seasoned sauna-goer or it’s your first time.
Follow @puffinsauna on Instagram to be the first to know when booking opens, and to see behind-the-scenes updates as the sauna is installed at Leith Community Croft.
Max Schilling, founder of Puffin Sauna said:“Sauna culture is booming in Scotland and we’re so excited to be adding to it.
“Leith Community Croft is the perfect setting for an urban sauna and as a community hub, so it’ll be the ideal place to come and disconnect from the day-to-day, recover from a gym session, catch up with mates.
“Wellness isn’t exclusive, it’s for everyone, so come and give it a go!”
Plain-clothes officers targeted hotspot areas to identify and apprehend offenders.
22 Tennant Street, EH6 5ND
Free tea, coffee & hot chocolate for all visitors
Cash or card accepted
Come celebrate the season, support a social enterprise, and find something special for everyone on your list!
Friday 5th December | 5pm – 9pm
£3 / £1 Concessions / Free for under 12’s.
