Earlier this year, through our Community Benefits scheme and with help from our wonderful suppliers a brand new kitchen was installed in the Prentice Centre.
It’s been a real asset to the Centre and its members over the last few months and helped to make some festive gatherings easier at the end of what has been a challenging year for the community as we continue to support one another through this pandemic.
Thanks again to our suppliers who supported this projected as part of their community benefits contract with us:
Mental wellbeing support is available over the festive period for anyone who may be struggling during this time.
Those experiencing low mood, stress, anxiety or depression are being urged to seek help and not wait until after the festive season is past.
Mental Wellbeing Minister Kevin Stewart said: “It is vital we all look after ourselves, and each other, at this time of year. Not everybody finds the festive season full of fun. And not everyone has a family around them, and can find themselves on their own at Christmas and New Year.
“There can be many triggers including existing family tensions, anniversaries of a life-changing event around this time and even the pressure of Christmas for some can be too much.
“All that on top of what we have all been through with the challenging times of the pandemic and the shorter, darker winter days, it can seem really bleak for some.
“But there is help and support available and I want people to know they are not alone. Often the hardest step is making that first call.
“I urge anyone who is feeling low or anxious to reach out to Breathing Space, the Samaritans or NHS 24 Mental Health Hub.
“I am also asking if you know of somebody who will be on their own over the festive period to check in on them. Often that one act can make a huge difference to a person’s mental wellbeing.”
Clear Your Head has more information to help you cope, and advice on how you can support other people who you think might be struggling – visit: www.clearyourhead.scot
If you need to talk to someone, you can call these free services:
NHS 24 on 111 if you need urgent support for your mental or emotional health.
Breathing Space on 0800 83 85 87 -if you’re experiencing low mood, depression or anxiety
Samaritans on 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org, for confidential emotional support if you’re in distress or despair. Open 24 hours a day.
Pornstar Martini was the UK’s most popular cocktail with 144,000 Google searches over the past 30 days.
Aperol Spritz and Negroni came in a respective second and third.
There have been 50,000 searches for cocktail recipes alone and 14,800 searches for Christmas cocktails in the past month showing a 223% increase.
EggNog a traditional Christmas cocktail made the number nine spot
A study by kitchen equipment experts experts Maxima Kitchen Equipmentanalysed Google data to find the nations favourite cocktails this Christmas.
The UK’s favourite cocktail this year is a Pornstar Martini with 144,000 searches in the past 30 days alone. The cocktail, which is traditionally made from Vodka, vanilla syrup, lime juice, passion fruit, prosecco and passoa liquer. The popular cocktail was only created in the early 2000’s in LAB London bar and has risen to popularity ever since being a staple drink of choice.
Aperol Spritz came in second and received 80,000 searches over the past month. The cocktail is made up of Aperol, prosecco, soda water and lime. The cocktail is often described as an Italian sunset originating from northern Italy in the late 1950’s.
Negroni which is traditionally an Italian cocktail came in third place for the most popular cocktail this Christmas. It’s made up of gin, Vermouth Rossi, Campari and garnished with orange peel. Traditionally, it is stirred not shaken and served on the rocks (over ice). The cocktail received 71,000 searches this month.
Mojito came out globally as the most searched cocktail but only made fourth place in the UK with an impressive 68,000 searches. The classic cocktail has many variations but is traditionally made up of rum, soda water, mint leaves, granulated sugar and lime. The origins of this cocktail can be dated back to 1586 it is believed.
Cosmopolitan came in fifth place for the favourite cocktail for this Christmas with 68,000 searches in the past 30 days. The cocktail is made up of lemon vodka, triple sec, cranberry juice, and lime juice.
Margarita came in sixth place with 64,000 searches, it was the top choice of cocktail in the USA and 3rd globally. It is made up of Cointreau, lime juice and tequila.
Seventh place was a Pina Colada with a search volume of 63,000 just in the past month. The summer themed cocktail originating from Puerto Rico is still a favourite even at Christmas it turns out. The cocktail is made up of white rum, coconut cream and pineapple juice.
The cocktail Mimosa took eighth place with a total 61,000 searches. The cocktail is traditionally served in a tall champagne flute and made up of champagne and orange juice.
In ninth place was the traditional Christmas cocktail Eggnog which is made up of eggs, milk, cream, spices such as nutmeg and vanilla, rum and finished off with a whisky or a brandy. It received a total of 59,000 searches.
Espresso Martini which came in tenth place with a search total of 56,000 in the last month. The cocktail is traditionally made up of vodka, coffee beans, and coffee liquer. As a nation of coffee lovers, it is easily understandably how an alcoholic version of the beverage can rank in our top list.
A spokesperson from Maxima Kitchen Equipment commented: “The cocktail industry has grown more and more profitable over recent years however, these search numbers are bigger than anticipated, suggesting that cocktails are now a staple of British culture regardless of if they are consumed at home or in bars.”
We all spend at least some of our time each day sitting down, whether it’s when we are working or watching the television, but research shows that too much sitting can be bad for our heart.
We should ideally aim to sit down for no more than 8 hours each day, but this can be difficult, especially if we have a desk-based job.
Here are some tips on how to be more active:
Set a Movement Reminder
If you are working at a desk, try setting an alarm once every hour to get up and move. This could be as simple as walking to get a glass of water or doing a few star-jumps on the spot!
Vary Your Workspace
If you have access to a standing desk, this can be a great way to reduce the amount of time you spend sitting down. If not, there are lots of ways that you can still change your work setup, such as by using a raised surface like a kitchen worktop, or by placing your laptop on a sturdy box.
Take Active Breaks
Taking a short walk on a lunch break can be a great way to take your mind off your work, enhance your energy levels and get your heart pumping.
Get Creative
Setting cues can help to remind us to move during the day. A fun and creative way to do this is to label each door in your house with an exercise such as squats, star jumps or jogging, and every time you walk through each door, you do the exercise labelled on that door.
In light of the Scottish Government announcement regarding large scale events and the cancellation of Edinburgh’s Hogmanay, Lothian, Lothian Country and East Coast Buses will be making some changes to our planned routes and timetables for the 30, 31 December and 1 January.
On Thursday 30 December, we will be operating a Saturday service. All diversions for the Torchlight procession have now been cancelled and bus services will operate normal routes.
On Friday 31 December, we will operate a Saturday service, finishing earlier than normal with last journeys through the city centre at approximately 2130.
On the morning of 1 January 2022, we will no longer be operating our special Hogmanay Night Service. We understand that some customers may be disappointed, however with the cancellation of the Edinburgh’s Hogmanay Street party and the latest advice from the Scottish Government, we do not anticipate sufficient demand for these night services.
As we highlighted this week, we are also continuing to be impacted by the pandemic in regards to team resource which is placing considerable pressure on our operations and therefore it is vital we continue to focus on providing critical links across Edinburgh and the Lothians.
Customers are reminded to allow extra time for their journeys and to plan before they travel through our website or our app. Updated data can be found from the 29 December on the Traveline Scotland website.
Thanks to all of our customers for their patience and understanding, and a massive thank you to all of our colleagues who continue to react and adapt to this ever-changing fluid situation.
Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid yesterday accepted advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation.
Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said: “Our independent medicines regulator, the MHRA, has approved Pfizer’s paediatric vaccine for children aged 5 to 11 following a thorough review of the safety and effectiveness.
“I have accepted the advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation to offer vaccines to at-risk 5-11 year old children and extend the booster programme to at-risk 12-15s and all 16-17s.
“While our current and unrelenting focus is ensuring all eligible adults are offered a COVID-19 booster vaccine by the end of December because two doses do not provide enough protection against the Omicron variant, the NHS will prepare to offer vaccines to at-risk 5-11 year old children.
“We have secured supplies of the Pfizer/BioNTech paediatric vaccine which will start to arrive in the UK from mid-January.
“Vaccines are our best defence against this virus and our booster programme has accelerated rapidly, with almost 30 million doses administered and more than half of adults jabbed, securing vital protection.
“This is a national mission and we urge everybody to play their part by getting their vaccines and booster doses as soon as possible.”
Requests for military assistance at three health boards in Scotland have been approved. NHS Ayrshire & Arran, NHS Grampian and NHS Lanarkshire will receive the support from service personnel to help manage growing pressures as a result of Omicron.
They will begin inductions at the boards in January after the MACA (Military Assistance for Civilian Authorities) support was approved by the Scottish Government.
Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “The emergence of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 is adding to the winter pressures usually faced by the NHS which is why boards, like their counterparts across the UK, have requested military support to complement our existing resources.
“I’m grateful to military personnel for their efforts at this time, along with all frontline staff in our NHS for the vital role they play in help keeping us safe.
“At this time it is also particularly important that we continue to take all precautions to prevent transmission. So test regularly for the virus, limit socialising in the run up to Christmas, wear face marks where required and open windows to improve ventilation.”
The following MACA requests have been approved by the Scottish Government:
NHS Ayrshire &Arran – 20 service personnel for for 6 weeks.
NHS Grampian – 38 x service personnel for 4 weeks.
Lanarkshire – 32 x service personnel for 4 weeks.
Military personnel will start inductions on January 7th.
Edinburgh’s Hogmanay has announced it will be releasing a new film on 31 December from 5pm, providing a free, digital and inspirational part of the new year celebrations, for which the live elements have been recently cancelled.
The film will pay tribute to the hope, love and optimism that people feel when celebrating Hogmanay with those that matter most after a tough year,whilst expressing a positive look forward to Scotland and Edinburgh’s future.
This new artistic collaboration isdelivered by Edinburgh’s Hogmanay producer, Underbelly, on behalf of the City of Edinburgh Council.
This project, titled Journeys Home, has been made possible with support from HM Government Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport. The film is based on a short story written exclusively for Edinburgh’s Hogmanay by Kathleen Jamie, the current Scots Makar and draws inspiration from resilience and unwavering sense of communitythat Edinburgh residents and Scotland as a nation have shown throughout the pandemic.
The film features a specially composed soundtrack by Rura, one of Scotland’s most highly acclaimed folk bands featuring Jack Smedley, Steven Blake, Adam Brown and David Foley. With their distinct blend of fiddle, Highland pipes, flute, bodhrán and guitar, Rura capture the true essence of Hogmanay whilst also starring in the film themselves.
The film follows Kathleen Jamie’s four characters; Cait, Donald, Nana Jean and Calum, who narrate their personal Hogmanay stories, contemplating Hogmanay’s past and loved ones lost, as well as their hope and optimism for future Hogmanay celebrations to come.
‘Journeys Home’ is part of Edinburgh’s Hogmanay’s continued commitment to providing a free, digital element of the new year celebrations that everyone can enjoy from the comfort of their own home.
The film, co-conceived by Underbelly and Arms & Legs, produced byUnderbelly and directed by Ross Addy will premiere on the 31 December from 5pm on the Edinburgh’s Hogmanay website here.
From 28-30 December, Underbelly will stream daily at 5pm their 2020 production of Fare Well, which became a global phenomenon, seen by over 1 billion worldwide.
Underbelly Co-Directors, Charlie Wood and Ed Bartlam said: “’Journeys Home’ felt like the perfect theme for this year’s film, as people yearn to gather for Hogmanay.
“Collaborating with the creative brilliance of Kathleen Jamie, Rura, and Arms and Legs has been a true honour – together they have made a film which will sing out to the world the creativity of Scottish artists and the hope and optimism that Scotland have for the new year.”
Scots Makar and ‘Journeys Home’ Writer Kathleen Jamie said: “As a writer, I’m not a great believer in ‘inspiration’. You just have to look and listen.
“We all know New Year is a complex time, more than just a big party – though there is joy and excitement too! But even in my own circle we have people who’ll be spending Hogmanay working in hospitals, or grieving loved ones lost in 2021, or who have had to cancel family visits yet again.
“We all know people who can’t bear to be alone, and others who take solace in the natural world, or in art and music. In “Journeys Home” I hope you will find someone or something you recognise, as we take leave of 2021, and look forward to better days ahead.”
