SPACES STILL AVAILABLE!
Good Gut Grub – Cooking Group
Develop cooking skills and learn about eating well for good gut health. Join Edinburgh Community Food for their weekly sessions here at PCHP, starting 24th April.
Contact Megan to sign up:-
T: 0131 467 7326
E: megan.mcpherson@edinburghcommunityfood.org.uk
Pupils in Scotland on a unique educational programme have seen a positive impact on their rates of progression to university.
Now in its fourth year, the ground-breaking partnership between the University of Edinburgh, the University of Glasgow and educational charity IntoUniversity has supported thousands of young people in centres in the Craigmillar area of Edinburgh and Glasgow’s Maryhill and Govan.
The ongoing project aims to improve educational opportunities for those who may face challenges during their schooling, with close to 4,000 school pupils accessing the service in the past year alone.
Since the IntoUniversity centres opened, more than 70 per cent of school leavers from the programme have progressed to university or college, compared with the national average of 24 per cent of those from similar backgrounds.
The three centres have teams of specially trained staff who work closely with local schools in areas traditionally associated with social deprivation.
Each centre provides a programme of after-school academic support, mentoring, workshops and work experience for young people aged between seven and eighteen years old.
Dobbies Garden Centres is hosting a very special FREE Grow How event in its Edinburgh store this May in partnership with Alzheimer’s Research UK to mark Dementia Action Week (19-25 May).
Dobbies is highlighting the benefits of garden living for brain health and raising vital funds to find a cure for dementia through this free-to-attend workshop at the Edinburgh store.
Gardening is a great activity to highlight this Dementia Action Week, as it’s a hobby that can help look after our brain health. Physical activity, learning new skills and keeping connected with others are just some of the things we can do to help reduce our risk of dementia.
May’s Grow How event, Love Your Lawn, will take place in the Edinburgh store on Saturday 3 May and Wednesday 7 May at 10:30am and 3:30pm, giving customers of all ages and gardening abilities the chance to learn something new or finesse their gardening skills.
These popular live Grow How demonstrations are flexible, fun and interactive, taking around 15 minutes. Dobbies’ Green Team will give a demonstration around lawn care, taking customers back to the basics and illustrating the importance of maintenance for a healthy lawn.
During the session there will be an activity centred around repairing a lawn with grass plugs, giving everyone the chance to give it a go. There will also be the chance to ask any questions relating to lawn care. The talk will be supported with a selection of general top tips and products such as grass seed, lawn feed and tools to keep your grass in tip top shape.
The Green Team at Dobbies’ Edinburgh store will then share information on Alzheimer’s Research UK’s Think Brain Health campaign, which aims to educate people about the steps they can take to look after their brains and help reduce the risk of dementia.
It’s focused on three simple rules – love your heart, stay sharp and keep connected. Lawn maintenance is a great task for keeping physically and mentally active through gardening and garden living.
Dobbies’ Plant Buyer, Nigel Lawton, shares his excitement for getting everyone, no matter their lawn care experience. He said: “Spring is the perfect time to take care of your lawn and prepare it for the warmer months ahead, and we are here to help customers feel confident.
“Our Green Team are full of advice and expertise, with knowledge on the best products and tools to care for the lawn. They’ll be on-hand at the Edinburgh store to troubleshoot any currents gardening queries and give those who have little knowledge on lawn care a strong understanding of how easy it can be to stay on top of when regularly maintained.
“Our free Grow How demonstration is in partnership with Alzheimer’s Research UK, a fantastic charity raising funds to find a cure for dementia. We’d encourage all attendees to donate, if they can, to this important cause.”
Samantha Benham-Hermetz, Executive Director at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “We’re delighted that Alzheimer’s Research UK will become part of Dobbies’ Grow How sessions during Dementia Action Week.
“As well as getting the chance to learn how to make the most of their gardens this spring, people can find out how to show their brains some love and help reduce their risk of dementia.
“Research shows that nearly half of all dementia cases could be prevented by addressing risk factors we can influence. But despite this, only a third of people in the UK realise it is possible to reduce their risk.
“We’re really proud to be working with Dobbies to raise much-needed awareness of the actions people can take for their brain health, while also raising vital funds for a cure for dementia.”
The garden centre is also inviting local groups, schools and causes who applied to Dobbies Community Gardens along to stores on Saturday 3 May.
Dobbies’ Green Team will be announcing the successful group, who will receive a selection of products and tools, alongside gardening advice and volunteer hours.
To book May’s FREE Grow How session Love Your Lawn, visit: www.dobbies.com\events.
Donations to Alzheimer’s Research UK can be made at the time of booking or in store on the day.
For more information about Alzheimer’s Research UK, visit:
A building contractor who fraudulently claimed a £50,000 Covid Bounce Back loan has received a 13-month suspended sentence.
Florin-Petrica Bodale operated as a building contractor offering plumbing, heating and air-conditioning installation and was based in Harrow, London.
In November 2020, the 34-year-old successfully applied to a bank for a Covid Bounce Back loan of £50,000.
But an Insolvency Service investigation found that he had falsely claimed the company’s turnover was £240,000 to receive the maximum loan available.
In reality, the turnover of the company was around £22,000 – meaning he was only entitled to £5,500.
On 10 April 2025, at Snaresbrook Crown Court, Bodale was sentenced to 13-months imprisonment, suspended for 18 months, for one count of fraud by false representation.
He was also ordered to complete 250 hours of unpaid work.
Insolvency Service Chief Investigator David Snasdell said: “Florin-Petrica Bodale falsely claimed a much higher turnover for his business and the reality of this is a notable sentence on top of his earlier disqualification as a director.
“These loans were intended to help keep small businesses afloat, not to take money from the public purse that businesses were not entitled to.
“We will continue in our efforts to bring those who abuse this scheme to justice.”
In 2022, before the criminal investigation, Bodale signed a ten-year bankruptcy restriction undertaking which also included a ten-year director disqualification following a civil investigation by the Insolvency Service.
The court noted that he had repaid some money as part of the bankruptcy process.
Measures were introduced during 2020 to support businesses affected by COVID-19 such as loans, grants and tax allowances. The Bounce Back loan scheme helped small and medium-sized businesses to borrow between £2,000 and £50,000, at a low interest rate, guaranteed by the Government.
The Bounce Back loans were made on the condition that they were not to be used for personal purposes, but could be used, for example, to purchase a company asset such as a vehicle, if it would provide an economic benefit to the business.
Tory party leader KEMI BADENOCH has welcomed the Court verdict: “Saying “trans women are women” was never true in fact and now isn’t true in law, either.
“A victory for all of the women who faced personal abuse or lost their jobs for stating the obvious. Women are women and men are men: you cannot change your biological sex.
“The era of Keir Starmer telling us that some women have penises has come to an end. Hallelujah! Well done @ForWomenScot!”
SCOTLAND’s ALBA Party has also welcomed the judgement. ALBA Women’s Convener Kirsty Fraser said: “Since our inception, the ALBA Party have been steadfast in standing up for the sex-based rights of Women and Girls across Scotland.
“We wholeheartedly welcome the judgement by the Supreme Court which vindicates our longstanding position on this issue.
“Now is the time for our political leaders in Scotland to reflect on their actions over recent years and recognise that the rights of women merit some attention”
ALBA Party Depute Leader, Neale Hanvey said: “The UK Supreme Court judgement has clearly established in law the boundaries between protected characteristics contained in the Equality Act making clear that Sex in the Act pertains to biological natal sex.
“This judgement will reverberate around the world thanks to the extraordinary efforts of Marion, Trina and Susan of For Women Scotland.”
Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney said: “The Scottish Government accepts today’s Supreme Court judgement. The ruling gives clarity between two relevant pieces of legislation passed at Westminster.
“We will now engage on the implications of the ruling. Protecting the rights of all will underpin our actions.”
Scottish Green MSP Maggie Chapman responded on X: “Sending love and solidarity to trans people everywhere.
“We will always fight to protect human rights, dignity and respect for all people.
“We stand with the trans community today, tomorrow and always.”
LABOUR’S Bridget Phillipson MP, Minister for Women and Equalities, said: ” We have always supported the protection of single-sex spaces based on biological sex.
“This ruling brings clarity and confidence, for women and service providers such as hospitals, refuges and sports clubs.
“Single sex spaces are protected in law and will always be protected by this government.”
Ms Phillipson’s remarks were followed by similar comments by Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, who said on X this evening: “I’ve always called for the protection of single sex spaces on the basis of biological sex.
“This judgment gives clarity to women and service users about the protections in the Equality Act. The SNP Government must provide clear guidance for Scottish public services so they can implement the Equality Act properly to uphold dignity for all.”
In fact Sarwar voted IN FAVOUR of the SNP’s Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill. The official Scottish Parliament record shows that only two Labour MSPs – Carol Mochan and Claire Baker – voted against!
NHS Fife has issued a statement following this morning’s Supreme Court ruling: “NHS Fife notes the clarity provided by today’s Supreme Court ruling regarding the legal definition of a woman.
“We will now take time to carefully consider the judgment and its implications.”
Former SNP MP Joanna Cherry MP said before the judgement was announced: “Whatever way the judgement falls three extraordinary women will well and truly have cemented their right to be remembered alongside Scotland’s great feminists like Mary Burton, Elise Inglis, and Frances Wright.“
She added later: Today’s judgment is not about rolling back trans rights. It is a victory for grass roots activism because self-funding feminist and lesbian groups have fought the might of the state and won.”
Baroness Falkner, Chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission said:
In a landmark move for religious equality, Ash Regan MSP of the Alba Party has tabled Scotland’s first-ever parliamentary motion explicitly condemning Hinduphobia, marking a watershed moment in the nation’s fight against religious prejudice (writes DHRUVA KUMAR).
The motion, lodged on 8 April 2025 (S6M-17089), commends the Gandhian Peace Society’s groundbreaking report on rising discrimination against Scotland’s Hindu community and applauds the tireless efforts of its authors Dhruva Kumar, Neil Lal, Sukhi Bains, Anuranjan Jha, Ajit Trivedi driving change.
The motion, supported by MSPs across party lines, including Colin Beattie, Stephanie Callaghan, and Kevin Stewart—recognises the “alarming levels of prejudice, marginalisation, and discrimination” faced by Scottish Hindus, as documented in the Society’s report.
As previously presented to the Cross-Party Group (CPG) on Challenging Racial and Religious Prejudice, the study sheds light on systemic challenges while proposing actionable solutions to foster interfaith dialogue, social cohesion, and cultural rights protections.
Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, hailed the motion as “a vital step toward acknowledging and dismantling the barriers faced by Hindu communities.”
She said: “Scotland’s diversity is its strength, but we cannot celebrate that diversity while ignoring the voices of those harmed by prejudice. This motion isn’t just symbolic, it’s a demand for tangible change.”
Authored by Dhruva Kumar and Anuranjan Jha (trustees of the Gandhian Peace Society), Sukhi Bains, Ajit Trivedi, and special contributor Mr Neil Lal (President & Chairman of the Indian Council of Scotland and United Kingdom), the report combines rigorous data with firsthand accounts of Hinduphobia. Key contributors emphasised the urgency of their work:
Dhruva Kumar and Anuranjan Jha highlighted the report’s mission: “Gandhiji taught us that ‘non-violence’ includes combating ignorance. Our findings are a call to action for policymakers to safeguard every citizen’s right to practice their faith without fear.”
They added: “This isn’t about division; it’s about unity. By addressing Hinduphobia, we’re building bridges across all communities.”
Neil Lal underscored the societal stakes: “When places of worship are vandalised or families face slurs, it’s not just Hindus being attacked, it’s Scotland’s values of tolerance. This report is a mirror held up to our society, urging us to do better.”
The motion has resonated deeply within Scotland’s Hindu community, long advocating for recognition of their struggles.
Author Aline Dobbie, and noted Indian diaspora leaders Acharya Dr Abhishek Joshi (a Hindu spiritual leader) Rashmi Rai, and Poonam Prajapati, struck a hopeful note: “This motion isn’t an endpoint, it’s the beginning of a journey toward mutual respect. Let it inspire global action.”
The Gandhian Peace Society’s (GPS) report has already sparked international interest, with activists in the UK, India, and beyond lauding Scotland’s proactive stance. By linking religious freedom to broader societal equity, the motion aligns with global human rights frameworks while addressing local realities.
As the motion moves through parliamentary procedures, advocates urge Scots to engage with its findings and support grassroots initiatives.
Read the Full Motion Here:
https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/votes-and-motions/S6M-17089
Read the Full Report (Hinduphobia in Scotland) Here:
Chris McEleny, former Alba Party General Secretary, said: “In tabling this historic motion, Ash Regan and cross-party allies have not only amplified marginalised voices but also set a precedent for nations worldwide.”
Dhruva Kumar remarked: “As Scotland reckons with its commitment to inclusivity, Regan’s motion sets a precedent: religious harmony is not passive, it is fought for, legislated, and cherished.
“With global attention from the Indian diaspora and Scottish policymakers alike, this moment transcends borders, proving that justice for one community strengthens the soul of a nation.”
GP practices and many community pharmacies won’t be available on Good Friday or Easter Monday, so before you go looking for Easter Eggs make sure you pick up any needed medication.
For more information, check: https://ow.ly/lGt150R18IZ
TUESDAY 22 APRIL 10 – 11am or 6 – 7pm ONLINE
Funding reminder! We’ll will be hosting two digital drop in sessions for anyone that is interested in applying to the North Edinburgh Community Benefits Fund and wants to find out more.
Tuesday 22 April, 10.00am – 11.00am – Online information session – Please email Granton.Waterfront@edinburgh.gov.uk for an online link.
Tuesday 22 April, 6.00pm – 7.00pm – Online information session – Please email Granton.Waterfront@edinburgh.gov.uk for an online link.
VEHICLE SECURITY
Following several incidents across the city where drivers have been unsure if they left their vehicles locked, here are a range of options which will make stealing your car or its contents more difficult, especially if several are combined – to make stealing slow, noisy and difficult.
• Physically check the vehicle doors are locked before walking away.
• Do not leave keys near windows or doors – aids relay theft and quicker for thieves to locate them.
• If your car is ‘keyless’ keep the key device in a ‘Faraday pouch’ or metal tin which prevents it receiving or transmitting radio signals to and from the car.
• If you buy a second-hand keyless car, get the key reprogrammed.
• Make sure the key and any spares are stored securely.
• Consider fitting a lock to the On-Board Diagnostic port (OBD), to prevent keys being easily reprogrammed.
• Use a steering wheel lock.
• Fit a pedal box, which encases the driving pedals in a high visibility secure box.
• Fit a parking bollard to your driveway to prevent thieves easy driving your car away.
• Prevent thieves obtaining your car keys via good home security – lights, alarms, quality door and window locks.
• When parking in the street try and find a location that is well light and if possible covered by CCTV.
For further advice follow the link…….. https://orlo.uk/E0zNd or contact the crime prevention team via edinburghpreventionandintervention@scotland.police.uk
Please report any suspicious behaviour or incidents to Police on 101 or 999.
The Capital is once again searching for a worthy recipient of the coveted Edinburgh Award. Nominations for this year are open NOW.
Since 2007, this accolade has honoured individuals who have made remarkable and lasting contributions to the city, putting Edinburgh firmly on the national and global map.
The Edinburgh Award celebrates those whose outstanding achievements have enriched our capital and showcased it to the world. Past recipients have included extraordinary musicians, bestselling authors, pioneering scientists, human rights activists, and top-tier athletes – all of whom have left an indelible mark on Edinburgh’s legacy – and all have a cast of their handprints imprinted in flagstones in front of the City Chambers.
In 2024, the Edinburgh Award was presented to Mel Young MBE, a visionary leader who has transformed lives through the Homeless World Cup. The global initiative now spans 70 countries, empowering over 100,000 homeless individuals annually.
Mel’s co-founding of the Big Issue in Scotland in1993 and leadership as Chair of Sportscotland between 2016 and 2024 also exemplify his profound impact on the city.
Edinburgh has four weeks to cast nominations for the 2025 award, before a recipient is selected by the Civic Awards Committee.
The Lord Provost of the City of Edinburgh, Robert Aldridge has urged individuals and businesses to nominate someone for the Award: “Edinburgh’s global influence over the last two centuries is thanks to the exceptional character, achievements, and excellence of our citizens.
“The Edinburgh Award gives us a chance to honour the individual whose work continues to make Edinburgh the extraordinary city we all know and love. I am continually inspired by the way Edinburgh’s people support one another, and this award reflects that community spirit.
“We are now in the 19th edition of the Edinburgh Award, and I invite everyone to nominate someone who has truly made a difference to our city. Now is your chance to help identify the next individual to be celebrated with the Edinburgh Award 2025”
Nominations opened yesterday (Monday 14 April) and close at 12 noon on Friday 16 May 2025.
To find out more and submit your nomination please visit the city council website.
