The Greyhound Trust urgently needs the help of people in Edinburgh area to find permanent loving homes for greyhounds like Sergio and to help us look after them over the festive season. Continue reading The Greyhound Trust: caring for over a thousand greyhounds this Christmas
By banning plastic bottles from the workplace outright, the UK would save 3.9 billion bottles from being produced by 2020 – a saving of 156,000 tonnes of plastic a year. These are the findings of office provider Desk.co.uk who is spearheading a campaign to have all single use plastic bottles outlawed by 2020. Continue reading Call to ban ALL plastic bottles in the workplace
Foul! Falkirk, Motherwell and Morton football clubs named and shamed
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) today named 260 employers for failing to pay 16,000 workers at least minimum wage rates. Government investigators identified £1.7 million in back pay for some of the UK’s lowest paid workers and fined employers £1.3 million for underpayment. Continue reading 260 employers named and shamed
Two local men who were involved in a serious road traffic collision which resulted in a 10-year-old boy being seriously injured have pled guilty to charges. They will be sentenced at a later date. Continue reading Two plead guilty to Ferry Road motorbike collision
A come and try session for para-climbers is being held at the Edinburgh International Climbing Arena this evening from 7-9pm. Organised by Climb Scotland and the EICA, this will be the first get together for the Scottish Paraclimbing Club, who will be running the ‘Come and Try Paraclimbing’ session. Continue reading Para-climbing Call to The Wall
Strategic charging zones for electric vehicles could be rolled out across the Capital as part of Edinburgh’s first Electric Vehicle Action Plan. The innovative zonal approach to charging hubs – believed to be the first of their kind in Scotland – are one of five key strategic objectives in the Council’s Action Plan, which will be considered by members of the Transport and Environment Committee today. Continue reading Council to launch Electric Vehicle Action Plan
The Simplyhealth Great Edinburgh Winter Run is returning to Scotland’s capital city at the turn of the New Year, with many of the runners taking part to champion the positive effect that running has on their mental wellbeing. Inspirational runners took to Holyrood Park yesterday to share the positive effect that running has on their mental health and how keeping up their training over winter has improved their state of mind. Continue reading Run for your life: inspirational runners gear up for Great Edinburgh Winter Run
Les Matheson, Chief Executive, Personal & Business Banking and other senior Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) executives will appear before the Scottish Affairs select committee in the new year to discuss its plans to close 62 branches in Scotland. Continue reading RBS bosses to face Westminster grilling over branch closures
John Byrne painting will raise funds for charities
A painting by John Byrne has been unveiled as the First Minister’s 2017 Christmas card. ‘Say It With A Kiss!’ is an original artwork in Byrne’s celebrated trademark style. It features a couple about to share a kiss under the mistletoe. The artwork will be auctioned next year with the proceeds going to four charities – Food Train, SCIAF, Scottish Women’s Aid and Teapot Trust.
SCIAF and children’s art therapy charity the Teapot Trust were chosen by John Byrne, while Food Train, which provides a range of services, to older people including grocery shopping and befriending and Scottish Women’s Aid were selected by the First Minister.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “I’m absolutely thrilled to have such a beautiful painting by John Byrne for my Christmas card this year. He is one of our most celebrated artists and this work has a wonderful festive feel while maintaining John’s inimitable style.
“The four charities that will benefit from the sale of the painting do fantastic work on local, national and international levels and I’m very pleased that the card can support such a wide range of good causes.”
John Byrne, while best known as a playwright for his trilogy The Slab Boys, is also a renowned artist, with several of his works exhibited in the Scottish National Portrait Gallery.
He said: “I was both surprised and delighted to be commissioned by the First Minister to produce the artwork for this year’s Official Christmas Card and got to work straight away – I had a notion to paint a young couple from my boyhood days in Paisley, having a great time jiving to the music of Jimmy McCracken’s ‘Big Band’ at the Town Hall c1957 dressed in the style of the day, with a nod to the Festive Season.”
Since 2007, artwork from the First Minister’s official Christmas cards has raised around £170,000 for good causes through sales of the original paintings and limited edition prints. Proceeds from this year’s auction will go to the Archie Foundation, SiMBA, Christine Witcutt Memorial Fund and The Dixon Community.
Saturday 9th December 11am – 1pm
Drylaw Parish Church, Groathill Road North
