Category: North Edinburgh News

The Blue Planet effect: UK Blue Belt extended to protect rare seabirds

UK Government announces two new marine Special Protection Areas and extensions to four other sites to safeguard rare seabirds …

Nearly 150,000 rare seabirds – including the iconic little tern and black-throated diver – will be better protected as the UK’s ‘Blue Belt’ of marine protected areas extends by over 650 square miles, Environment Minister Thérèse Coffey announced today. Continue reading The Blue Planet effect: UK Blue Belt extended to protect rare seabirds

Open Days at Edinburgh College

Edinburgh College is inviting prospective students looking to further their education, boost their skills or undertake professional development in the new year to attend its campus open days this December. The open days on 7, 12 and 14 December will provide guests with an opportunity to speak to teaching staff about the courses on offer at the college and discover the best study options available to them. Continue reading Open Days at Edinburgh College

Talking Taylor: Scottish Affairs Committee to discuss sustainable employment

WESTMINSTER’S Scottish Affairs Committee conclude their inquiry into sustainable employment on Tuesday, when they will hear from the author of the Taylor review on modern working practices and UK ministers. Continue reading Talking Taylor: Scottish Affairs Committee to discuss sustainable employment

Festive plants: December Garden Plants of the Month

 December is an atmospheric month where we spend a lot of time indoors, but we can also make the garden Christmassy with the Garden Plant of the Month for December. As well as the familiar Christmas tree, there are three attractive evergreen plants that we can transform into a festive plant: Buxus, Laurus nobilis and Chamaecyparis.
By the front door, in the garden or on the balcony, these plants will certainly look very impressive with atmospheric lighting and Christmas decorations, that enables you to turn a permanent plant in the garden into a beautifully decorated festive plant. With these three evergreens, December becomes even more atmospheric!
Buxus, Laurus nobilis and Chamaecyparis: Evergreens with festive aspirations!
Buxus’s is commonly known as Box. The evergreen branches symbolize life, which is very appropriate at Christmas. This evergreen shrub lends structure to a garden, balcony or patio, particularly in winter. Buxus’s leaves also remove fine particulates from the air. Boxwood is very heavy and was used in the past to make musical instruments and sculptures. Buxus plants can be pruned to virtually any required shape – they’re almost ‘kneadable’ products. Decorated with festive materials Buxus looks fabulous in the garden in the run-up to Christmas!
The best-known festive conifer is Lawson Cypress, Chamaecyparis lawsoniana ’Ellwoodii’. This plant, which reaches a height of around 1.25 m, is very suitable for pots or containers and for ‘dressing’ beautifully. ‘Ellwoodii’ has a vertical pyramid shape, and is greyish blue. The juvenile form of the plant has upright twigs and narrow blue needles. Older plants have more tips, and the adult form has scales. It is often used as a decorated Christmas tree during the festive season.
Laurus nobilis or Laurel is also very suitable for use in an attractive pot or container beside the front door, enhancing the foliage and trunk with Christmas decorations. The globe or pyramid shapes are best suited to this. The evergreen Laurus nobilis has a stately and eminent appearance, which is referenced in the word ‘nobilis’. And if you want to use the leaves in a delicious recipe, you’ve always got the Laurus nobilis to hand.
Caring for Buxus, Laurus nobilis and Chamaecyparis
You can keep these ‘festive plants’ healthy and attractive by following a couple of simple tips.
•   All three species should be placed in partial shade to full sun. Place the plant in well-draining, moderately damp soil, and water regularly.
•   Give the plant extra food in the spring so that they grow well and remain healthy. It’s particularly important to feed the plants regularly if they’re in pots.
•   In principle Buxus and Chamaecyparis are very hardy. Laurus nobilis can tolerate a few degrees of frost, but it’s a good idea to protect the plant or bring it indoors in the event of heavy frost.
Pruning tips for Buxus, Laurus nobilis and Chamaecyparis
All three festive plants are very suitable for topiary, and are often offered in unusual shapes. Buxus and Laurus nobilis in particular can be turned into fabulous spheres, pyramids or cylinders. The best times to prune the plants are June and the end of September. Pruning is only really necessary if the plants get too big and to keep them in shape.
More information about Buxus, Laurus nobilis and Chamaecyparis and other garden plants can be found at Thejoyofplants.co.uk.

Bank branch closures: Scottish Government calls for a minimum provision of banking services to be introduced.

‘deep and damaging cuts’

The Scottish Government has called on the UK Government to establish and enforce a guaranteed minimum level of service provision for essential banking services, recognising the importance of continued access to banking for communities across Scotland, and across the UK. Continue reading Bank branch closures: Scottish Government calls for a minimum provision of banking services to be introduced.

‘shop small’ this Small Business Saturday

  • government ministers out in force to support their local independent businesses this Small Business Saturday (2 December)
  • the UK is home to a record 5.7 million small businesses
  • Edinburgh shoppers urged to support our small independent shops this weekend

Government ministers are visiting independent businesses across the UK today in celebration of Small Business Saturday. Continue reading ‘shop small’ this Small Business Saturday

Edinburgh Cheer: it’s cool to be kind

Edinburgh’s two major football clubs are setting aside sporting rivalry and coming together in a campaign designed to make Edinburgh the Capital of Goodwill over Christmas. 
 
Edinburgh Cheers is supported by the Edinburgh Evening News and Heart of Midlothian FC, through its Big Hearts Foundation, and Hibernian FC , Hibernian Community Foundation and NHS Lothian through their innovative GameChanger Public Social Partnership.
 
The two Clubs are hosting and supporting a series of events in their respective communities, with many of those being hosted at Tynecastle Park and Easter Road, all designed to harness the power of football to deliver positive social outcomes.
 
In addition, a number of events and initiatives will take place throughout December to help those in the city – young and old – who are homeless, who are suffering poor mental or physical health, or who are isolated or forgotten at this time of year, with NHS Lothian ensuring that important well-being messages are delivered as part of the campaign.
 
The city’s public, private and third sectors will come together to back the campaign with the aim of making Edinburgh a more caring and compassionate city.

The EDINBURGH CHEER campaign has received the backing of the Scottish Government’s Minister for Public Health and Sport, Aileen Campbell, who said: “It is tremendous to see two of Scotland’s biggest clubs, city rivals, coming together to promote such a positive message and to help create such a tremendous spirit at Christmas. Football – our national sport – can be a powerful force for good, and this initiative further highlights the great impact it can have in communities.”

Hearts Chairwoman and Big Hearts Trustee Ann Budge said: “The city’s two major football clubs coming together to lead this campaign will, we hope, encourage lots of people to get behind us to deliver Edinburgh Cheer this Christmas. While the two clubs are fierce rivals on the pitch, off the pitch we share similar values and a similar determination to use football to create better outcomes for people.

“Although we do have lots of passionate supporters, we really are only rivals for 90 minutes three or four times a season. Otherwise both clubs are totally committed to doing what they can for the community and to help the people of Edinburgh.”

Hibernian Chief Executive Leeann Dempster said: “We are delighted to be working with Heart of Midlothian to launch this campaign to make Edinburgh the Capital of Goodwill this Christmas, harnessing the power of football to deliver positive benefits. We are also thrilled that so many other organisations have expressed a desire to support the Edinburgh Cheer campaign, and we hope that supporters and all other citizens will sign up to help make Christmas a little kinder for all the people of Edinburgh.”

NHS Lothian Chief Executive Tim Davison said: “Football is Scotland’s national game, and we know the huge interest there is in the game and the influence that football can have. We are delighted to be working with the clubs on a campaign designed to help the well-being of all the people of Edinburgh, and to work with the Evening News to promote positive health messages.”

Follow us on Twitter and Facebook to stay up-to-date with more Edinburgh Cheer announcements!

 
You can play your part in making our city the Capital of Goodwill this Christmas 
If you can do just one of these things, please let us know you are supporting us and sign up for our Edinburgh Cheer news letter at www.edinburghnews.com for campaign updates
 
Smile and say Happy Christmas 
Traffic warden? Shop assistant? Fellow commuters? Share some festive spirit with the people you meet each day
 
Invite someone new for lunch
Maybe a neighbour who is on their own
 
 Give a little of your time
Sign up for our Edinburgh Cheer news letter and see if you can help a local charity deliver a festive project in your neighbourhood
 
 Spread the word about a good cause
Share it on Facebook and Twitter, tell your friends, and don’t forget to let us know so we can help #edincheer
 
Keep people warm on the streets
Watch out for details of how you can support our sleeping bag campaign for rough sleepers
 
 Wish a Polish neighbour Wesolych Swiat
Or say feliz Navidad to a Spanish friend
 
Bring some joy to a dinner table
Donate much-needed supplies to a foodbank such as the one at your local Tesco
 
Make an older person on their own feel special
Send them a Christmas card through #VintageVibes VIP campaign
 
Sing with us
Join our Edinburgh Cheer choir for communal carol singing. Watch out for details of where and when.
 

Take the Edinburgh Cheer pledge 

#edincheer