13-year-old Eilidh has won with her sweet image of dog Lexie
A young teen from Scotland has been named winner of the RSPCA’s Young Photographer People’s Choice Award after securing over 1,000 votes.
15 images were shortlisted in the awards from children and young people across the UK who were all vying for the public vote. Eilidh Shannon, 13, from Inverurie, was the stand-out winner with her photo ‘Keeping a Look Out’ which shows spaniel Lexie poking her head out of the cat flap.
Eilidh said: “I’m so pleased to have won the People’s Choice Award. It’s an incredible feeling! My dogs are like best friends and I find that you can just sit next to them and whether happy or sad they’re there for you, they’re so lovely and kind. Lexie always likes to know what’s going on. If I go out into the garden without her she can’t bear it if she is not allowed to come too. She uses the cat flap to keep a close eye on me!”
Andrew Forsyth, RSPCA photographer and judge of the RSPCA’s Young Photographer Awards, added: “This photo captured the hearts of the public and captured Lexie’s personality and her love for Eilidh perfectly. The image is a very worthy winner!
“We’d urge all budding young photographers to please keep an eye out for the opening of submissions to the competition this year, or you can register your interest now at YPA25@rspca.org.uk and we’ll send you full information when we launch.”
The other shortlisted images were:
‘Spotted, the young lady’ featuring a ladybird larvae, photographed by Flynn Thaitanunde-Lobb, aged 10, from Hampshire
‘Paws’ features a cat’s paws as they climb a tree taken by Megan Smith, 12, from Edinburgh
‘Hungry Fish’ featuring a carp, by Tom Wiseman, aged 15, from Kent
‘The Portal’ featuring a reflection of a dog by Iceni Newcombe, aged 15, from Kent
‘The elegant slug’ featuring an image of a slug at a waterfall in Whitby, taken by Eva Steel, aged 14, from Cornwall
‘Frisbee Lion’ shows dog Betsie catching a frisbee, taken by George Avery, aged 12, from Cornwall
‘It Lurks’ shows a jellyfish at an aquarium, snapped by Ellie Tsang, aged 17, from London
‘Behind the Leaves’ features cat Luna hiding in bushes snapped by Eliza Harvey-Keightley, aged 14, from Surrey
‘3,2,1…Go!’ shows Emily the cat mid-run, snapped by last year’s YPA winner Anwen Whitehead, 15, from Wales
‘Biscuit?’ features dog Herb as he rests his chin on a table desperate for a treat, by Henrietta Stewart, aged seven, from Bedfordshire
‘Funny Face’ shows dog Jess pulling a face as she tries to catch a ball, by Ella Moakler-Woodhouse, aged 10, from Leeds
‘Beautiful Moth’ shows a moth perched on a window and taken by Rehana Nelson, aged 15, from Staffordshire
‘Star Catching’ features dog Robin on an evening walk, by Grace Marshall, aged 18, from West Sussex
Entries for the main RSPCA Young Photographer Awards 2025 will open on Tuesday, 6 May and will be judged by a panel of photographic experts.
The Tartan Army’s ‘Hampden Roar’ is as loud as a jet plane on match day, new research from Specsavers revealed.
As the Official Eye and Ear Care Partner of the Scottish FA, Specsavers recently put the decibel level of the famous Hampden Roar to the test.
The passionate Scotland home support has had some memorable moments down the years, leading to its reputation for having some of the best and loudest matchday atmospheres in the world.
Notably, Leigh Griffiths’ two free-kicks against England back in 2017, Gary Caldwell’s winner against France in 2006 and more recent dins as Scotland have made it to back-to-back European Championships are famous and revered throughout Scottish culture.
Looking to capture some of that magic, audio experts took in the Nations League play-off second leg against Greece at Hampden Park last weekend.
Scotland went down 3-0 to Greece on the night, nevertheless, the Glasgow crowd did their best to cheer Steve Clarke’s team on as, throughout the evening, they maintained an average decibel level of 90dB – which is the equivalent of an electric drill.
The atmosphere at the national stadium built up nicely ahead of the match as the Tartan Army reached 100dB when crowd-favourite Scott McTominay’s name was read out over the loudspeaker – a cacophony akin to a jackhammer for the popular midfielder.
It was crackling inside Hampden Park as the teams came out, reaching ambulance siren levels of 115dB, while the noise peaked for the national anthem – Flower of Scotland – as boisterous Scottish lungs soared to jet engine levels of 121dB.
Early first-half chances kept the racket steadily above 100dB, before dipping to between 70 and 90db in the second period as Greece headed towards victory.
Jenny Stephenson, Divisional Chair for Scotland, said: ‘Hearing loss affects people of all ages and, unfortunately, the longer we leave hearing issues, the worse they can become. That’s why it is so important to look after your hearing and have regular hearing checks.
‘Not only is it good for your health, it means you’ll be able to hear our famous Scottish symphonies loud and clear at matches.’
As the Official Eye and Ear Care Partner of the Scottish FA, Specsavers is here to change lives through better sight and hearing, by making expert care accessible and affordable for all.
Its hearing experts provide comprehensive free hearing checks in stores across the country and can help you find the right hearing device to suit your needs and lifestyle.
Visit www.specsavers.co.uk or go in store to book an appointment with one of our hearing experts.
Exhibitions & displays National Museum of Scotland Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF Open 10:00–17:00 daily
Injecting Hope: The Race for a COVID-19 Vaccine Until 27 Apr 2025 Special Exhibition Gallery, Level 3 Free
Injecting Hope is a new, free exhibition at the National Museum of Scotland that presents the science behind the COVID-19 vaccine. This exhibition brings together more than 80 objects that were acquired in real time during the peak of the pandemic by curators across the UK. Learn the science behind the creation of the vaccine and understand the logistics behind its global roll-out.
Cold War Scotland Until 4 Jan 2026 10:00 – 17:00 Special Exhibition Gallery 2, Level 3 Free
Scotland’s unique geography and topography provided a useful base for Allied military preparations and research during the Cold War, a 40-year nuclear stand-off between the USA and the Soviet Union following the end of the Second World War.
Cold War Scotland is an output of Materialising the Cold War, a collaborative research project between National Museums Scotland and the University of Stirling. The project explores how the Cold War heritage is represented and how museums can adapt to tell this story in future. The exhibition will explore both the visible and invisible legacies of the war in Scotland. Find out more nms.ac.uk/ColdWarScotland
COMING SOONMonkeys: Our Primate Family 28 Jun – 30 Nov
See some of the rarest and most endangered primates on Earth in Monkeys: Our Primate Family at the National Museum of Scotland. This exhibition explores the remarkable lives of our primate relatives and demonstrates how they have adapted to survive in different habitats. The exhibition brings together more than 50 species of monkeys, apes, lemurs and lorises.
Events National Museum of Scotland Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF Open 10:00–17:00 daily
Edinburgh Science Festival 2025 5 – 20 Apr All pricing and booking through Science Festival website
Join us as we host two weeks of science-fueled exploration, from free interactive exhibits to family workshops and adult talks and events. The 2025 Edinburgh Science Festival will explore the challenges of living on a planet with finite resources, through the lenses of science fiction and space exploration.
Mission Planet Earth 5 – 20 Apr 10:30 – 16:00 Free, drop in
As part of the Edinburgh Science Festival, join us in Hawthornden Court for a landing capsule game aand the chance to create your own mission craft at one of our craft tables. Our Learning Team will also be at the sparkcart with fascinating facts and stories behind our collections as well as our handling objects.
Relaxed Morning 6 Apr & 4 May 10:00-12:00 (quiet space open until 12:30) Free admission, drop-in
Join us for our monthly Relaxed Morning for anyone who would appreciate a calmer visit to the museum.
This session is primarily for, but not limited to, families with autistic children; autistic young people and adults; adults living with dementia; adults and children with mental health problems and any other visitors with sensory needs or who may prefer a more relaxed experience, plus their families, friends and carers.
Friendly staff will be there to give you a warm welcome and support your visit, as you explore some areas of the museum without noisy interactives and videos to give a more relaxed environment.
Sensory Sunday 6 Apr 11:00-12:00 and 14:00-15:00 Free, booking required
Exciting, hands-on sensory play sessions for children with additional support needs. Families with children with additional support needs and disabilities are invited to join our programme of sensory play sessions.
Explore the museum’s collections, get creative and meet other families. Sensory Sunday sessions are relaxed, fun hands-on, and respond to the needs of the families participating. You are welcome to come and go at any point during a session.
Communicating Science Through Art 17 Apr 19:30 – 20:15 Online via Zoom Free with optional donation
In this online panel discussion, artists Angela Palmer and Alec Finlay, whose artworks feature in our current Injecting Hope exhibition, will explore artistic responses to the COVID-19 pandemic and consider how art can help us gain new insights into and understandings of complex science and shared experiences.
Museum Socials 18 Apr 10:30-12:00 Learning Centre Seminar Room, Level 4 Free, booking required
Museum Socials are designed for people living with dementia, their relatives, friends, carers, and supporters. Relaxed and informal, each session explores a different museum theme through various interactive activities, including curator talks, object handling and creative crafts. And tea, cake and a warm welcome are always provided.
Join us for a film screening and discussion exploring the Scottish Deaf community’s experiences of lockdown.
Trudi Collier, Deaf Heritage Coordinator, and Will Clark, Deaf filmmaker, will present a film screening exploring experiences of Scotland’s Deaf community during the COVID-19 lockdowns.
Centre for Open Learning: Understanding Colour 24 Apr – 26 Jun 2025 11:00 – 13:00 £215 for 10 sessions
National Museums Scotland are delighted to host a new term of University of Edinburgh Short Courses – a great way to explore our collections with experts.
This course offers an introduction to the uses of colour using the National Museum of Scotland’s collections. Examine objects from the Art & Design, Natural Science and Science & Technology galleries to consider the role of colour in our world. Students will be shown some simple techniques to record the colourful images, creating a lasting reminder of their studies.
Centre for Open Learning: Georgian Scotland 24 Apr – 26 Jun 2025 11:00 – 13:00 £215 for 10 sessions
National Museums Scotland are delighted to host a new term of University of Edinburgh Short Courses – a great way to explore our collections with experts.
This course on Georgian Scotland explores Scotland’s great changes and developments between 1714–1815. Making extensive use of National Museum Scotland’s collections, the course covers the Enlightenment and the growth of universities, trade, transportation and industry, as well as the impact of Jacobite rebellions and events overseas, from France and Spain to the American colonies.
Centre for Open Learning: Scotland: Romance and Reality 23 May 10:30 – 16:30 £55 (concessions available)
This one-day course explores the Romantic images of Scotland formed in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Using contemporary primary sources and objects on display in the National Museum of Scotland, the course will discuss the influence of art, literature, transport and tourism on the Romantic image of Scotland, as well as the role played by figures such as Queen Victoria and Walter Scott.
Join us for a day of free pop-up performances and activities for the whole family as we kick off the 2025 Edinburgh International Children’s Festival. The ever-popular Family Day returns for 2025. Experience exciting pop-up performances and creative encounters with local artists – from theatre and dance to walk-about characters – there is something for the whole family to enjoy.
National Museum of Rural Life Philipshill Road, East Kilbride, G76 9HR Open 10:00–17:00 daily
Spring Explorers 8 – 11 Apr Free with museum admission and Annual Pass
Become a Spring Explorer this April at the National Museum of Rural Life. Our Spring Explorers family activities are back, and this time they’re all about pollination! Get hands on with seeds, soil and planting and sign up for storytelling, before exploring the museum galleries and historic farm.
This free family event is supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery.
Relaxed Afternoon: National Museum of Rural Life 22 Apr 14:30-17:00 Free with museum admission and Annual Pass
Join us for our monthly Relaxed Afternoon for anyone who would appreciate a calmer visit to the museum. This session is primarily for, but not limited to, families with neurodivergent children; neurodivergent young people and adults; adults living with dementia; adults and children with mental health problems; and any other visitors with sensory needs or who may prefer a more relaxed experience, plus their families, friends and carers.
Woolly Weekend 24 & 25 May 10:30 – 15:30 Free with museum admission and Annual Pass
Celebrate all things woolly with a weekend of family fun at the National Museum of Rural Life. With themed activities and crafts throughout the museum and farm, there’s plenty for all ages to enjoy! See woolly farm friends up-close, take part in wool-themed crafts in the museum and explore the galleries with our Dolly the Sheep Trail. Then head out to the farm to watch YouTube sensation Cammy Day at work with our Scottish Blackface flock. Learn how, when and why sheep are sheared and see demonstrations of some traditional and modern shearing techniques.
Tractor Tots 4 & 7 Jul 10:30 or 13:30 blocks £20 per child for block of 3, £15 per Member child for block of 3 Ages 0-4
Running in blocks of three Friday morning sessions, Tractor Tots offers a fun, focused experience for our younger visitors, introducing them to the museum and farm, and bringing it to life through interactive creative play.
Each session will take place in a different location at the museum and working farm, and will feature handling objects from our learning boxes, singing, storytelling, rhymes, actions and sensory play to learn all about life in the countryside.
National Museum of Flight East Fortune Airfield, East Lothian, EH39 5LF Open Weekends only, 10:00–16:00
Sustainable Skies 14 – 18 Apr 11:00-16:00 Free with museum admission
Join us for family activities across five days at the National Museum of Flight, as part of Edinburgh Science Festival. As well as family-friendly fun, you’ll also learn about the future challenges faced by flight and their solutions.
This free family event is supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery.
Relaxed Morning 13 Apr & 11 May 10:00 – 12:00 Free with museum admission
Join us for a Relaxed Morning at the National Museum of Flight, for anyone who would appreciate a calmer visit to the museum. Friendly staff will be there to give you a warm welcome and support your visit, as you explore the museum without noisy interactives and videos to give a more relaxed environment.
This session is primarily for, but not limited to, families with neurodivergent children, neurodivergent young people and adults, adults living with dementia, adults and children with mental health problems, and any other visitors with sensory needs or who may prefer a more relaxed experience, plus their families, friends and carers.
Scottish Secretary Ian Murray welcomes Chancellor’s £2.2billion defence budget boost
Chancellor Rachel Reeves this week pledged a new era of security and national renewal as she delivered a Spring Statement to ‘kickstart economic growth, protect working people and keep Britain safe’.
Scottish Secretary Ian Murray has welcomed her measures, including a £2.2 billion increase in the UK-wide defence budget for 2025-26, on top of £2.9 billion announced at Autumn Budget.
Mr Murray said: “We are living in an increasingly insecure world, and the extra £2.2 billion for defence – on top of the £2.9 billion announced at Autumn Budget – will make Britain stronger and safer.
“This is a huge boost for Scotland’s world-leading defence sector, which delivers Scottish economic growth and more highly-skilled jobs. The increase will also mean better homes for our military personnel and families, including the thousands based in Scotland.
“Today’s announcements underpin the great strides being made by the UK Government in achieving stability in our public finances. There have been three interest rate cuts since the general election.
“Next week the increase in the minimum wage will mean a pay rise for hundreds of thousands of workers in Scotland and our employment rights legislation will deliver the biggest upgrade in workers’ rights in a generation.
“The Spring Statement also delivered an extra £28 million for the Scottish Government. That is on top of their £4.9 billion extra from the budget, creating a record £47.7 billion settlement for 25/26, announced at the Autumn Budget.
“This is the biggest budget settlement in the history of devolution and an end to austerity. The Scottish Government must now use that wisely – to improve Scotland’s failing public services.”
This latest defence boost builds on the Chancellor’s recent visit to Babcock in Rosyth where she also announced that UK defence exporters would benefit from a £2 billion increase to UK Export Finance lending capacity.
Her Spring Statement underlines that growth is at the heart of the UK Government’s Plan for Change with £13 billion of additional capital spend allocated alongside the defence funding boost.
It follows the Budget in the autumn where it was announced that the Scottish Government will be provided with a £47.7 billion settlement in 2025/26 – the largest in real terms in the history of devolution. This includes an additional £3.4 billion through the Barnett formula, with £2.8 billion for day-to-day spending and £610 million for capital investment.
The measures announced this week top up these Barnett consequentials by a further £28 million in 2025/26.
The Scottish Government continues to receive over 20% more per person than equivalent UK Government spending in the rest of the UK, translating into over £8.5 billion more in 2025-26. Block Grant funding from 2026-27 onwards will be confirmed at Phase 2 of the Spending Review, which concludes on 11 June 2025.
The Chief Secretary to the Treasury will meet with his counterparts from the devolved governments to discuss their priorities ahead of its conclusion.
Disability Rights UK have launched a new page on the DR UK website containing information and resources regarding the recent green paper plan on benefit cuts and how people can get involved in responding.
The fallout from the recent announcements of benefit cuts and reforms has sent shockwaves through Disabled peoples organisations, disability charities and allies such as Amnesty, the Trussel Trust and many more, who all agree the cuts proposed will be catastrophic.
According to the Government, the benefits system is out of control, with far too many disabled people wrongly receiving benefits. This is not the true picture.
Social security spending overall is not increasing in any significant way.
Inclusion London have made clear that in 2023/4 the UK spent 4.88% of GDP on non-pensioner social security payments, which is lower than it was in 2009 (5.75%), the comparison year the Office for Budget Responsibility used in its 2024 Welfare Trends Report on incapacity benefits.
This is a long-term trend is steady back to the 1990s. Fraud rates for disability benefits are practically non-existent: (PIP) fraud stood at 0% in the financial year ending 2024.
It is a fact that half of all people in poverty are disabled people. Disabled people can’t afford food, energy, housing and transport, and are the biggest users of Food Banks.
The community also faces additional costs related to impairments and health conditions, amounting to up to £1k extra a month and yet the Government intends to take £5 billion pounds from Disabled peoples incomes with its benefit reforms.
With the spring statement offering even less hope, there no humanitarian or economic sense of pushing more disabled people into poverty: we need to act.
The OBR has not yet been able to forecast any employment gain from the cuts/changes to incapacity & disability benefits, so effectively MPs are being asked to support these cuts without any clear assessment of what it will achieve.
These cuts are purely about saving money, nothing else. DR UK and its allies will not stay silent as benefits are cut, public services are slashed, & our rights are eroded, join us in the fight.
The Our new web page contains what action you can take how you can get involved in campaigning against these thebenefit cuta proposals how you can respond , for example responding to the consultation write writing to your MP and protesting.
Learn more about what we campaign on, and how you can campaign with us by visiting the Take Action page
Dates: Saturday 29th March – Saturday 30th April 2025
Location: Bellfield, Portobello, Edinburgh
Target Raise: £200k (successful share issue will unlock £450k capital grand from Community Ownership, if we are unsuccessful we lose the £450k).
Porty’s trailblazing take on keeping community spaces thriving
Can we raise 200k from the community in a month?
Action Porty are launching a community share offer to raise funds to double the space in the celebration hall (the old church building) in Bellfield community centre
Action Porty currently turn away 50% of bookings due to lack of space, and the new refurbishment will create a warmer, more efficient and more accessible building.
Action Porty were the first Urban organisation to have used the community ‘right to buy’ legislation to have bought the building in 2017.
Councils, churches and police buildings are being sold off all round the country, Action Porty are showing a way that communities can get organised to own and run their own community spaces.
Community members and organisations who buy shares will have a say in what happens with the building in the future.
The building is used for youth theatre, ceilidhs, belly dancing, yoga, weddings, birthdays, Quaker meeting and much more!
“When you build more roads, you get more traffic. When you create more community spaces, you get more community” (Justin Kenrick, chair of Action Porty)
“I had my mother’s funeral here; I’ve spent pivotal moments of my life inthis building – happy or sad, joyous or full of anguish, this building has housed all those emotions” (Shauna)
Westminster’s Scottish Affairs Committee will examine the future of the Grangemouth oil refinery as part of its inquiry into GB Energy and the net zero transition on Wednesday 2nd April.
The imminent closure of Scotland’s only oil refinery at the Grangemouth industrial complex, one of Scotland’s major manufacturing facilities, threatens the jobs of around 400 workers.
This evidence session follows the publication of Project Willow, a feasibility study co-funded by the UK and Scottish governments to examine the viability of new sustainable opportunities at the Grangemouth refinery site. Carried out by consultancy EY, the study identified nine projects that could be developed with private sector investment.
The cross-party committee of MPs will question the refinery operator Petroineos, shareholder INEOS, and one of Project Willow’s authors, on the study’s findings.
Witnesses at 9.30am:
Anu Bhambi, Head of Energy Transition Strategy, EY Parthenon
Iain Hardie, Head of Legal and External Affairs, Petroineos
Colin Pritchard, Sustainability and External Relations Director, INEOS Grangemouth
Bookings go live today for a Danceathon as Edinburgh Leisure get set to transform Meadowbank Sports Centre into a vibrant dance destination on Saturday, 19th April, inviting everyone to experience the joy of dance.
Event Highlights
Date: Saturday, 19th April
Time: 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Location: Meadowbank Sports Centre, London Road, EH7 6AE
Pricing:
Free for Edinburgh Leisure members
£12.50 per class for non-members
The Danceathon builds on the momentum of the national “Let’s Dance” initiative, championed by Angela Rippon CBE, which launched last month, aiming to inspire more people to discover the incredible physical and social benefits of dancing.
“Dancing is more than just exercise – it’s a celebration of movement, music, and community,” says Alex Smith, Fitness Manager at Edinburgh Leisure.
“Whether you’re a seasoned dancer or a complete beginner, we have a class that will get you moving and smiling.”
Dance Styles for Every Taste
Participants can explore a diverse range of dance classes, including:
