Category: North Edinburgh News

Cubs go wild for centenary birthday celebrations!

Adventure, challenge, fun – all words associated with Scouting.  At the start of 2016 Chief Scout Bear Grylls challenged Cub Sections the length and breadth of the country to celebrate ‘The Wildest Birthday Ever’ for the Centenary of Cub Scouts – and 11th Broughton St Mary’s Cubs definitely rose to the challenge! Continue reading Cubs go wild for centenary birthday celebrations!

Health Secretary thanks NHS staff

Health Secretary Shona Robison has thanked some of the behind-the-scenes NHS workers who keep the health service running over the festive period. She visited staff at NHS 24 and the Scottish Ambulance Service contact centre in South Queensferry to thank them for their hard work throughout the year, and particularly over Christmas and New Year. Continue reading Health Secretary thanks NHS staff

Have your say: Haymarket ‘active travel hub’?

The City of Edinburgh Council has secured funding from Transport Scotland to explore the potential for an ‘active travel hub’ at the Capital’s Haymarket Station, a major transport interchange at the west end of the city centre.

One of Scotland’s busiest transport hubs, with thousands of people accessing all means of transport, from trains and buses to bikes and taxis every day, Haymarket Station is also a key milestone along the planned City Centre West to East Link, for which a final route was agreed last week.

Now a £10,000 feasibility study, 100% funded by Transport Scotland and being carried out on the Council’s behalf by consultants Capita Symonds, will examine the potential for Haymarket to become a ‘hub’ for active travel.

The Council has been in discussion with a number of stakeholders, including Abellio ScotRail, Sustrans and Cycling Scotland, about the proposals and a survey is now live seeking people’s views – and especially users of Haymarket Station – on what features they would want to see in such a ‘hub’.

Facilities might include cycling and walking route-mapping information and advice, bike maintenance and/or bike/e-bike hire, depending on demand and the physical space potentially available within the station area for the service.

Transport Convener Councillor Lesley Hinds said: “The City Centre West to East Link and opportunities to create an active travel hub at Haymarket Station represent a step-change in conditions for travelling by two wheels into, from and right through the city centre.

“We want to make walking and cycling as easy and attractive a choice as possible, and for more people to experience the benefits of travelling in an active and sustainable way for everyday journeys, as well as contributing positively to the city’s quality of life and air quality.

“I would encourage station users and anyone with an interest in improving facilities and information services for active travel in Edinburgh to have their say via this survey. The more people who tell us what would most benefit them in an active travel hub, the better we’ll be able to deliver a successful facility for all who’ll one day use it.”

The active travel hub survey is open for comments until Friday 6 January 2017.

Similar active travel hubs are already in place in Stirling, Ayr and Kilmarnock.

Mental health: help is at hand this Christmas season

No-one experiencing depression, low mood or anxiety should suffer in silence this Christmas, Scotland’s Minister for Mental Health has said. Maureen Watt highlighted the help and support that’s available at a time of year when some people can experience mental health problems associated with stress and loneliness. Continue reading Mental health: help is at hand this Christmas season

Ben plays his part at Easter Road’s GameChanger Christmas lunch

Local MSP Ben Macpherson has praised the work of Hibernian FC and it’s GameChanger initiative that hosted a festive lunch for the less fortunate on Christmas Day. The MSP also encouraged people across the country to reach out to those who may be spending the festive period alone. Continue reading Ben plays his part at Easter Road’s GameChanger Christmas lunch

Christmas 2016: Prime Minister’s message

Theresa May sends her best wishes to everyone celebrating Christmas in the UK and around the world:

Prime Minister Theresa May said:

This year, the United Kingdom has had much to celebrate. Her Majesty The Queen celebrated her 90th birthday, surrounded by the Royal Family and well-wishers from across our four nations, the Commonwealth, and the world.

Four years after the success of London 2012, our Olympic and Paralympic athletes continued to work and train – and they were rewarded by coming second in the medal table, becoming the first team ever to increase its medal haul four years after hosting the Games. Many of us will have more personal memories too, of happy times with family and friends. These are precious moments when people from many backgrounds, with different beliefs, come together to celebrate in families and communities.

Coming together is also important for us as a country. As we leave the European Union we must seize an historic opportunity to forge a bold new role for ourselves in the world and to unite our country as we move forward into the future. And, with our international partners, we must work together to promote trade, increase prosperity and face the challenges to peace and security around the world.

As we gather with our friends and families at this time of year we proudly celebrate the birth of Christ and the message of forgiveness, love and hope that he brings. We also think of Christians in other parts of the world who face persecution this Christmas and re-affirm our determination to stand up for the freedom of people of all religions to practise their beliefs in peace and safety.

Having grown up in a vicarage, I know how demanding it can be for those who have to work over the Christmas period. So it’s right for all of us to express our gratitude to those who will have to spend Christmas away from the people they love in looking after others: those in our health and care services, those who work with the vulnerable, as well as those who will be caring for a loved one.

And we thank those in our Armed Forces, security agencies, and emergency services who work all year round to keep our country safe – especially those who will be separated by their duty from their families and friends.

Wherever you are this Christmas, I wish you joy and peace in this season of celebration, along with health and happiness in the year ahead.