Category: North Edinburgh News

Playlist for Life event at Holyrood

A huge thank you to everyone who supported our parliamentary reception at Holyrood yesterday, whether in person or from afar!

🎶 We had an entertaining and productive evening hearing from some amazing speakers about how personal music can improve wellbeing and why it is crucial that decision-makers support embedding playlists into dementia care to help people across the U.K. now.

💚 Playlist for Life president Sally Magnusson shared her personal experience with using in dementia care with her mother Mamie that led to her founding the charity in 2013, and we heard some powerful testimony from our lived experience ambassador Carol about how discovering and using playlists has been life-changing for managing symptoms.

🤝 We received some wonderful endorsements for our work from MSPs including Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport Tom Arthur, Leader of the Scottish Labour Party @Anas Sarwar and our generous event sponsor Foysol Choudhury. We were also delighted to have Neil Bibby, Kaukab Stewart, Michael Marra and Jackson Carlaw at our event, all of whom have supported our work, including visiting some of our amazing +2600 community partners distributing free playlist resources that make up our Help Point network.

🎸 We enjoyed a performance from our new musical ambassadors The Bluebells, plus our wonderful dementia-inclusive choir and charity partner the Westerton Male Voice Choir whose rousing renditions got the whole room singing, including a track that tops the playlist of our ambassador Sir Alex Ferguson of ‘Moon River’.

🎧We want to see everyone singing from the same song sheet when it comes to embedding personal playlists into dementia care in the U.K., where if nothing changes, 1 in 2 people will be affected by dementia by either developing the condition, caring for someone with it, or both.

There’s no cure for dementia but we know that personally meaningful music can help, so we look forward to continuing our discussions with key decision-makers about making personal playlists in dementia care a reality from diagnosis to end-of-life care 💚

Net Zero Committee to visit Scottish infrastructure projects

TODAY (Friday 19 September), the Scottish Parliament’s Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee will visit Ferguson Marine Port Glasgow in Inverclyde, as well as XLCC, a subsea cable manufacturer, and Peel Ports Group in North Ayrshire.

Taking their scrutiny out of Holyrood, the Committee will be hosted by Ferguson Marine for an overview of the shipbuilding operations, an update on the progress of delivery of Glen Rosa and a meeting with the Senior Leadership Team, including the new chief executive, Graeme Thomson, who took up the position on May 1, 2025.

The Committee has taken a long-term interest in monitoring the much delayed and over-budget delivery of the Glen Rosa (Hull 802), as well as its sister ship the Glen Sannox (Hull 801), which finally went into operation earlier this year. The Committee continues to receive quarterly progress updates.

Read the latest MV Glen Rosa Quarterly progress update

Inquiry into ferries services in Scotland

The delegation will then travel to North Ayrshire to visit XLCC Hunterston to learn more about their new subsea cable manufacturing facility.

Members hope to gain a broader understanding of how renewable energy can be transmitted over long distances, including from offshore wind farms and international interconnectors.

The Committee’s final meeting will be at Fairlie with Peel Ports Group, the UK’s second largest port operator. The Committee hope to learn more about the Hunterston Port and Resource Centre (PARC), a large deep-water industrial port campus owned by the Group, which is being made into a multi-industry energy and marine campus.

The Committee will take the opportunity to discuss the Peel Ports owned Ardrossan Harbour redevelopment project, which aims to upgrade both marine and landside infrastructure to improve ferry services to the Isle of Arran.

Committee Members attending are Convener Edward Mountain MSP, Deputy Convener Michael Matheson MSP and Monica Lennon MSP. Irene Campbell, Labour MP for North Ayrshire and Arran will also be attending the North Ayrshire portion of the visit.

Convener of the Committee, Edward Mountain MSP said: “This visit will begin with us hearing first-hand from FMPG about progress in getting the Glen Rosa fit for launching next year.

“Ferry users on the Firth of Clyde – residents in Arran in particular – have been waiting a long time and want reassurance that the timetable will not slip any further.

“We look forward to hearing about the Glen Rosa’s completion from FMPG’s management and workers and about their hopes and plans for the yard’s future.

“Later when we travel to Hunterston, we’ll have a chance to put questions to Peel Ports about the prospects for the Brodick service being restored to Ardrossan. 

“We’re also interested to hear from Peel Ports about their plans to transform Hunterston PARC into a green economic hub and bring skilled employment opportunities to the area. These include exciting opportunities in subsea cable manufacturing and the role this can play in connecting renewable energy to where it’s needed most. We look forward to hearing from XLCC about their cabling project.

“Scrutiny doesn’t just happen at Holyrood. Getting out and about, engaging directly with industry and local stakeholders is an important way of our being able to better understand sectors under our remit.”

Major study to assess public health benefits of Community Wealth Building

Researchers have launched a major new investigation into the power of Community Wealth Building (CWB) to affect local economies and improve population health.

Glasgow Caledonian University will lead a £1.5million study to determine whether retaining more wealth in local communities can prevent premature deaths and tackle health inequalities.

CWB is an approach to economic development that aims to generate, circulate and retain more wealth within local areas.

The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) is funding the three-year study to examine how CWB is being implemented and how it is impacting local economies and population health.

GCU will work in partnership with researchers from the Glasgow Centre for Population Health, the University of Glasgow and Lancaster University to assess whether CWB is improving economic and health outcomes. The findings will inform local economic polices across Scotland and other parts of the UK.

Neil Craig, Professor of Public Health Economics at the Yunus Centre for Social Business and Health at Glasgow Caledonian University and Co-Principal Investigator, said: “Economic inequality is a cause of health inequality.

“Ultimately, if CWB is found to be effective in improving health and reducing inequalities, this could lead to fewer premature deaths, particularly amongst economically disadvantaged communities.”

North Ayrshire became the first area of Scotland to adopt a CWB strategy in 2020. The approach is now being piloted in Clackmannanshire, Fife, Glasgow, the South of Scotland and the Western Isles. Councils work alongside major employers, businesses and partner organisations and commit to generating employment and spending resources locally.

Dr Micaela Mazzei, Reader at the Yunus Centre for Social Business and Health and Co-Principal Investigator, said: “Previous research shows that there is a need to better understand whether and how CWB can make a real difference.

“The stakeholders recognise the importance of this work and have pledged to offer practical support, share their expertise and act on the findings.”

Councillor Tony Gurney, Cabinet Member for Green Environment and Economy at North Ayrshire Council, added: “CWB has become an integral part of how we operate, helping to support both our local community and businesses.

“In the last financial year alone, more than £70million was spent locally with almost 900 suppliers. This research is timely and important as it will deepen the evidence base to increase our understanding of the wider impacts of CWB.”

Dr Jennifer McLean, Interim Director of the Glasgow Centre for Population Health, said: “We will work to ensure that the voices, expertise and perspectives of those working across various sectors involved in local CWB implementation in Scotland are able to shape and inform this project, so that the evaluation is grounded in local insights, and that learning is relevant to local people and communities.”

Empty Kitchens Full Hearts closed for essential maintenance

NO COMMUNITY LUNCHES TODAY AND NEXT FRIDAY (26TH)

We’re undergoing essential maintenance next week, which means a change in our usual operations!

As a reminder, this means:

🥣 There will be no community lunch today (19 September) or 26 September

🥣 Our kitchen is closed from the 22nd to 26 September. Meal deliveries restart on the 30 September.

We’re sorry for any inconvenience and thank you for your understanding 🌟

Council delivers multi-million-pound investment in buildings

Over £188 million is being invested towards improving public buildings in Edinburgh, with £20 million set aside for the next 12 months.

As part of a major programme of work being delivered over 10 years, dozens of schools, libraries, offices, museums and monuments are being brought up to a better standard, helping to improve facilities in line with the city’s climate goals.

In a report to Finance and Resources Committee today (Thursday 18 September), Councillors heard how £113.7 million has been invested since 2018, with 90% of the Council’s estate now in a good or satisfactory condition.

In the last 12 months, the Asset Management Works Programme has successfully upgraded several schools including Parson’s Green Primary, where a new air source heat pump is helping to provide a low carbon heating system, in addition to new roofing with solar panels and LED lighting.

This year, improvements are planned at a further nine schools and early years settings, including the Victorian-built Stockbridge Primary and to Tollcross Nursery, where new windows and improvements to roofing will reduce heat loss.

Notable upgrades have also taken place at the Nelson Monument and Usher Hall, where acoustically designed seating has replaced all 2,200 seats in the 111-year-old auditorium.

Councillor Mandy Watt, Finance and Resources Convener, said: “This is a huge programme of work to make our schools warmer and our community spaces more welcoming.

“We have close to 600 buildings in the Council estate, some of them up to 200 years old, so it’s important that we maintain these spaces and make them fitter for the future.

“As a result of the investment we’ve made to date, facilities are in a better condition and our carbon footprint has reduced. I’m pleased that we’ve managed to bring over 90% of our estate up to a good or satisfactory standard – up from 83% in 2018 – with further significant improvements planned in the coming year.”

Serious assault in Clerk Street: Do you know this man?

Police have released images of a man they believe may be able to assist with their investigation into a serious assault in Edinburgh that took place on Clerk Street around 10.45pm on Tuesday, 12 August 2025.

The man in the image is described as white, around 30 to 40 years old and of slim build. He was wearing a white t-shirt with a collar and carrying a black Fox Racing rucksack on his back.

Detective Sergeant Mark Richmond said: “We would encourage this man, anyone who may recognise him, or anyone with information about this incident to get in touch.”

Anyone who can assist is asked to contact Police Scotland via 101, quoting incident number 4130 of 12 August 2025. Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 where information can be given anonymously.

Reducing drugs harm

Funding enables more people to access support

More people impacted by drugs have received support after the Scottish Government funded 225 community-based projects across the country.

The National Drugs Mission Funds distributed almost £13 million in grants in 2024-25 through the Corra Foundation. In 2024-25, there were more than 51,000 interactions with support services, an increase from 33,613 the previous year thanks to sustained funding.

The multi-year funding helps people in crisis and provides continued support throughout their recovery, including access to medication assisted treatment and residential rehabilitation.

Drugs Policy Minister Maree Todd said: “These funds are enabling vital, community-led work that supports people affected by drug harm with care, compassion, and dignity.

“The projects are focused on a wide range of areas, including recovery, mental health, reducing stigma and supporting young people.

“This report highlights the progress and impact of these projects and the types of support provided directly to people, their families and communities impacted by drugs. I have been especially struck by the creativity, resilience and partnership shown by organisations delivering support which is rooted locally, with more than 51,000 interactions this past year.

“I’m proud to continue the work of those who came before me, and to be part of a mission that is turning hope into action. My sincere thanks go to Corra, and to every person and project involved – these efforts are saving lives and helping to build a Scotland where recovery is real and support is always within reach.”

Corra Foundation Chief Executive Carolyn Sawers said: “Corra is honoured to work in partnership with organisations that are making a meaningful difference to the lives of people affected by drug use in Scotland.

“This report recognises the vital work of these projects, the committed efforts to reduce drug harm and the challenges encountered in addressing the issue.

“It makes clear the importance of access to multi-year funding to provide security for organisations to sustain their work.”

national-drugs-mission-fundsDownload

Transforming the justice system for victims and witnesses

Landmark Bill passed by Holyrood

A landmark Bill to place victims and witnesses at the heart of the justice system has been passed by Parliament.

The Victims, Witnesses, and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill contains historic reforms to transform victims’ and witnesses’ experience of the justice system and ensure they are treated with compassion, while continuing to safeguard the rights of the accused.

Key reforms include abolishing the ‘not proven’ verdict in all criminal trials to help create a clearer, fairer and more transparent decision-making process. The jury majority required for a conviction will move from a simple majority to at least two-thirds to ensure fairness and balance.

The Bill will see trauma-informed practice embedded across the system to avoid victims being re-traumatised by the legal process. It will improve the Victim Notification Scheme and establish an independent Victims and Witnesses Commissioner for Scotland to champion their rights.

The legislation also includes significant new measures to meet the needs of survivors of sexual offences by:

  • establishing a specialist Sexual Offences Court to enable complainers to give their best evidence while minimising the potential for re-traumatisation
  • protecting the dignity of victims of sexual offences through an automatic lifelong right of anonymity
  • providing an automatic right to independent legal representation for complainers in sexual offence cases when an application is made in court to lead evidence of the complainer’s sexual history or character
  • creating a legal right for victims in rape and serious sexual offences cases to access transcripts of the court proceedings free of charge.  

Justice Secretary Angela Constance said: “This historic legislation will put victims and witnesses at the heart of a modern and fair justice system.

“By changing culture, process and practice across the system, it will help to ensure victims are heard, supported, protected and treated with compassion, while the rights of the accused will continue to be safeguarded.

“This legislation, which builds on progress in recent years, has been shaped by the voices of victims, survivors, their families and support organisations, and it is testimony to their tireless efforts to campaign for further improvement.

I am grateful to those who bravely shared their experiences to inform the development of this legislation and pave a better, more compassionate path for others.”

Granton’s Harvest Festival 2025

SATURDAY 27 SEPTEMBER 3 – 6pm

It’s nearly time for our Harvest Festival! Saturday 27th September at the garden. All welcome, for this free family friendly event! From 3pm.

Harvest Feast, performances from talented locals, creative activities and more!

If you’d like to contribute a musical (or other) performance, or help out on the day, please contact tom@grantoncommunitygardeners.org