Category: North Edinburgh News

Cast and musicians announced for new show “KELI” about Brass Bands

  • New cast, musicians, and creatives announced for KELI, the debut play from Ivor Novello Award-winning composer Martin Green (Lau).
  • Based on personal stories from the critically acclaimed BBC Radio 4 series ‘Love, Spit and Valve Oil’

WORLD PREMIERE 

National Theatre of Scotland and Lepus Productions present 

KELI 

A play by Martin Green

Written and music composed by Martin Green

Directed by Bryony Shanahan 

Cast: Liberty Black (Keli), Karen Fishwick (Jayne), Olivia Hemmati (Amy/Saskia), Billy Mack (Willie Knox)and Phil McKee (Brian). 

Performing Musical Director – Louis Abbott and small brass ensemble – 

Stacey Ghent, Flugelhorn; Hanna Mbuya, Tuba and Karen Fishwick, Euphonium 

Set and Costume Designer – Alisa Kalyanova, Sound Designer – George Dennis, Lighting Designer – Robbie Butler, Casting Director – Anna Dawson 

Touring Scotland from Saturday 10 May to Saturday 14 June 2025. 

Previews at Macrobert Arts Centre, Stirling before opening at the Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh and touring to Dundee Rep Theatre; Perth Theatre and Tramway, Glasgow from May to June 2025.  

Opening performance at the Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh on Thursday 15 May 2025. 

Best known as the virtuoso accordionist in the visionary folk trio Lau, Martin Green has spent the past two years on an odyssey deep into the world of brass bands, culminating in this staging of KELI, marking its world premiere as a stage play. Making his professional debut as a playwright, Green was inspired by conversations he had for the BBC Radio 4 series ‘Love, Spit and Valve Oil’.  

KELI will feature brass band music from Green’s acclaimed album SPLIT THE AIR. Each performance will feature a live brass band performance from a leading Scottish brass band or ensemble of leading brass band players.

National Theatre of Scotland and Lepus Productions are delighted that Whitburn band and Kingdom Brass will be part of this Scottish tour, sustaining ongoing relationships with Scottish brass bands and the communities they represent. 

Whitburn Band, one of Scotland’s leading brass bands, was formed in the heart of the coal mining area of West Lothian in 1870 originally serving as an outlet for members of the mining community to perform at local parades and gala days. The Band has been Scottish Champion 22 times, competes throughout the UK and Europe, and performs regularly at major Scottish events. Recent performances include Celtic Connections and the Edinburgh International Festival.  

Kingdom Brass was formed in 1999, after the amalgamation of the Cowdenbeath and the Kelty & Blairadam Bands. In the same year, the band competed for the first time at the Fife Championships and swept the boards. Since then, the band has competed locally and nationally winning numerous trophies and is established as one of Scotland’s top bands. The band performs at concerts, bandstand events, and local Gala days. 

Liberty Black will play the titular role of Keli in her professional theatre debut and Karen Fishwick plays her mother Jayne. They are joined by Phil McKee as band leader Brian, Billy Mack who plays 135-year-old ex-miner and town hero Willie Knox and Olivia Hemmati playing multiple roles. 

Liberty Black is in her final year at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. She performs and writes music and toured the UK with a band. Royal Conservatoire of Scotland credits include: The Cosmonauts Last Message…, Uncle Vanya and Romeo and Juliet.  

Karen Fishwick previously appeared in Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour, National Theatre of Scotland and Live Theatre’s smash hit musical production which toured internationally and had a run in London’s West End. Theatre credits include Romeo and Juliet and The Merry Wives of Windsor (Royal Shakespeare Company) and 101 Dalmations (Regents Park Open Air Theatre). Karen’s screen appearances include Outlander (Sony/Starz) and Call the Midwife (BBC).  

Billy Mack is an award-winning actor, previously appearing in The Cheviot, The Stag and The Black, Black Oil and The Enemy (National Theatre of Scotland). Recent theatre and TV/film credits include Men Don’t Talk (Genesis Theatre Company), Only Child (Happy Tramp/BBC) and On Falling (Sixteen Films).  

Phil McKee has worked extensively across theatre, film and TV. Previous work with National Theatre on Scotland includes Mary Stuart and Dunsinane (National Theatre of Scotland/RSC/Royal Lyceum Theatre). Screen credits include Clash of the Titans (Gorgon Films), The Rig (Amazon) and Deadwater Fell (Channel 4).  

Olivia Hemmati trained at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School where she was a finalist for the Carleton and Hobbs Award 2024. Olivia is making her professional stage debut in KELI. 

The production features a brass ensemble of musicians led by Stacey Ghent on flugelhorn with Hanna Mbuya on tuba alongside Karen Fishwick on the euphonium. 

Stacey Ghent is a hard of hearing actress and musician raised in South Shields. Stacey’s TV/screen and theatre credits include a role as a teacher of the deaf in Coronation Street (ITV); A Thousand Blows (Disney+); Brassed Off and Blonde Bombshells of 1943 (Octagon Bolton/Theatre by the Lake, Keswick/Stephen Joseph, Scarborough).  

Tuba player Hanna Mbuya is a member of Mercury-nominated 10-piece seed, Chineke! Orchestra and Nu Civilisation. Other collaborations have included those with artists  

Anna Meredith, Jon Batiste and Soweto Kinch, in addition to appearances with horn sections alongside artists including Solange, Joy Anonymous and Arlo Parks. Recent work in theatre includes Richard III (2024) & Hansel and Gretel (2024) at Shakespeare’s Globe.   

Performing Musical Director for KELI, Louis Abbott, is a multi-instrumentalist and singer and the songwriter for the chamber-pop band Admiral Fallow. Recent theatre work includes his role as co-musical director on the award-winning A Giant on the Bridge (Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2024). As a musician, drummer, engineer and producer Louis has collaborated with some of Scotland’s finest musicians including King Creosote, Camera Obscura and Eddi Reader. 

“The skill, the craft, is in controlling the pressure.” 

KELI tells the story of a fiery, sharp-witted teenager in a former mining town. Coal means little to Keli, but the mines left music in the blood of this place.  

As the best player her brass band has ever had, music is easy. Everything else is a fight. Feeling trapped in small-town life, pressure mounts.  

When the chance to change everything arises, can Keli keep a lid on it all?  

Marking 40 years since the miners’ strikes and featuring a sharp, hilarious script and live brass score by Ivor Novello winner Martin Green, KELI is a gripping show about community, creativity, and the power of music.  

Touring Scotland in 2025, the show will reach audiences across the country who belong to communities that were hugely affected by the miners’ strike of 1984-85. 

Green’s journey began by chance near his home in Midlothian. Following a poster advertising ‘BRASS IN THE PARK’, he discovered a self-sustaining world of music-making that – like the folk tradition – had retained its social function and was part of the warp and weft of the communities that performed it.  

The fictional play has evolved from the critically acclaimed BBC Radio 4 series Love, Spit and Valve Oil which explored the phenomenon of modern brass banding and featured interviews with members of brass bands. These interviews have inspired aspects of the characters in the play. In 2022 KELI was commissioned by The Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh as a three-part audio drama. 

“KELI is a hard story about the limitations placed on working-class lives, capturing teenage desperation, depression and fulfilment through music…forces of dialogue, music and folklore harmonise to a riveting final episode.”  The Guardian (on the audio drama, KELI) 

Martin Green is a multi-award-winning musician and Ivor Novello winning composer. As a member of Lau, he has won four BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards for Best Group an unprecedented four times. In 2014 he received a Paul Hamlyn Foundation Award for Artists in recognition of his talent as a composer. In 2019 he won the Ivor Novello award for his large-scale installation Aeons that was part of The Great Exhibition of the North. 

Most recently Martin has gone on to create critically acclaimed work for BBC Radio 4 exploring different communities all over the UK and their relationship with music. These have reached millions of listeners and been highly commended by Association of International Broadcasters. 

Martin shared the stage with Whitburn Band as part of Celtic Connections at Tramway in early 2024 – “a profoundly moving affair” ***** The Scotsman. 

Martin is the Artistic Director of Lepus Productions, who are co-producing KELI with National Theatre of Scotland, marking the first time the companies have collaborated.  

Bryony Shanahan directs, marking her NTS debut. Previously Bryony was Joint Artistic Director of the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester, and most recently directed the acclaimed, Same Team – A Street Soccer Story for the Traverse Theatre. Other notable productions include Bloody Elle (Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Soho Theatre and West End) and also for the Royal Exchange Theatre, No Pay? No Way! Beginning, Let The Right One In, Nora: A Doll’s House, Wuthering Heights, Queens of the Coal Age, Weald, and Nothing.   

Martin Green, writer and composer, said: “To be making KELI with National Theatre of Scotland and Bryony Shanahan forty years on from the Miners’ Strike, feels absolutely right; an incredible team of visionary people. Perfect.” 

Bryony Shanahan, director, said: “My introduction to this project was that it was about a 17-year-old called Keli – foul-mouthed, hilarious and a virtuoso flugelhorn player – who finds herself in a disused coal mine with a 150-year-old Marxist miner after the strangest night of her life.

“Oh, and that it features a live brass band. I was in! I am so thrilled to be working with National Theatre of Scotland, Lepus and Martin Green to bring KELI to life.

“It’s a story about community, legacy and above all, music and I can’t wait to invite audiences into Keli’s remarkable world and heart.” 

KELI was developed with National Theatre of Scotland and The National Theatre, London’s Generate programme and was originally commissioned as an audio drama by The Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh. Both KELI and SPLIT THE AIRwere developed with the support of Creative Scotland and The Space.Development of KELI was also supported by Freedom Festival, Hull. The music for KELI, Split the Air, was originally commissioned by PRS Foundation for the New Music Biennial at The Southbank Centre, and UK City of Culture. 

Macrobert Arts Centre, Stirling (preview Sat 10 May); Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh (previews Tues 13 to Wed 14 May) Thurs 15 to Sat 17 May; Dundee Rep Thurs 22 to Sat 24 May; Perth Theatre Wed 4 to Sat 7 June; Tramway, Glasgow Wed 11 to Sat 14 June 2025. 

On social: #KELI 

Access info: There will be audio described, captioned performances and touch tours in Edinburgh, Dundee, Perth and Glasgow. There will also be integrated BSL interpreted and chilled performances on offer. All performances will be autism-friendly.  

Theatre for a Fiver tickets are also available for 14-to-26 years and those on low-income benefits at the venues above. 

Full access info here. 

Full performance information and creative biogs here. 

Letter: Green Freeports are a threat to Scotland’s sovereignty and workers’ rights

Dear Editor,

I, Dhruva Kumar, former MP Candidate for the ALBA Party, write with grave concerns to your readers regarding the profound risks posed by Green Freeports to Scotland’s economy, society, workers’ rights, and national sovereignty.

As Scotland stands at a crossroads between Westminster’s economic impositions and the promise of independence, the establishment of so-called “Green Freeports” demands urgent scrutiny.

The ALBA Party, alongside trade unions and communities, raises profound concerns about this deeply flawed policy that risks entrenching corporate exploitation, undermining devolved powers, and jeopardising Scotland’s future within the European Union.

The Scottish Government initially rejected the UK’s Freeport model, rightly wary of its historical links to tax avoidance and weakened labour protections. Yet under pressure from Westminster, Holyrood capitulated, rebranding these zones as “Green Freeports” with aspirational net-zero and fair work pledges.

The reality, however, is stark: these “green” labels are little more than cosmetic. As SPICe researchers note, the Scottish Government’s requirements for living wages and decarbonisation lack enforceability, leaving compliance to the “whim of corporations”.

Freeports create a two-tier workforce. While the Scottish Government “hopes” employers will adhere to fair work principles, the UK retains control over reserved employment laws. Trade unions warn of a “dangerous unregulated backdoor” diluting protections, with no guarantees on union recognition or health and safety standards. The Teesport Freeport scandal-a litany of environmental and labour abuses- offers a grim precedent.

Promises of 75,000 jobs and £10 billion in investment are illusory. As Peter Henderson, a customs expert, highlights, Freeports globally displace jobs rather than create them, siphoning economic activity from surrounding areas. Local authorities, already stripped of business rates revenue, face infrastructure strain without recourse.

The £52 million seed funding pales against the long-term fiscal cost. Tax exemptions-including employer NICs and stamp duty-deprive public coffers while enabling profit-hoarding by multinationals. This is not “levelling up”; it is a race to the bottom.

The European Parliament has condemned Freeports as hubs for illicit trade and tax evasion. For an independent Scotland seeking EU membership, these zones could prove a fatal liability.

Despite claims of “net-zero hubs,” the Forth and Cromarty Firth bids prioritise industries like fossil fuel logistics and hydrogen-a fig leaf for continued carbon dependency. The lack of binding environmental safeguards, coupled with Westminster’s control over regulations, renders “green” branding a cynical farce.

The ALBA Party condemns this collaboration between Holyrood and Westminster as a betrayal of Scotland’s economic sovereignty. The SNP’s acceptance of Freeports, a policy omitted from the Bute House Agreement, highlights a lack of coherent industrial strategy for coastal communities.

We urge the Scottish Government to: Halt all Freeport development pending independent impact assessments, Reject UK-imposed tax havens that undermine devolved powers, and Champion an industrial strategy rooted in fair work, local democracy, and renewable energy—not corporate handouts.

Independence requires foresight. By entangling Scotland with Westminster’s Freeport agenda, we shackle our nation to a legacy of exploitation. The time to resist is now.

Yours sincerely,

Dhruva Kumar

Former Glasgow South MP Candidate

Media Co-Ordinator, Alba Party Glasgow

Humza Yousaf visits the Tape Letters exhibition at Museum of Edinburgh

Former First Minister and current MSP for Glasgow Pollok, Humza Yousaf met with members of the Tape Letters Scotland team to look round the Tape Letters exhibition at the Museum of Edinburgh on Wednesday.

Created by Modus Arts, Tape Letters Scotland is a social history project which shines a light on the practice of recording and sending messages on cassette tape as an unorthodox method of communication by Pakistanis who migrated and settled in Scotland between 1960-1980.

Running until Feb 23rd, the exhibition platformed the experiences of members of Edinburgh’s Pakistani community, drawing directly from both first-hand interviews gathered as part of the project, and from the informal and intimate conversations on the cassette tapes themselves.

Tape Letters Scotland was made possible by The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Artistic Director of Modus Arts and Tape Letters Scotland Project Director Wajid Yaseen said: “Since launching the project in Scotland in 2022 it has been our immense privilege to work with Scottish-Pakistani families across the central belt who have taken the time to share their personal stories and cassette tapes with us.

“In collaboration with our partner organisations and venues, we have launched a series of creative outputs including three exhibitions, a digital exhibition, educational resources, a podcast series, and a physical cassette tape archive at the National Library of Scotland which not only helps to raise awareness but also cements a lasting legacy.

“As the project draws to a close, we were delighted to welcome Humza Yousaf to the exhibition at the Museum of Edinburgh, to share these insightful, personal accounts from this important period of Scottish-Pakistani social history.” 

Former First Minister and current MSP for Glasgow Pollok, Humza Yousaf said: “Can I thank the brilliant team involved in putting together the Tape Letters Scotland project. As someone whose parents came to this country in the 1960s from Pakistan, I found this exhibition to be deeply moving.

!For those of us who are second, third or fourth generation immigrants, we often forget the sacrifices of the first generation who arrived here, and how hard it must have been for them to leave behind family, friends and a whole community.

“The tape letters were a wonderful insight into how the first generation of immigrants from Pakistan used their ingenuity to keep a close bond with those they had left behind, as they started a new life here in Scotland.

“I want to thank all those who worked hard to ensure these tapes could be exhibited at the Museum of Edinburgh.”

https://www.edinburghmuseums.org.uk/whats-on/tape-letters

Children in Scottish hospitals deprived of mental health support

Charity Starlight highlights the need for play to reduce healthcare-induced trauma

Only one in four (25%) health boards in Scotland report having budgets for essential mental health play services for seriously ill children, according to a freedom of information request carried out by Starlight, the national charity for children’s play in healthcare. 

Areas with the most children living in areas of highest deprivation tended to have less or no resourcing. As noted in Starlight’s recent report2, these children are most at risk of trauma.     

Cathy Gilman, chief executive of Starlight said: “Play services, which include evidence-based activities, games and toys, are one of the most effective ways to reduce trauma in children undergoing healthcare treatment.

“It can explain complex procedures in child-friendly ways, distract children from pain and help professionals do their jobs by reducing children’s stress. 

“The lack of budget for this vital support in Scotland is as shocking as it is sad, with so many children facing incredibly harrowing circumstances without support.” 

Starlight’s research also revealed that even those trusts with budget for play services did not extend support to evenings and weekends – quiet periods that can be hardest of all for children to face. 

Claire’s daughter Lucy, 12, has had a rare condition affecting her oesophagus and trachea since birth. Claire said: “We live two hours away from Aberdeen and Lucy’s dad is in the RAF, so it’s hard for him and Lucy’s two siblings to visit when we are staying there, and other family are five hours away.

“This means it’s usually just me there, so having the play workers in hospital organising fun things to do, for example face painting and having visits from exotic animals, means that Lucy can have some fun, and I can do things such as have a shower, and not have to worry about her being alone in hospital, as I know she is with the play workers and having fun.” 

Heather Beattie, play service manager at Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital, said: “I genuinely believe that a paediatric hospital couldn’t function properly without a solid, well-trained play team.

“Play is such a vital component of creating a positive experience for both the child and their family and is an inseparable part of their treatment journey. 

“You can’t separate children from play, it’s inherent to who they are. But it’s crucial that this play is appropriate and provided by trained professionals who understand the unique needs of these young patients.” 

In October 2024, Heather’s team won Play Team of the Year award at Starlight’s annual Play in Healthcare Awards. 

Community Councils: Time’s running out to submit your Nomination Form

Nominations opened for Community Council elections on 6 February 2025.  Noominations close at 4pm on Thursday 27 February 2025.

The quickest method to return completed nomination forms is by email to the Governance Team at community.councils@edinburgh.gov.uk

If you choose to return by hand or by post please ensure you allow sufficient time for the nomination form to be received before the deadline at 4pm on Thursday 27 February 2025.  

Example completed nomination forms are attached to this email. All sections that must be completed are highlighted in yellow.

Attached is a breakdown of every valid nomination received for each individual Community Council as of 20 February 2025.

For each individual Community Council, you will also note the column with the minimum number of nominations required to establish the Community Council. We have highlighted in green the Community Councils that have already met the minimum elected members threshold.

Nomination form – further clarification

  1. We being persons residing in and appearing on the electoral register for the area of’ – ‘area’ means the community council area that you are being nominated for. Please ensure that you include the correct name of the Community Council and not the constituency or ward information. You can check the name of your community council on our website.
  1. An individual can be both a single proposer and a single seconder, e.g.  They could propose Individual A and second Individual B. They cannot propose or second any other individuals.
  1. A nominees family member (e.g. Wife, husband, brother etc.) can propose or second them in compliance with the point above.
  1. Please only submit 1 nomination form via 1 method of submission e.g. via email OR by hand OR by post. Please do not send multiple copies of nomination forms to the Governance Team as this creates additional administrative pressures. The quickest method to return completed nomination forms is by email to the Governance Team at community.councils@edinburgh.gov.uk

Since nominations opened we have received a number of nominations which have been assessed as not valid.  All candidates have been provided with advice on how to rectify and re-submit by the closing date of 4pm on Thursday 27 February 2025.

Common ‘not valid’ reasons

Below are common reasons why nomination forms have been assessed as not valid

  • The nomination form does not detail the name of the Community Council area that the candidate has been nominated for.
  • The nomination form has not been signed in ink by the proposer, seconder and candidate.
  • The nomination form has not been dated by the proposer, seconder and candidate.
  • Photo of nomination form and signatures must be legible.

Below are common reasons why Local Interest Group nomination forms have been assessed as not valid

  • The LIG nomination form has not been signed in ink by the President/Chairperson and Secretary/Treasurer.
  • A copy of the LIGs constitution has not been supplied.
  • The LIG nomination does not include the name(s) of the Community Council.

If you need any assistance with completing a nomination form then please do not hesitate to contact us at community.councils@edinburgh.gov.uk

Regards

Governance Team

MPs to hold a debate on the Third anniversary of the war in Ukraine

On Thursday 27th February, MPs will hold a debate on the Third anniversary of the war in Ukraine.

A full transcript of the debate which be available three hours after the debate on Commons Hansard. 

Backbench Business Committee 

The Backbench Business Committee meets weekly on Tuesdays to consider requests for debates from any backbench Members of Parliament on any subject. 

The Committee then has to decide how to allocate the limited Parliamentary time it has at its disposal.

Urgent Action Needed: Leaders call for dedicated Muslim Cemetery 

A high-profile community meeting hosted by Scottish Parliament Member for the Lothian  Region, Foysol Choudhury has reignited long-standing calls for a dedicated Muslim cemetery  in Lothian, as the community faces an alarming shortage of burial spaces. 

For years, Edinburgh’s Muslim population has struggled with limited burial provisions,  creating distress due to the religious obligation for swift burials. Despite ongoing  discussions, existing spaces are rapidly depleting—only 80 plots remain at Ratho Cemetery,  with 200 allocated in Midlothian.

Future developments, like Craigmillar Castle Park  Cemetery, remain uncertain, leaving families in limbo. Despite progress, the number of  dedicated burial sites remains insufficient to meet the needs of the growing Muslim  population. 

At the meeting, policymakers, community leaders, and stakeholders stressed the urgent  need for a long-term solution, calling for a dedicated, faith-based, and not-for-profit Muslim  cemetery, similar to London’s Garden of Peace.

In response, over the past several years,  Choudhury has been actively engaging with Edinburgh Council’s Heritage Team,  Bereavement Services, and planning departments to identify viable sites, including  Mortonhall House and Prestonpans, though no final decisions have been made. 

This meeting provided an update on ongoing efforts and offered a platform for community  voices to be heard.

Foysol Choudhury MSP said: “The current situation is unsustainable. Our community needs a  permanent burial solution that respects Islamic traditions and provides dignity for  generations to come.”

Attendees urged swift collaboration between government officials and local authorities to  secure land and establish a sustainable cemetery that will serve the community for the next  100 years.

Mr Choudhury emphasised this sentiment, summarising: “Community leaders,  policymakers, and officials must collaborate to secure land for a permanent Muslim  cemetery that can serve future generations.”

Exclusive Auction Prizes Announced for RHASS Presidential Initiative Charity Dinner

The Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland (RHASS) Presidential Initiative, headed up by President George Lyon, Vice Presidents; Margo McGill Scott, Andrew Malcolm, Rob Wainwright, Lord George Robertson and Chaplain Isabell Montgomerie, have announced a spectacular lineup of silent and live auction prizes ahead of their much-anticipated charity dinner to be held on the 21st March in the impressive Donald Malcolm Heritage Centre in Linwood.

The event will raise vital funds that will be divided between RHASS partner charities; the Scottish Association of Young Farmers Clubs’ (SAYFC) Big Build, the Royal Highland Education Trust (RHET), RSABI, and Farmstrong Scotland.

This year’s Presidential Team, representing Strathclyde, has curated a unique selection of over 75 auction prizes designed to appeal to a wide audience, from luxury seekers to sports enthusiasts and those in the agricultural community.

Among the standout prizes are:

  • Luxury experiences: An exclusive helicopter ride, a four-ball at Gleneagles, a three ball at Turnberry with afternoon tea, overnight accommodation and a luxury car to drive there, and various luxury breaks across Scotland.
  • Exclusive sports memorabilia: Signed football and rugby tops from Celtic, Rangers, and Glasgow Warriors – a must-have for passionate fans.
  • Agricultural prizes: A vintage plough, straws of sexed semen from Worldwide Sires, and 18 doses of private semen from some of the most sought-after Texel rams in the UK and Texel embryos from Hugh Blackwood & Son.
  • Whisky collectors’ dream: A Johnnie Walker Blue Label 200th Anniversary Cask Strength 60.5 abv NV with a baccarat glass decanter, stopper and booklet and leather presentation case, and cask of Kilchoman whisky.

George Lyon, RHASS President, said: “The Strathclyde Presidential Team has worked hard to bring together an incredible range of auction prizes that reflect the best of Scotland’s heritage, sport, and agriculture.

“I would like to personally thank our sponsors who have given so generously to the auction. We encourage everyone to head to the online auction site to place their bids and support our chosen charities, which carry out so much valuable work in our rural communities.”

Ewan Andrew President, Diageo Supply Chain & Procurement, one of the auction’s generous donors, also shared their excitement: “We are immensely proud to support the RHASS Presidential Initiative and its efforts to raise vital funds for such impactful charities.

“At Diageo, we are proud to support the communities in which we operate. This event not only showcases Scotland’s rich heritage and agricultural excellence but also highlights the importance of collaboration and community spirit.

“We are thrilled to contribute with our unique auction prize and look forward to seeing the positive difference this initiative will make.”

The silent auction opened for bids yesterday (Friday 21 February), allowing participants the opportunity to secure these exclusive prizes while supporting various excellent causes.

Bids will be placed confidentially via an online platform. At the close of the auction, the highest bid for each item will win, and the successful bidders will be notified.

Bidding will close at 11pm on 21 March 2025.

Bids for the live auction prizes can also be placed online and they will be used as the starting bid on the night.

The charity dinner, one of four high-profile events hosted by the Strathclyde Presidential Team, will be a key highlight in their year-long initiative, which will culminate at the 2025 Royal Highland Show.

The major sponsors of the dinner are Diageo, Dunbia Highland Meats, Parks Motor Group, Malcolm Group, and Loch Fyne. There are still a few tickets available for the dinner.

Throughout their tenure, the team has used its year as a platform to showcase how agriculture is leading the way in developing new solutions to support Scotland’s journey to net zero.

For more information on the auction including the full list of lots, and to place a bid, visit https://weareeventpal.com/RHASS2025/home_page.

UK Government kickstarts work with Scottish Government to boost broadband in rural Scotland

Around 11,000 Scottish homes and businesses to gain access to lightning-fast broadband

  • First Project Gigabit contract signed to bring fastest broadband networks on the market to rural Scotland 
  • Around 11,000 homes and businesses in the Scottish Borders and East Lothian will be the first to benefit from the Scotland-wide rollout, with further contracts planned for other parts of Scotland this year
  • Supports UK Government plans to raise living standards and grow the economy across the country, including in isolated rural areas, as part of the Plan for Change

Around 11,000 Scottish homes and businesses will gain access to lightning-fast broadband, as joint efforts by the UK and Scottish governments to supercharge internet access in rural areas across the nation get underway and power the UK Government’s Plan for Change.  

Rural areas in the Scottish Borders and East Lothian will benefit from gigabit-capable internet upgrades, allowing residents to fulfil day-to-day tasks, from rapid access to health advice through remote hospital consultations to interviewing for jobs and working more flexibly.    

The upgrades will benefit some of the most remote areas of Scotland and the UK, including Athelstaneford and Innerwick in East Lothian and St Abbs, Broughton and Ettrickbridge in the Scottish Borders.  

These areas will be among the first in Scotland to benefit from a £26 million contract awarded under Project Gigabit – the UK Government-funded rollout to areas unlikely to receive upgrades through commercial plans due to their challenging location. The contract was awarded to independent Scottish provider GoFibre by the Scottish Government.  

UK Government Minister for Telecoms and Data Chris Bryant said: “As technological advancements race ahead and revolutionise our day-to-day lives, we cannot afford to leave anyone behind.

“It is fantastic to see this UK Government-funded gigabit investment being delivered in Scotland for the first time, not only bringing thousands of people the fastest broadband networks on the market and levelling the playing field but also helping us realise our mission to boost economic growth and improve living standards across the whole country, under the PM’s Plan for Change.”

Scottish Government Business Minister Richard Lochhead said: “Reliable internet connectivity is a vital part of everyday life – allowing people to work flexibly, engage in education and stay connected with loved ones.

“The Scottish Government has successfully implemented digital infrastructure programmes across Scotland to increase broadband speeds and help grow the economy.

“Expanding upon the achievements of the Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband and Reaching 100% programmes, we will deliver Project Gigabit in Scotland to provide resilient connections that meet the needs of people and businesses now and into the future.”

One of Scotland’s leading amateur rugby clubs, Melrose Rugby Club, based in the Scottish Borders, has previously been connected to full fibre network by provider GoFibre.  

Having reliable and fast connection meant the club could stream across the world their annual tournament, the Melrose Sevens.

The event, which is held every April in Melrose, is the oldest rugby sevens competition in the world and is watched by tens of thousands of fans across the globe, with teams coming from as far afield as Japan, Hong Kong, Uruguay and South Africa. 

Malcolm Changleng, Melrose Rugby Club Director, said: “Getting full fibre connection has been a game changer for our club.

“As well as the 10,000 fans attending the event on the day of the tournament, we got about 60,000 people watching games on YouTube and other online platforms, which is why it’s so important to have good WiFi.

“It’s not just rugby fans watching, but people that have left the Borders to go all over the world. Lots of families from the Borders connect back to the area through the Melrose Rugby Sevens, and we’re proud that we allow people to get a little taste of the Borders on an annual basis.”

This weekend, rugby fans in Melrose will be able to support their national team in the Six Nations, with the club streaming Scotland taking on England at Twickenham on Saturday.  

Local restaurant The Hoebridge is set to grow as a business thanks to the programme – contributing to plans to kickstart economic growth. Kyle Tidd, Co-Owner of The Hoebridge said: “This investment in faster broadband would improve our operations.

“It would enable us to streamline our ordering, payment and online booking systems, enhancing efficiency and customer satisfaction.”

Now the £26 million contract is signed, detailed planning and surveying work will begin immediately with the first connections expected in the Autumn.  

Further contracts to be signed this year will see faster broadband delivered to tens of thousands more premises across Scotland, including Aberdeenshire and the Morayshire Coast, Fife, Perth and Kinross, Orkney and Shetland.    

For households, gigabit-capable broadband delivers faster speeds and fewer dropouts, providing a gateway to remote working and online education. Unlike traditional copper-based networks, gigabit connections won’t slow down at peak times, meaning no more battling for bandwidth with neighbours.

Gigabit networks can easily handle over a hundred devices all at once with no buffering, meaning the whole family can seamlessly surf, stream and download at the same time.       

Project Gigabit will support the UK Government’s plans to kickstart economic growth, creating and supporting thousands of high-paid, high-skilled jobs, empowering industries of all kinds to innovate and increasing productivity by taking up digital technology.    

It will also ensure people can access vital services they need now and, in the future, from giving patients improved access to healthcare through virtual appointments and remote health monitoring to helping pensioners combat loneliness by catching up with loved ones over higher quality video calls. 

 Scotland Office Minister, Kirsty McNeill, said:  “This landmark contract marks a crucial step forward in our mission to end digital inequality across Scotland. By bringing the fastest possible broadband to our rural communities, we’re not just laying cables – we’re opening up new opportunities for local businesses, improving access to education and healthcare.

“The UK Government, through our Plan for Change, is working to ensure Scotland’s rural communities can benefit from the digital economy and economic growth is seen across the country.”

Neil Conaghan, CEO of GoFibre, said: “As a Scottish company, born in the Borders, GoFibre is proud to be named as the delivery partner for the first Project Gigabit contract in Scotland, bringing transformative full fibre connectivity to thousands more homes and businesses across the region.

“This contract award marks a step-change in our ambition and footprint as a major Scottish telecommunications company.

“We have a sterling track record of connecting communities across Scotland to our ultra-fast broadband network. Delivering this project will build on our successful delivery of Project Gigabit contracts in North Northumberland and Teesdale where we are delivering much-needed broadband in rural areas, ahead of schedule.

“We will bring all that expertise and GoFibre experience to this essential project for people in the Borders and East Lothian.”