Garden Centre is giving away free Christmas trees to nurseries and schools
Dobbies, the UK’s leading garden centre, is announcing three local schools who are set to receive a free real Christmas tree from its Edinburgh store as part of its Not Your Average Community campaign, in partnership with sustainable tree grower Needlefresh.
Dobbies’ Christmas campaign is all about supporting communities local to its Edinburgh store, spreading yuletide cheer to nurseries and schools in the run up to the festivities.
Schools and nurseries from across the UK were invited to nominate themselves to receive a real Christmas tree donation. Sixty nine percent of entries were from nurseries and 31% were schools.
Dobbies’ Edinburgh store will welcome Roslin Primary School, Canaan Lane Primary & Early Learning Childcare and King’s Park Primary School to come along to choose a Nordmann Fir tree, making sure children across Edinburgh and the Lothians can experience the magic of Christmas.
Dobbies’ CSR and Community Communications Executive, Chloë Bell, was delighted with the response to Dobbies’ Not Your Average Community campaign. She said: “We’re amazed by the number of entries and nominations for this year’s campaign and would like to thank everyone for spending the time to get involved.
“Christmas marks a magical moment in our childhoods, and we’re thrilled to be bringing some festive cheer to young members in our communities this year. Needlefresh has made this campaign possible with their generous support, and we’d like to extend our thanks to George and his team for all their hard work. A huge thank you to our Edinburgh store for all their help and hard work supporting their local communities.”
Needlefresh Managing Director, George Hood, added: “Our sustainable Nordmann Fir Christmas trees make a wonderful centrepiece to festive celebrations, and we’re excited to see how the kids bring this classic tree to life. It’s a pleasure to be supporting so many nurseries and schools across the country this year in partnership with Dobbies.”
All of Dobbies’ Christmas trees are sustainably grown in environmentally managed fields across Scotland where the growing team do everything from planting, pruning and harvesting by hand to reduce the impact on surrounding environment, wildlife and plants.
Marcus Eyles, Horticultural Director at Dobbies Garden Centres, recommends positioning your real Christmas trees in a cool, dry place inside away from any direct heat, use a water holding stand and check the water levels daily and top up as required to keep your tree looking fresh throughout the festive period.
The Scottish charity, The Eric Liddell Community, has been awarded a generous grant of £109,000 from the National Lottery Community Fund to create a new programme of activity designed to support local people experiencing loneliness and isolation.
This award from The National Lottery Community Fund will be given to the charity over three years and is forecast to benefit 600 people.
Funding 18 volunteers and supporting the addition of a new role of Community Engagement Worker, the team will support local people to live fuller and less isolated lives. They will do this by making positive changes to their daily routine through participation in a variety of activities and outings such as weekly Wellbeing Lunches and the “Community Living Room” development, which are key parts of the Eric Liddell Open Community Programme.
Founded in 1980 in memory of Eric Liddell – the 1924 Olympic 400m gold medallist, Scottish Rugby international and committed missionary – The Eric Liddell Community exists to create a place where no one feels lonely or isolated.
John MacMillan, CEO of The Eric Liddell Community, said:“We are absolutely delighted and humbled to receive this generous grant from The National Lottery Community Fund.
“This funding will allow us to expand our reach and build an entirely new programme over the next 3 years, enabling us to continue the legacy of Eric Liddell, the celebrated Scottish Olympic athlete, who dedicated his life to serving others.
“No one deserves to feel lonely or isolated; we’re committed to ensuring this isn’t the case in our communities and we’re excited about the opportunities this grant presents for us to make a much-needed difference.”
The cash gift also signifies the fund’s powerful vote of confidence in The Eric Liddell Community’s mission to combat loneliness in communities across Scotland.
The National Lottery Community Fund, Scotland Chair, Kate Still said: “National Lottery funding can make amazing things happen in local communities across the country.
“This project delivered by Eric Liddell Community, is a great example of community activity in action, showing just what can be achieved not only during the Festive season, but all year round, when people come together for a common cause or to help others.
“National Lottery players can be proud to know that the money they raise is helping to support this vital work which is making a real difference to so many.”
For more information about The Eric Liddell Community and its initiatives, please visit ericliddell.org.
Right There, a charity which helps prevent homelessness, is creating ‘Magical Moments’, in Edinburgh. The festive campaign aims to give people going through hard times special moments at Christmas and beyond.
Tapping into the real magic of Christmas, ‘Magical Moments’ hopes to spread the message of goodwill and community kindness through a series of festive fun experiences for the children and adults being supported across four locations – Glasgow, Edinburgh, Inverness, and Orkney.
Right There brought their festive campaign to Edinburgh’s Ocean Terminal on Wednesday, with members of the Taiko Drumming Group performing a festive drumming extravaganza with live demonstrations for people supported by the charity, and other shoppers.
Taiko Drumming Group is run by Nemo Arts, a charity that supports people in recovery from poor mental health through creative arts.
Every year the charity supports around 4,000 children, adults and families who are experiencing, or at risk of homelessness. Providing one-to-one tailored support, Right There offers safe places to live, along with emotional and practical help – from mentoring to housing advice and support in the community.
Last year, the charity supported 1,461 people from Edinburgh in its ‘In the Community’ programme.
Ginohas been supported by the Right There’s Pilton at Home Programme in Edinburgh for around five months.
He said: In my time here so far, the staff have been brilliant at supporting me with any goals I wanted to achieve. I always feel I can come to staff at any time, and they will do whatever they can to make my goals happen. I feel so much safer and more structured here.
“Overall, I just feel so much more positive than I did before and I am looking forward to a future with my own tenancy, getting pets and spending more time with my family which I didn’t feel would be possible before. I would like to thank the staff for going above and beyond, being here has really saved my life.”
Right There Chief Executive, Janet Haughsaid: “Christmas is a time for family, friends and exchanging gifts, but sadly this is far from the reality for some of the people we support who are living with the effects of homelessness, poverty, or have been separated from their families.
“Every day our dedicated teams help people create life-changing moments in their lives. Be that a young person from care having a mentor to help achieve their goals or supporting an adult with a safe place to live so they can move on from the trauma of homelessness.
“The festive period can be an extremely challenging time for those without a safe place to call home, but we hope ‘Magical Moments’ will spread the magic of Christmas and enable people to create a lasting legacy that will help those who need it the most all year round.”
Hugh McCue, Chief Executive, Nemo Arts, added: “Nemo Arts is excited to be part of Magical Moments. Our Taiko drumming group is looking forward to sharing the skills they have learned through a short performance and passing on the joy through a few open workshops.
“Taiko Drumming, and arts in general, is a great way to make memories, learn skills and come together as a community.”
The ‘Magical Moments’ campaign launched last month in Glasgow at the charity’s Govan headquarters, where Children and young people supported by the charity enjoyed a Magical Moment Christmas Grotto of festive fun.
By creating ‘Magical Moments’, the charity is asking members of the public to give a gift that will last far beyond Christmas.
By donating to Right There via its online campaign at rightthere.org, everyone has the opportunity to change someone’s life for the better.
To find out more about the Magical Moments campaign visit righthere.org or follow ‘Right There Org’ on social media.
Edinburgh Hogmanay’s world-renowned Torchlight Processionis set to make a return for this year’s 30th anniversary celebrations for the first time since 2019, blazing a trail on a brand-new route through the city’s Old Town, before a fiery final location beneath the majestic gaze of Edinburgh Castle.
The event marks the start of New Year celebrations around the world as organisers join forces with presenting partner EventScotland and local charity Social Bite partner, shining a light on homelessness, to kick-off four days of Edinburgh’s Hogmanay festivities with this iconic event. Edinburgh’s Hogmanay is produced by Unique Assembly, presented on behalf of Principal Funding Partners City of Edinburgh Council.
The spectacular event will see up to 20,000 participants carry a torch on a brand-new route, creating a stunning river of fire throughout Scotland’s capital.
The procession will begin at the Meadows for the first time ever, where guests will enjoy a host of entertainment while collecting their torches, with live street theatre, fire performers, pipe bands and drummers to start the Hogmanay celebrations early. The family friendly event will bring a carnival atmosphere to the Meadows before the ceremonial Torchlight Procession embarks on its new route.
Thousands of torch carriers will set off on the new route up Middle Meadow Walk, crossing George IV Bridge and making their way along Johnston Terrace before reaching a picturesque finishing point on Castle Terrace beneath Edinburgh Castle.
The new route will see the procession pass some of the capital’s most famous landmarks including the National Museum of Scotland, Greyfriars Kirkyard, the Tolbooth Kirk, the National Library of Scotland and much more.
Leading the procession through Edinburgh’s historic Old Town will be Shetland’s South Mainland Up Helly Aa’ Jarl Squad, who previously made history when they appointed their first ever female Jarl.
For the first time at the family-friendly event, performers from Edinburgh’s Beltane Society and more will delight crowds in the Meadows at the start of the event with entertainment from 6pm. The Torchlight Procession will then move off on its journey through the capital at 7.30pm, ending underneath Edinburgh Castle on Castle Terrace at 8.30pm – 9pm.
Marking the start of New Year celebrations around the world, the Torchlight Procession has become one of Edinburgh Hogmanay’s most iconic events, joining forces with acclaimed homelessness charity Social Bite to raise vital funds to help those most in need this winter.
With an anticipated sell-out event ahead, organisers aim to raise over £50,000 throughout the festival to fund Social Bite projects tackling homelessness, with £2 from each Torch sold and £1.50 from Procession tickets donated directly to the charity.
The atmospheric event starts four days of celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Edinburgh’s Hogmanay, as revellers enjoy the incredible hospitality of Edinburgh and mark the closing of another year.
On 29 December Edinburgh’s iconic New Town venue Assembly Rooms welcomes an all-star comedy line-up with Ho Ho Hogmanay featuring Susie McCabe & Fred MacAulay; Edinburgh’s Blue Rose Code and special guests present an evening of Scottish Folk, Soul and Americana at the Night Afore Hoolie in the Assembly Rooms on 30 December; and the internationally acclaimed ABBA sensations Björn Again headline the Night Afore Disco Party with Greatest Hits Radio in Princes Street Gardens. On 31 December celebrations begin early with Bairns New Year Revels at Assembly Rooms.
The tranquil Candlelit Concert at St. Giles’ Cathedral is already sold-out, kicking off the evening’s proceedings; Edinburgh’s original indoor Hogmanay party; the New Year Revels returns to Assembly Rooms with a night of live music and ceilidh dancing; and 50,000 party-goers ring in the bells at Edinburgh’s world-famous Street Party and Concert in the Gardens headlined by cultural icons Pulp, and with limited tickets remaining, organisers are encouraging revellers to book now to avoid disappointment.
Finally, on 01 January Edinburgh’s Hogmanay hosts a day of free entertainment across the city with its First Footin’ Culture Trail, Sprogmanay, and Family Ceilidh events.
Paul Bush OBE, VisitScotland Director of Events, said: “Scotland is the perfect stage for events and EventScotland is delighted to be supporting the return of the Torchlight Procession, kicking off four days of fantastic Hogmanay revelries across the city as part of this year’s 30th anniversary celebrations.
“Events play an important role in our communities, enabling us all to connect and share memorable experiences. The Torchlight Procession along with the wider Hogmanay programme offers a uniquely authentic cultural experience for both visitors and locals to come and enjoy, and I look forward joining everyone on 29 December as we blaze a trail on the brand-new route.”
City of Edinburgh Council Culture and Communities Convener, Councillor Val Walker said: “We’re absolutely delighted to see the return of the Torchlight Procession and the new route to this year’s Hogmanay celebrations.
“This element of the programme was always extremely popular with residents and visitors alike and I’m sure it will be again this year for the 30th anniversary celebrations.
“I’m also really pleased to see the partnership work between the organisers and Social Bite, to raise vital funds and awareness for their excellent work supporting vulnerable people in Edinburgh and more widely across the country.
“Edinburgh’s Hogmanay and our wider Winter Festivals are cornerstones of our globally acclaimed cultural calendar and I’m sure that this year’s special anniversary edition will once again be a success.”
Al Thomson, Co-Director UniqueAssembly, who produce Edinburgh’s Hogmanay said: “Hogmanay is a time for celebration and reflection, heralding in new beginnings and opportunities for the coming year, with many making New Year resolutions to help make things better for others.
“Working in partnership with our friends at Social Bite, we want to help their fight to end homelessness across Scotland, giving those who have fallen on hard times the chance of new beginnings and opportunities in 2024.
“We’re delighted to be able to bring back the Torchlight Procession for our 30th anniversary celebrations with support from EventScotland, and would encourage everyone to join us, carrying a torch for charity and shining a light on homelessness in Scotland.
Further information and tickets for Edinburgh’s Hogmanay 30th anniversary celebrations are available www.edinburghshogmanay.com.
The Prime Minister Rishi Sunak made a speech on illegal migration yesterday (7 December 2023):
Today the government has introduced the toughest anti-illegal immigration law ever.I know it will upset some people and you will hear a lot of criticism about it. It’s right to explain why I have decided to do this.
I’m the child of immigrants … I understand why some people take the risk of getting into unsafe dinghies to cross open waters…
…it’s because the United Kingdom is an incredible country… it offers opportunity, hope and safety.
But the difference is: my family came here… legally.
Like most immigrants, they integrated into local communities…
…worked hard to provide for their family
…built lives and businesses, found friends and neighbours…
… and most of all… they were really proud to become British.
That feeling of pride… it cascades down the generations and grows… and that’s why you see so many children of immigrants sitting around the Cabinet table.
But it’s not a given… illegal immigration undermines not just our border controls… it undermines the very fairness that is so central to our national character.
We play by the rules. We put in our fair share. We wait our turn.
Now if some people can just cut all that out… you’ve not just lost control of your borders… you’ve fatally undermined the very fairness upon which trust in our system is based.
That’s why this legislation is necessary.
To deliver an effective deterrent to those who wish to come here illegally…
…to restore people’s trust that the system is fair…
… and ultimately: to stop the boats.
And so, our Bill today fundamentally addresses the Supreme Court’s concerns over the safety of Rwanda.
I did not agree with their judgement, but I respect it.
That is why I have spent the last three weeks working tirelessly to respond to their concerns…
…and to guarantee Rwanda’s safety in a new legally binding international treaty.
The Supreme Court were clear that they were making a judgement about Rwanda at a specific moment 18 months ago…and that the problems could be remedied.
Today we are confirming that they have been…
…and that unequivocally, Rwanda is a safe country.
And today’s Bill also ends the merry-go-round of legal challenges that have blocked our policy for too long.
We simply cannot have a situation where our ability to control our borders…
…and stop people taking perilous journeys across the channel…
…is held up in endless litigation in our courts.
So this Bill gives Parliament the chance to put Rwanda’s safety beyond question in the eyes of this country’s law.
Parliament is sovereign. It should be able to make decisions that cannot be undone in the courts.
And it was never the intention of international human rights laws…
…to stop a sovereign Parliament removing illegal migrants to a country that is considered safe in both parliamentary statute and international law.
So the Bill does include what are known as “notwithstanding” clauses.
These mean that our domestic courts will no longer be able to use any domestic or international law…
…including the Human Rights Act…
…to stop us removing illegal migrants.
Let me just go through the ways individual illegal migrants try and stay.
Claiming asylum – that’s now blocked.
Abuse of our Modern Slavery rules – blocked.
The idea that Rwanda isn’t safe – blocked.
The risk of being sent on to some other country – blocked.
And spurious Human Rights claims – you’d better believe we’ve blocked those too…
…because we’re completely disapplying all the relevant sections of the Human Rights Act.
And not only have we blocked all these ways illegal migrants will try and stay…
…we’ve also blocked their ability to try and stay by bringing a Judicial Review on any of those grounds.
That means that this Bill blocks every single reason that has ever been used to prevent flights to Rwanda from taking off.
The only, extremely narrow exception will be if you can prove with credible and compelling evidence…
….that you specifically have a real and imminent risk of serious and irreversible harm.
We have to recognise that as a matter of law – and if we didn’t, we’d undermine the treaty we’ve just signed with Rwanda.
As the Rwandans themselves have made clear…
…if we go any further the entire scheme will collapse.
And there’s no point having a Bill with nowhere to send people to.
But I am telling you now, we have set the bar so high…
…that it will be vanishingly rare for anyone to meet it.
And once you have been removed, you’ll be banned for life from travelling to the UK, settling here, or becoming a citizen.
But, of course, even with this new law here at home…
…we could still face challenges from the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.
So let me repeat what I said two weeks ago –
I will not allow a foreign court to block these flights.
If the Strasbourg Court chooses to intervene against the express wishes of our sovereign Parliament…
…I will do what is necessary to get flights off.
And today’s new law already makes clear that the decision on whether to comply with interim measures issued by the European Court…
…is a decision for British government Ministers – and British government Ministers alone.
Because it is your government – not criminal gangs, or indeed foreign courts –who decides who comes here and who stays in our country.
Now of course, our Rwanda policy is just one part of our wider strategy to stop the boats.
And that strategy is working.
I’ve been Prime Minister for just over a year now and for the first time, small boat arrivals here are down by a third….
…even as illegal crossings of the Mediterranean have soared by 80 per cent.
Let me just repeat that: small boat arrivals here are down by a third.
To help achieve that, we’ve signed returns and co-operation agreements with France, Bulgaria, Turkey, Italy, and Georgia.
Illegal working raids are up by nearly 70 per cent.
50 hotels are being returned to their local communities and we are housing people in a new barge and in former military sites.
The initial asylum backlog is down from 92,000 to less than 20,000.
We’ve returned over 22,000 illegal migrants.
And as our deal with Albania shows – deterrence works.
Last year, a third of all those arriving in small boats were Albanian.
This year we have returned 5,000 people and cut those arrivals by 90 per cent.
And Albanian arrivals have far more recourse to the courts than anyone under this new legislation.
That’s why I’m so confident that this Bill will work.
Lord Sumption, the former Supreme Court Judge, believes this Bill will work.
We will get flights off the ground.
We will deter illegal migrants from coming here.
And we will, finally, stop the boats.
AN EXPENSIVE BUSINESS
The UK has given Rwanda a further £100m this year as part of its deal to relocate asylum seekers there.
The payment was made in April, the Home Office’s top civil servant Sir Matthew Rycroft said in a letter to MPs, after £140m had already been paid to Rwanda.
THE LETTER READS:
07 December 2023
Migration and Economic Development Partnership Funding
Dear Dame Diana and Dame Meg,
At the evidence sessions on 29th November and 4th December respectively, you and your Committees asked me about payments the UK Government had made to the Government of Rwanda for the purposes of the Migration and Economic Development Partnership.
As I said then, the total the UK Government paid in the financial year 2022-23 was £140m. This comprised an initial investment of £120 million through an Economic Transformation and Integration Fund (ETIF) which is for the economic development and growth of Rwanda. A separate payment of £20 million was also paid in this timeframe to support initial set up costs for the relocation of individuals.
I set out why Ministers had decided to announce payments in the 2023-24 financial year in our Annual Reporting and Accounts next summer, for reasons of balancing the public interest. I fully recognise the public interest in transparency and accountability of public authorities for expenditure and the broad public interest in furthering public understanding of the issues with which public authorities deal. However, this must also be balanced against public interests which work the other way. For example, you will recognise the importance of respecting commercial confidence and the maintenance of confidence between international partners.
Since then, Ministers have agreed that I can disclose now the payments so far in the 2023-24 financial year. There has been one payment of £100m, paid in April this year as part of the Economic Transformation and Integration Fund mentioned above. The UK Government has not paid any more to the Government of Rwanda thus far. This was entirely separate to the Treaty – The Government of Rwanda did not ask for any payment in order for a Treaty to be signed, nor was any offered. Any additional funds will be announced in our Annual Report and Accounts in the usual way.
In the 2024-25 financial year, we anticipate another payment of £50m as part of the ETIF as agreed with Government of Rwanda when the Migration and Economic Development Partnership was signed.
All of these payments are covered by the Ministerial Direction of 16th April 2022. Given the public interest, this letter will be published on GOV.UK.
Scots raising a Christmas pint in pubs and at home should enjoy the taste of supporting 61,000 local jobs, which pay almost £1 billion in wages and contribute £1.7 billion to the economy, data from the Scottish Beer and Pub Association (SBPA) shows.
The brewing and pubs industry is one of the UK’s biggest employers, supporting almost one million jobs across the regions.
Pubs have an equally vital social contribution. Across Scotland, 78% of people say pubs are important in bringing people together, while 60% think pubs help combat loneliness and isolation.
The Long Live the Local campaign invites pubgoers who can afford it to buy an extra round to support the brewers, delivery drivers, farmers and thousands of people behind the pint.
Scots raising a Christmas pint should enjoy the taste of supporting 61,000 local jobs in breweries, bars and supply chains which pay almost £1 billion in wages and contribute £1.7 billion to the economy, data from the Scottish Beer and Pub Association (SBPA) reveals.
The SBPA’s Long Live the Local campaign is shining a light on the nearly one million people behind the pint who make the festive season merry.
As Scottish pubgoers raise a local brew, they support hundreds of thousands of jobs across the country: including farmers growing hops, brewers developing new recipes, scientists working on quality control and logistics teams managing deliveries.
‘The local’ is often the heart of community life and a major source of local employment and economic growth. Its social value is most apparent at Christmas, bringing people together and combatting loneliness during the festive season. Recent YouGov polling in Scotland found:
69% of people feel pubs have a positive effect in communities
78% say pubs are important in bringing people together
60% think pubs help combat loneliness in their local area
Pubs and brewers have faced major increases to their costs over the last few years while struggling to limit price rises. The Autumn Statement provided vital support with an extension to business rates relief and the freeze on beer duty, but the next budget must provide surer footing for brewers and pubs by:
Cutting tax on beer in the next Budget and pledging to bring beer duty down to the European average over the course of the next Parliament. The EU average duty on a pint of beer is currently 20p, whereas in the UK it is 54p for draught beer and 59p for packaged beer- nearly triple the European average and 12 times more than Germany.
Reforming business rates so pubs and brewers can invest in the future, with the 75% relief maintained and a cap to the planned increase in the 2024 business rates multiplier until this is implemented
Lowering VAT rate to 12.5% for pubs to help publicans and customers with cost of living increases
The Long Live the Local campaign invites Scots to buy an extra round this Christmas to support the people behind the pint and join the campaign to secure the future of their local.
Craig Macleod, owner of Innes Bar in Inverness, says: “There aren’t too many places where 18 and 80-year-olds come together to share a pint and connect. I love creating experiences that bring people together and we pride ourselves on being a hub for the community.
“We do a lot for charity as well. Right now we’re preparing for our annual Santa’s Grotto, which raised £1,200 pounds for the local food bank last year.
“As a business, we’ve weathered a lot of storms over the past few years with the energy price rises and the cost of living hitting people’s pockets. We’re very lucky to still be here and going strong when so many other venues have had to close their doors. That would be a real loss for the community, as there’s nowhere else people can go to experience that sense of togetherness.”
Emma McClarkin, CEO of the Scottish Beer and Pub Association, says: “So many of life’s milestones are marked by sharing a beer, whether in commiseration or joy. Behind the glass, there are nearly a million people across the cities and regions who make this possible: including brewers, technicians, delivery drivers, farmers and the pub staff at the counter.
“The great British pint is woven into the fabric of our communities, economies and regional identities. Local pubs are some of our most beloved tourist attractions, while our breweries produce some of the finest beers in the world.
“But the industry needs our support to survive. Scotland remains one of the most expensive places in the world to have a pint, with beer duty more than double the average across Europe.
“The next Parliament must make bringing beer duty in line with Europe a priority – taking at least 34 pence off the price of a pint – as well as reforming business rates so that brewers and pubs can continue investing in the future, providing quality jobs and training for people across the country.”
Lothian Labour MSP, Sarah Boyack, has criticised the Scottish Government’s failure to address woeful waiting times at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.
The latest figures published by Public Health Scotland, show that only 46% of A&E Patients at the Royal Infirmary, are seen within 4 hours. This is compared to 62% across the whole of NHS Lothian Health Board, and 68% across the whole of Scotland.
The number of patients seen within 4 hours, has plummeted almost 10% since July – falling from 55%.
The Royal Infirmary figures are well short of the Scottish Government’s target of 95% of people seen and discharged within 4 hours of arrival in A&E.
Commenting on the statistics, Sarah Boyack said:“The latest A&E wait time figures illustrate that patients at Edinburgh’s largest hospital are left waiting by the SNP/Green Government.
“Royal Infirmary staff work incredibly hard to deliver services for patients, but the Scottish Government has not provided the resources to ensure local hospitals can deliver the care and treatment local residents deserve.
“Edinburgh residents need the Scottish Government to step up its game and provide the Royal Infirmary with the support it needs reduce waiting times rapidly.”
Leading charity Pancreatic Cancer Action Scotland (PCAS) has launched a new fundraising campaign #MISSEDatChristmas to help ensure more people aren’t missed at Christmas.
Pancreatic Cancer Action Scotland is inviting people across Scotland to join them this festive season in remembering their loved ones lost to pancreatic cancer.
PCAS is inviting people to donate and share a dedication to their loved one. Participants will receive a special purple heart to display in their loved one’s memory this Christmas. All donations will help PCAS fight for earlier diagnosis.
Pancreatic cancer is the deadliest of all common cancers, with a 5-year survival rate of less than 8%. Each year over 900 people in Scotland are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Around 26 people die from pancreatic cancer every day in the UK. With early diagnosis, pancreatic cancer can be survived.
Debbie Rutherford, 30, is missing her Mum Rachel this Christmas. Rachel passed away in 2022, aged 62, from pancreatic cancer. Debbie, her brother Craig and sister Kirsty, were at her bedside as she took her last breaths.
Rachel began experiencing symptoms in June 2020. It started with bloating, which she put down to the fact she had eaten a curry for dinner. When the feeling persisted, she contacted her GP. With the country in the grip of the Covid -19 pandemic, it proved difficult to get a face-to-face appointment.
Rachel was prescribed indigestion medicine and was told by doctors that no further investigations were needed.
Rachel’s symptoms continued and Doctors then agreed to refer her for a scan. In October 2020, a scan showed a mass on her pancreas. The tumour was restricted to her pancreas, with no spread. Her oncologist was hopeful it would be operable, and the plan was to go ahead with six rounds of chemotherapy and a (Whipple?) operation.
The reality of living on The Isle of Mull meant Rachel’s medical appointments involved a lot of travelling, ferry journeys, hotel stays, early starts and late nights arriving back home.
In January 2021, Rachel began her first round of chemotherapy. She suffered multiple side effects and ended up in hospital with life-threatening sepsis. More rounds of chemotherapy and radiotherapy followed as well as a serious bowel infection, a stomach ulcer and another bout of sepsis.
In August 2022, Rachel started to deteriorate. She passed away on 14th September 2022 with her three children and her sister by her side. She died at her home on the Isle of Mull, a place she loved.
Debbie Rutherford said: “Mum was the centre of our world. She always made Christmas special for me, my brother and my sister. It is hard to believe that another year is ending without her. She is missed every day but is especially missed at Christmas.
“Pancreatic Cancer Action Scotland’s new #MISSEDatChristmas campaign provides me and my family with a way to pay tribute to Mum this Christmas.”
Joe Kirwin, Chief Executive of Pancreatic Cancer Action, said: “Our #MISSEDatChristmas campaign offers an opportunity for people to remember their loved ones lost to pancreatic cancer.
“We’ve had special purple hearts made for people to display in their memory, and we’re sending these out to everyone who supports the campaign.
“In the UK, around 26 people die every day from pancreatic cancer. For just £10, you could help us get patients and their families vital information and support. All the money raised will go towards fighting for earlier diagnosis to help ensure that more people aren’t missed at Christmas.”
Police in Edinburgh are investigating a reported robbery which took place in the city centre and are urging two victims of the crime to come forward.
At around 8.20pm last night (Wednesday, 6 December, 2023), a woman witnessed a physical altercation between two male suspects and a man and a woman, described as being an older couple, which took place on South St Andrew Street.
One of the men has assaulted the older man and the suspects have stolen the man’s rucksack during the incident.
A number of witnesses and bystanders are reported to have helped the couple, however the pair have not been traced and no reported incident has come directly to police from the victims.
Officers are reviewing available CCTV in the area and are asking anyone who saw what happened to come forward.
Acting Detective Sergeant Mike Campbell from Gayfield CID said: “This incident happened in a busy area at the junction of St Andrew Square and West Register Street, outside a number of restaurants.
“It is imperative we trace the couple involved to ensure their welfare and I would ask them to get in touch with police.
“The suspects are reported to have been aged in their mid to late teens, dressed all in black, and may have left the scene in the area towards Waverley Steps.
“I’d ask anyone who saw what happened, or possibly the suspects leaving the area with a rucksack along Princes St towards Waverley Station, to get in touch.”
Those with information should contact Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident number 3450 of 6 December 2023. Information can be passed anonymously to Crimestoppers via 0800 555 111.
