This May, red post boxes across the UK have been transformed into colourful crochet tributes to British wildlife, marking Sir David Attenborough’s 100th birthday.
Launched by Hobbycraft, the nationwide “yarn bombing” campaign sees handcrafted toppers appearing in key locations linked to Sir David’s life – from his current hometown of London to Cambridge, where he studied, and Leicester, where he grew up, as well as Edinburgh, Manchester, Bournemouth and Glasgow; turning everyday street furniture into joyful celebrations of nature.
The toppers will be dropping throughout the month of May.
Each topper features detailed scenes inspired by British wildlife, including bees, squirrels, and woodland habitats, designed to delight passers-by and spark conversations about the natural world.
The postbox topper installations were created by Hobbycraft’s Knitcraft expert Natalie Beard @sewing_the_seeds_of_love, who said: “Each topper is a celebration of Sir David’s incredible legacy and the wildlife he’s spent his life championing.
“We hope they inspire people to get creative and connect with nature. Hobbycraft has everything you need to get crafting.”
At the end of May, the toppers will be donated or auctioned to raise funds for environmental charities.
MACPHERSON, Ben – Scottish National Party (SNP): 13,630
NEVENS, Kate – Scottish Green Party: 10,559
OWEN, Liss – Scottish Liberal Democrats: 1,895
THOMAS, Oliver Philip – Scottish Labour Party: 7,894
YOUNG, Haris – Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party: 1,297.
Ben Macpherson (SNP) has been duly elected as Member of the Scottish Parliament for the Edinburgh North Eastern and Leith constituency with 13,630 votes.
CAIRNS, Rachel – Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party: 1,749
COLE-HAMILTON, Alex – Scottish Liberal Democrats: 22,959
HENRY, David – Scottish Workers Party of Britain: 268
JARDINE, Lyn Ann – Scottish National Party (SNP): 9,943
THOMSON, Davie – Reform UK: 3,342
Alex Cole-Hamilton (Scottish Liberal Democrats) has been duly elected as Member of the Scottish Parliament for the Edinburgh North Western constituency with 22,959 votes.
MOWAT, Jo – Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party: 2,262
MURRAY, Craig John – Alliance to Liberate Scotland: 150
NEILL, Gary – Reform UK: 1,876
POWNALL, Robert Neil – Independent: 41
ROBERTSON, Angus – Scottish National Party (SNP): 7,702
SLATER, Lorna – Scottish Green Party: 12,680
Lorna Jane Slater (Scottish Green Party) has been duly elected as Member of the Scottish Parliament for the Edinburgh Central constituency with 12,680 votes
ALLISTON PICKARD, Jane Patricia – Scottish Liberal Democrats: 3,334
BROCK, Deidre Leanne – Scottish National Party (SNP): 12,000
JOHNSON, Daniel Guy – Scottish Labour Party: 16,963
MUNRO, Marie-Clair – Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party: 3,421
TURNER, Charles – Reform UK: 3,317
WILKINSON, Marc – Edinburgh & East Lothian People: 524
Daniel Guy Johnson (Scottish Labour Party) has been duly elected as Member of the Scottish Parliament for the Edinburgh Southern constituency with 16,963 votes
Police are appealing for information following a serious crash on the A720 city bypass, Edinburgh. Around 1.10pm on Thursday, 7 May, 2026, we received a report of a crash involving a red, white and blue Honda CBR 1000RR motorcycle near the Hermiston Junction.
Emergency services attended and the 30-year-old male rider was taken to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh for treatment.
The road was closed to allow enquiries to be carried out and reopened around 2.30pm.
Constable Josh Allan said: “Our enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances of this crash.
“I am appealing for anyone who witnessed the crash and who hasn’t already spoken to officers to contact us.
“I would also ask anyone who was in the area and saw the motorcycle prior to the crash or who may have dash cam footage which could assist to get in touch.”
Anyone with any information is asked to contact 101 quoting reference 1652 of Thursday, 7 May, 2026.
COWDY, Christopher – Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party: 1,900
DIJKSTRA-DOWNIE, Sanne – Scottish Liberal Democrats: 12,972
HYSLOP, Euan – Scottish National Party (SNP): 10,479
KINROSS-O’NEILL, Kayleigh Ferguson – Scottish Green Party: 5,289
MCLAUGHLIN, Andrew – Reform UK: 2,867
MERON, Abu – Scottish Workers Party of Britain: 258
RYAN-SAHA, Eleanor – Scottish Labour Party: 3,744
Sanne Dijkstra-Downie (Scottish Liberal Democrats) has been duly elected as Member of the Scottish Parliament for the Edinburgh Northern constituency with 12,972 votes.
A new service to help expectant parents with their emotional wellbeing during pregnancy has been launched in NHS Lothian by NSPCC Scotland this Maternal Mental Health Week (4-10 May).
Pregnancy in Mind (PiM) is an online group service that supports parents, who are expecting a baby, with complicated feelings that can arise during pregnancy. It is designed to create a safe and reassuring space for parents in weeks 12-26 of pregnancy so they can reflect on any concerns, worries, or low mood they may be experiencing.
PiM encourages them to reflect on their pregnancy as it progresses and their connection to their growing baby, encourages social support with other parents-to-be, and builds confidence for when their baby is born.
The programme has eight online group sessions, usually delivered weekly (for 90-120 minutes), from the start of the second trimester (12 weeks) plus two one-to-one online post-birth sessions.
The service is delivered by practitioners who are experienced in creating a warm, safe and supportive space where expectant parents can build confidence, develop helpful ways of coping, and connect with others as they navigate pregnancy and prepare for the arrival of their new baby.
The service brings together a range of evidence informed approaches, including mindfulness, relaxation, coping strategies, building confidence in understanding emotional wellbeing and developing supportive social connections.
Parents do not need to be experiencing severe symptoms to take part, the service is open to those who feel they would benefit from extra support during pregnancy. Introductions by health and social care workers to the service can be made at any point up to 26 weeks of pregnancy. The pregnant person, their partner, support person or the baby’s other parent can take part in the programme.
Alison MacDonald, Executive Nurse Director for NHS Lothian, said: “We are pleased to be working in partnership with the NSPCC to add this programme to the range of support available to expectant parents.
“Mental health is just as important as physical health and this service offers early, practical support to parents who need it most, helping them to give their babies and children the best possible start in life.”
Jen Dixon, Team Manager at NSPCC Scotland, said: “Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week reminds us of the importance of emotional wellbeing during pregnancy.
When parents are finding things difficult, offering support to them as early as possible, can help them feel less alone as they prepare to meet their baby.
“Often parents join Pregnancy in Mind feeling uncertain, isolated or overwhelmed. Through the sessions, they connect with other parents who are experiencing similar feelings. The programme supports them to develop ways to improve their own wellbeing, leading them to feel more hopeful, confident and less overwhelmed when their baby is born.
“This supports their ability to create nurturing foundations and connections with their babies from the very beginning, including during pregnancy.”
For further information about PiM contact NSPCC Scotland by email:
A service providing emergency accommodation for people sleeping rough over winter will be able to continue throughout the year, thanks to a funding commitment by the City of Edinburgh Council.
The Welcome Centre, run by Bethany Christian Trust at the Council-owned ELS House on Gorgie Road, was due to cease operations at the end of April. The service will now be provided until March 2027, following a funding decision by Finance and Resources Committee on 28 April.
The Centre currently accommodates 64 households who have been rough sleeping in Edinburgh. Service users are offered three meals a day and support from Bethany paid staff, volunteers and Council officers to help access further accommodation.
Councillor Tim Pogson, Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener, said: “Bethany Christian Trust provides an essential service for people facing rough sleeping in Edinburgh and over the last three decades has helped thousands of people to secure a warm and safe place to sleep, particularly over the colder winter months.
“We don’t want people to have to sleep rough at any time of the year though, so I’m really pleased that we’ll be able to keep the Welcome Centre open throughout 2026.
“Reducing homelessness, and where possible preventing it in the first place, is central to our Housing Emergency Action Plan, alongside ambitious plans to increase the city’s housing supply, making sure everyone has somewhere to live.”
Alasdair Bennett, Chief Executive, Bethany Christian Trust, said: “It is a desperate circumstance to face the prospect of sleeping rough, and worse still to experience the trauma and harms involved.
“The Welcome Centre is a service borne out of adversity to relieve suffering and meet long-term needs when people have nowhere else to stay. I am deeply grateful to the many volunteers, supporters, churches, and our charitable and statutory partners who together enable this life-saving work, sharing a commitment to offer not only shelter and sustenance, but hope, dignity and the opportunity for a new start.
“We are very grateful to the City of Edinburgh Council for making this significant next step possible, and for the shared commitment to provide both immediate support and pathways out of homelessness all year round. As someone said to me recently: ‘when is it ever warm enough to be homeless?’
“Finally, I want to thank our staff team. Their dedication to love and service is inspiring. In the last 30 weeks alone, 400 people have been accommodated, supported and helped to move forward, each knowing that they are valued and cared for.”
Bethany Christian Trust has operated winter care shelters in Edinburgh since 1996 and the service has since evolved to provide 24/7 accommodation and support for people who would be otherwise sleeping rough from October to May each year.
The Welcome Centre moved to ELS house on Gorgie Road in 2025.
The Council’s Housing Emergency Action Plan sets out the requirement for a year-round Welcome Centre to meet increasing demand in the city.
