SATURDAY 18 JULY 1 – 3pm
On July 18th our young vols have organised a community event with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, they have organised a community bake sale.
With free entry, there will also be sponge the youth worker for £1 and beat the firefighter in football for 50p!
All proceeds going towards our Young Volunteers programme.
Blackhall Library has reopened in a new temporary facility next to Davidson’s Mains Primary School.
The service previously operated via a mobile library bus, following the closure of the original Blackhall Library building on Hillhouse Road in 2023 due to the discovery of Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC).
The new temporary building is providing access to library services while work continues on a long-term plan for the library and other community services in the area.
The library sits within the school’s grounds, but has its own dedicated entrance and is separated from the school by fencing. Signage has been installed at the gates to help guide people to the new building.
The new library is open 10am to 8pm Monday-Wednesday, and 10am to 5pm Thursday to Saturday.
Regular events and activities for adults include:
Craft activities for children and young people are also available on Fridays from 2 to 3pm, with Bookbug sessions running on Tuesdays from 11am to 11.30am. The library will also be running a programme of activities and events over the school holidays.
The enclosed site includes relaxing and secure outdoor space for the community to enjoy.
Spacious community rooms are also available to book for meetings and events. Information on pricing and booking can be found on the Council’s website.
The process of developing the temporary library has included engagement with the Davidson’s Mains Primary School community to ensure the facility supports the needs of the school, its pupils and staff.
Additional works have been carried out at the school to support the delivery of the library, including new fencing and works to the playground to provide new fire safety spaces. New road safety improvement works are also underway outside the school, including pavement widening.
Culture and Communities Convener, Cllr Margaret Graham said: “The arrival of the new temporary Blackhall Library is fantastic news for the local community, bringing an exciting range of events and activities back at a convenient and central location.
“We’ve already had some excellent feedback from library users of all ages, and it’s been particularly pleasing to see young people and their families embrace the service as part of their regular school day.
“The original Blackhall Library was a very popular resource and provided a wide range of library services, community events and activities. We know it’s important that people across Blackhall, Davidson’s Mains and the local area have access to quality local services in places that are convenient and accessible, and this new building has been designed to fit that need while we continue to develop plans for its permanent replacement.
“We have an opportunity to develop a new range of modern and accessible services through the long term replacement, and we need to make smart choices to invest in the future of the area. We’re looking forward to announcing more details and public engagement soon.“
Work is ongoing to develop plans for the long term replacement facility. Council officers have been engaging through local community organisations and workshops with pupils at local primary and high schools.
An engagement display has also been set up in the new temporary library to present some of the feedback received and to gather views from library users.
This work is helping to build a detailed understanding of the types of services people across Blackhall, Davidson’s Mains and the wider local community would like to access in a future library facility.
A 12-week public engagement process will launch on the proposals later this year. The findings of this initial engagement work will be used to inform the design of the proposed long-term solution, which will then be presented for formal public engagement.
Ofcom has today fined Virgin Media £28 million for putting customers on millions of calls through unreasonable effort, hassle and difficulty when trying to switch to another provider.
In the UK’s competitive market, telecoms customers can choose from a wide range of providers, services and packages – often saving hundreds of pounds by switching to a new deal. The ability for customers to shop around, switch and save is particularly important given the current cost-of-living crisis facing UK households.
Our rules – known as General Conditions – are clear that the conditions or procedures telecoms providers have in place must not act as a disincentive for customers who wish to cancel their contract.
Having received significant volumes of complaints from Virgin Media customers reporting difficulties in cancelling their contracts – and following unsuccessful engagement with the company to address this issue – Ofcom launched an investigation to establish whether the company had complied with its duties.
Our investigation uncovered systemic and repeated failings in Virgin Media’s contract termination procedures. Millions of calls made by customers between 1 January 2022 to 11 September 2024 were likely to have been mishandled by call agents in order to delay or prevent customers from cancelling and switching to a competitor.
As a result, we have concluded that Virgin Media’s two-tier cancellation process and agent behaviours caused customers on millions of calls unreasonable effort, hassle or undue difficulty when trying to cancel.
These failings likely acted as a disincentive to switch for customers across millions of calls – delaying or preventing them from taking advantage of a competitor’s offer, against Ofcom’s consumer protection rules.
As a result of Virgin Media’s serious failures, Ofcom has fined the company £28 million, which will be passed on to HM Treasury.
In setting the penalty amount we took into consideration, among other things:
The penalty includes a 30% reduction on what it otherwise would have been, given Virgin Media admitted its failing and agreed to settle the case.
Natalie Black, Ofcom’s Group Director, Infrastructure and Connectivity, said: “The facts are clear. Virgin Media made it harder for customers to cancel their contracts and then did not fully cooperate with our investigation. As a result, we are levelling our largest ever fine under our consumer protection rules for direct harm to consumers.
“Today, we are sending a clear message that any provider who wilfully acts against the interests of their customers will pay a heavy price. And by introducing the One Touch Switch Process, we‘ve put in place further safeguards to prevent this from happening again.”
Virgin Media has made a number of important changes, including to improve its commission scheme, training and quality assurance and monitoring.
As part of our decision, we are requiring Virgin Media to check that every affected customer who complained has received the compensation or other remedies they were entitled to. The company must complete this in six months.
We’re looking for Academy support volunteers!
Want to be part of something that makes a real difference?
We’re on the lookout for passionate volunteers who want to make a positive impact in their community and work with amazing young people.
As a Scran volunteer, you’ll be part of a welcoming, supportive family that’s committed to creating opportunities, empowering young people, and making a difference together.
Ready to become part of the Scran fam?
Email jane@scranacademy.com to find out more
An Army veteran from Melrose says that taking part in disability sports saved his life – and he wants to encourage others who live with life-changing health conditions, injuries and disabilities to try adaptive sports.
Neil Dewar, age 59, suffered devastating injuries in 2006, due to an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) explosion, whilst on patrol in Iraq.
He has disabled limbs, spinal and neurological damage, which means that he now relies on a wheelchair; and he also has Combat PTSD. But introduction to adaptive sports through the veterans’ organisation Help for Heroes has changed his life. He’s now a passionate advocate for disability sports.
Neil said: “I want to encourage other veterans across Scotland, whatever their level of ability, to try adaptive sports. I’m about to attend my seventh Community Sports Series event, which is taking place in Edinburgh in July, and I can’t rate these events highly enough.
“You get to take part in sports taster sessions, in a safe and relaxed environment, meet some great people, and maybe find a new interest and make new friends. I know a lot of people who come along who go on to take up a sport with their local club, which helps them with mental health and physical challenges.
“Without sport I don’t think I’d be alive. It’s helped with my mental health and my physical wellbeing, and I’ve been able to compete all over the world.”
Neil is the current GB and European wheelchair champion for modern pentathlon. He’s on the Paralympic pathway for the GB wheelchair Curling team and is hoping to make the UK Invictus Games team for Birmingham 2027.
The Community Sports Series event is taking place on 11 and 12 July at the Oriam Sports Centre, Edinburgh. Participants will have the opportunity to try walking football, supported by the Heart of Midlothian community team, non-contact boxing, supported by Port O’Leith Boxing Club, wheelchair basketball supported by Edinburgh Giants, walking netball, para-darts, rowing, archery and non-contact martial arts.
The event is open to veterans and their family members and there is no charge for taking part.
Neil added: “You might be feeling isolated due to an on-going injury or illness – adaptive sports, and events like the Community Sports Series, can give you something to look forward to. Veterans’ family members can get involved as well. But it’s all in a very relaxed environment and the coaches are so supportive.”
You can find out more about the Sports Series at:
https://www.helpforheroes.org.uk/community-sports-series/
Help for Heroes champions the Armed Forces community and helps people live well after service. The Charity supports veterans and their families with their physical and mental health, as well as welfare and social needs. It has already supported tens of thousands – and won’t stop until every veteran gets the support they deserve.
The Charity supports veterans and their families from any branch of the UK military, regulars and reserves, irrespective of length or place of service, and locally embedded civilians who worked under the command of UK Armed Forces.
A family-run Edinburgh restaurant group has raised over £20,000 for Children’s Hospices Across Scotland (CHAS).
Howies, which operates venues across the capital including Howies Victoria Street, Howies Waterloo Place and Scotts Kitchen on Victoria Terrace, raised the impressive sum in just three months during a 12-week corporate partnership with the charity from March 1 to May 31.
Customers were invited to add £1 or more to their bill, with the donations helping CHAS provide vital care and support to children with life-shortening conditions and their families across Scotland.
Founded by David Howie Scott in 1990 and recently celebrating 36 years in business, Howies received overwhelming support from customers, raising £20,040 for the charity.
Suzanne O’Connor, Operations Manager, Howies Restaurants said: “As an independent, family-run business, it was important to us that this was a team decision. We shared information about several Scottish charities and asked everyone in our team to vote. CHAS was the clear choice across the group.
“We were incredibly proud to support CHAS. We know about the incredible work they do and the vital support they provide to families during their toughest times, and we very much hope that the funds we have raised will be of some help as they continue to deliver their incredibly valuable work.”
CHAS Senior Community Fundraiser, Sarah Dannfald said: “We were delighted to have been selected as the charity partner for Howies and are absolutely blown away by the amount raised in such a short space of time!
“The commitment of Howies staff to drive the initiative and actively talk to customers about CHAS has really shone through as well as the incredible generosity shown by so many of their customers adding the donation to their bills.
“This incredible support from Howies comes at such a crucial time for CHAS as we look to transform children’s hospice care in Scotland, through our £20million More Than a Hospice Appeal.
“Thank you so much to everyone who has made this incredible gift possible.”
The Boards of Edinburgh College and Forth Valley College have put forward a proposal to explore the value of deeper collaboration, as they try to find new opportunities and different ways of working to deliver improved outcomes and sustainable futures for both organisations.
The exploratory phase for an Outline Business Case (OBC), which is proposed to take place over the coming months, will specifically look at ‘linked but distinct’ models, such as a Federation Partnership. In this type of model, colleges retain their Board, Principal, curriculum and individual identity, while working together on agreed areas of collaboration.
The shared goal in this work is to find a partnership model that make both colleges stronger while fully retaining the individual identities and local community roots of each institution. During the process staff, students, and stakeholders will be asked for their views on how such a collaboration could work for them.
The principals of both Forth Valley College and Edinburgh College have written to the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) to seek support for this work. It comes after the Scottish Government identified reform of the wider tertiary system as a key priority.
Principal of Edinburgh College, Audrey Cumberford, said: “There’s no doubt that the coming years will see reform of the wider tertiary sector in Scotland. I’m keen to take a proactive approach to leading and shaping what that means and might look like for our colleges.
“The boards of both our colleges believe that working together more closely could deliver better outcomes and greater regional impact, while retaining strong local accountability and identity.
“While this is at an early stage, I’m excited to discover the outcome of this exploratory work and to demonstrate how this could deliver for our staff, students, local communities and the businesses we support.”
Principal of Forth Valley College, Kenny MacInnes, said: “We recognise the need for change and are committed to taking a proactive approach to addressing the challenges ahead.
“We believe that exploring closer partnership working can create new and exciting opportunities and deliver greater impact, while continuing to operate independently and reflecting the needs and priorities of our learners and local communities.
“We have a strong and well-established track record of collaboration with Edinburgh College, built on shared growth sectors, complementary strengths and connections across our regional economies. We will also value the input of staff, students and stakeholders as we explore this potential new partnership, ensuring their voices help shape both the process and its outcomes.
“While this work is at an early stage, we are fully committed to exploring its potential and leading meaningful transformation that delivers for our staff, students, communities and employers, while supporting long-term sustainability.”
Should the SFC support the request for exploratory work and an OBC, a report would be brought back to both boards in the coming months before any decisions are made on next steps.
Join the SABS and Hibernian Community Foundation monthly Pitch to Plate – Multicultural Meal, bringing together local residents, New Scots, people from all backgrounds, those experiencing difficult circumstances and members of our wider community for an evening of good food, friendship and connection.
Tuesday 7th July 2026
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Hibernian Community Foundation, Famous Five Stand, Easter Road Stadium, Edinburgh, EH7 5QG
Enjoy homemade curries, rice, salad, and naan bread
Fresh fruit kindly sponsored by the Association of Chinese Entrepreneurs in Scotland
Free Entry | All Welcome | No Booking Required
Everyone is warmly welcome to share a meal, meet new people, and celebrate the rich diversity of our community. Whether you are coming along for the food, the company, or simply to connect with others, we would be delighted to see you there.
We would be grateful if you could help spread the word to anyone who may benefit from a warm meal and a welcoming community atmosphere. 
With the summer festivals season just around the corner, the city council is making temporary changes to the way some of our city centre streets operate between Sunday 19 July and Monday 7 September 2026.
During this busy period the population of our city effectively doubles, which brings challenges for our residents, businesses and visitors.
These temporary changes, which include removing or restricting vehicle traffic, are designed to make our streets easier and safer to walk around.
George Street and several streets in the Old Town will be impacted. A full list of streets along with further information is available on the council’s website.
There is also specific advice for blue badge holders, home deliveries, loading and services for businesses, places of worship and special arrangements.
You can find more information and advice on events in the city over the summer on the Council’s website.
Transport and Environment Convener, Councillor Stephen Jenkinson said: “We’re ready to welcome the world back to the Capital, and as always, we’re making sure that these higher visitor numbers are managed properly.
“These temporary changes to our city centre streets have proven very successful for many years and I’m sure that this summer will be no different. The planned full reopening of the North Bridge in time for the festivals will also be a great boost for people getting around the city.
“Our residents and businesses have my thanks for their understanding and patience as we prepare to showcase and enjoy our city’s unparalleled cultural offering once again.”
Views are being sought on plans to introduce two new council tax bands for properties worth more than £1 million and £2 million respectively to help fund local public services across Scotland.
A public consultation seeks responses on possible increases of around £720 and £3,600 above the current highest Band H council tax charges.
The final proposed rates for new Band I and Band J properties – expected to apply to fewer than 1% of properties – will be laid in Parliament for MSPs’ consideration following analysis of consultation responses and engagement with local government. Existing council tax protections, such as discounts, exemptions and the Council Tax Reduction Scheme, will continue to apply across all bands.
Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Finance Jenny Gilruth said: “Our approach to tax is based on fairness – asking the wealthiest among us to contribute a bit more.
“As it stands, some multi-million pound properties have council tax bills that are not materially different from those faced by people living in far more modest homes.
“Our progressive approach to taxation helps to target investment in economic growth, deliver public services and support cost of living measures not available elsewhere in the UK, such as free tuition, free prescriptions and our plans for a £2 bus fare cap across Scotland.
“Additional revenue raised through these new council tax bands will be retained in full by local government to support the local services communities rely on – unlike the UK Government’s proposals for a similar scheme that are set to be returned to the Treasury.
“In launching this public consultation, we are keen to hear the views of people and communities right across Scotland.”
Consultation: Council Tax High-Value Property Bands (Mansion Tax)
The consultation will run until 24 August 2026.
