Category: Portobello

Eight more arrests as police take action following spate of incidents

Detectives investigating a number of linked incidents in the East and West have arrested and charged eight people in the past week as officers take action across Scotland.

This brings the total number of arrests in connection with this investigation to 20.

On the evening of Wednesday, 23 April, 2025, a 16-year-old male youth and a 20-year-old man were arrested and charged in connection with five incidents of attempted murder and one of culpable and reckless fire-raising.

This follows a series of fire-raisings that have taken place across Glasgow in recent weeks. Both are due to appear in Glasgow Sheriff Court on Friday, 25 April.

On Thursday, 24 April, 2025, officers executed warrants at two properties in South Queensferry. Firearms were seized from both addresses. Two men, aged 36 and 38, have been arrested and charged in connection with firearms offences. Both men are due to appear in Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Friday, 25 April.

These are in addition to four other arrests across the country in recent days.

Shortly after 2.35am on Saturday, 19 April, 2025, a vehicle failed to stop for officers in the Robroyston area of Glasgow following disruption activity. The car then left the scene before being abandoned on an offroad track near to Chryston a short time later.

Two men, aged 23 and 24, were arrested and charged in connection with conspiracy and a number of road traffic offences, all related to serious and organised crime. Both appeared at Glasgow Sheriff Court on Tuesday, 22 April.

On Wednesday, 23 April, 2025, a 38-year-old man was arrested and charged in Edinburgh in connection with reset of a stolen vehicle, theft of fuel, road traffic offences, culpable and reckless behaviour and being in possession of weapons.

He was due to appear in Edinburgh Sheriff Court yesterday – Thursday, 24 April.

A 16-year-old male was also arrested and charged with reset of a stolen vehicle and culpable and reckless behaviour.  He was due to appear in Edinburgh Sheriff Court yesterday (Thursday, 24 April).

A dedicated team from our Specialist Crime Division is working alongside divisional officers to gather hundreds of pieces of evidence and build solid cases against those responsible for these targeted attacks.

Meanwhile, local officers have been carrying out intelligence-led patrols to disrupt the activities of criminals and build reassurance in our communities.

Detective Chief Superintendent David Ferry said: “The arrests over the past week highlight the ongoing work that officers have been doing to target those responsible for these attacks.

“While we believe these incidents are linked to rival groups who are targeting each other, I want to make it clear this violence will not be tolerated.

“As well as carrying out these days of action and disruption activities, there is a lot of work going on behind the scenes, including exploring forensic opportunities and analysis of digital devices.

“While this may not be as visible, please be assured we are working tirelessly to build cases and are following a number of significant lines of enquiry.

“We have had a good response to our appeals and I want to thank the public for their help and information so far.

“The support of our communities is absolutely vital when it comes to tackling serious organised crime, preventing violence and getting justice for victims. Your information really can make a difference.

“If you know anything about who is responsible for these dangerous and abhorrent acts, please do the right thing and speak to us.”

Anyone who can assist our enquiries is asked to contact Police Scotland via 101 quoting incident number 0562 of Friday, 21 March, 2025.

Alternatively, you can call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 where information can be given anonymously.

Edinburgh Tool Library: Repairmongery programme feedback

Over the last 9 months we have been piloting our Repairmongery programme in Leith supported by Leith Chooses. This programme offered repair services for broken household items, plus was a great research opportunity to see if this service would be something we could sustain long term as we asked everyone who visited what they would be willing to pay.

At ETL we believe that products should last longer and so when broken, they should be repaired. And thus the Repairmongery was born!

In total we had 7 open days in the last 9 months where people living and working in Leith could drop off their broken items. We received 88 items (of which 8 items were not broken in the first place !!) but from the 80 broken items our repair technician was able to repair a whopping 73% ⭐️

As for how much people were willing to pay for a repair, an interesting thing we learned was that this was more heavily influenced by the financial or sentimental value of the item rather than by the amount of work needed to repair it. Overall, it seems people were eager to have items repaired rather than having to dispose of them and buy replacements.

Whilst our Leith Repairmongery has come to an end, the Repairmongery in Portobello and Craigmillar supported by Action Porty is still running for one last intake day on Friday 25th April this week.

We’ll be sending out a feedback form to collect your feedback in the coming month and help us reflect on these two pilots.

Portobello disturbance: Man arrested and charged

MAN TO APPEAR IN COURT TODAY

A 21-year-old man has been arrested and charged following a disturbance in the Portobello area of Edinburgh.

Around 10.55pm on Saturday, 12 April, 2025, police were called to Bath Street and Mentone Avenue.

Three males, one aged 17 and two aged 18, were taken to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh for treatment.

The 21-year-old man is due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court today – Tuesday, 15 April, 2025.

A report will be sent to the Procurator Fiscal.

Enquiries remain ongoing.

Thank you to those who have assisted with enquiries so far.

Last Call for Community Councillors

Nominations close at 4pm on Thursday 17 April

Community Council Elections 2025 : 2nd call for nominations update

A second call for nominations for the following 8 community councils opened on 27 March 2025. 

Nominations close at 4pm on Thursday 17 April 2025.

If you work with networks, groups, or community organisations in any of these areas we would be most grateful if could pass on this information.

Anyone who wishes to stand should complete a nomination form signed in ink, and return it to the Governance Team at Waverley Court, 4 East Market Street, Edinburgh, EH8 8BG by the closing date at 4pm on Thursday 17 April 2025. Alternatively, a mobile phone picture or scan of the nomination form can be returned by email tocommunity.councils@edinburgh.gov.uk by the same deadline.

Candidates can download a nomination form by clicking on the community council name above (download an example completed nomination form)

Local Interest Groups can download the Local Interest Group Nomination Form (download an example completed Local Interest Group nomination form)

Please visit our community council election webpages for more information.

Challenging times for Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home

Important news from the Home:

Due to the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, the rising costs of running the Home have outpaced the funds we’ve been able to raise, despite the continued generosity and support of our incredible community.

If we do not take immediate and decisive action, there is a genuine risk that the Home will no longer be able to continue in the years ahead. This is not an outcome we can accept, as we know how much the Home means to the many people and pets we support across the country.

As we face these unprecedented challenges, we have had to undertake a restructuring exercise to ensure we can continue to operate effectively and sustainably for the long term.

This means that we have made the difficult and unavoidable decision to become a smaller team as well as make a slight reduction to our opening hours.

We’re so grateful to all our team who have stood by the Home during this tough time, continuing to deliver exceptional care and support to pets and their owners, and thank them for their hard work and dedication to our important mission.

Our mission remains the same, as we project that the need for our services will only increase. We are fully committed to doing whatever is necessary to protect the future of Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home and the pets and pet owners we support.

Thank you for supporting our Home.

Tracy Gilbert MP presents North East Edinburgh with CAP+ Community Alcohol Partnership of the Year Award

On Wednesday (April 2nd), Edinburgh North and Leith MP Tracy Gilbert presented the Community Alcohol Partnership award to the North East Edinburgh division for their Innovative Youth Engagement and Community Impact efforts at an event at Westminster.

A partnership set up to tackle underage drinking has been rewarded for its work. The North East Edinburgh Community Alcohol Partnership was named ‘CAP+ of the Year’ by national organisation Community Alcohol Partnerships (CAP) at its annual awards ceremony in the Houses of Parliament on 2nd April 2025.

CAP sets up and supports local partnerships that aim to reduce alcohol harm in children and young people, improve their health and well-being and enhance their communities.

Tracy Gilbert MP said: “I was honoured to present the 2025 CAP+ Award to North East Edinburgh.

“It’s fantastic to see their hard work and dedication being recognised, especially in light of the remarkable achievement of a 56% reduction in weekly alcohol consumption among 13-15 year olds in Edinburgh and Orkney. This progress is a direct result of the strong local partnerships that have been established.

“These services are vital for our young people. CAPS’ commitment to working alongside them has produced incredible outcomes.

“I want to extend a huge congratulations to all the divisions across the UK for their remarkable achievements.”

North East Edinburgh CAP was recognised for its exceptional efforts in addressing underage drinking and fostering positive change among young people in the local community.

Led by Police Officers Lauren Munro and Ania Morrison, the CAP has demonstrated outstanding creativity and dedication in tackling complex youth-related issues.

Lauren and Ania commented: “We had another great year working with CAP. With the invaluable mentoring and continuous support from the national CAP team we were able to come together with other partner agencies to deliver numerous projects over the course of 2024.

“We’re really honoured to accept this award.”

Kate Winstanley, Director of Community Alcohol Partnerships said: “The North East Edinburgh CAP, under the leadership of PC’s Munro and PC Morrison, is a brilliant example of innovation and effectiveness.

“Their creative initiatives and unwavering commitment to engaging with vulnerable young people have made a real difference in their community. This award is a well-deserved recognition of their outstanding work.”

Community Council Elections 2025 – 2nd call for nominations

Community Council Elections 2025 – 2nd call for nominations

Nomination forms can be downloaded by clicking on the community council name above (an example completed nomination form is available here)

Local Interest Group Nomination Form are also available here (an example completed Local Interest Group nomination form is available here)

Completed nomination forms can be returned by:

  • email to community.councils@edinburgh.gov.uk (see tips below).
  • post to the Governance Team, The City of Edinburgh Council, Waverley Court, 4 East Market Street, Edinburgh, EH8 8BG.
  • hand in to Waverley Court reception.

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

If candidates choose to return by hand or by post please ensure sufficient time is allowed for the nomination form to be received before the deadline at 4pm on Thursday 17 April 2025.  

Nominations close at 4pm on Thursday 17 April 2025.

Our webpages have been updated with the Notice of Community Council Election 2025.

Please share with your networks to encourage nominations for the above 8 Community Councils.

Completing a nomination form

Please review the example Nomination Paper for Community Council Elected Representative and the example Local Interest Group Registration and Nomination Form.  All sections in yellow must be completed.

Declaration of Acceptance

If successful, candidates will be required to sign a Declaration of Acceptance at the first community council meeting declaring that, having been elected to the office of Community Councillor they

A copy of the Declaration of Acceptance can be viewed on our website.

Community Council election timescales (for the above 8 Community Councils)

Here is a breakdown of the important dates:

  • nomination period runs from 27 March 2025 until 17 April 2025. This is when candidates can nominate themselves to stand for election as a community councillor for one of the 8 community councils detailed above.
  • Poll date (if needed) will be 15 May 2025. A poll will only be held in a community council area if there are more people nominated than places on the community council.
  • new community council term will start on 28 March 2025. It will last four years.

Nominations are for the 8 community councils agreed in the new Scheme for Community Councils and new boundaries which were approved by Council on 26 September 2024. The Scheme and Boundaries agreed on 26 September 2024 took effect on 28 March 2025.

The other 39 community councils in Edinburgh received sufficient nominations to form during the previous nomination period and have had their election results published and will establish once the new terms starts on 28 March 2025.

CEC Governance Team

Action Porty: Bellfield’s Big Build

BUY SHARES, BUILD COMMUNITY

Bellfield’s Big Build – Community Share Offer

Dates: Saturday 29th March – Saturday 30th April 2025

Location: Bellfield, Portobello, Edinburgh 

Target Raise: £200k (successful share issue will unlock £450k capital grand from Community Ownership, if we are unsuccessful we lose the £450k).

Porty’s trailblazing take on keeping community spaces thriving

Can we raise 200k from the community in a month? 

  • Action Porty are launching a community share offer to raise funds to double the space in the celebration hall (the old church building) in Bellfield community centre
  • Action Porty currently turn away 50% of bookings due to lack of space, and the new refurbishment will create a warmer, more efficient and more accessible building.
  • Action Porty were the first Urban organisation to have used the community ‘right to buy’ legislation to have bought the building in 2017.
  • Councils, churches and police buildings are being sold off all round the country, Action Porty are showing a way that communities can get organised to own and run their own community spaces. 
  • Community members and organisations who buy shares will have a say in what happens with the building in the future. 
  •  The building is used for youth theatre, ceilidhs, belly dancing, yoga, weddings, birthdays, Quaker meeting and much more!

“When you build more roads, you get more traffic. When you create more community spaces, you get more community” (Justin Kenrick, chair of Action Porty)

“I had my mother’s funeral here; I’ve spent pivotal moments of my life in this building – happy or sad, joyous or full of anguish, this building has housed all those emotions” (Shauna)

More info – contact membership@actionporty.com, Phone: 07786577884 (Hazel) 

Website: https://www.bellfield.scot/buy-shares-1

Instagram: @bellfieldporty

Facebook: Action Porty

Bellfield’s Big Build_FINAL_digitalDownload

Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home launches cattery crowdfunder

Crippling energy price rises has seen costs at the Home soar and funds are desperately needed to enable the cattery roof to be replaced

The Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home has today launched a crowdfunder to raise vital funds to replace their cattery roof which is in great need of repair.  Rising energy prices has seen costs at the Home rocket and so they hope to install solar panels on their new roof which will make a saving of over £2,600 in energy costs every year.

The cattery roof is in urgent need of repair and the team at the Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home hope to raise nearly £13,000 to fund a new one and install solar panels.  Currently the outdoor section of the cat pen has a mesh area through which bird poo can fall, which is incredibly dangerous to the cats, putting them at risk of giardia infection. 

The new roof will be solid to keep the cats safe, preventing bird droppings from falling through, which previously required a great deal of time to clean. The improvement means the cats will now have year-round access to the outdoor cattery.

Solar Panels on the new roof would effectively cover the electricity to the Home’s entire cattery and clinic, creating a more sustainable future for the Home and for the environment. With solar panels installed, over five years the Home would save £13,070 – enough to vaccinate 1,378 cats.

Many of the Home’s resident cats, like Mickey who had spent about 6 months with them, enjoyed spending time outside whatever the weather. Mickey loved to sit in his outdoor area, hoping that passing team members would stop to say hi to him (of course, they always would!) The outdoor pens provide important stimulation and enrichment for cats like Mickey, but at the moment they can’t be used year-round due to infection concerns.

Lindsay Fyffe Jardine, CEO of Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home, said: “Repairing the roof and installing the solar panels above this section of the cattery will provide much needed shelter and create a safer play area for the cats in our care.

“Not only will we benefit from much needed energy savings, we’ll also improve our carbon footprint. Installing these solar panels means that two tons of CO2 emissions will be avoided every year. Over the panels’ lifetime, this is the equivalent of 69,690 car kms avoided, 50 long haul flights avoided, or planting 448 trees.

“Installing solar panels will not only give essential cover to our cattery, but will generate enough green energy for all the electricity in our cattery and our clinic.

“The welfare of the animals in our care is always at the forefront of our operations. Operating sustainably is essential in our ability to continue to deliver on our mission.”

To make a donation to the Cattery Crowdfunder please visit: 

https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/light-up-our-home

Scottish Bangladeshi Welfare Association celebrates International Mother Language Day

The Scottish Bangladeshi Welfare Association (SBWA) is proud to announce its celebration of International Mother Language Day in Edinburgh.

The event, held at Portobello on 23rd February 2025, truly promoted social cohesion and cross-cultural awareness between our community and others across Scotland. This initiative fostered stronger connections with diverse communities, encouraging linguistic diversity, multilingualism, and the preservation of mother languages worldwide.

In this multicultural festival, Honorable Chief Guest was Mr. Foysol Choudhury MBE MSP who has been the advisor of SBWA since it was founded.

In his speech he said: “It is important for our younger generations to embrace their mother language, as it not only helps to maintain cultural connections but also plays a vital role in fostering inclusivity in society.” 

The event saw participation from a wide range of cultural backgrounds, including Bangladeshi Scottish, Irish, English, French, German, Polish, African, Spanish, Japanese, Greek, and Indian performers and attendees.

In his speech, The President of Scottish Bangladeshi Welfare Association, Mr. Ziauddin Khan Siddique (Sumon) said, “We are incredibly proud of this achievement and extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who contributed to making the event a success.”

The Genearal Secretary of the organisation Mr. Khan Elahi urged to take necessary steps to establish a permanent ‘Shaheed Minar’ (Monument) in Edinburgh like other cities across the World (London, Paris, Lisbon, Toronto).

Moreover, The Event management secretary of the organisation Mr. Nazim Ahmed thanked everyone including guests, performers & volunteers  to make this program successful.

This organisation’s mission is to address and work on the key issues including the advancement of education, community development, arts, heritage, culture, science, social welfare, and health and wellbeing.

Since it’s registration with the Scottish Charity Registry in April 2022, we have been committed to serving the community with dedication and compassion.

প্রেস রিলিজ

স্কটিশ বাংলাদেশি ওয়েলফেয়ার অ্যাসোসিয়েশন এডিনবরায় আন্তর্জাতিক মাতৃভাষা দিবস উদযাপন করল

স্কটিশ বাংলাদেশি ওয়েলফেয়ার অ্যাসোসিয়েশন (SBWA) গর্বের সঙ্গে ঘোষণা করছে যে, তারা এডিনবরায় আন্তর্জাতিক মাতৃভাষা দিবস উদযাপন করেছে। ২৩শে ফেব্রুয়ারি ২০২৫ তারিখে এডিনবরার পোর্টোবেলোতে অনুষ্ঠিত এই অনুষ্ঠানটি সামাজিক সংহতি ও আন্তঃসাংস্কৃতিক সচেতনতা বৃদ্ধির একটি অনন্য উদাহরণ হয়ে উঠেছিল। এই উদ্যোগ বিভিন্ন সম্প্রদায়ের মধ্যে সংযোগ আরও দৃঢ় করেছে এবং ভাষাগত বৈচিত্র্য, বহুভাষিকতা এবং বিশ্বব্যাপী মাতৃভাষার সংরক্ষণকে উৎসাহিত করেছে।

এই বহু-সাংস্কৃতিক উৎসবে প্রধান অতিথি ছিলেন মাননীয় ফয়ছল হোসেন চৌধুরী এমবিই এমএসপি, স্কটিশ পার্লামেন্টের সদস্য। ছায়া মন্ত্রী সংস্কৃতি, ইউরোপ এবং আন্তর্জাতিক উন্নয়ন. যিনি SBWA-র প্রতিষ্ঠাকালীন পরামর্শদাতা। তাঁর বক্তব্যে তিনি বলেন, “আমাদের তরুণ প্রজন্মের জন্য মাতৃভাষাকে গ্রহণ করা অত্যন্ত গুরুত্বপূর্ণ, কারণ এটি শুধুমাত্র সাংস্কৃতিক সংযোগ বজায় রাখতেই সাহায্য করে না, বরং সমাজে অন্তর্ভুক্তির গুরুত্বপূর্ণ ভূমিকা পালন করে।”

অনুষ্ঠানে বিভিন্ন সাংস্কৃতিক পটভূমির মানুষ অংশ নেন, যার মধ্যে ছিলেন বাংলাদেশি-স্কটিশ, আইরিশ, ইংরেজ, ফরাসি, জার্মান, পোলিশ, আফ্রিকান, স্প্যানিশ, জাপানি, গ্রিক এবং ভারতীয় শিল্পী ও দর্শনার্থীরা। স্কটিশ বাংলাদেশি ওয়েলফেয়ার অ্যাসোসিয়েশনের সভাপতি মি. জিয়াউদ্দিন খান সিদ্দিক (সুমন) তাঁর বক্তব্যে বলেন, “আমরা এই অর্জনে অত্যন্ত গর্বিত এবং যাঁরা এই অনুষ্ঠান সফল করতে সহায়তা করেছেন, তাঁদের সবাইকে আন্তরিক ধন্যবাদ জানাই।”

সংগঠনের সাধারণ সম্পাদক মি. খান এলাহী এডিনবরায় একটি স্থায়ী “শহীদ মিনার” (স্মৃতিস্তম্ভ) প্রতিষ্ঠার জন্য প্রয়োজনীয় পদক্ষেপ গ্রহণের আহ্বান জানান, যেমনটি বিশ্বের অন্যান্য শহরে (লন্ডন, প্যারিস, লিসবন, টরন্টো) ইতিমধ্যেই রয়েছে। এছাড়াও, সংগঠনের ইভেন্ট ম্যানেজমেন্ট সচিব মি. নাজিম আহমেদ অতিথি, শিল্পী এবং স্বেচ্ছাসেবকদের ধন্যবাদ জানান, যাঁদের অক্লান্ত পরিশ্রমের ফলে এই অনুষ্ঠান সফল হয়েছে।

এই সংগঠনের লক্ষ্য হল শিক্ষার উন্নয়ন, কমিউনিটি ডেভেলপমেন্ট, শিল্প, ঐতিহ্য, সংস্কৃতি, বিজ্ঞান, সামাজিক কল্যাণ, স্বাস্থ্য ও সুস্থতা সংক্রান্ত গুরুত্বপূর্ণ বিষয়গুলোতে কাজ করা। ২০২২ সালের এপ্রিলে স্কটিশ চ্যারিটি রেজিস্ট্রিতে নিবন্ধিত হওয়ার পর থেকে, আমরা কমিউনিটির সেবা প্রদানে নিষ্ঠা ও আন্তরিকতার সঙ্গে কাজ করে যাচ্ছি।