A hardy team of Asda area managers braved the chilly waters of the Firth of Forth when they took a dip for charity at Portobello yesterday.
With donations still coming in their efforts have now raised over £3000 for Children in Need.
PICTURES: Sharon Gray – Asda Leith Community Champion
FORTY managers from Asda central region – including local region manager Brian Boyle – will be taking a brave plunge into the chilly sea at Portobello at 1pm today to raise money for children in need (writes SHARON GRAY, Asda Leith’s Community Champion).
We have raised over £1000 so far, but are looking to raise more. Come along and give your support! Meet up at Bath Street entrance from 12:45pm.
Sharon has also sent some pictures of the Asda team in training:
Police in Edinburgh are continuing enquiries and appealing for information following an incident in Fishwives Causeway on Thursday (11 November).
Around 11.30 pm, a 30-year-old woman was walking along Fishwives Causeway when a man approached her from behind, took hold of her arm and tried to pull her along the pathway.
A passing cyclist intervened and the suspect ran off.
The suspect is described as white, in his 20’s, around 5ft 8, blue or grey eyes and crooked teeth. He was wearing a dark jacket with the hood up and dark trousers.
Detective Constable Neil Donaldson at Fettes Police Office in Edinburgh said: “This would have been a frightening and traumatic experience for the victim.
“Whilst this appears to be a rare and isolated incident we would like to speak to anyone who was in the vicinity of Fishwives Causeway around 11.30 pm on Thursday, 11 November 2021 and who may have seen a man fitting the above description”.
Anyone with information should contact police via telephone number 101 quoting incident number 3903 of 11 November 2021. Alternatively calls can be made via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 where anonymity can be maintained.
This year two Dispersal Zones are being set up in North West Edinburgh to combat antisocial behaviour and disorder over the bonfire period. The zones will be in operation between 2pm and midnight from Thursday 4th to Saturday 6th November.
Under the Antisocial Behaviour (Scotland) Act 2004, police have a Power of Dispersal within the designated zones authorised by Superintendent David Robertson.
This means that Police can instruct any people in groups of two or more who are congregating and behaving in an antisocial manner to disperse, and if they do not live there to leave the zones, and then not to return for up to 24 hours.
If they do return, they can be arrested.
Nine dispersal zones will be set up across the city in known ‘hot spots’. As well as West Pilton and Muirhouse, zones will be established in Portobello, Loganlea, Gilmerton, Moredun, Southhouse, Gorgie and Saughton.
News of the establishment of Dispersal Zones will come as no surprise to local residents – the real surprise is that these dispersal zones will be in place over one weekend only.
Snapshot litter surveys on Portobello Beach carried out by Keep Porty Tidy, as part of Keep Scotland Beautiful’s campaign My Beach Your Beach, show a decrease in litter this summer.
A total of 64 items of litter were counted across 100m of the beach and prom at the end of the summer, versus 114 items on the same stretch at the start of the summer, and 293 items counted last year.
A combination of campaign activity, which encouraged beach goers to help care for the sand and sea, as well as the efforts of the growing Keep Porty Tidy group, which has been tackling litter head-on at the site are likely to have contributed to these results.
Funded by the Scottish Government and supported by SEPA, My Beach Your Beach has been running since 2018 to support bathing water quality improvements at a growing selection of Scottish beaches including Portobello, Fisherrow Sands and Kinghorn on the east coast of the country, and Ayr, Troon, Irvine and, this year’s addition, Saltocoats/Ardrossan on the west.
The campaign encourages beach stewardship and raises awareness of bad habits that can impact on the sand and sea. This includes leaving litter or dog poo on the beach, feeding and attracting gulls to the bathing water and blocking pipes by flushing ‘unflushables’ down the toilet or pouring fats, oils or greases down the drain.
The latest litter surveys highlight the importance of beach goers taking responsibility for their litter and using the bins provided, with 51% of litter (discounting cigarette stubs) coming from people eating and drinking on or near the beach.
Georgina Massouraki, Campaigns Officer at Keep Scotland Beautiful, said: “It is very encouraging to see litter levels drop at Portobello beach this summer. These results show what can be achieved when everyone steps in to play a part.
“It has been great working in collaboration with the council and Keep Porty Tidy and seeing all the efforts that are being made locally to protect the sand and sea at this beautiful beach.
“We hope that everyone who enjoys Portobello is moved to support these efforts, never leaving litter for volunteers to clean up, stepping up and joining a beach clean, and also making sure they understand how their habits can impact on the quality of the beloved bathing waters we all share.”
With the summer bathing season over, My Beach Your Beach will continue to engage people near the campaign beaches through the winter months, particularly around indoor habits relating to pipes and drains in collaboration with local councils, businesses and schools.
A new classroom resource has been rolled out to 18 secondary schools locally, with an introduction to bathing water quality focusing on the two Portobello bathing waters – Portobello Central and Portobello West.
A writing assignment encouraging students to reflect on their favourite aspect of the beach and explain why that makes it worth protecting will be featured as part of the campaign going forward.
For more information visit:
Scotland’s expanding network of distinctive water refill stations is set to inspire people to enjoy – and protect – the nation’s great outdoors this Autumn.
Scottish Water’s Top Up Taps (TUTs) are located across cities, towns and rural sites which allow people on-the-go to refill their water bottles for free while also doing their bit to reduce litter.
And now two of Scotland’s best-known walking and outdoors organisations – Paths for All and Ramblers Scotland – have joined the wave by supporting the drive to encourage more walkers, runners and cyclists to seek out the taps on their outings.
The Top up Taps are part of Scottish Water’s Your Water Your Life campaign, which was launched in June 2018 to emphasise the vital role water plays in the lives of people across Scotland.
There are already 60 Top Up Taps situated across Scotland with more to be installed over the rest of the year in town squares, city centres, sea fronts and even iconic landmarks.
And with Scotland’s famed Autumn beauty about to shine, it’s the perfect time to visit some of the existing taps in these locations. Towns boasting taps already include St Andrews, Linlithgow and Perth.
Spot some of the blue taps in and around the city centre too at Glasgow Buchanan Street, Edinburgh Royal Mile and Stirling. There is even some taps situated in iconic Scottish locations like Glenfinnan Viaduct and the Scottish Parliament.
Individuals can also enjoy fresh tap water while taking a trip to the seaside in Irvine and Portobello.
Rona Gibb, Senior Manager at Paths for All, said: “We can all do our bit to protect the environment and Top Up Taps make the choice to carry a refillable bottle when out walking an easy one.
“Here at Paths for All, we’re encouraging everyone to walk for short daily journeys, as it’s not only healthy, but driving less reduces our carbon emissions.
“It is of course important to stay hydrated when walking and that’s why we love to see these taps popping up in our towns and cities across Scotland.
“They make it convenient for everyone to make the small daily changes – like walking and carrying tap water – that will collectively make a big difference to reducing pollution, and helping tackle climate change.”
Brendan Paddy, Ramblers Scotland director, said: “We warmly welcome Scottish Water’s roll-out of free refill taps at popular outdoor locations across the country.
“We’re sure that they will prove very popular with thirsty walkers, while also helping to reduce plastic waste and protect the environments in which we all love to walk.”
Brian Lironi, Director of Corporate Affairs at Scottish Water, said: “Our Top up Taps mean people out and about can stay hydrated by filling up for free with our top quality tap water – this is ‘your’ water after all, so we want to make sure you can enjoy it as easy and often as possible.
“Topping up with fresh, great-tasting tap water brings so many benefits – it’s good for the pocket, it’s good for the planet and great for your health too.
“And as we’re set to once more enjoy Scotland’s amazing Autumn scenery and beauty, while ‘leaving only footprints’, having your own water bottle and ready supply of water in so many locations makes that so much more easier to achieve.
“We’d encourage people to keep an eye out for our eye-catching blue taps on their travels.”
Each of the distinctive, high-tech water stations is plumbed directly into the public water supply and each has digital tracking technology which logs how much water is being used and how much plastic potentially saved.
A full list of the current and planned Top up Taps is available on a dedicated website https://www.yourwateryourlife.co.uk/
A new nationwide event that aims to help members of the public to dispose of their personal information safely and securely using professional services is taking place in Glasgow and Edinburgh at the beginning of October.
National Shred Day, organised by the British Security Industry Association in partnership with independent national charity Crimestoppers, is an opportunity to safely dispose of confidential waste for a nominal donation using the services of the BSIA Information Destruction (ID) members.
All donations will go towards regional projects carried out by Crimestoppers and your confidential waste will be shredded in an eco-friendly and safe way.
The event is taking place over multiple locations with the assistance of Morrisons superstores on Saturday (2 October) at 9.00am, and members of the public will be able to bring along as much as they wish to dispose of, including lever arch files, paper documents and boxes of statements, which will be securely shredded on-site before being baled and recycled into paper and tissue products.
The venues for National Shred Day in Scotland are:
Under the theme of ‘Shredded, sorted’, National Shred Day aims to raise awareness of the potential risk of fraud if personal information is not disposed of effectively.
Kristian Carter, Chairman of the BSIA’s Information Destruction section and Commercial Director of Shred Station, said: “No matter how well you may think you’ve shredded your personal information and confidential waste at home it is not 100% safe from thieves.
“Over lockdown many small companies and independent traders will have stored up a considerable amount and often small shredders will not be sufficient enough to dispose of it safely.
“It is essential now more than ever that confidential documented information on people and businesses is destroyed securely to avoid the possibility of fraud occurring, and the BSIA’s ID companies play a crucial role in maintaining confidentiality with all kinds of paper data.
“For a small donation you can dispose of your data securely and professionally and be assured that they won’t get their hands on your personal information.”
Mark Hallas, Chief Executive at the charity Crimestoppers, said: “I know that many of us – from businesses to people – have kept too much personal information as a result of lockdowns and the pandemic, especially with people working from home.
“This is a fantastic opportunity to protect yourself by safely disposing of your or other’s personal information – and at the same time help raise valuable funds for Crimestoppers and our important work locally.
“I’d also like to say a big thank you to BSIA for supporting our charity.”
For more information visit www.bsia.co.uk/national-shred-day
A group of wild swimmers decided to use their chilly hobby to support charity – by holding a coffee morning in the sea!
The group of Edinburgh sea dippers took to the waters at Portobello beach at sunrise and enjoyed some coffee and cakes while getting their daily cold water therapy.
The swimmers hope others will join them by taking part in this years World’s Biggest Coffee Morning on September 24. Although going into the sea is of course optional!
Cold water enthusiast, Lynsey Taylor Pittman said: “I lost both my mum and dad to cancer so I know how important supporting those going through something similar is.
“It was incredibly hard losing my mum when I was only 23 and my Dad just at the start of the pandemic in March 2020. Being in lockdown meant I couldn’t see anyone and that was really difficult. I was still allowed my daily exercise so that’s when I took to the sea.
“The benefits both on my physical and mental health are huge for me. Getting into the cold water shocks your system and then it begins releasing all the happy hormones. When you come out you get this euphoria and just like exercise it gets addictive. I have been doing it for 2 years now and I love that we can do it as a group again.
“Getting into the sea with others gives you a real connection and amplifies the feelings. It makes it even more special. The connection with nature and friends is exactly what we all need right now. So, get your coffee and cake and give it a go!”
Macmillan relies almost entirely on donations from the public to fund its services, and since the pandemic hit, has seen its fundraising income drop.
The charity is hoping that after 18-months of cancelled fundraising events, people across Aberdeen will sign up for its World’s Biggest Coffee Morning on September 24.
To find out more about the financial impact of cancer, or to find support please visit www.macmillan.org.uk.
Sign up to host a World’s Biggest Coffee Morning at coffeeregister.macmillan.org.uk
A band of 18 enthusiastic dancing volunteers joined environmental charity Keep Scotland Beautiful at Portobello Beach on Sunday (12 September) to rid the beach of litter and kick off the charity’s ‘Source to Sea’ week. The litter-picking crew donned their headphones, tuned-in and removed rubbish from the seaside.
They removed lots of small plastics, including cigarette butts, as well as broken glass and bits of clothing left in the sand – a common issue on popular beaches. As well as removing litter from the beach, the purpose of the litter picking party was to raise awareness of how litter left on land can make its way into the sea to pollute our oceans.
The event was organised as part of the charity’s My Beach Your Beach and Treasure your River campaigns, in partnership with Keep Porty Tidy, who go out daily to blitz litter from the beach and prom.
Treasure Your River, created by environmental charity HUBBUB and delivered by Keep Scotland Beautiful, has been targeting litter from source to sea along the River Forth this summer.
The event was also supported by Oscar’s Gelato on the Porty prom, with complimentary gelato and other refreshments offered to volunteers.
Now in its fourth year, the My Beach Your Beach campaign aims to support bathing water quality at a selection of beaches, including Portobello, Fisherrow Sands and Kinghorn Harbour beach on the east coast.
The campaign does this by promoting beach stewardship among locals and visitors and encouraging good habits that can affect bathing water quality, both at the beach and indoors.
This summer’s pre-season litter survey, carried out by Keep Porty Tidy for the My Beach Your Beach campaign, found over 110 items of litter along a sample 100m stretch of beach and prom.
The majority of this litter was drinks and food related rubbish, highlighting the need for people to bin their ‘on the go’ food packaging or take it home.
Greta Elliott, from Keep Porty Tidy, said: “The silent disco litter pick was a lot of fun and a great way to get people involved in keeping our beautiful beach clean and litter free.
“Hopefully it will help encourage others to do the right thing and make sure their rubbish ends up in the bin rather than polluting the beach.”
Georgina Massouraki, Campaigns Officer at Keep Scotland Beautiful, said: “Beach litter is a huge environmental issue, not only blighting our communities but also washing out to sea, where it breaks down into microplastics, harming wildlife and marine ecosystems. This silent disco litter pick was a fun way to draw attention to this issue and hopefully reach a wider range of people.
“Our My Beach Your Beach campaign is designed to help improve the quality of bathing waters by asking people to bin their litter, bag and bin their dog poo and not to feed the gulls.
“We have been delighted to work with Keep Porty Tidy on the campaign in Portobello and hope that beach users will take notice and be more thoughtful about the impact they can have on the sand and sea.”
Cllr Lesley Macinnes, Environment Convener at The City of Edinburgh Council, said: “We’re proud of Edinburgh’s beautiful beaches and so we’re very grateful to the litter pickers who worked so hard at the weekend to help us to keep Porty beach clean. I love that they had fun in the process of keeping fit and entertaining visitors as they danced along the beach.
“Our cleansing teams provided them with the equipment they needed to safely remove discarded litter and we’ve made sure the waste collected has been taken away. Our teams have been extremely busy throughout the pandemic working to keep Porty and the rest of Edinburgh clean and tidy and it’s great to see the Porty community taking pride in their area and helping them out.
“I’d ask everyone visiting any of our beaches to respect our local communities and environment by using the bins provided or by taking your litter home with you.”
Read more about My Beach Your Beach:
https://www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/community-and-place/my-beach-your-beach/
Read more about Treasure Your River:
Two pioneering food brands have joined forces to shine a light on grassroots music venues, while celebrating a classic food combination of bagels and peanut butter.
This weekend, (Saturday 4th – Sunday 5th September), Bross Bagels will reveal the first in a range of limited-edition bagels, which will hero purpose-led brand Jackpot’s unique peanut butter, which ranges from their original to the more creative twists including raspberry, wasabi and cookies ‘n’ cream.
Bross Bagels will launch a new limited-edition bagel every weekend throughout September, with profits from the bagels going towards national charity, Music Venue Trust, which supports and endorses local UK music culture. The partnership will help raise funds and support for grassroots music venues at a time of need for music, culture, artists, their teams and crew.
With the aim of celebrating grassroots music venues across the country, each limited-edition peanut butter bagel will be inspired by music and performance and named after a famous song or lyrics.
The bagels will be available at the Portobello, Leith and Bruntsfield Bross Bagels shops across Edinburgh, every weekend throughout September.
The partnership aims to celebrate a classic food combination, while shining a light on grassroots music culture, a sector that has like many, been significantly impacted by the pandemic. The collaboration is a unique celebration of culture, music and independent venues, subjects close to the hearts of both brands.
Jackpot Peanut Butters will also be available to buy in all Bross Bagels shops throughout September, with a donation from the sale of each of the limited-edition bagels and Jackpot Peanut Butter pots going toward Music Venue Trust.
Launched in 2015, Jackpot Peanut Butter is an all-natural, traditional American peanut butter made in the UK – not dissimilar to Bross Bagels, who present authentic Montreal style bagels, made in Edinburgh.
The limited-edition bagels will kick off tomorrow (Saturday 4th September) with the (I can’t get no) Satay-Faction – a sesame seed Bross bagel filled with hot smoked salmon, Jackpot Peanut Butter, Bross’ infamous frickles, shrettuce, fresh chilli, coriander, and Mama Bross’ rock sauce.
Since the brand launched in 2017, Bross Bagels has been committed to working with other independent brands who are equally dedicated to their craft, and traditional production methods, while giving them a modern twist.
Commenting on the latest collaboration, Bross Bagels founder Larah Bross said; “We’re always looking for ways to work with other brands who have a similar commitment to their craft that we do. When we came across Jackpot Peanut Butter, we felt there was a real synergy in our purpose, passions and love of good food and music that bring people together.
“Bross Bagels was founded on the joy of sharing foods that conjure up memories. For me growing up, there was nothing that couldn’t be fixed with a bagel – especially a peanut butter and jelly bagel! We all have our comfort foods – and they’re comforting because food connects us to one another.
“Music conjures up the same sense of memory, belonging and connection, which is why we’re proud to be supporting both Jackpot and the Music Venue Trust. And we had a hole lot of fun creating the new bagel recipes and names!”
Rupert Leigh, Creator and MD of Jackpot Peanut Butter said; “Bagels and Peanut Butter is a winning combination, as are music and food. Never has there been a more important time to support grassroots music venues, and we’re thrilled to be able to work in collaboration with Larah and the Bross Bagels team to continue to support and nurture the culture of music.
“The sale of the bagels and Jackpot peanut butter pots will be donated to the Music Venue Trust, helping to support that next generation of music makers and fans – helping them grow and continue to entertain, and will highlight the need to look after and invest in our music culture.”
For more information visit www.brossbagels.com
