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Excellent all over well being. Starts 8th September
A group of 20 women took on a 12-hour continuous football match on Sunday to raise money for St Columba’s Hospice Care.
Two teams played 7-a-side football from 8am until 8pm at South Queensferry Hub in an endurance challenge.
The women hoped to raise at least £2,000 for St Columba’s, who also kindly provided playing strips for the day, but organiser Amie Johnston has been in touch to report that the group has raised £3500, ‘playing all day in the rain!’
CHARITY EVENT: South Queensferry onSunday 30 August 2026
A group of 20 women are taking on a 12-hour continuous football match to raise money for St Columba’s Hospice Care. Two teams will play 7-a-side football from 8am until 8pm at South Queensferry Hub, with only three substitutes per team, so it’s going to be a real endurance challenge!
We’re hoping to raise at least £2,000 for St Columba’s Hospice Care, which provides vital care and support to people with life-limiting illnesses and their families across Edinburgh and the Lothians. St Columba’s have also very kindly provided our playing strips for the day.
We’re getting incredibly close to our target and would love to spread the word as widely as possible. (JustGiving)
KSQ Football Club have kindly donated the use of their facilities for the event, and we’d love to welcome anyone who wants to come along, support us and cheer the women through the 12 hours.
From part-time store roles to senior leadership, four Scotmid colleagues are marking career milestones that together span more than 110 years.
Their journeys highlight how one of Scotland’s leading convenience retailers continues to grow talent from within, creating long-term career paths across stores, operations, HR and learning and development.
Today, each continues to support colleagues, strengthen the business and help shape the next stage of Scotmid’s growth.
For Lynne MacGillivray, the journey started in March 1991 in what was then known as a ‘shelf filler’ role at Scotmid’s South Queensferry store while she was still at school.
More than 35 years later, Lynne is now a senior member of Scotmid’s HR team, having spent the past two decades supporting and developing colleagues across the business.
Lynne said: “I never expected to stay as long as I have, but Scotmid’s variety of opportunities and strong community values made it somewhere I wanted to build my career.
“Seeing colleagues build confidence, progress and achieve their potential has been one of the most rewarding parts of my role.”
Kevin Lowe joined Scotmid in April 2001 as a Regional Business Manager.
Over the last 25 years, he has supported significant change across the business, including major acquisitions, business transformation projects and the growth of Scotmid’s store estate.
Reflecting on his time with Scotmid, Kevin said: “When I first started, we had around 50 stores, four Regional Business Managers and the bones of an expansion plan.
“Today, we have more than 180 stores and a custom-built Head Office. It has been a fantastic growth journey, both personally and professionally, to be part of.”
Following Scotmid’s acquisition of Morning Noon & Night in 2004, Jane Burns joined Airdrie’s Scotmid store as an experienced manager. Since then, she has progressed through compliance, training and learning and development roles and is now a Lead Learning & Development Consultant, helping colleagues build successful careers of their own.
Jane said: “I quickly saw that Scotmid genuinely puts people first. The care, compassion and empathy shown during the transition made a lasting impression.
“What has kept me here is our people. I feel fortunate to support colleagues as they grow, progress and build careers of their own.”
While studying Business and Information Management at university, Lynne Hedger joined Scotmid 25 years ago as a Customer Service Assistant. What began as a part-time job developed into a career spanning store management, change management and major business projects. Today, Lynne is Head of Central Operations and a member of Scotmid’s Retail Leadership Team.
Reflecting on her Scotmid journey, she said: “I did not expect to stay after completing my degree, but I quickly got the retail bug.
“The people, progression opportunities and support within the Society have shaped my career, with numerous mentors guiding and encouraging me along the way.”
Margaret Anne Clark, Chief Operating Officer – Services at Scotmid, said: “All four of these incredible colleagues have each made an outstanding contribution and commitment to Scotmid over many years.
“They have helped serve customers, support colleagues and guide the business through periods of growth and change. Their stories demonstrate the opportunities that exist within Scotmid and the difference people can make when they build a career with us.
“We’re incredibly grateful for their commitment and proud to celebrate their milestones.”
Together, their stories reflect Scotmid’s long-standing commitment to developing colleagues, recognising loyalty and creating careers that grow with the business.
Edinburgh North-Western MSP, Alex Cole-Hamilton, has today contacted the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Tourism and Transport, Stephen Flynn, urging him to reconsider the Scottish Government’s 2018 decision to restrict the A90 slip roads at the Echline junction.
The restriction has seriously altered traffic movements into and out of Queensferry.
Almost overnight, there was a substantial increase in traffic using Station Road, Bankhead Road, and the B924 – roads that were never designed to accommodate such high volumes of traffic.
Since then, Builyeon Road became the principal route for vehicles entering and leaving the town, which has seriously decreased the safety of the road.
The new housing development in Queensferry at Builyeon Road will cause another diversion at the beginning of 2027, with traffic being re-routed through the residential development and past the new primary school.
Alex has urged the Cabinet Secretary to reverse the previous decision and open the slip roads to all traffic, cutting congestion and, crucially, improving road safety – especially for the young people who cross the road to get to school.
Speaking on the issue, Alex said: ‘The traffic flow in Queensferry has been a burden on residents for too many years now.
Many are having to wait in traffic, with my constituents also telling me how unsafe the road is to cross. This is all while a solution sits ready to be actioned.
Restoring these connections would provide a valuable alternative route for motorists, relieve pressure on the local road network, and reduce the volume of traffic which will pass through a residential neighbourhood and alongside a primary school.
I hope the Cabinet Secretary takes my concerns seriously, and we see a change soon.’
Housing specialist, Lovell, currently building a mixed-tenure development in partnership with Sanctuary Scotland and Sigma Capital at The Crossings in South Queensferry, upgraded the cycle path at Echline Primary School to give pupils a safer space to build confidence on two wheels for the summer holidays.
The work was completed in time for the end of term, giving children a dedicated space to learn to ride and forms part of the ongoing commitment by Lovell to deliver social value in communities where it builds.
Over the course of six days Lovell staff members, along with partnering supply chain, cleared overgrown areas, resurfaced and repainted the cycling track so pupils could practise safer riding in a realistic layout. The team also refurbished the school’s sensory garden and pond area with new plants and small trees.
Together, Lovell and their partners provided around £2,000 of materials for the cycle path and garden.
Tony Rankin, Regional Managing Director at Lovell in Scotland, said: “At Lovell we’re proud to be delivering much-needed housing in South Queensferry and committed to helping to create a thriving, sustainable community.
“Our team were glad to give their time and skills to upgrade the cycle path at Echline Primary School and we hope pupils feel more confident getting out on their bikes safely this summer.”
Sarah Macauley, Senior Project Manager, Sanctuary Scotland, said: “Great housing is about far more than the homes themselves. It’s about strengthening communities and making sure people feel the benefit for years to come.
“That is exactly why Sanctuary Scotland is proud to partner with Lovell, who share our commitment to building communities. The work to improve the cycle path and garden at Echline Primary School is a perfect example, giving local children a better and safer place to learn.”
Laura Marshall, Sustainability Lead and Eco-Schools Co-ordinator at Echline Primary School, said: “At Echline we want every child to feel safe and secure so they can grow in confidence.
“We are very grateful to Lovell for donating their time and skills to upgrade our cycle path to give our pupils a brilliant space to practise and become more independent on their bikes.”
The Crossings will deliver 398 homes, including 100 for social rent in partnership with Sanctuary Scotland, 185 homes for private rent through Sigma Simple Life, 113 private homes for sale by Lovell Homes and 14 commercial units. The development will also support more than 300 local jobs.
The Second World War Comes to Queensferry has been developed in partnership with the Queensferry History Group and reveals how the community experienced the upheaval of war.
Queensferry occupied a strategically important position during the Second World War because of its proximity to the Firth of Forth, the naval base at Port Edgar and the iconic Forth Bridge. Local residents lived with the constant awareness that Scotland’s east coast played a crucial role in Britain’s wartime defence and witnessed the first Luftwaffe attack over Britain.
Through a local perspective, the exhibition examines the conflict through the eyes of ordinary people living in and around Queensferry.
Many of the photographs, stories and research featured in the exhibition come directly from community collections and local investigations carried out by the Queensferry History Group, helping to preserve memories that might otherwise have been lost.
Culture and Communities Convener Margaret Graham said:“The Queensferry History Group has created an invaluable record of the town’s past, and I’m delighted that we’ve been able to work with them to bring this exhibition to life.
“By working closely with local people to shape how we present and interpret history, exhibitions like this help to uncover personal stories, family memories, and community perspectives, making the past more meaningful, engaging and accessible for visitors of all ages.
“I hope visitors will take the opportunity to visit the exhibition and discover a deeper understanding on the events that have shaped our shared heritage.”
A spokesperson from the Queensferry History Group said:“Queensferry History Group, a volunteer research group, has been meeting for almost 40 years, through the years, seeing varying faces and places but ultimately bringing the History of Queensferry to the local and wider community.
“This recent project is to commemorate the men who fought and died for Queensferry during World War Two, to bring their stories to life and to introduce some who fought and returned home.
“We researched the war history of the men and the battles they fought in. We searched through earlier transcripts of interviews with community members recorded some years ago.
They contained stories of people’s personal experiences, witnessing the first air attack of the War, in Britain, which was on ships in the Forth. How the children felt being sent away from their families as evacuees, how people coped with rationing and many more effects on the community back then.
“We are proud to bring this exhibition to our community now.”
Funding linked to new homes will help reinstate vital music sessions for older people
MUSIC-LED sessions for older people in South Queensferry are set to return after a charitable donation from a major housing developer.
A £2,500 contribution from Cala Homes (East) was given to Manor Estates Housing Association (MEHA) and its community fund following the final handover of 25 social rent properties at the Queensferry Heights housing development.
The full amount has been awarded to Queensferry Churches Care in the Community (QCCC) to restart popular music sessions that had been scaled back due to financial pressures.
Derek Lawson, Strategic Land Director at Cala Homes (East), said: “We are pleased to see this community benefit donation support such a worthwhile, local cause.
“At Cala, we are committed not only to delivering high-quality homes, but also to making a positive contribution to the communities in which we build.
“It is particularly rewarding to know this donation will help QCCC continue its valuable work supporting older people and reducing social isolation.”
QCCC supports around 400 older people each year across South Queensferry and surrounding communities, helping to reduce isolation and improve wellbeing through a range of services and activities.
The organisation had been forced to scale back some of its music-based sessions due to financial pressures, despite their proven benefits for emotional wellbeing, memory stimulation and social connection.
Claire Ironside, CEO of Manor Estates Housing Association, said: “We know just how beneficial these sessions are, particularly for older people. To be able to help bring them back through this funding is incredibly rewarding and shows the value of partnership working in action.”
The latest handover between Cala and Manor Estates brings Cala’s total delivery to 44 affordable homes across the development, forming part of a wider commitment tied to the site and local community.
The homes include a mix of houses and flats designed to meet a range of housing needs, helping to address ongoing demand for high-quality affordable housing in the area.
Claire added: “It has been hugely reassuring working with Cala throughout this development. The quality has been consistent from start to finish, and the finished homes are ones we are genuinely proud to offer to tenants.”
POLICE are appealing for information following reports of offensive graffiti in South Queensferry.
The vandalism is reoccurring and we are aware of six instances between the end of December 2025 and Tuesday, 21 April, 2026.
The graffiti is being removed by the council each time before appearing again. It is mainly happening in the Morison Gardens underpass, and Society Road areas.
Police Constable Euan Sinclair said: “Since this was reported to us, we have been conducting enquiries to trace the person, or persons, responsible. It is wholly unacceptable for this to continue happening.
“I would urge anyone who may have been in these areas and seen anything suspicious, or who has any information to help us identity and trace those responsible, to contact us.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident number 2772 of 6 April, 2026.
