Stockbridge Primary Parent Council are hosting a charity walk, with half the proceeds being kindly donated to LifeCare.
The walk is completely free, and a lovely opportunity for everyone to get out, enjoy good company and have a picnic and raffle afterwards!
9.30am-11.30am this Saturday.
The walk starts at Saunders St EH3 6TQ in Stockbridge
Call for Volunteer Speakers at LifeCare Community Talks
Local charity, LifeCare is inviting local people to share their knowledge and passions as part of it’s popular free to attend monthly “Talks at LifeCare” programme.
Held on the second Friday of each month in LifeCare’s welcoming hub in Stockbridge, the talks offer a relaxed and friendly space for people to come together and learn something new.
The charity is looking for enthusiastic volunteers to deliver informal talks on a wide range of topics. Previous sessions have included The Water of Leith, Grandparent First Aid, and Fashion Through the Ages.
Full support is provided, making this an ideal opportunity for anyone interested in giving back to their community, sharing knowledge and expertise.
The LifeCare Talks project is funded by the National Lottery Community Fund Scotland.
To find out more or express interest, contact Sarah Duckmanton at:
Our Stockbridge shop is in seriouis need of some volunteers to fill a few gaps in their staffing schedule!
Since opening a few years ago, the shop has become a well established part of Stockbridge life, attracting fantastic donations and bargain hunters from all over!
If you’re interested in volunteering with our team, please contact:
SINGALONG FOR SCOTLAND
A former business executive is swapping spreadsheets for songs to perform for people with dementia at the Edinburgh Fringe in memory of his father.
Johnny Collington, 62, who lives in the capital, first picked up the instrument in a bid to connect with his dad Stan, who had recently been diagnosed with dementia. Stan, originally from Motherwell, passed away in February aged 99.
Johnny is now registered to perform a series of shows at the Fringe in August to raise funds for Alzheimer Scotland.
The married dad-of-two, who was born in Irvine but grew up in Lanarkshire, said: “I had been living and working in London for many years, but I took early retirement and moved back to Scotland, to Edinburgh, about six years ago. My mum Betty had passed away and my dad was in his early 90s and needed more support.
“My dad was diagnosed initially with severe cognitive impairment but his condition progressed quickly to dementia. He moved into a care home and soon could no longer communicate.
“I’d never been much of a musician in the past, but I owned a guitar and knew a few chords. By chance I took the guitar with me to visit dad and tried to play and sing a couple of traditional Scottish songs that I knew he liked.
“Amazingly, as soon as I started playing I could see him connect with me and start singing along. It was remarkable how he suddenly came to life. I realised then that music is a great connector.
“From that point I started seriously teaching myself how to play the guitar and looked for more songs to sing – anything quite traditionally Scottish with a good beat is always a winner.”
Before long, Johnny was asked by the manager of his dad’s care home if he would play for all the residents – many of whom also had dementia. Word soon spread and he now plays at 12 care homes, centres and other venues from Perth to North Lanarkshire and across the east coast, including at Alzheimer Scotland’s outdoor dementia resource centre at Lauriston Castle.
Johnny said: “I get the same reaction from the other people with dementia who I play for as I did from my dad. It’s fantastic how everyone brightens up when they hear the music and join in.
“One chap who was non-verbal and would usually seem quite disconnected, suddenly sat up, took a tambourine and started hitting it in time with the music.
“I’m a bit nervous about the Fringe but also really looking forward to performing and being part of such a world-famous festival. My shows are aimed at people with dementia but also to anyone who enjoys traditional Scottish music. It feels great to be on a new journey now and to be able to give back to the community.
“I want to keep doing what I can to bring music to people living with dementia and to support the amazing work of Alzheimer Scotland for as long as I can.”
SATURDAY 9th MAY from 12 – 1.20pm
Edinburgh Multicultural Festival is coming to your local library with free Chinese, Japanese and African cultural performances this season.
Edinburgh Multicultural Festival presents its Spring/Summer Season of World Cultures performances and workshops in city libraries!
We are happy to host Edinburgh Chinese Arts Association with cultural dance programme at Stockbridge Library on Sat 9th May from 12-1:30pm.
Book your free tickets at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/…/closer-to-cultures-2026…
FRIDAY 12th JUNE 12 – 4pm at LIFECARE
We are excited to invite you along for our annual Summer BBQ! Held at our fully accessible hub at LifeCare 2 Cheyne St in Stockbridge.
Look forward to a bouncy castle, children’s activities, games and of course a proper BBQ all completely free. Everyone welcome! We can’t wait to see you there 
Donations are welcome in order to support the work we do as a charity.
Extinction Rebellion Scotland, Christian Climate Action and Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign held a noisy Earth Day protest outside BlackRock offices in Edinburgh yesterday.
BlackRock is the world’s largest investment asset manager using the immense power of its algorithms and wealth to fund three crimes against life and humanity: AI, fossil fuels, war and genocide. The protest demanded that BlackRock stops using its power to crush humanity, and stops funding death by algorithm.
The protest included drummers from the Rhythms of Resistance network and Discobedience dancers.
Three corpses dressed in shrouds labelled with the words: BlackRock Funds Climate Violence, War and Genocide, AI Terror. Protest in Harmony, a radical activist singing group, sung songs of protest and an original work of art was created for the protest.
Activists held a giant banner saying BlackRock CRUSHING EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE and some held placards drawing attention to the fact that BlackRock’s wealth and algorithms fund climate violence, genocide and Big Tech. Larry Finkenstein, the alter ego of BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, also made an appearance.
Alex Cochrane, website manager, from XR Scotland said: “We are protesting on Earth Day because BlackRock is funding climate breakdown with its investments into fossil fuel companies and major polluters.
“They are a company prepared to lie, greenwash and crush us all under the weight of climate catastrophe just so their shares can get some returns.
“They have captured finance and become too big to fail – we will all suffer from this, including the staff of BlackRock. Climate breakdown will destroy our way of life and their way of business.”
A spokesman from Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign said: “BlackRock uses its financial might directly against the Palestinian people.
“As the UN special report on ‘the economy of genocide’ by Albanese details, BlackRock’s vast investments in Elbit Systems, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Raytheon and others add up to a ‘joint criminal enterprise’ where there is a direct line between BlackRock’s profits and genocide.”
Levi Clark, support worker, from XR Scotland said: “Young families in Scotland like mine are struggling as BlackRock’s AI investment platform Aladdin, the algorithmic engine of the global financial system, drives historically unprecedented inequality.
“There have never been more billionaires, yet ordinary people everywhere are facing hardship. BlackRock funds Palantir which is using AI technology to devastate human rights. We need to wrestle back control of this technology’s future for the benefit of all humanity.”
PICTURES: Mike Spring and Nathaniel Wyvern
4th MAY from 11am – 1pm
With Spring in full bloom, we are inviting you to our Teddy Bears’ Picnic!
Bring your little ones (and their favourite teddy!) along for a fun-filled morning of lunch and children’s entertainment.
The picnic will be held at The LifeCare Centre, our fully accessible community hub on the 4th of May 11am – 1pm. Children under 12 months go FREE of charge.
Don’t forget to bring your teddy bear for the full picnic experience! We hope to see you there.
Grab your tickets now: [https://events.humanitix.com/teddybears-picnic]
Here are our activities for week 2 of the Easter break!
Edinburgh Dance Academy, recently voted highest ranked dance school in the UK and Ireland are ENROLLING NOW!!!
All of our taster lessons are free to make sure that we are the right fit for any dancer, and this month we are offering …
TWO WEEKS FREE AT ALL EDA STUDIOS
We offer classes in: Pre School Dance, Teenie Toes (parent and child), RAD Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Competition Teams, Contemporary, Commercial, Acro, Turns, Limbering, Body Conditioning, Mini Musical Theatre, Progressing Ballet Technique, & our Everybody Dance Now (ASN class)!
We would love to have you join our amazing dance family!
For more information please get in touch.
Email hello@eda.scot to book your free taster lesson now!
