Discover the power of poetry as a tool for remembrance, on Tuesday 11th November from 6.30pm-7.30pm.
This guided session offers a gentle and welcoming space to reflect on loved ones through poems about memory, love, and loss. You are invited to join us in writing, sharing your own poems, or simply listening to others.
No poetry experience is needed; all are welcome to participate in this shared experience.
Light refreshments will be provided.
This session will be facilitated by our dramatherapist, Sally McRae.
The walks are designed for people who have experienced loss in the past two years, and are gentle, creative strolls designed especially for those navigating grief.
Together, we’ll explore the local landscape through art-making, reflection, and connection.
Facilitated by Caledonia Funeral Aid’s Emma Ritchie and St Columba’s Hospice’s community artist Isla Macleod, you will be warmly welcomed to share space with others who understand and find comfort in nature and community.
We’re excited to be bringing more marvellous live music to the Hospice this Friday, with Penny Jackson visiting to play classical piano in the Iona Cafe!
The performance is free, and there’s no need to book. Just come in, grab a cuppa and enjoy!
The store, located on Broughton Road, has spent eight years raising vital funds for the hospice, which provides people in Edinburgh with end-of-life care, as well as supporting their families.
Recently, members of the Tesco team took part in the 7 Hills of Edinburgh Challenge, a long gruelling walk of around 27km with over 700m of climbing involved, in which they raised nearly £2,000 for the hospice alone.
In September, the team will be taking part in the famous Edinburgh Kiltwalk, part of Scotland’s largest mass participation walking event with over 178,000 people taking part since 2016.
Year-long fundraising in store includes a book donation point, which was started by store colleague Caroline Phillip, where customers are encouraged to take a book and make a small donation, which is then given to the hospice – with a current sum of £17,432 donated so far. Books are provided by local businesses and customers.
Ross Wallace, Store Manager at the Superstore, said: “We have supported St. Columba’s Hospice Care for many years and are delighted we have been able to give them such a fantastic donation of over £19,000.
“The hospice has provided help to not only colleagues in store, but our customers as well, so it’s a cause very close to our communities’ hearts.
“I’m extremely proud of all my staff for going the extra mile to raise funds for a vital service which supports so many people in the area, and I’d like to thank everyone who kindly donated over the years too.”
Amanda Southey, Partnerships Fundraiser, said: “We’re incredibly thankful to the team at Tesco for their continued commitment and generosity over the years.
“Their support makes a real difference to families across Edinburgh and the Lothians, allowing us to deliver expert, compassionate care, so no one has to face the end of life alone.”
Tesco Superstore is located at 7 Broughton Rd, Edinburgh, EH7 4EW.
Donations can be made to the store’s Kiltwalk efforts at:
Scottish Government and local partners must act now to protect vital palliative care services
St Columba’s Hospice Care and Marie Curie Edinburgh are warning that essential palliative and end-of-life care services are now at serious risk due to funding decisions made by the Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) and inaction by the Scottish Government.
The HSCP has chosen to reverse a 3% inflationary uplift in funding to hospices, which they committed to earlier in the year. This decision was taken in reaction to the Scottish Government announcement of an additional £5 million to help hospices address workforce pressures.
That £5 million was solely intended to support hospices with the recruitment and retention of skilled staff during a time of extreme pressure, not to replace existing funding agreements.
This decision from HSCP undermines the purpose of the allocation and places essential palliative and end-of-life services across the Lothians at risk. To date, St Columba’s Hospice Care has not received its share of the £5 million, which is approximately £496,000. The delay is creating further financial uncertainty and threatening frontline services for patients and families.
We call on the Scottish Government and HSCP to:
Reinstate the 3% inflationary uplift immediately.
Release the national pay parity funding without delay.
Commit to a national review of hospice funding to ensure equity and sustainability across Scotland.
Jackie Stone, CEO, St Columba’s Hospice Care, said:“Hospice’s are being pushed to make very difficult decisions that may impact on our patients and families. This reversal sends a devastating message to our staff and to the families we care for that fair pay and essential services are negotiable. They are not.
“The Scottish Government made a public commitment to fair pay and sustainable services, but we are being left with broken promises and growing deficits.
“We urge the Scottish Government and local partnerships to act now before we are forced to withdraw services that thousands of people across Edinburgh and the Lothians rely on every year.”
Hospices are an integral part of Scotland’s healthcare system and must be treated as such. They need sustainable, equitable funding. The government must act now to ensure a consistent national approach to hospice funding.
Hospices deliver vital, high-quality care that the NHS relies on, and they must be supported, not penalised, for working to achieve fair pay for their staff.
A national award-winning sensory garden designed by Leith resident Luke Coleman is set to be installed in Edinburgh’s Victoria Park, after being relocated from Yorkshire.
The garden, inspired by the history of the Scottish isles and its connections with the Vikings, will be installed on the site of one of two disused bowling greens returned to the Council by Edinburgh Leisure in 2023. Feedback from extensive local consultation carried out last year showed that residents were keen to see a sensory garden introduced to the area, alongside other options.
The garden has been dismantled and transported back to Edinburgh thanks to £20k previously secured and a fundraising drive is now underway to raise the additional £30k needed to reconstruct and embed Drakkar’s Drift in Edinburgh as a public asset. This will include expanding the design of the garden to meet the needs of the site and introducing paths, seating, and other features.
Councillor Margaret Graham said:“Luke’s Gold Medal success is a celebration of local creativity meeting international horticultural excellence. Bringing Drakkar’s Drift to Edinburgh would enrich our parks and unite community, nature and culture.
“We’ve been listening to residents, many of whom told us they’d like to see sensory planting on the site of the park’s old bowling green. As well as bringing this beautiful garden to the site, this project would enhance and develop it for community use. I’d encourage anyone with an interest in the site to support the campaign if they can.”
Designer Luke Coleman creates eco-friendly garden designs that harmonise with nature, where communities and ecosystems can thrive. Since the design of the garden began, he has envisioned that it would return to Edinburgh for residents to enjoy.
Luke said:“It’s been a dream to bring Drakkar’s Drift to life at the RHS Show, and now, seeing it find a permanent home in Edinburgh is something truly special.
“This project is about more than design; it’s about community, connection, and creating a legacy. I’m incredibly grateful for the support so far, and I hope people will get behind the fundraiser to help us rebuild the garden for everyone to enjoy.”
Amongst the garden’s elements are four mature trees, 1,500 herbaceous perennials, 13.5 tonnes of mossy boulders and living sculptures that support biodiversity.
Drakkar’s Drift draws inspiration from the basalt columns of Fingal’s Cave on the uninhabited island of Staffa – an interest sparked by a 2023 trip that led Luke to deeper research into the island’s history.
The Norse word ‘Drakkar’ refers to Viking ships displaying a dragon head at their front and so reminds of the arrival of the Vikings in the northern Scottish isles over a thousand years ago.
Tracy Gilbert MP has today welcomed Scottish Labour’s commitment to increase funding for hospices and deliver pay parity for hospice-based doctors, nurses, and care staff across Scotland, including those serving communities in Edinburgh North and Leith.
The announcement, made today by Scottish Labour, will see hospice staff receive wages in line with their NHS counterparts through full funding of the Agenda for Change pay scale, easing the burden on overstretched hospices and helping to secure the future of palliative care services.
Local facilities such as St Columba’s Hospice in Trinity play a vital role in delivering compassionate, end-of-life care to families across the constituency.
However, rising costs and an historic lack of investment under the SNP government have left the sector struggling to recruit and retain staff.
Tracy Gilbert MP said: “Hospice doctors, nurses, and support staff are the beating heart of palliative care.
“They deserve to be paid fairly for the essential work they do, and under a Scottish Labour government, they finally will be.”
Scottish Labour’s plan is designed not only to improve pay but to protect the services that thousands of families rely on every year.
) to look forward to!
