Staff and residents at Strachan House and sister home, Queens Manor in Edinburgh are celebrating because their wonderful Regional Directors, Wendy McGowan and Dannie Tsoneva, from Barchester’s North East and Scotland Division, are stepping completely out of their comfort zones to compete in the Barchester Charitable Foundation Cook Off 2025.
Swapping their business suits for chefs’ whites, Dannie and Wendy are going head-to-head with two Regional Directors from each of Barchester’s four other divisions to cook up a storm and raise a vital funds for Barchester’s Charitable Foundation.
The Foundation helps connect vulnerable people and those living with a disability to community groups in their local area by providing grants to improve mobility and quality of life.
Each year the Foundation distributes thousands of pounds to individuals, small community groups and charities across England, Scotland and Wales. In 2024 the Foundation achieved a donation milestone of £335,000 which enabled the charity to provide vital help to a staggering 239 small groups and charities, plus 104 individuals in one year alone.
Wendy and Dannie are keeping their cards very close to their chests regarding what they will be cooking but they have been practising hard!
Wendy comments: “Dannie and I are passionate about the Foundation and we’re both relishing the chance to be able to raise funds and give back.
“I’d class myself as a solid home cook so I think we’ll go for a classic menu and all will be well!”
General Manager of Strachan House care home, Fran Fisher said: “We are all so proud of Wendy and Dannie for taking part in this challenge, they really are amazing – is there nothing they can’t do!They will raise so much money for the Foundation, we think they are absolute super stars!
Edinburgh restaurant Eve, based in the heart of the Cowgate, is launching an authentically Italian dining experience in the city, with a new concept created by its head chef who was born and raised in Rome.
The venue, located within in the heart of the city’s Old Town, is embarking on the exciting new chapter with the brand new menu filled with a handpicked list of mouthwatering classic dishes “just like Nonna used to make”.
All featuring prestigious, authentical Italian ingredients, they include the signature “Eve carbonara”, this indulgent dish is made for sharing and will leave diners wanting more.
The new concept is the brainchild of the restaurant’s Head Chef Giulio Morroni, who was taught to cook by his family, including his grandmother, in the Italian capital.
He deepened and refined his skills by attending a cookery-focused school in the city from the age of 13 to 18, boosted by his travels around Italian eateries. After completing his catering diploma, he secured a prestigious job as chef in the Vatican City cooking for the Pope.
Chef Giulio came to Scotland in 2009, with his now wife, and in 2022 he joined Virgin Hotels, at its Edinburgh location that had embarked on a soft launch earlier that year.
The culinary expert, who has led kitchens at various high-end names in Scottish hospitality, has now put together the new menu for Eve that will officially debut on Friday 28 March. It marks a more focused concept for the restaurant that previously offered a global range of dishes.
Diners will be transported on a journey spanning the regions of Italy. Ingredients include Gorgonzola cheese from the north of the Mediterranean country, and Njuda from Calabria in the South.
Pasta at Eve will be made fresh on the premises, including homemade ravioli with ricotta, lemon zest, chives, and butter sauce.
HeadChef GiulioMorroni said:“When I was about six, Nonna used to make ravioli, and it was the meal on Sunday that brought the family together.”
The Eve carbonara, made with mafaldine (curly ribbon) pasta, guanciale (pork cheek), pecorino, and egg yolk, and designed to share, also has strong sentimental attachment for the chef.
He said: “Eve will be cooking with the traditional three ingredients – just like my Nonna used to make – and the only way to do it, in my opinion. It’s the signature dish, we have on Sunday, all together.
“In Rome, pasta carbonara is like a religion. It’s just what we do.”
Other proudly Roman dishes on the menu include roast pork belly, slow cooked with rosemary, fennel seeds, and garlic. “It reminds me of my childhood, and Mamma and Nonna cooking in the kitchen,” says Giulio.
Among dessert options is tiramisu served in a moka pot, another example of the chef’s signature twists on classic dishes.
Learning the art of a perfect tiramisu is in fact one of the restaurant’s fun group classes on offer, also including pasta-making and cheese-tasting.
Regarding the launch of the new restaurant concept at Eve, Morroni said: “I am extremely excited to be launching this menu that connects my native Italy with my adopted home of Scotland.
“Becoming a chef just happened – it’s not just a job for me, it’s a passion – I am so happy and proud to be able to share this with you.
“I’m so happy, I can bring my food to Cowgate. I really love this menu, it tastes like home. I’m so proud.
Eve’s main entrance is on the Cowgate in Edinburgh’s Old Town.
For more information on how to book and to view the full menu please see website:https://eveedinburgh.com/.
13-year-old Eilidh has won with her sweet image of dog Lexie
A young teen from Scotland has been named winner of the RSPCA’s Young Photographer People’s Choice Award after securing over 1,000 votes.
15 images were shortlisted in the awards from children and young people across the UK who were all vying for the public vote. Eilidh Shannon, 13, from Inverurie, was the stand-out winner with her photo ‘Keeping a Look Out’ which shows spaniel Lexie poking her head out of the cat flap.
Eilidh said: “I’m so pleased to have won the People’s Choice Award. It’s an incredible feeling! My dogs are like best friends and I find that you can just sit next to them and whether happy or sad they’re there for you, they’re so lovely and kind. Lexie always likes to know what’s going on. If I go out into the garden without her she can’t bear it if she is not allowed to come too. She uses the cat flap to keep a close eye on me!”
Andrew Forsyth, RSPCA photographer and judge of the RSPCA’s Young Photographer Awards, added: “This photo captured the hearts of the public and captured Lexie’s personality and her love for Eilidh perfectly. The image is a very worthy winner!
“We’d urge all budding young photographers to please keep an eye out for the opening of submissions to the competition this year, or you can register your interest now at YPA25@rspca.org.uk and we’ll send you full information when we launch.”
The other shortlisted images were:
‘Spotted, the young lady’ featuring a ladybird larvae, photographed by Flynn Thaitanunde-Lobb, aged 10, from Hampshire
‘Paws’ features a cat’s paws as they climb a tree taken by Megan Smith, 12, from Edinburgh
‘Hungry Fish’ featuring a carp, by Tom Wiseman, aged 15, from Kent
‘The Portal’ featuring a reflection of a dog by Iceni Newcombe, aged 15, from Kent
‘The elegant slug’ featuring an image of a slug at a waterfall in Whitby, taken by Eva Steel, aged 14, from Cornwall
‘Frisbee Lion’ shows dog Betsie catching a frisbee, taken by George Avery, aged 12, from Cornwall
‘It Lurks’ shows a jellyfish at an aquarium, snapped by Ellie Tsang, aged 17, from London
‘Behind the Leaves’ features cat Luna hiding in bushes snapped by Eliza Harvey-Keightley, aged 14, from Surrey
‘3,2,1…Go!’ shows Emily the cat mid-run, snapped by last year’s YPA winner Anwen Whitehead, 15, from Wales
‘Biscuit?’ features dog Herb as he rests his chin on a table desperate for a treat, by Henrietta Stewart, aged seven, from Bedfordshire
‘Funny Face’ shows dog Jess pulling a face as she tries to catch a ball, by Ella Moakler-Woodhouse, aged 10, from Leeds
‘Beautiful Moth’ shows a moth perched on a window and taken by Rehana Nelson, aged 15, from Staffordshire
‘Star Catching’ features dog Robin on an evening walk, by Grace Marshall, aged 18, from West Sussex
Entries for the main RSPCA Young Photographer Awards 2025 will open on Tuesday, 6 May and will be judged by a panel of photographic experts.
POLICE are continuing to appeal for information to help trace Coen Bust, two weeks on since he was reported missing.
Mr Bust, 47, travelled to the Dunkeld area by train from Edinburgh on Thursday, 13 March. There have been no confirmed sightings since he arrived at Dunkeld train station at 10.18am.
Police officers were at Edinburgh Waverley and Dunkeld train stations yesterday to speak to commuters and try to get more information about Mr Bust’s whereabouts. Anyone who has any information is urged to get in touch.
Mr Bust is described as white, of heavy build, with a long, grey beard. He is thought to be wearing a mustard-yellow jacket and carrying a rucksack and a red/orange metal water bottle.
Inspector James Longden, Blairgowrie Police Office, said: “Since Mr Bust was reported missing, we have carried out extensive and specialist searches and enquiries across the area, but unfortunately, we have not yet been able to trace him.
“Two weeks on these searches continue in the Dunkeld and Birnam areas and we are continuing to ask for any information that could help us locate him.
“Anyone with any information of where Mr Bust is or could be should call Police Scotland on 101 and quote reference 2616 of Thursday, 13 March.”
Popular Minister for Drugs and Alcohol Policy has passed away
Following the news of the sad passing of Christina McKelvie MSP, the Scottish Government Minister for Drugs and Alcohol Policy, the First Minister of Scotland, John Swinney MSP, said: “I am devastated to learn of the passing of Christina McKelvie – one of the kindest and most generous people I have ever met in my life.
“In all the years since I first met Christina, I have been so grateful to call her my friend and colleague and to benefit from her warmth and loyalty.
“Christina was fiercely proud of her Easterhouse roots, and she often spoke of how injustices her family experienced in her childhood had inspired her to join the trade union movement and enter elected politics.
“In her almost two decades as a Member of the Scottish Parliament, Christina put her values into action. Whether it was helping her constituents in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse, serving as a highly-respected committee convenor, or in the Ministerial posts she held, Christina was always a fierce champion for equality, social justice, for Scottish independence and for a better world.
“But for all her many political achievements, Christina was first and foremost deeply committed to her family. Everyone could see the joy that she and her partner Keith brought to each other’s lives, and she spoke so often over the years of her pride for her sons, and more recently her immense joy at becoming a granny.
“In recent years, when Christina returned to Parliament after treatment for breast cancer, she was determined to help those around her – using her platform to encourage women to check themselves and go to screening appointments.
“The Scottish National Party has lost one of its finest, and I have lost an outstanding Minister in my government. I know her loss will be felt right across the Parliament and among the countless constituents she supported over the years. Christina was such a big-hearted woman, with compassion and social justice at her core. Her political allies and opponents would agree – she truly was a force of nature.
“Today, my thoughts and prayers are with Keith, her sons Jack and Lewis and her wider family and many friends.”
Charities due to lose funding from the Edinburgh Integration Joint Board (EIJB) will be able to apply for emergency support from the City of Edinburgh Council.
A one-off Third Sector Resilience Fund will launch tomorrow (Friday 28 March) and will remain open for two weeks. It will only be open to organisations in Edinburgh directly impacted by the closure of the EIJB’s third sector grants programme and applications must be made by 12 noon on Friday 11 April.
This package of support will include a funded programme worth £1m to allow third sector advice providers to continue to offer income maximisation, debt, and welfare advice services previously funded by the EIJB grants programme.
Applications will be reviewed and reported to a special meeting of the Policy and Sustainability Committee on Monday 12 May, with the intention of releasing funds in June.
Further work is progressing to review the relationship between the public sector and third sector in Edinburgh, to improve funding certainty in future years.
Council Leader, Jane Meagher, said: “Many of these local charities are at the forefront of helping those in our city with the greatest need. We’ve urgently been working to provide a lifeline to those affected by the closure of the previous grants programme, and I’m really pleased that we’ve found a way forward.
“This fund should provide enough money to potentially support all 64 affected organisations for up to nine months. It must be said that this is a one-off emergency fund – we need to act quickly, and I urge applications to be made as soon as possible.
“Alongside this we must develop a stronger way of supporting the third sector in our city. We recognise that the EIJB, like the Council, is under significant financial pressure and there needs to be longer-term change.
“Tackling poverty and inequality is one of the biggest challenges we’ve set ourselves as a city and this will be a really important piece of work – for us, for our partners and for the whole third sector.”
Benjamin Napier, CEO of Citizens Advice Edinburgh, is a member of the third sector reference group which the Council has set up as it reviews the funding relationship the city has with charities.
Benjamin said: “We welcome this investment in the third sector and hope it will go some way to providing resilience, while we continue our work with colleagues across the Council to find a longer-term solution.
“We recognise the pressures on public funding and thank the Council for their efforts in securing this funding. The third sector in Edinburgh plays a vital and very cost-effective role in supporting some of the most vulnerable people in our communities.
“We look forward to strengthening the relationship between the Council and the third sector. By working together in this way, we can create real and lasting change for our citizens.”
The City of Edinburgh Council Third Sector Resilience Fund is a short term, one off, draw down resource using reserves agreed for use during 2025/26.
The fund aims to:
Provide financial support in 2025/26 for Edinburgh based third sector organisations significantly impacted by the closure of the EIJB Grants Programme
Ensure that the closure of the EIJB Grants Programme does not affect, disrupt, or delay the delivery of other grant funded or commissioned projects and services in the city during 2025/26.
Towards these aims:
The funding is for the period 1 July 2025 to 31 March 2026, whilst the wider review of the Council’s approach to supporting the third sector in Edinburgh is undertaken during 2025/26
Is intended to ensure the viability and survival of the third sector organisations whilst a new sustainable long-term approach, aligned with the Council’s Business Plan priorities, is developed for implementation from 2026/27 onwards
Not intended to provide costs associated with closure of an organisation because of the loss of EIJB grant funding, and
Not intended to be used for delivery of any specific projects or services that would be the direct function of the EIJB(noting that this fund will provide resilience until such time as the EIJB’s Strategic Plan is published and any future procurement processes are confirmed and made available to the 3rd sector).
A diverse manufacturing business which is leading the way in sustainable industrialised construction to meet the UK’s housing needs hosted more than 60 secondary school students who presented their ideas on how to tackle society’s key challenges.
Eco Group, led by founder and MD Eddie Black, specialises in Contract Manufacturing, Organic Brand Manufacturing, and Services to Manufacturing in a range of industries across the UK from its base in Annan, Dumfries and Galloway.
Eco’s VASO Build Solutions, construction panels made from mostly recycled glass, is one of a range of world-first decarbonisation technologies and carbon mitigation strategies developed by the pioneering business.
On Monday (March 17), Eddie and Eco Group Opportunity Strategist Gary Robertson, and Eco colleagues, hosted S5 students from Annan Academy as part of the forward-thinking Powering Futures programme involving 1,300 pupils in 86 schools across Scotland.
Powering Futures, which is supported by 47 Scottish businesses and organisations, “prepares the workforce of the future for the jobs of the future”, educating the workforce of the future in over 100 Scottish secondary schools, and training the workforce of the future in large employers across the country.
The SCQF level 6 accredited programme equips learners with critical meta-skills that employers are looking for while gaining an understanding of sustainability knowledge.
The event at Eco on Monday kicked off a programme throughout Scotland over the next two weeks where students will be making their final presentations to businesses in boardrooms, from the Borders to Inverness, to mark the culmination of their 30-week challenge.
Eddie Black, one of the judges at Monday’s event, said: “Investing our time, energy and expertise in the next generation is something I have been passionate about ever since the day we set up our business more than 15 years ago.
“With the way Eco has grown and diversified, we were delighted to host the Annan Academy students at our headquarters and hopefully give them a taste of what a sustainable business environment looks and feels like.
“It was fabulous to see and listen to their challenge presentations. It was a privilege to be in the room with group of young people with such inquiring minds.
“We were genuinely blown away by the thinking and research they had done to come up with their solutions to some of society’s major challenges.
“All the students showed impressive problem-solving skills. We know all too well how much adaptability, collaboration and resilience they will have had to show to get to this presentation stage – we have even named one of our businesses Resilience because we know what an important quality that is in today’s fast-changing society. Congratulations to all the students – you were amazing.
“Big thanks must also go to all the teachers and staff at Annan Academy for giving our young people the support and opportunity to take part, and to the team at Powering Futures for making these experiences happen which will stand the students in such good stead today for embarking on the careers of tomorrow.”
Participants in the Powering Futures Schools Programme engage in hands-on learning as they collaborate to find a solution to real-life sustainability challenges that have been set for this 2024-2025 academic year.
Industry partners are embedded in the delivery of the curriculum programme, which is designed to systematically create a pipeline of talent to businesses involved in delivering the transition to net zero.
Annan Academy is one of only four schools nationally to have enrolled an entire year group in the SCQF level 6 programme, the same level of Higher or modern and foundation apprenticeships.
Annan Academy Headteacher Ewan Murray said: “By integrating the Powering Futures Challenge into the whole year group instead of as an optional course, we ensured that all our students could benefit from learning these essential meta-skills, including teamwork, problem-solving, and organisation.”
Powering Futures Co-Founder David Reid said: “The teams demonstrated the new skills that they have developed over the past 30 weeks around team building, collaboration, problem solving and now presentation skills, all attributes that they need for a great career and a job in the future.
“So much so that Eco, our hosts, have already identified two or three individuals that they would like to speak more to about vacancies that they have, because they were so impressed.
“By fostering essential meta-skills that are highly valued by employers, the Powering Futures Schools Programme not only prepares students for their careers but also empowers them to navigate all aspects of life beyond education.
“They have helped the studentsgain the experience and confidence needed to navigate an evolving job market and contribute meaningfully to their industries.
“As a result, the students are not just preparing for the future – they are actively shaping it.
“Thank you also to all the team at Annan Academy for their support. We’re excited to continue collaborating with the academy to guide young people toward a brighter, more prosperous future.”
£1.6 billion investment to tackle scourge of potholes to be delivered to councils from next month as PM tells councils to put cash to use
for the first time every council in England must publish how many potholes they’ve filled or lose road cash
local authorities that comply will receive their full share of the £500 million roads pot – enough to fill the equivalent of 7 million potholes a year, as part of the government’s Plan for Change
UK government also announces £4.8 billion for 25/26 for motorways and major A-roads including economy boosting road schemes on the A47 and M3
The public will now see exactly what’s being done to tackle potholes, as the government demands councils prove their progress or face losing cash.
From mid-April, local authorities in England will start to receive their share of the government’s record £1.6bn highway maintenance funding, including an extra £500m – enough to fill 7 million potholes a year.
But to get the full amount, all councils in England must from today (24 March 2025) publish annual progress reports and prove public confidence in their work. Local authorities who fail to meet these strict conditions will see 25% of the uplift (£125m in total) withheld.
Also today, the Transport Secretary has unveiled £4.8bn funding for 2025/6 for National Highways to deliver critical road schemes and maintain motorways and major A-roads.
This cash will mean getting on with pivotal schemes in construction, such as the A428 Black Cat scheme in Cambridgeshire, and starting vital improvements to the A47 around Norwich and M3 J9 scheme in Hampshire, building thousands of new homes, creating high-paid jobs, connecting ports and airports, to grow the economy and deliver the Plan for Change.
It comes as figures from the RAC show drivers encounter an average of 6 potholes per mile in England and Wales, and pothole damage to cars costs an average £600 to fix. According to the AA, fixing potholes is a priority for 96% of drivers.
This government is delivering its Plan for Change to rebuild Britain and deliver national renewal through investment in our vital infrastructure which will drive growth and put more money in working people’s pockets by saving them costs on repairs.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “The broken roads we inherited are not only risking lives but also cost working families, drivers and businesses hundreds – if not thousands of pounds – in avoidable vehicle repairs.
“Fixing the basic infrastructure this country relies on is central to delivering national renewal, improving living standards and securing Britain’s future through our Plan for Change.
“Not only are we investing an additional £4.8 billion to deliver vital road schemes and maintain major roads across the country to get Britain moving, next month we start handing councils a record £1.6 billion to repair roads and fill millions of potholes across the country.
“British people are bored of seeing their politicians aimlessly pointing at potholes with no real plan to fix them. That ends with us. We’ve done our part by handing councils the cash and certainty they need – now it’s up to them to get on with the job, put that money to use and prove they’re delivering for their communities.”
The Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander, said: “After years of neglect we’re tackling the pothole plague, building vital roads and ensuring every penny is delivering results for the taxpayer.
“The public deserves to know how their councils are improving their local roads, which is why they will have to show progress or risk losing 25 per cent of their £500m funding boost.
“Our Plan for Change is reversing a decade of decline and mending our pothole-ridden roads which damage cars and make pedestrians and cyclists less safe.”
To ensure councils are taking action, they must now publish reports on their websites by 30 June 2025, detailing how much they are spending, how many potholes they have filled, what percentage of their roads are in what condition, and how they are minimising streetworks disruption.
They will also be required to show how they are spending more on long-term preventative maintenance programmes and that they have robust plans for the wetter winters the country is experiencing – making potholes worse.
By the end of October, councils must also show they are ensuring communities have their say on what work they should be doing, and where. The public can also help battle back against pothole ridden roads by reporting them to their local council, via a dedicated online portal.
To further protect motorists given continued cost-of-living pressures and potential fuel price volatility amid global uncertainty, the government has frozen fuel duty at current levels for another year to support hardworking families and businesses, saving the average car driver £59.
Edmund King, AA president and member of the Pothole Partnership, said: “Getting councils to show value for money before getting full funding is a big step in the right direction, as it will encourage a more concerted attack on the plague of potholes.
“At the same time, local authorities can share best practice, so others can learn what new innovations and planned maintenance techniques have worked for them.”
The £4.8bn for National Highways will protect the country’s strategic road network, which provides critical routes and connections across the country for people, businesses and freight to help drive for growth as part of Plan for Change.
The £4.8bn includes a record £1.3bn investment to keep this vital network in good repair, so the network remains fit for the future, and £1.8bn for National Highways’ daily operations that are critical to ensuring the network runs safely and smoothly for millions of people and businesses that rely on it every day. As well as £1.3bn for essential improvement schemes to unlock growth and housing.
Since entering office, the UK government has approved over £200m for the A47 Thickthorn Junction, and £290m for M3 Junction 9 plus £90m for local road schemes like the A130 Fairglen Interchange, the South-East Aylesbury Link Road, the A350 Chippenham Bypass, the A647 scheme in Leeds. This is a total of over £580m for schemes to get Britain moving.
Ten years after it became law, the Home Affairs Committee will examine the impact of the Modern Slavery Act in an evidence session on Tuesday 25 March.
Modern slavery encompasses a number of offences, including human trafficking, slavery, forced servitude and compulsory labour.
When it was introduced in 2015, the Modern Slavery Act was seen as world-leading in its approach to tackling these forms of exploitation. Measures contained in the Act include longer sentences for modern slavery offences and improvements in how victims are supported.
It also required large businesses to set out their approach to dealing with modern slavery internally and in supply chains.
In 2024, 19,125 potential victims were referred to the modern slavery National Referral Mechanism. However, despite the growing number of referrals, ten years on approaches to tackling modern slavery have moved on and there are concerns that the UK is no longer world-leading.
In this evidence session, the Home Affairs Committee will examine the current impact of the Modern Slavery Act and the UK’s performance in dealing with modern slavery.
It will investigate how effective current mechanisms are in identifying victims of modern slavery and bringing perpetrators to justice.
It will also look at whether victim support services are adequate and ask what improvements may need to be made to restore the UK as a world leader in tackling modern slavery.
Committee Chair Dame Karen Bradley said: “Modern slavery is complex and often hidden, targeting some of the most vulnerable in society. We have seen how county lines has exploited children and young people to support the drug trade, but this is just one form and it has been seen in a broad range of legal and criminal enterprises.
“Exactly ten years on from the passing of the Modern Slavery Act, we are holding this session to understand if the UK is doing enough, not only to uncover these crimes but support the victims as well. Are the right mechanisms and policies in place, or does more need to be done to ensure the UK is a world leader in tackling this form of crime?”
A Bill designed to create jobs and drive economic growth across Scotland by promoting investment in communities has been published.
The Community Wealth Building Bill is the first of its kind in the world and would require councils, National Health Service boards and other public bodies to take forward measures which boost their local economies.
These can include:
Buying more goods and services from their local companies
Promoting employee-owned businesses, co-operatives and social enterprises
Helping community groups to acquire and regenerate derelict sites
Supporting fair work practices including payment of the real Living Wage
Investment Minister Tom Arthur said: “To create jobs and support thriving communities we want to ensure that more money spent in Scotland stays in Scotland.
“This unique legislation will help to increase investment in local economies so that they become fairer, greener and more prosperous.
“I visited Greencity Wholefoods to highlight how supporting practices such as paying the real Living Wage and being a worker’s co-operative benefits the economy and helps to address wealth inequalities.”
