Menu for Friday the 17th of April 
We are excited to share a delicious community meal with you tomorrow. We do our best to have a variety of options, including vegetarian and often a delicious pudding. What’s on the menu tomorrow:
Parsnip and herb soup
Chicken nuggets, chips and beans
Vegetable curry
Pineapple cake
Please check the board or ask our volunteers about allergens. And just a heads-up, our food is served until it runs out!
Do come along and enjoy. Thank you!
‘More Than a Hospice’ will rebuild, renew and reimagine children’s palliative care across Scotland as stays at CHAS’ hospices increase by 45% in the last 3 years.
Children’s Hospices Across Scotland (CHAS) launches More Than a Hospice, a £20 million appeal to change how Scotland cares for dying children, no matter where they live, and ensure all families have real choice in joined up care, so no one faces the death of their child alone.
The bold £20 million initiative appeal will allow CHAS to meet rising pressure on children’s palliative care services by transforming how Scotland cares for its most vulnerable children and families.
Stays at CHAS’s hospices have increased by 45% in the last 3 years* underscoring the increasing pressure on services and the urgent need for facilities and world-class models of care to keep pace with families’ needs. The surge is being driven by medical advances meaning more children and families need specialist support over longer periods whether at home, in hospital or in hospices.
CHAS supports babies, children and young people with life‑shortening conditions, and the families who care for them, providing specialist palliative care. For families, that can mean months or years of round‑the‑clock care, exhausting routines and constant emotional and practical pressure, while trying to protect ordinary moments together.
More Than a Hospice is an urgent call to Scotland to recognise what children’s hospice care really means today, and to back a long‑term plan to ensure families continue to have choice, comfort and support for decades to come.
Caroline Johnstone, from Sauchie in Clackmannanshire, was introduced to CHAS when her daughter Ayla was born in 2011. Ayla lives with Edwards’ Syndrome and has been receiving support from CHAS for the past 14 years.
Caroline said: “Since Ayla was diagnosed, CHAS has supported us as a family at Rachel House in Kinross. CHAS makes sure we have a choice in care for Ayla. We feel part of a community of families who are going through the same challenges and experiences. CHAS and the Rachel House team have helped Ayla continue to thrive and are always just a phone call away”.
“I’ve phoned at midnight and during the day and they’re always there. If I’m lying awake during the night worrying about something to do with Ayla and need to chat to someone, I know I can phone CHAS – that truly is a lifeline.”
“Ayla absolutely loves the sensory room and going out for walks around the beautiful grounds. She is quite sassy and loves a bit of nonsense but is also tactile and affectionate and the staff all know her personality so well which is great”.
Rami Okasha, CEO at CHAS said: “More Than a Hospice is a movement to rebuild, renew and reimagine what children’s palliative care can be.
“We want to unite communities, medical professionals and policymakers behind a shared mission: that every family has genuine choice and unwavering support during the hardest moments of their lives. Real choice is what we would all expect to have when we are facing the most devastating times.
“Every week, in Scotland, three children die from an incurable condition, and CHAS provides unwavering care at every step on this hardest of journeys for families facing this devastating reality, in our two hospices, in hospitals and at home.
“We welcome advances in medicine which mean more children are living longer with complex needs, but too many families still lack real choice about where and how their child is cared for.
“This is our biggest ever fundraising appeal since Rachel House was built over 30 years ago. Back then CHAS was founded thanks to the kindness and generosity of the Scottish public, today, this More Than A Hospice Appeal is an invitation for the people of Scotland to stand together again behind a simple belief: that no one should face the death of their child alone.”
The £20 million will allow CHAS to bring real choice to families as their child dies by:
Together, these improvements will help ensure CHAS can continue to deliver highly specialist, family‑centred care as needs evolve, supporting families not just through the hardest moments, but through the long journey that often comes before.
To mark the launch of the appeal CHAS is asking people to ‘Make Their Mark’ on a giant fingerprint tree. Each print is a pledge to support CHAS More Than A Hospice Appeal and help transform hospice and palliative care for Scotland’s children and families, now and for the future.
The beautiful large-scale visual, created in partnership with artist Marion Deuchars, starts with a single fingerprint and grows with every addition from children and their families. It will create a lasting reminder that no family should face the death of a child alone.
Make your mark by donating today and ensure no one face the death of a child alone at chas.org.uk
Recycling takeaway cups in Edinburgh is now easier thanks to a collaborative scheme Keep Scotland Beautiful has launched with the National Cup Recycling Scheme and City of Edinburgh Council.
Dedicated cup bins will be deployed on Market Street, Waverley Bridge and outside Haymarket Station to collect single-use cups in a new trial to test the effectiveness of on-street cup recycling and see if it is possible to boost the number of cups being recycled in Scotland – currently 4% – and prevent them from ending up as litter or in landfill.
Furthermore, the partners have teamed up with retailers including Costa Coffee, Caffe Nero, Greggs and McDonald’s to launch Take It Back in Edinburgh.
This is the first time our Cup Movement campaign has taken place in Edinburgh and will build on the previous success and learnings of trials in Glasgow and Dundee.
More than 30 stores in Edinburgh are participating in Take It Back, allowing customers to take a single-use cup back to any of the above retailers to be recycled.
Heather McLaughlin, Keep Scotland Beautiful’s Campaigns Manager, said: “Single-use cups make up a huge percentage of the items polluting Scotland’s environment.
“More than half of people in Scotland (59%) often see littered single-use cups. In Edinburgh alone a recent bin audit of on-street bins outside Waverley Station found that single-use cups made up 59% of the drinks waste.
“The reality is that these single-use products are already ending up as litter. We need to address our over consumption of single-use products and make an effort to choose reusable options.
“However, we know that reuse is not always possible or practical. This scheme will make it easier for people who use single-use cups to ensure they are recycled properly.”
Hannah Osman, National Cup Recycling Manager at Valpak Ltd, said: “Transport hubs are some of the highest footfall locations in Scotland, and we know from our data that a significant volume of single-use cups are consumed on the go.
“By targeting key commuter routes, this trial allows us to test how dedicated infrastructure in the right locations can capture more material and significantly increase recycling rates.
“Through this partnership, we’re using real-time data and evidence from previous trials to understand what works, measure contamination levels, track capture rates, and build a scalable model for on-street cup recycling.
“The goal is simple: make cup recycling visible, convenient and data-driven so it can be rolled out effectively across other cities in Scotland and beyond.”
Cllr Stephen Jenkinson, City of Edinburgh Council’s Environment Convener, said: “Increasing recycling rates in the city is one of our key priorities.
“It’s important we support targeted projects like this to make it easier for people to dispose of takeaway cups, which have become so popular in recent years and the prominent locations of these three new dedicated bins will hopefully do that.
“I’d also always encourage residents and visitors buying a regular cuppa to wherever possible take their own cup into takeaway stores to cut down on the need to use the disposable ones at all.”
Typical single-use hot drink cups cannot go into standard recycling bins or be recycled at home. To avoid cups ending up in landfill, it is really important to #TakeItBack. So, even if you forget your reusable cup, you can still help reduce the negative environmental impact of single-use cups if you #TakeItBack.
Find the participating Edinburgh stores on our interactive map.
Read more on our website and remember to #TakeItBack next time you’re in Edinburgh: https://www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/…/takeaway-cup…/
The Archbishop of Edinburgh and St Andrew’s Diocese Leo Cushley, together with Scotland’s other Bishops, has given his blessing to SCIAF’s WEE BOX annual fundraising appeal and the issue of access to safe water.
SCIAF – the Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund – is the official relief and development agency of the Catholic Church in Scotland. Compelled by Christ’s love, it works with those in the world’s poorest places to end poverty, protect our common home, and help people recover from disaster. SCIAF inspires loving action in the Scottish Catholic community to sustain its work.
Staff from SCIAF visited the Bishops as they gathered for regular conference at the Schoenstatt Retreat Centre.
Chief executive Lorraine Currie said: “We are so grateful to the Bishops of Scotland and Catholics across the country for their support already this Lent. Our supporters in Scotland are so generous and their support for people living in poverty around the world is really overwhelming.
“This year’s WEE BOX campaign aims to highlight the issue of access to clean water and the transformational work that SCIAF supporters are funding. It is genuinely changing lives. Bringing clean water close to people’s homes helps kids get to school and improves the health of the whole family. It was amazing to see the difference basic things like taps and wells can make for people’s lives.”
Bishop Brian McGee is SCIAF’s Bishop President. He said: “What can be more unjust that not being able to access clean, safe water? We are so lucky here in Scotland and we just take it for granted that the water from our taps will always be there.
“Thanks to the generosity of people across Scotland, SCIAF has been funding local organisations in Ethiopia to bring clean water to communities and help people help themselves out of poverty. And we need their help again to continue to do this. Please give what you can.”
Please use your WEE BOX to make a BIG CHANGE. Your support can show young people around the world that a better world is possible – one where they can survive, thrive and flourish.
For more details on how to donate, please visit www.sciaf.org.uk/weebox.
To donate £10, please text SCIAF to 70580. Texts will cost £10 plus your standard network charge.
Spring has arrived at the NEA Community Garden, and we’re thrilled to share some exciting news with you all! We’ve received funding from The National Lottery Community Fund to support our Garden and Shed projects over the next two years.
This funding will help us grow more than just plants. It will create opportunities for our local community to get involved in activities that respond to the climate emergency, focusing on outdoor learning, sustainability, and the circular economy.
It also means we can continue to strengthen North Edinburgh Arts’ commitment to sustainability, improving how we manage our carbon impact.
Watch this space for more updates!
In the meantime, come and visit our NEA Community Garden within our opening hours (Monday-Wednesday: 9am-5pm, Thursday & Friday: 9am-8pm & Saturday: 10am-2pm)
If you live locally in the areas of Muirhouse, Pilton, Drylaw and Telford, come and join our free drop-in sessions at the Garden (Tuesday & Thursday, 1.30pm – 4pm) or the Shed (Tuesday – Thursday, 10am – 2pm).
Get in touch for more information!
Two further men have been arrested and charged in connection with an attempted murder in West Edinburgh.
The incident happened in the Calder Gardens area around 4.10pm on Thursday, 2 April, 2026, when a 38-year-old man was attacked. He was taken to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh for treatment.
Two men, aged 32 and 28, have been arrested and charged in connection with the incident.
They are due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Monday, 13 April.
Two other men, aged 25 and 21, were previously arrested and charged.
They appeared at the same court on Saturday, 4 April.
Out of the Blue Drill Hall is excited to host a new exhibition showcasing the work of over 20 of its resident artists and makers, from painters and illustrators to jewellery makers and printmakers.
This 6th showcase exhibition will run from Tuesday 14th to Friday 24th April (10am to 5pm) with an opportunity to meet the artists and makers on Wednesday 15th April from 6.30pm to 8.30pm at the official exhibition launch.
Every great work of art starts with a single cell – a solitary thought, a lone brushstroke, a single spark. The artists and makers of the Drill Hall emerge from their individual workspaces to weave these threads together.
Cellular invites you to explore a diverse ecosystem of work, bridging the gap between the maker’s private process and the public’s gaze.
With so many artists and makers taking part, there really is something for everyone. Painters include award-winning artist Daniel Murray. Working in acrylics on board, he paints realistic portrayals of the human form and the natural world, often mixing these subjects with abstracted landscapes inspired by the highland environment he grew up in.
Leith Jewellery Studios founder Amanda McGrattan will be showing her jewellery at the exhibition. Amanda’s work has been inspired by the grit and vibrancy of graffiti and urban street art. She translates the world around her into wearable narratives using a signature blend of textured and oxidized silver, liquid and powder enamels, and vivid acrylics.
Textile work includes pieces by Needle Bow, a garment and accessories brand, designing and producing bespoke garments and accessories, using upcycled materials wherever possible.
The exhibition is being co-curated by painter Aoife O’Callaghan and textile artist Monika Fejes of Remode Collective. They’ll both be exhibiting and showcasing their work.
Aoife comments: “I am excited to be building on our previous exhibition. The sense of community amongst the Drill Hall tenants is growing, and I’m looking forward showcasing some of our work in our home-studio environment.”
Out of the Blue Chief Executive Rob Hoon adds “The Out of the Blue Drill Hall houses a huge range of creative activity, and it’s a great pleasure to see the variety and quality of artists’ work displayed in the Cellular Exhibition, for all to enjoy.”
Details of the Cellular Exhibition, as well as a list of participating artists and makers can be found on the Drill Hall website.
Participating Artists and Makers
Follow Out of the Blue Drill Hall on Facebook and Instagram
Poster designed by Cameron Murdoch of CAM Life Designs.
Road policing officers are appealing for information following a crash in Edinburgh in the early hours of this morning.
Around 12.21am (Saturday, 11, April, 2026) police received a report of a crash involving a blue MG HS and a 49-year-old male pedestrian on Chesser Avenue.
Emergency services attended and the pedestrian was taken to hospital having sustained life-threatening injuries.
The 35-year-old female driver was not injured.
Sergeant Fraser Mitchell said: “Our enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances and I am appealing for anyone with information to get in touch.
“I would ask anyone who was in the area around the time of the collision to contact us, especially those who may have dash cam footage that could assist with our enquiries.
“Anyone with any information is asked to contact 101 quoting reference 0074 of 11 April, 2026.”
Cases are on the rise. If you think you or someone you live with may have measles, find out what to do at http://nhsinform.scot/measles.
In the buildup to the Holyrood election on Thursday 7 May, Macmillan Cancer Support has launched its Manifesto, calling for bolder and faster action to address a patchwork system that is failing the people.
Three years into the Scottish Cancer Strategy, the charity is concerned that progress to ensure people get the support they need is flatlining, and too many people are still not having their needs met.
New data from Macmillan shows almost one in four people with cancer in Scotland (24%) either do not have the support of a specialist cancer nurse during their NHS care but would like it, or the support they receive from a specialist cancer nurse isn’t enough to meet their needsi. This figure, from the charity’s January 2026 survey, has shown no signs of significant improvement since at least June 2022ii.
In addition, other recent data from Macmillan shows 49% of people living with cancer in Scotland have been affected by local variation in their treatment and care, including 46% who have had to travel for an hour or more for a test, scan or treatmentiii.
Everyone with cancer, no matter who they are or where they live, should be able to get the best possible cancer treatment and care that Scotland has to offer.
Carrol Pollock, 61, from Larbert, a retired primary school teacher and long-standing Macmillan volunteer, was abruptly told she had cancer. This happened following a routine mammogram that led to further tests that were consistently downplayed. She felt distressed and unprepared as result.
Initially she received compassionate support from a Macmillan-trained nurse who helped her cope with the shock of diagnosis. However, once transferred to her local hospital care became fragmented and her treatment was delayed well beyond the 35 days stated by Scottish cancer guidelines. Carrol waited for weeks without a clear plan despite being told in mid-January 2025 that the cancer may be incurable.
Carrol eventually received chemotherapy, radiotherapy and immunotherapy but felt support dropped away at the end of treatment.
Carrol says: “The delays and the impact of the uncertain incurable update was huge and left me feeling overwhelmed, powerless and unable to advocate for myself.
“No one should have to fight for better standards of cancer care. Better communication, less fragmented treatment and care and keeping to cancer waiting time targets are vital for improving outcomes for people with cancer in Scotland.”
Peter Hastie, Macmillan’s External Affairs Manager for Scotland, said: “Without decisive action that goes further and faster than ever before, the gaps in outcomes for people with cancer in Scotland will remain unacceptably wide. The system is at crisis point and the pressures are growing. The people of Scotland deserve better from their cancer strategy.
“Macmillan is committed to being a partner in the challenges ahead. We will do whatever it takes to work alongside government, the health system, professionals, sector partners and most importantly, people living with cancer in Scotland – wherever they live, whichever community they’re from – to make it happen.”
Macmillan’s Manifesto launch on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile
People living with cancer, Macmillan professionals, local politicians and others gathered on Tuesday 17 March at The Scottish Storytelling Centre to launch Macmillan’s Manifesto calls, in the build to what is being termed the most consequential election at Holyrood since devolution.
Macmillan is calling for:
For information, support or just someone to talk to, call Macmillan’s free, confidential Support line 7-days a week on 0808 808 00 00 or visit:
