With temperatures set to drop and snow expected in some areas this week, we want to help you get prepared! 
Here are our cost effective ways to stay warm throughout the winter months:
For more tips and advice, head to our website: bit.ly/StayingWarmInWinterFB
Relationships Scotland, Scotland’s leading relationship support charity, is urging couples to seek support for relationship issues, rather than opting for separation if they’ve had a challenging Christmas.
The first working Monday of the year, known as Divorce Day, is often the time when there’s a surge in people looking to leave their partner and enter into a formal separation agreement. This is often the result of the emotional pressures and expense of Christmas, which can push couples to breaking point as the New Year starts.
Stuart Valentine, Chief Executive of Relationships Scotland said: “The New Year often prompts couples to reflect on their relationship, especially if the festive season has been fraught. Traditionally there is a spike in people looking to separate on what has become known as Divorce Day.
“Christmas can put a huge strain on relationships where families typically spend more time together with normal routines disrupted, creating a far higher potential for stress and arguments to erupt.
“Our advice is simple, and we urge couples not to be hasty in making decisions about the future but instead seek help to discuss the issues which are causing problems within the relationship.
“Often the advice and support from a trained counsellor can be the difference between a family staying together, or becoming another January divorce statistic.
“Where couples do decide to separate, we also have family mediators across the country who can help separating parents agree the future living arrangements for their children, ensuring both parents keep in contact with their kids after they split up where possible.”
The total number of divorces in Scotland has been relatively stable in Scotland over the last five years with 8,149 in 2024-25 compared to 8,251 in 2023-24.
Stuart Valentine added: “While Christmas will be a time of happiness for many, the pressure it brings can be too much for an already fragile relationship.
“Relationships Scotland understands the importance of positive and resilient relationships and the damage caused by relationship breakdown if not handled properly, especially for children.
“We hope couples experiencing difficulties will think about accessing support through counselling or mediation, before heading to the courts seeking divorce.”
The clock is ticking and the countdown is on. In January 2027, BT Openreach will shut down the Public Switch Telephone Network (PSTN), the technology behind analogue landline phones.
But with just 12 months remaining until the big switch-off, the digital experts at Workflo Solutions are warning some businesses are woefully underprepared for this landmark change.
The PSTN switch-off has been deemed necessary because the network of traditional copper lines is no longer equipped to handle the demands of today’s advanced digital world. Bandwidth limitations restrict its ability to support features such as video conferencing and data sharing – crucial tools for modern businesses – and maintaining this ageing infrastructure has become increasingly expensive and impractical.
Any equipment that currently uses the PSTN will stop working in January 2027. From phonelines to security alarms, door entry systems to CCTV, any technology that relies on the old copper lines will be affected.
And so businesses across the UK have been urged to move to a single, digital Internet Protocol (IP) network that primarily uses full-fibre connections.
Described by Workflo Solutions as the next generation of business communication, IP leverages the power and flexibility of the internet to deliver voice, data and video services over a single, high-speed fibre optic network. This shift to IP signifies a major technological leap forward in terms of speed, reliability and functionality.
Commenting ahead of the switch-off, Workflo Solutions’ managing director Michael Field said; “For sectors heavily reliant on traditional telephony, such as healthcare, telecare and security, it is essential that their critical services remain uninterrupted while alternative solutions are implemented.
“They need to act now to ensure a smooth transition to digital technologies to avoid disruption to their operations.
“Worryingly, there are still some businesses that are woefully underprepared for the switch-off. The move to IP-based networks is unavoidable, and postponing preparations might cause last-minute issues.
“So we’re urging all businesses to act now, review their current systems and begin implementing the necessary updates to ensure a seamless transition to a more advanced, efficient and versatile communication network before they get left behind.”
We are so excited to see runners signing up, doing what this community does best, coming together!
Join the fun and get yourself involved. Be part of the solution. We need you!! 
Not a runner, don’t worry, you can walk it all if you like, or you can create a relay team and there will be lots of other fun activities over the weekend including a junior fun run for the small people and a more competitive version for the teens if they sign up.
Scan the QR code to learn more.
An Inverclyde woman enjoyed her first smoke-free Christmas in 40 years thanks to NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde’s free stop smoking service.
Mounting pressure from her sons and daughter, combined with the increasing cost of cigarettes, meant Patricia Weir from Port Glasgow was facing an uphill battle to justify her partially-private habit of smoking – something she’d done with close friends and at home regularly for 40 years.
However, after struggling to shake off what felt like a lingering hangover after her son’s wedding this summer, Patricia, 62, knew something was wrong and it was time to make a change.
Patricia said: “I was in the hospital five or six times this year and I came home after my son’s wedding in the summer and didn’t feel right.
“I didn’t feel great on the Monday and by the Tuesday, I still wasn’t myself. When it got to the Wednesday, I still wasn’t right, and my son took me to hospital. I discovered my kidneys weren’t functioning and I had sepsis. I knew then that it was time to stop.”
One call to NHSGGC’s stop smoking service, Quit Your Way, and Patricia was set up with free behaviour change support as well as free stop-smoking medication Varenicline through her pharmacy, and she hasn’t looked back since.
Like all smokers, Patricia had her own unique behaviours to change on her journey to going smoke free. For her, it was breaking away from the secrecy she’d built up around her smoking.
She’d only do it around certain people and in specific places, like late at night on her own.
However, with the help of Alison Workman, NHSGGC’s Quit Your Way stop smoking practitioner in Inverclyde, and Varenicline, Patricia has successfully completed her 12-week quit and is now smoke-free.
Patricia added: “There was a lot of work for me to do to change those habits. My family didn’t like it, it was affecting my health, I was embarrassed about it, and I couldn’t justify spending that money but I still had to make a choice to stop.
“I had to do that and I’m proud of that. I’m chuffed to bits with myself and I’m really grateful for Alison’s help, and the team at the pharmacy were great as well.
“I feel in more control of my life, and I genuinely now enjoy the fact that I don’t smoke.
“I’d highly recommend it to anyone who is thinking about stopping. Everybody’s different and there are all these different products to help you. I knew about Varenicline, and I knew I would be able to do it with that, so I have genuinely quit in my own way.”
Alison said: “Patricia found a way to quit that suited her and that’s why it worked. We decided Varenicline would be the right medication to curb her cravings, but the most important part was her desire to change.
“If you can make the commitment to change, we can support you to see it through. Patricia is living proof of that and is now smoke-free for Christmas after 40 years. We’re very proud of her and I’m sure her family are too.”
If you’d like to find out more about Quit Your Way, visit www.nhsggc.scot/your-health/quit-your-way or call 0800 916 8858
A TEAM of opticians in Edinburgh is celebrating after winning another coveted industry award.
Specsavers Morningside scooped the prize for Optical Assistant Team of the Year at the annual Optician Awards during a glittering ceremony at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London on Saturday 13 December.
The award comes a month after Specsavers Morningside, alongside its sister store Specsavers Cameron Toll, won the ‘Hearing Care Practice of the Year’ award at the inaugural Scottish Optical Awards last month.
The team, led by clinical director Michael O’Kane and retail director Joe Alubaid, were recognised for their commitment to making sure each customer feels special and maintaining a friendly atmosphere in the practice, as well as their passion for integrating new members of the team, developing staff and their work within the local community.
Michael says: ‘This is a brilliant award for a brilliant team. Our Optical Assistants are a vital part of Specsavers Morningside, serving our community with real pride.
‘Although our practice has grown significantly since opening in 2009, the team has never lost its personal touch.
‘They are an anchor within the community, knowing patients by name and consistently going above and beyond to ensure everyone feels comfortable, supported and well looked after.
‘They are fantastic examples of what Specsavers stands for, and I’m incredibly proud of them.’
Joe adds: ‘This recognition reflects the hard work and care the team puts in day after day.
“They support each other, welcome new colleagues and create an environment where people enjoy coming to work and customers enjoy coming in.
“Winning this award is well deserved and a real credit to everyone involved.”
The annual Optician Awards aim to celebrate the achievements of optics and audiology practitioners across the UK and Ireland, recognising excellence, innovation and impact within the profession.
Specsavers had twelve shortlisted entries spanning six categories in the running this year, including as finalist for the Eye Health Campaign of the Year alongside its charity partner Vision Care, which provides free eye care to homeless people across Scotland and the UK.
To learn more about the Optician Awards and view the full list, visit:
Specsavers Morningside is located at 85 Morningside Road and is open every Monday – Wednesday and every Friday from 9am – 6:30pm, every Thursday from 9:30am – 6:30pm and every Saturday from 9am – 6pm.
To book an appointment, call 0131 446 9960 for eye care or 0131 672 9218 for hear care, or visit www.specsavers.co.uk/stores/morningside.
Heriot-Watt researcher awarded prestigious fellowship to develop ultra-sensitive quantum technology for cancer immunotherapy
A revolutionary quantum sensing project that could transform cancer treatment by tracking how immune cells interact with tumours has been awarded a prestigious £2 million Future Leaders Fellowship.
The four-year fellowship, funded by UK Research and Innovation, focuses on a critical problem: immune cells often fail when they encounter cancer tissue because the tumour environment disrupts their metabolism. The pathbreaking project could enable the development of improved patient-tailored cancer therapies and provide tools for earlier diagnosis and evaluation of anti-cancer drugs.
Dr Aldona Mzyk will use quantum sensors, devices that harness the properties of quantum physics to detect minuscule changes, to understand why current cancer immunotherapies work for some patients but not for others.
Quantum sensors can detect molecular changes inside living cells with extraordinary precision, measuring changes on length scales thousands of times smaller than the width of a human hair. Dr Mzyk’s project will use sensors as small as a single electron to probe magnetic signals from free radicals. These highly reactive molecules play crucial roles in cell metabolism and disease development.
The research addresses a major challenge in cancer treatment. While laboratory-engineered immune cells called CAR-T cells have successfully treated blood cancers like leukaemia and lymphoma, they work in less than half of cases for solid tumours like breast, lung or bowel cancer. This failure occurs because cancer tissue consumes available resources and produces metabolites that cause immune cells to malfunction.
Dr Aldona Mzyk is currently a researcher at DTU in Copenhagen and will join the Institute of Photonics and Quantum Sciences at Heriot-Watt University. She said: “Every minute, seventeen people in the world die from cancer. We know that immune cell failure comes from changes in their metabolism when they interact with cancer cells.
“To improve immune cell performance, we need to understand how to control these metabolic changes by monitoring free radical production inside the cells – essentially spying on how they behave. This requires incredibly fast and precise detection methods, which quantum sensors can provide for the first time.”
The multi-disciplinary project will combine quantum sensing with optical spectroscopy and microfluidics to create an integrated platform capable of tracking cellular metabolism in thousands of cells within seconds. The project aligns with the UK’s National Quantum Technology Programme and the goal of equipping the NHS with ultra-sensitive quantum sensors.
Professor Cristian Bonato, Principal Investigator for Heriot-Watt’s Nanoscale Quantum Sensing facility, based in the School of Engineering & Physical Sciences, said: “Quantum sensing is transforming medical diagnostics as its sensitivity, down to the single molecule level, enables us to detect disease early, which often leads to better treatment outcomes.
“At Heriot-Watt, we’re developing quantum sensors that achieve unprecedented precision, from imaging magnetic fields in nanomaterials to detecting small quantities of molecules relevant for biomedical research.
“Dr Mzyk’s fellowship represents exactly the kind of innovative and pathbreaking application that could revolutionise healthcare, in synergy with our partners in the “UK Quantum Sensing hub for Biomedical Research”.”
The Institute of Photonics and Quantum Sciences at Heriot-Watt is involved in four of the five quantum research hubs announced last year by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). Heriot-Watt leads the Integrated Quantum Networks Hub and participates in quantum research focused on sensing, imaging, timing, and biomedical applications.
Average house prices in Edinburgh have risen to almost £355,000, according to a firm of independent solicitors and estate agents.
Lindsays says its average sale price in the capital during 2025 was £354,522 – up 2.6% on the previous 12 months (£345,310).
Its property market experts expect 2026 to be another year of similar price increases, with demand from homebuyers continuing to outstrip supply across the city.
Edinburgh-headquartered Lindsays believes the current city market remains strong, with properties generally selling at about their home report valuation level.
Maurice Allan, Managing Director of Residential Property at Lindsays, said: “There’s a good balance to the market right now. There’s no reason to suspect that’s going to change.
“The big issue that we always have in Edinburgh is lack of supply. There are always people moving here – it’s a place people want to be – but there are very few places to build new homes within the city itself. That creates a very particular dynamic to the local market.
“We expect 2026 to be much in line with the past 12 months. There are certainly no signs of a downturn.
“A market without extremes is always the healthiest. We want to see fluidity in the market, where it’s relatively easy to buy and relatively easy to sell. That’s what we have right now.”
Lindsays reported a busy end to the market in 2025, with a good number of prospects in the pipeline moving into this year (2026).
The firm also operates an estate agency in Dundee, where its average house price sale during 2025 was £217,751.
Chris Todd, Partner and Head of Residential Property at Lindsays, said: “One of the most significant factors that we’re going to see during 2026 will be around the cost of borrowing.
“We can expect a degree of certainty around interest rates. We do not expect any significant change in those.
“That provides a level of certainty, with mortgage lending fairly readily available. That all points towards a balanced, steady market for the next 12 months.”
According to the latest statistics from the UK House Price Index, the average price of a property in Scotland is £194,000, up 5.3% on the year.
We are overwhelmed & humbled by messages of thanks, support & solidarity following our CEO’s decision to decline her MBE nomination.
As an organisation run by disabled people for disabled people it’s important we speak up & speak out about issues affecting us.
We’re on leave till 5th Jan & will respond to questions/requests asap.
Meantime, please check out our website, FB & Insta accounts which may answer queries on what we do, how to become a member, how we can help you, & how to support our work. https://gda.scot
Our latest ebulletin https://mailchi.mp/…/un-international-day-of-disabled… celebrates International Day of Disabled People and provides info about the Disability Equality Plan for Scotland & related Improving Access Fund (deadline 19.01.26)
“I am writing this letter to thank you for the proposed award of Member of the Order of the British Empire in the New Year 2026 Honours List for services to disabled people and to let you know that regrettably, I must decline at this time…” read Tressa Burke’s letter below:
