TWO Scottish Ambulance Service emergency responders will compete in the Edinburgh Marathon wearing full uniform, including boots, and a 10kg ambulance response bag to raise money for The Ambulance Service Charity (TASC).
Jack Falconer, Technician of Wick Ambulance Station, and Dominic Ballisat, Technician of Edinburgh Ambulance Station, will run the event on May 25.
So far they have raised more than £2000 for TASC.
Dominic said: “We decided to do the marathon to help raise money for TASC as we are grateful for the amazing work they do in supporting our colleagues and their families in their time of need.”
Jack added: “We decided to run with the kit bag, uniform and boots in order to make it more challenging in the hope it will raise awareness and support for TASC.
“It also highlights the mental and physical stress that ambulance personnel undergo on a daily basis.”
While Dominic, who used to work at Thurso station, has run three marathons before, this will be Jack’s first.
Dominic said: “We have both been training with boots and trousers with a 10kg bag plus water.
“We expect it to be tough especially if it’s hot, but nothing worthwhile is easy.”
Jasmin Rana, TASC’s Head of Income Generation, said: “We’re so grateful to Jack and Dominic for taking on this incredible challenge for TASC!
“As a charity we receive no support from the NHS or ambulance trusts to provide our general services, which means we rely on our incredibly generous supporters to continue supporting our ambulance workers when they’re struggling with their mental, physical or financial wellbeing.
“Thanks to Jack, Dominic and everyone who has supported them, almost £2,500 (including GiftAid) has been raised already, the equivalent of 46 hours of mental health support or 172 financial guidance sessions.
Increased funding to help young people away from crime
Projects supporting young people at risk of being drawn into criminal activities are to receive up to £26 million over the next three years.
The Scottish Government’s CashBack for Communities programme uses money recovered from seized criminal assets to provide crucial support to young people who may be at risk of becoming involved in offending or antisocial behaviour.
Successful projects in the programme’s next stage (2026-2029) will deliver a range of activities and support for those aged 10 to 25, to help tackle some of the underlying causes of antisocial behaviour and criminal activity. Projects will also provide access to trusted adults who young people can confide in.
Since 2008 CashBack for Communities has invested £156 million and supported around 1.4 million young people across all 32 local authorities in Scotland.
Visiting a project based at Glasgow’s Easterhouse Sports Centre, Minister for Victims and Community Safety Siobhian Brown said: “CashBack for Communities is inspiring. It turns the proceeds of crime into life-changing opportunities for the thousands of young people who take part in projects across Scotland every year.
“Over the course of the next three years of the programme, we are providing £26 million to organisations to deliver diversionary and support work with children and young people.
“By learning new skills and boosting their confidence, it helps young people in our communities who are at risk of becoming involved in crime be diverted from that path and realise their potential.
“Since its inception more than a million young people have received support to turn their lives around, with opportunities provided into employment, education or volunteering.
“CashBack’s success is also testament to the work of law enforcement partners in disrupting organised crime groups – bringing them to justice and seizing their ill-gotten gains, using them to deliver a successful programme across the country.”
CashBack for Communities is a Scottish Government initiative which takes funds recovered through the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 and invests them back into communities. It supports delivery of Scottish Government’s Vision for Justice in Scotland.
It’s a great day for burger fans in Fort Kinnaird!
After much anticipation, Burger King® UK will officially re-open the doors to its newly designed restaurant in Fort Kinnaird, allowing hungry locals to indulge in BK classics such as the flame-grilled Whopper®, classic Chicken Royale® and juicy Bacon Double XL once again.
Burger King® UK is celebrating the reopening by giving away 1,000 FREE Whopper® or Chicken Royale burgers* to lucky customers for one day only – TODAY! (Tuesday 21 May).
The newly remodelled Kinnaird restaurant brings customer experience to a new level, with all-new in-restaurant innovations such as table service and a sensational menu that caters to all customers, whether they’re looking to start their day with a delicious breakfast butty and coffee for just £2.99 enjoy a family feast on delivery, or indulge in a late night snack.
Burger King® UK has also confirmed its extended hours at the Kinnaird restaurant, which is now open from 8AM to 11PM.This means customers can make the most of Burger King® UK’s delicious menu from morning to late.
Austin,Restaurant Manager at Burger King® UK, said:“The team and I are thrilled to return and serve our customers in Kinnaird. We look forward to welcoming both familiar faces and new guests to experience the renovated restaurant, and we’re confident they’ll have a fantastic time while enjoying our delicious meals.”
The re-opening of Kinnaird is the perfect opportunity for Burger King® UK fans to make the most of the tasty deals and discounts available on the Burger King® app. Whether it’s the classic Whopper® or Chicken Royale, customers can make savings all year round!
The Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers (ASSC) is calling for urgent action to rectify yet another blunder afflicting Scotland’s tourism industry, this time stemming from a deeply flawed implementation of the new Non-Domestic Rates (NDR) process for self-catering holiday accommodation.
The ASSC has been made aware of thousands of self-catering operators being unjustly removed from NDR – and in some cases taken to Tribunal for allegedly failing to provide evidence of the 70 nights’ occupancy rule for the 2023–24 period.
Critically, operators failed to receive formal requests for evidence from Scottish Assessors which were sent out by untracked mail, despite easily being able to evidence the required occupancy. This is once again penalising legitimate small businesses – who do so much to boost local economies across Scotland – and was clearly not the policy intention.
Many long-standing and compliant businesses have not only been unlawfully removed from the valuation roll and commercial water and waste provision, but also hit with double council tax bills and are facing severe emotional and financial distress – all without ever receiving the legally required Assessor correspondence.
Recent ASSC survey work highlighted 63% of operators never received the formal evidence request letters; 95% of delisted businesses were able to prove compliance with letting requirements; and 81% have been billed for second home council tax, some facing eyewatering charges of up to £120,000.
To compound matters, in a response to a recent parliamentary question from Alexander Stewart MSP, Cabinet Secretary Shona Robison suggested that operators could benefit from relief schemes – however, this completely misses the point: if a business has been removed from the NDR system altogether, it cannot access any such support. This fundamental misunderstanding highlights just how disconnected the Scottish Government is from the realities facing the self-catering sector.
Recent figures from the Scottish Government [1] showed an anomaly in the number of properties removed from the valuation roll in 2023–2024 — more than double any previous year, with 3,810 removals compared to 1,540 in 2022–2023.
This latest development comes in the wake of the ongoing STL licensing and planning shambles, which has squeezed the supply of available accommodation while pushing up costs – especially in Edinburgh, the most expensive major city break destination in western Europe according to a recent Post Office Travel Money analysis.
The industry is now increasingly alarmed by the current impasse on the treatment of self-catering accommodation within the NDR framework despite pleas to relevant stakeholders. While Assessors assert that they are merely applying existing legislation and cannot act without further instruction or legislative change, Scottish Ministers maintain that Assessors are independent and therefore beyond intervention.
The self-catering sector therefore finds itself in a troubling Catch-22 scenario which it hopes can be resolved through urgent and pragmatic leadership to ensure self-catering operators receive the fair treatment they deserve.
Fiona Campbell, CEO of the Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers, commented: “This policy was introduced to remove economically inactive second homes from benefiting from NDR relief, which we support.
“It was never meant to target legitimate small businesses. The system has failed and it is now punishing the very operators who support our tourism economy and rural communities. We urge the Scottish Government and Assessors to act swiftly and lawfully to correct this injustice.
“As we approach the busy summer season, the last thing the Scottish self-catering needs is yet another debacle hitting our sector, hot on the heels of the accumulated regulatory burden from short-term let licensing and planning regulations, and before local tourist taxes are imposed.
“This relentless uncertainty is not only damaging livelihoods – it is placing a significant strain on the mental health and wellbeing of small business owners who are already under immense pressure.
“Operators want to get back to what they do best but can’t do this with both hands tied behind their back. We need urgent leadership to restore consistency, fairness, and confidence in the system before it is too late.”
We have just installed a ‘bothy’ shelter in the park as a signal of intent to the community that the wider plans are being brought forward. This is the first of several shelters that will be installed across the park (writes ELGT’s ANGUS FISHER).
It was designed by SLR architecture in partnership with Old School Fabrications. OSF also built and installed the shelter.
It is a completely bespoke design based on the traditional Scottish bothy but featuring a stone boulder seat with hovering steel frame giving it its somewhat unique appearance.
Wider works info
West Pilton Park is undergoing an exciting, new development after receiving a significant amount of charitable funding.
The Edinburgh and Lothians Greenspace Trust in partnership with the City of Edinburgh Council and the local community have developed plans to transform West Pilton Park into the beautiful, bustling centre of the community.
Plans include planting hundreds of new trees and plants, a new skate park and bouldering wall, new play equipment, new accessible paths, seating, shelters, new toilet facilities, a community growing area, a wildlife wetland, and a proposed new cafe run by Scran Academy.
The shelter is the first part of the development to be installed, with construction of the rest of the park to take place over the next few years. The first phase is due to start in autumn 2025.
A phased approach will ensure that a part of the park will always remain open for the community during construction.
It was another golden night for Bauer Media Audio at the 2025 ARIAS (Audio and Radio Industry Awards), hosted by Magic Radio’s Gok Wan, where our teams picked up an incredible twelve awards including the prestigious Special Recognition Award, presented by Ken Bruce, to Greatest Hits Radio Network Content Director Andy Ashton.
Forth 1 won two Gold awards with Boogie in the Morning winning Best Music Breakfast Show – for the second year running – and the station being named as the John Myers Local Radio Station of the Year.
Rayo took Silver in a new category for 2025, UK Audio Brand of the Year as KISS picked up two Silver awards for The 2024 ‘Genny Lex’ in the Best News or Current Affairs category and Best Commercial Partnership Award for Empowering Young Lives with KFC.
Greatest Hits Radio 60s was also a Silver winner for Best Sonic Branding.
The Bowie@Breakfast team saw Bronze for Best Music Radio Breakfast Show and the Hits Radio team were also Bronze Social Impact Award winners for Clare’s Law: A Decade Saving Lives.
Greatest Hits Radio was another Bronze winner for UK Radio Station or Radio Network of the Year, as were the Clyde 1 team in the Best Event Coverage Award for Superscoreboard at Euro 2024
The full list of Bauer Media Audio UK winners:
SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARD: Andy Ashton
GOLD
JOHN MYERS LOCAL RADIO STATION OF THE YEAR: Forth 1
BEST MUSIC BREAKFAST RADIO SHOW AWARD: Boogie in the Morning – Forth 1
SILVER
UK AUDIO BRAND OF THE YEAR: Rayo
BEST MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT AWARD (SHOW OR PRESENTER): Ruthie Henshall Sees Dead People – Magic Radio
BEST NEWS OR CURRENT AFFAIRS AWARD: The 2024 ‘Genny Lex’ – KISS
BEST SONIC BRANDING AWARD: Greatest Hits Radio 60s
BEST COMMERCIAL PARTNERSHIP AWARD: Empowering Young Lives – KISS and KFC
BRONZE
UK RADIO STATION OR RADIO NETWORK OF THE YEAR: Greatest Hits Radio
BEST MUSIC BREAKFAST RADIO SHOW AWARD: Bowie@Breakfast – Clyde 1
THE SOCIAL IMPACT AWARD: Clare’s Law: A Decade of Saving Lives – Hits Radio
BEST EVENT COVERAGE AWARD: Superscoreboard at EURO 2024 – Clyde 1
Forth 1 has been celebrating its 50th birthday this year.
They have also recently hit a 24 year audience high (RAJAR) and the Forth 1 news team also recently picked up at Gold at the IRN Awards winning the ‘News Team of the Year’ (Under 1.5million TSA).
Charities losing funding from the Edinburgh Integration Joint Board (EIJB) are to receive urgent support from the City of Edinburgh Council.
One-off funding of £2.037m will be provided to 46 organisations and projects across Edinburgh which are working to prevent poverty and support vulnerable residents.
An additional £1m will help six third sector advice providers to support residents to maximise their income through accessing welfare benefits, reducing everyday living costs including debt management and improving access to work.
A grant has also been provided to support the continued development of the Edinburgh Advice Network.
The decision by the Policy and Sustainability Committee this week (Monday 12 May) will allow funds to be released to prevent the closure of a number of organisations and avert the redundancies of many employees.
Decisions on how to allocate an outstanding £423,400 will be made when Councillors meet again later this month (Tuesday 27 May).
The emergency package of support is provided ahead of a long-term review of the relationship between the Edinburgh Partnership, public sector and third sector in Edinburgh, with the aim of improving funding certainty in future years.
As part of this review, the Edinburgh Partnership is asking voluntary organisations, social enterprises and charities to participate in an online consultation. Workshops will also take place in the coming weeks.
Council Leader and Chair of the Edinburgh Partnership, Jane Meagher, said: “The third sector provides vital support to our local communities, and we need to provide stability to projects which have been put at risk of closure. Our funding will quickly and directly prevent many charities from redundancies and from reducing the very important services they provide.
“While I’m pleased that we’ve reached a decision to prioritise this work – and to make sure we protect more people from entering poverty – we cannot become complacent. We need longer-term change so that organisations like these, and the many residents who rely on them, are at less risk and have greater stability.
“We want to hear about how we can make helping vulnerable people simpler. Please take part in the consultation we’ve recently launched, as the Edinburgh Partnership seeks views on strengthening our city’s third sector.”
In a deputation to Policy and Sustainability Committee, Bruce Crawford, CEO of EVOC and speaking on behalf of the Third Sector Reference Group said: “The decisions made by Councillors to support these third sector organisations shows a real understanding of the role that the third sector play in communities across Edinburgh.
“The impact that these Resilience Fund payments will make cannot be underestimated in the way that they will support some of the most vulnerable people in our city.
“These grants will provide stability to the organisations in receipt of them and allow them to continue to serve their local communities. Longer term solutions need to be developed, and we are prepared to work with the council in planning for the future, beyond the current financial year.”
Full list of organisations and projects confirmed to receive urgent funding from the Third Sector Transitional Fund:
1. ACE IT Scotland 2. Art in Healthcare 3. B Healthy Together 4. Bridgend Farmhouse 5. Calton Welfare Services 6. Care for Carers 7. Caring in Craigmillar 8. Community Renewal Trust 9. Cruse Bereavement Care Scotland 10. Drake Music Scotland 11. Edinburgh & Lothians Greenspace Trust 12. Edinburgh Community Food 13. Edinburgh Community Health Forum 14. Edinburgh Headway Group 15. Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre 16. Eric Liddell Community 17. Feniks 18. Fresh Start 19. Health All Round 20. Home-Start Edinburgh West and South West (HSEW) 21. LGBT Health and Wellbeing 22. Libertus Services 23. MECOPP 24. Murrayfield Dementia Project 25. Pilmeny Development Project 26. Pilton Equalities Project – Mental Health 27. Pilton Equalities Project – Day Care 28. Portobello Monday Centre 29. Portobello Older People’s Project 30. Positive Help 31. Queensferry Churches Care in the Community 32. Rowan Alba Limited 33. Scottish Huntington’s Association 34. Sikh Sanjog 35. South Edinburgh Amenities Group (SEAG) 36. The Broomhouse Centre (The Beacon Club) 37. Vintage Vibes Consortium 38. The Dove Centre 39. The Health Agency 40. The Living Memory Association 41. The Open Door 42. The Ripple Project 43. The Welcoming Association 44. Venture Scotland 45. VOCAL 46. Waverley Care.
Independent funder Foundation Scotland has announced a £12 million fast-tracked ‘Response Fund’ to support organisations which serve the hardest hit communities across the country.
The accelerated funding programme comes in response to increased pressure on charities and community groups, many of whom are seeing a surge in demand for services while they themselves are facing reduced capacity and soaring overheads, such as utilities, staffing and National Insurance costs.
To provide support for organisations who need it now, and to help with longer-term capacity building, Foundation Scotland will implement funding programmes that aim to do both.
Support includes a cost-of-living adjustment to all organisations funded in the last year to help them cope with rising operational costs. This will be implemented alongside a payment to organisations who were awarded funding last autumn, but who were unable to reflect the sudden increase in employer National Insurance costs in their applications.
Funding for these two programmes will total around £650,000.
Foundation Scotland will also contribute half a million pounds to the Corra Foundation’s ongoing Boost programme, a small grants fund for local community organisations supporting children and families hardest hit by poverty.
The Boost programme provides grants of £500-£3,000 and is delivered by Corra, in partnership with STV Children’s Appeal and Comic Relief.
Carolyn Sawers, Chief Executive of Corra Foundation said: “Community-led action is critical to tackling poverty and its impacts.
“Small grants, designed to work for local groups, make a big difference. With Foundation Scotland’s contribution, Boost will be able to reach many more children and families across Scotland.”
Funding support that will help both immediately and in the longer term is also being given to all of Scotland’s Citizens Advice Bureaux, to assist with staffing and operational costs.
During the cost of living crisis, CABs have been overwhelmed with people desperate for help or support to navigate energy bills, benefits, debt, housing concerns and other urgent issues. CABs themselves are charities and many are struggling with the disproportionate balance of need to resource as well as the ever increasing strain of covering their own costs.
All 59 CABs, as well as their umbrella body Citizens Advice Scotland, will receive individual awards of £50,000 this year and £50,000 in the next financial year, totalling £6million of funding over 2 years.
Derek Mitchell, CEO of Citizens Advice Scotland, said: “Our network is seeing record levels of demand from people across all corners of Scotland.
“The advice we provide is fundamentally about bringing stability to volatility, but the people behind the network, the ones working tirelessly to help communities are facing increasing pressures.
“CABs own livelihoods are often marked with uncertainty and at the mercy of short-term funding cycles. Funding like this is a game-changer. It will allow CABs to take a breath and plan the next two years with more of a safety net around costs.
“I’d like to extend a huge thank you to Foundation Scotland for the support, and to everyone at CAS and the network that continue to work each day to better the lives of people across Scotland.”
Lastly, Development Trust Association Scotland (DTAS) will receive funding to help support local development trusts across the country.
Development trusts are community led organisations, set up to proactively address and tackle local needs and issues through community-led activity and partnership working. Many of them are vital to community support systems and infrastructure, but are facing critical operational challenges.
Funding will help them stabilize and rebuild their capacity, to better support the communities they represent. DTAS is the member-led organisation that promotes and supports development trusts across Scotland, and they will hold and distribute the funds.
This award will total £5million, allocated over two years, and represents the biggest single award Foundation Scotland has made in its history.
Pauline Smith, Chief Executive at DTAS said:“This funding couldn’t have come at a more crucial time and is strong recognition of the incredible work Development Trusts are doing across Scotland.
“We’re operating in a challenging environment, and this £5 million investment will be directed straight to our members through a Recovery and Resilience Fund – supporting long-term strength and sustainability in communities.
“With over 400 existing and aspiring Development Trusts in our network, we see every day the vital role they play, responding to growing local needs, strengthening community-led governance, and creating places people are proud to call home.
“These trusts are the backbone of community infrastructure, and without them, much of the social, economic, cultural, and environmental activity in our communities simply wouldn’t exist.
“This support will help strengthen the infrastructure that so many people rely on. We’re hugely grateful to Foundation Scotland – this funding will make a real and lasting difference across the country.”
Giles Ruck, CEO of Foundation Scotland said:“As Scotland’s Community Foundation, we are acutely aware that people across the country are continuing to face ongoing financial hardship, struggling to keep their heads above water or pay their bills.
“We want to support communities and individuals where we can. As a first step, we are fast tracking this Response Fund to help address multiple and pressing challenges. We want to go at least some way to help those affected by financial crisis, as well as help organisations and charities to stabilise and rebuild.
“Although we are providing over £12 million in funding, we know that we are scratching at the surface. However, we are committed to using this fund as a stepping stone from which we can better support communities, listening to what people say that they need, and working with others to create a stronger, more resilient Scotland.
“Foundation Scotland would like to thank the many donors who trust us with stewardship of their funds, pooling them with our own to ensure the greatest impact on our communities.”
For more information about Foundation Scotland visit:
This Mental Health Awareness Week, we’re calling on the UK government for urgent reform to protect young people’s mental health.
Today, we’re heading to parliament to raise awareness of the benefits of positive communities – both online and offline – for our mental health.
We’ll also be shining a light on the dangers of digital spaces, and what we must do make online communities safer – particularly for young people.
While there are many supportive and uplifting online communities, there are also harmful ones that promote hatred, self-harm, and dangerous misinformation.
The mental health impacts of these negative environments can be catastrophic. So it’s essential that the government takes action to make these spaces safer, while we also learn about how we can embrace the good, and avoid the bad.
