STEPPING Stones North Edinburgh are pleased to share that we are partnering with PAIRS (Perinatal and Infant Relationship Service) NHS to deliver our third run of the Circle of Security Parenting (COSP) programme, starting in February after building on positive feedback and outcomes from previous groups.
Our Family Wellbeing Practitioner, Anna, will be teaming up with clinicians from PAIRS NHS to co-facilitate the group. This partnership brings together Stepping Stones’ relationship-based, community-focused approach with PAIRS’ specialist expertise in perinatal and infant mental health.
Circle of Security Parenting is an evidence-based programme that helps parents and carers understand their child’s emotional needs and behaviours. It focuses on learning about attachment in a way that is supportive and respectful, without blame or judgment.
The group offers a safe and welcoming space where parents can reflect on their experiences, learn alongside others, and develop confidence in building strong, secure relationships with their children.
We are now accepting referrals for parents and carers who may benefit from this kind of support.
Referrals are welcome from professionals, and parents can also get in touch directly to find out more.
ONE YEAR EXTENSION TO INVESTING IN COMMUNITIES FUND
The Scottih Government has confirmed that Investing in Communities funding will be continued for a further year.
The announcement comes as a huge relief to community projects facing massive cuts to their funding, with services being slashed and some organisations facing closure.
Scottish Greens raised concerns over the uncertainty faced by many of Edinburgh’s third sector projects at a council meeting last month.
A looming catastrophe has been averted with the announcement of one year’s transition funding while a replacement to the Investing in Communities Fund is developed.
Edinburgh Northern and Leith MP Tracy Gilbert took up the case of local community organisations and yesterday received welcome confirmation that fears have been allayed – at least for now.
She said: “Following budget cuts, I raised concerns with the Scottish Government about the future of the Investing in Communities Fund. Ministers have now confirmed a one-year transition extension for existing projects ending in March.
“This will help in the short term, but it falls short of the long-term certainty our community organisations need. I’ll keep pushing for sustained funding and stability for the services people rely on.”
Local MSP Ben Macpherson has also been on the case. He said: “This morning I visited Dr Bell’s Family Centre to discuss a situation that was of real concern.
“Using my decade of experience – including how to get things done for local organisations – I’d written to The Scottish Government about it on Monday and followed this up today, working actively as their/your local constituency MSP … I was therefore very pleased that shortly after the matter had been resolved.
“I know it’s been a worrying time for the centre and am relieved that immediate worries have been lifted. My team and I will keep working with the centre to explore more funding streams, and support the impactful work they do in our communities.”
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Edinburgh projects who received Investing in Communities funding (2023- 26) are:
About Youth, Calder Youth Action Project (part of Wester Hailes Together), City of Edinburgh, £105,822
Community Renewal Trust, Our Neighbourhood: A new hyperlocal Community Wealth Building partnership, City of Edinburgh, £300,732
Dr. Bell’s Family Centre, Start Well, Live Well: Wellbeing Support for Families in Leith, City of Edinburgh, £348,067
Edinburgh Food Social Cic, Changing Craigmillar Food Culture, City of Edinburgh, £325,847
Fresh Start, Fresh Connections, City of Edinburgh, £280,201
North Edinburgh Arts, North Edinburgh Arts Link Up, City of Edinburgh, £331,400
Space @ The Broomhouse Hub, Together We Can, City of Edinburgh, £350,000
The Venchie Children And Young People’s Project, Family Support Service, City of Edinburgh, £208,732
Transition Edinburgh South (Scotland) Ltd, Investing in Gracemount, City of Edinburgh, £302,196
Whale, The Arts Agency, Creativity, Place and Enterprise in Wester Hailes (part of Wester Hailes Together), City of Edinburgh, £332,494.
NEN PUBLISHED OUR FIRST BLOG POST ON THIS DAY IN 2011
The very first NEN blog post was published on this day in 2011. The post read:
Hello, and welcome to the brand new NEN blog.
For those of you not already familiar with the newspaper, we are a local community paper serving the North Edinburgh community. We’ve been here for over thirty years.
This blog, along with our new Facebook page and Twitter stream, represents our first foray into the world of social media. We really want to encourage more participation, more questions and ideas from the North Edinburgh community – both online and offline – and hope that these new tools will help us to do that.
We already have a good website, where you can always find the latest edition of the printed newspaper. The blog won’t be replacing that, but will instead be there to show people the latest news about the area, and also to help us cover the current funding crisis we are facing as an organisation.
Above all, we want to include your input on the blog – be it ideas for stories, comments, pictures and events. So get in touch!
The NEN’s website was sadly deleted when funding ceased but our social media presence continues on both Twitter and Facebook and the blog is still going strong with 10 – 12 posts daily.
2025 was the NEN blog’s busiest ever year with 36,000 visitors. As I write this we’ve published more than 38,000 posts – all of these remain accessible online – and we’re currently on a run of publishing on 2749 consecutive days.
When the NEN office in Crewe Road North closed much of the NEN archive material was lost, but thankfully some of our picture library was salvaged and can now be found at granton:hub (Madelvic House), where the volunteer archive team has also collated all remaining hard copies of the North Edinburgh News newspaper.
Hopefully, between the physical archive and the NEN blog, you can find all you need to know about our community’s rich history – and we’re adding to that history every day!
With a new year now in full swing, we urgently need the following household items for our Starter Packs:
Towels
Crockery / Dinnerware
Pots & Pans
Duvets and Pillows
Small Electrical Goods
For a full list of accepted items, visit our website
Donations of goods can be dropped off at our warehouse at 22-24 Ferry Road Drive, Edinburgh, EH4 4BR, from Monday to Thursday 9am-4pm and Fridays 9am-1pm.
Alternatively, you can order essential household items from our Amazon Wishlist, which will then be delivered directly to our warehouse: https://tr.ee/S8BHy0
All our clubs and groups are back from next Monday!
We’re so excited to get going again and see all of our amazing young people, 2026 is going to be GREAT!
If you’re new and want to join in on the PY fun or still haven’t got one done yet make sure you have a completed consent form which can be found through the link below
Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville has said the draft Scottish Budget 2026-27 is a “landmark intervention” in the Scottish Government’s drive to tackle the root causes of child poverty and increase living standards.
Around £8 billion has been earmarked for the social justice portfolio, boosting support for vulnerable people and low-income families.
This includes plans to:
introduce a new premium element of the Scottish Child Payment in 2027- 2028, raising weekly payments for eligible parents of children under the age of one to £40 per child, benefitting around 12,000 children
create a new £50 million package to boost whole family support. This will further enhance existing support and will include help with transport, skills, and commits £20 million for third sector partners to deliver the support that people need in their communities
increase the Tackling Child Poverty Fund from £12.5 million to £61.5 million in 2026-27
invest £7.2 billion in social security, supporting disabled people, unpaid carers, those on low incomes and others, while also providing help with energy bills
Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville met parents in receipt of any of the Five Family Payments, including the Scottish Child Payment, on Thursday (15 January) at Pilton Youth and Children’s Project, and said: “Eradicating child poverty is this government’s driving mission – no child should have their prospects hindered by circumstances beyond their control.
“This Budget is a landmark intervention in our work to tackle the root causes of poverty and reduce the pressure on household finances – from increased support for Scotland’s newest parents, to new initiatives to help increase household incomes and ensure families receive the right support at the right time.
“With more than £330 million committed across three years to our Tackling Child Poverty Fund and to investment in Whole Family Support, we are laying the groundwork to drive continued progress in the year ahead, breaking the cycle of poverty in Scotland for good.”
KING’S NEW YEAR HONOURS 2026CELEBRATE COMMUNITY CHAMPIONS
First Minister John Swinney has paid tribute to Scotland’s recipients of The King’s New Year’s Honours.
In recognition of exceptional contributions to public life, this year’s awards aim to celebrate community champions.
The Rt Hon Adam Ingram receives a knighthood for Parliamentary and Political Service. Also receiving a knighthood is Professor Simon Milne, Regius Keeper and Chief Executive Officer of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh for services to Botany, Conservation and Horticulture.
Professor Lorna Dawson, head of the Centre for Forensic Soil Science at the James Hutton Institute has been appointed a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire for services to innovations in soil and forensic science
Among those receiving the CBE are Professor Susan Rigby, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Edinburgh Napier University, for services to higher education, Mr William Watt, chair of the Scottish National Investment Bank, for services to the Economy and Professor Jill Belch, Professor of Vascular Medicine at Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, for services to Medicine and Public Health.
Those being awarded an OBE include Ann Budge, businesswoman and lately Chair and Chief Executive Officer of Heart of Midlothian Football Club, for services to sport and to the community in Midlothian, Dr Kirsty Darwent, Chair of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and Chair of Redress Scotland for services to the people of Scotland and Dr James Craig who receives an OBE for services to Scottish Association Football and to Charity.
Speaking about the honour, Ann said; “This is an incredibly proud moment, not just for myself but for my family too, because their support across the years allowed me to focus on doing the very best job that I could for Heart of Midlothian Football Club.
“Although sport has been such a big part of my life over the past decade, so too has community. Transforming Hearts’ relationship with the local community, and driving it forward, has been a passion of mine. To therefore be recognised for services to both sport and community is a very rewarding feeling.
“I must also thank the staff at Hearts. Without their involvement, we would not have been able to achieve what we set out to do, returning the club to the top of Scottish football. This honour is as much theirs as it is mine.”
Other recipients of the OBE include Celine Sinclair, Chief Executive of The Yard, for services to Children and Families, Kathleen Murray, for services to Children’s Hearings in Scotland, John Burns, Chief Operating Officer at NHS Scotland and Carol Copstick, Head of Inspection at HM Inspectorate, Education Scotland.
Those receiving MBEs include Mohammed Shaukat, a volunteer at Glasgow Central Mosque, for services to the community, Dr Nelson Ashmole, co-founder of Borders Forest Trust, for services to Nature and Evelyn Graham, founder member of the ‘New Seekers’ for services to the music industry.
Among those honoured with the British Empire Medal are Pipe Major Raymond Peace, for services to music and culture in Orkney and squadron leader Stewart Norris, for services to young people in Aberdeenshire.
Chief Constable Joanna Farrell and Chief Superintendent Stephen Dolan, both of Police Scotland and retired Assistant Chief Constable Andrew Freeburn receive The King’s Police Medal. The King’s Fire Service Medal is awarded to Firefighter Alexander Muir and Chief Officer Stuart Stevens, both of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. The King’s Ambulance Service Medal is awarded to Lead Consultant Paramedic David Lee Bywater of the Scottish Ambulance Service.
The First Minister said: “The King’s New Year’s Honours list recognises exceptional individuals – from unsung heroes to well-known names. Each recipient is worthy of their award and has made a significant difference to their community or excelled in their field.
“My congratulations to our emergency services members awarded The King’s Fire, Police or Ambulance Service Medals. Throughout Scotland people benefit from the skills and expertise of our ‘blue light’ services personnel whose skills and expertise keep our communities and people safe, in often challenging circumstances.
“These honours celebrate the best of Scotland’s courageous spirit and sense of community. Congratulations and my personal thanks to every worthy recipient.”
Those receiving honours in Scotland include Roland Christian Douglas Schau Engebretson, who established Macaulay College on the Isle of Lewis to address a critical gap in post-school opportunities for young adults with learning disabilities and additional support needs.
Louise Gough receives a BEM for services to Foster Care, after serving as a Foster Carer for 28 years and providing a stable and supportive environment for 63 children.
In total, 1157 recipients have been awarded this year for their exceptional achievements, with a particular focus being on those who have championed their communities.
This year’s recipients include dedicated foster carers, role models in women’s sports, committed health workers, champions of the arts, and supporters of young people.
Every part of the UK is represented in the List, from the Western Isles to Liskeard in Cornwall.
Recipients from Scotland make up 9% of the total number of recipients receiving honours this year.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “This year’s Honours list celebrates the very best of Britain – people who put the common good ahead of themselves to strengthen communities and change lives.
“Their quiet dedication speaks to the decent, compassionate country we are proud to be. On behalf of the whole nation, thank you – and congratulations to everyone recognised today.”
Secretary of State for Scotland Douglas Alexander said: “My warmest congratulations go to all of the Scottish recipients of His Majesty’s New Year Honours. Scots the length and breadth of the country have been recognised for their contribution to politics, business, the arts, science and to their communities.
“Veteran politician Adam Ingram is Knighted for his huge contribution to our public life. Those of us of a certain vintage will welcome the perfect harmony of Eve Graham being recognised for her decades of service to the music industry.
“Also recognised is Jimmy Buchan, for his tireless dedication to championing the interests of Scottish fishermen.
“The list is packed with local heroes who strive every day to tackle disadvantage. I congratulate all those who work so hard day in day out to make our communities better places to live and work.”
Anyone can nominate someone for an honour. If you know someone who has achieved fantastic things worthy of recognition, go to https://www.gov.uk/honours to find out more about how you can put them forward.
Edinburgh’s Lord Provost has congratulated all those named in the 2026 King’s New Year Honours list, including Edinburgh Award recipient Ann Budge.
Edinburgh’s Lord Provost Robert Aldridge said: “My warmest congratulations go to all those recognised in this year’s King’s Honours, whose dedication, achievement and service have made a lasting and positive impact on our city and beyond.
“This year, 18 people from across Edinburgh have been named in the King’s New Year Honours List for 2026. From scientists and carers to NHS staff and charity leaders, each honouree reflects the very best of public service and community contribution.
“I’m particularly pleased to recognise Edinburgh Award recipient Ann Budge, who has been awarded an OBE for services to sport and the community in Midlothian. Ann’s leadership in her 11 years as Chair of Heart of Midlothian FC transformed both the club and Tynecastle Stadium into a thriving, family-friendly and community-focused institution.
“Her pioneering work to introduce the Living Wage to professional football in UK, while investing in youth skills and securing a sustainable future for the club, has set a benchmark for sporting and civic leadership.
I also extend my sincere congratulations to Carol Colburn Grigor on her appointment as Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire for services to the arts, culture and women in the UK. Although she does not live in Edinburgh, her contribution to the city has been profound.
“Through her leadership of the Dunard Fund, Dame Carol has made an extraordinary impact on Scotland’s cultural life, supporting many of our most treasured institutions, including the Edinburgh International Festival and National Galleries of Scotland.
“Her substantial support for the Dunard Centre, Edinburgh’s first purpose-built concert hall in a century, and the revitalisation of the former Royal High School to accommodate St Mary’s Music School will leave a lasting legacy for our city.
“These honours celebrate individuals whose vision, generosity and commitment enrich our communities and inspire others. On behalf of the City of Edinburgh, I offer my heartfelt congratulations and thanks to all those recognised for their exceptional service.”
More notable recipients across Scotland include:
Marion Lindsey Foster receives an MBE for services to Scottish Craftsmanship. Marion recognised the danger of losing the heritage craft of kilt tailoring, and created an accredited training programme, going on to establish The College of Master Kilt Tailors in 2017.
Robert Harold Sharp receives an MBE for services to Mountain Rescue. Robert has dedicated over four decades to mountain rescue and safety in Scotland and the UK, transforming practices and helping to save countless lives.
Gilbert Feron receives a BEM for services to the community in Cambuslang, Lanarkshire. Gilbert has dedicated himself to improving the welfare of older people and the wider community in Cambuslang for over 30 years.
Seeking information on RAF Sergeant George Lyon Mitchell (Last known address: 35 Ferry Road Avenue, West Pilton).
I am writing to you from Drammen, Norway, near where Sergeant Mitchell is buried.
On December 28, 1944, Sgt. Mitchell was aboard a Short Stirling bomber flying a mission to drop supplies to the Norwegian Resistance. Tragically, the plane was shot down and crashed near the church in the village of Sande, just outside Oslo. Seven young men (5 British, 2 Australian) lost their lives that night helping our country.
While their graves are tended to and honoured, the local community today knows little of their story. We are working to change that by erecting a permanent information memorial at the site, to be unveiled on May 17, 2026.
We need your help. I have found photos of 6 of the crew members, but I am missing a photo of George Lyon Mitchell. We desperately want to include his face on the memorial to properly honour his sacrifice.
His parents were William K. and Elizabeth Mitchell.
Do you have any information, or know of surviving family members who might have a photograph? A picture puts a face to the history and ensures he is fully remembered.
All information is valuable. Please contact me.
On behalf of Guardians of History, Ben Lonrusten
NOTE: The appeal was shared by West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre.Please pass on any info you may have to me here at NEN or contact West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre directly – hope you can help! -Ed.
As some of you are aware, almost all of our much loved PEP buses were vandalised over last weekend, having their fuel tanks drilled and emptied.
This sadly resulted in having to cancel our transport commitments, which we are extremely sorry and sad about. Thank you to those individuals, family members and organisations for understanding the need to cancel, which has resulted in many of your vital services being cancelled or delayed and additional pressures experienced.
We will stay in touch with all of those involved as things move forward.
Our amazing team here at PEP sprung into action to create our action plan to get us back up and running, which hopefully won’t be too much longer. We will also be looking for more secure, long term parking facilities, if you know or anywhere, please share!
This vandalism has of course been reported to the police, but if anyone knows any information about who may have done this please do get in touch.
I don’t think they realise the conquences and impact of their actions, after all we are a Charity delivering vital services to many vulnerable people, not to mention the financial impact this has caused.
Thank you to everyone who has reached out to support PEP, offering help in many ways. The local community are amazing and we are proud to serve you.
We appreciate that Christmas is just around the corner and wish we were not asking, however any donations to help us recover from the recent vandalism to our buses would be massively appreciated by ourselves as well as the organisations we work alongside
STARTER PACK DONATIONS CALL OUT
Towels
Crockery / Dinnerware
Pots & Pans
Duvets and Pillows
Small Electrical Goods
Aaaaaaand we’re back! 
make sure you have a completed consent form which can be found through the link below 
