Police are appealing for information after a man was found seriously injured yesterday (Tuesday, 11 July). The 30-year-old was found around 2.20pm on Albert Street.
He was taken to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh for treatment.
Enquiries have established a group of around six men wearing dark clothing were seen in the area at the time.
Detective Inspector Martin Smith said: “Our enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances and we are appealing to anyone who was in the area at the time to contact officers.
“Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101 quoting incident 1853 of 11 July, 2023.
“Alternatively, details can be passed anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”
Visitors to the National can now explore the spectacular Your Art World exhibition, showcasing the artwork of creative 3–18-year-olds from Scotland. The nationwide call out has inspired over 500 incredible young artists from across the country to get involved.
The Your Art World project aims to engage with young people and encourage them to think and act more creatively. Having uploaded their creations digitally to National Galleries of Scotland’s website, the artwork is now proudly displayed on screens at the National.
The young people could be as imaginative as they liked and use any type of materials for their creations, resulting in a superb collection of artworks. The exhibition is a celebration of what happens when young people are encouraged to be wildly imaginative with no limitations.
Your World celebration day at the National Galleries.
Four community and school groups, from the Scottish Highlands to the Borders, also worked alongside the National Galleries of Scotland to create physical installations. Groups involved included Dounby Community School and Nursery, secondary schools from across the Scottish Borders and Granton Primary.
A group of children and their families from PAMIS, an organisation in Scotland working with people with profound and multiple learning disabilities for a better life, are also featured.
The result is a creation of extraordinary displays ranging from environmentally inspired projects made with rubbish collected from the shores of Orkney to stunning paintings, drawings, and 3D sculptures, along with sensory led artwork by the PAMIS group.
Families and young people inspired by the creativity will also be able to get involved in making their own creations in the galleries this Summer. With a specially created ‘make and share’ area allowing them to produce and upload their own work to the website. There is also the added bonus of having their artwork added to the digital showcase on the screens.
Your World celebration day at the National Galleries.
Siobhan McConnachie, Head of Learning and Engagement, National Galleries of Scotland, said: “I feel so excited and proud to be showcasing the artwork of the talented young artists of Scotland.
“The response has been truly inspiring and we have been so impressed with everyone’s creativity. The Your Art World project is incredibly important to us at National Galleries of Scotland as it hands over the creative process to young people and celebrates their work.
“Art has its place in every school, home and young person’s life, whether that be encouraging people to think creatively, use it as an expressive outlet or simply for some fun, this project and exhibition celebrates that art really is for everyone.”
Your World celebration day at the National Galleries.
Dounby Community School Head Teacher, Islean Gibson, said:“Being part of such an amazing gallery exhibition has given everyone here at Dounby School such a sense of pride and motivation.
“Sharing our thoughts and ideas as part of a national project has really inspired our whole school community. The power of creation will have a lasting legacy.
“It makes me swell with pride every day seeing just how impactful creativity can be for a wee school and its community. I would wholeheartedly recommend everyone take that step into Your Art World and see where it takes you!”
The exhibition is part of a wider Your Art World project which aims to engage and encourage young people in the world of art. With online resources available for teachers and families to support children in art-based activities, the project encourages everyone to get involved no matter ability or knowledge. By providing tools and guidance, Your Art World demystifies the creative process and makes art accessible to everyone.
The exhibition is made possible thanks to funds raised by players of People’s Postcode Lottery, who have raised more than £5 million awarded by Postcode Culture Trust to support National Galleries of Scotland.
All submissions can be viewed via the online gallery and will also be displayed digitally at the National until 14 April 2024.
A 21yo man has been arrested and charged following a fatal crash on Colinton Road, Edinburgh which happened around 11.35pm on Saturday, 30 July, 2022, and involved a car and a pedestrian.
The 35yo male pedestrian was taken to hospital, where he died on Tuesday, 2 August, 2022.
An event at Westminster last month saw the launch of the inaugural National Drowning Report from the Water Safety All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) authored by the Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK), and supported by the National Water Safety Forum (NWSF).
The report highlighted some shocking statistics relating to the number of accidental fatalities in 2022, with a section of the report focusing on child drownings.
The report showed that in 2022, 35 children died from accidental drowning, the equivalent of more than a classroom of children. Comparing this to the 5-year average, there was a huge 46% increase in the number of accidental fatalities amongst children in 2022.
The report documents that in 2022, 226 people lost their lives to accidental drowning, with 83% of those being male.
We have already seen a number of people tragically lose their lives to accidental drowning in 2023 and the report looks to provide recommendations for the UK Government to how this can change.
Lee Heard, Charity Director at RLSS UK, commented “We know that for anyone to drown is a complete tragedy, but when we see the amount of children drowning increasing by 46% we know that things need to change urgently.
“Within the report, we have worked with various organisations to put forwards a number of key recommendations for the UK Government to enable all young people to have the opportunity to learn about water safety.
“We want the UK Government to find innovative solutions to better deliver school swimming; mandate that every child has a class-based water safety lesson at each key stage; and to invest in initiatives to address the increase in child drowning fatalities.
“Drowning, for the large part, is highly preventable. Education and supervision in particular reduce the likelihood of an incident turning into a sudden and devastating tragedy.
“We have been asking the question of the UK Government for many years as to why classroom-based water safety is not on the curriculum.
“We recognise that getting all our children in the water is critical but teaching water safety in the classroom removes existing barriers and gives every child an understanding of safety, risk, and the chance to learn how to stay safe in and around the water, no matter their background.”
“This report is a step in the right direction to give MPs and the UK Government the facts and statistics they need to make a change to prevent losing even more children to accidental drowning. We at RLSS UK will work with our partners and the National Water Safety Forum to endeavor to deliver the necessary change.”
The launch of the report coincided with RLSS UK’s annual Drowning Prevention Week campaign where the charity was able to educate over 1.8million children through its free resources to schools and leisure centres.
Rabbits are naturally sociable animals so it is vital to make sure they have a bunny-friend to live with, according to vet charity PDSA. This ‘Cheer up the Lonely Day’, PDSA is highlighting the importance of rabbits having a compatible companion.
The 2023 PDSA Animal Wellbeing (PAW) Report revealed that 42% of rabbits live alone, with a further 5% living with another species of animal, meaning that an estimated 530,000 rabbits (48%) are still not having their companionship needs met appropriately.
The PAW Report also highlighted that 36% of veterinary professionals identified the ‘lack of an appropriate companion’ as one of the top welfare issues for rabbits.
PDSA Vet Catherine Burke said: “If rabbits live alone, they can feel socially isolated and become bored, frustrated, anxious, and destructive. They need fellow bunny companionship, as it offers them warmth, comfort and company. This minimises boredom, and reduces their anxiety and stress.
“We’d always recommend keeping rabbits in a bonded pair or a small group, for happy, healthy bunnies.
Keeping rabbits together
Catherine added: “Whilst you don’t want a lonely bunny on your hands, it’s important to try to make sure you pair or group your resident rabbit with a compatible companion.
“Rabbits can happily live together in the following combinations:
a neutered male and a neutered female – often the most successful pairing
two litter brothers or two litter sisters together – although there is no risk of pregnancy when you have rabbits of the same sex living together, it’s still important to neuter to reduce the risk of fighting as they get older. There are also many other benefits to neutering your rabbits such as preventing illness.
a compatible group – rabbits can live in groups, but unless the rabbits are related and neutered early, bunny bonding can be harder to achieve so it’s often best to keep them in pairs.
“For the happiest bunnies, we suggest keeping a neutered male with a neutered female. If you can home a brother and sister together, that’s ideal as they’ll already know each other and will be less likely to fight”, Catherine explains.
“If you have a resident rabbit and would like to provide them with their perfect companion, your local rabbit rehoming centre may have lots of suitable bunnies waiting for a new home with a fellow fur-friend. But they always need to be introduced gradually and a rescue centre may be able to support you with this.”
Important tips on rabbit companionship:
The process of introducing rabbits to each other is called bunny ‘bonding’. Your new rabbit and resident rabbit will need to be kept apart at first, and slowly introduced. Once they’re both happy and comfortable together (with no sign of fighting), they will be able to share a living space. Rabbits won’t necessarily get on straight away so it is important to take things slowly – be patient with your bunnies as they get to know each other.
If you’re keeping any male and female rabbits together, it’s really important to get them neutered. It will reduce their chance of fighting with each other, stop them from having babies and will protect them from serious illnesses. The timing of neutering is important as bunnies are able to get pregnant from around three months old so it is important to keep unneutered males and females separate from this age. Male rabbits can be neutered from 10 weeks old and female rabbits can be neutered from five months old (or may be as late as eight months in giant breed rabbits).
Rabbits should never be kept with other species of animal, such as guinea pigs. They have very different needs and they also can’t communicate with each other or provide the social support that they need to stay healthy. They both need their own kind for company.
For more information about keeping your rabbits happy and ensuring they aren’t lonely, please visit PDSA’s website.
Research* from the UK Care Guide has found startling levels of stress amongst the workforce aged 40 and over, with over two thirds (67%) reporting increased levels of stress thanks to the cost of living crisis.
The survey, based on the data of 1487 respondents, found that a huge 72% directly attributed their increased levels of stress to the tightening of household budgets as a result of the cost of living crisis.
While work-related factors were a major cause, half of the respondents also identified personal and family-related factors as sources of stress.
Saq Hussain of UK Care Guide commented: “Our latest UK Care Guide research reveals a worrying surge in stress levels among UK workers aged 40 and over in the face of the cost of living crisis.
“This issue cuts deeper than just affecting productivity at work. It’s intruding into individuals’ personal lives, straining relationships and fundamentally undermining their mental wellbeing.
“Amidst these challenges, it’s commendable that almost half of those surveyed have adopted some form of coping mechanism to manage their stress levels. However, the glaring outlier is the lowly 20% looking for professional mental health support. This number signifies not only a potential stigma around seeking mental health assistance, but also perhaps hints at the lack of easily accessible mental health services.
“Our findings highlight an urgent call to action for employers, healthcare organisations, and policy-makers alike. There is a pressing need to not only address the root causes of workplace stress but also to create a supportive environment that promotes mental health resources and empowers individuals to effectively manage their stress levels without fear of stigma.”
Love To Ride, the online community cycling platform, and partner charities of the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships, World Bicycle Relief and Maggie’s, have announced a partnership to change lives while encouraging Brits to get on their bikes.
The 23 Million Miles Challenge will see cyclists around the country contribute their rides – whether one or one hundred miles – to an epic 23 million mile goal ahead of the biggest cycling event in the world, the UCI Cycling World Championships in Scotland, 3-13 August 2023. Cyclists can now fundraise for the life-changing partner charities whilst adding their mileage to the total.
World Bicycle Relief, the Championships’ global charity partner, provides purpose-designed, hard-wearing ‘Buffalo Bicycles’ to people in need in rural areas around the world where access to basic goods and services is affected by long distances and harsh terrain.
These bicycles help children, adults, families and communities reach life-changing education, healthcare, and economic opportunities. Fundraising through the 23 Million Miles Challenge will help World Bicycle Relief to meet its target of providing 1 million bicycles by 2025.
After setting up a fundraising page for World Bicycle Relief, cyclists can register with Love to Ride, set a mileage goal, begin fundraising with family, friends or colleagues, then hit the saddle and start logging their miles.
Maggie’s, the Championships’ national charity partner, provides free, practical and psychological support to anyone living with cancer, their families and friends.Maggie’s centres offer a warm and welcoming place to go for people at every stage of cancer. Visitors can speak to professional staff including cancer support specialists, clinical psychologists, benefits advisors and relaxation therapists, who offer individual and group support to help live well with cancer.
By taking part in the 23 Million Miles Challenge and choosing to fundraise for Maggie’s, cyclists can directly contribute to the charity’s vital services and programs and support anyone living with cancer.
Maggie’s are calling on cycling fans to take part in their virtual Gran Fondo, challenging them to take on 250km or 500km by 13 August and raise funds to help support everyone living with cancer. Riders can sign up to receive a free cycling jersey, join Maggie’s Strava club, and start logging their miles with Love to Ride.
Claire Geiger, Director of Partnerships, World Bicycle Relief, said: “The UCI Cycling World Championships is bringing cycling to Scotland and the world on a scale we’ve never experienced before, but there’s more to the Championships than competition.
“These next few months are all about showcasing the power of the bike as not only a tool for sport, commuting, and recreation, but also for transportation in remote parts of the world. By logging miles and raising money, cyclists around the United Kingdom can help in the mission to get more people riding bikes.”
Adam Feder, Head of Partnerships, Maggie’s, said: “At Maggie’s we know how cycling – and movement in general – can play a huge part in emotional and physical recovery after cancer.
“That’s we’re delighted to be working with Love to Ride and the 2023 Cycling World Championships to showcase the #powerofthebike and encourage more people to get cycling to support their mental and physical health.”
Angus Rodney, Partnerships Manager for Scotland, Love To Ride, said: “Love to Ride are delighted to work in partnership with Maggies, World Bicycle Relief, and the 2023 Cycling World Championships team.
“Ultimately we want to inspire people to jump on their bikes, build some excitement around this amazing event which showcases the power of the bike. And motivate people to do their bit to contribute towards net zero.
“The goal is big, but by working together we can achieve big things!”
Find out more about the 23 Million Miles Challenge here.
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