We’re dreaming of a warm Christmas!

RESEARCH SHOWS THAT BRITS WOULD FOREGO A WHITE CHRISTMAS AS ENERGY BILLS RISE 

  • Almost seven in 10 Britons (68 percent) hope for a white Christmas each year
  • However, 62 percent admit they would prefer a warmer Christmas this year if it meant they could save money on their heating bills
  • Almost three quarters (74 percent) will consider using the heating less during the festive season in order to save money

Ever since Bing Crosby hit the airwaves in 1942 with Irving Berlin’s nostalgic song, ‘White Christmas’, snow-laden vistas and frosted windows have defined the perfect festive setting for many of us.

Yet whilst almost seven in 10 Britons (68 percent) continue to hold out hope for a snowy Christmas, new research has revealed that 62% would actually prefer a warm Yuletide if it meant they could save on their dreaded winter heating bills this year.

The research by home heating expert Alpha Heating Innovation comes as the collapse of further energy firms is predicted for the coming weeks, following the 22 suppliers which have already folded since September 2021.

With the energy price cap now expected to rise by over 40% next April, the UK is bracing itself for an increase in household bills and looking for ways to conserve home running costs.

As a result, almost three quarters (74 percent) would consider using the heating less during the festive season in order to save money.

Darran Smith, Technical Manager for home heating expert, Alpha Heating Innovation, commented: “With gas prices set to radically increase in 2022 and fuel poverty likely to extend far beyond the four million households already struggling to pay their energy bills, it is little wonder that most of us would happily forego a white Christmas.

“We are urging households to consider ways of keeping their heating bills manageable over the festive period and look to establish some good home heating habits now before the price hikes arrive.”

When it comes to the nation’s Christmas finances, a warm home features in the top three items which UK households prioritise (38 percent), along with presents for friends and family (53 percent) and festive food (52 percent).

The top 10 things Brits prioritise financially over the Christmas period:

1.   Lovely presents for friends and family (53%)

2.   Festive food (52%)

3.   A warm home (38%)

4.   Trees and decorations (29%)

5.   Christmas lights (26%)

6.   Alcohol (24%)

7.   Posting gifts/cards (17%)

8.   Days out (14%)

9.   Nights out (13%)

10. Hosting Christmas parties (12%)

But there’s good news. Whilst gift budgets can be set and purse strings for food tightened, there are simple and efficient ways to save on heating bills without compromising on comfort.

Darran continues: “One of the best ways to heat your home economically is to learn how to control the settings of your heating system so it delivers the optimum temperature for your lifestyle and comfort level, while ensuring you only use the energy you need.

“Don’t waste energy on heating the whole house all night. If you have thermostatic radiator valves, turn them down or off in rooms that aren’t regularly used. Think about what room temperature you normally set and reduce it by just 1ºC – you won’t notice any difference but you can cut heating bills by up to £105 a year in a typical home.

“And finally, put on an extra layer such as that festive must-have: the Christmas jumper. Very simple; but it never fails to make a surprisingly big difference.”

For more practical tips on how to save on heating bills, visit:

Alpha Heating Innovation’s handy online guide.

For further information about Alpha Heating Innovation, visit:

alpha-innovation.co.uk.

EVOC: Edinburgh Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund is now open

EVOC is delighted to announce that this Fund is now open to expressions of interest. 

Expressions of Interest I Get Involved I Key Documents I Funding Overview

We’ve had a busy November, discussing this funding with as many people as we can.

To try to make it more accessible, instead of long application forms we’re asking you to fill in a few key details setting out what you think your organisation or group can do to meet the needs of communities in Edinburgh. Please also tell us what support you might find helpful.

These expressions of interest will be publicly available for others to see on our website from mid-December, so do check back in a week or two. We hope this open process will stimulate partnerships and ideas.

Expressions of Interest
All expressions of interest need to be submitted using this online form, but we’ve also created a word version of the form to help you draft your application. 

The closing date for expressions of interest is Fri 14 Jan 2022.

For details of the process after this point please see the Partnership Plan.

Other Ways to Get Involved
If you don’t plan to apply to the fund, but would like to be involved in the process – e.g. as part of the decision-making collaborative – we would really welcome this and can discuss funding for your time where appropriate.

Please get in touch: funding@evoc.org.uk

Key Documents & Links

Fund Overview

  • £1.255 million has been allocated to Edinburgh to support Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing, for those aged 16 and above.
  • The fund is to support mental health and wellbeing at a small scale, grassroots, community level. It can be used to increase capacity for existing groups and projects or for new initiatives.
  • Groups do not have to have mental health and wellbeing as their main focus, but there needs to be a clear benefit to the mental wellbeing of people in their community.
  • Initiatives with a focus on addressing mental health inequalities by supporting those who have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic will be prioritised, particularly those supporting communities experiencing multiple forms of marginalisation.

New TransPennine Express connects communities between Edinburgh and Newcastle

Communities in East Lothian, the Scottish Borders and Northumberland have today been connected via rail for the first time in almost decades thanks to new services operated by TransPennine Express (TPE).

The train company has launched five services per day (Monday to Saturday) in both directions, calling at Edinburgh Waverley, Dunbar, Reston (once opened), Berwick-upon-Tweed, Alnmouth, Morpeth, and Newcastle, with one service per day calling at Cramlington.

The introduction of the new services means that for the first time in decades, communities in Morpeth, Alnmouth, Berwick and Dunbar now have a rail link, providing new journey opportunities for residents between towns in the regions and into Edinburgh and Newcastle.

Matthew Golton, Managing Director for TransPennine Express said: “We are thrilled that, as of today, communities across East Lothian, the Scottish Borders and Northumberland are connected once again, and we are looking forward to welcoming customers onboard.

“Working with Transport Scotland and Rail North Partnership we’re delighted that these additional services will now significantly improve connectivity on this route, providing communities with enhanced access to work, education and leisure opportunities.”

Rail Minister Chris Heaton-Harris said: “Our railways are vital in connecting communities and empowering our towns and cities to flourish, which is why we have announced our historic £96bn Integrated Rail Plan to help level up the North and Midlands.

“It’s fantastic that Transport Scotland and the Rail North Partnership have come together with TransPennine Express to launch these new services, which will bring people together, drive growth, and provide an important link between two of the UK’s greatest cities.”

Transport Minister Graeme Dey said: “This is very good news for the local communities along the route and a great example of collaborative working.

“Improving access to work, education and leisure opportunities by connecting communities is at the heart of our transport priorities. These additional rail services, particularly at intermediate stations, will also make a real difference in encouraging more people out of their cars and onto trains as we strive towards achieving our Net Zero goals.”

Cllr Martin Gannon, Chair of the North East Joint Transport Committee, said: “I’m pleased to welcome this new TransPennine Express service which will help to improve connectivity for local people – particularly for communities in Northumberland.

“Better access to employment, education and leisure is a key objective of our regional Transport Plan, so I’m delighted to see this additional service begin.”

The new services will be operated by TPE’s modern, five carriage Nova 1 trains featuring spacious interiors, plenty of leg room, free Wi-Fi in both Standard and First Class as well as access to onboard entertainment system, Exstream.

Customers can travel with confidence onboard TPE’s services with enhanced cleaning in place to keep everyone safe. Face coverings must be worn on trains and at stations (unless exempt).

For those looking to travel, tickets can be purchased online via our website or using the TPExpress App where people can pay using Apple Pay, Google Pay or PayPal.

E-tickets are also available allowing customers to use their phone instead of a paper ticket. 

Scotland launches recruitment drive for new blood donors

‘We need to welcome 3,300 donors per week to ensure blood supplies remain at safe levels‘

Scottish hospitals are currently supplied by the smallest pool of blood donors this century, the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service (SNBTS) has revealed. This festive season, SNBTS are asking people to register as a blood donor, or to return and donate if they have not given for a while.

During the Pandemic (from 2019 to 2020), active blood donors in Scotland fell from over 105,000 to fewer than 92,000. This is a real-time reduction of nearly 13% meaning 13,000 fewer people gave blood in a single year.

Although the donor base has started to rebuild in 2021 and Scotland now has 96,000 active blood donors, SNBTS are asking new donors to come forward over the festive period, or those who have got out of the habit to return and donate.

Dr Sylvia Armstrong-Fisher, SNBTS says, ‘During the pandemic, NHS Scotland relied on commitment from existing donors who gave very regularly. We’d like to thank all of these people who supported us at such an important time.

“However, alongside the natural lifecycle of blood donors retiring every day, this led to the community of active donors shrinking to its lowest level since records began.

“We need to welcome 3,300 donors per week to ensure blood supplies remain at safe levels and, with fewer people donating regularly, we want to welcome 50 new or returning blood donors every single day over the festive and Winter period.

‘During the pandemic we have made many positive changes to blood collection, to make giving blood as easy as possible for donors. We are now offering more weekend sessions in our donor centres, and have opened our flagship donor centre in Livingston, which is now welcoming over 800 donors a month. To book your appointment to donate, you can use our online portal.

‘Maintaining a safe and regular supply of blood to hospitals is our top priority. Thank you to everyone who has supported patients in Scotland over the past two years. We look forward to welcoming you soon. Please join this amazing club today and book an appointment to support Scotland’s patients over the Festive period and into the new year.’

Inverness

Helping publicise the campaign are 29yr old Kate McRae, husband Mike (35), and little daughters Abigail (4 months) and Hollie (2) from Ardersier, near Inverness. Kate, an accounts assistant for Arnold Clark, suffered a massive postpartum haemorrhage after giving birth to Abigail earlier this year.

Her life was saved by 12 transfusions given by 12 different people across Scotland. Mike, who has Colitis, also received a lifesaving transfusion when he was just 18. Without blood donors, there would be no MacRae family.

Kate says, ‘We just want to say thank you to everyone who gives blood, in particular the people who gave blood for Mike, and the twelve people who gave blood and blood products for me. I lost nearly all the blood in my body, there’s no doubt that without those people my children wouldn’t have a mother, and my husband wouldn’t have a wife.

‘It’s the best thing you could give this Christmas’

Mike says, ‘It’s scary to think that if people didn’t take half an hour, 45 minutes out their day to give blood, we could be having a very different conversation.’

Aberdeen

In addition to the MacRaes, Dr Musa Watila (47) is joining the call to arms.

A specialty doctor in Neurology at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, Dr Watila lives with sickle cell disease and needs transfusions every eight weeks. He loves being a doctor and helping those in need, because as Dr Watila says, ‘I understand very well what it means to be on the other side of the table as a patient.’

Dundee

Dundonian chip shop owner Martine Curran (40) is supporting the drive, showing her gratitude to the blood donors who saved her life four years ago when her organs neared failure after giving birth to daughter Mara.

Martine says, ‘I would just like to say to everybody thank you, thank you so much for taking the time out your day to come and give blood. You can’t imagine how it feels – I’m just so grateful, every day I’m grateful to you all for giving blood and giving me the chance to be here, and be spending time with the ones I love.

‘You think you’re just going in to have a baby, you’ll go in, go out, it’s all happy experience. I didn’t get to take my baby home, but I eventually got home to her, so thank you. If it wasn’t for you going to give blood I wouldn’t have had that chance.’

Glasgow

Giffnock mum Louise Pennington’s seven year old daughter Freya was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia last November. She spent a month in hospital, needing ten transfusions over this time, before finally being able to go home just before Christmas.

Louise remembers one transfusion in particular. ‘One day Freya really wasn’t well from the side effects of treatment. She was lethargic, very sick, she had lots of mouth ulcers and sores. The doctor could tell, just by looking at her, she would need a blood transfusion that day.

‘Watching her it hit me, the enormity, that someone had given their blood and Freya would feel a bit better afterwards. I had an overwhelming sense of gratitude that someone had donated this for Freya to feel better. It wasn’t a tablet created in a lab, but a real person who had made her better. I just wanted to say thank you to anyone who had given up their time to donate.’

  • There are eight different blood groups. SNBTS aim to retain 5-7 days supply of all eight blood groups at all times. At this time, people with the blood groups A and O are particularly asked to come forward. You can see Scotland’s daily blood stock levels on scotblood.co.uk
  • Book an appointment to give blood by creating your online donor account at scotblood.co.uk, contacting us online, or phoning 0345 90 90 999 (Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm).

Writers take next step with SBT Ignite Fellowship bursaries

Scottish Book Trust, the national charity transforming lives through reading and writing, has today announced the fourth Ignite Fellowship awardees.

The Fellowship supports established writers who are embarking on a significant project. This year, the panel has selected author Meghan Flaherty from East Lothian and writer Michael Lee Richardson from Glasgow.

Martin MacIntyre, an author and storyteller from Edinburgh has been selected as the Gaelic Ignite Fellowship awardee, funded by the Gaelic Books Council.

The Ignite Fellows will receive a £2000 bursary and tailored creative support to suit their individual projects. The fellowship will run for one year, from December 2021 to December 2022.

Meghan Flaherty is the author of Tango Lessons, which Kirkus Reviews called “a vibrantly intelligent reading pleasure.” She has an M.F.A. from Columbia University in literary nonfiction. Her work has appeared in O, The Oprah Magazine, The Iowa Review, Psychology Today, Parents, and online at the New York Times, The Paris Review, and elsewhere. She moved to Scotland in September 2020.

During her Ignite Fellowship, Meghan will be working on her second book, a memoir about motherhood, memory, and the self – the stories we tell each other in order to live, and how those narratives define us.

Meghan Flaherty said: “I’m deeply honoured and delighted to be given the extra boost.

“With two small boys at home, my work is often first to slip from focus. Scottish Book Trust just gave me the support to change that, at least for this year!”

As well as a writer, Michael Lee Richardson is a youth worker. Their short film, My Loneliness is Killing Me – directed by Tim Courtney – won a BAFTA Scotland Award in 2018. Michael’s new short, Who I Am Now – directed by Jack Goessens – will be released soon. (NOTE: Michael Lee Richardson uses they/them pronouns)

Their radio drama, The End of the World, aired on BBC Radio Scotland, and their books The Extraordinary Life of Alan Turing and The Extraordinary Life of Freddie Mercury were published by Puffin.

During their Ignite Fellowship, Michael will work on The Other Team, a young adult novel set in Glasgow that follows the trials and tribulations of Mosaic, a ragtag football team made up of young gay, bisexual and transgender men.

It is based on characters from Michael’s short story of the same title which appears in the award-winning young adult anthology PROUD. Football forms the backdrop for the dramas of the young characters’ lives at home, touching on key themes of mental health, sex and relationships, with strong themes of community, friendship and team spirit.

Michael Lee Richardson said: “When I first started out as a writer, I used Scottish Book Trust’s website to learn how to write, and to find and apply for opportunities, and they’ve always been there for me as a writer – from being part of their Labs, to winning the New Writer’s Award, and delivering workshops as part of their Live Literature programme – so I’m delighted to receive this Fellowship and to be working with them again. 

“The Other Team is an idea I’ve had for a long time, and I’m so, so excited to get started.”

Martin MacIntyre is an acclaimed author, bard and storyteller, who has worked across these genres for over twenty years; he has written eight works of fiction and one collection of poems. In 2003 his short-stories in Gaelic and English, Ath-Aithne (Re-acquaintance), won The Saltire Society First Book Award.

His novels Gymnippers Diciadain (Wednesday Gymnippers) and An Latha As Fhaide (The Longest Day) were in contention for their Book of The Year awards in 2005 and 2008 while his second story collection Cala Bendita’s a Bheannachdan (Cala Bendita and its Blessings) was shortlisted for both The Donald Meek Award and The Saltire Literary Book of The Year in 2014.

For his Ignite Fellowship, Martin will be honing a new manuscript of Gaelic poems, inspired by Catalonia and Wales, to maximize their potential reach in up to four languages: Gaelic, Catalan, Welsh and English.

Martin MacIntyre said: “I am delighted; this is a very useful opportunity at this point in my career as a poet and specifically regarding this current ambitious collection.

“Catalonia and Wales proved fertile areas for the seeds of poems to grow and I am indebted to those whose company I shared on the way.”

“Tha mi air mo dhòigh glan; ’s e cothrom glè fheumail a tha sa phrogram aig an ìre seo nam dhreuchd mar bhàrd agus gu h-àraid a thaobh a’ chruinneachaidh ùir amasaich seo.

’S ann gu math torrach a bha ùir nan dàn an Catalonia is sa Chuimrigh is bu thoigh leam taing a thoirt dha na daoine fialaidh a ghabh rium air mo shlighe.”

Marc Lambert, CEO of Scottish Book Trust, said: “Congratulations to our three new Ignite Fellows. We’re grateful to our funders for supporting this programme for a fourth year, providing writers with essential mentoring and financial assistance that will help their careers reach new heights.”

Witness appeal following Meuse Lane assault

POLICE are appealing for information after a 20-year-old man was assaulted in Edinburgh city centre on Saturday (11 December).

The incident happened around 10.10pm in Meuse Lane when the man was involved in a conversation with four men. He sustained a head injury and was taken to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh by ambulance.

The four men left in the direction of St Andrew Square. They are described as white, aged between 40 and 50-years-old and spoke with Scottish accents. Two were bald, one had short, dark hair and the other was wearing a dark coloured woollen hat.

Detective Sergeant Keith Taylor said: “Enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances and we are keen to trace the men described as we believe they can help with our investigation.

“If you can help please contact us on 101, quoting incident number 3747 of Saturday, 11 December, or make a call anonymously to the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”

UK coronavirus alert level increased from Level 3 to Level 4

Following advice from the UK Health Security Agency and in the light of the rapid increase in Omicron cases, the UK Chief Medical Officers and NHS England National Medical Director have recommended to ministers that the UK COVID-19 alert level should increase from Level 3 to Level 4.

Transmission of COVID-19 is already high in the community, mainly still driven by Delta, but the emergence of Omicron adds additional and rapidly increasing risk to the public and healthcare services.

Early evidence shows that Omicron is spreading much faster than Delta and that vaccine protection against symptomatic disease from Omicron is reduced. Data on severity will become clearer over the coming weeks but hospitalisations from Omicron are already occurring and these are likely to increase rapidly.

When vaccine protection is reduced in the way that is happening with Omicron it is essential to top up that protection with a booster. Both booster vaccines (Pfizer and Moderna) increase the immune response substantially and show good effectiveness although with some reduction compared to Delta.

The NHS is currently under pressure mainly driven by non-COVID-19 pressures. With a variant spreading with increased transmissibility and reduced vaccine effectiveness, we are likely to see this pressure rise soon.

It is extremely important that if you are eligible, you get your COVID-19 vaccination now – whether this be your first, second or booster dose.

People should continue take sensible precautions including ventilating rooms, using face coverings, testing regularly and isolating when symptomatic.

Chief Medical Officer for England, Professor Chris Whitty

Chief Medical Officer for Northern Ireland, Professor Sir Michael McBride

Chief Medical Officer for Scotland, Professor Gregor Smith

Chief Medical Officer for Wales, Dr Frank Atherton

NHS England National Medical Director, Professor Stephen Powis

Boris Johnson’s urgent Omicron appeal: Get Boosted Now!

  • Prime Minister and NHS turbocharge booster programme against Omicron and launch an urgent national appeal calling for people to get jabbed
  • Latest data shows booster is needed to protect ourselves and the NHS against the variant
  • Prime Minister: “A tidal wave of Omicron is coming. Get Boosted Now.”
  • UK Chief Medical Officers raise UK Covid Alert Level from Level 3 to Level 4
  • All adults in England to be offered a booster jab by the end of the year. Devolved administrations also agree to accelerate vaccinations.

The Prime Minister, together with the NHS, last night launched an urgent national appeal calling for people to get jabbed, as he outlined plans to significantly increase NHS vaccination capacity.

It comes as the UK Chief Medical Officers increased the UK Covid Alert Level from Level 3 to Level 4 due to a rapid increase in cases of the Omicron variant.

The latest data suggests Omicron is extremely transmissible and will become the dominant variant by mid-December. Cases are now doubling every 2 to 3 days.

Data published on Friday suggests that vaccine efficacy against symptomatic infection is substantially reduced against Omicron with just two doses, but a third dose boosts protection back up to over 70%.

It is too early to draw firm conclusions about whether the Omicron variant is as virulent as Delta but even if it is more mild, a slight fall in vaccine efficacy can lead to a substantial increase in hospitalisations. Hospitalisations in South Africa have doubled in a week and are expected to rise in the UK over the next 2 weeks.

The extent of transmissibility, coupled with reduced protection after two doses and the raising of the alert level by the UK CMOs, means the Prime Minister and NHS England are today launching an urgent national Omicron appeal for the public to Get Boosted Now.

The government and NHS will rise to the challenge, working flat out to deliver jabs, save lives and ensure the NHS is not overwhelmed this winter with an influx of Omicron cases.

The vaccination programme is already delivering hundreds of thousands of boosters every day, with over 530,000 jabs in arms on Saturday alone, while catching up on elective surgeries and appointments and delivering all urgent care.

All adults will now be offered a booster jab by the New Year, bringing the target forward by one month.

Bookings through the National Booking System will be prioritised at most sites unless it is a pop up or walk-in only site. The National Booking System will now be stood up for over 18s and will take a short time to operationalise. From tomorrow adults over 30 will be able to book online, and all over 18s from Wednesday.

Some walk-in appointments will be available from tomorrow for over 18s, dependent on location. If there are long queues or all slots have been booked, people are encouraged to be patient and keep trying, or book online.

To deliver the ramped-up vaccination programme, NHS staff will need to be redeployed away from non-urgent services. This means that all primary care services will now focus on urgent clinical need and vaccines, and some non-urgent appointments and elective surgeries may be postponed until the New Year while every adult in the country is jabbed.

Without the added protection from this third dose, NHS beds will quickly fill up and the long term damage to the economy and the NHS efforts to bring down the backlog will be even greater.

The NHS will be given everything it needs to get jabs in arms as the UK responds to the Omicron variant.

The Prime Minister yesterday set out that the NHS will be given everything it needs to boost jabbing capacity, which will include:

  • New vaccination sites set up across the country, including mobile pop up sites
  • Increasing opening times for vaccination sites, to 7 days a week with more appointments early in the morning, in the evening and at weekends
  • 50 military planning experts will help coordinate the national effort by supporting the NHS with logistics of the rollout
  • Reprioritising the NHS workforce to deliver as many jabs as possible
  • A national call for thousands more NHS volunteers

If Omicron is left unchecked the NHS is at risk of being quickly overwhelmed. Last week the Prime Minister confirmed the move to Plan B for England following its rapid spread.

Face coverings are now compulsory in most public indoor venues in England – this is already in place in Scotland – people are asked to work from home if they can from today, and from Wednesday 15 December negative lateral flow tests will be needed to enter nightclubs and large events, except for those who are double vaccinated and subject to approval from Parliament.

Every adult in the country is now being urged to book their jab as soon as possible. The vaccination programme is open to everyone, and first and second doses remain available.

The government will continue to work closely with the devolved administrations on the booster rollout, and there will be Barnett consequentials for any new funding.

Vaccine boosters available to over 30s from today

Advance booking facility opened up to 30 – 39 year olds

All 30-39 year olds will be able to book their appointment for a COVID-19 vaccine booster from today (Monday) through the NHS Inform website.

Appointments must be booked at least 12 weeks after a second dose however anyone with a confirmed case of the virus since receiving a vaccine should wait four weeks from testing positive to receive their booster.

The online portal will be extended to enable 18-29 year olds to book booster vaccinations later in the week.

The portal is already open to Health and Social Care Workers, the 40-59 age groups, unpaid carers who are 16 and over and those aged 16 and over who are household contacts of immunosuppressed individuals and will continue to be available to these groups.

Anyone in earlier groups who missed their vaccination can book an appointment by calling the National Helpline on 0800 030 8013 which is open from 8am to 8pm, 7 days a week.

Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “Scotland already has the highest vaccination rate of all UK nations for first, second and third doses and we will continue to follow clinical advice from the JCVI on offering booster jags through age cohorts in descending order to ensure maximum benefit.

“We are working with Health Boards to maximise vaccination capacity and we’ll explore all options to accelerate the vaccination programme as quickly and safely as we possibly can.

“One of the most important things we can all do to protect ourselves and others from COVID-19 is to get our vaccinations and boosters when eligible. The vaccines we have are highly effective and safe and I urge anyone who is eligible and not yet vaccinated to book an appointment.

“The emergence of the Omicron variant means it is also particularly important that we continue to take all precautions to prevent transmission. So test regularly for the virus, particularly before socialising and meeting up with others from outside your household, wear face marks where required and open windows to improve ventilation.”

Santa’s Christmas Wonderland now OPEN in Perth

Santa’s Christmas Wonderland Experience is now open in Perth following a launch night on Thursday which was enjoyed by hundreds of invited guests including St Johnstone legend Liam Craig. 

Lighting up Perth’s riverside, the new experience throughout the Norie Miller Walk provides all the magic and merriness of Christmas, with interactive surprises throughout including naughty elves and, of course, Santa too.  

Visitors on Thursday were the first to enjoy the wonderland’s toasted marshmallows, hot chocolate, mulled wine and more, all against the backdrop of a huge array of amazing, sparkling, joyful, Christmas-themed lighting installations. 

Thanks to Perth Christmas Wonderland’s charity partnership, among those in attendance were dozens of guests connected to PKAVS, the first of a staggering 1600 locals who will benefit from free tickets over the next fortnight thanks to donations from Perthshire businesses. 

Tickets are available for most dates between December 10 and 23 – available at:

https://www.perthchristmaswonderland.co.uk