Edinburgh College has launched a new partnership as part of this year’s 16 Days of Action Against Domestic Violence.
As part of the College’s support for the 16 Days of Action campaign, it has launched a new partnership with Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre, which will see students who have experienced sexual violence receive one-to-one support.
Students across the Edinburgh College Community who have experienced sexual violence at any time of their life will be offered long-term, trauma-informed, one-to-one support. This support will be offered in blocks of six sessions, with students having access to up to 18 individual sessions if needed.
Any students on the College support waiting list will be given the opportunity to access the normal Rape Crisis services for short-term support while they wait. This is in the form of the Here and Now service for over 18s or the STAR Project for under 18s.
If you would like to refer yourself to this service, please email:
Stepping Stones North Edinburgh’s young parents are making Christmas crafts to sell in the local pantry, with all proceeds going back into local charities.
We are looking to compliment our home made crafts with some other Christmas gifts.
Do you make gift baskets, wreaths, beautiful Christmas decorations? If so could you donate an item to our Christmas fayre?
Your generosity has two benefits in that the proceeds will go to charity but it also allows local people to buy something lovely that they may not normally be able to afford.
We would really appreciate your support.
It would also be great to see people pop by the fayre on the 8th of December!
The Scottish Government is to provide funding of £30 million to support GP practices to continue providing a high level of care to patients through winter and into next year.
The funding will help with the provision of existing GP services, including:
supporting more face-to-face appointments
extra GP sessions, practice nurse time and non-core hours covering all appointments
more administrative time and practice manager time
organised cover for reflection, learning and innovation
external GP locum sessions
Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “The contribution general practice makes to the health and wellbeing of communities, through continuity of care and meaningful relationships with patients, is invaluable.
“We recognise that, as face-to-face appointments have resumed and demand is increasing, surgeries are working overtime to meet patient needs.
“This support package will allow practices to target investment where it is most required to sustain the high levels of care they have always provided through what is likely to be the most challenging period in the history of the NHS.”
Chair of the BMA’s Scottish GP Committee Dr Andrew Buist said: “BMA Scotland has consistently sought a greater level of support for GPs and we are pleased that the Scottish Government has listened and taken this step in the face of the huge challenges of this winter and beyond.
“With demand continuing to outstrip capacity, this will help support practices in the coming months and plug some of the gaps caused by difficulties in recruiting to practice teams.
“It is particularly good GPs have flexibility to focus funding on what will make the most difference to their practice and their patients. As we look ahead to next year and the ongoing threat to the sustainability of practices, this is a welcome addition we have secured in negotiation with the Government.”
The support package will be given in two instalments of £15 million, in December 2021 and April 2022.
The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo will celebrate the power of connection with a spectacular combination of music, dance and military precision from some of the world’s leading armed forces and cultural performers, as it makes its return to the Castle Esplanade in 2022 with a new show titled Voices.
Tickets for the iconic military spectacle go on sale from 1 December 2021, with the show running from 5 – 27 August 2022.
The show is the first from the Tattoo’s new Creative Director, Michael Braithwaite. It draws inspiration from people across the globe who, despite physical separation, continue to connect and share their voices creatively through spoken word, song, writing, music and dance – languages common to all.
Military acts continue to play a central role in the performance, with the Army confirmed as the lead service in 2022. Audiences will enjoy the legendary sound of the Massed Pipes and Drums that will echo around the Esplanade as part of Voices, supported by Tattoo pipers and drummers, and musicians from UK Military Regiments. The Tattoo dancers and Shetland fiddlers also join the line-up, with international acts and further details about Voices announced in the coming months.
Tattoo Creative Director, Michael Braithwaite
Tattoo Creative Director, Michael Braithwaite, says:“Through the challenges and separation of the last two years, people of every culture have used their voices to remain connected. These voices can be found in many ways – the piper through music, the dancer with movement, the poet through words and the drummer with a beat.
“Voices is our desire to make next year’s Tattoo not just a reunion, but a celebration of the connections, cultures and languages that bring us together at the unique setting of Edinburgh Castle.
“I’m hugely excited to play a part in the history and spectacle of the Tattoo, helping it return to the global stage, re-energised and invigorated for a new era.”
Voices is the first show under the Tattoo’s bold new brand proposition, Performance in a New Light. It embraces all the military tradition the Tattoo is known and loved for, while combining exciting new innovations in production effects, lighting and staging, along with world-class appointments to the creative team.
Tickets for next year’s Tattoo can be purchased from 10am on 1st December online at edintattoo.co.uk/tickets or on the phone on 0131 225 1188.
Scotland’s community foundation has distributed over £130 million to date
Foundation Scotland, Scotland’s community foundation, is marking the organisation’s silver anniversary this St Andrews Day – also aptly ‘Giving Tuesday’ this year.
Originally established in 1996 as ‘Scotland’s Community Foundation’, the major funder has distributed more than £130 million to charitable organisations, social enterprises, and community groups operating across Scotland since its launch 25 years ago.
Set up with an initial group of three staff, the Edinburgh-based foundation now has over 30, managing around 100 different national and local funding programmes each year.
Earlier this year the foundation began offering investment for social enterprises following the integration with Resilient Scotland, further expanding the breadth of financial support offered to charitable groups and enterprises.
Through the pandemic, Foundation Scotland awarded over £1.1 million in crisis support grants to 268 Edinburgh-based community projects.
Supported groups included The Eric Liddell Centre, East Lothian Roots and Fruits, Sikh Sanjog, Bridgend Farmhouse and The Edinburgh Tool Library (above).
Quite often, groups can be eligible for more than one source of funding from the foundation and some organisations have received ongoing support from Foundation Scotland for many years.
The team pride themselves in getting to know and understand funded groups, supporting them with essential funding and vital advice to help them to develop and sustain their services.
Giles Ruck, Chief Executive at Foundation Scotland, said: “We are proud to be Scotland’s community foundation. For 25 years, we’ve maintained the vision of supporting confident, thriving, resilient communities across Scotland.
“And for every community to thrive, it should be resourced to match its vision and powered by transformative funding. That’s where we come in. Over the last quarter of a century, we have connected the generosity of donors, corporates and individuals, to enable and empower vital projects and grassroot-led change.
“As we look ahead, we will continue to work hard to reach and connect with new donors keen to distribute funds effectively at a local level so that together we can continue to deliver extraordinary support.”
The generosity of local donors
Foundation Scotland is an independent charity. The funds awarded to projects within Scotland’s communities are thanks to the generosity of donors who support the foundation’s work.
The breadth of donors includes individuals, families, companies, community bodies and other charities who distribute funds. The foundation connects donors funds with community organisations working on the ground, ensuring their support stays relevant to local circumstances and delivers real impact.
Even throughout the pandemic, new donors have come on board, and new funds have opened to help support communities through the crisis and beyond.
In the summer of 2020, Edinburgh-based investment company Martin Currie approached Foundation Scotland to design and brand a new fund to help them support charities and community groups in Edinburgh, with consideration for projects across Scotland.
Their priorities were to address inequality and support initiatives that improved social and environmental sustainability. The Martin Currie Community Partnership Programme launched in September, and to date has awarded almost £44,000 between 8 organisations Recent grantees include Edinburgh Remakery, Venchie Children and Youth Project and the Salisbury Centre.
Jennifer Mair, Chief Operating Officer for Martin Currie said: “The Martin Currie Community Partnership Programme (MCCPP) is delighted to partner with Foundation Scotland to support local charities that promote diversity and inclusion, or social and environmental sustainability.
“The MCCPP was established in 2020 and focusses on the communities where we live and work by partnering with and building deep and lasting relationships with organisations who are well placed to help us deliver Martin Currie’s goal to improve lives.”
Case Study: The Melting Pot
The Melting Pot is Scotland’s Centre for Social Innovation. Based in Edinburgh’s city centre on Carlton Road, the organisation runs a large coworking hub, meeting venue and events programme for charities, social businesses, campaigners and freelancers.
Foundation Scotland has supported The Melting Pot for over 15 years. The organisation received its first award from the funder back in 2006 and has received £120,000 from a number of different funds to support their growth and development since 2006.
Claire Carpenter, Founder and CEO of The Melting Pot said: “Foundation Scotland have been an instrumental investor for me and The Melting Pot. They’ve been part of the birthing story – twice now!
“Back in the 00’s when “Coworking” wasn’t a thing you could Google, they saw the potential in my big, novel and very practical idea to better support our sector, in all its diversity. Then, due to Covid, the landscape changed once again – for good.
“We’ve been able to play to each other’s strengths to help #BuildBackBetter. I’m looking forward to seeing how together we co-create the conditions for social innovators to thrive in the years ahead.”
More Info:
From grantmaking to social investment opportunities, legacies to bursaries, Foundation Scotland is continually developing innovative and effective ways for donors to help Scotland’s communities thrive.
Anyone interested in finding out more can contact:
The public is to be given the opportunity to view proposals by Tarmac for an exciting residential-led mixed-use development on land including the former Cement Works to the west of Baird Road, Ratho.
The Bairdview development, if approved, will deliver an ambitious residential neighbourhood and sustainable extension to the village. The fully integrated neighbourhood will provide a new and attractive entrance to Ratho and afford the potential to provide enhanced community and commercial facilities.
Proposals for the 56-acre site will deliver circa 300 homes, including family, market, and affordable housing, with a range of tenures, house types and densities built to the highest environmental standards. This will serve to address housing pressures in the village and West Edinburgh over the next 10 years.
A 60-bed care home and retirement housing for the village are also outlined in the proposals.
Tarmac intends to bring forward a Planning Permission in Principle (PPP) application, establishing the principle of development on the partially brownfield site for the mixed-use development. It believes that the environmental impact can be mitigated and that the wider social and economic benefits would be significant.
Delivering a high-quality, low carbon sustainable development at Bairdview will re-balance the village to the north of the Union Canal with local amenities, a green network of parks and woodland and a central hub of enhanced community facilities. The proposals have specifically been aligned with the new City Plan 2030.
Supporting the delivery of business, retail, and leisure development in the village, the development would also provide scope for the expansion of Ratho Primary School and public realm, landscape and active travel improvements at the northern gateway to the village.
Proposals will also improve transport infrastructure and connections with the A8 and A71, including more effective public transport bus services. It will also aim to deliver improved footpath linkages, including safe routes to the primary school.
The development has also been designed as “20-minute neighbourhoods”. These are places that are designed so residents can meet their day-to-day needs within a 20-minute walk of their home; through access to safe walking and cycling routes, or by public transport.
Development at Bairdview will assist in reducing the need for car journeys and reducing the carbon footprint in line with the City’s zero-carbon strategy response to the climate crisis.
Development proposed is within acceptable walking distance of local facilities, walking distance to any employment cluster and bus and cycle routes. Provision is made for public transport and the National Cycle Route also lies near the site.
Consultations have been ongoing with Ratho Community Council and local stakeholder groups for this unique investment proposition. Tarmac wish to bring forward a wider Place Plan for Ratho and has indicated that the community could receive a share of any land capture uplift from the development in the form of a unilateral obligation.
Due to ongoing developments surrounding the COVID-19 virus and social-distancing measures, the Scottish Government has issued guidance encouraging developers to use online or digital engagement methods whilst public gatherings are prohibited.
On Wednesday, 1 December 2021, between 4 pm and 8 pm, the development team will be available at www.bairdview.scot to answer your questions through a dedicated chat system as part of the digital consultation.
This will enable visitors to communicate directly with the design and advisory team and for them to answer any questions.
Visitors who do not have online access to hard copies of exhibition materials can request them from hello@bairdview.scot or contact Orbit Communications on 0131 202 3259 orat 4 Queen Street, Edinburgh EH2 1JE.
Proposals are available to view online now.
A representative for Tarmac said: “We’re excited to be giving the local public the chance to view exciting proposals for Bairdview.
“The development would bring significant environmental, social and economic benefits to the local community for existing and future generations in the medium to long term.
“These proposals will greatly assist in the regeneration and expansion of this part of the city, and we are consulting extensively to ensure that people from across the local area have an opportunity to input their views and shape our ambitious proposals.
“We encourage all interested parties to speak to the team on 1 December and to put any questions you have to them.”
St Columba’s Hospice Care will be lighting up its Trees of Remembrance on Monday 6th December in Charlotte Square Gardens, Edinburgh and Thursday 9th December in St Mary’s Pleasance Courtyard, Haddington, for its annual Christmas appeal, ‘Light up a Life’.
The services are open to all, not just those with a connection to the Hospice; and the lights on the Tree of Remembrance symbolise dedications made by supporters across Edinburgh and the Lothians in memory of people who have died.
St Columba’s Hospice Care Chief Executive, Jackie Stone, spoke about the importance of the appeal to the Hospice.She said: “Light up a Life is a hugely important appeal for us, as it brings the St Columba’s Hospice Care community together at what can be a time of mixed emotions for many who are remembering a loved one.
“The donations we received last year, in excess of £110,000, helped us to reach patients and families across Edinburgh and East Lothian. The money raised this year will enable us to bring world leading palliative care to even more of the people who need it in our communities.”
The Tree of Remembrance lighting ceremonies draw thousands of people and this year’s events will open at 5.30pm, before the services begin at 6.30pm.
The events are sponsored by Farmer’s Autocare and Walter Scott Foundation. Performing at both services this year is Ciara Harvie, a 23 year old classical crossover singer from Edinburgh.
Her reputation is now global, with regular appearances in Europe and beyond, as the world continues to be wowed by this young classical singer possessing a voice filled with passion, warmth, soul, and maturity.
The Edinburgh Brass Band will also perform in Charlotte Square Gardens.
Anyone is welcome to attend a service, simply email
People of Edinburgh can help Sight Scotland to light up Christmas for children and young people with visual impairment this festive season.
This winter, the charity hopes to provide new sensory lighting equipment for the children and young people with sight loss who are supported by Sight Scotland’s residential services in Edinburgh.
The bright colours and warmth of sensory lighting brings joy and relaxation to children and young people with visual impairment and can support their development.
New sensory lighting equipment would play a huge part in the day-to-day tailored interactive activities at the residential services.
Sight Scotland is also inviting Edinburgh residents to decorate paper Christmas baubles to provide unique tree decorations for the charity’s residential services.
A selection of the delightful designs which are sent in will also be shared on Sight Scotland’s social media pages.
Kerry Lindsay, Sight Scotland Head of Fundraising, said: “We would love to bring some added magic to this time of year for the children and young people we support in our fantastic Edinburgh based residential services.
“Donations to our sensory light appeal this Christmas to help us provide new sensory lighting equipment will help create fantastic interactive experiences for the children and young people we support. We would hugely appreciate anything you can give.
“Our residential staff and colleagues in services across Sight Scotland are also working hard to create beautiful decorations for everyone in our residential services to enjoy. If you would like to help spread some joy by sending us your own decorated paper bauble, we would be delighted to receive your design.”
If you would like to help make the festive season extra special for children and young people in Sight Scotland’s residential services, please visit
Three American graduates have collectively put more than 10,000 miles between themselves and their hometowns to work at Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC).
Kaia Waxenberg, Brady Stevens and Alexa Green have gone from studying for an MSc in Environmental Protection and Management at SRUC to working within the organisation.
Despite growing up in New York City with no connections to farming, Kaia is assisting with agricultural greenhouse gas emissions research at SAC Consulting, focusing on the scientific development of the Agrecalc carbon footprinting tool.
Brady, from Buffalo in New York State, is also working at SAC Consulting as a Rural Business and Economics Consultant and Alex, from Miami, is a Research Assistant at the Rural Policy Centre.
Kaia said: “I’m from New York City, so you can probably imagine my early encounters with farming were pretty limited. I originally became interested in issues of conservation and sustainability as a teenager, working in volunteer and internship roles throughout Manhattan.
“I then moved to the UK to pursue an undergraduate degree in conservation but ended up specialising in plant sciences after becoming increasingly interested in food sustainability.
“My new role is a great opportunity to apply my modelling and data analysis skills to practical farm management and consulting. I’m so excited to help deliver evidence-based mitigation solutions to farmers across the UK.”
Living across the road from his uncle’s 2000-cow dairy farm, Brady grew up with a knowledge of the agricultural industry. He fell in love with Scotland after cycling across the Highlands during his teaching fellowship in London and applied to do a Masters degree at SRUC.
“I was drawn to the practicality of the degrees offered and the opportunity to get out in the field and be close to agriculture,” he said. “I was also inspired by the research/education/consulting model – the win-win-wins made sense to me.
“My first three months at SAC Consulting have been intense and exciting. Given the pace and scale of changes required to meet Scotland’s climate and environment goals, there is tons of work to be done, and I feel I have been able to jump into the middle of it and make meaningful contributions already.
“The time is flying as the work is varied and engaging. I am loving it!”
Growing up in Miami, Alexa developed an appreciation for the environment and particularly marine and peatland areas such as mangroves and wetlands.
After studying Psychology and Sustainability Studies, she worked for a non-profit organisation focusing on improving recycling systems through behaviour change.
As a research assistant with the Rural Policy Centre, Alexa works on a variety of research and knowledge exchange opportunities
“I chose the Masters programme at SRUC because I wanted to obtain a more concrete understanding of climate science and policy and improve my research and analysis skills,” she said.
“I am excited to continue to develop my skills and work with the amazing team at SRUC to inform wider policy and help Scotland reach net zero by 2045.”
