What do we want from our Winter Festivals?

Culture Convener Councillor Donald Wilson looks forward to the capital’s festive season activities:

“There has been much discussion recently on the subject of our Winter Festivals. Without question, Edinburgh has become a world-renowned ‘place to be’ both at Christmas and Hogmanay – and not just for visitors. Continue reading What do we want from our Winter Festivals?

Kinship superheroes enjoy a day at Tynecastle

Carers enjoyed a special day out at Hearts’ Tynecastle stadium earlier this week when the Gorgie club’s Big Hearts charity welcomed more than 300 guests at their fifth Kinship Care Family Day.

Monday’s free open day at Tynecastle Stadium offered kinship care families a host of fun activities to enjoy on the last day of the autumn school break. Hosted by Big Hearts, the event celebrated the resilience of children and adults living in a kinship setting.

As the charity wing of the football club, Big Hearts uses football to raise awareness of kinship care and identify vulnerable families in need of support.

https://youtu.be/TbJ1ldi7IPs

Craig Wilson, Big Hearts’ general manager, said: “At Big Hearts, we believe kinship carers are unsung super heroes who are doing an amazing job to raise and build a happy life for the young person they care for.

“Our charity has been helping kinship care families thrive since 2015 and we are committed to continue our work to increase public awareness and reach out to many of these hidden families who could benefit from practical or emotional support.”

There was a great variety of fun activities on offer: face painting, owls, arts & crafts, a detective workshop, magic shows, zorbing, stadium tours and multi-sports were among the most popular.

Children & adults also enjoyed a tasty buffet lunch and the opportunity to meet organisations and projects providing services and activities in the community.

The event celebrated Big Hearts’ Kinship Care programme which delivers a range of comprehensive support for young people and their kinship carers.

Be Bright, Be Seen winter road safety campaign launch tomorrow

City police we will be joining The City of Edinburgh Council at the launch of a  campaign to raise awareness of issues experienced by those who cycle and those who drive on Edinburgh’s road network tomorrow. The launch is taking place at Middle Meadow Walk at North Meadow Walk between 4pm and 6pm.

It is important that we share road space responsibly and ensure that all road users “look out for each other”. Everyone should take extra care and look properly when turning at road junctions.

• Cyclists can help by wearing bright clothing or reflective accessories and making sure they use lights during the hours of darkness, which must be lit!
• Drivers can help by keeping an eye out for cyclists and allowing them plenty of room – at least as much room as they would for another vehicle.

Pedestrians can also benefit from wearing brightly coloured clothes or using high visibility items so they can be easily seen and we can all benefit from looking properly, without distractions such as mobile phones.

Check the Streets Ahead website for more information – http://ow.ly/llVy50wS0jW

Scottish Tories launch drive to ‘revolutionise’ help for carers

The Scottish Conservatives have launched a review group to help develop ideas to help the country’s hundreds of thousands of carers.

The organisation, which was unveiled at an event in Angus yesterday, will be co-chaired by high-profile dementia campaigner Amanda Kopel, whose husband Frank’s Law is named after. Continue reading Scottish Tories launch drive to ‘revolutionise’ help for carers

Leonardo ‘rising star’ Thomas named IET Apprentice of the Year

Thomas Sutherland, from Edinburgh, has been named the Institution of Engineering and Technology’s (IET) Apprentice of the Year.

23-year-old Thomas, who has recently completed his Technical Apprenticeship for Leonardo and now works on the Eurofighter Typhoon Radar integrating current and next-gen systems, was presented with the prestigious award at the IET Achievement Awards in central London on Thursday night. Continue reading Leonardo ‘rising star’ Thomas named IET Apprentice of the Year