Ahead of Open Farm Sunday’s 20 anniversary, new research by organisers, LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming), reveals deep-rooted public support for farmers who produce food while protecting nature.
Families across the country have the chance to visit one of over 250 farms taking part in Open Farm Sunday on 7 June, to discover the world of farming, make new connections and explore the vital links between food production, farming and nature.
The survey of more than 2,000 people found that 93% believe it is important for the UK to maintain a strong level of food production capacity in an increasingly uncertain world.
At the same time, 89% agreed that protecting nature on farms, including healthy soils, flood defences and biodiversity, is essential for long-term food production, while 71% said farmers should focus on producing food while also protecting nature.
The findings highlight the importance of helping people see, first-hand, what sustainable farming looks like beyond the supermarket shelf. On Open Farm Sunday, farms of different sizes and sectors open their gates, giving visitors the chance to ask questions and discover how wildlife, soils, water, technology and food production are all connected.
Annabel Shackleton, Open Farm Sunday Event Manager, said: “Open Farm Sunday is a wonderful day of discovery. Families can immerse themselves in a world they don’t usually see.
“It’s an opportunity to see sustainable farming in action, not as an idea on a label, but as something real, practical and happening every day. This research shows people care deeply about food security and about nature, and farmers are working hard to deliver both.
“For 20 years, Open Farm Sunday has helped build trust and connection between the public and farming. This anniversary year is a wonderful opportunity for children and adults alike to engage with farming in an interactive, fun and inspiring way while seeing how their everyday food choices can help support a more sustainable future.”
Open Farm Sunday is one of the farming industry’s leading public engagement programmes. It offers a unique opportunity for visitors to meet farmers face-to-face, get up close to machinery, livestock and crops, and learn how farmers care for the land, take pride in their work, and use bright ideas to grow good food.
This year’s campaign encourages people to turn food labels into lived experiences by visiting a farm, meeting farming champions and discovering how nature and innovation work together.
Applications open for Best Start Grant School Age Payment
Families across Scotland can now apply for over £330 to help with the costs of preparing for primary school, as applications for Best Start Grant School Age Payment open today (1 June 2026).
The payment, unique to Scotland, is available to eligible families with children born between 1 March 2021 and 28 February 2022. It is designed to ease the financial pressures that come with a child starting primary one and can be spent on anything families need – from clothes and stationery to school trips.
Whether a family can receive the payment depends on the child’s age and when they are first old enough to start primary school, typically between 4 and 5 years.
Importantly, families do not need to wait until their child starts school to apply. Those who are deferring their child’s start date, or whose child will not be attending school, are still eligible and must apply before applications close on 28 February 2027.
Families receiving Scottish Child Payment who are eligible for School Age Payment should get an automated payment and do not need to apply.
Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville, said: “Starting school is a landmark moment in a child’s life, but sadly it can also put real financial pressure on families. That’s why we introduced the Best Start Grant School Age Payment – to help ensure that every child in Scotland can begin their school journey with what they need, regardless of their family’s circumstances.
“This support is a vital part of our wider commitment to eradicating child poverty, making sure help reaches families at key moments in a child’s life.”
Sara Spencer, Cost of the School Day Project Manager said: “We know from our work with children and families that starting school adds real pressure to already stretched family finances. That’s why it’s really important that families apply for the financial support, like the School Age Payment, that they are entitled to.”
School Age Payment is a payment of £331.95 per child. Applications for children born between 1 March 2021 and 28 February 2022 are open from 1 June 2026 to 28 February 2027.
To get Best Start Grant School Age Payment the person applying will normally need to be receiving one of the following payments: Universal Credit, Housing Benefit, Income Support, Pension Credit, income-based Jobseekers Allowance (JSA) or income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).
Families have until 28 February 2027 to submit their application. The payment is also open to kinship carers and adoptive parents who meet the eligibility criteria.
Parents and carers can apply for multiple children, provided each child falls within the eligible age range at the time of application. Social Security Scotland will usually make the payment once per child, although additional payments may be made in certain circumstances — for example, if a child moves to live with a different kinship carer or adoptive parent within the same application window.
Report assesses impact of the conflict in the Middle East on fuel prices and margins until the end of April 2026
No evidence that retailers altered their pricing strategies to take advantage of the crisis
Lack of effective competition remains a concern, and CMA will examine whether improved supply conditions are reflected in lower retail prices over the coming weeks
Savings of up to £9 per tank possible if drivers shop around – the more motorists make use of Fuel Finder-backed services, the better it works
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has published its latest road fuel monitoring report, setting out how the conflict in the Middle East has affected what drivers pay at the pump. It has also assessed fuel margins – the difference between the price petrol stations pay for fuel and the price they sell it at.
In its previous report, the CMA found that the conflict in the Middle East caused a rapid increase in both the wholesale price for fuel and prices at the pump. While margins in March were similar to 2025, a small number of retailers saw their margins increase. The CMA committed to examine this further and has set out findings in today’s report.
Today’s report
Overall, the CMA’s analysis indicates that elevated wholesale prices continue to explain most of the increase in pump prices in March and into April and it has not seen evidence of retailers actively changing their pricing strategies to take advantage of the crisis.
Alongside wholesale price increases, a range of factors particular to the current crisis may be reducing retailers’ incentives to offer lower prices, including wholesale price volatility, supply constraints and increases in demand.
The CMA’s investigations also indicate that, where certain individual retailers have increased margins in March, this is due in part to retailers following competitors’ price increases and setting prices to mitigate supply constraints and inventory pressures, alongside differences in their purchasing costs.
However, it also notes that throughout this period, average fuel margins for both supermarket and non-supermarket retailers remained at historically high levels and, in a number of cases, individual retailer margins increased slightly in April – bringing the average to 11.3 ppl. This is the case even though inventory levels and wholesale costs have stabilised to some extent in April.
The CMA therefore remains concerned that sustained high retail margins reflect a continuation of the weak competitive dynamics identified during its 2023 market study, with retailers continuing with largely passive pricing policies – aligning to local market pricing by competitors – rather than actively competing to win customers.
Given the improvements to supply conditions seen in April – in particular improved inventory levels and with wholesale prices no longer increasing – the CMA would be concerned if current high retail prices persist. It will therefore be paying close attention to whether improved supply conditions are reflected in retail prices.
Fuel Finder
Fuel Finder can help increase competition between fuel retailers by making it easier for drivers to compare fuel prices. Drivers are encouraged to shop around using navigation apps and comparison websites, with potential savings of up to £9 per tank.
Sarah Cardell, Chief Executive of the CMA, said: “We know prices at the pump are putting real pressure on drivers’ pockets. While our analysis shows the rise in wholesale prices is the main reason for higher fuel prices, we remain concerned about weak competition in the sector leaving drivers paying more.
“Retailers should be in no doubt that we are continuing to monitor prices and margins closely and expect any reductions in wholesale prices to be rapidly and fully passed on to drivers.
“In the meantime, Fuel Finder can help drivers save up to £9 a tank. The more motorists make use of Fuel Finder-backed services, the better it works – saving money now and driving down prices in the long run.”
Consistent with its market study, the CMA found supermarkets remained, on average, the cheapest places to buy fuel and lead the market on price. Meanwhile, motorway service stations were the most expensive and charged a substantial premium.
The CMA will publish its next update in August, considering market developments over a longer time period until the end of June – this will give a clearer picture of whether savings are being passed on.
As it is now 3 years since the CMA’s original market study and given ongoing concerns about weak price competition in the sector, the CMA will now also engage directly with retailers as it conducts a more detailed assessment of their pricing strategies across the market.
It expects to publish the results of that assessment in the autumn, to allow for an assessment of the impact of the introduction of the Fuel Finder scheme.
A day after World No Tobacco Day, and a full year after the ban on selling single-use vapes in Scotland came into force, environmental and health organisations and campaigners are calling for further action to protect people and our environment.
While a positive decrease in littered vapes has been recorded in Scotland, alongside a 9% decrease across the UK, there is little data available to identify whether the ban has helped reduce youth vaping. And, the ongoing challenges of disposing of vapes safely, capturing precious resources via recycling, alongside tackling the ever present and harmful issue of smoking-related litter remains.
Climate Action Secretary Gillian Martin said: “Before taking action on disposable vapes, it was estimated that over half of disposable vapes were incorrectly disposed of each year in Scotland – creating a fire risk and littering our beautiful environment.
“These findings are a welcome demonstration of the success the single-use vape ban has had in its first year in tackling the threat they pose to our environment as well as to our public health.”
Alongside the Marine Conservation Society, health charity ASH Scotland and environmental scientist, campaigner and ambassador to our charity Laura Anderson (Young), we first liaised with Scottish Ministers to call for a ban on the sale of single-use vapes in 2022 after highlighting how vapes undermine the principles of a circular economy, cause harm to Scotland’s environment and damage people’s health.
Now a year-on from the ban the coalition is calling for further action, to build on the momentum and take further steps to address smoking-related litter and health impacts in children and young people – you can read the letter we sent to Scottish Ministers – calling for more action – below.
The coalition will continue to work collaboratively to tackle vapes and smoking related litter and build on its commitment to a cleaner, healthier Scotland.
THE LETTER READS:
Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Rural Affairs Minister for Mental Wellbeing, Public Health, Sport, Alcohol and Drugs Scottish Government St Andrew’s House Edinburgh EH1 3DG 21st May 2026
Dear Ministers,
We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate you on your appointments as Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Rural Affairs, and Minister for Mental Wellbeing, Public Health, Sport, Alcohol and Drugs. As a coalition of organisations and individuals working to protect and improve Scotland’s environmental and public health, we look forward to working with you on tobacco and nicotine related litter.
Marking progress: disposable vapes ban anniversary
As we approach the anniversary of Scotland’s ban on single-use disposable vapes, we wanted to recognise the brilliant cross government working that led to the legislation coming into force, and the role Scotland played in pioneering the introduction of the ban
Laura Anderson (nee Young), also known as Less Waste Laura, is an environmental campaigner and a signatory to this letter. She catapulted the issue of littered single-use vapes to the forefront of public awareness in 2022. Since then, she has inspired politicians, charities and councils to take action to tackle Scotland’s fastest growing litter item.
The Marine Conservation Society, Keep Scotland Beautiful and ASH Scotland worked closely with Laura and others to raise awareness of this issue and call for the ban on both environmental and public health grounds which came into force on the 1st June 2025.
The ban has been an important step in raising awareness of, and tackling litter that pollutes our landscapes, communities and marine environment. Early indications in litter data from Keep Scotland Beautiful and the Marine Conservation Society show a decline in littered single-use vapes.
Initial Source to Sea litter data from the Marine Conservation Society demonstrates a 9% decrease in the presence of vapes across the UK.
Keep Scotland Beautiful has seen a decrease in the percentage of sites recording a presence of littered vapes – with vapes found on just 5% of Scottish sites.
As there has been no robust data about children’s use of vapes since the 2021/22 Health and Wellbeing Census, it is currently not possible to identify whether the ban on single-use vapes has been impactful in tackling youth vaping.
The ongoing challenge of smoking-related litter
Smoking-related litter — particularly cigarette butts — continues to be one of the most commonly discarded items in Scotland’s streets, green spaces and coastlines. Keep Scotland Beautiful auditors counted almost 20,000 cigarette butts nationally in 2025/2026.
Marine Conservation Society Beachwatch data from 2025 highlighted over 2000 smoking related litter items were found on Scottish beaches and Keep Scotland Beautiful found 60% of sites nationally were polluted by cigarette butts. These contain plastics and harmful chemicals that persist in the environment, pollute waterways and pose risks to wildlife.
Cigarette filters do not reduce health harm but mislead people who smoke into perceiving cigarettes to be safer and discourage attempts to quit smoking.
In the recent passing of the Tobacco and Vapes Act, which had a four nations approach, and the associated Legislative Consent Motions, we were pleased to see the extension of provisions to ban some or all cigarette filters in the future. Local authorities, communities and volunteers bear a significant burden in clearing this waste, yet prevention remains the most effective and sustainable solution.
Opportunities for further action
We believe there is a clear opportunity to build on the momentum of the single use vape ban and take further steps to address smoking-related litter.
We believe the following steps would help to achieve this:
1. Introduce an Extended Producer Responsibility scheme (EPR) for tobacco and nicotine waste not covered by market restrictions. 2. Increase awareness and tighten up the enforcement of existing Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) and the Waste Batteries Regulations for producers, distributors and retailers of vapes including disposal and recycling. 3. Ban the sale and manufacture of single-use cigarette filters which offer no health benefits and exacerbate environmental damage. 4. Require businesses to report on the number of vapes (as a percentage sold) that are returned for recycling under WEEE. 5. Routinely publish robust data on children in Scotland’s use of tobacco and nicotine products.
Taking forward these measures would deliver clear environmental, social and economic benefits—supporting cleaner communities, healthier ecosystems, and reduced clean-up costs.
A shared ambition
Our organisations share a commitment to a cleaner, healthier Scotland. We would welcome the opportunity to meet with you and your officials to discuss how we can work collaboratively to tackle vapes and smoking-related litter and build on Scotland’s leadership in this area.
We are planning on issuing a press release on Wednesday 27th May focusing on this statistical information and our collaborative asks, under embargo for 1st June. We invite comments from both of you to include to highlight the successes and further opportunities.
We wish you every success, and look forward to engaging with you in the months ahead.
Yours sincerely,
Less Waste Laura Marine Conservation Society Keep Scotland Beautiful ASH Scotland
As we kick off a new month, we’re delighted to welcome everyone from our local community back to our Chat & Chill Café for three relaxed get-togethers this June:
Thursday 4th June
Thursday 11th June
Thursday 18th June
12:00 – 1:30pm
Come along, grab some free lunch, enjoy a cuppa and have a good old catch-up with neighbours or even meet some new friends!
You don’t have to have children coming to PYCP.
Whether you fancy a chat, a laugh, or just a warm, welcoming space, you’ll find it here. Everyone is welcome!
A wee note for families:
We don’t have a crèche available so children under 5 are very welcome but must be supervised by a parent or carer at all times.
Technology promises to slash costs and accelerate progress in quantum computing, medical diagnostics and optical communications
A new technology created by Heriot-Watt University is poised to upend one of the most stubborn bottlenecks in modern manufacturing.
FreeForm Photonics is set to commercialise a laser-based process that builds alignment directly into optical glass components, removing the painstaking manual calibration that currently accounts for more than half of all photonics production costs.
The result is a manufacturing pathway that is faster, cheaper and precise to sub-micron tolerances, a scale far smaller than the width of a human hair. It also removes the complexity that has long made photonic systems prohibitively expensive to scale.
The implications stretch across some of the most consequential technologies of the coming decade. Sectors like Quantum computing systems, next-generation medical diagnostics and the optical communications infrastructure underpinning the modern internet. These all depend on photonic components that are currently largely assembled by hand.
Dr Calum Ross, Research Fellow in the School of Engineering and Physical Sciences at Heriot-Watt University, said: “By integrating passive alignment features into the glass components themselves, we are fundamentally changing what it takes to manufacture high-performance optics.
“The potential applications range from fibre optic sensing in the harshest industrial environments to enabling the quantum computing systems that the world is racing to build.”
Traditional photonics assembly demands either painstaking manual adjustment or costly active alignment systems, each introducing risk, time and expense at every stage. FreeForm Photonics has removed that dependency entirely, embedding precision into the component from the outset.
FreeForm Photonics has now secured funding through Scottish Enterprise’s High Growth Spinout Programme to create a high growth and scalable future company and prepare for seed investment.
Derek Shaw, Director of Entrepreneurship and Investment at Scottish Enterprise, said: “FreeForm Photonics is a great example of how Scotland’s supportive innovation ecosystem system can help turn cutting-edge research into global opportunity. Its breakthrough technology has the potential to transform photonic manufacturing and drive progress across quantum, healthcare and communications.
“We’re proud to have supported the team through our High Growth Spinout Programme, helping them strengthen their commercial approach and get investment ready. We look forward to continuing to work with the company as its scales and realises its global ambition.”
Entering a global photonic components market valued at close to $1 billion in 2024 and forecast to grow sharply, the team already has more than 100 industry leaders and prospective customers who have assessed the technology, with strong appetite to adopt it at medium-volume production scale. Trial samples are also being supplied to customers in aerospace, telecommunications and healthcare.
Professor Gillian Murray, Deputy Principal for Enterprise and Business at Heriot-Watt University, said: “As a university with a global reach and a deep commitment to enterprise, we are uniquely placed to help turn pioneering research into real commercial impact.
“FreeForm Photonics is a clear example of that in action, taking a genuinely novel capability developed here at Heriot-Watt and building it into something with the potential to reshape how photonic components are made worldwide.
“Through our entrepreneurial programmes and business support, we are working to strengthen Scotland’s innovation ecosystem and back the kind of high-growth businesses that can compete on the global stage. FreeForm Photonics has the science, the team and the market interest to do exactly that, and we are proud to be part of its journey from the lab to commercial scale.”
As Scotland’s bathing water season begins on 1st June, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) will continue to monitor and provide information on 19 designated bathing waters across Edinburgh, the Lothians and Borders.
Designated bathing waters are important local spaces supporting recreation, tourism and access to nature for communities and visitors across the region.
From urban bathing waters serving Edinburgh and surrounding communities to popular coastal destinations across East Lothian and the Scottish Borders, these sites play an important role in supporting health and wellbeing, local visitor economies and access to Scotland’s coastline.
Many of the region’s bathing waters are within easy reach of large population centres, providing accessible opportunities for residents and visitors to enjoy the water environment.
Throughout the season, which runs until 15th September, SEPA will take regular water samples and provide information including water quality classifications, monitoring results and pollution risk forecasts to help people make informed choices about where and when to bathe.
For the 2026 season, five bathing waters across Edinburgh, the Lothians and Borders are classified as excellent, eight as good, five as sufficient and one as poor.
Broad Sands – Good
Coldingham – Good
Dunbar (Belhaven) – Good
Dunbar (East) – Sufficient
Eyemouth – Sufficient
Fisherrow Sands – Poor
Gullane – Excellent
Longniddry – Good
North Berwick (Milsey Bay) – Good
North Berwick (West) – Good
Pease Bay – Excellent
Portobello (Central) – Sufficient
Portobello (West) – Sufficient
Seacliff – Excellent
Seton Sands – Good
Thorntonloch – Excellent
Wardie Bay – Good
White Sands – Excellent
Yellowcraig – Sufficient
Across Scotland’s 90 bathing waters, 47 are classified as excellent, 26 as good, 13 as sufficient and three as poor. One bathing water, Ballachulish Peninsula, was newly designated earlier this year and will receive its first classification at the end of this bathing season.
Bathing water classifications are based on four years of monitoring data and are designed to provide a longer-term picture of water quality over time.
Wet weather is one of the biggest factors affecting bathing water quality in Scotland. Heavy rainfall can temporarily affect bathing waters by washing pollution into rivers, lochs and coastal waters across wider catchments, while also influencing more localised sources such as surface water drainage and sewage discharges. For this reason, people are advised not to bathe during or one to two days after heavy rain.
SEPA issues daily pollution risk forecasts at some bathing waters where water quality has previously been shown to be more vulnerable to short-term pollution following wet weather. Available on SEPA’s website and on electronic messaging signs at these locations, these forecasts advise the public whether conditions are likely to be good or whether there is an increased risk of temporarily reduced water quality.
Scottish Water’s new real-time overflow map provides additional information on wastewater overflow activity.
Water quality is influenced by activity across the wider catchment surrounding a bathing water. SEPA uses microbial source tracking techniques at some locations to help identify whether sources of pollution are linked to human waste, livestock, birds or dogs. This information can then be used to help locate pollution sources and direct improvements.
Over the past 30 years, SEPA’s monitoring, scientific investigations and regulatory work have helped identify the sources of pollution affecting bathing waters and supported targeted improvements across Scotland. This work includes investigating pressures linked to wastewater infrastructure, whether public or private, urban drainage and rural diffuse pollution.
This evidence helps target action and investment where it is most needed and has contributed to sustained improvements over time. In 2015, Scotland had 17 bathing waters classified as excellent and 17 classified as poor.
For the 2026 season, 47 bathing waters are classified as excellent and three as poor, reflecting long-term improvements supported by monitoring, investigation and targeted action across Scotland.
For the 2026 season, Fisherrow Sands remains classified as poor.
Fisherrow Sands returned as a designated bathing water in 2023 following partnership work to improve water quality, including identifying and correcting misconnections alongside improvements to wastewater infrastructure. As a result of this work, Fisherrow Sands achieved a good classification.
In 2024, the poor classification was mainly due to a single very high sample result, for which no clear cause was identified. In 2025, another high result was recorded, which microbial source tracking indicated was likely due to contamination from gulls. Assessment against the full four-year dataset at the end of the 2026 season will provide a clearer picture of long-term trends.
Ruth Stidson, Principal Specialist Scientist at SEPA, said: “Bathing waters are important places for communities across Scotland and people rightly want clear information about water quality and the factors that can affect it.
“SEPA’s monitoring, forecasting and investigative work help people make informed choices throughout the bathing water season, while also helping us better understand the pressures affecting Scotland’s bathing waters over time.
Improving water quality is not always straightforward. Conditions can be influenced by rainfall, wastewater infrastructure, runoff and activity across wider catchments and those pressures can vary from place to place.
“For 30 years, SEPA’s scientific monitoring and evidence have supported long-term improvements at bathing waters across Scotland, and we continue to work with partners to identify pollution risks and target action where improvements are still needed.”
People visiting bathing waters across Edinburgh, the Lothians and Borders can also help protect local water environments by disposing of litter responsibly, avoiding feeding gulls, clearing up after dogs and helping prevent sewer blockages by not flushing wet wipes, fats, oils and grease into drains and toilets.
Information on Scotland’s bathing waters, including classifications, monitoring results, pollution risk forecasts and advice for visitors, is available on SEPA’s website throughout the bathing water season.
CCLA Investment Management has unveiled newly refurbished offices at 3 Lochside Avenue to the agent market through an exclusive preview tour, showcasing a sustainability-led Grade A office space in one of the UK’s most undersupplied office markets.
Located at Edinburgh Park, the comprehensively redeveloped building has been designed to meet the evolving needs of occupiers seeking premium workspace with strong ESG credentials and a focus on employee wellbeing.
The latest Q1 market figures highlight the ongoing supply constraints within Edinburgh’s office market, with Grade A availability standing at just 5.5%. In particular, there is a notable shortage of suitable options for occupiers seeking larger requirements of 30,000 sq ft and above.
Offering up to 82,272 sq ft of redesigned accommodation, 3 Lochside Avenue includes a new café lounge, collaborative event spaces, a roof terrace overlooking Loch Ross, and flexible floorplates designed to support a range of occupier requirements.
The all-electric building benefits from an EPC A rating and incorporates a range of sustainability-focused features including photovoltaic roof panels, energy-efficient heat pumps, LED lighting with PIR and daylight controls, electric vehicle charging points and extensive cycle facilities.
To mark the launch, CCLA and appointed letting agent CBRE hosted an exclusive preview event for Scottish office agents, providing a first look at the transformed workspace and the significant investment undertaken to reposition the building as a future-focused workplace.
As part of the event, Scottish coffee roaster Matthew Algie hosted a coffee tasting experience, reflecting the growing importance of hospitality, wellbeing and premium occupier amenities within modern office environments.
CCLA’s investment comes at a time when Edinburgh’s Grade A office market continues to face a shortage of high-quality sustainable workspace, with occupiers increasingly prioritising buildings that support both net zero ambitions and employee experience.
Matthew Meaden, Deputy Head of Property at CCLA Investment Management, said:“Sustainability and occupier wellbeing have been central to our vision for 3 Lochside Avenue.
“We wanted to create a workspace that performs strongly from an environmental perspective while also delivering an exceptional experience for the people working there every day.
“The building combines high-quality, flexible office accommodation with the amenities and sense of community that modern occupiers increasingly expect. Edinburgh Park offers a unique environment where businesses can benefit from excellent connectivity alongside a thriving amenity and wellbeing offering on the doorstep.
“The significant investment into 3 Lochside Avenue reflects our confidence in the continued demand for best-in-class sustainable workspace in Edinburgh.”
Angela Lowe, Senior Director and Head of Edinburgh at CBRE, said:“3 Lochside Avenue represents exactly the type of workspace occupiers are actively seeking – highly sustainable, amenity-rich and designed to support modern patterns of work.
“There is a clear shortage of best-in-class Grade A space across Edinburgh, particularly buildings with strong ESG performance already embedded, and we expect the scheme to generate significant occupier interest.
“The investment made by CCLA has completely repositioned the asset, creating a workplace environment that responds directly to current market demand.”
Beyond the building itself, occupiers at 3 Lochside Avenue benefit from Edinburgh Park’s established and growing amenity offering, which has helped position it as one of Scotland’s leading business destinations.
The campus provides immediate access to independent café and bakery Patina, padel courts, fitness and wellbeing facilities, landscaped outdoor spaces and extensive walking and cycling routes, alongside excellent tram, rail and road connectivity.
As occupiers continue to prioritise high-quality, low-carbon office environments, 3 Lochside Avenue is expected to further strengthen Edinburgh Park’s position as one of Scotland’s premier business destinations.
Scottish singer launches Music Ambassadorship with international working animal charity Brooke at exclusive event
Announcement comes in celebration of 20th anniversary of I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker, re-released in 2026
“Brooke’s work is truly inspiring and I’m incredibly proud to support the vital work they do around the world.” – Sandi Thom
Scottish singer-songwriter Sandi Thom will appear at the Royal College of Physicians in Edinburgh on Wednesday (3 June), for an exclusive launch event announcing her new role as Music Ambassador for international working animal charity Brooke.
The partnership marks a new chapter for both Brooke and Sandi and coincides with the 20th anniversary of her breakthrough single, I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker, which will be re-released in 2026.
At the event, Sandi will perform an intimate acoustic set centred on compassion, connection and hope, reflecting the themes she will champion in her new ambassadorial role and Brooke’s work to improve the lives of working animals through partnership and care.
Sandi Thom said: “Music has always been about connection for me, and this partnership with Brooke is rooted in compassion, kindness and giving a voice to those who cannot speak for themselves.
“Animals have been a huge part of my life and I’ve always believed we have a responsibility to treat them with compassion and respect.
“Brooke’s work is truly inspiring and I’m incredibly proud to support the vital work they do around the world.”
The Royal College of Physicians was established by royal charter in 1681, setting training standards for physicians in the UK.
Chris Wainwright, Chief Executive of Brooke, said: “We are delighted to partner with Sandi Thom. She is not only a celebrated artist, but also a passionate advocate for animal welfare whose values closely reflect Brooke’s mission to improve the lives of horses, donkeys and mules around the world.
“Music has such a galvanising and unifying power, and the storytelling power of song has a prominent place within many of the communities we support. With Sandi’s invaluable help, we hope to reach more people to share the stories of the animals and people we work with and how lives can be improved with compassion and care”.
Sandi’s commitment to animal welfare began in childhood through horse ownership and has continued throughout her life.
In her new ambassadorial role, she will champion compassionate treatment and ethical practice for working animals. Her long-standing support for animal welfare, including running a dog rescue centre in Bahrain, aligns closely with Brooke’s values of kindness, respect and community empowerment.
More than 30% of new parents are missing out on payments by not claiming in their baby’s first year.
Parents urged to claim via the HMRC app to ensure they get their payment as quickly as possible.
One in three new parents are missing out on Child Benefit payments in their baby’s first year, new figures reveal.
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is urging parents who welcomed a baby this Spring to claim now via the HMRC app or online at GOV.UK.
While more than 6.8 million parents received Child Benefit in the year to August 2025, only 68.8% of them claimed the crucial government support before their baby’s first birthday.
More than 140,000 babies were born between April and June last year and while many parents are enjoying new beginnings this Spring, the latest statistics show thousands of families could be missing out on much-needed cash by delaying their claim.
Child Benefit is worth £27.05 per week – or £1,406.60 a year – for the eldest or only child and £17.90 per week – or £930.80 a year – for each additional child, with no limit as to how many children parents can claim for.
Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s Chief Customer Officer, said: “Spring is a wonderful time to welcome a baby and claiming Child Benefit as soon as possible means your family can benefit from much-needed financial support.
“It is quick and easy to claim Child Benefit via the HMRC app at a time that suits you.”
Child Benefit can be claimed 48 hours after the baby’s birth is registered but can only be backdated for up to 3 months from the date HMRC receives the claim, meaning thousands of families are not getting what they’re entitled to receive.
Parents can access their Child Benefit account quickly and easily via the HMRC app.
In a recent survey, half of parents with children under the age of 18 said that they would like to be able to conduct all of their tax matters digitally.
To make a new claim for Child Benefit, parents can create an online HMRC account and will need:
child’s birth or adoption certificate
bank details
National Insurance number for themselves and their partner, if they have one
child’s original birth or adoption certificate and passport or travel document, for children born outside the UK.
HMRC has released a YouTube video explaining how parents can make a claim, with payments usually paid every 4 weeks automatically into a bank account.
If a claimant or their partner has an income of more than £60,000 a year, they will be liable to pay the High-Income Child Benefit Charge (HICBC), with more information including about how to pay on the HICBC PAYE digital service on GOV.UK.
Hello June… and welcome back Chat & Chill Café! 
Thursday 4th June
12:00 – 1:30pm
