WE’RE BACK!
Please see above our new times and groups starting next week, as well as a new sign up form for this year (below).
https://forms.gle/6nXpjdS24DoZ2EEP8
(Consent form must be completed to attend clubs)
Fetlor: Autumn Programme
Sports Clubs are back at Craigroyston
Extra-curricular sports clubs are up and running again at Craigroyston!
There are lots of sports on offer including cricket, football, basketball, badminton and swimming. All clubs are free of charge to attend 
For more information on clubs or how to join, speak to Paul Murray (Active Schools Coordinator) in the PE base or email paul.1.murray@ea.edin.sch.uk
Edinburgh’s ultimate Halloween Festival returns – with UK’s first-ever Laser Show over a Pumpkin Patch!
Conifox Adventure Park has announced the return of Edinburgh’s Ultimate Halloween Festival, running on selected dates from 11th–31th October 2025. With daytime delights for families and breathtaking night-time spectacles, this year’s event promises to be the biggest and most dazzling yet – headlined by the UK’s first-ever laser show over a pumpkin patch!
During Halloween Days (11–12, 18–19 & 25–26 October), families can immerse themselves in a world of seasonal fun. Children and grown-ups can enjoy exploring and picking from the Pumpkin Patch, striking a pose at fearsome photo opportunities, and – for the first time during daytime events – venturing through both the Witches Labyrinth Maze and the Funhouse of Fear Maze.
Little monsters can also meet some spooky characters, take to the dancefloor at the Devilish Disco with special guest stars, and make the most of full Adventure Park access for a jam-packed day of play.
As night falls, Halloween Fireworks Nights (17–18, 24–25 & 31 October) transform Conifox into a spectacular playground of light and thrills.
Guests will witness the UK’s first-ever Laser Show over a Pumpkin Patch, a brand-new attraction for 2025 designed to light up the skies in dazzling fashion.
Each evening will include a show-stopping fireworks display, while flame performers bring the heat with jaw-dropping shows at 5.30pm, 6.30pm and 7.30pm. Visitors can also dare to enter the Witches Labyrinth and Funhouse of Fear Maze, venture into the all-new Howling Forest Maze, and enjoy music, dancing and plenty of pumpkin patch photo opportunities.
Beyond the mazes and shows, festivalgoers can enjoy a range of funfair rides from Taylor’s of Edinburgh, toast marshmallows, transform with frightful face painting, and tuck into monstrous munchies from a hand-picked line-up of street food vendors throughout October.
James Gammell, Director at Conifox Adventure Park, said: “Halloween at Conifox has become a tradition for thousands of families across Edinburgh and beyond.
“This year, we’re raising the bar with our brand-new laser show over a pumpkin patch – a UK first – alongside the return of our fireworks nights, new mazes and pumpkin patch fun. Whether you’re here for family-friendly days or spectacular spooky nights, this will be a Halloween to remember.”
Festival Details:
📍 Conifox Adventure Park, Kirkliston, Edinburgh
📅 11th-31st October 2025
🎟️ Tickets on sale now at www.conifox.co.uk
Edinburgh joins Eurocities call to action for sustainable and inclusive future
The city council will join over 40 European cities in signing the Eurocities Call to Action on Sustainable Culture, reaffirming commitment to environmentally responsible and inclusive cultural development.
Led by the city of Lille in partnership with Eurocities, a network of over 200 major cities across Europe, the call to action urges cities to use culture as a catalyst for environmental and social change and to commit to the development of local cultural policies and events that prioritise sustainability and inclusivity.
The pledge reinforces the Council’s commitment to sustainability and equity in culture, already embedded in both the Event Strategy and City Wide Culture Strategy, both of which prioritise sustainability and local cultural provision.
The 16 priorities and principles outlined in the Call are already being addressed in Edinburgh by Council or grant funded organisations.
Culture and Communities Convener, Cllr Margaret Graham said: “Culture is at the heart of what makes Edinburgh unique and we have the responsibility to make sure it thrives in a way that is both sustainable and inclusive.
“Culture has the power to inspire action and connect communities. By signing the call we’re making a clear commitment to a more sustainable and inclusive cultural future in Edinburgh.”
The Lord Provost or a Senior Councillor will sign the Call to Action and it will be presented to the next Eurocities Culture Forum, due to be held in Brno, Czech Republic next month (September 2025).
UK announces new support for women and girls in Gaza
UK announces new life-saving support for pregnant women and new mothers, and menstrual hygiene kits for thousands of women and girls
- UK announces new life-saving support for pregnant women and new mothers, and menstrual hygiene kits for thousands of women and girls
- Foreign Secretary calls for a full resumption of aid into Gaza, as women and girls risk pregnancy complications and disease
- It comes amid ‘catastrophic’ humanitarian crisis in Gaza, with ‘women and girls bearing the brunt of the suffering’
Against a backdrop of an appalling humanitarian crisis, the UK has pledged vital funding to deploy midwives and deliver emergency medical supplies for new mothers in Gaza. The aid could reach thousands—but only if Israel allows a substantial increase in vital humanitarian access.
The announcement comes after the Famine Review Committee confirmed famine in parts of Gaza.
The UK reiterates that the Israeli government’s refusal to allow sufficient aid into Gaza has caused this man-made catastrophe and urges it to take action to improve the situation immediately.
The Foreign Secretary David Lammy said: “The humanitarian situation in Gaza remains catastrophic, with famine in Gaza City and women and girls bearing the brunt of the suffering.
“The UK is doing all we can to improve the situation but we remain crystal clear: for aid to have impact, Israel must ensure it is allowed in and delivered safely and securely to civilians in desperate need.
“Gaza’s healthcare system has been decimated. With ongoing strikes on healthcare centres and most hospitals no longer functioning at all, pregnant women will be extremely anxious about giving birth safely.
“That’s why we’re announcing this support today as part of our sustained humanitarian assistance to the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
“This new funding will help improve midwifery provisions and make giving birth safer. It is critical to improving the situation for mothers and their new-born babies.
“But this funding can only have maximum impact if the Government of Israel allows it. Israel must ensure protection of civilians including healthcare staff and health infrastructure, and enable the delivery of life saving medicines, medical equipment and healthcare supplies into Gaza.
“We need an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages, a surge in aid and a framework to deliver long-term peace.”
UK funding is set to support some of the 130 women who give birth every day against the backdrop of conflict in Gaza. This £3m funding, delivered through the UN’s sexual and reproductive health agency (UNFPA) is supporting midwives to provide essential lifesaving care for mothers and newborn babies in conflicts and crises.
UNFPA is providing life-saving reproductive health supplies for women and girls in Gaza. Since the conflict began, UNFPA has reached over one million people with sexual and productive health services and gender-based violence prevention and response support.
It has also ensured that over 150,000 women and girls have been able to purchase essential menstrual and hygiene items to meet their basic needs.
Laila Baker, UNFPA Arab States Regional Director said: “Women and girls are enduring increasingly horrific conditions in Gaza – with widespread malnutrition and disease putting the lives of pregnant and breastfeeding women and their babies at particular risk.
“This vital contribution from the United Kingdom will support UNFPA in providing lifesaving medicines, deploying mobile maternity units, and supporting midwives across the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
“With one in five babies in Gaza born prematurely or underweight, and maternal and neonatal services collapsing from fuel and supply shortages, UNFPA also reiterates its urgent call for unimpeded, sustained and demilitarized humanitarian aid into the Occupied Palestinian Territory.”
The FCDO is also working with Oxfam GB to distribute Reemi’s zero waste menstrual hygiene products that are suitable for women and girls with limited access to clean water. In incredibly difficult circumstances, Oxfam and local partners distributed over 5,000 Reemi kits in Northern Gaza in early 2025.
Sadly, the UK continues to supply arms to Israel…
Nearly half of parents feel in competition to throw the ‘best’ birthday party, Moonpig reveals
- Almost 50% of parents feel pressured to throw their baby or toddler a birthday party, even if they won’t remember it
- Parents admit to spending up to £250 on their baby’s birthday
- Dads feel the most pressure to throw their children the best birthday party
For many new parents, social media feeds are seemingly filled with scenes of extravagant birthday parties other parents are throwing their young children, leading to feelings of guilt and pressure to compete – but how much truth is in what we see online?
Moonpig, the UK’s leading online greeting card retailer, surveyed 1,000 parents of 0-3-year-olds to uncover how we’re really celebrating our children.
Competitive celebrations: Nearly half of all parents feel in competition with other parents to throw the ‘best’ party
The survey revealed that nearly half of all parents (49%) admitted to throwing a birthday party more for the guests and other parents than for the child themselves. Over two-fifths (43%) felt as though they competed with other parents to throw the ‘best’ party for their child.
Interestingly, the research revealed dads feel the most pressure when it comes to throwing the ‘best’ party, with more than half (52%) stating that they feel in competition with other parents, compared to just 39% of mothers. Similarly, half of Gen-Z (50%) were found to feel pressure to throw the ‘best’ party – more than any other age group.
Party pressure: A third of parents now hire a professional party planner for their toddler’s birthday
Almost half (46%) of the parents surveyed admitted to feeling pressure from family and friends to throw a birthday party for their young child. To make sure that the party lives up to expectations, one in three (30%) admitted to using a party planner to plan their toddlers’ birthday parties.
Planning stress: The majority of parents find planning their child’s birthday party a major source of stress
Over half of parents (55%) said they felt stressed when planning their young children’s birthdays, with mums suffering the most – with almost three in five mothers (57%) feeling stressed, compared to 49% of dads.
Picture-perfect parties: Social media influences parents to throw aesthetic birthday parties
Almost three in five parents (59%) felt inspired by social media to throw their young child an “aesthetic” birthday party. Gen-Z and millennial parents care the most about their child’s birthday looking picture perfect on social media, with 44% citing this as a key consideration. 14% went as far as to say the main reason they threw their young child a party was to post about it on social media.
Costly candles: Parents are struggling to stick to birthday party budgets
Brits spend on average £248 to celebrate their baby’s birthday, with 55% of parents revealing they struggle to stick to a budget for the occasion. In addition, almost two-thirds (65%) of parents agreed that birthday parties for babies and toddlers had become too extravagant.
When asked why they throw their young children birthday parties even if they won’t remember it, almost two-thirds (61%) cited that the celebration was to create lasting memories with family and close ones, and so their young child can look back on pictures and videos when they’re older.
Four in five (82%) also agreed that they prioritised creating memorable experiences for their child over an extravagant party.
Modern milestones: How parents celebrate their baby’s birthday
When celebrating their little ones, parents are likely to stick to the classics with traditional party food (66%), creating goodie bags (61%) and supermarket-bought birthday cake (61%), taking the lead on baby birthday party essentials.
| Rank | Baby Birthday Essentials | % Who Have Done This |
| 1 | Offered traditional party food options (buffet, pizza, sandwiches) | 66% |
| 2 | Created goodie bags for guests | 61% |
| 3 | Bought a supermarket birthday cake | 61% |
| 4 | Bought a custom-baked personalised birthday cake | 59% |
| 5 | Arranged specific food and drink options just for adults (cocktails, nicer food) | 57% |
| 6 | Created entertainment for the party myself | 52% |
| 7 | Arranged activities for the guests to do (bouncy castle, inflatable obstacle course, giant slides) | 52% |
| 8 | Baked my own birthday cake | 46% |
| 9 | Given a party a pop culture theme (superheroes, princesses, favourite characters from movies/TV shows) | 45% |
| 10 | Offered custom photo opportunities for guests (Balloon arches, custom backdrops, photobooths) | 42% |
Sarah-Jane Porter, Moonpig’s Global Design & Licensing Director, comments: “At Moonpig, we champion celebrating milestone moments, and early years birthdays are no exception. With growing pressure to make sure our babies’ earliest celebrations are memorable, it’s unsurprising that parents are going the extra mile to celebrate their young children.
“We know how important it is for these special moments to feel truly unique and personal to the recipient, which is why our range of personalised cards are great for celebrating your little one.
“From sharing milestone pictures and videos or including their favourite characters, our cards are the perfect keepsake for them to look back on in years to come.”
Restalrig death: Man to appear in court tomorrow
A 55-year-old man has been arrested and charged in connection with the death of a woman in East Edinburgh.
Around 1am on Thursday, 28 August, 2025, Police were called to a report of a disturbance at a property on Restalrig Avenue.
Emergency services attended and a 43-year-old woman was taken to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh for treatment, where she died a short time later.
Her next of kin are aware and are being supported by specialist officers.
She can now be named as Ndata Bobb.
The man was taken to St John’s Hospital for treatment. He has since been arrested and charged in connection with the death and is expected to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court tomorrow – Monday, 1 September, 2025.
Detective Inspector Kevin Tait said: “Our thoughts remain with the family and friends of Ndata at this extremely difficult time.
“Our investigation remains ongoing, however we are not looking for anyone else in connection with Ndata’s death.
“This is a shocking incident and I would urge anyone with any concerns, or information, to contact police.”
St Columba’s Furniture Centre: Discount Day next Saturday
SATURDAY 6th SEPTEMBER from 10am – 5pm
Whether you’re looking for quality pre-loved furniture at great prices or just fancy a browse, a cuppa and cake, pop along to our Furniture Centre next Saturday for our exclusive discount day!
Every penny raised through the sale of pre-loved goods goes to support vital hospice care in our community.
Hourglass: Failed Risk Tool Exposed
Older Victim-Survivors Deserve Better Safeguards
Hourglass – the only UK-wide charity dedicated to ending the abuse, harm, exploitation and neglect of older people – has responded to comments by the Safeguarding Minister, Jess Phillips, who admitted the DASH tool “doesn’t work”.
DASH – the UK’s main risk assessment tool for domestic abuse – could soon be scrapped, after mounting evidence shows it has repeatedly failed to identify high-risk cases.
For more than a decade, professionals across the UK have relied on DASH. Yet independent studies reveal that victims who were later killed, or suffered repeated abuse, were often assessed as only ‘standard’ or ‘medium’ risk. Families who lost loved ones are now taking legal action against institutions that relied on this flawed tool.
Hourglass has long warned that DASH was never fit for purpose when it came to older victim-survivors. Abuse in later life often looks very different: dependency on carers or family members, economic coercion, neglect and isolation.
By contrast, DASH questions were built around the experiences of younger victims, often focusing on stalking, harassment or recent relationship breakdowns.
Crucially, Hourglass reminds policymakers that abuse of older people is not just a women and girls’ issue:
- Older men make up a significant proportion of callers to the Hourglass helpline.
- Abuse can be perpetrated by adult children, relatives, or even professional carers – not just intimate partners.
- Risk tools designed solely within a VAWG (Violence Against Women and Girls) framework leave older men, and those outside traditional victim stereotypes, unseen and unsupported.
Richard Robinson, Chief Executive of Hourglass, said: “Older victim-survivors of abuse are too often invisible in the safeguarding system.
“Hourglass has never believed that DASH adequately reflected the realities of abuse in later life – whether those victims are women or men. Replacing DASH must be more than a technical fix.
“It must embed an age-inclusive, gender-inclusive understanding of abuse, backed by training, resourced services, and accountability across every agency.”
Hourglass is calling on government and safeguarding partners to:
- Ensure any replacement risk tool reflects the unique dynamics of abuse against older people, including economic dependence, carer-abuse, coercion at end of life, and age-related vulnerabilities.
- Recognise that older men as well as women are victims, and provide specialist services.
- Mandate specialist training for professionals so older victims are not ‘downgraded’ or dismissed as low-risk.
- Collect robust age- and gender-segmented data to monitor risk decisions and prevent systemic neglect of older victim-survivors.
Hourglass is urging those keen to support the charity to donate by visiting www.wearehourglass.org.uk/donate or Text SAFER to 70460 to donate £10.
Texts cost £10 plus one standard rate message and you’ll be opting in to hear more about our work and fundraising via telephone and SMS.
If you’d like to give £10 but do not wish to receive marketing communications, text SAFERNOINFO to 70460.
Life-saving ambulance drugs programme
MINISTER MARKS INTERNATIONAL OVERDOSE AWARENESS DAY
Drugs and Alcohol Policy Minister Maree Todd has praised the Scottish Ambulance Service’s successful Take Home Naloxone (THN) programme, which has now issued more than 4,000 kits.
On a visit to Springburn Ambulance Station in Glasgow to mark International Overdose Awareness Day, Ms Todd was trained to use naloxone kits which temporarily reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.
The packs are given out to people at risk and their families who can use them to deal with any future overdose while they wait for the ambulance to arrive.
Since Scotland’s National Naloxone Programme began in 2011, up to December 2024, a total of 205,650 take-home naloxone kits have been issued.
Ms Todd said: “Every drug death is a tragedy, and my condolences go to anyone who has lost a loved one, on a day where we remember them.
“The work done by the Scottish Ambulance Service and other partners has been instrumental in saving lives, especially at a time when naloxone has become even more important. I am a grateful for the hard work of all the staff who provide this vital frontline service. I was very pleased to hear about the continued progress in delivery and to be shown how to use the naloxone kits.
“Due to the presence of an increasingly unpredictable drug supply of highly dangerous synthetic opioids like nitazenes, which raise the risk of overdose, hospitalisation and death, I would urge anyone who carries naloxone to have extra life-saving kits with them so repeat doses can be given if required.
“I am determined to do even more to tackle the harm caused by drugs. That’s why we are providing record levels of funding for drugs and alcohol programmes, including widening access to treatment, residential rehabilitation and life-saving naloxone. We have also supported and funded the opening of the UK’s first Safer Drug Consumption Facility, and are working at pace to deliver drug-checking facilities.”
All SAS crews have been trained in in distributing naloxone since 2023, following the launch of its training programme in 2021. As well as treating people for the effects of overdose themselves, and handing out the take-home kits, crews are providing a vital link to support and treatment.
Scottish Ambulance Service CEO Michael Dickson said: “Our staff respond with care and compassion to anyone who experiences an overdose.
“Our call handlers can offer advice during the 999 call, and our ambulance clinicians provide crucial treatment when they arrive at the scene.
“Ambulance crews are able to supply Take Home Naloxone, are starting to provide clean sterile injecting equipment, and can also connect people experiencing problematic substance use with other services who can provide further care and treatment.”