Dobbies’ Edinburgh store has announced its local Helping Your Community Grow winner, seeing Dalkeith Guerrilla Gardeners receive gardening products, advice, and support to enhance their outside space.
Dalkeith Guerrilla Gardeners is a community initiative run by volunteers who aim to make a difference in the local area from gardening to litter picking.
Dobbies will provide the group with watering butts, plants, bulbs and seeds, alongside support from its horticultural experts to help bring this project to life.
Dobbies’ own-brand peat-free multipurpose compost, recycled and recyclable containers, UK-sourced plants and safer pest control products are among the many products the garden centre will donate to its winner.
Jenna Bavidge, General Manager at Dobbies’ Edinburgh store said: “We are delighted to be supporting Dalkeith Guerrilla Gardeners this year and look forward to seeing the community garden project come to life with our support.
“We’ve been truly overwhelmed with the response to our campaign in Edinburgh! The team and I would like to thank all the worthy causes that got involved in the application process and our customers who helped us crown our Helping Your Community Grow winner by voting.”
Dalkeith Guerrilla Gardeners said: “We are thrilled to have been crowned the local Helping Your Community Grow winner for Edinburgh and would like to thank those members of the public who voted for us.
“Dobbies’ backing will allow us to brighten up our local area in a sustainable way, and we can’t wait to see Dalkeith bloom.”
In addition to the local win, Nest Nurseries Garden Project located in Keston has been crowned the national winner for the initiative and will receive additional funding and support to help their garden project thrive.
This will include advice, gardening products and plants to help young children explore the outdoors, learn about nature, improve their physical development and better understand the world around them.
Curiosity Collective has distributed over 20,000 ‘Wonderbox’ packs to date
Marking the start of Mental Health Awareness Week, Curiosity Collective has announced that its dedicated offline learning and wellbeing resource, the ‘Wonderbox’, has reached a significant new delivery milestone. Over 20,000 free resource packs have been distributed to date and the charity plans to build on this success with a new longer-term offering to be launched later this year.
Curiosity Collective operates with a vision that every child in Scotland should have the opportunity to learn for fun and receive the support they need to positively protect their health and well-being.
Guided by young people, the charity designs and delivers activities to 1) build confidence and knowledge in children and young people 2) enable them to try new things and 3) equip them with the tools and understanding they need to better protect their mental health and wellbeing.
Responding to new needs, the charity refocused its activities through the pandemic; switching away from online models to concentrate on dedicated offline support helping to reach the often under-supported groups of young people who lack regular online access.
Curiosity Collective packs are provided for free and the pack contains everything needed to enjoy the activities – no additional resource is required. Over 95% of survey respondents say that “Wonderbox” helped them to feel less isolated and stressed.
The charity works with partners and stakeholders operating on a national level such as One Parent Families Scotland, Families Outside and the Women’s Aid network to distribute the resource effectively to those most in need of support, including those who are shut out due to poverty and hardship, including urban and rural communities.
Chloe Goodall, Executive Director of Curiosity Collective said:“Our activities and resources have never been needed more. Almost a quarter of children in Scotland are growing up in poverty, a situation made worse by the impact of the pandemic and the bleak reality of the cost-of-living crisis.
“As a result, children and young people are missing out on opportunities to learn and have fun and this can have a detrimental impact on their health and wellbeing.
“We are proud that we are providing support that works. The demand for our offline resources has been even greater than we anticipated. We thank all our generous funders for making this support possible. Feedback we are receiving from young people has been overwhelmingly positive and the demand continues to grow as children and young people are asking for more resources to enjoy at home.
“We are working with our partners and funders to extend this cherished resource into a longer-term offering that will ensure young people receive a continuous support journey with the resource pack.
“We strongly believe that all children have the right to learn, play, have fun and express themselves, and through our programmes and resource packs we can ensure young people have more tools with which to realise those rights. We have ambitious targets and we look forward to making them happen with our committed partners.”
As a registered charity Curiosity Collective relies on the generosity of its funders, such as The Scottish Children’s Lottery, Wheatley Group, ScottishPower and The Robertson Trust, to enable the organisation to deliver its vital activities.
Lorna Wallace, Funding Officer, The Robertson Trust said: “Through our Education Pathways theme at The Robertson Trust, we are interested in funding projects that support educational engagement and attainment, and in particular projects that include engagement with parents and wider family members.
“Education is recognised as one of the best protections against poverty and we know that access to support such out of school activities which stimulate development, encourage independent learning, build confidence and resilience as well as encouraging participation in learning, helps to close the attainment gap.
“We look forward to seeing how Curiosity Collective progresses and learning from its work on the way and congratulate them for reaching their incredible milestone of distributing 20,000 Wonderboxes to date.”
The Royal Forth Yacht Club is gearing up now with a good number of boats and volunteers for our annual RYA Scotland #DiscoverSailing day at #GrantonHarbour on the #Edinburgh shoreline.
On Sunday 21st May, 1-5pm, we will throw open our doors and offer short sailing trips to all. Many thanks to our members who have volunteered for this valuable event.
We also welcome the following organisations who will be taking stalls on the day:
Don’t miss out on the £301 Cost of Living Payment as a recipient of Pension Credit – submit your application for Pension Credit before FRIDAY – 19 May.
Did you know, if you get Pension Credit you could also get a help with your council tax, housing costs, broadband fees and energy bills?
More than 1,500 UK troops are set to train alongside thousands of personnel from NATO Alliance countries, as part of a major exercise in Estonia
Personnel from all three services of the UK Armed Forces are deployed in Estonia, carrying out exercises and operations as part of our commitment to NATO.
More than 1,500 troops have been deployed for Exercise Spring Storm, demonstrating the reinforcement of the UK-led NATO enhanced Forward Presence (eFP) Battlegroup to Brigade-sized strength.
14,000 personnel from 11 NATO countries will demonstrate interoperability in multi-domain training scenarios as part of the exercise.
More than 1,500 UK troops are set to train alongside thousands of personnel from NATO Alliance countries, as part of a major exercise in Estonia.
Exercise Spring Storm is the largest annual military exercise involving the UK-led NATO enhanced Forward Presence Battlegroup, comprised of both UK and French forces, with more than 14,000 personnel due to take part from 11 NATO countries.
At last year’s NATO summit, the UK committed to increase the size of its eFP commitment, with this year’s exercise marking the first time the UK has conducted a brigade-sized deployment to Estonia – involving hundreds more personnel than in previous deployments.
Spread across tough and varied Estonian terrain, ground units will be tested on realistic battlefield scenarios including trench assaults, reconnaissance missions, and light infantry tactics, moving up to armoured vehicle manoeuvres and combined arms warfare.
Defence Secretary, Ben Wallace, said: “Hundreds of UK troops from across our Armed Forces will again train with personnel from eleven NATO nations, demonstrating the strength of our interoperability with partner nations and our combined commitment to the NATO Alliance.
“While the Russian Army continues their illegal invasion of Ukraine threatening stability in Europe, the UK and our allies will continue to support Ukraine and defend our shared values and freedom.”
Beyond the land-based elements of the two-week exercise, members of the RAF will carry out training exercises in reconnaissance and air-land integration, while Royal Marines Commandos will also carry out a beach assault exercise to test the UK’s maritime strike capability.
The eFP provides a continuous NATO presence along its eastern border, with deployed troops acting as a deterrence against any aggression towards the Alliance’s borders. Recent actions carried out as part of the UK-led eFP include air intercepts of Russian aircraft by RAF fighter jets.
Personnel from the British Army’s 7th Light Mechanised Brigade Combat Team (7LMBCT) HQ and Light Dragoons Battlegroup (LD BG) join the Queen’s Royal Hussars (QRH) for the exercise, which will include Challenger 2 tanks, Warrior and CV90 Infantry Fighting Vehicles, Jackal, CAESAR self-propelled howitzers, and other artillery pieces, including British GMLRS and US HIMARS.
Supporting air-based exercises will be four Wildcat and five Apache helicopters, as well as three RAF Typhoon fighter jets.
The Queen’s Royal Hussars Commanding Officer Lt Col Steve Wilson said: “The eFP is looking forward to the opportunities provided by Exercise Spring Storm. The chance to train over the terrain we might need to defend adds to the gravitas of the exercise.
“Our Battlegroup is fully integrated with 1st Estonian Brigade and brings a highly trained and capable UK and French troops to the field. We will be bringing a wide range of hard-hitting capabilities from Main Battle Tanks (MBT), anti-tank, and artillery to snipers, mortars, engineers and tactical air controllers.
“We look forward to demonstrating the capabilities and resolve of the NATO alliance over the coming days.”
The exercise is conducted in a peer-on-peer format, allowing the reconnaissance capabilities of the LD Battlegroup to be tested against the heavy armour of the QRH Battlegroup, and vice versa.
National Galleries of Scotland is delighted to have acquired a fascinating portrait of renowned human rights activist and scientist, Professor Sir Geoff Palmer, created by Scottish artist, Graham Fagen.
The contemporary video portrait is available to view for free at the Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh. Filmed in the building’s impressive Great Hall, the portrait is now on display in the ambulatory. In the compelling 19-minute video, Graham Fagen truly captures Sir Geoff’s story and spirit.
Artist Fagen was inspired by Sir Geoff, after seeing and hearing him speak at public events. Sir Geoff’s warmth and compassion, while expressing his life experiences and views on contemporary Scotland and its historic relationship with the transatlantic slave trade, motivated Fagen to create a contemporary portrait that captured the sitter’s essence and personality.
In this single channel video portrait, Fagen captures Sir Geoff talking about his life, from growing up in Jamaica, to becoming an esteemed academic in Edinburgh. We are shown close ups of a bracelet adorned with the Jamaican flag, which Sir Geoff wears proudly on his wrist showing his connection to his homeland.
Fagen’s portrait breaks the boundaries of what we think of as traditional portraiture. He wanted to show how Sir Geoff can command our attention with his humility and consideration as he engages us in a brutal history with harsh truths.
Sir Geoff’s research experience as a life scientist enables him to evidence, in a matter-of-fact way, the truths of the history that connects Jamaica, the country of his birth, with Scotland, the country of his home, via the experience of the Windrush generation. By working in collaboration with Sir Geoff, Fagen has made a work that expands our perceptions and offers new thought and knowledge on the complexities of portraiture.
From seeing and hearing Sir Geoff speak, Fagen wanted to capture his personality in the portrait – his voice; his autobiography, his thoughts, his hopes – as well as a likeness: his head, eyes, nose, ears and mouth. To bring the soundtrack to life Fagen worked with reggae musician Ghetto Priest, with whom he had previously collaborated on The Slave’s Lament.
Sir Geoff Palmer OBE is a life-long human rights activist and historian of Scotland’s relations with the Caribbean. His story is a remarkable one. After leaving Jamaica for London in 1955 aged 14, he attended school in the city, eventually continuing his studies at Leicester, Edinburgh and Heriot-Watt universities.
As a scientist, his research at the Brewing Research Foundation from 1968–77 led to the discovery of the barley abrasion process – which makes the malting process more efficient. For this research, he was awarded the American Society of Brewing Chemists Award of Distinction in 1998. In 1989, Sir Geoff became the first Black university professor in Scotland.
He is the author of a critically acclaimed book, The Enlightenment Abolished: Citizens of Britishness, in which he argues for maintaining but reinterpreting public monuments associated with the transatlantic slave trade.
Graham Fagen is one of the UK’s foremost contemporary artists. In video, performance, photography, sculpture and text, he creates works which explore how national and personal identity is created by, and is a response to, one’s cultural contexts.
Although his works draw on varied references and embrace all manner of materials and media, they all, in some way, touch on the role of society, history and cultural turning points in the lives of both individuals and communities.
Whether made for a gallery or in the public realm, Fagen’s works are frequently developed over time, involving the collaboration and participation of others. Fagen’s points of departure include the history and effect of the transatlantic slave trade, the cultural influences of music, nature and the symbolic power of flowers, urban planning and regeneration.
Born in Glasgow, Fagen studied Sculpture at Glasgow School of Art from 1984-88, followed by Art and Architecture at Kent Institute of Art & Design from 1989-90. Alongside his own work, he is a Professor of Fine Art at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design.
Exhibiting this portrait will enable a public sharing of the history, legacy and humanity of Sir Geoff’s human rights work. It will stand as a valuable marker and evidence of the contemporary relevance of the shared history between Scotland and the Caribbean.
Graham Fagen said: “I was extremely honoured to work with Sir Geoff in order to make an artwork that shares his life and work.
“Geoff’s life is one that has profoundly influenced and shaped the world we live in today.”
Professor Sir Geoff Palmer said: “We cannot change the past but we can change consequences such as racism for the better using education.
“I hope my portrait can help bring awareness to these matters.”
Sir John Leighton, Director-General of National Galleries of Scotland said: “We are proud to display Graham’s wonderfully moving portrait of Sir Geoff Palmer.
“This work recognises Sir Geoff’s many achievements and is an important acquisition that we are delighted to welcome into Scotland’s national collection.”
Bookbug Week is taking place this week (15–21 May), encouraging little ones and their families to dance to their favourite songs and rhymes and then cosy up with a story.
This year’s theme is Bookbug’s Big Shoogle and the week will focus on the benefits of movement and dance for early years development.
Dance and movement are not only fun for little ones, but play an important role in their development. Movement helps young children to build strength and mobility. The tactile elements of many songs and rhymes help them to learn about different parts of their body.
Bookbug is a national programme run by Scottish Book Trust, a charity changing lives with reading and writing. All children in Scotland receive four Bookbug Bags full of books and activities between their birth and first year of school.
Families can also share songs and rhymes in fun Bookbug Sessions in local libraries and community groups and through the Bookbug app. The Scottish Government has been supporting Bookbug since 2010.
This year’s Bookbug Week celebrations will include a partnership with BBC Tiny Happy People, a free-to-use website with fun activity ideas to help support 0–4-year-olds’ speech, language, and communication development.
They will be adding some brilliant activity idea films to the Bookbug app for one week only, which highlight the importance of parents and carers talking to their little ones as early as possible. BBC Tiny Happy People will also be joining Glasgow Life at the Mitchell Library on Wednesday 17 May for a day of Bookbug Sessions and fun activity events for families.
Popular children’s entertainers Sprog Rock will be premiering their brand-new music video, featuring children from Forbes Nursery in Leith, on Tuesday 16 May. Also online, Scottish Book Trust is running a competition to win a special selection of 10 books, a musical instrument kit and a space hopper.
There are Bookbug Sessions taking place across the country, with some local authorities putting on extra activities: Aberdeen libraries will be setting up shaker-making stations, science educators Mini Professors will be running sessions in Fife libraries about sound waves, and little ones in South Ayrshire can practice their fine motor skills through robotics app Osmo in their local libraries.
Children and Young People Minister Natalie Don said: ‘I am very excited for this year’s Bookbug Week and their special Bookbug’s Big Shoogle theme.
“Initiatives like this can help encourage an early love of books among children in addition to providing great opportunities for parents and their wee ones to spend time together whilst having fun and learning.
‘Both reading and being active have multiple benefits for children, including supporting positive mental and physical health, relationships and improved attainment.
‘I’m delighted that the Scottish Government are able to provide increased funding for 2023/24 of £1.8 million for the continuation of the Bookbug programme.’
Marc Lambert, CEO of Scottish Book Trust, said: “We’re excited to share Bookbug’s Big Shoogle with families across Scotland this year, celebrating the benefits of movement and dance.
“Our thanks to Emma Melchor for designing this year’s brilliant Bookbug Week illustration.’
Locally Bookbug sessions are on Tuesday at Granton Library at 11am or Pilton Neighbourhood Centre at 10.30, and on Friday at Granton Library at 11am or Muirhouse Millenium Centre at 10.30 am!
Check out the libraries facebook pages for more details.
Anxiety is a normal emotion in us all, but sometimes it can get out of control and become a mental health problem.
Lots of things can lead to feelings of anxiety, including exam pressures, relationships, starting a new job (or losing one) or other big life events. We can also get anxious when it comes to things to do with money and not being able to meet our basic needs, like heating our home or buying food. But anxiety can be made easier to manage.
Focusing on anxiety for this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week will increase people’s awareness and understanding of anxiety by providing information on the things that can help prevent it from becoming a problem.
At the same time, we will keep up the pressure to demand change – making sure that improving mental health is a key priority for the government and society as a whole.
Mental Health Foundation’s Alexa Knight said: “I was thrilled to join the Mental Health Foundation earlier this year, having worked in health policy all my life. Many of us have struggled with our mental health in recent years, and it feels like there’s never been a more important time to support and protect our mental well-being.
“The Mental Health Foundation’s approach – preventing mental health problems before they happen and supporting everyone to thrive – really resonates with me. And the icing on the cake is being part of Mental Health Awareness Week! I have joined in with Mental Health Awareness Week for many years and am delighted to now be part of making it happen.
“This year for Mental Health Awareness Week we are focusing on anxiety. We all feel anxious from time to time.
“Anxiety is a natural response to the uncertain world around us. For example, in the current cost-of-living crisis, more than a third of adults feel anxious about their financial situation. But it’s important that we recognise and respond when we feel anxious, so that our anxiety doesn’t become overwhelming.”
The Royal Highland Show is calling for applications to feature in its ‘Agri-Demo Arena’, a new addition to the showground this year.
The Agri-Demo Arena will be a platform for showcasing the innovative machinery and technology that is shaping the future of agriculture.
The arena will be a hub for the Show’s agricultural zone, the space will feature an outdoor demonstration arena and indoor marquee. Slots are free to apply for, and businesses can choose to host either a product demonstration or an industry talk.
The Agri-Demo Arena will also be home to the winners of the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland (RHASS) Technical Innovation Awards.
Earlier this week, the Royal Highland Show opened applications to businesses already exhibiting at the Show or that have entered the Technical Innovation Awards. Applications must fit into one of the following categories: Machines; Appliances; Technical Components; or Important Ancillary Equipment.
The new arena has received a strong number of applications from a wide variety of companies already, providing a positive start for this new and exciting element of the Royal Highland Show.
Applications have been sent to exhibitors, if you have not received the communication or are interested in applying please email the trade stand team at tradestands@rhass.org.uk.
RHASS Chief Steward of Technical Innovation, Christo Shepherd, said: “We are delighted to be shining a spotlight on those companies at the forefront of agricultural innovation this year with our new Agri-Demo Arena.As part of the RHASS mission to support and promote agriculture, this area will bring attention to the exciting products that are shaping the future of our sector.
“I would encourage our exhibitors to apply and have their products front and centre on the global stage that is the Royal Highland Show.”
Sponsored by the Royal Bank of Scotland, the Royal Highland Show will take place at the Royal Highland Centre, Ingliston, Edinburgh, on 22-25 June 2023.
Tickets, including car parking, must be pre-purchased online, with no tickets available to buy on the gate.
Tickets are limited in number and with Friday and Saturday selling out in 2022, it is advised to purchase early, especially with the new addition of the Royal Highland Hoolie music event on Friday 23rd and Saturday 24th this year.
For further information and to purchase tickets please visit:
Following a drop-in session hosted by Prospect at the Scottish Parliament about their ‘World Class Heritage on Second Class Pay’ campaign on Friday, Foysol Choudhury MSP said: “As Labour’s Spokesperson for Culture, it was great to sponsor ‘The Perfect Storm: A Crisis in Heritage’ drop-in event organised by Prospect regarding its ‘World Class Heritage, Second Class Pay’ campaign.
“Scotland’s Heritage sites are well loved by international visitors and locals alike and they benefit our economy greatly.
“We all know that the culture sector has been hit hard in this cost-of-living crisis and has received little attention from the Scottish Government.
“I have raised awareness of this before, for example, with the closure of Edinburgh Filmhouse, which I hope will be restored in the future.
“However, Scotland and the UK cannot afford losing yet again more of its unique culture.
“It is indeed a perfect storm where our World Class Heritage and its workforce in Scotland and across the UK have long been devalued and are now in jeopardy due to the cost-of-living crisis.
“Our new generation of potential conservationists, archaeologists, curators and other specialists are also suffering; new trainees cannot even afford their rents.
“Better pay will mean that our young people can aspire to have a stable career in Heritage.
“It is time to fully recognise how our important Heritage workforce contributes to our local communities, our nations and across the world.
“The matter of funding of Heritage sites is something that I have brought to the Scottish Government’s attention before, when I spoke about Historic Environment Scotland in the chamber.
“I will work to pressure the Scottish Government to secure a better deal for our Heritage workers and preserve our fantastic Heritage sector.”
