Celebrating Edinburgh’s rich history through storytelling

As part of National Storytelling Week, Edinburgh 900 invites people and communities to share their connection with the capital city.

As part of National Storytelling Week, the Edinburgh 900 programme invites individuals, communities, and historians to share and explore their unique connections to the city’s fascinating past.

The Edinburgh and Scottish Collection at Central Library boasts one of the world’s largest and most unique collections of materials on Edinburgh, including rare books, maps, prints, photographs, and more.

Through a dedicated website users can access images and maps from the collection online. Our Town Stories features curated stories across various themes and partners with organisations to highlight Edinburgh’s rich and diverse past.

As part of the Edinburgh 900 celebrations, Our Town Stories offers an engaging and interactive journey through the city’s heritage with dynamic maps and timelines. These tools highlight significant objects, photographs, and people from the collections of Libraries, Archives, Archaeology Services, and Museums and Galleries. Over the coming months, more Edinburgh 900 themed captivating stories will be unveiled that span the centuries, offering new insights into Edinburgh’s evolution from the 1100s to the modern-day.

Some highlights already published include:

Lord Provost Robert Aldridge, said: “These stories delve into the pivotal moments in Edinburgh’s history, shedding light on the people, places, and events that have helped shape our extraordinary city.

“Our Town Stories makes exploring Edinburgh’s past easy—its interactive map brings the city’s rich history to life with images and maps from our collections. Whether you’re zooming in on a familiar street or discovering hidden corners of the city, this tool connects you with Edinburgh’s heritage in an accessible way.

“If you’re inspired and have a personal, historical, or cultural story to share that could enhance our understanding of Edinburgh’s past, we’d love to hear from you. Your contribution could become part of our ongoing narrative, helping to celebrate the city’s identity, creativity, and resilience, ensuring that Edinburgh’s 900-year story is preserved for future generations.”

For more information or to contribute your story, please get in touch at informationdigital@edinburgh.gov.uk 

You can also join the Edinburgh Collected community archive and contribute your pictures and memories to help shape the city’s collective history.

JRF report shows ‘shockingly high’ number of children in poverty living in working families, says TUC

The latest Joseph Rountree Foundation (2025) UK Poverty 2025 Report clearly shows that work doesn’t protect families from poverty.  

In particular, the report highlights the “shockingly high” number of children living in poverty in working families:   

  • 50% of children in families where at least one adult is (but not all adults are) in work live in poverty.  

Working-age adults are also impacted: 

  • Two-thirds (68%) of working-age adults living in poverty are in a household where at least one adult works.  

Responding to these figures, TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said: “Every worker deserves to earn a decent living. But many working households are struggling to keep their heads above water.  

“This is unacceptable. Working people should be able to put food on the table for their families and keep their children warm during the winter.   

“After 14 years of Tory chaos and stagnation, we urgently need to boost living standards.   

“That’s why this government’s Make Work Pay agenda is so crucial for millions of families up and down the country. 

“More money in working people’s pockets means more spend on our high streets – that’s good for workers and good for local economies.  

“And the Employment Rights Bill will mean more good and secure jobs – boosting productivity for businesses and giving workers more control over their lives and better chances to progress.  

“Better work is crucial for ending child poverty, but decent social security matters too. The Government must remove the two-child benefit cap which is keeping too many children in working households in poverty.” 

jrf-uk-poverty-report-25Download

11.5 million file Self Assessment by 31 January deadline

11.5 million file Self Assessment by 31 January deadline

  • More than 11.5 million taxpayers filed their Self Assessment tax return by midnight on 31 January.
  • 97.36% of tax returns were filed online.
  • 90.53% of expected filers filed their Self Assessment.

More than 11.5 million taxpayers beat the Self Assessment deadline to file their tax return for the 2023 to 2024 tax year by 31 January and avoid a £100 late filing penalty, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) can reveal.

The number of people who filed their return on deadline day was 732,498, with the most common time being 16:00 to 16:59 when 58,517 people filed. Thousands left submitting their return until the very last minute when 31,442 filed between 23:00 and 23:59.

HMRC is urging anyone who has missed the deadline to file their tax return now and pay any tax owed. One of the quickest ways to pay is via the free and secure HMRC app. Time to Pay arrangements are available for those who cannot pay their tax bill in full. Late filing and late payment penalties are charged for failure to meet the deadline.

Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s Director General for Customer Services, said: “Thank you to the millions of people and agents who filed their Self Assessment tax return and paid any tax owed by 31 January.

“I’m urging anyone who missed the deadline, to submit their return as soon as possible to avoid any further penalties. Search ‘Self Assessment’ on GOV.UK to find out more.”

The penalties for filing a tax return late are:

  • an initial £100 fixed penalty, which applies even if there is no tax to pay, or if the tax due is paid on time
  • after 3 months, additional daily penalties of £10 per day, up to a maximum of £900
  • after 6 months, a further penalty of 5% of the tax due or £300, whichever is greater
  • after 12 months, another 5% or £300 charge, whichever is greater

There are also additional penalties for paying late – 5% of the tax unpaid at 30 days, 6 months and 12 months. Interest will also be charged on any tax paid late.

If someone regularly sells goods or provides services through an online platform, they may need to pay tax on their income.

Customers can find out more about selling online and paying taxes on GOV.UK by searching ‘online platform income’ or by downloading the HMRC app.

The guidance will help them decide if their activity should be treated as a trade and if they need to complete a Self Assessment tax return.

Lord Provost Celebrates Gracemount’s National Award-Winning Success

Edinburgh’s Gracemount Leisure Centre, recently named Scotland’s Centre of the Year at the prestigious ukactive awards, welcomed the Rt Hon Lord Provost and Lord Lieutenant of the City of Edinburgh, Robert Aldridge last week to recognise their outstanding achievement in community fitness and wellbeing.

The Edinburgh Leisure centre which has seen a remarkable 14% increase in visits between 2022 and 2023, received the distinguished visitor for a comprehensive tour led by Managers Craig Cassidy and Jen Murray. The visit highlighted the facility’s exceptional contribution to community health and inclusion.

“We’re so much more than just a gym or a swimming pool – it’s a friendly and bustling community hub at the heart of the local area,” said Craig Cassidy, Manager at Gracemount Leisure Centre.

“With staff who go out of their way to make customers feel at home, it’s somewhere people feel inspired and empowered to live happy, healthy and active lives.”

The centre’s recent success is attributed to several key initiatives:

  • A major gym refurbishment featuring new Life Fitness equipment, leading to a dramatic increase in class participation from 226 to 706 customers monthly
  • Development of an extensive Additional Support Needs (ASN) programme, including multi-sports activities, and specialised family swimming sessions which supports over 100 families, giving parents and children the opportunity to get active together in a supportive environment.
  • Implementation of their Active Communities programme, providing access to hundreds of people affected by health conditions, disabilities, inequality, and poverty. Working alongside community partners, such as health professionals and social workers, projects such as Steady Steps for people at risk of a fall; Open All Hours, which gives local young people free access to fun diversionary activities on a Friday night; and Looked After & Active for care experienced children and young people make an active life more accessible for local people who face barriers to participation.
  • Investment in staff development and wellbeing, resulting in exceptional customer service scores of 9.5/10

The ukactive awards, open to all UK fitness facilities from independent studios to national chains and leisure trusts, recognised Gracemount’s outstanding commitment to meeting community needs through a rigorous assessment process including written submissions, customer surveys, mystery shopping, and digital reviews.

Gracemount’s success is further evidenced by its above-industry-average member retention rate of 14.4 months, demonstrating its vital role in promoting sustained community health and wellness.

Edinburgh part of major cancer study

PROJECT TO INVESTIGATE LONG-STANDING CANCER MYSTERY

Scientists are seeking participants in Edinburgh and the Lothians to help solve one of the longest standing mysteries in cancer – how and why it can take decades for mesothelioma to develop after exposure to asbestos. 

The Cancer Research UK-funded project, Meso-ORIGINS led by Professor Kevin Blyth at the University of Glasgow, aims to find a way to detect and treat mesothelioma earlier and investigate if the disease can be prevented in the first place.

Mesothelioma is a cancer which develops in the pleural space, the lining of the lung, and is caused by exposure to asbestos. Only a small proportion of patients with inflammation of the pleural space go on to develop mesothelioma. Asbestos fibres can embed themselves in different parts of the lungs so the disease can develop at different rates in different parts of the pleural space.

Only around 4 in 10 (44.3%) people diagnosed with mesothelioma in Scotland survive their disease for one year or more making new ways to detect it and treat it earlier vital.*

The research team are keen to recruit people in Edinburgh and the Lothians already diagnosed with benign (non-cancerous) inflammation in the lungs, who may have been exposed to asbestos.

The Western General in Edinburgh is among 28 hospitals across the UK currently recruiting patients, with the project extending over the next two years. Eligible patients who attend these hospitals will be offered the chance to take part in the study and contribute to mesothelioma research.

Vital data and tissue samples from participants will help build a picture of who is at most risk of developing mesothelioma and identify any genetic differences or biological markers which indicate a predisposition to the disease.

Dr Alexandrea MacPherson, Meso-ORIGINS Project Manager at the University of Glasgow, said: “Mesothelioma is a disease of time and space – after initial exposure to asbestos it can evolve over decades at different times and different places within the pleural space.

“We want to understand why mesothelioma takes so long to develop and to discover new ways of predicting the disease so it can be caught early.

“Once diagnosed there are very few effective treatments so discovering the signs before it begins, and finding a way to prevent it developing, is key.”

Mesothelioma currently has a very poor survival rate and can take more than 40 years to develop. Early symptoms such as chest pain, fatigue and constant coughing can be overlooked because they resemble other illnesses.

According to Cancer Research UK, the UK currently endures the highest incidence of mesothelioma worldwide, with the disease more prevalent in men due to occupation-related exposure, and around 200 new cases in Scotland each year.**

There was widespread industrial use of asbestos between 1950 and 1980, particularly in Glasgow and surrounding areas as the material was manufactured in nearby towns such as Clydebank and used in heavy industry like ship building, which the River Clyde was famed for.

Research funded by Cancer Research UK revealed there are no safe levels of working with asbestos. This led to health and safety policies to protect future generations from mesothelioma and the charity continues to invest in finding new ways to beat the devastating disease. 

While asbestos has been illegal to use in the UK since the early 1990s, mesothelioma cases have increased in recent years due to the long period of time it can take to develop, and asbestos remains legal in other countries.

Dr Catherine Elliott, Cancer Research UK Director of Research, said: “Mesothelioma, despite asbestos being outlawed decades ago, is increasingly being diagnosed and is in desperate need of more effective treatments.

“Cancer Research UK is delighted to support this research project which aims to shed a light on why it can take years to develop after someone is exposed to asbestos.

“Long-term in-depth research projects like this are essential to developing our understanding of cancer and helping us find ways to stop it in its tracks.”

For information on how to join the project please speak to your clinician. To find out more go to: https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/find-a-clinical-trial/a-study-to-find-out-more-about-mesothelioma-meso-origins.

Open now, Injecting Hope: The Race for a COVID-19 Vaccine

National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh 
Until 27 April 2025 
Free admission 

nms.ac.uk/InjectingHope

An exhibition telling the story of the global effort to develop a COVID-19 vaccine is open now at the National Museum of Scotland.

Injecting Hope: The Race for a COVID-19 Vaccine explores the scientific principles and adaptation of innovative research behind this extraordinary endeavour. It looks at the UK-wide, behind-the-scenes work that accompanied the vaccines’ rapid development, production, transport and delivery and examines the sheer logistical challenges behind the worldwide rollout. 

Revealing the inspiring stories of scientists and innovators collaborating around the globe to find solutions and save lives, the exhibition shows how these people have shaped the world we live in today.  

Showcasing more than 80 objects and stories that were collected during the peak of the pandemic, it features artworks, interactives, and personal objects examining everything from the virus itself to the work done behind the scenes by volunteers and researchers to make huge innovations possible. 

Highlights include the vial of the first COVID-19 vaccine to be administered worldwide, notebooks used by June Almeida, the Scottish scientist who discovered coronavirus in 1966 and artworks interpreting the story of the pandemic by artists including Luke Jerram, Angela Palmer and Junko Mori.

New content created for the exhibition’s Scottish run explores some of the uniquely Scottish experiences of the pandemic. 

Sophie Goggins, Senior Curator of Biomedical Science at National Museums Scotland said: “The development and rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine in record time is one of the greatest collaborative human achievements in recent memory.

“This exhibition tells the story of just how this extraordinary feat came to be; from the scientific breakthroughs which led to the creation of the vaccine to the countless individuals who helped to roll it out around the globe.” 

Injecting Hope is presented by the Science Museum Group (SMG). It comes to the National Museum of Scotland as part of a national and international tour following its inaugural run at the Science Museum in London.

It forms part of a project with the National Council of Science Museums in India and the Guangdong Science Center in China, which, alongside the Science Museum, opened exhibitions in November 2022. 

Injecting Hope builds on the work SMG has undertaken in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including its COVID-19 collecting project, hosting NHS vaccination centres within its museums and public engagement events and materials.   

The Injecting Hope project, including the international tour and UK national tour, has been generously supported by Wellcome. The Huo Family Foundation is kindly supporting the national tour of the exhibition. 

Councillors agree changes to Edinburgh’s short term lets licensing policy

ASSC: ‘Part-time approach to health and safety’

Councillors on the Regulatory Committee met on Friday 31 January and agreed some changes to the Council’s licensing policy on short term lets (STLs).

This follows a 12-week consultation held over the summer when residents and industry were encouraged to share their experiences of the policy in the Capital so far.   Topics included were secondary letting, temporary exemptions, fees and the application process.

Targeted discussions with resident groups, industry bodies and other key stakeholders led to 780 responses being submitted.  This led to the Council recommending some changes to policy in these areas which reflected feedback, legislation and fees.

A further report will be considered in May 2025 that proposes extending secondary letting licence renewals from one year to three years.

Regulatory Convener, Councillor Neil Ross, said: “The Council’s short term lets licensing policy is helping to ensure holiday lets are safe and properly regulated in our city as over 4,400 applications have been granted since it was first introduced in October 2022.

“I welcome the changes to reduce licence fees for residents looking to Home Share and to make temporary exemptions for Home Sharing and Home Letting less onerous, while at the same time providing robust regulation of the short term let industry. I’d like to thank all of the residents and businesses across Edinburgh who took the time to tell us how the scheme is working for them.”

ASSC warn over “part-time approach” to STL health and safety

The main trade association for the Scottish self-catering industry responds to the policy changes agreed by City of Edinburgh Council’s Regulatory Committee last week:

Edinburgh Council will water down key health and safety requirements for homesharers during the Festival period to try to ease the acute shortages of visitor accommodation. Those renting out a spare room, or their entire main home, could gain a temporary exemption which would exclude them from tests and requirements in relation to gas, electrical and fire safety, as well as on legionella.

However, professional operators like self-caterers and B&Bs will still have to comply with the mandatory conditions associated with short-term let licensing.

The Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers (ASSC) believes the changes are a recognition from the Council that the regulations are not working and would continue to jeopardise the Festivals in their current form. However, they criticised the “part-time approach” to health and safety which undermines the entire purpose of STL licensing set out in the Scottish Government’s legislation, and risks further incentivising the black market.

The ASSC argues that a level playing field for all types of STL accommodation is required all year round and that the Festival accommodation crisis could be eased through safe and lawful means, including reforms to the city’s draconian planning regime to allow the remaining self-catering properties to continue to trade.

Fiona Campbell, CEO of the ASSC, said: “This change is an admission that the short-term let regulations are harming the capital’s economy and threatening the viability of the Festivals. However, rather than fully resolving the issue, it simply undermines the entire purpose of the Scottish Government’s short-term let licensing regime.

“Ensuring the health and safety of guests is a 365-day operation which self-caterers are wholly committed to. However, a part-time approach is irresponsible and will simply be a boon for the black market which is already flourishing thanks to the squeeze in the supply resulting from the shambolic short-term lets policy.

“Legislation at a national level remains unfit for purpose, especially the conflation of short-term let planning and licensing systems. We now have a situation where responsible and professional operators have spent thousands complying with licensing but are being systematically shut down through onerous planning requirements – only for the door to be opened to unregulated and potentially unsafe accommodation.

“Councillors need to ask themselves: will Edinburgh’s position as a leading visitor destination be enhanced by allowing visitors from around the world to stay potentially unsafe accommodation? Do properties suddenly become safe during the month of August but then dangerous the remaining eleven months of the year?

“Small businesses like self-catering have helped provide accommodation for Festival goers and performers for decades. Our industry wants them to succeed but we need safe, reliable and quality accommodation for that. Edinburgh Council must look at other ways of addressing this crisis and the sector stands ready to work with them to this end.”

Take-5 Tuesday at PCHP

Take-5 Tuesdays is on tomorrow at PCHP at 10am. Drop in to learn more about eating a healthy, balanced and sustainable diet on a budget.

We share lots of tips on shopping, peparing, storing, cooking – all with a view to saving money and wasting nothing. This week we’ll be making the finest tomato sauce, the most versatile sauce their is. We’ll talk about the base of all good sauces #Sofritto

Will it become a chilli, or a ragu, or a soup? Who knows… come along and find out! Everyone is welcome and if Tuesday doesn’t suit you, we’re on at the same time on Thursday. We cook, and you are welcome to either stay and eat together, or take it away to enjoy at home!

#ClimateCooking

#OnePotMeals

#CookOnceEatTwice

#Nutritious

#Delicious

#TakeAwayFakeAway

Letter: Children’s Mental Health Week

Dear Editor

This week marks Children’s Mental Health Week (3rd-9th February), shining a spotlight on the importance of children and young people’s mental health.

The rise in mental health problems has been labelled as a mental health emergency and one of the greatest public health challenges of our times. 

These problems are even more worrying when they concern the mental fitness of our children, and how we are preparing them to face the growing challenges of entering adulthood.

Against this backdrop, our mental health services are however facing overwhelming and unprecedented pressures, which existed even before the Covid pandemic and are becoming further exacerbated by the cost-of-living crisis.

Too many of our young people are waiting too long for treatment and the rapidly escalating number of those seeking support, faced with inadequate services, could potentially lead to a lost generation of vulnerable children and young people who are missing out on vital help.

With the right early support through prevention and early intervention, many children would not need access to costly specialist mental health services.  

Against the perfect storm of a mental health crisis combined with the long shadow of lockdown and the rising cost of living, we must not lose sight of the challenges that our children and young people are facing, renewing our efforts in a national crusade to ensure that they receive adequate mental health support.

Yours faithfully

The Scottish Children’s Services Coalition:

Kenny Graham, Falkland House School

Lynn Bell, LOVE Learning

Stephen McGhee, Spark of Genius

Niall Kelly, Young Foundations

42 Charlotte Square

Edinburgh EH2 4HQ

Tel: 0131 603 8996

Future Woodlands Scotland announces community grants

  • Three community projects are to receive funding from a pot of up to £10 million to plant more trees in Scotland’s cities and towns
  • A community orchard, tree planting and community wellbeing initiative and a local nature reserve are the first projects to benefit from the Urban Forestry Programme 

Future Woodlands Scotland (FWS), the charity dedicated to creating and conserving woodlands across Scotland, has selected the first three projects to receive grants of up to £20,000 from its Urban Forestry Programme.

The Urban Forestry Programme is an ambitious ten-year project that sees FWS working alongside project founding partner bp to support and improve green spaces in Scotland’s cities, towns, and urban areas, an ambition shared by the two organisations.

This first round of funding will support projects that improve tree visibility, canopy cover, access to greenspaces, nature enhancement and education on biodiversity, food sustainability and climate literacy.

The first three projects to receive funding are:

  1. Friends of Inch Park (FOIP), Edinburgh

A community orchard and planting project with an arts-based engagement programme that will improve canopy cover and raise awareness of nurturing trees.

  1. Friends of Linn Park, Glasgow
    A tree restoration and enhancement programme at a nature reserve in Glasgow that includes facilities for community groups and aims to enhance woodland to provide a better-quality environment for local communities.

3. Norton Park SCIO, Edinburgh

A small-scale tree planting and green space improvement project to increase tree visibility and enhance access to greenspaces for local people and the wider community.

Shireen Chambers, CEO of FWS said: “By funding these three urban greening projects, we are investing in sustainable solutions that will not only benefit the environment by creating leafier neighbourhoods but also improve the wellbeing of local communities and encourage people to spend more time outdoors, interacting with their communities.

“Our goal is for everyone to benefit from trees, whether through learning about them, actively engaging in their care or simply spending time among them.

“We are proud to lead this important initiative with the backing of our founding partner bp and we look forward to seeing how these projects develop and reporting positive outcomes over the coming years.”

A total of 33 applications were submitted across two funding levels: projects ranging from £2,000 to £20,000, and those ranging from £20,000 to £100,000. The selected projects fall within the former funding range.

The projects were chosen based on the significant contribution they could make to the Urban Forestry Programme goal of helping towns and cities across Scotland achieve the 3:30:300 rule: everyone should see three trees from their home, every neighbourhood should have 30% tree canopy and quality green space within 300 metres.

The Friends of Inch Park community orchard and tree care project will ensure that residents can see at least three trees from their homes, which they have personally planted.

Ian Robertson, Secretary at Friends of Inch Park (FOIP), said: “We’ve been working on what more trees and planting in the area can do for people and for nature, so we’re delighted to be awarded an Urban Forestry Challenge Fund grant from Future Woodlands Scotland.

“With it, we can develop a new fully integrated community orchard and tree care project. We’re really looking forward to working across the generations to grow skills and understanding in caring for trees and the local landscape. This funding will take things to a whole new level for us.”

Scotland’s urban tree cover (under 16%) is much lower than the EU average of 30.2%. Increasing the number of trees in its cities and towns is crucial in supporting the journey to net zero and delivering a wide range of socio-economic benefits.

Applications for funding were measured by the Tree Equity tool, which was created to address imbalances in urban tree distribution by American Forests, a US non-profit organisation, and was brought to the UK by the Woodland Trust and Centre for Sustainable Healthcare. 

Tom Hudson, bp’s project director, offshore wind said: ““bp has been providing funding towards Scottish woodland creation for over 20 years and is delighted to continue this. We look forward to seeing our support brought to life by these three community projects.”

bp’s contribution to the programme represents a significant part of its commitments to Scotland, which were made as part of the ScotWind bid for its Morven offshore wind project.

The Urban Forestry Programme has already funded two pilot projects: a fruit and nut tree planting project in Stirling and a tree warden volunteer scheme in Glasgow.

Successful applicants for the larger grant programme, which offers funding of up to £100k, will be announced in Spring. More information on the Urban Forestry Programme is available at www.futurewoodlands.org.uk