Tag: 10th anniversary

Cyclists encouraged to Sign Up for 10th year of popular Sportive

Cyclists are being urged to saddle up and support Poppyscotland’s upcoming Sportive, as the charity celebrates 10 years of the popular event.

Not only is this the tenth anniversary, but the Wee Yin route will also become a permanent feature after a successful trial of the scenic course in 2024.

The Sportive is Poppyscotland’s flagship fundraising cycling event, featuring four routes designed for different ability levels. It is split into two distinct types – the Classic (46, 68 and 102 miles) and the Wee Yin (22 miles).

As in previous years, riders will line up at the starting point in Prestonpans, East Lothian, then head along the historic coastal route to North Berwick where Classic route participants will face a timed hill climb before reaching the first feed station at East Linton.

From there, the short route continues to Gifford while medium and long routes head towards Garvel before splitting at Whiteadder Reservoir, with the longer challenge heading to Duns and medium returning to Gifford. All routes finish in Musselburgh.

The Wee Yin route will take cyclists inland to Gullane before heading back towards Aberlady and then on to the coastal path. 

Poppyscotland’s Head of Fundraising and Learning, Gordon Michie, is encouraging both individuals and families to take part in this year’s Sportive, and said: “2025 marks the 10th anniversary of this event, and we have been working so hard to create something really special for all of our riders.

“With the Wee Yin route proving so popular last year we are delighted to be able to bring it back on a permanent basis, opening up the Sportive to even more participants who may want to take part. The Wee Yin is perfect for those leisure cyclists and families too.

“Please sign up today and be a part in one of the best cycle rides in Scotland with amazing scenery, all while supporting our Armed Forces veterans and their families.”

Avid cyclist Ally Mallinson took part in last year’s trial run of the Wee Yin route and encouraged his daughter, Amy, to partake in it also. Ally highly recommends it to others. He said: “It’s a great idea and it would be good to see more families out doing it as that’s what it’s all about.

“The Wee Yin route is a good way of staying fit, healthy and raising money for a great cause and it’s a good family activity. Cycling on roads is safer than many people think and if you follow the highway code, cycle properly, you should not have an issue.

“I’ll be back this year with Amy and my son!”

Gordon added: “We’re really excited to celebrate the 10th edition of the Sportive and our goal is to raise as much as possible to support the Armed Forces community at times of need, including help with housing, debt, mental health, and mobility.

“If you’d like to help us make an even bigger impact, please consider adding a £10 donation per rider. It’s a small gesture that can make a big difference!”

Entry for our Classic routes is £40 per rider (minimum age: 16). The Wee Yin route is £25 per rider or £40 per family (2 adults & 2 children). Minimum age is 12 and entry is free for riders under 16.

Entry Includes: Electronic timing; mechanical support; food and water stations; coffee at the start; Tea & Toast at the finish; ‘King and Queen of The Heugh’ timed hill climb; sweeper service and a finishers gift.

To sign up today, please visit poppyscotland.org.uk/sportive

Save the Date: Amazon Prime Day returns for 10th year on 16 & 17th July

The two-day event includes great savings from popular brands such as Elemis, ghd, Ninja, and Samsung, and Amazon’s lowest prices of the year so far on select products from Barbie, L’Oréal, Shark, and more

Prime members can enjoy fast, free delivery and access to exclusive deals across all categories, with new deals dropping throughout the event 

Visit www.amazon.co.uk/primeday to shop early deals and make the most of Prime Day savings now 

Amazon has announced that customers can expect big savings this summer, as the countdown to the 10th Prime Day begins. From 00:00 on 16th July until 23:59 on 17th July, Prime members will get exclusive access to hundreds of thousands of deals on a wide selection of popular brands across all categories including electronics, homeware, fashion and beauty. 

The shopping event will offer Prime members deals from top brands like Bose, Fitbit, Oral-B and Sony, as well as great savings from small businesses across the UK. New deals will drop throughout the event, with fast, free delivery available to all Prime members.

“The countdown to the 10th Prime Day in the UK starts now, and we have a huge selection of deals to come,” said John Boumphrey, UK Country Manager of Amazon. 

“We work really hard to deliver great products at the best prices for customers during Prime Day and throughout the year, from the biggest brands to the 100,000 small British businesses that sell on Amazon. With even faster deliveries and so many shopping, saving and entertainment benefits available, there has never been a better time to be a Prime member. Roll on Prime Day!”

Early Deals, Shop Now

Prime members don’t have to wait until Prime Day to save as early access to deals and exclusive savings starts now. Last year Prime members worldwide saved over $2.5 billion during Prime Day, and this year customers can browse personalised recommendations including “Deals you might like”, “Deals for you”, and “Deals related to items you saved,” and discover even more selection with curated collections such as Everyday Essentials, Top Brands, and Trending Deals.

Early discounts include:

  • Amazon Devices: Upgrade your home security systems with up to 50% off select Ring cameras and doorbells, including Indoor Camera (2nd Gen), Video Doorbell (2nd Gen) and Stick Up Cam starting on July 10th. Plus save 55% on the popular Ring Intercom and up to 65% off Blink cameras including Blink Outdoor 3-Cam and Blink Mini 2-Cameras. Get more deals on 12 July and save up to 45% on Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED series smart TV’s.
  • Amazon Music: Prime members who haven’t tried Amazon Music Unlimited can get five months free—the best deal ever from Amazon Music for Prime Day—in celebration of Amazon Music’s 10-year anniversary. Amazon Music Unlimited includes access to more than 100 million songs and top podcasts ad-free, on-demand, and in high-quality streaming audio.
  • Audible – New Audible customers can get 3 months membership free and enjoy unlimited listening to thousands of select Audible Originals, podcasts, and audiobooks. Offer available from 24 June to 31July 23:59. Terms Apply.
  • Gaming: To celebrate the lead-up to Prime Day from 24 June until 16 July, Prime members can claim an assortment of 15 popular and classic PC games at no additional cost, including Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge, STAR WARS™ Knights of the Old Republic™ II: The Sith Lords, Hitman Absolution and more. 

Get Ready for Prime Day

Customers can join Prime or start a free trial at amazon.co.uk/primeday to take part in Prime Day, and enjoy member benefits throughout the year. Some of the ways that members can prepare and make the most out of Prime Day include:

  • Get deal notifications from Alexa: Prime members never have to worry about missing a deal thanks to Alexa. Prime members can ask Alexa for deal notifications on products added to their Wish List, Cart, or Save for Later. To get started, just ask, “Alexa, add [product name] to my cart,” and then ask Alexa to notify you about the deal when it’s live.
  • Set up deal notifications that are tailored to you: Keep your eyes on hot trending items with deal notifications. Prime members can set up personalized deal notifications to be alerted when their recent searches and product views have deals. To start receiving these alerts in time for Prime Day, visit the Prime Day event page on the Amazon Shopping app to create the deal alerts. 
  • Enjoy convenient delivery options: Make life easier with fast delivery on millions of items included with a Prime membership and choose the delivery option that best suits your need during Prime Day. Prime members in the UK receive unlimited fast, free One-Day Delivery on millions of items across all categories, with Same-Day Delivery available on over a million items in Greater London, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Birmingham, Bristol, Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool, and more (minimum order values apply). You can also select free delivery to Amazon Lockers or Counters, or choose a delivery day preference with Amazon Day.

Discover Prime Day Deals Worldwide

Prime Day will kick off on 16th July in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Egypt, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the U.S., and the UK. Prime members in India can shop on Prime Day later this summer.

Record year for nominations as charity prepares to recognise first aid heroes across Scotland

St Andrew’s First Aid celebrates its 10th year of the Scottish First Aid Awards

Scotland’s only dedicated first aid charity, St Andrew’s First Aid, has received a record number of nominations this year ahead of hosting its 10th annual Scottish First Aid Awards.

The ceremony, which has grown year on year over the last decade and is now a highly anticipated event in the Scottish calendar, has had more than 65 nominations across the nine categories, which recognise individuals and groups who have demonstrated first aid excellence or helped save a life using first aid.

Lifesavers spanning from Stirling to The Shetland Isles have been submitted for consideration at this year’s event, which will take place at Glasgow’s Radisson Blu on 31st March.

With first aid heroes as young as six honoured in last year’s awards, the evening celebrates both the incredible nominees and winners, sharing their stories to help inspire Scotland to become a nation of lifesavers.

Brothers Callum and Fraser McAteer, aged just nine and seven, were amongst the winners at the 2022 awards.

Having saved their younger sister Erica (aged two) from choking on a 10p coin, by using back slaps to dislodge the item, the boys were commended for their quick thinking and intervention.

First responders who have saved lives using both physical and mental health first aid will also be recognised. Mental health issues rose sharply during the pandemic, with St Andrew’s First Aid rolling out its mental health first aid training as part of an initiative to help people spot the sings of mental ill health in others and equipping them with the skills and knowledge to step in, in a mental health emergency.

In 2019, Glasgow City Council worker George Duff was awarded for saving the life of a man who was standing at the top of a suspension bridge. George used his mental health first aid training to talk with him for 25 minutes, before persuading him to move to safety. 

With nine award categories including Community First Aid Champion, Emergency Services First Aid Hero and Young First Aid Hero, lifesavers across Scotland will be celebrated at the event, attended by more than 400 guests.

Stuart Callison, chief executive of St Andrew’s First Aid, said: “Each time we host the Scottish First Aid Awards, we are recognising the exceptional bravery and selflessness of individuals from around the country.

“It’s fitting that our 10th year has resulted in a record number of nominations.  Throughout the last decade, our nominees and winners have demonstrated how pivotal quick reactions can be in emergency situations and shone a light on the importance of first aid knowledge and skills.

“We look forward to delivering another outstanding event in celebration of those people who choose to put others first, and in doing so, save a life.”

Still Game star, Sanjeev Kohli, will host the ceremony. With live music and entertainment, auctions and more lined up, the event is set to be another huge success.

Tickets are available to purchase through the St Andrew’s First Aid website now: www.firstaid.org.uk/get-involved/fundraising/events/scottish-first-aid-awards/

TEN-ACIOUS SPIRIT!

Stars mark STV Children’s Appeal’s 10th birthday by taking on variety of ten-themed challenges

  • Appeal announces 10XChallenge fundraiser – with Scots encouraged to take on their own challenge or event inspired by the number ‘10’
  • STV stars Sean Batty and Sophie Wallace joined by group of 10-year-olds to launch new fundraiser
  • STV marks a decade of its charity appeal, which has raised over £25 million and transformed the lives of thousands of children living in poverty

The STV Children’s Appeal is celebrating its 10th birthday this year and, to mark a decade of supporting young people affected by poverty in Scotland, an exciting new fundraiser – the 10XChallenge – has been launched today.

STV’s Sean Batty and Sophie Wallace were joined by a group of 10-year-olds for a joint birthday celebration and to announce the 10XChallenge, sponsored by Tunnock’s, which calls on the nation to take part in their own challenge or event inspired by the number ‘10’ over ten days (10-19 September).

Weatherman Sean has vowed to take on a 10K run as part of the new fundraiser, while STV News presenter Sophie will challenge herself to try out ten very different occupations.

The six children joining them today – l-r: Robbie Sawatzky, Jonah McGinnis, Maya Barcella, Sophia Barcella, Lily Stevenson and Sam Couper – are planning a variety of challenges, such as cycling ten laps of a local reservoir and reading ten books across the 10-day period.

World record-holding cyclist Mark Beaumont will run 10K accompanied by his eight-year-old daughter Harriet on her bike, whilst comedian Janey Godley will take part in a hilarious 10-day social media voiceover challenge.

The STV Children’s Appeal was launched in 2011 by STV and The Hunter Foundation to improve the lives of the one in four children who live in poverty in Scotland.

Through various fundraisers and an annual telethon hosted by long-time trustee Lorraine Kelly, the Appeal has since raised over £25 million, which has helped provide food and warm clothing, created opportunities for training and employability, and enabled social and emotional support across the country.

Sean Batty said: “Where have the last ten years gone? I’ve been involved with the STV Children’s Appeal right from the very start and I’m constantly humbled by the incredible stories of the lives it has helped turn around across the country.

“Child poverty is still a major issue in Scotland though, and the pandemic has only exacerbated it.

“I’m looking forward to slipping on my running shoes in September and joining the Appeal’s many generous supporters in doing our bit to change kids’ lives.”

Sophie Wallace said: “I was quite wee myself when the STV Children’s Appeal was first launched, and I’ve grown up watching the amazing work it does for children in communities throughout Scotland.

“The Appeal’s charity partners need our help now more than ever, and that’s why I’m super excited to be taking on my 10XChallenge and raising lots of cash for such an important cause. I hope you can join me!”

The STV Children’s Appeal’s 10XChallenge takes place between 10-19 September.

Visit stv.tv/appeal to sign up and download a 10XChallenge pack with tips and ideas for fundraising.

Pictures: Kirsty Anderson