It’s officially time to put down the screens and jump into a world of excitement at Gravity Active Edinburgh.
From February 15th to 23rd, Gravity Active are offering a jam-packed lineup of activities that promise non-stop fun for all ages, perfect for letting kids blow off steam after completing the first term of the year.
Whether you’re bouncing through the air, tackling climbing walls, or dancing under neon lights, there’s truly something for everyone.
Action-packed adventures for all ages
Get ready for thrilling Open Jump sessions, high-energy Daytime Discos, inflatable obstacle courses, and challenging climbing walls. Better yet, with so many activities on offer, parents will never hear “I’m bored” again! Plus, it’s a fantastic way to keep children fit and active over the break.
The Open Jump sessions give you full access to all activity areas—perfect for showing off your moves or just jumping for fun. For a high-energy twist, the Daytime Discos mix trampolining with a dance party atmosphere. Music, lights, and plenty of bouncing make for a perfect family outing.
Climbing, inflatables and more!
Scale new heights on the Gravity Rocks climbing walls, or race through the inflatable adventure zones for guaranteed laughs and thrills. When the sun sets, the fun continues with After Dark sessions—glow sticks, neon lights, and even more jumping and dancing.
Refuel and relax
To fuel all that energy, the Gravity Active Café offers a selection of delicious snacks, refreshing drinks, and sweet treats, giving you the perfect place to refuel and relax during your adventure, while keeping you close to all the fun.
Book your half-term adventure today!
Don’t miss out on the action – book your spot today and get ready to jump, climb, and dance your way through an unforgettable half term.
For more information or to book your session, visit:
A shocking freedom of information request from Capital Letters has revealed that families in temporary accommodation with four children have experienced the sharpest rise, with a 350% increase, followed by couples with three children at 123.81%.
The freedom of information request from Capital Letters also revealed a 219.3% rise in temporary homelessness overall in Edinburgh. There has been a 118.1% increase in couples with children in temporary accommodation, including council-owned housing, B&Bs, and hostels.
Expert advice and comment from Capital Letters. Capital Letters has revealed that families in temporary accommodation with four children have experienced the sharpest rise, with a 350% increase, followed by couples with three children at 123.81%.
The freedom of information request from Capital Letters also revealed a 219.3% rise in temporary homelessness overall in Edinburgh.
There has been a 118.1% increase in couples with children in temporary accommodation, including council-owned housing, B&Bs, and hostels.
Expert advice and comment from Capital Letters.
4,935 individuals were in temporary accommodation in Edinburgh at the start of the New Year according to a freedom of information request submitted by Capital Letters.
Temporary accommodation is often a last resort for society’s most vulnerable people who lack a place to call home.
They may be fleeing domestic violence, leaving care or being victims of a no-fault eviction, unable to locate suitable housing in time.
There has been a 219.36% increase in people being placed in temporary accommodation in Edinburgh between 2019 and 2024 according to a freedom of information request by Capital Letters.
Temporary accommodation in Edinburgh includes local authority housing as well as hostels and B&Bs.
There has been a 291% increase in individuals being placed in B&Bs from 2019 to 2024.
Heartbreakingly, many residents of temporary accommodation are children.
There were 397 couples with children in temporary accommodation in December 2024, a 118.1% increase from January 2019.
Families with four children saw the largest increase in temporary accommodation occupancy since 2019, rising by 350%.
Couples with three children came second with a 123.81% increase.
Couples with five children came third with 80%.
In fourth place came couples with two children who had a 56.10% increase.
Families with one child experienced a 59.9% increase since 2019.
Finally, families with 5 children stayed consistent between both periods.
Steven Strachan from Capital Letters who submitted the freedom of information request revealing the shocking data commented: “Facing eviction can be a stressful and overwhelming experience especially when there are children involved.
“There are steps you can take to manage the situation and protect your rights. Here are some tips if you find yourself facing eviction.”:
Understand the Eviction Notice
“There are different types of eviction notices (e.g., section 21, section 8, or notice to quit). Make sure you understand what the notice is for and whether it is valid. Ensure it follows legal procedures, including the proper notice period.”
Seek professional advice
“If you are unsure about the notice, seek legal advice from organisations like Shelter, Citizens Advice, or a solicitor who specialises in housing law who can clarify your rights and options.”
Communicate with Your Landlord
“If you’re able, speak to your landlord as soon as possible. Sometimes, an agreement can be reached, such as extending your tenancy, negotiating payment plans, or allowing you to stay while you find alternative housing.”
Document everything
“Keep a record of all communications with your landlord, including emails, letters, and phone calls. This could be helpful if there are any disputes later.”
Know Your Rights
“In the United Kingdom, tenants have protection from eviction in most cases, especially if they have lived in the property for more than six months. In certain circumstances, eviction may not be possible unless the landlord has obtained a court order. Legal aid may be available for those who are eligible.”
Check for Illegal Eviction
“Landlords cannot evict tenants without following proper legal procedures. If your landlord tries to evict you without a court order or changes the locks without notice, this is considered an illegal eviction. If this happens, you can contact the authorities for help.”
Start Looking for new Accommodation
“It’s wise to start looking for a new place to live as soon as possible. Start searching online or contact local housing associations and letting agents.”
£1.5 million to support delivery of compassionate, high-quality care
Women can expect improved miscarriage care Public Health and Women’s Health Minister Jenni Minto has pledged, after unveiling a new framework, backed by £1.5 million funding.
The framework sets out a range of actions for Scotland’s NHS boards to implement, including ensuring that women going through miscarriage have a separate, private space. It will introduce a graded model of miscarriage care across the country. This means all women can receive tailored support and services, and won’t have to wait until a third miscarriage. This will include access to progesterone prescriptions – where clinically appropriate – both for threatened and recurrent miscarriage.
These changes will be supported by £1.5 million Scottish Government funding and aim to ensure that early pregnancy care is equitable so that no women are disadvantaged, regardless of where they access and receive care.
The Minister for Public Health and Women’s Health said: “The loss of a baby, no matter at what stage of pregnancy, has a profound and lasting impact on women and their families.
“To all who have experienced such a tragedy, I offer my deepest sympathy. The Scottish Government recognises this impact and is clear that women and families who have experienced pregnancy or baby loss must be provided with the right information, care and support, tailored to their individual circumstances.
“I am very grateful to everyone in Scotland’s NHS who works to provide miscarriage care and support.
“I know there is already a lot of good work underway within NHS Boards to improve miscarriage care services. The 2025-26 Budget, if approved by Parliament, will provide £1.5 million to support NHS Boards to improve delivery of sensitive and compassionate miscarriage care.”
Kath Abrahams, Chief Executive of pregnancy charity Tommy’s commented: “We are delighted to see the Delivery Framework for Miscarriage Care in Scotland launching today.
“The Framework is a real milestone on the path to excellent care for women and families in Scotland and Tommy’s has been pleased to work closely with our colleagues in Scottish Government as they have developed the Framework, which aims to ensure the right support and care for parents after every tragic loss.
“With compassionate care at its heart, we are looking forward to continuing to support our Scottish colleagues as they oversee the rollout.”
The Miscarriage Association’s Chief Executive Vicki Robinson said: “We are extremely pleased to see the publication of this important Framework for Miscarriage Care in Scotland, which represents a significant step forward in ensuring that those experiencing miscarriage receive the compassionate, high-quality care they deserve during such a heart-breaking time.
“This framework is a vital step in providing evidence-based care and offering women additional support in early pregnancy. We are proud to have contributed to its development and look forward to seeing it bring positive change. This is a crucial milestone in ensuring that miscarriage care is accessible, equitable, and compassionate across Scotland.”
A record breaking (and heart-breaking – Ed.) 10,360 children are trapped in often unsuitable temporary accommodation, latest figures from the Scottish Government has revealed.
The number of children in temporary homes has risen for the 10th year* as figures detail the stark reality for thousands of families across Scotland. The statistics cover from 1 April 2024 to 30 September 2024 – during which time the Scottish Government declared a national housing emergency.
It is a national scandal that 7,545 households have been stripped of their rights in only six months, as councils failed to offer a place to those requiring temporary accommodation, also known as gatekeeping.
While Shelter Scotland welcomes the Scottish Government reversing the cuts for housing, it must be clear that funding has returned to the same level as it was in 2022.
The latest figures show:
– 10,360 children living in temporary accommodation on 30 September 2024, an increase of 250 children compared to the previous six months. That’s an increase of 149% since 2014. – 7,545 instances of failure to offer a place to a household requiring temporary accommodation, also known as gatekeeping, between 1 April to 30 September 2024. This an increase of 277% in just 6 months or 3.8 x higher. In the 12-month period to September 2024 gatekeeping was at 13,500 recorded cases, a 541% increase compared to the year prior. – 4,085 breaches of the Unsuitable Accommodation Order between 1 April and 30 September 2024 – a 11% increase compared to the previous six months. – 16,634 households in temporary accommodation as of 30 September 2024 an increase from 16,330 – 32,272 live homeless cases as of 30 September 2024 an increase from 31,794.
Shelter Scotland is calling on the Scottish Government’s renewed housing budget to focus on reducing the number of children trapped in temporary accommodation, and to ensure local services are fully funded to ensure lifeline housing rights are upheld.
This comes at a time when wider cuts in the public services may push more people closer to the brink of homelessness.
Shelter Scotland Director, Alison Watson, said: “This is the harrowing reality of decades of under-investment in social housing. No child should have to experience homelessness, yet the numbers keep rising to a record-breaking amount and are now staying in temporary accommodation for longer.
“These figures show the direct consequence of the Scottish Government and local authorities failing to prioritise housing and the desperate need for more social homes.
“Everyone deserves the right to be in a safe and secure permanent home where children can thrive. We know children living in unsuitable temporary accommodation can have their mental and physical health detrimentally impacted.
“Children are paying the highest price for the politicians’ failures and the devastating reality of the housing emergency in Scotland. If the Scottish Government is serious about ending child poverty with their new budget, social homes need to be urgently delivered.
“The Scottish Government reversed the brutal cuts to housing, but it needs to acknowledge it brings us to the same amount of funding that we had in 2022. Since then, the number of people living in temporary homes has risen, people are trapped in the system for longer, the number of people rough sleeping has increased dramatically, and the cost of living has skyrocketed.
“The reversal alone will not be enough to end homelessness and there desperately needs to be a long-term plan from politicians, targeting money to the areas where it is most needed.
She added: “The way people are experiencing homelessness is changing with more people becoming homeless and faster than councils can close cases. The Scottish Government need to invest in the areas where applications are the highest. Services to support families at risk of homelessness also desperately need funding from local authorities.
“Children in Scotland forced to live in temporary homes don’t need excuses, they need action if the Scottish Government want to end child poverty in their next budget.”
With worrying levels of children experiencing anxiety, distress and fear, this children’s mental health week, Children First is asking people to leave a gift in their Will to help protect the next generation of children in Scotland.
With Scotland’s children in the grip of a mental health crisis, Scotland’s national children’s charity predicts their support services will be needed more than ever.
In November, the charity revealed that nearly 100 referrals a day were being made to child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) across Scotland, following a freedom of information request (FOI). More than 60 percent of people who call Children First’s national support line are worried about a child’s emotional wellbeing.
The charity has launched a campaign asking the public to make their legacy a brighter future for Scotland’s children.
Michelle Supple, director of fundraising, marketing and communications at Children First, said: “There is a childhood emergency in Scotland and an increasing need for the vital services we offer children and families across Scotland.
“By leaving a gift in your Will to Children First, you are leaving a legacy to protect Scotland’s children and give them a brighter future, a gift for generations.
“These special gifts ensure we can keep babies, children and young people safe and help them recover from trauma today, tomorrow and in the years to come.”
For over 140 years Scotland’s national children’s charity has protected children from harm and supported them to recover from trauma and abuse through its national and local services, including a support line for anyone in Scotland who is worried about a child.
Thanks to gifts left in Wills to Children First, young people can have a better future, due to the emotional and practical support the charity provides for children and young people to recover and move forward after difficult experiences.
Reflecting on their experience with Children First, one young person said: “Children First really helped me. I’ve grown more confidence, have volunteered at a mental wellbeing group and got my first proper job.”
Anyone interested in leaving a gift in their Will to Children First or receiving a free legacy guide can visit www.childrenfirst.org.uk/legacy.
Projects working to improve the confidence and wellbeing of young people across Scotland are today (WEDNESDAY 5th FEBRUARY) sharing in £1,271,922 of Young Start funding this Children’s Mental Health Week.
The funding, which comes from dormant account cash and is delivered by The National Lottery Community Fund, is used to support thousands of children and young people annually all over Scotland, many of whom face mental health and wellbeing issues.
Three Edinburgh projects receive funding in the latest round of grants:
Big Hearts Community Trust receives almost £85,000 to support the expansion of their Welcome Through Football initiative, using football to engage young refugees, migrants and asylum seekers aged 15-24 facing trauma, hardship and social exclusion.
Across the city in Leith, Hibernian Community Foundation also score with £95,000 to support neurodivergent young people aged 16-25 to develop essential life skills by delivering a structured programme of activities and community participation. Over the next three years 240 young people are expected to take part and supported by 40 volunteers.
Making it a hat-trick for the capital is Castlebrae-based Edinburgh Development Group, who receive £100,000 to provide a three-year project, supporting neurodiverse and disabled young people, who are working towards employability.
Founded in 2005, Lochaber Hope supports young people facing crisis periods in their lives. In recent years the charity has concentrated its efforts on a number of peer support projects and activity groups which focus on the well-being and improvement of young people’s mental health and from this the Bright Minds Project was born.
Bright Minds is a local youth initiative, created for young people and guided by a youth advisory board. The project offers events and training opportunities, as well as campaigning for changes in mental health culture and advocating for better support systems for young people.
An award of £54,220 means they can help more young people like 24-year-old Shaun Wallace fromLochaber.
Shaun previously worked with the charity as a project assistant but left to go to college and study to be a veterinary care assistant. When he was going through a difficult time, Lochaber Hope offered him seven free counselling sessions.
Shaun explained: “I’ve always struggled with my mental health, all the way through high school I was dealing with anxiety, depression and bi-polar disorder.
“This would, at times lead to suicidal thoughts or thoughts of self- harm and did result in an incident where I had to be taken to hospital. Thankfully I decided to seek out support and this was the beginning of me getting better and going to counselling sessions provided by Lochaber Hope. I owe so much to Lochaber hope and don’t know where I would be today, if it wasn’t for them.
“I loved giving something back by helping at events and when the chance to get involved with the Bright Minds project came up, I was more than happy to. I might be the oldest in the group, but we all have big ambitions and I’m able to offer support and advice to the younger members of the group.
“We’re only small but we’re making a big impact. Ideally, I would love a lot more people to get involved and experience the huge changes in their lives that I have.”
Alyson Smith, Founder Manager, Lochaber Hope said: “Young Start has been a very special fund for Lochaber Hope.
“We can see how young people are better managing their mental health by building resilience and confidence, and we look forward to the events and activities they have organised that will be taking place over the coming months.”
Another organisation nurturing young people’s talent and wellbeing is Toonspeak Young People’s Theatre.
The north Glasgow based charity receives £100,000 to run its PROGRESS: Empowering Young People for Creative Careers project which provides a range of entry points and routes for training and employment for young people to enter the creative industries.
Jennifer Belle Baird, 25, from Glasgow,is a published writer but would never have dreamed of speaking in public before she joined Toonspeak three years ago.
Jennifer said: “I had gone through school living with anxiety and was diagnosed with generalised anxiety disorder at 14. Being part of the project I was able to get feedback in a supportive way, without criticism. It was so good for my self-confidence and helped rid me of imposter syndrome.
“There’s no pressure to perform because it’s not all about performance, they value all areas of creativity here. Being a writer can be so isolating and now I actually enjoy performing too. I’m a member of the Toonspeak performance collective, the Young Company and have even written a play for The Merchant City Festival.
“I now view myself as a working artist and hope to work in a theatre. I often think how lucky the younger people here are to have Toonspeak at their age, Hopefully I can continue being part of the organisation and my work can uplift younger people.”
Chi Nguyen, Funding Officer, Toonspeak Young People’s Theatresaid: “We’re incredibly grateful for the support from Young Start.
This funding allows us to create life-changing opportunities for young people to develop skills, confidence, and networks in the creative industries. Already, PROGRESS is helping them take big steps toward their future careers, and we’re excited to see the continued impact this will have.”
The National Lottery Community Fund, Scotland Chair, Kate Still, said: “We are so pleased to announce our latest Young Start funding, which helps enable organisations to directly support the health and wellbeing of children and young people.
“Shaun and Jennifer’s stories are two examples of the many young people who’ve benefitted from Young Start funded projects and we are always keen to support more ideas. If your group has a project that could improve the lives of young people in Scotland, then we’d love to hear from you.”
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.”
