This year’s Winter Windows from Edinburgh’s Christmas, with the support of the city council’s department of Arts and Creative Learning, have been unveiled, with 38 colourful festive designs by schoolchildren from across the city being turned into vibrant stained-glass masterpieces for all to enjoy.
The windows have gone on display over five locations across the capital – the City Chambers Quadrangle (above), Granton, Gracemount, Duddingston and Balerno – spreading messages of festive cheer.
The overall winner of the competition was Jackson Lobban, P5A, from St. Peter’s Primary School and was chosen by the Lord Provost himself.
All winning entrants were invited to receive their awards at a special reception at the City Chambers on Thursday evening.
This year’s Winter Windows are inspired by the theme of ‘Connections and Kindness’, allowing Edinburgh’s school children to reflect on the connections made and kindness that they have received and shown throughout the pandemic. Participants were encouraged to create their entries using sustainable, up-cycled materials.
Edinburgh’s Christmas festival has been running the Winter Windows contest since 2014 with the aim of encouraging and inspiring creative talent in local youngsters.
The displays will be available to view at the above locations until 4 January.
The Moderator of the General Assembly Lord Jim Wallace has embarked on a ten-day schedule to learn more about the life and work of the Church of Scotland in Edinburgh.
Lord Wallace said he is looking forward to attending events organised by the Presbytery of Edinburgh which will see him meet people from all walks of life and learn how they have coped during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Presbytery visits provide Moderators with an opportunity to offer encouragement and support to church members and the communities they serve.
Due to the lockdown, this is the first fully in-person visit to take place since 2019.
Lord Wallace, Moderator of the General Assembly
Lord Wallace, a QC and former MP and MSP, said the city is close to his heart. “I am very much looking forward to my first presbytery visit, not least because it is Edinburgh where I went to university, trained as a lawyer, practiced as a lawyer, sat in the Scottish Parliament and where I met my wife, Rosie,” he said.
“I am very grateful to the presbytery for putting together a very comprehensive programme, which will allow me to engage with a whole range of people who reflect my interests and background.”
Candidates
The programme will see Lord Wallace visit churches, hospitals, universities and a prison and meet ordinary church members, politicians, senior figures in the judiciary, ministers, chaplains and interfaith and ecumenical leaders.
Lord Wallace was ordained as an elder at what was St Bernard’s Church in Stockbridge in 1981. It is now called Stockbridge Parish Church and Lord Wallace joined the congregation there yesterday (above).
In the evening, the Moderator led worship at Holy Trinity Church in Wester Hailes.
Lord Wallace will meet with Councillor Frank Ross, Lord Provost of Edinburgh, at the City Chambers today and will later attend an event at New College to mark their 175th Anniversary and meet candidates for the ministry.
This evening, the Moderator will attend a civic event at the City Chambers for members of the Edinburgh Area Children’s Panel who make sure that a young person is at the heart of legal decisions that affect them.
Many church members are involved in this work and Lady Wallace, who will be accompanying her husband, was a panel member for many years until recently.
Courts and prison
On Tuesday, Lord Wallace, who is currently sitting on the non-affiliated benches in the House of Lords, is visiting the Charteris Centre run by Greyfriars Kirk, which is based in a refurbished church building at The Pleasance which is nearing completion.
It is a social enterprise initiative which seeks to provide a place for connection with communities of all kinds.
Afterwards he will visit Edinburgh Sheriff Court and Justice of the Peace Courts to hear more about the administration of justice, especially during the pandemic.
Lord Wallace will then travel to HMP Edinburgh in the Saughton area of the city where he will be given a tour and introduced to staff, prisoners and the chaplains who support them.
On Wednesday, he will visit Napier University’s Sighthill campus where he will meet Principal Andrea Nolan and be given a tour of the Clinical Centre in School of Health and Social Care.
He will meet staff, students, members of the university’s chaplaincy team and Professor Gary Hutchinson and Liz Aston from the School of Applied Sciences to discuss work with Scottish Institute For Policing Research.
In the afternoon, the Moderator will visit the Granton Goes Greener project at Granton Parish Church to learn more about an innovative clothes upcycling project which is part of work to reduce consumption as part of efforts to tackle the climate crisis.
He will later attend a special Presbytery service in St Giles Cathedral on the Royal Mile, which will be attended by the church’s ecumenical and interfaith partners, as well as national and civic leaders, and will be followed by a reception in Parliament Hall which will bring people from the worlds of religion, politics and legal profession together.
On Thursday, the Moderator is visiting Edinburgh Airport with Rev Moira MacDonald, minister of Corstorphine Old Parish Church and Workplace Chaplain, Esther Elliot, to hear about the work of workplace chaplains.
He will later meet with the Principal of the University of Edinburgh and visit the law school – the place where he studied – to speak with students and staff.
Frontline chaplains
In the evening, the Moderator will attend a Presbyterial Guild event in Craiglockhart Parish Church, speaking on the theme of “Look forward in Faith”.
On Friday, he is visiting the Royal Blind School, the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People and will attend an evening reception at Edinburgh Castle for chaplains who serve in a wide variety of contexts – hospitals, the military, universities and the workplace.
Lord Wallace said: “I am looking forward to meeting people engaged in chaplaincy, many of whom have been at the front line during the COViD-19 crisis.
“I will be very much in listening mode and hope to provide them with encouragement.”
Polwarth Parish Church is the Moderator’s next stop where, on Saturday, he will visit the new All Aboard canal boat that the congregation jointly own with a charity called People Know How.
It is used for spiritual and educational pursuits on the Union Canal, which links Edinburgh and Falkirk.
The Moderator will take part in worship at Tron, Moredun and Gilmerton Church on Sunday and join members of Leith Churches for a special service in the evening.
He will visit the Richmond’s Hope bereavement project for children and young people at Richmond Craigmillar Church the following day.
Very Rev Dr Derek Browning, Moderator of Edinburgh Presbytery, said: “We are looking forward to welcoming Lord Wallace.
“Presbytery visits allow Moderators to meet local Christians and gain a wider perspective of how the Church, and the communities we support, engage.”
UNISON will be hosting a public demonstration outside the Edinburgh City Chambers on Tuesday 28th September from 9.30am as we continue to put pressure on decision makers to #SaveOurCareHomes.
UNISON will be holding a static lobby outside the Edinburgh City Chambers tomorrow (Tuesday 17th August) from 9.30am to coincide with the meeting of the Edinburgh Integrated Joint Board (EIJB) meeting taking place at 10am.
Although this meeting will not be making a final decision on care home closures, they will be planning to move forward with wider consultation on the issue, with the purpose of coming to a decision at a meeting in September.
It was UNISON’s quick actions that ensured the EIJB did not move forward with the proposed closures at their meeting on 22nd June 2021.
UNISON will be making a deputation to the meeting tomorrow and will be calling for:
the saving of our care homes;
meaningful engagement with the trade unions;
call for proper impact assessments; and
the need to have a wide-ranging meaningful public consultation.
UNISON want care homes to remain run by and for the public and not run by private companies for private profit.
If publicly owned and run care homes are not up to standard, then investment in adaptation, or the building of new care homes must be done to ensure that any demand can be met.
Staff in care home must be paid a decent wage, have access to developmental training and feel secure in their employment.
The lobby outside the City Chambers on Tuesday 17th August is only part of the union’s campaign to ‘Save Our Care Homes’ and UNISON plan to build to a bigger event for the September meeting.
You can sign UNISON’s petition here and click here for a link to a ready-made email to your MSP.
The Another Edinburgh is Possible campaign group is also urging the capital’s citizens to support the fight against care home closures:
‘Join the protest rally outside the City Chambers as the Edinburgh Integrated Joint Board meets on Tuesday 17th August. It’s likely that the board will hold a special meeting in September to make the decision to close 5 out of the 9 local authority care homes in Edinburgh.
‘We want to build a campaign that is so strong that when that meeting takes place the board has no option but to drop its’ closure plans. Three Edinburgh City Councillors sit on the board. We’ve written to the leaders of all five party groups on the council demanding that their group takes a clear and unambiguous public position in opposition to the closures.’
We would like to invite you to join the celebration of International Mother Language Day 2020. Date: Friday, 21 February 2020 Time: 09.30-11.00 Venue: Councillors Lounge, Edinburgh City Chambers, 253 High Street EH1 1YJ
International Mother Language day (IMLD) was proclaimed by UNESCO and observed every year since 2000 to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism. The 2020 International Mother Language Day edition will contribute to promoting peaceful dialogue and social inclusion. The 2020 theme is “Languages without borders”. Recognition of and respect for linguistic and cultural diversity contribute to strengthening the unity and cohesion of societies.
Brief program of the day:
0930 – Welcome
0945 – Inauguration by Lord Provost and Speeches
1025 – Multilingual performance
1040 – A tribute to the language martyrs (Quadrangle/outdoor)
A group of 23 nurses and their partners have been reunited by the City of Edinburgh Council, 60 years after they met as students at the Western General Hospital.
