We have just installed a ‘bothy’ shelter in the park as a signal of intent to the community that the wider plans are being brought forward. This is the first of several shelters that will be installed across the park (writes ELGT’s ANGUS FISHER).
It was designed by SLR architecture in partnership with Old School Fabrications. OSF also built and installed the shelter.
It is a completely bespoke design based on the traditional Scottish bothy but featuring a stone boulder seat with hovering steel frame giving it its somewhat unique appearance.
Wider works info
West Pilton Park is undergoing an exciting, new development after receiving a significant amount of charitable funding.
The Edinburgh and Lothians Greenspace Trust in partnership with the City of Edinburgh Council and the local community have developed plans to transform West Pilton Park into the beautiful, bustling centre of the community.
Plans include planting hundreds of new trees and plants, a new skate park and bouldering wall, new play equipment, new accessible paths, seating, shelters, new toilet facilities, a community growing area, a wildlife wetland, and a proposed new cafe run by Scran Academy.
The shelter is the first part of the development to be installed, with construction of the rest of the park to take place over the next few years. The first phase is due to start in autumn 2025.
A phased approach will ensure that a part of the park will always remain open for the community during construction.
The Lord Provost of Edinburgh hosted a Civic Reception at the City Chambers last night to honour the 25th anniversary of Volunteer Edinburgh as an independent organisation and its outstanding contribution to the life of the city.
The event brought together past and present staff, volunteers, trustees, and civic leaders to mark a quarter-century of innovation, impact, and service.
At the heart of the celebration was a powerful address by the organisation’s CEO, Paul Wilson, who reflected on the journey from a small volunteer exchange to becoming one of the city’s most dynamic and adaptive third sector organisations.
Paul said: “If anyone asked me what Volunteer Edinburgh is all about,I simply say: ‘people’.”
A Legacy of Innovation and Impact
Volunteer Edinburgh has supported over 60,000 individuals in their volunteering journeys and welcomed more than 20,000 visitors to its annual recruitment fair over the past 25 years. Its pioneering Health and Wellbeing Service, which began as the UK’s first “Voluntary Work as Therapy” project, has helped more than 2,500 people in the past decade improve their lives through volunteering — many credit it with literally saving their lives.
However, this world-leading project is currently under threat due to potential disinvestment from the Health and Social Care Partnership. The CEO called on civic leaders to recognise and protect this invaluable service that embodies Edinburgh’s compassionate values.
Leading in Digital, Crisis Response, and Community Engagement
From launching Scotland’s first local authority-backed Volunteering Strategy in 2006 to building the country’s most-used volunteer management resource at volunteerwiki.org.uk, Volunteer Edinburgh has consistently led the way in developing practical solutions that scale.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the organisation rapidly built and deployed a Community Taskforce, onboarding 550 trained volunteers to deliver over 17,000 critical support tasks city-wide. This flexible model later supported displaced Ukrainians, NHS vaccination efforts, and even mobilised 200 volunteers during the vigil for the Queen at St Giles’ cathedral in 2022.
“We Just Get Things Done”
Described by peers as an organisation that “just gets things done”, Volunteer Edinburgh has continually reinvented itself — from launching an AI tool for volunteer managers to establishing city-wide hubs and community engagement tools. The CEO paid tribute to the team’s dedication, noting “for a tiny wee organisation, we regularly punch above our weight.”
A Shared Belief in Service
Reflecting on his own 27-year journey with the organisation, the CEO emphasised that the core of Volunteer Edinburgh’s success is a shared belief across its team that “service to others is inherently a good thing.”
He paid tribute to his predecessors, trustees, and colleagues past and present, saying, “Thank you to everyone who has contributed to making Volunteer Edinburgh the vital asset it is today.
“Edinburgh needs it — and I hope it continues to flourish for decades to come.”
A by-election will be held in the Fountainbridge/Craiglockhart ward following the sad passing of Councillor Val Walker last month.
Residents will go to the polls on Thursday 26 June 2025 to elect one new councillor to represent the ward. The current electorate is 18,563.
Tomorrow, on Friday 16 May, the formal Notice of Election will be published, and the Election Timetable, Election Notices and Nomination Papers will all be accessible on the Council website.
Returning Officer for Edinburgh, Paul Lawrence said:“I want to reiterate my condolences to Councillor Walker’s family, friends, and colleagues. The tributes we saw last week at the Council meeting shows the esteem in which she was held across all sides of the Chamber, and she will be sorely missed.
“Her passing has resulted in the vacancy for the Fountainbridge/Craiglockhart ward. I’d urge all residents in the ward to make sure they are registered and have their details or preference of how they would like to vote up to date in plenty of time.
“Details on how to register, where to vote or how to vote by post can be found on the Council website.”
Nomination papers can be submitted from 10am on Monday 19 May until 4pm on Friday 23 May to the Returning Officer in the City Chambers.
Candidates will be confirmed when nominations close at 4pm on Friday 23 May.
Polling stations will be open from 7am to 10pm on Thursday 26 June.
The election will use the Single Transferable Vote (STV) system where voters can rank candidates in order of preference rather than using a single cross. Voters can give a rank to as many or as few candidates as they like.
The deadline to register to vote in this by-election is midnight on Tuesday June 10. For new postal vote applications, it’s 5pm on Wednesday June 11 and for new proxy votes its 5pm on Wednesday June 18.
Charities losing funding from the Edinburgh Integration Joint Board (EIJB) are to receive urgent support from the City of Edinburgh Council.
One-off funding of £2.037m will be provided to 46 organisations and projects across Edinburgh which are working to prevent poverty and support vulnerable residents.
An additional £1m will help six third sector advice providers to support residents to maximise their income through accessing welfare benefits, reducing everyday living costs including debt management and improving access to work.
A grant has also been provided to support the continued development of the Edinburgh Advice Network.
The decision by the Policy and Sustainability Committee this week (Monday 12 May) will allow funds to be released to prevent the closure of a number of organisations and avert the redundancies of many employees.
Decisions on how to allocate an outstanding £423,400 will be made when Councillors meet again later this month (Tuesday 27 May).
The emergency package of support is provided ahead of a long-term review of the relationship between the Edinburgh Partnership, public sector and third sector in Edinburgh, with the aim of improving funding certainty in future years.
As part of this review, the Edinburgh Partnership is asking voluntary organisations, social enterprises and charities to participate in an online consultation. Workshops will also take place in the coming weeks.
Council Leader and Chair of the Edinburgh Partnership, Jane Meagher, said: “The third sector provides vital support to our local communities, and we need to provide stability to projects which have been put at risk of closure. Our funding will quickly and directly prevent many charities from redundancies and from reducing the very important services they provide.
“While I’m pleased that we’ve reached a decision to prioritise this work – and to make sure we protect more people from entering poverty – we cannot become complacent. We need longer-term change so that organisations like these, and the many residents who rely on them, are at less risk and have greater stability.
“We want to hear about how we can make helping vulnerable people simpler. Please take part in the consultation we’ve recently launched, as the Edinburgh Partnership seeks views on strengthening our city’s third sector.”
In a deputation to Policy and Sustainability Committee, Bruce Crawford, CEO of EVOC and speaking on behalf of the Third Sector Reference Group said: “The decisions made by Councillors to support these third sector organisations shows a real understanding of the role that the third sector play in communities across Edinburgh.
“The impact that these Resilience Fund payments will make cannot be underestimated in the way that they will support some of the most vulnerable people in our city.
“These grants will provide stability to the organisations in receipt of them and allow them to continue to serve their local communities. Longer term solutions need to be developed, and we are prepared to work with the council in planning for the future, beyond the current financial year.”
Full list of organisations and projects confirmed to receive urgent funding from the Third Sector Transitional Fund:
1. ACE IT Scotland 2. Art in Healthcare 3. B Healthy Together 4. Bridgend Farmhouse 5. Calton Welfare Services 6. Care for Carers 7. Caring in Craigmillar 8. Community Renewal Trust 9. Cruse Bereavement Care Scotland 10. Drake Music Scotland 11. Edinburgh & Lothians Greenspace Trust 12. Edinburgh Community Food 13. Edinburgh Community Health Forum 14. Edinburgh Headway Group 15. Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre 16. Eric Liddell Community 17. Feniks 18. Fresh Start 19. Health All Round 20. Home-Start Edinburgh West and South West (HSEW) 21. LGBT Health and Wellbeing 22. Libertus Services 23. MECOPP 24. Murrayfield Dementia Project 25. Pilmeny Development Project 26. Pilton Equalities Project – Mental Health 27. Pilton Equalities Project – Day Care 28. Portobello Monday Centre 29. Portobello Older People’s Project 30. Positive Help 31. Queensferry Churches Care in the Community 32. Rowan Alba Limited 33. Scottish Huntington’s Association 34. Sikh Sanjog 35. South Edinburgh Amenities Group (SEAG) 36. The Broomhouse Centre (The Beacon Club) 37. Vintage Vibes Consortium 38. The Dove Centre 39. The Health Agency 40. The Living Memory Association 41. The Open Door 42. The Ripple Project 43. The Welcoming Association 44. Venture Scotland 45. VOCAL 46. Waverley Care.
Scottish Historic Buildings Trust (SHBT) is delighted to announce a new community partnership with Leith Civic Trust aimed at securing the long-term future of Leith Custom House.
The collaboration promises to transform this landmark historic building into a vibrant civic space and Scotland’s first fully digital museum, creating a ‘town square for the twenty-first century’ that will celebrate Leith’s unique culture and heritage.
Maggie Wright, Chair, Scottish Historic Buildings Trust, said: “We are thrilled to be partnering with Leith Civic Trust to help us realise the long-held community desire for a museum for Leith.
“The ambition has always been for this museum to be managed by the community through a community-led charitable trust who would ensure that the museum responds to local needs and aspirations, Leith Civic Trust will help us realise this goal together.
“This project has been a long-time in development, but following the agreement last year with Edinburgh Museums & Galleries, we are delighted that the project now has real momentum”
Following from the strategic partnership with City of Edinburgh Council Museums & Galleries agreed last October, the new community partnership with Leith Civic Trust will ensure that this project is developed for, and by, the local community.
Leith Civic Trust will be adopted by SHBT as the future operator of the groundbreaking museum at the heart of this innovative restoration project.
This marks an exciting new chapter for Leith Civic Trust whose work for over two decades has championed the history and heritage of Leith.
SHBT will support Leith Civic Trust in growing its membership and recruiting new trustees, who will receive in-depth training to manage the digital museum once the restoration is complete.
Cron Mackay, President, Leith Civic Trust, said: “Since our foundation in 1968, Leith Civic Trust has been dedicated to preserving and championing the beauty, history and character of Leith. Leith has a wealth of distinctive stories to tell, and we are delighted that the new museum at Custom House will be a space where all Leithers, old and new, can see themselves represented.
“We look forward to welcoming new Members as we embark on this exciting journey together with SHBT and encourage anyone who may be interested in being involved to get in touch.”
Ben Macpherson, MSP for Leith, attended the event and said: “It is great to see this progress, and further collaboration, towards realising the potential of the Customs House as an even better space for the people of Leith to use and enjoy, and for visitors to come and check out too.
“The plans are exciting and the momentum is building, with more partners getting involved and new potential avenues for funding emerging.
“I pay tribute to everyone that’s been involved in the project – including those who saved the building for the community, and have been engaged for many years now – and I look forward to continuing to support the exciting vision that there is now for the Customs House, and believe that by working together we can all make this happen.”
Tracy Gilbert, Labour MP for Edinburgh North and Leith, said: “One of my very first visits as an MP was to Leith Custom House, and even then, I was amazed by the dedication of the team to securing Custom House as a community anchor.
“The launch of the partnership demonstrates a strong commitment to working with local businesses and residents. I congratulate the whole team on their success so far and look forward to working with them to deliver their ambitious vision.”
Julie Ashworth will lead the new forum to advise the Council on all matters related to establishing Edinburgh’s Visitor Levy and its ongoing performance.
A recruitment panel, comprising senior representatives of the City of Edinburgh Council, Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce, Visit Scotland and Edinburgh Association of Community Councils, identified the experienced executive as the ideal candidate to establish and lead the Visitor Levy Forum.
Councillors formally agreed to the appointment at the full Council meeting on Thursday 8 May.
Julie brings to the role considerable experience in complex stakeholder management and financial planning, and is a skilled networker with a strong track record of building relationships across multiple industry sectors, local and national governments.
She is founder and CEO of BroadReach Leadership Consultancy, whose clients span retail, technology, travel, education and the arts.
An Edinburgh resident, she currently serves as a Public Interest Board Trustee for the Institute of Chartered Accountants Scotland, is Chair of the Board for the University of Aberdeen and has been a longstanding member of the Institute of Directors, where she is Chair of the Scotland Board.
She also contributes on a cross-party working group at the Scottish Parliament and is a member of the Scottish Government’s New Deal for Business Group.
She has previously held executive and advisory positions with leading organisations operating in the retail sector including Marks and Spencer, Liberty of London, IBM, the Spirit Group and Clear Returns.
Council Leader Jane Meagher said: “I’m delighted that Julie has been appointed as Chair of the Visitor Levy Forum. This independent role will be important in helping to deliver the scheme in a way that benefits everyone living, working in and visiting Edinburgh, making sure big decisions are taken in a way that supports the whole city.
“Julie’s proven ability to analyse important information and make sound decisions in high profile organisations will be a great asset to this new position. We believe her clear, determined and approachable style mean she is the right person to establish and lead a well-balanced forum where all views are given fair representation.
“The levy is a once in a lifetime opportunity to invest in the future of our city, and with Julie onboard as forum chair, we are well placed to deliver a scheme that will enhance and sustain the things that make Edinburgh such a great place to live in and visit.”
Commenting on her appointment, Julie Ashworth said: “I am excited to get to work with establishing the forum and encouraging a broad range of views from businesses and communities across the city.
“We are entering a busy period as we build up to the implementation of the levy, and getting underway with the forum is a big opportunity for all of us.
“As a long-time resident of the city, I am passionate about Edinburgh’s heritage and future success. I strongly believe the forum can play a very important role in helping the levy to be delivered in a way that is fair, just and brings benefits to everyone in the years to come.”
Julie’s first task will be to establish the Edinburgh Visitor Levy Forum in line with the duties set out in the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Act, with the first meeting taking place before 24 July 2025.
The forum’s purpose is to discuss and advise the Council on matters to do with the levy, including advising the Council on any recommended modifications to the scheme at the formal three-year review point.
The forum will also be consulted on how the income from the levy will be invested and invited to review and comment on the performance of the scheme and investments once in place. Decisions on amendments to the scheme and how the proceeds from the levy are invested will ultimately be taken by councillors.
It will comprise an equal number of representatives from the community and businesses operating in the city’s visitor economy, and aim for at least 40 per cent of the representatives to be women.
Council officers responsible for the investment streams and officers from the Council’s Programme Management Office will attend forum meetings and may make recommendations to the forum, but will not be members of the forum itself.
This afternoon (Friday) we noticed some unusual e-mail activity on our schools and early years IT network.
As a precautionary measure we have reset passwords across our schools and early years network – including those of our learners and students.
We have issued communications to all parents/carers and schools to advise of the phishing attempt and explain the action that we have had to take to make sure our IT networks remain secure and protected.
Schools and early years staff will be prompted to reset their own password on their return to school.
Students currently sitting exams will be given priority support to reset their password. They can access their personal revision materials by going to their school tomorrow (Saturday 10 May) between 10.15am -12 noon and a member of staff will issue them with a new password.
Education, Children and Families Convener Councillor James Dalgleish said yesterday: “This afternoon vigilant colleagues noticed some unusual and suspicious activity on our schools and early years IT network.
“As a result, we took the precautionary decision to immediately reset passwords for all users across our education service.
“We have contacted all parents, carers and schools to update them and explain the situation.
“I fully appreciate the impact this will have, particularly on those students preparing for their exams next week – but, unfortunately, we had no choice. This was a difficult but necessary decision to ensure our networks remain secure and protected.
“I want to reassure our students that they are our priority and that we are doing everything we can to make sure they can get back online as soon as possible. In the meantime, we are signposting them study support materials available elsewhere and individual schools will be uploading these to their websites too.
“We have created a dedicated webpage on the council website and will update this with further information as and when we get it.
“I’d like to thank colleagues for their vigilance and quick thinking today – and for their ongoing work over the weekend to minimise the impact on our students and their families.”
No data has been compromised. The council has have been in touch with SQA and EIS to make them aware of this attempted phishing incident. CEC is re also keeping Scottish Government’s cyber co-ordination centre updated.
The Edinburgh Partnership is conducting a review of how it supports and works with third sector organisations in Edinburgh.
The review into the relationship between the public sector and third sector in Edinburgh seeks to improve funding certainty in future years. This includes how grant funding and commissioning is delivered, how third sector organisations monitor and report on their work, and what in-kind support is provided.
Third sector organisations of all types – voluntary, social enterprises and charities – are being asked to share their views through the City of Edinburgh Council’s Consultation Hub survey or by attending a workshop.
The results will be reported to the Policy and Sustainability Committee in August.
Council Leader and Chair of the Edinburgh Partnership, Jane Meagher, said: “The third sector provides vital support to local communities, with many giving direct support to the most vulnerable in our city.
“We know that they, like the Council, are under significant financial pressure and that there needs to be longer-term change in how they are supported by us and our partners.
“We want to hear about how we can make it simpler, provide more stability, and work better together to help vulnerable people. You can share your views through the council’s consultation hub webpage, or by attending one of the workshops.”
Workshops run from Monday 19 May until Thursday 5 June. Details are available on the Consultation Hub and booking is required.
As part of the city’s commitment to help the sector, the council has dedicated £3.5m this year to help organisations impacted by unexpected loss of grant funding or reduced commissioning.
Whitbread submits a planning application for a new 195-bedroom hotel on Festival Square in the heart of Edinburgh city centre
Whitbread PLC, the owner of the Premier Inn hotel chain, has submitted plans to transform Capital House into a 195-bedroom Premier Inn, with a commitment to investing more than £21 million in the conversion of the existing building into a hotel.
After acquiring the 65,350 sq ft gross office block off Lothian Road last year, Whitbread has been preparing a planning application to change the use of the building to a hotel, which was submitted to Edinburgh City Council on 2nd May.
The plans involve the conversion of the existing building and rear extension of the 1980s office into a latest format Premier Inn hotel with a ground floor restaurant and bar.
The Capital House Premier Inn is expected to generate an additional £8.1 million per year in visitor expenditure through the external spending of more than 56,000 guests which are predicted to stay at the hotel every year. Half of this external expenditure is anticipated to be spent supporting city centre businesses.
The proposals signal the latest commitment from Whitbread to invest in Edinburgh as the business continues to see strong long-term potential for its bedrooms across the capital city.
Jill Anderson, Acquisitions Manager for Scotland at Whitbread, said: ““The visitor economy in Edinburgh is thriving but there remains an unmet demand for additional budget hotel rooms in the city. Capital House represents an excellent opportunity for us to deliver new Premier Inn bedrooms at affordable prices for our customers in a fantastic city centre location.
“The location is ideal for both business and leisure customers. It is sustainable and highly accessible with direct bus, tram and rail networks within a short walk, it’s a stone’s throw from the Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC) and Exchange District and is close to tourist destinations like Edinburgh Castle, Usher Hall and other theatres.
“We’re thrilled to submit proposals to transform this underused office building and bring life back into this corner of Festival Square. We are investing £21 million into delivering the new hotel which will generate over £8 million of additional guest spend into the Edinburgh economy each year and create more than 30 new hospitality jobs. We look forward to working with Edinburgh City Council to progress the application towards determination.”
Whitbread currently welcomes close to a million visitors to its established network of 14 Premier Inn hotels within the City of Edinburgh Council area. The business calculates its guests staying at these hotels generate more than £32 million in visitor expenditure to the Edinburgh economy every year.
More widely, across the UK & Ireland Whitbread currently offers its customers a choice of more than 85,500 Premier Inn and hub by Premier Inn bedrooms and the company sees the long-term potential for 125,000 bedrooms in these two core markets.
In a first-of-its-kind event for the city, over 150 children and young people from Special Schools and mainstream primary and secondary schools took part in The Big Sports Day.
The event was held at the Saughton Athletics Track and invoilved children and young people with with a physical disability learn,ing difficulty or autism.
Organised by the City of Edinburgh Council’s Active Schools team and Youth Work Development Workers based at Gorgie Mills school, children and young people took part in a range of sports, facilitated by a range of trusted providers, including: football, frame running, cycling, tennis, karate, rugby, archery, cricket and lots more.
Groups of pupils rotated around three or four specific activity stations catering to their individual needs and abilities. Edinburgh College students volunteered their support on the day.
The event was partly funded through the Edinburgh 900 fund with a one -off amount secured to run The Big Sports Day event.
Councillor Joan Griffiths, Education, Children and Families Convener, said: “It is truly fantastic to see that this community event was attended by so many learners from across the city and to hear that a great time was had by all!
“Having fun through sport and keeping active is an important part of the curriculum across all Edinburgh schools and it’s brilliant that learners had the chance to try out a range of different sports.”
