PUPILS at a primary school north of Edinburgh will benefit from bookshelves filled with works by the biggest children’s authors, after a generous donation by developers.
Dalmeny Primary School has taken delivery of £750 worth of books from the nearby Craigiehall Meadows development, where 78 former army homes are undergoing a transformation.
To ensure the biggest possible benefit, pupils – some as young as four – helped to build the list of titles, which include works from David Walliams, Julia Donaldson and Enid Blyton.
Headteacher at Dalmeny Primary School, Gail Middlemiss said: “We’re always juggling tight budgets and so it is incredibly welcome to have been approached by the team at Craigiehall Meadows offering to support the school.
“Our pupils are over the moon, there’s something for everyone, from the little ones loving The Colour Monster to the older kids diving into the Wimpy Kid series.
“What made it extra special was that we had the opportunity to ask the pupils to choose the books themselves, so every title is something they really wanted. Seeing their excitement has been amazing—it’s a gift that will be treasured for a long time.”
Tzana Webster, Head of Estate Agency at Ralph Sayer, which manages the development, said: “I was fortunate enough to visit the school and was incredibly moved by the warm and enthusiastic response from both the children and staff after receiving the books.
“Their joy and excitement were absolutely contagious—it was a privilege to witness firsthand just how much this donation meant to them.
“The team and I are thrilled to know that these books have given the schools library a refresh and we hope it will enrich their learning and imagination for years to come.”
Nestled on the northwest edge of Edinburgh, Craigiehall Meadows brings new life to a community of homes, set amidst mature woodlands, rolling farmland, and serene nature trails.
The development, which has recently opened its first show homes, offers a rural feel while being just a short distance from prime neighbourhoods such as Barnton, Cramond and Cammo.
Surrounded by mature trees and adjacent to farmland, the development offers a peaceful, rural atmosphere while maintaining excellent connectivity to Edinburgh city centre, major motorways, and Edinburgh Airport.
To mark national Walk to School Week, Barratt Developments East Scotland encouraged participation at Corstorphine Primary School by donating a selection of high-vis items to pupils in P1 and P2.
The school held its annual Hands Up survey to find out how pupils normally travelled to school – encouraging those who use vehicles to try walking for the week.
Barratt Developments East Scotland is currently developing Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes sites at West Craigs in north-west Edinburgh.
The Walk to School Week initiative further demonstrates the housebuilder’s commitment to supporting schools in the local community.
It’s July: a year since we got the keys to the Heart, a year to celebrate!
Summer is well and truly with us, and of course summer often means there is less happening, as everyone takes advantage of the good weather and the school holidays. So things have gone a little quieter at the Heart too, but that doesn’t mean there’s no news at all.
We have splendid news on the childcare front.
Daddy Daycare Edinburgh are opening a new childcare service at the Heart in August. They are providing after-school care for Trinity and Victoria primary schools and will be providing holiday clubs for all school children starting in October.
They have an open afternoon on Tuesday 15th August so check out their website to find out more:
The Ecology Centre is running a seagrass seed survey on 8th July to investigate the reproductive state of the seagrass meadow on Burntisland Sands where participants can expect to further their seagrass knowledge and develop skills in ecological surveying. These events are limited to 12 people each, so register your space by visiting The Ecology Centre’s What’s On page.
For those of you who have been involved in the project so far, there will be a creative social event at the Royal Botanic Gardens on Sunday 9th July. Come along and meet others who have been taking part and create some Restoration Forth artwork together.
Where: The Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh – Registration:Eventbrite
Contribute to Heart Events
We continually receive questions about what is happening at the Heart. Well, that may be one question that you can answer. Trustee Norma Johnston leads the community projects team and would like to hear from you. Get in touch with her and join her band of local volunteers who are brainstorming ideas and helping organise events. It’s your community hub, so have a say in what happens in it. Contact Norma at norma.johnston@heartofnewhaven.co.uk
Dementia-Friendly Tea & Blether
On Wednesday, 5th July we hosted a themed conversation over a cuppa to imagine and create the new Dementia Meeting Centre, set to open in The Heart.
Meeting Centres are local resources where people living with dementia, unpaid carers, and families can access friendly, community-based support designed around their needs. They provide a social space where people with dementia and their loved ones can meet others and participate in activities they enjoy, based on their interests.
The event was attended by a group of 12, including volunteers, HONC staff, people living with dementia, and family members. The chat focused on getting to know one another and interest was expressed in gardening, themed conversations with tea and cake, games like bingo, dominos, or walking football, music, dance, and arts activities.
We had some good laughs and enjoyed eating Lesley’s delicious, home-baked muffins. The suggestions from this will inform our next programme of dementia-friendly activities at The Heart.
We will meet again on Wednesday, 26th July, from 2 to 4 pm. If you have just received a diagnosis of dementia or are waiting for one, if you are a family member or a friend of a person living with dementia and would like to join, please get in touch!
We are also accepting donations to help purchase the games and art materials that would allow us to run our future dementia-friendly social activities. For any donations, expressions of interest, or questions, contact valeria.Lembo@heartofnewhaven.co.uk
Thank You Bright Green Environmental Solutions!
The Heart of Newhaven Community is incredibly grateful to Keirin Burns from BGE Solutions for the donation of 12 brilliant new chairs. They not only cater to the different access requirements of our visitors who attend our community activities but they are beautiful. We have already received positive feedback from those who have tried them out, and they find them very comfortable.
We would also like to extend ourgratitude to Fenella Kerr, a member of the Dementia Meeting Centre Advisory Group of The Heart of Newhaven, for connecting us with BGE Solutions.
With all the hot, sunny weather, our volunteer gardeners have been busy watering all the plant containers scattered about the grounds.
Here’s volunteer Judy Gray tending to some of the pots and lovely planters created by members of the Men’s Shed. You can order a planter for yourselves if you contact Men’s Shed in the Creel Building.
De-Cluttering
It may be summer, but some of our partners have been spring-cleaning. Some of them, notably the Men’s Shed and the History of Education Centre, will be holding a table top “sale” in the autumn when they will be offering up the gleanings from their tidying, but they are keen to start de-cluttering now, so get in touch with either of them and take the opportunity to pick up some excess tools, planters and other objects, old school scientific glassware perhaps suitable for vases or craftwork, or even illustrated books, all at bargain donation rates.
Get Creative
If you’re looking for something creative to do over the summer, then get in touch with our bookbinder Cass, who is running several workshops here at the Heart in July and August.
Choose from several different workshops – Bitesize Bookbinding: Exposed long stitch binding, Bitesize Bookbinding: Case binding, Botanical Bookbinding mini retreat, Bitesize Bookbinding: Japanese stab Binding and Screen Print & Bookbinding, a 2-day collaborative workshop with Lorna Brown of Ink on Mesh.
Finally, the next Leith folk club event is coming up on Tuesday 18 July, with young country singer Barbara Nesbitt swinging by as part of her UK tour.
The doors open at 7.30 for an 8pmstart. Advance booking isn’t usually necessary but it’s a good idea to drop a DM on the Leith Folk Club Facebook page to make sure they save you a seat.
Enjoy the rest of the summer and save the date: the 9th September will be our second AGM. What a year it’s been!
Residents at an Edinburgh care home are developing their digital dexterity thanks to the generous donation of 15 new Amazon Fire 7 tablets from a national construction firm.
The home sits close to Leith, where McAleer & Rushe will be based on a major long-term project delivering much needed new homes at the Dockside. The firm has also pledged to build tall planters and a seating area in the care home’s manicured garden, allowing residents to enjoy the warm summer days in comfortable surroundings.
Elizabeth Griffiths, aged 91, resident at Mathieson House said: “This was a lovely gift for everyone to receive.
“Tablet meant something very different when I was younger, so these types of things are all a bit new to us at the home, but the staff have been great at showing us how they work.”
Mathieson House is part of Renaissance Care group which currently owns and operates 16 homes across Scotland, including Letham Park, which sits on the same site in Ferry Road.
Across the group there is a strong focus on enhancing the physical and mental wellbeing of residents. Each home has a dedicated activities team, which delivers a variety of events that bring fun, laughter and wellbeing benefits to residents.
This includes the group’s digital exercise programme, danceSing, which encourages residents to take part in fun physical exercises suited to their capabilities.
“I’m excited to get to know the team at Mathieson House who take great care to provide a nurturing and comfortable home to their residents and look forward to returning to help elevate their garden space.
“We hope the donation of these tablets will help the residents embrace technology to stay connected with their loved ones and provide access to the digital world at their fingertips.”
Mathieson House Care Home is a warm and welcoming, purpose-built care home situated in the Trinity area of Edinburgh. The care home has 20 rooms and offers supported living to residents within a stylish boutique hotel style environment.
A community football club in Bonnyrigg has received a £5,000 donation from the team at Amazon Development Centre Scotland in Edinburgh.
Bonnyrigg Rose Community Football Club trains teams from ages 5 to 20 years old with the aim of creating social opportunities for children and young people in the community.
The donation from Amazon will be used to allow the club to offer one to one counselling and support for those that reach out for help.
Oliver Masting, Managing Director at Amazon Development Centre Scotland, said: “Bonnyrigg Rose Community Football Club is a pillar of the community in Midlothian and we are pleased to support the club’s staff, players and volunteers with this donation.”
Trish Sime from Bonnyrigg Rose Community Football Club, added: “I want to say a big thank you to the team at Amazon for choosing us to receive this support. It’s allowed us to offer help to both children and adults.
“People have contacted us to access the support – so in effect it’s been a lifeline for some people.”
MSP for Midlothian North and Musselburgh, Colin Beattie, added: ““I am pleased to see local football club Bonnyrigg Rose receive this donation from Amazon Development Centre Scotland and for the club’s work to be recognised in this way. This funding will go a long way to ensure it can continue its great work.”
Community donations are one of several ways in which Amazon supports the communities in and around its operating locations across the UK.
Amazon provides students, teachers and parents with free computer science and STEM education programmes and has teamed up with charity partner Magic Breakfast to deliver more than six million healthy breakfasts to children at risk of hunger in disadvantaged areas of the country.
LifeCare Edinburgh grateful for boost to help support local older people through another difficult winter
LifeCare Edinburgh has received £10,000 from ScottishPower in lieu of the energy company’s annual Christmas party. This significant donation will help the charity deliver its safe and essential care to hundreds of local older people struggling to cope through another difficult winter.
Set-up in 1941, LifeCare Edinburgh has supported older people living across the city for over 80-years. The organisation supports around 1,000 individuals annually including those suffering with dementia, mobility issues, those experiencing isolation and loneliness, food poverty, mental health problems and offers dedicated support for carers. Services include day centres, registered outreach, help at home, hot meal delivery, companionship and community engagement activities.
LifeCare’s vital services have not stopped through the pandemic. The committed team has worked tirelessly to safely deliver essential care, practical help and companionship activities to ensure older people received the support they needed to stay physically and mentally well.
The charity also launched several important new initiatives, such as their hugely successful meals on wheels service, specifically designed to help support the most isolated and vulnerable.
Sue Freeth, Chief Executive at LifeCare, (above) said: “A huge thank you to everyone at ScottishPower for their generous support in lieu of their Christmas party. LifeCare is an established and trusted charity that has delivered vital services for local older people for 80 years.
“We deliver essential care and practical support to people who simply couldn’t survive without it. Operating across the city, we enable older people to remain living independent full healthy lives and enjoy the ‘zest in life’ in their later years.
“We are presently receiving unprecedented referrals and this wonderful donation of £10,000 will make a significant difference to the people we support. We are very grateful to the ScottishPower team for choosing LifeCare.”
Sheila Duncan, ScottishPower HR Director, said: “Covid-19 continues to impact lives across the board with some groups in society experiencing greater challenges than most of us could imagine. Following the positive feedback from last year’s donations, we are delighted and extremely proud to be able to donate our festive budget again to 15 charities including LifeCare Edinburgh.
“These donations will make a huge difference to these charities and help make a bigger impact in our communities. Thank you to all of the ScottishPower employees who voted and thanks to the Employee Networks who got actively involved this year”.
LifeCare Edinburgh is a registered charity and relies on the support of its funders. The charity is currently experiencing unprecedented levels of referrals.
National Museums Scotland have acquired a trio of exceptionally rare silver objects created in Scotland in the 1600s. The quaich, trumpet bell and mazer are important examples of 17th century Scottish craftmanship and have been donated to the National Collections by Ron and Rosemary Haggarty.
The silver quaich is an item of 17th century luxury, elaborately engraved with tulips and exotic birds. It is one of the finest remaining pieces by skilled Aberdeen goldsmith William Scott and its diminutive size suggests that it was used to share potent beverages such as whisky or sherry.
The Bell of Cowcaddens Mazer is the earliest of the three silver items, made in Edinburgh c.1613-15. Mazers were also once popular communal drinking vessels but only nine Scottish examples are known to survive and just two made entirely from silver. The Cowcaddens Mazer was owned by the Provost of Glasgow and would have been passed from person to person to secure bonds of friendship and political alliances.
Once mistakenly identified as the neck of a silver vase, the silver trumpet bell is now known to be the only surviving section of a long ceremonial trumpet. This particular example is engraved with the coat of arms of the Cassillis family from Ayrshire and would have been used during state and civic rituals.
It is one of just three Scottish trumpets from the 1600s still in existence.
Lyndsay McGill, Curator of Renaissance & Early Modern Scottish History at National Museums Scotland said: “Scottish marked silver from the 1600s is scarce, especially examples of this quality. These objects are hugely significant, representing the capability and skill of Scottish silversmiths and revealing more about a fascinating period in Scottish history.
“We are delighted to accept this gift and thank both Rosemary Haggarty and her late husband Ron for their remarkable contribution to the National Collections.”
On long-term loan to National Museums Scotland since 2004, individual objects from this outstanding collection of Scottish silver have featured in exhibitions, publications, lectures, and workshops.
Now secured for the nation through this generous gift, it will be possible to conduct more research into their intriguing design and ownership.
Urban Union, as part of their community benefit programmes for the City of Edinburgh Council, and Muirhouse Housing Association (MHA) have together provided over £15,000 in ongoing support to the Muirhouse Millennium Centre in the north of Edinburgh since the onset of the pandemic in March 2020.
Muirhouse Millennium Centre, run in partnership with Low Income Families Together (LIFT), aims to relieve poverty among the residents of the surrounding areas, provide recreational and leisure facilities, and promote education and training in skills of all kinds.
During the first wave of the pandemic, from March to October, the cash boosts from MHA and the developer behind Pennywell Living helped the Millennium Centre become a major player in food distribution in the north of Edinburgh.
Since then and throughout the two lockdowns, the money has helped fund over 5,000 food parcels, 22,000 packed lunches, 6,000 ready meals, as well as baby formula and nappies for local families and homeless accommodation.
Adapting their recreational support service, the Millennium Centre also delivered over 500 play packs and activity resources, allowing children to continue taking part in the Centre’s homework and youth clubs through Zoom. In October, once children were allowed to be welcomed back, the Centre used the funding to deliver five sessions a week to reduce isolation and strengthen social skills after being at home for the duration of the first lockdown.
As part of their community benefits mission, Urban Union has previously also supported Muirhouse Library’s Breakfast Club to ensure local children had a nutritious start to their day as well as helping Pennywell School build their STEM curriculum, recently launching a STEM-based learning project.
Neil McKay, Managing Director of Urban Union, said: “Our focus at Urban Union is to not only regenerate a physical landscape, but to create strong relationships and support the communities in which our developments are based. We are ecstatic to have been able to support the Millennium Centre and LIFT throughout a very challenging period for many families.
“We are always happy to give something back to the Muirhouse community and we will continue to offer opportunities for local people and support for the most vulnerable in the area.”
Iain Strachan, Chair of the Muirhouse Housing Association added: “Muirhouse Housing Association is dedicated to supporting our tenants and local community.
“This last year has been one of the most challenging in our near 30 years of being part of the Muirhouse community. We are glad that we can work with Muirhouse Millennium Centre and LIFT in supporting local people and families during a very difficult time and will continue to do so in the future.”
Pauline Bowie, Managing Director of Low Income Families Together said:“We are very grateful for this generous donation from Urban Union and MHA which has made a real tangible difference to children and families alike across Edinburgh during an extremely difficult time.
“The Centre relies on funding to deliver our programmes and reach those who need it the most. Everyone deserves a chance in life, and donations like this allow for local people in challenging situations to access different forms of support.”
City of Edinburgh Council’s Convener of Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work, Councillor Kate Campbell said: “During this crisis, we’ve worked together to put our most vulnerable residents first and making sure people can access the right support when and where they need it has been an absolute priority.
“It’s great to see our development partner Urban Union and Muirhouse Housing Association providing this much needed funding for Muirhouse Millennium Centre’s invaluable work, and the positive impact it’s had on the community’s families and children since the beginning of the pandemic.”
Pennywell Living is the centre of an exciting 8-year regeneration project as part of the City of Edinburgh Council’s house-building programme.
Now in phase three, the development offers an exceptional range of 315 one to four bedroom flats and houses designed for modern living. Over half of these will be for affordable rent.
Urban Union regenerates areas across Scotland to create revitalised communities through building new, high quality, affordable homes.
Across each of its developments, Urban Union aims to deliver sustainable long-term benefits to the new and surrounding neighbourhoods, with job and training opportunities, ensuring the community will benefit from the projects for years to come.
Donations will support both charities work and services across Edinburgh.
Cyrenians and the Bethany Christian Trust have both received donations of £2500 from convenience store retailer, Scotmid, to help support homelessness across Edinburgh and the Lothians.
The charities received a £1500 cash donation as well as £1000 in Scotmid vouchers to help users of their accommodation services gain a sense of independence, as the vouchers will allow them to purchase items for themselves, from Scotmid stores.
Ewan Aitken, CEO at Cyrenians, said: “Thank you very much indeed to Scotmid. It is such a delight to talk with an organisation that is so open to ideas and understands intuitively the importance of dignity in how we support people.
“The vouchers will be a welcome addition to those who have been disproportionately affected by the impact of the pandemic. They will allow each person to hold on to dignity as they are able to choose food and toiletry items that meet their own preferences and needs.
“We are very grateful that Scotmid, like us, recognise the power of supporting individuals to make their own steps towards recovery and a positive life journey.”
Bethany Christian Trust will be using its vouchers to help men who are seeking to move on from a history of homelessness and addiction. The Bethany Christian Centre facilitates a safe and supportive space for individuals to grow in their recovery, helping them reach a place where they feel ready to move into permanent accommodation and sustain independent living for the future.
Alasdair Bennett, CEO at Bethany Christian Trust, said: “We are really grateful for the donation of £2,500 from Scotmid, which will go directly to supporting the men in the recovery project, contributing to the range of opportunities provided within this life saving service.”
Since April 2020, Bethany Christian Centre has accommodated and supported 26 different men who were seeking to improve their lives and opportunities.
Harry Cairney, Chairman of Scotmid, said: “Our stores focus on serving the local communities that they are located in and so it’s important for us to be able to support charities that work within those communities, improving people’s everyday lives.
“We are pleased to be able to make these donations to both Cyrenians and Bethany Christian Trust to aid the incredible work they do.”
Brian was a previous resident at Bethany Christian Centre and has now moved on to his own flat.
Brian said: “Before I arrived at Bethany Christian Centre, my life was very sad and I suffered with depression. I had really lost all hope. I constantly battled feelings of fear and insecurity, but instead of trying to get help I found an escape in drink and drugs and shut myself away from others.
“Although I’ve had periods of recovery from time to time, I never felt that I could see a way out and become totally free.
“I came to Bethany Christian Centre to get help for my addiction. I was lost and had no direction or hope. Coming to the Centre has helped me see myself differently; that I am fully loved and accepted. It hasn’t been an easy programme for me but without the help of the staff, I don’t think I would have made it.
“With their love I have found strength and confidence within me that I never thought I could have. Now, I have more to look forward to, and I’m excited to have moved on to my own flat. I thank God for the people he has put in my life and for the newfound love and security that I have.”
Staff and volunteers at a mental health and wellbeing charity have received a £2,000 donation from Amazon Development Centre Scotland in Edinburgh.
Health in Mind has been promoting mental health and wellbeing in Scotland since 1982. The charity provides a wide range of services such as Peer Connections Edinburgh, which helps adults who want to improve or manage their mental health by spending time with a peer volunteer that has their own experiences of mental health recovery.
The charity also runs iThrive Edinburgh, an online resource hub for the people of Edinburgh that provides information on mental health and wellbeing.
The donation from Amazon will go towards supporting their vital work in Edinburgh, including our Peer Connecting Service and Equal Access, which supports people from ethnic minority communities
Commenting on the donation, Graeme Smith, Managing Director at Amazon Development Centre Scotland, said: “We are pleased to support the great work of Health in Mind with this donation.
“The staff and volunteers go the extra mile to ensure the people of our community struggling with their mental health are supported.”
Lynne Stanford, Fundraising Manager from Health in Mind, said: “We want to say a huge thank you to Graeme and the Amazon team for this donation.
“It means a great deal to us to have this support at this time – COVID-19 has had a huge impact on people’s mental health. This donation helps raise awareness and importance for the support we provide and ensures we are here for people when they need us the most.”
Amazon Development Centre Scotland has been based in Edinburgh since 2004 and is responsible for devising and growing innovations that bring new levels of choice and convenience to hundreds of millions of customers around the world.
It houses teams of leading engineers, scientists, designers and product managers who work on everything from interactive user interface design to large-scale distributed systems and machine learning. The team is currently recruiting for a number of positions including software developers, engineers and applied scientists.
The donation was made as part of the ‘Amazon in the Community’ programme, whereby the company supports the communities around its operating locations across the UK.
Community donations are one of a number of ways in which Amazon is supporting communities across the UK during COVID-19.
Throughout the pandemic Amazon has provided students with free online STEM resources and supported virtual classrooms with no-cost resources from AWS. The company has also teamed up with charity partner Magic Breakfast to deliver over 3 million healthy breakfasts to disadvantaged children around the UK.
For more information on how Amazon is supporting the UK during COVID-19, click here.
