Tag: fifth birthday

Utilita Energy Hub in Leith celebrates five years of supporting the local community

Join the five-year milestone celebrations for your chance to win the Hub’s Grand Hamper Raffle

Edinburgh’s Utilita Energy Hub is set to mark its fifth year anniversary this week and the team in Leith will be welcoming both regular and new hub visitors to join a free Coffee Morning and Energy Efficiency Workshop. 

Natasha Baillie, Supervisor at the Leith Energy Hub,and her dedicated team are looking forward to welcoming the local community to help celebrate the milestone event on Friday, 31 January (08:30am-5pm) and everyone is invited along to enjoy a slice of birthday cake and a cup of tea, coffee or hot chocolate. 

Hub visitors will also have the chance to enter the Utilita Leith Energy Hub’s Grand Hamper Raffle, filled with lots of goodies such as chocolate and other sweet treats – with the prize winner being drawn and revealed at 3pm.  The Energy Efficiency Workshop is set to take place between 10 and 11am, followed by a special prize draw Tombola.


Not a customer? Not a problem! 

Back in 2018, Utilita opened its first hub in the UK with the aim of getting out into local communities and serving to help not only customers, but everyone that is part of that community too.

At the start of 2020, Utilita officially opened Scotland’s first high street Energy Hub in Newkirkgate Shopping Centre in Leith, with Hibs legend Pat Stanton cutting the ribbon, and it’s been providing vital community support and energy advice ever since. 

The hub aims to serve the community, offering energy advice to absolutely anyone that requires it and also engages in community events as well as working with local charities such as the Edinburgh North East Foodbank.

No matter whether you are a Utilita customer or not, the hub team is always happy to give free energy saving advice, something manager Natashasays is very important given the current cost-of-living crisis – and they’re also able to offer energy saving products at competitive prices. 

Five year reflection 

Reflecting on the hub’s success over the past five years, Natasha said: “We have had such fantastic support since the first day we opened our doors and really have been made to feel so welcome in the local community. It is thanks to them that we have done so well and been able to provide so much support to local good causes.  

“Hub highlights over the past five years include hosting a charity match with Hibernian Community Foundation and the Big Hearts Community Trust, which made over £5,000 and was donated evenly between the charities. 

“Every year at Leith Gala Day we book a stall to deliver energy efficiency advice and we work very closely with many other charities, one of them being Held In Our Hearts. Our recent abseil for this charity raised over £500 which was then match funded by the company.

”We’re immensely grateful to the people of Leith, and beyond, for really embracing what we do here.  With the local community’s support, we’re able to regularly donate Christmas Eve bags to Ronald McDonald House, as well as donating 25 TVs for all the rooms.

“Having a presence on the high street lets the public know that the Utilita team are here for everyone and all you need to do is pop down for anything you may need help with, customer or not. 

“We aim to make it super simple to manage your energy – no phone lines or online dashboards, just a friendly face to speak to in a warm space with a free cuppa if you’d like one and colouring packs to keep the kids entertained!” 

Open to all 

Utilita Energy Hubs are high street locations where customers can top up their accounts, check their balances, and get energy-saving advice – based not just in Edinburgh but also Gosport, Southampton, Isle of Wight, Luton, Derby, West Bromwich, Sheffield, Leicester, Blackburn, Huddersfield and Hartlepool. 

The Utilita Leith Energy Hub is open from 08:30 to 5pm Monday to Saturday at 41 Newkirkgate, Edinburgh, EH6 6AA. See more on Utilita Energy Hubs at https://utilita.co.uk/energy-hub. 

Famed Old Town Pub turns Five on Burns Weekend

Following five years of nationwide success, The Piper’s Rest in the heart of Edinburgh’s Old Town is celebrating its fifth birthday on Burns weekend by inviting their loyal fans for a night of live music, and the chance to win Scottish-themed prizes including a VIP day at the Six Nations plus a whole keg of Tennent’s Lager.   

Edinburgh pub-lovers rejoice as The Piper’s Rest celebrate their fifth year in business by hosting a huge party to say thank you to their loyal customers.

Located just off the Royal Mile, the pub opened just before the global pandemic, and has maintained a devoted fan base throughout the last five years by championing traditional Scottish produce and supporting local live music. 

Over the last five years The Piper’s Rest’s welcoming reputation and high-quality service has earned the pub one of the top-rated spots on Trip Advisor’s ‘Best Bars & Pubs in Edinburgh’ and even caught the eye of the Come Dine With Me: The Professionals producers where the pub not only starred but was victorious in Season 2 Episode 20. 

Friday 24th January will be an open-to-all night of traditional Scottish celebration as customers will toast to Burns weekend and raise a glass to an outstanding five years for The Piper’s Rest.

Lucky locals will have the chance to win two platinum Six Nations tickets to see Scotland host Wales at Murrayfield, including breakfast at Piper’s, transport to the game, and then dinner and a party back at Piper’s afterwards.

The night will also see a tasting from Scottish moonshine brand Highland Moon and a prize-draw to win a whole keg of Tennent’s Lager. 

An advocate for Edinburgh’s live music scene, The Piper’s Rest is one of the only pubs in the city to host different local artists 7-nights-a-week. Regular appearances from cult favourites such as Acoustic David and Ted Christopher have made the venue a must-visit for locals and tourists alike. 

Commenting on the fifth birthday, Frazer Henderson, General Manager at The Piper’s Rest, said: “When we opened Piper’s, we had the vision to utilise the best Scottish produce available, the best local live music out there, and serve customers with a smile on our face.

“Five years on, the welcoming, warming nature of the pub is what makes us proud. We can’t thank our loyal locals enough for making The Piper’s Rest what it is. Here’s to the next five years!”  

Merchant Leisure owns bars & restaurants across the city including The Newsroom, Burgers & Beers Grillhouse and The Railbridge. Their speakeasy venue Jackson the Tailor, located at the top of Leith Street and inspired by the speakeasy culture of the early 20th century, was recently shortlisted for a prestigious design award by the British Institute of Interior Design. 

Most recently the bar and restaurant group took over Gordon’s Trattoria after a 43-year ownership as the sixth venue to be listed under the Merchant Leisure umbrella, which plans to continue serving authentic Italian cuisine for now in the heart of Edinburgh’s historic Royal Mile. 

The Piper’s Rest is located just off Edinburgh’s Royal Mile with a menu consisting entirely of Scottish favourites, using recipes passed down from parents & grandparents, with a modern twist – “Hearty, warming, traditional and comforting.”

Hundreds of care experienced learners supported as Hub celebrates five years of Success

The Hub for Success aims to help more people from care into further and higher education

The team behind an innovative service, which supports care experienced people along their journey in education, is marking its fifth anniversary – having already transformed hundreds of lives.

Since it was set up in February 2018, The Hub for Success (Support for University and College for Care Experienced in South-East Scotland) has provided one-to-one support to 628 care experienced learners and responded to 1,241 enquiries.

The project was established to address low rates of higher education admission and retention for people who have spent time in care, which were initially highlighted by Edinburgh Napier University (ENU) research.

It offers individual and impartial advice on topics such as courses, accommodation, and finance to help them get in, stay in, or return to education.

Among the students it has supported in the last five years, 43% got into further or higher education – significantly higher than the national average for care experienced learners.

The Hub has since evolved from being solely a one-stop support service, taking on a more strategic role of amplifying the voices of care experienced learners and tackling the barriers they face.

ENU hosts its team of staff members – which has grown to five – while working alongside fellow core partners Heriot-Watt University, the University of Edinburgh, Queen Margaret University, the Open University in Scotland, Edinburgh College, West Lothian College, Newbattle Abbey College, and City of Edinburgh Council.

A recent independent evaluation of the Hub for Success found it has already “implemented the vast majority of its intended work,” adding that it could act as a model to be replicated in other parts of Scotland. It was also praised by First Minister Humza Yousaf as “vital” to improving the lives of care experienced people during a visit earlier this month.

Staff, partners, and some of the learners who have benefited from the service were among those who marked the Hub’s first five years of work during an anniversary event yesterday (Tuesday 20 February).

Alistair Stewart is one of the Hub’s student ambassadors – and is now completing a degree at Edinburgh Napier University. He said: “Our colleges and universities are stronger if each and every learner has what they need to thrive and succeed.

“This applies even more so to those with care experience, who often don’t have the familial supports or scaffolding of support around them.

“The Hub helped with course planning, financial planning and giving me encouragement and courage to believe that I could do this. They then helped me with the ‘staying in’ part, with a range of practical, emotional and relationship-based support.

“Three years later I am about to graduate and have been offered a masters. I have also been promoted to senior student ambassador with the Hub for Success and now take a role in designing and delivering our work.”

Lorraine Moore, Hub for Success manager said: “What a journey the last five years have been. The time has been packed full of learning from the care experienced people we serve, and the student ambassadors I am privileged to have as colleagues.

“No journey is ever straightforward, no path even, but this is a journey I would gladly take again, as I know I would continue to learn. 

“From one care experienced character to all you others, thank you.”

Advisory board member, and Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Edinburgh Napier University, Professor Andrea Nolan, said: “I’m in awe of the talent, tenacity, and motivation our care experienced students show.

“We are delighted to have them join the Edinburgh Napier community, and I take particular joy in hearing about their achievements.

“I hope the impact of the Hub will mean many more care experienced learners can join and continue their educational journey with us as a platform for building successful and fulfilling careers.”

Are you care experienced? Interested in getting back into learning? The Hub can be contacted here.