Shoppers at Fort Kinnaird were treated to a very special visit from the Coca-Cola Christmas truck on Sunday as part of its tour of the UK.
The festive experience offered a whole host of fun for all the family, including ‘elfie selfie’ photo opportunities, food huts serving delicious seasonal tastes and the chance to get a personalised Coca-Cola drink.
Visitors were also able to get their all-important photo in front of the famous truck, with the iconic image of Father Christmas on the side.
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Liam Smith, centre director at Fort Kinnaird, said: “For many, the festive truck signals that ‘the holidays are coming’. With only a few days left to go until the big day, we hope families and friends enjoyed the experience and it helped them get into the festive spirit!”
Find out more about Christmas at Fort Kinnaird here:
With the cost of living crisis weighing heavily upon people’s minds and the expense of Christmas adding up, many people are understandably worried about how they will afford to pay for even basic essentials in January. And so, one local Community Interest Company is acting now to alleviate that anxiety with the launch of their free unform exchange.
Taking place at The Leith Collective stores in Edinburgh’s Ocean Terminal and Fort Kinnaird as well as the Glasgow’s St Enoch Centre, the ‘Smart Start’ initiative will see locals donate good quality school uniforms to those in need. Items will be available for anyone to collect completely free of charge, no questions asked.
Speaking ahead of the launch, The Leith Collective founder, Sara Thomson said; “Kids grow so quickly. Parents tend to buy a whole new uniform at the start of the school year in August and often find their child has already outgrown it by the Christmas break.
“Yet these uniforms are often still in perfectly good condition and could easily do another child a turn. Our Smart Start initiative aims to make it as easy as possible for people to donate their unwanted uniforms, so that someone in need can make use of them.”
The unform exchange is not only a practical response to the cost of living crisis, but also to the climate crisis – a cause which lies at the heart of The Leith Collective. As Sara Thomson explains; “Smart Start is a sustainable solution that aims to keep quality clothes out of landfill and in use for longer, thus promoting a circular economy and helping to reduce the environmental impact of the textile industry.”
The Smart Start uniform exchange comes just a few months after the launch of The Leith Collective’s winter coat exchange which has received an overwhelming response, with over 1,000 coats donated and collected by locals so far.
People can donate and collect garments at The Leith Collective in Ocean Terminal, Fort Kinnaird, and the St Enoch Centre during opening hours. No tights or socks can be accepted but all other good quality uniform items are welcome.
Fort Kinnaird has partnered with one of its independent retailers, the Leith Collective, to launch a free Christmas jumper exchange to support the local community this festive season.
Visitors are being invited to hand in clean, pre-loved festive knitwear of all sizes to the retailer, located next to Boots, from this week up until Christmas. The jumpers will be available for anyone to take home for free.
The initiative follows Leith Collective’s successful winter coat exchange that has seen hundreds of people donating and picking up coats across its Edinburgh stores.
Fort Kinnaird has also committed to give £1 for every donated jumper to its Edinburgh-based charity partner, Thistle Foundation.
The charity provides local and national support to people living with long-term health conditions or challenging life situations. Through one-to-one wellbeing coaching, group-based wellbeing courses and peer-led activities, Thistle Foundation supports people to lead good lives and achieve what matters most to them.
Liam Smith, centre director at Fort Kinnaird, said: “We know many people will have festive jumpers sitting unused in their homes.
By donating them to our appeal they will not only free up some much-needed cupboard space, but they’ll also be directly supporting people in their community at what is likely to be a very difficult time, and helping the environment by not throwing the clothing away.
“We’re proud to have Thistle as our charity partner and thank the Leith Collective for helping us support them further this Christmas. The team does incredible work, providing vital support to those who need it most in our local community.”
William Oviatt, Head of Fundraising at Thistle Foundation adds: “We are delighted to be Fort Kinnaird’s charity partner.
“At Thistle Foundation we believe in a world of inclusion, free of isolation and loneliness, where a health crisis shouldn’t mean a life crisis. This support will help us to ensure that people who are living with long-term health conditions such as Parkinson’s, arthritis, the effects of COVID-19 and the pandemic, or mental health conditions, have the support they need to live well.”
Fort Kinnaird announced its partnership with Thistle in February and has since been raising money for the Edinburgh charity through the centre’s Giving Box.
Fort Kinnaird is open 9am – 9pm on weekdays and 9am – 6pm on Saturdays and Sundays. For more information about planning a trip to Fort Kinnaird, please visit www.fortkinnaird.com.
This week (Monday 17th – Sunday 23rd October) is Recycle Week – an annual event that celebrates recycling across the nation with the aim to get more people recycling more of the right things, more often.
To mark it, Fort Kinnaird is sharing five different ways you can recycle at the centre, from clothes and shoes to pet food and beauty packaging – sometimes with the chance to receive vouchers in return.
Liam Smith, centre director at Fort Kinnaird, said:“Supporting the community is extremely important to us at Fort Kinnaird, and doing our bit for the environment is a huge part of that.
“As a centre, we are committed to working towards a more sustainable future and we want to encourage our visitors to do the same. We hope by highlighting these great initiatives offered by our retailers we help to make recycling even easier for local shoppers – not just during this week, but beyond that too.”
Here are five recycling schemes you can make the most of at Fort Kinnaird this Recycle Week:
H&M
Through H&M’s Garment Collecting programme, you can take any unwanted clothes or textiles – from any brand and in any condition – to their store at Fort Kinnaird and receive a £5 digital voucher to use on your next purchase, as well as earn 20 ‘Conscious Points’ as part of its loyalty scheme.
Old garments are either marketed as second-hand clothing or recycled into something new entirely.
schuh
Schuh’s ‘Sell Your Soles’ scheme offers customers £5 towards a new pair of shoes when they bring their old, worn pairs into store. The schuh Kids store at Fort Kinnaird also offers the same discount as part of its ‘Too Big For Your Boots’ initiative when taking in an old pair of shoes that no longer fit.
Pets at Home
At the Pets at Home store at Fort Kinnaird, pet owners can recycle old, rinsed food pouches from any brand that are made from a flexible plastic. These can be a struggle to recycle at home but, with the Pets at Home scheme, the pouches go through a specially designed process which heats the plastic, turning it back into an oil and separating the aluminium – which can then be made back into new products.
M&S
The ‘Plastic Recycling Scheme’ from M&S helps customers to recycle plastic from any product in-store, regardless of whether it is an M&S product.
Carrier bags, food wrappers and packaging from clothing multipacks are just some of the items which can be recycled at the Fort Kinnaird store and are difficult to do so at home.
Boots
The ‘Recycle at Boots’ scheme is aimed at hard-to-recycle beauty, healthcare and wellness products that cannot be put in recycling bins at home. Usually this is because they are too small (travel minis, mascaras), made of composite materials (make-up palettes, lipsticks) or made from non-recyclable materials (toothpaste tubes, lotion pumps).
Shoppers at Fort Kinnaird can gain up to 500 Boots Advantage Card points when they participate, which is equivalent to £5 to spend in store.
The Leith Collective
The recently opened Leith Collective store at Fort Kinnaird is running a ‘coat exchange’ where you can donate your old winter and waterproof coats. These will then be made available for collection at no cost for those who need them this winter.
It’s that time of year again when we all start thinking about getting our bake on and cooking up some warming winter one-pot meals.
To help their customers cook up a storm, ProCook have launched their bumper autumn Warehouse Sale, offering up to 70% off essential cookware, bakeware, tableware and kitchen accessories.
To celebrate the launch of the sale, ProCook is giving away a goody bag worth £50 to the first 20 customers through the door at 10am who visit the Fort Kinnaird Retail Park store in Edinburgh on Saturday 1st October, and one lucky customer per store will receive a special £100 gift voucher to spend in store, hidden in one of the bags.
For those who miss out, customers who visit the store this weekend will still be able to bag a bargain with up to 70% off typical price on hundreds of products.
In addition to the main Warehouse Sale, each week ProCook will be offering three extra special offers with a saving of up to £200 on the typical price. This week, ending on Sunday, the offers include a 3-piece Nihon X50 knife set, an 8-piece Professional Stainless-Steel cookware set and a stunning 32-piece Coastal Tableware Set.
Fort Kinnaird Retail Park store features ProCook’s full range of high-quality products, from essential bakeware and stunning tableware to colourful Cast Iron pieces and cutting-edge knife ranges.
ProCook’s friendly team are always on hand with friendly advice to make sure customers get just what they need can try items before they buy, and build bespoke cookware, knife and tableware sets to suit their needs.
ProCook can be found at Unit 30A, Fort Kinnaird Retail Park, Edinburgh, EH15 3RD. The store is open from 10am-8pm Monday to Friday, 10am-6pm on Saturdays and Sundays.
Exclusive offers ending October 2nd 2022:
Nihon X50 3 Piece Knife Set with Magnetic Block Typical Price £169 SALE PRICE £69
Coastal Grey Stoneware Dinner Set 32 piece Typical Price £159 SALE PRICE £69
Professional Stainless Steel 8 piece Cookware Set Typical Price £449 SALE PRICE £249
About ProCook:
ProCook is the UK’s leading specialist kitchenware brand. The business offers a direct-to-consumer proposition, designing, developing and retailing a high-quality range of cookware, kitchenware and tableware which provides customers with significant value for money.
The brand sells directly through its website, procook.co.uk, and via over 56 own-brand retail stores, located across the UK. ProCook products are also available on Amazon in Germany and France with delivery options extending to Belgium, Austria, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Poland.
Founded over 25 years ago as a family business, selling cookware sets by direct mail in the UK, ProCook has grown into a market leading, multi-channel specialist kitchenware and tableware company, employing 700 colleagues and operating from its Head Office in Gloucester.
More than 250 school children from three schools in Edinburgh have taken part in storytelling sessions organised by Fort Kinnaird, aimed at helping them fall in love with reading.
The events involved children hearing stories from professional storyteller, Amanda Edmiston, and were part of the Young Readers Programme, an award-winning initiative sponsored by Fort Kinnaird’s co-owner British Land and run-in partnership with the National Literacy Trust, designed to encourage children to read outside of the classroom.
During the literary-focussed events, pupils from Castleview Primary School, Niddrie Mill Primary School and Brunstane Primary School also learnt how to choose books they will enjoy and were able to take home a book of their choice.
British Land and the National Literacy Trust are celebrating 11 years in partnership this year and, since the programme launched at Fort Kinnaird, it has supported almost 2,300 school children and seen more than 6,800 books donated across the Edinburgh.
Research by the National Literacy Trust has shown that owning a book means children are more likely to say they enjoy reading and are more inclined to read in their free time. However, almost 6% of children in the UK do not own a book, which equates to almost 415,000 children across the country*.
With reading for enjoyment proven to have a positive effect on children’s reading skill* as well as their wellbeing and mental health, the Young Readers Programme initiative aims to give support and help with the development of children in under privileged areas by giving them access to books.
Liam Smith, centre director at Fort Kinnaird, said:“Supporting local children and their families is so important to us and the Young Readers Programme is an integral part of this.
“We look forward to this brilliant initiative every year and have loved seeing children from across our community enjoy their storytelling sessions.”
Jonathan Douglas CBE, Chief Executive of the National Literacy Trust, said: “Reading for enjoyment is proven to support mental wellbeing, literacy skills, and future success. Encouraging children to enjoy reading from a young age can have a measurable impact on the rest of their lives.
“But the sad reality is that 6% of children across the country don’t have their own book to read at home, and many don’t find reading enjoyable.
“Through the Young Readers Programme and the support of British Land, we are able to help so many more children have fun whilst reading outside the classroom, give them access to inspiring books and access to many benefits that they may otherwise be missing out on.”
Fort Kinnaird has collaborated with Capital City Partnership to launch a recruitment project that will support local people with employment opportunities and achieve new qualifications.
The Focus on Recruitment and Training (FORT) scheme is running for three years and is situated next to the Fort Kinnaird Management Suite. The free service is available for people aged 16 and over and works to identify potential roles for jobseekers with local employers, including retailers at the centre.
The FORT project also includes the delivery of youth focused training courses on Retail and Customer Service, for those aged between 16 and 24.
The scheme’s inaugural course will run from Monday 27th June until Friday 8th July and will feature an SQA accredited Customer Service qualification, support with CV building, job applications and interview tips along with an opportunity to be interviewed by a recruiting Fort Kinnaird retailer.
FORT is funded by Fort Kinnaird’s co-owner, British Land, and in kind support from the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal.
Liam Smith, centre director at Fort Kinnaird, said:“As a hub for many local communities, it’s extremely important to us that we use Fort Kinnaird’s scale to support projects that will make a real difference to the lives of those living closest to us.
“We’re so pleased that the new FORT project will be available for people to access free advice, training and job opportunities and provide them with the difficult first step into employment or the jump between careers.”
Kenny Hall, integrated employer engagement officer at Capital City Partnership, said: “Retail and Hospitality are two industries that have suffered significantly in terms of staffing off the back of the pandemic, and employers at Fort Kinnaird are no different.
“Through the new FORT project, we hope to upskill and retrain people from the local community to fill the recruitment gaps at Fort Kinnaird and the surrounding area.
“To register your interest in our first course, please email: TrainingAcademy@capitalcitypartnership.org or drop in to see us at the Recruitment and Skills Centre situated within Fleming House at Fort Kinnaird”
For those looking to enjoy a day out with family and friends or pick up some last-minute Easter gifts and decorations, Fort Kinnaird has confirmed its Easter weekend opening times.
With a variety of shops and restaurants, as well as ODEON cinema, there are plenty of ways to make the most of the Easter break at Fort Kinnaird.
From Friday 15th – Monday 18th April the centre’s shopping hours will remain the same as normal:
Good Friday – 15th April: 9am – 9pm
Easter Saturday – 16th April: 9am – 6pm
Easter Sunday – 17th April: 9am – 6pm
Easter Monday – 18th April: 9am – 9pm
Liam Smith, centre director at Fort Kinnaird, said:“We know many people will be looking for ways to spend quality time with family and friends during the Easter break, and we look forward to welcoming them to the centre.
“To help them make the most of this time together, we’re open every day over the Easter weekend, so visitors can spend a day or evening out at the centre.”
Fort Kinnaird is home to more than 70 retailers and restaurants, including Primark, M&S, ProCook, Next, Smyths, Wagamama, Nando’s and Fridays. There are also over 2,600 free parking spaces.
It’s recommended to check the opening hours of individual retailers before setting off to avoid disappointment.
For more information to help plan your Easter trip to Fort Kinnaird, including what’s on head here.
Mother’s Day is just a few days away, but there’s still time to pick up the perfect gift for the mother figure in your life.
Whether it’s dinner with family, her favourite perfume or a classic bouquet of flowers, there’s plenty to choose from at Fort Kinnaird.
A family meal
Sometimes the most special gifts are those that you can enjoy together.
Brunch is a great way to spend the day, especially if you’re looking for Mother’s Day ideas for what to do. Browse the menu at Frankie & Benny’s for a delicious pancake stack – or celebrate in style with a cocktail at Fridays.
It doesn’t take big gestures to show someone how much they mean to you, a small token to say ‘thanks’ is sometimes all that it takes.
You can’t go wrong with a bunch of Mother’s Day flowers or a new houseplant from M&S to brighten up their day. Don’t forget to visit Card Factory for a Mother’s Day card too.
A pampering present
Take the opportunity to restock their signature scent or treat them to a new fresh or floral fragrance for the spring/summer season at The Perfume Shop.
Boots also has a range of Mother’s Day gift sets to choose from, whether you’re after skincare, bath or beauty buys. Add a candle from Homesense to help them unwind with that at-home spa feeling.
For the ultimate cosy night in, treat them to a fresh set of pyjamas and a new pair of slippers from Next.
A mindful moment
Whether their happy place is in the gym, garden, or curled up on the sofa, there’s got something for everyone.
Check out the fitness range at JD Sports for everything from apparel to yoga mats. Shop seeds, bird houses, gloves and more for keen gardeners at Wilko. Or browse the bestselling books at Waterstones to help them have the perfect day doing what they love.
A special surprise
Surprising the mother figure in your life with an extra-special gift is sure to make them feel good on Mother’s Day and beyond.
Gift a little luxury with designer trainers or a coat from Tessuti. Or, treat them to a gorgeous set of earrings, or a Mother’s Day necklace from Goldsmiths or Beaverbrooks.
An everyday essential
Handbags, purses and wallets are a great Mother’s Day gift idea, and whatever their style, you’ll have no trouble finding ‘the one’ at River Island.
If you’re hoping to wow with an extra big ‘thank you’ this year, visit Tessuti for a range of designer options.
A sweet treat
If they have a serious sweet tooth, you can’t go wrong with a box of chocolates from Hotel Chocolat – the Velvetiser is also a must-have for chocoholics!
For keen bakers or chefs, shop aprons, spatulas and pans galore at ProCook or treat them to a new cookbook from Nadiya Hussain or Jane’s Patisserie, packed with tasty cakes, bakes and treats.
A homemade treasure
Take the time to make a handmade gift and show just how much they mean to you.
Make a thoughtful Mother’s Day hamper by adding a keepsake to treasure – find a range of personalised Mother’s Day gifts from homeware to accessories at Next. Or print out a family photo at Boots with a pretty frame from Homesense.
For more information about planning a trip to Fort Kinnaird, please visit www.fortkinnaird.com.
Sweet or savoury? Short stack or pile them high? With Pancake Day just around the corner, we’ve come up with four tasty ways you can celebrate Shrove Tuesday (1st March) at Fort Kinnaird.
Tuck into an American classic at Frankie & Benny’s
If you’re a fan of brunch, then look no further than Frankie & Benny’s this Shrove Tuesday. Tuck into classic American-style pancakes topped with maple syrup and bacon, or why not sweeten things up with banana and chocolate sauce?
Visiting with the whole family? Kids are also catered for, with their breakfast stacks including apple juice, orange juice or milk in the price. View Frankie & Benny’s full menu here.
Get your quick fix at McDonald’s
Looking for a quick and easy option that the whole family will enjoy? McDonald’s is renowned for its McMuffins, but did you know it also serves pancakes for breakfast too?
Diners can enjoy three golden pancakes drizzled with syrup and served with a classic pork sausage patty. Available to sit-in and savour or devour on the go.
Preparing your pancakes at home? Marks & Spencer at Fort Kinnaird has all the essentials you need to create your dream stack. Along with the key ingredients of eggs, caster sugar, lemon juice, flour and milk, shoppers can also pick up various fruit, syrups and sauces. Kids will love the Percy Pig dessert sauce!
Short on time? Pick up a pack of buttermilk pancakes or try a pre-made shaker mix. Available in classic or vegan varieties, simply add your milk of choice, shake, pour and cook.
Browse in-store or visit Marks & Spencer’s website for more Pancake Day recipe ideas.
Perfect your flip with ProCook
For those looking to show off their skills at home, ProCook has a variety of quality crepe pans to help you flip the perfect pancake.
While the simple carbon steel crepe pan (£7.99) is ideal for little ones having their first attempt, ProCook’s Professional Granite crepe pan (£34) will allow budding chefs achieve the perfect flip. With a non-stick coating and a cast iron body, this pan comes with a 25-year guarantee – making it a great investment for Pancake Days to come!
Pop in store to view the full cookware range or visit ProCook’s website for more inspiration.
For more information about planning a trip to Fort Kinnaird, please visit:
