Tag: Gyle

New Support for Local Veterans

A new drop-in session for veterans living in the Edinburgh area is opening next week (26 November).

Emma Weir, who is the Community Builder for the local area for Help for Heroes is bringing a ‘Heroes Café’ to the Gyle Shopping Centre, as part of a programme to reach out to even more veterans across Edinburgh and the surrounding region.

Emma, who has been supporting veterans in Edinburgh for three and a half years, said: “We know that the city and surrounding area has one of the highest populations of veterans in the country. Over the years we’ve helped hundreds of people who have got in touch with us for support.

“The cafés give veterans an easy way to connect with others in the local area. People can just drop in and have a chat and a brew with others who share their life experiences. They can also find out about the different services we offer. It’s a gentle way to dip your toes back into the water and to feel like you’re part of a community again.”

Former service men and women can sometimes feel they’ve lost their support network, which can leave them feeling isolated and lonely.

Adjusting to civilian life can also bring challenges, for example a recent report showed that over a quarter (27%) of adults who have served in the UK’s armed forces have run out of food in the last 12 months, and they did not have money to buy more*.

Help for Heroes offers practical support for anyone who has served from any branch of the UK military – regulars or reserves – irrespective of length or place of service, and locally embedded civilians who worked under the command of UK Armed Forces..

Chloe McKenrick, aged 49 and from Dumferline, was in the army for 22 years and has been supported by the Hidden Wounds service, which helps veterans deal with mental health challenges and has taken part in different sports and social activities. She said: “I’ve attended a number of Help for Heroes Cafés and have always found them to be a great way to catch up with fellow veterans.

“It enables you to socialise in a civilian setting, which can be hard for some of us for a variety of reasons – and being with people who genuinely understand and support you makes you feel more relaxed and safe.”

The Help for Heroes café will be held on the fourth Tuesday of every month at Space to Be in the Gyle Shopping Centre.

You can find out more by going to Help For Heroes | Community Taster Sessions | Help For Heroes or by contacting Emma Weir emma.weir@helpforheroes.org.uk

Housebuilder launches new luxury apartments in growing West Edinburgh community

Award-winning housebuilder, Cruden Homes, has announced the release of luxury 1-and-2 bedroom apartments at its popular West Craigs Green development in the heart of west Edinburgh. 

Many plots come complete with generous balconies and stunning views over green open space, creating the perfect spot to unwind. Prices in the latest release of apartments range from £220,000 to £293,500, with first completions expected in Autumn 2024.

The new development has seen high levels of demand and the new apartments add to a range of 3 bedroom terraced and semi-detached houses and 4-bedroom townhouses, each with their own private gardens. 

The West Craigs area is undergoing exceptional transformation and offers a growing and friendly neighbourhood with an abundance of green space, including the brand-new Lennie and Meadowfield Parks. There are also plans for a new primary school, cafe and health centre, all within walking distance. 

Ideally located between Barnton and South Gyle, West Craigs Green is just five miles from Edinburgh’s city centre and benefits from excellent transport links, including cycle routes, bus, rail and tram stops within close proximity.

The Gyle shopping centre offers a range of amenities, including high street shops, a supermarket and eateries, all easily accessible on foot or by car. 

Last month, the stunning new ‘Orchid’ show home opened for viewing at the development,  offering a modern open-plan living with a large kitchen/dining area at the back of the home, a welcoming lounge, very generously sized master bedroom and a family bathroom. 

Hazel Davies, Sales and Marketing Director at Cruden Homes, said: “West Craigs Green is a thriving community-inspired development in Edinburgh providing the ideal place for buyers who want to live in a scenic location, yet within easy reach of city life. 

“Following the enthusiastic response to the first phase of West Craigs Green, our brand new apartment offering only serves to extend the appeal of the development, making it the perfect location for first time buyers, young professionals and those looking to downsize.”

To view or find out more about reserving a property at Cruden Homes’ latest West Craigs Green development, visit https://crudenhomes.homeselector.uk/west-craigs-green or call 0131 600 0095.

The sales & marketing suite and showhome are open Thursday to Monday, 10.30am – 5.30pm.

Gyle knife robbery: Witness appeal

POLICE are appealing following a robbery on a footpath in the Gyle area.

The incident happened between 5.50pm and 6pm on Monday (14 August), on the path between the Gyle shopping centre and Gogarloch Syke.

A man was walking on the path from the shopping centre towards Gogarloch Syke when he came across a man lying on the ground. On approaching, the man on the ground has produced a knife and demanded money, before making off into a wooded area towards Gogarloch Syke with a four-figure sum of cash.

The man is described as white, aged late 20s, of slim build and around 5ft 11ins to 6ft. He was wearing a burgundy/maroon hoodie with the hood up, light grey tracksuit bottoms and grey trainers.

Detective Constable Peter Lyons said: “Fortunately no one was injured but the man who was robbed was left extremely upset and shaken by what happened.

“The area was likely busy with dog walkers and pedestrians at the time and we are keen to speak to anyone who saw what happened.

“We are also keen to speak to the man described and would like anyone who saw him before or after the incident to get in touch.”

Anyone who can help is asked to call Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident number 3269 of Monday, 14 August, 2023.

Miller Homes helps Edinburgh children get Home Safe this October

Homebuilder donates high-vis vests to school children

It’s Walk to School month, and leading homebuilder, Miller Homes, is helping children in Edinburgh travel to and from school safely by donating high-vis vests to children local to its West Craigs Manor development, as part of its Home Safe initiative.

After a successful two years in Scotland, Miller Homes has expanded its Home Safe campaign for a third year, this time across the entire UK. Children’s high-vis vests will be available to collect from the marketing suite at Miller Homes’ development on Craigs Road.

As the morning and afternoon walks get a little darker, it’s hoped the bright yellow bibs will ensure local children are visible to drivers whether they are walking, cycling or scootering to school.

According to the most recent Government reports, the national average for children who walk to school is 46%. This is likely to increase in 2022, as families look to be healthier and more energy efficient.

Lynsey Brown Regional Sales Director for Miller Homes Scotland East said: “Getting to and from school safely is such an important part of a child’s routine, and being active while doing it is great for both their mental and physical wellbeing.

“Our Home Safe initiative is designed to help kids to be as safe as possible on those journeys, educating them on the importance of being visible to road users, especially as the days get darker, which will encourage good safety habits for years to come.”

Suitable for all primary school children, the high-vis vests will be available on a first come first served basis and can be collected from the marketing suite at West Craigs Manor from Thursday to Monday, 10:30-5:30pm.

For more information on Miller Homes and the Home Safe initiative, visit the website:

 https://www.millerhomes.co.uk/promo/homesafe.

Edinburgh Park mass vaccination centre welcomes final patients

Edinburgh Park’s mass vaccination centre will welcome its final patients this weekend as the site prepares for closure on Sunday.

The mass vaccination centre, based within the Royal Bank of Scotland’s former Younger Building, will close this weekend, having seen thousands of patients come through its doors.

Over the last four months, since the site opened on Monday 1 March, the vaccination team has administered 82,595 doses of the lifesaving vaccine.

NHS Lothian is now in the process of moving to a more flexible delivery model and will utilise more mobile and surge vaccination clinics.  This will allow the board to target people who are still to receive their jab by making it as easy as possible to be vaccinated.

The decommissioning of the site will begin on Monday (12 July). Those in the west Edinburgh area wishing to visit a drop-in clinic at a mass vaccination centre can do so at the Royal Highland Showground.

Airport buses have been temporarily diverted to allow passengers to be dropped off directly outside Lowland Hall.

The Edinburgh Park site will still welcome both appointments and drop-ins until closure.

Pat Wynne, Nurse Director of Primary and Community Care, NHS Lothian, said: “The site at RBS has played a key role in the vaccination programme so far and we are really thankful to our team who made it work so well. I would also say thank you to Royal Bank of Scotland for cooperation throughout the site’s operation.

“Anyone wishing to be vaccinated from Monday can do so visiting one of our four mass vaccination drop-in clinics across the region, which are continuing to operate.

“This weekend (10 and 11 July), we will be running our mobile vaccination clinics with the Scottish Ambulance Service at The Centre, Livingston (Sat), and Fort Kinnaird Shopping Centre (Sun).

“These are open to everyone over the age of 18 for first vaccination, and for those who are due their second vaccination having waited eight weeks.”

Drop-in vaccinations from tomorrow at RBS Younger Building

NHS Lothian are opening a drop-in vaccination clinic for people aged 18-39. The new clinic opens tomorrow at 8.30am – 5.30pm at the RBS Younger Building at the Gyle.

You don’t need to be registered with a GP to get your vaccine at a drop-in clinic.

You can get your 1st dose, or your 2nd dose if it’s been more than 8 weeks since your first.

Meanwhile clinics for over 40s are still running as normal.

The news comes as the latest grim figures were released. 3285 new cases of coronavirus were reported in the past 24 hours – another new record – representing 12.6% of the total tests that reported results.

For more information, including how to get there, visit :

http://ow.ly/Dtsx50FjNeW.

M&S stores across Edinburgh share plans for retail reopening

·         M&S stores across Edinburgh, including M&S Gyle and M&S Princes Street, get ready to welcome more shoppers back in store as customers look ahead to brighter days

·         New services launched to help customers Shop Their Way – from contact free bra fit to easier payment options

·         Sparks to boost rewards for customers for two weeks from 26th April – one customer every day in every store will win their shopping for free 

With retail reopening across Scotland this week, M&S is sharing how stores across Edinburgh, including M&S Gyle and M&S Princes Street, are set up to offer customers the inspiration and flexibility to Shop Your Way.

M&S has been continually adapting its store experience, offering products and services that local customers want after a year of significant change.

M&S stores across Edinburgh are offering a range of exciting new products and services to make shopping with M&S easier, convenient and more rewarding – from digital payment options to rewards and treats for shopping through our Sparks loyalty programme. All of this supported by standout M&S customer service in a safe and clean store.

M&S Scotland Central and East Regional Manager, Scott Munro, said: “We’re excited to welcome more customers back into our stores and look forward to continuing to serve our local community.

“Whether you’re looking for our latest Dine-In family feast or those must-have wardrobe staples to see you into summer, we have everything to help you Shop Your Way.

“With exciting new services like our contact-free bra fitting and the Scan & Shop service on our Sparks mobile app, we’re supporting customers however they choose to shop. Whether that’s browsing in store or using our click & collect service, our local team is ready to help.”

Shop Your Way: Easy and Rewarding Ways to Pay 

Following the relaunch of the M&S Sparks loyalty scheme in July last year, M&S stores across Edinburgh are marking the return of retail by offering one Sparks customer every single day for two weeks from 26th April, in every store, their whole basket or trolley of shopping for free.

As well as offering regular rewards and treats for shopping through Sparks with M&S, the mobile App also allows customers to shop in store with their phones with the Scan & Shop with Sparks service offering a quick way to pay without using the till. This follows the recent extension of Sparks Book & Shop to help customer plan ahead and book a slot to shop at a time that suits them.

Shop Your Way: Great new services and stand out service  

Outstanding customer service remains and will always be a defining feature of the M&S experience and is a key reason why customers choose to shop with M&S – from the welcoming host on the door and the brilliant operations teams behind the scenes, to the valuable in-store services offered in-store.

Bra Fit

Bra fit is back at M&S including at M&S Princes Street, the Gyle and Fort Kinnaird, allowing customers to choose between a contact-free bra fit from M&S’s expert colleague by appointment or the new option of accessing M&S’s expert service from home via a virtual appointment. M&S virtual bra fit appointments are available for any customers across Scotland.

M&S Gyle is also improving its Bra Fit service by offering customers on-the-spot payment service Pay With Me – so customers can purchase lingerie straight after their appointment from M&S’s expert Bra Fit colleagues without visiting a till.

Click and Collect

More and more customers are looking to take advantage of the flexibility and convenience of shopping with M&S across both its website and their local store. M&S is making this easier by blending these services and offering local customers free next day collection when ordered by 8pm.

M&S Cafés

M&S Cafés, including at M&S Gyle, Fort Kinnaird and Ocean Terminal, are now open as of 26th April.

All customer toilets will also be back open, with strict cleaning protocols in place to ensure the highest levels of hygiene. 

Lottery win for Gyle neighbours

Three people in North West Edinburgh are celebrating after winning £1,000 each thanks to their lucky postcode.

The North Bughtlinfield neighbours netted the windfall when EH12 8XZ was announced as a Daily Prize winner with People’s Postcode Lottery on Thursday (1st October).

People’s Postcode Lottery ambassador Judie McCourt sent her well-wishes to the winners. She said: “Congratulations to our winners. What a great surprise to hear on a Thursday morning!”

A minimum of 32% of ticket sales goes directly to charities and players of People’s Postcode Lottery have raised over £600 million to date for thousands of good causes in Britain and beyond.

This draw was promoted on behalf of Canal & River Trust which has received more than £10 million in funding thanks to players. It cares and brings life to over 2,000 miles of canals and rivers across England and Wales.  It believes waterways have the power to make a difference to people’s lives and that spending time by water can make us all healthier and happier.

Many good causes close to the winners have also benefitted from players’ support, and local charities can apply for funding next year.

For more information onPeople’s Postcode Lottery, please visit www.postcodelottery.co.uk or Facebook and Twitter.

Committee to discuss controversial Low Traffic Neighbourhoods

Proposals for a Low Traffic Neighbourhood in East Craigs will be considered by Transport and Environment Committee this morning (Thursday 1 October).

The temporary measures are being proposed as part of our Spaces for People programme and, following concerns raised by the local community, will be brought to committee for a final decision by councillors.

In response to feedback from residents, the design of the scheme has been amended to ensure that every area in the Low Traffic Neighbourhood can access (entry and/or exit) two of the major distributor roads, Drum Brae, Glasgow Road or Maybury Road.

The council says that by making these amendments, it will alleviate the requirement for right turns across Drum Brae South and Glasgow Road, which have been key concerns of residents. However, it will also ensure that routes used by vehicles to avoid the A8 corridor are closed, particularly during Craigmount High School’s opening and closing times. In addition, it will take traffic away from the West Edinburgh Link north-south cycle route.

Councillor Lesley Macinnes, Transport and Environment Convenor, said: Low Traffic Neighbourhoods allow residents to move around their own areas safely and with more space. They encourage physical activity and reduce through traffic.

“We know through feedback we have received that local people want to see measures improved for walking, wheeling and cycling and this is an opportunity to make this a reality on a temporary basis.

“However, we recognise that a number of people have been opposed to the measures we are looking to implement, so we felt it was right to refer this matter to the Transport and Environment Committee for proper scrutiny by elected members.

“We have listened carefully to local concerns and are proposing a number of changes to address the issues raised by the community. This will make vehicle access easier for local residents while moving ahead with some elements that will bring positive changes for residents. There is also a clear commitment to continue monitoring its effect and to modify it where necessary.

Councillor Karen Doran, Transport and Environment Vice Convenor, said: “We know that Low Traffic Neighbourhoods reduce emissions and calm traffic due to the number of successful schemes that have already been implemented across the UK.

“Nevertheless, there is local opposition to this scheme and it should be discussed and agreed by the Transport and Environment Committee before we take steps to implement. We will continue to engage with residents and stakeholders regarding this matter and ensure that their voices are heard as we move forward.”

The report will also consider other potential Low Traffic Neighbourhoods across the city, including the Meadows, Leith and the South Corstorphine area.

The East Craigs Low Traffic Neighbourhood involves temporary measures and is not a permanent scheme. Once implemented we will continue to monitor its success and engage with local residents. If a view is taken to make the scheme permanent full consultation with residents would take place.

Low Traffic Neighbourhoods are used in a number of cities to reduce the impact of through motor traffic. They create people-friendly spaces which encourage physical activity and active travel choices while maintaining local access. Our consultation on the West Edinburgh Link (WEL) project showed support for proposals to improve conditions for active travel. We also received a number of suggestions via our Commonplace online tool on how the area could be made safer for residents.

Read the full report, Spaces for People – East Craigs Low Traffic Neighbourhood, online. Watch Transport Committee live via webcast from 10am on Thursday, 1 October.

The amended measures for the East Craigs scheme include – 

  • Removing the Craigmount Avenue and Craigs Loan modal filters
  • Changing the position of the Craigs Gardens modal filter
  • Changing the North Gyle Terrace filter to No Entry east bound (from Maybury Road)
  • Altering the Craigs Road bus gate so that it always permits one-way westbound traffic and restricts eastbound traffic at peak times (07:30 – 09:30 and 16:00-18:30)

Lesley traced safe and well

UPDATE: Police Scotland have confirmed that Leslie Adam, 60, who had been reported missing from Edinburgh, has been traced SAFE AND WELL.

Thank you to everyone who shared our appeals and assisted in our enquiries.

Police are appealing for information to help trace a woman reported missing from Corstoprhine.

Leslie Adam, (60) was last seen at her home address in the Bughtlin area around 2am on Sunday, 16 August. She is believed to have left around 9am on the same date on foot and has not been seen or heard from since. There is growing concern for her welfare.

She is described as being 5ft 5ins tall and of a heavy build. Leslie is thought to have recently cut her white hair which is described as being a very short, shaved cut. At the time she went missing she is believed to have been wearing a dark bomber style jacket.

Inspector Keith Forrester from Corstorphine police station said: “Along with her family, we are becoming increasingly concerned for Leslie’s welfare and are keen to locate her as soon as possible.

“It is very out of character for Leslie to not keep in contact with her family, she left on foot but has limited mobility so we believe she may have used a bus or taxi to travel.

“I would urge anyone who may have seen her to contact us as soon as possible. Similarly, if Leslie is reading this, let us know you are safe and well.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101, quoting incident 1543 of Sunday, 16 August 2020.