How messy can you get? Pretty messy, in our experience! No problem, though. We fully believe in telling our little ones to “play with your food.” How else would they get the chance to explore flavours and textures and then decide what they want to eat?
Everything we prepare for you and your tiny people is colourful, delicious, and ultra-nutritious. We want you to explore food with your child, share ideas of what works for you, or learn new ways to offer new foods to your little ones. Most of all, we want you to have fun in a relaxed atmosphere with other mums and littles.
If you live in Granton, Pilton, Muirhouse, Drylaw, Royston or Wardieburn, and you’re a mum, grannie or auntie who is caring for your under 5, and you’d like to know more about healthy food, weaning or picky eating, then you can sign up here:
Thousands more children will benefit from free breakfasts supported by the Scottish Government.
The Bright Start Breakfasts fund is now open to applications and will provide £3 million so more primary school children can have a nutritious start to the day and parents can benefit from free childcare.
Nearly half of Scotland’s schools already provide breakfast at the start of the school day. The Bright Start Breakfasts funding will support expansion of existing clubs and establishment of new ones, creating more free places for primary school children.
In addition to more breakfast clubs, the Scottish Government is expanding the Extra Time programme, which provides funding for 31 local football clubs and trusts to provide free access to before school, after school and holiday clubs for targeted primary school children from families on low incomes.
Work is also under way in 23 communities to design and deliver further childcare services for priority families.
Visiting a breakfast club at Riverside Primary School in Glasgow Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth said: “We know how important a healthy breakfast can be for children, particularly those most at risk of living in poverty, and breakfast clubs have a crucial role in our mission to eradicate child poverty.
“They help set children up for the day, supporting them to achieve their learning potential, and provide families with childcare, helping more parents to get to work in the morning.
“Applications are open and I encourage anyone who could deliver a breakfast club to contact Inspiring Scotland.”
Celia Tennant, Chief Executive at Inspiring Scotland, said: “Inspiring Scotland is pleased to be working with Scottish Government to manage the Bright Start Breakfasts fund.
“We are committed to working together to tackle child poverty and improve family wellbeing. We are delighted to see applications starting to come in since launching the fund on Wednesday”
Inspiring Scotland invites applications from groups and organisations who deliver or want to deliver breakfast clubs, including:
Primary schools
local authorities
third-sector organisations
registered childcare providers
activity providers
parent or volunteer groups
childminding services
Work to design and deliver childcare services for priority families is taking place in 23 Early Adopter Communities across six local authority areas (Clackmannanshire, Dundee, Glasgow, Inverclyde, Fife and Shetland).
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.
This Mental Health Awareness Week, we’re calling on the UK government for urgent reform to protect young people’s mental health.
Today, we’re heading to parliament to raise awareness of the benefits of positive communities – both online and offline – for our mental health.
We’ll also be shining a light on the dangers of digital spaces, and what we must do make online communities safer – particularly for young people.
While there are many supportive and uplifting online communities, there are also harmful ones that promote hatred, self-harm, and dangerous misinformation.
The mental health impacts of these negative environments can be catastrophic. So it’s essential that the government takes action to make these spaces safer, while we also learn about how we can embrace the good, and avoid the bad.
New Childline data shows the service delivered 2,895 counselling sessions to young people struggling with anger issues, a 6 per cent increase from the previous year
This Mental Health Awareness Week, the NSPCC is encouraging children to process their anger in a healthy way and contact Childline if they need to talk
Thousands of children and young people have received support from Childline for anger issues over the past year.
New data shows that the NSPCC-service delivered close to 3,000 counselling sessions to children and young people across the UK about the issue, online and over the phone, which is a 6 per cent increase on the previous 12 months.
The rise in contacts on the topic has made anger issues a top ten mental health concern for all genders contacting the service. This data gives insight into a generation increasingly struggling to manage and regulate their emotions in the face of a range of pressures at home, school, online and in the community.
This Mental Health Awareness Week (May 12 to 18), Childline is offering advice in dealing with these emotions in a healthy way.
One 13-year-old girl from Scotland told Childline: “I get so mad and annoyed about little things. It takes all my energy to control and hide it. I try shutting myself in my room when I feel it happening, but then mum thinks it’s her fault. Is there anything else I can try?”
Counselling sessions delivered by Childline reveal several recurring themes when children are discussing anger.
Some are aggressively criticising themselves, while some often experience frustration with parents and peers following disagreements. Others are struggling to regulate their emotions during challenging situations.
One boy from Scotland, aged 15, confided to Childline: “Games usually help me relax but lately I’m getting really frustrated with them. It makes me feel so stupid, being this angry about a game or wound up over laggy internet.”
Adeniyi Alade, Childline service head, based in the Aberdeen Childline centre, said: “At Childline, we hear from children every day about the emotional challenges and difficult situations they are facing. Sometimes they tell us they feel stressed and angry, and they need our support to help process their feelings in a constructive way.
“Young people face so many different pressures in today’s world – from family disagreements at home, to arguments with friends or classmates at school and online. As a result, they can struggle to manage and deal with difficult emotions.
“This Mental Health Awareness Week, we are here to let children know there are so many healthy ways to express their feelings and our counsellors are here to provide a safe and confidential space to help them to learn vital skills for their mental wellbeing.”
As well as encouraging children to contact Childline, the service has been working with children’s mental health charity, Place2Be, to release advice to both young people and parents on how to manage anger issues and look after their mental wellbeing.
Tips for Children on Looking After Their Mental Health:
1. Talk to someone you trust: Whether it’s a parent, teacher, friend or Childline (0800 1111), sharing how you feel can help.
2. Find healthy outlets for emotions: Try physical activities, creative expression, journaling, or relaxation techniques.
3. Take care of your body: Regular sleep, healthy food, and exercise all support good mental health.
4. Practice mindfulness: Take time each day to focus on your breathing and notice how you’re feeling.
5. Create a feel-good toolkit: Identify activities, people, and places that help you feel calm and happy when you’re struggling.
Tips for Parents on Supporting Children’s Mental Health:
1. Create regular check-in times: Establish consistent opportunities for conversations about feelings, perhaps during dinner, car rides, or before bedtime.
2. Use open-ended questions: Ask “How are you feeling today?” rather than questions that can be answered with just “yes” or “no.”
3. Model healthy emotional expression: Show children how you manage your own emotions in a constructive way.
4. Look for changes in behaviour: Notice shifts in sleeping patterns, appetite, social withdrawal, or increased irritability which may signal emotional struggles.
5. Normalise seeking help: Talk positively about therapy, counselling, and support services.
Dr Rebecca Kirkbride, Clinical Director at Place2Be, said:“At Place2Be, we know that learning to express and process emotions healthily during childhood builds resilience and establishes positive coping mechanisms that serve young people throughout their lives.
“The rise in children seeking support for issues related to anger, as highlighted by Childline’s data, demonstrates the importance of early intervention and teaching children healthy ways to process emotions.
“By creating safe spaces where young people feel heard and validated, we can help them develop the emotional vocabulary and self-regulation skills needed to navigate complex feelings, without expressing feelings through angry or aggressive behaviour – which may have implications for themselves or others around them.”
Children can contact Childline on 0800 1111 or childline.org.uk.
Any adults concerned about a child’s safety or wellbeing can contact the NSPCC helpline at help@nspcc.org.uk or by calling 0808 800 5000.
You’re invited to join us on Friday 20th June as we gather together to remember loved ones who have died.
This free event on the theme of ‘The Longest Day’ will feature quiet music, readings and reflections, an item to make and/or take home as well as the chance to pause and think about about loved ones.
Everyone is welcome at this inclusive, non-religious event, suitable for all ages.
Time: 2pm-2.45pm
Venue: No17, 17 Boswall Road, EH5 3RW
A seat must be booked for each person attending, including children. Book your place(s) today on our website:
As Mental Health Awareness Week (12-18 May 2025) begins Scotland’s children’s charity is urging parents and carers across Edinburgh to call their support line if they are worried about their child’s mental health.
A recent survey commissioned by the charity showed a staggering 92% of children and young people aged 11-25 in Scotland were worried about mental health. The same survey showed less than one in four children believed childhood is better now than when their parents were young.
Last year more than two thirds of the people who contacted Children First’s national support line were worried about a child’s emotional wellbeing.
From mental health, money worries and online harm, to struggles at school, the charity’s support line offers emotional, practical and financial support to any family in Scotland.
Last year Children First’s support line gave expert, confidential advice to more than 2,500 families and supported over 9,400 people in 2024.
Simon McGowan, Assistant Director at Children First, said: “Every day our support line team are helping more and more families who are desperately worried about their child’s mental health.
“No family should struggle alone. Whatever your concern about your child, we are here to help. Our friendly team can provide expert support and advice that can make all the difference.
“Call us on the Children First support line on 08000 28 22 33 or start a webchat at childrenfirst.org.uk.”
One mum who called Children First’s support line in a desperate plea for help and worried sick about the mental health of her daughter, Orla*, said: “I honestly don’t know what I’d do without the Children First support line.”
Orla was only 14 when she tried to end her life. Support from Jess*, a recovery worker at Children First, has resulted in Orla feeling less anxious and more positive about the future.
If you live in Scotland call the Children First support line on 08000 28 22 33 free, visit www.childrenfirst.org.uk for advice and support, or start a webchat.
Exercise isn’t just about hitting the gym or going for a run, it is any movement that gets your muscles working and burns energy. No matter your age, fitness level or ability, there is something for everyone. Lauren Hewitt, Registered Associate Nutritionist at Heart Research UK, breaks down the benefits of physical activity and simple ways to get started.
Many people believe physical activity is a scheduled “workout,” but it can take various forms. Walking to the shops, gardening, dancing around the kitchen, or carrying heavy shopping bags all count.
The key is finding what works best for you, so regular movement becomes part of your routine.
How much physical activity should you aim to do?
If you’re an adult, the World Health Organisation recommends that you carry out at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity per week. Muscle-strengthening activities are also advised for two or more days a week to reduce time spent sedentary.
Lauren Hewitt, Registered Associate Nutritionist at Heart Research UK, says: “Moderate-intensity physical activity can be described as any activity that increases your breathing rate, makes you feel warmer and raises your heart rate.
“You can measure this during any physical activity by seeing if you can talk comfortably, but shouldn’t be able to sing. This could include brisk walking, cycling or mowing the lawn.
“Vigorous-intensity physical activity is when you’re breathing hard and fast, but won’t be able to say more than a few words without gasping for breath. This includes exercise such as running, team sports or aerobics.”
Your heart is the hardest-working muscle in your body, beating over three billion times over your lifetime. By meeting or exceeding these recommendations, you’re helping keep your heart beating longer.
How does physical activity benefit your heart?
Like the rest of the muscles in your body, your heart needs to be worked out to stay healthy. Physical inactivity leads to a 24% higher risk of coronary heart disease.
Lauren explains: “Regular physical activity can strengthen your heart and reduce your blood pressure. As your heart becomes stronger, it pumps blood more efficiently, needing less effort to circulate it throughout your body. This can help lower your blood pressure and reduce strain on your arteries.
“Regular physical activity can also improve blood sugar control and reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes – a major cardiovascular risk factor. When you’re active, your body becomes more sensitive to insulin, allowing your muscles to use blood sugar more effectively for energy.
“When you are physically active, your cholesterol will begin to alter. Your LDL (bad) cholesterol levels may lower and your HDL (good) cholesterol levels may increase. You will burn fat and build muscle, which will help keep your heart healthy. Ultimately, physical activity is essential for a healthy heart.”
What about the benefits for the rest of your body?
Regular physical activity will help build cardiovascular endurance and muscular strength, improving flexibility and balance. Any activity that increases heart rate and blood flow will release endorphins, raising your energy levels and mood. Moderate-intensity activities such as brisk walking, jogging or tennis have been found to release the most endorphins.
Increasing your physical exertion levels will improve sleep quality and duration. Physical activity can also improve anxiety and depression by reducing the amount of stress hormones in your body, acting as a stress reliever. All aspects of your health are connected – these added benefits directly support your heart.
How can you add physical activity to your life?
Start with small daily changes to boost your activity and build healthy habits. This could be taking the stairs, walking instead of driving or standing on public transport. Over time, these simple and small actions become part of your everyday life.
“It’s important that you get involved in physical activity safely and at the right ability for you,” Lauren says. “Gradually build up your activity and work your way up to 30 to 60 minutes of physical activity per day.
“Don’t try to do all your exercise in one day, make sure you spread it out over the week. This will help you to avoid injuries, get your body used to new movements and be on your way to meeting the physical activity guidelines.
“Before and after any exercise, make sure you perform a warm-up or cool-down with gentle stretches or walking to prevent injury. Take breaks when you feel fatigued and keep hydrated during your activity, this will help you stay active throughout the week without making you feel unwell.
“If you don’t feel good one day, then take a rest day where needed before starting again.”
Motivation is key to setting goals and tracking progress. This will help you increase your physical activity and stick to a routine. You could monitor the number of steps you do each day or how long you’ve been active.
Remember, any increases in your physical activity levels mean that you’re improving your heart health. Download our Meals and Movement Journal here to track your daily physical activity.
Physical activity is a powerful way to protect your heart with small daily changes, it can make a big difference. To make it easy, download our ‘Design Your Own Home Workout’ and start moving toward a healthier heart today.
We’re heading to Cammo Estate for a peaceful walk through woods and open parkland.
We’ll meet at the DNC at 10am and take the bus number 47 to the entrance, or you can meet us there at the Cammo gates on the main road pedestrian entrance for 10:45am (What3words composers.salads.serves)
We’ll stop for a picnic – please bring a rucksack and water bottle.
Easy level walk
All welcome – come enjoy the fresh air and good company!
We’ll meet at the DNC at 10am and take the bus number 47 to the entrance, or you can meet us there at the Cammo gates on the main road pedestrian entrance for 10:45am (What3words composers.salads.serves)
We’ll stop for a picnic – please bring a rucksack and water bottle.
Easy level walk