World Wellbeing Week: Breast Friends and Family at The Centre Livingston

To celebrate World Wellbeing Week, 24th – 30th June, The Centre, Livingston is running various activities including yoga classes to raise funds for its charity partner, Breast Friends and Family on Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th, who will also have a tranquil pop up with a seating area on both days to help raise awareness.

The charity was founded by Hazel Orr, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015, with the help of her sister Mandy, mother Sylvia and daughter Holly to support patients through their breast cancer diagnosis, treatment and recovery with care packages to help make them feel a little bit more comfortable during their treatment. These include mastectomy bras, thermometers and scarves.

At the pop up, which will be located at next to New Look, shoppers will be able to find out more about all of the support they offer and the classes they run at their newly opened premises in Bathgate, ‘The Heart’. These include exercise sessions, meditation, mindfulness and yoga.

The partnership is part of The Centre’s ‘Support in the Community’ initiative, which helps local charities and social enterprises by providing awareness-raising and fundraising opportunities for a period of three months, including free pop up space, a £250 Gift Card donation and marketing support.

In addition to the yoga classes hosted by One Space Livingston, starting at 9am in The Wintergarden, with all donations welcomed, The Centre, Livingston has also partnered with Elevate Acro Gymnastics Club, who lost their venue due to a fire in December 2024. Shoppers will be able to enjoy a spirited performance celebrating their resilience and community support at 2pm near Beaverbrooks.

On the 24th and 26th there will also be the opportunity to win gifts at the Wellbeing ‘Spin the Wheel’ stand, located beside New Look, from retailers including Holland & Barrett, Lush, Boots and One Beyond, and also the chance to enter a competition to win a luxury gift box from Rituals.

Hazel said: “We are extremely grateful to The Centre, Livington for running yoga classes to help raise funds for us and for the opportunity to bring our volunteers in to highlight the services that Breast Friends and Family provide for those with a breast cancer diagnosis in West Lothian.

“We want to raise awareness of the services available not only for those currently going through treatment but also for those who have been through treatment for breast cancer at any time in the past and also for those living with breast cancer.”

Tess Sundberg, Marketing Manager at The Centre, Livingston said: “We are really looking forward to welcoming our charity partner, Breast Friends and Family into the shopping centre on the 28th and 29th June to help them to raise even more awareness about the fantastic work they are doing to support women with breast cancer.

“We are also hoping to help the charity raise funds by inviting people to take part in our Wellbeing Week yoga classes which will be a great way enjoy some ‘me time’ and unwind and also support a fantastic organisation at the same time”

To find out more about the Wellbeing Week event, check out The Centre, Livingston social media channels, @shopthecentre.

To find out more about Breast Friends and Family, check out the website – www.breastfriendsandfamily.co.uk

Gilded Balloon announce foodie pop-ups at brand new bar

PLUS LOCAL BREWERY NEWBARNS LAUNCH GILDED BALLOON’S VERY OWN PINKTASTIC PINTS

A brand new bar is set to open in the heart of Edinburgh Festival Fringe this August, as some of the city’s best food vendors pop up for daytime dining at Gilded Balloon’s brand-new bar Lucky Penny including Alby’s, Spitaki, Wing Theory and more.

The hidden gem will serve up everything from frozen cocktails, Kegronis and Gilded Balloon’s very own beer. 

Located at 19-20 Teviot Place, in the former Saboteur venue, Lucky Penny will welcome Fringe fans, acts and industry to the bar, which will be run in partnership with local brewery Newbarns, serving up fresh pints and cocktails as well as the very best Edinburgh food and drink pop-ups.

Gilded Balloon is a family run business, operated by mother-daughter duo Katy and Karen Koren, with Lucky Penny named after the newest member of the family, Katy’s daughter Penny. 

Lucky Penny opens from 12pm on 31st July until 26th August meaning foodie fans have almost four weeks to pop in and try some of the incredible Edinburgh vendors taking over the bespoke bar from 1-6pm for daytime dining like no other.

Locals and tourists alike can take a break from Fringe fun to feast on the capital’s very best food offerings in Lucky Penny before heading off to experience over 3000 shows on offer at the Festival. 

Plus, renowned Leith brewers Newbarns have introduced a special Gilded Balloon themed IPA ‘Hiya Pals’ with pinktastic pints set to be poured in the Leith Newbarns taproom, at Lucky Penny and across all Gilded Balloon venue bars at Patter House and the National Museum of Scotland.

Gilded Balloon work with Scottish brands Tennent’s Lager, Newbarns and Leith Spirits to provide spirits, beer,cider and more across all of their Fringe bars. 

Open 7 days a week from 12pm – late, Lucky Penny will welcome a relishing roster of seven different foodie pop-ups throughout the month of August including: 

Alby’s take on a classic hot dog with Big Hot Bangers, deep fried specialists Big Dip, authentic Greek food from Spitaki, fried chicken connoisseurs Wing Theory, Lebanese street food from Lazeez, Vietnamese cuisine from Banh Mi Brothers, as well as frozen cocktails and mimosas from Pulp Friction. Plus, award winning pies from Jarvis Pickle will be available all day and night throughout the Festival for tasty bites in between shows! See below for full line-up and dates. 

As one of the Fringe’s original, and pinkest, venues, Gilded Balloon’s brand new Lucky Penny is in addition to bars at two venues Patter House and the National Museum of Scotland. The pop up bar will be operated in partnership with Edinburgh’s Newbarns Brewery, pouring their own easy-drinking pale ales and lagers, Aperol Spritzes and Gin Fizzes, as well as Kegronis from other local favourite Electric Spirit, meaning Negronis on tap all summer long! 

Katy and Karen Koren, Artistic Directors of Gilded Balloon said: “It’s so exciting to reveal our incredible line-up of vendors who will be popping up at Lucky Penny and bringing some of Edinburgh’s very best food to Fringe.

“From fresh hot sandwiches from Alby’s to authentic Greek food from Spitaki, Pulp Friction’s frozen cocktails and even Negronis on tap, Lucky Penny will be the spot to chill out and grab a bite of some of the city’s most delicious food before taking in lots of Fringe shows!

“We’re looking forward to throwing open the doors to Lucky Penny and welcoming Fringe fans, performers and the Fringe community and industry to the brand new space for some ‘Hiya Pals’ pints in the sun, fresh out of the tap from our pals at Newbarns.”

Emma McIntosh, Director of Newbarns Brewery said“As a local Leith brewery, working with a renowned local Edinburgh Fringe venue such as Gilded Balloon made perfect sense.

“We’ve created our bespoke ‘Hiya Pals’ IPA in collaboration with Gilded Balloon, available exclusively throughout the Festival in our brand new perfectly pink cans. We hope Newbarns fans will pop along to the Lucky Penny to sip on some freshly brewed pints this August!” 

LUCKY PENNY – AUGUST TAKEOVERS

Spitaki, 1-6pm 

Thursday 1st

Sunday 4th

Thursday 15th

Lazeez, 1-6pm

Friday 2nd – Saturday 3rd 

Pulp Friction, 7-10pm

Saturday 3rd 

Wednesday 14th

Thursday 22nd

Saturday 24th 

Wing Theory, 1-6pm

Thursday 8th – Sunday 11th August

Big Dip, 1-6pm

Saturday 17th August – Sunday 18th August

Banh Mi Brothers, 1-6pm 

Thursday 22nd – Saturday 24th August 

Alby’s, 1-6pm

Sunday 25th August

Jarvis Pickle Pies

Daily 

Walk-ins only, no bookings. Open to the general public from 12pm – 6pm,  artist and VIP bar only from 7pm. 

Gilded Balloon’s ‘Pals in Pink’ will welcome audiences from around the world as staff transform Patter House and the National Museum of Scotland into fabulously pink hubs of creativity with acts from every genre descending during the month of August.

Big name stars from Michelle Brasier and Jack Docherty will take to the stage alongside comedy’s very best newcomers from Joshua Bethania to Kathleen Hughes, as well as an expertly-curated programme of theatre such as Chemo Savvy, a tribute to the late Andy Gray, The Steamie, Pop Off, Michelangelo and much more.