Royal Bank of Scotland – The NEN – North Edinburgh News

The Grassroots of Business at the Royal Highland Show

On the 44th year as partner to Scotland’s largest agricultural event, Royal Bank of Scotland showcases some of the businesses who can see a new future in farming:

On Thursday, The Royal Highland Show returned to Edinburgh. The event follows the sixth wettest spring in history in the UK, creating untold pressure for the sector, which employs almost 70,000 people here in Scotland.

Accounting for a greater percentage of GDP in Scotland than the rest of the UK, agriculture plays a key role in Scottish cultural and business life.

This year marks Royal Bank of Scotland’s 44th year as partner to the event – the longest partnership in the bank’s history. But the bank is taking the opportunity this year to showcase businesses looking to the future of agriculture through a different lens and seeing where new opportunities lie.

To demonstrate its support for farming entrepreneurs, Royal Bank has allocated its activation space to platform two exciting businesses on the Royal Bank of Scotland Accelerator Hub programme who will exhibit across the weekend.

One such business is Glasgow’s Naked Kimchi, founded in 2021 by Katerina Hayes who is originally from the Ukraine and is now British.

Katerina introduced traditional Ukrainian fermenting practices to Scotland 16 years ago, producing a 100% vegan, free-from kimchi with her father’s authentic recipe. In response to ongoing world events, Naked Kimchi & Co has provided employment opportunities for displaced Ukrainian people.

Naked Kimchi & Co’s approach commits to pioneering mindful eating and emphasises the importance of gut health. The business supports local farmers, aiming to shorten the supply chain, and provide a delicious superfood that is loved by both individuals and the restaurant industry. Their efforts contribute to better food security while bringing fresh, delicious kimchi to chefs’ tables.

By harnessing the potential of overlooked “wonky” vegetables and utilising every part of the harvest, Naked Kimchi helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while creating a healthy superfood that benefits individuals and contributes to building better food security.

In recognition of the business’ success, Katerina and Naked Kimchi have recently picked up a Scottish Edge award, receiving £65,000 funding to continue to back their sustainability mission.

Naked Kimchi will be joined by West Lothian entrepreneur, Marie-Claire and her business, Dream Magic Superfood Powders.

After experiencing the health benefits of superfoods first-hand, having tried multiple options when tired and burnt out from raising a family and working as a fitness coach, Marie-Claire spotted an opportunity to help Scots live a healthier life and brought her own blend to market.

Using her qualifications in health and nutrition, Marie-Claire has led the business from strength to strength and Dream Magic Superfood Powders now offers six different blends for customers to choose from.

With the platform provided by Royal Bank of Scotland across the weekend, both businesses will be able showcase their produce and provide free samples while building industry connections and brand awareness.

The businesses are both on the Royal Bank Accelerator programme.

Entirely free, the Entrepreneur Accelerator initiative is aimed at high-growth businesses looking to scale. It provides access to coaching, mentoring, events and co-working hubs with the intention of helping fledgling businesses to unlock new markets, attract new talent, access growth funding and to build leadership skills and scalable infrastructure.

You can support Naked Kimchi here https://nakedkimchi.co/ and Dream Magic Superfood Powders here https://dreammagicsuperfoodpowder.co.uk/

Katerina, CEO Naked Kimchi commented: “We are deeply grateful for the support we’ve received from the Royal Bank Accelerator Programme. The guidance and resources on offer have been pivotal in helping us scale and grow the business.

“Being given the platform to attend the Royal Highland Show is testament to the backing we’ve been given as a business and we’re looking forward to sharing our passion for authentic Kimchi with the industry and to connect with fellow food and environmental enthusiasts”

Marie-Claire, CEO Dream Magic Superfood added: “The expertise and opportunity provided by the Accelerator programme has been transformative for my journey as an entrepreneur, enabling me to grow my business and further develop my skillset in sales and marketing to running and operating a successful business.

“The accelerator has helped me to navigate challenges along the way and to lay a strong foundation for sustainable growth.

“We are incredibly excited to exhibit our superfood powder range at the Royal Highland Show. This event is a fantastic platform us to build our brand profile with the industry and customers alike.”

Support for the agricultural industry offered by the bank includes:

Agriculture Relationship Managers: Royal Bank has specialist advisers working as agricultural relationship managers able to understand the unique needs of land-based businesses. One third of these are women.

Finance: In July 2022, NatWest Group, of which Royal Bank is a part, confirmed a £1.25billion lending package for farmers, taking its total lending capacity to the agriculture sector to over £6.7billion. The extended support came as farmers face multiple cost challenges as fertiliser, fuel, feed and energy costs continue to rise.

Women in Agriculture: Since 2017, Royal Bank of Scotland has been heavily involved in the Women in Agriculture group, providing mentors and specialist support to help equip women with the tools they need to counter the barriers they face in their careers.

Chartered Banker Institute: All Royal Bank agri-relationship managers are independently accredited by the Chartered Banker Institute (supported by NFU Scotland).

Scottish tour operator on the road to growth thanks to £2m Lombard funding

A travel operator offering unique experiences of the Scottish Highlands has upgraded its existing fleet thanks to a £2m funding boost from Lombard, part of the Royal Bank of Scotland Group.

Headquartered on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile, Highland Experience Tours has chartered trips that offer tourists an alternative way to explore Scotland’s rural landscapes since it was founded nearly two decades ago.

Ran by a team of expert tour guides, Highland Experience’s trips focus on exploring less travelled routes, meaning customers can enjoy an authentic travel experience and avoid notoriously crowded spots.

Starting out with just one vehicle, the firm’s leadership team has since grown its fleet to nearly 30 luxury mini-buses and small to full size coaches. Lombard’s support will allow Highland Experience to purchase an additional five Grand Toro coaches – a move which will result in the creation of more than 20 new jobs and a boost to the rural economies it works in.

The travel provider is committed to promoting sustainable tourism and has been awarded a Gold Green Tourism Business Award in recognition of its work to protect the environment, prioritising local suppliers wherever possible and providing eco-friendly driving training to its coach operators.

Despite enjoying steady growth since 2005, the firm faced unprecedented challenges during the pandemic and was forced to downsize its previous fleet in 2020. This new investment marks a renewed period of growth for the team, who are currently gearing up for the 2024 summer season as they prepare to welcome more customers on board.

The £2m deal was afforded by Lombard and managed by Royal Bank of Scotland.

Michael Bremmer, Managing Director at Highland Experience Tours, said: “Ever since we first started Highland Experience Tours, we have been passionate about creating an authentic way to explore Scotland’s hidden beauty which also gives back to the communities and landscapes we operate in.

“Like many in our industry, Covid was an incredibly challenging time for us, and we had to essentially halt our services with no real idea of when we’d be able to begin again. This obviously took its toll, but we remained determined to come back stronger than ever and have been able to grow the business to beyond even pre-pandemic levels.

“Investing in this new fleet marks a new chapter for us, and we’re incredibly grateful for the support of Royal Bank of Scotland and Lombard in helping us reach this milestone.”

Steven Gillies, Senior Relationship Manager at Royal Bank of Scotland who facilitated the deal with Lombard added: “Having worked with Highland Experience Tours since 2019, it’s been a privilege to watch the team recover from the pandemic and continue to grow their services and offering.

“Royal Bank of Scotland is committed to supporting enterprise and Highland Experience Tours is a great example of a resilient business who are focussed on looking to the future.

“Its unique approach to tourism is helping to promote Scotland’s rural landscapes to the world – bringing a significant economic boost to the communities within them – and we look forward to continuing our banking relationship for years to come.”

To find out more about the support Lombard provides, click here

Two new awards and 35 winners take centre stage at Scottish EDGE

Scottish entrepreneurs share £1.5 million prize fund as 23^rd round of awards takes place

35 businesses with high-growth potential are celebrating after winning shares of a £1.5 million prize pot at Friday’s Scottish EDGE award ceremony.

For their 23^rd round the awards returned to the Royal Bank of Scotland Conference Centre in Gogarburn, Edinburgh, with winners hailing from across the country, from Orkney to the Borders.

This year’s ceremony saw the introduction of two new awards which are set to open new avenues for aspiring entrepreneurs. The inaugural £80,000 Scale EDGE Award, which is supported by Royal Bank of Scotland and includes access to a high-growth account manager and placement on one of Scale-Up Scotland’s growth programmes, was awarded to Edinburgh based Talonmore Drinks, a family-run business producing ginger-based alcohol alternatives.

Meanwhile a new Creative EDGE Award, facilitated with support from Creative UK, which champions, connects and promotes the development of the creative industries across the United Kingdom, gave a boost of £100,000 to Una Watch, which produces sustainable, repairable-at-home, modular GPS sports watches.

Veteran award categories returned for the 23^rd round, with sustainability remaining a key focus. The Circular Economy Award, supported by Zero Waste Scotland, went to Evolve Metals, who secured £90,000 for their development of a copper refinery which refines metals from scrap, while Smart Gym CIC, which supports families through innovative and affordable wellbeing services, won £75,000 in the Social Enterprise category, supported by the Postcode Innovation Trust.

The Young EDGE and Wild Card categories returned this round, with the former supporting companies whose managing directors are under 30 and the latter providing a grant to pre-trading businesses which need support to bring their products to market.

Winners of the Scottish EDGE supported Young EDGE award included Lairg-based Candles from the Croft, which won £10,000 for its sustainable, vegan and cruelty-free luxury fragrances, while seven businesses were successful in the Wildcard Category, including West Linton-based Hulk Bio, which was awarded £15,000 towards its production of stem cell-based human milk for infants in cases where breastfeeding is not possible.

The STV supported award of £70,000 plus £75,000 worth of ad airtime, went to Alloa fudge makers Ochil Fudge Ltd, while the women-led business StrEAT Events emerged as winner of the Scottish Government backed Pathways category, winning a £75,000 award for their online catering marketplace.

Judith Cruickshank, MD Commercial Mid-Market at the Royal Bank of Scotland and One Bank Scotland Chair, said: “The Scottish EDGE awards offer a fantastic opportunity to showcase the talent and ingenuity within Scotland’s entrepreneurial community, and the addition of two new categories for this year illustrates how that depth of skill and creativity continues to grow.

“Royal Bank of Scotland once again was delighted to host the finals here at Gogarburn and we would like to congratulate all those businesses who were awarded funding at last night’s awards.

“We are proud to have supported the inaugural Scale EDGE award and extend our special congratulations to the category winner Talonmore Drinks and look forward to supporting the business as it takes its next steps.”

Sir Tom Hunter, entrepreneur and philanthropist said: “Scottish EDGE is a key driver of economic growth, a critical stepping stone for many scaling businesses and its refreshing that earlier this week our Government recognised that with additional funds to support more entrepreneurs intent on building successful businesses.

“Their success builds Scotland’s success – nothing more needs said.”

Jane Martin, Managing Director of Innovation and Investment at Scottish Enterprise said:“We’re delighted to continue our support for the Young EDGE category, which never fails to deliver a wealth of talented entrepreneurs.

“It’s incredibly exciting to see these innovative young people turning their ideas into businesses that will develop and flourish, and I’d like to congratulate all this year’s Scottish EDGE award winners, who look set to do amazing things both for Scotland’s economy and society as a whole.”

Evelyn McDonald, CEO of Scottish EDGE, said: “It’s been an honour to help unlock the huge potential within the Scottish business landscape through the 23^rd round of the Scottish EDGE.

“With the introduction of two new awards this year – the Scale Award and the Creative Award – we’ve been able to dedicate more resources than ever to giving promising Scottish entrepreneurs a helping hand on their journeys.

“We would like to express our gratitude to all our partner organisations and supporters for their contribution towards helping our businesses to thrive”.

Supported by The Hunter Foundation, the Royal Bank of Scotland, the Scottish Government and Scottish Enterprise, Scottish EDGE has a key role to play in facilitating the nation’s economic growth.

List of winners (alphabetical)

Scottish EDGE

Clean Carbon UK – £85,000 – West Lothian – A circular economy through carbon capture and utilization that provides a reliable and green supply of CO2.
Confidence Plus – £100,000 – East Kilbride – Confiplus has been created to contain leaks from stoma bags to allow the wearer time to get to a toilet without soiling their clothing/bedding.
Evolve Metals – £90,000 – Circular (Zero Waste Scotland) – Edinburgh – We are building a copper refinery. Our patented technology developed with the University of Strathclyde refines copper directly from scrap, creating a circular economy.
Looper Tech – £70,000 – Edinburgh – Looper is a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) software that helps manufacturers generate product climate certifications in one place.
Naked Kimchi & Co – £65,000 – Glasgow – We specialise in fermented food & beverages designed for a modern lifestyle, promoting gut health and cultural appreciation. We support local farmers, create zero-waste ferments, and empower refugees.
Noost Ltd – £70,000 – Lochinver – Noost Knit Co aims to make “Made in the Northern Highlands” mean something in the knitwear industry, selling our own products and manufacturing for others.
Ochil Fudge – £70,000 plus £75,000 worth of Ad Spend – Alloa – STV – Ochil Fudge embodies craftsmanship, hand-producing Scottish Fudge. With local talent, quality ingredients, and traditional methods, we deliver an authentic homemade taste to delight our customers.
Optimum Business Growth – £60,000 – Glasgow – Our Bid Journey model has helped clients win over £800m of contracts since 2020 by taking a more proactive, strategic approach to bidding for work.
Smart Gym CIC – £75,000 – Glasgow – Social Enterprise (Postcode Innovation Trust) – Smart Gym is a social enterprise that supports families through innovative and affordable wellbeing services.
StrEAT Events t/a AndMunch – £75,000 – Glasgow – Pathways (ScotGov) – AndMunch is an online catering marketplace for discovering and booking food trucks & mobile bars for events.
Tailored Spirits – £100,000 – Edinburgh – An Edinburgh-based company who coordinates every aspect of a whisky cask’s journey from barrel to bottle for clients seeking bespoke small-batch bottlings.
Talonmore Drinks – £80,000 – Edinburgh – Scale Up (RBS) – Talonmore is a family-run business focused on enhancing healthier socialising through non-alcoholic drinks. Offering a versatile, ginger-based alcohol alternative, that replicates a dark spirit experience.
Tax Torch – £75,000 – Hamilton – Revolutionary Tax Planning Platform leveraging AI to offer personalised, real-time and future tax planning based on an individuals profile, goals, HMRC guidance, and legislation.
The Ink Balm Co – £50,000 – Alloa – The Ink Balm is a vegan, eco-packaged tattoo aftercare product, created and made in Scotland, celebrating the art of tattoo.
Una Watch – £100,000 – Edinburgh – Creative (Creative UK) – Built with sustainability in mind, Una is a modular, repairable GPS running watch. We also design smart watches for industry customers using our modular system.
Whitebox Dental – £100,000 – Glasgow – We are a dental laboratory that specialise in the manufacture of orthodontic appliances, manufacturing braces, retainers and aligners and whitening products for specialist orthodontic clinics.

Young EDGE

AMJ Tech Consultants – £15,000 – Edinburgh – AMJ provides an export tool and API builder application for no-code databases.
Candles from the Croft – £10,000 – By Lairg – Based in the North of the Scottish Highlands on a working croft, we offer sustainable, vegan-friendly and cruelty-free luxury hand-poured home fragrances.
CYKELWORX DESIGN LTD – £10,000 – Westhill – Cykelworx Design focuses on innovation across the outdoor market, with the flagship design, ‘The Assistant’, a new bicycle roof carrier with built-in assistance.
GRPZ Ltd – £10,000 – Westhill – GRPZ Sports is a sportswear brand that specialises in premium, innovative anti-slip socks that eliminate slippage between an athlete’s foot and shoe.
Harlyy – £10,000 – Glasgow – A B2B SaaS platform that provides restaurants across Scotland and Pakistan with an automated customer feedback and marketing analytics so that they can make better-informed decisions.
LifeRites – £10,000 – Glasgow – Life Rites provides digital resources for those with terminally ill loved ones, helping them to have a good death.
Maria Elizabeth – £10,000 – Paisley – Maria Elizabeth is a Scottish based wedding and event design studio that offers hand-drawn fine art stationery, styling, calligraphy workshops, brand artistry and storytelling worldwide.
MedSnapp – £10,000 – Glasgow – MedSnapp is the world’s first gamified medical education platform for medical students, allowing them to learn medicine through diagnosing and treating patients inside a game.
Moonshine Candle Co – £15,000 – Kirkwall – Moonshine Candle Co. offer luxury hand poured fragrance products, inspired by the calm moments of the Orkney Islands.
Mude – £10,000 – Edinburgh – Mude is an adaptive brand of clothing for people whose health depends on wearing medical devices, currently focussed on solutions for insulin pump users.
New Found Hope – £10,000 – Dunfermline – a Scottish adaptive children’s brand providing therapeutic footwear solutions to address the issue of toe-walking in neurodivergent kids aged 0-5 years old.
NUYRO Ltd – £10,000 – Glasgow – Development and sale of advanced nutraceutical formulation for retail audience in the UK.

Wild Card EDGE

55^th Parallel Coffee – £10,000 – Edinburgh – We are a small batch coffee roastery, selling to cafes and restaurants alongside at-home buyers via our website.
AllArmed – £10,000 – Glasgow – Novel personal protection for anyone who may feel vulnerable when alone in public.
FourFourFive Ltd – £10,000 – Edinburgh – FourFourFive Ltd is a software solution which, while working with existing platforms, enables a more timely, accurate and value-giving solution for accountants to prepare monthly business financials.
Hulk Bio – £15,000 – West Linton – Hulk Bio is offering stem-cell based human milk, when breastfeeding isn’t possible.
ProCedure VR – £10,000 – Dunfermline – Creating virtual reality training software libraries to support the immersive learning of surgical procedures.
TinyGyms – £10,000 – Newport on Tay – TinyGyms provides private exercise spaces for people who feel intimidated by traditional public gyms. Unlike other gyms, you get the whole place to yourself.
TiroBio – £10,000 – Dundee – TiroBio Ltd will discover novel natural products such as enzymes and medicines from DNA microbiomes.

Displaced Ukrainian women land new careers in tech thanks to Royal Bank of Scotland partnership

A first-of-its-kind training programme helping displaced Ukrainian women to develop the skills needed to start a career in tech is celebrating its first anniversary with a host of permanent job offers.

Royal Bank of Scotland’s Women in Tech pilot – delivered in partnership with Code First Girls, Capital City Partnership, Equate and Data Lab – has enabled three displaced Ukrainian women to secure full-time positions at the bank’s Edinburgh headquarters.

One year since its official launch, the programme has delivered free technology skills training a total of 53 Ukrainians who settled in Scotland after being forced to flee the conflict.

Following an initial eight-week course, three of the cohort went on to complete a fully funded Code First Girls’ Masters qualification, landing permanent Trainee Engineer roles within Royal Bank of Scotland.

In celebration of the milestone, Royal Bank hosted an event at its Gogarburn HQ this week, allowing the Women in Tech graduates to familiarise themselves with their new office campus and meet with senior members of the bank’s Digital X team.

Kateryna Losyeva, who completed the course and is now preparing to start her new role, said: “I always wanted to move into a career in tech, even before the war.

“However, when the conflict began it obviously put a stop to any dreams of a new job – suddenly, my only priority became making sure my daughter was safe. We’d lie awake every night, unable to sleep because of the shelling going on around, and I knew we needed to leave.

“When we first arrived in Edinburgh, I was willing to take on any job. It was a friend who told me about the Women in Tech programme, and I decided to apply. The course completely transformed my new life in Scotland and when I read the email offering me a permanent job, I couldn’t believe it.

“After everything we’ve been through, it still feels too good to be true that I’ve ended up with a career I’ve always dreamed of.”

The training programme is an extension of Royal Bank’s commitment to helping displaced Ukrainians. In 2022, the bank partnered with Edinburgh City Council and the Scottish Government to open a Welcome Centre within their Gogarburn headquarters, which distributed over 10,000 welcome packs and handed our more than 2000 children’s toothbrushes, 4,000 books and 2,000 sanitary packs each month.

Code First Girls is dedicated to reducing the gender diversity gap in tech by giving more women the opportunity to learn new skills and pursue careers in tech. To date, they have delivered £75 million worth of free technology education in the UK and have provided free education and employment opportunities for more than 110,000 women.

Victoria Cleverley, Chief Operating Officer, Digital X at Royal Bank of Scotland said: “We recognise that our team is in a privileged position where we our resources and expertise can be used to deliver real change which can improve lives.

“Working with Code First Girls and our wider partners, we have successfully delivered training and opportunities that champion the potential of people. As a relationship bank in a digital world, where 67%* of our customers exclusively use digital channels, we want to nurture a diverse technology workforce and build Scotland’s coding and software engineering sector.

“After facing unimaginable hardship on their journey to Scotland, these permanent job offers are testament to the skills, dedication and passion our new team members. We’re excited to welcome them to the team and look forward to seeing them put their new skills into action for the benefit of our customers.”

Royal Bank of Scotland colleagues launch tree nursery at Edinburgh HQ with The Conservation Volunteers

Royal Bank of Scotland colleagues have created the Gogarburn Tree Nursery at their Edinburgh site to support Scotland’s biodiversity.
Michael Duncan, Head of Giving Strategy & Programmes at the Royal Bank of Scotland, The Conservation Volunteers CEO, Rebecca Kennelly MBE and Francesca Osowska, CEO of Nature Scot officially launched the new nursery.
Royal Bank of Scotland have supported conservation projects with The Conservation Volunteers since 2007.

Royal Bank of Scotland colleagues have launched a new tree nursery at the Gogarburn headquarters in Edinburgh, in partnership with The Conservation Volunteers, whose mission is to connect people to nature and to nurture green spaces for local communities.

This tree nursery is part of the ‘NatWest Forest’ initiative, which invites colleagues across the business to take part in planting and nurturing trees across Scotland. Since autumn 2021 NatWest Forest has grown to encompass 150,000 trees across the UK, with 3,800 currently onsite at Gogarburn.

Overseen by The Conversation Volunteers, tree seeds that have been collected by colleagues, are being grown in the Gogarburn nursery. They will be tended to for the next two years and will then be planted around Scotland creating a legacy of locally sourced and grown trees for many years to come.

All saplings planted at the site are native species to Scotland including Scots pine, field maple, holly and birch. The site will support the biodiversity of Scotland, allowing declining species of trees that are rare and valuable to the environment to be replenished while protecting native habitats for wildlife.

Royal Bank colleagues have contributed more than 26,000 hours of volunteer time with The Conservation Volunteers in 2023. Together with volunteer effort, this most recent project has been enabled through expert advice from The Conversation Volunteers who have led on the construction of the tree nursery and preservation of the natural environment

The project is another example of the bank’s work and commitment to tackling climate change. The financial partner for COP26 in Glasgow in 2020, 16,000 people across the bank will take part in a climate education programme by the end of this year. The training is being delivered in partnership with the University of Edinburgh and gives colleagues the skills to support customers with their own climate ambitions.

Pictured are Michael Duncan, Head of Giving Strategy & Programmes at the Royal Bank of Scotland and The Conservation Volunteers CEO, Rebecca Kennelly MBE alongside special guest Francesca Osowska, CEO of Nature Scot, who champion projects like this to improve Scotland’s biodiversity and geodiversity.

Michael Duncan, Head of Giving Strategy & Programmes, Royal Bank of Scotland, said: “We are delighted to launch the Gogarburn Tree Nursery, this new, innovative and forward thinking project with our long standing charity partner, The Conservation Volunteers.

Through this project, our colleagues will support by collecting local native tree seeds and growing these at our tree nursery on our campus. This will enable indigenous trees to be planted across Scotland leaving a true legacy for years to come, while providing colleagues with opportunities to learn more about nature based climate solutions.”

Rebecca Kennelly MBE, Chief Executive, The Conservation Volunteers, said: “This new innovative project demonstrates how the teams are constantly renewing and planning for volunteering to leave a lasting impact on climate, wildlife and communities.

“The Gogarburn Tree Nursery project is a brilliant example of volunteers supporting a closed loop; from collecting and propagating seeds, to the trees grown here being planted in local green spaces by more volunteers in years to come. A great new way for NatWest Group volunteers to connect with nature”.

Disappearing Bank Branches: Another one bites the dust

Deirdre Brock comments on closure of Leith RBS branch

Deidre Brock MP has commented on the news that the Leith branch of the Royal Bank of Scotland is set to close on October 10.

The closure forms part of a new tranche of network closures from the NatWest group with branches on Nicolson Street and Bruntsfield Place also set for the axe. This will leave only three permanent RBS branches remaining in the city (St Andrew Square, Princes Street and St Johns Road), plus a mobile branch.

In its closure announcement the bank promised “no further review of our Royal Bank of Scotland branch network until at least 2026”.

The Edinburgh North and Leith MP has written to the bank requesting further information about the decision.

Ms Brock said: “I am shocked by the decision from RBS to close their branch in Leith. This is one of the most densely populated parts of Scotland and the closure will greatly disadvantage many small businesses and customers in our community who rely on counter services.

“There are plenty of people who still prefer face to face custom, and many more who still need it. Not everyone uses phone banking and more vulnerable people shouldn’t be expected to travel up to the city centre or head to Musselburgh every time they need to bank.

“It all started for RBS back in 1727, before they became the bank which was ‘too big to fail’ in 2008 and were bailed out from the public purse. Now it’s sad to see more and more branches disappearing from our High Streets. Like all banks, they should have a duty to meet the diverse needs of their customers, not just the dividends of shareholders.

“The promise that they won’t close any more before 2026 doesn’t exactly give confidence of a long term commitment to keep the remaining branch network running.

“Decisions like these taken in corporate boardrooms do untold damage to communities like Leith and if the banks won’t act, perhaps government should to protect the network. Otherwise we are hurtling headlong towards a cashless society and deepening the digital divide – we need to pause and take stock before it’s too late.

“I have written to RBS seeking more details on why they chose to close the Leith branch and what they are doing to protect both customers and staff affected.”

An RBS spokesperson said: “While we are increasingly engaging our customers digitally, our branch network remains important to us.

“We are also significantly investing in refreshing our network – we are investing £10.5m in our network across Scotland, from 2023-24, as well as continuing to invest in shared solutions like the Post Office and banking hubs.

“Our customers appreciate the speed and convenience of digital banking for everyday transactions, and often, when it comes to making bigger, more complex decisions they value speaking to our skilled and experienced colleagues.”

The bank says that more than 97% of its retail accounts are opened over the internet.

Bank Boardroom set for Homeless Christmas Dinner

Royal Bank of Scotland is joining forces with Social Bite to host a Christmas dinner for people who’ve experienced homelessness. The bank will be opening the boardroom at St Andrew’s Square in Edinburgh and welcoming those Social Bite and the bank have supported this year.

It is part of the bank’s long-term support for the work Social Bite is doing to end homelessness. Since 2016, Royal Bank has supported Social Bite through donations, gifts-in-kind, and strategic help totalling over £1million.

Royal Bank employees have raised more than £100,000 through sponsored sleepouts, abseils and Christmas appeals.

Taking place on 19 December 2023, those attending include residents and staff from Social Bite’s Village in Edinburgh, run in partnership with Cyrenians to provide a supported community which helps people affected by homelessness to lead an independent life. Social Bite plans to open two new Villages in South Lanarkshire and Dundee over the next two years.

This Christmas, the bank is also supporting Social Bite’s Festival of Kindness which will provide meals, gifts and essentials for people who are homeless at Christmas and throughout the winter, alongside homes and jobs.

Josh Littlejohn MBE, Co-Founder of Social Bite, said: “We are so grateful for Royal Bank’s support.

“They have played a key part in a number of transformational projects helping people break the cycle of homelessness, and it is really special that they have created this Christmas experience for the residents of the Village.”

Judith Cruickshank, Chair of the Royal Bank of Scotland Board, said: “Building on our long-term support for Social Bite we are helping to make Christmas a little more enjoyable for some of the most vulnerable.”

Record Edinburgh Kiltwalk provides boost to over 700 charities

Seven was Edinburgh’s lucky number today as a massive 7,000 Kiltwalkers took to the streets of the capital to fundraise for 710 different Scottish charities. September 17th goes into the history books as the city’s biggest ever Kiltwalk.

The Hunter Foundation underwrites Kiltwalk, and Sir Tom Hunter was at the start line and on the route to praise the walkers: “The good people of Edinburgh and the East love Kiltwalk. We had 1,700 Kiltwalkers in our first Edinburgh Kiltwalk seven years ago, today we have over 7,000 heroes walking for 710 charities.

“It’s incredible and every penny raised here at the Edinburgh Kiltwalk will make such a difference to charities who really, really need a hand up, not a handout in these tough times.

“I’m proud of every single person who took part and crossed the finish line at Murrayfield, be they a Mighty Strider, a Big Stroller, or a Wee Wanderer. I am so grateful for their generosity.

“I’d like to say to each one of them, thank you for your Kiltwalk Kindness.”

Among the famous faces taking part in Scotland’s favourite mass participation event were David Marshall, Hibs and Scotland goalkeeper who stepped out on behalf of the Hibernian Community Foundation, which was also the biggest fundraising team at today’s Kiltwalk. New manager Nick Montgomery was also there as a late addition to the 330-strong squad.

An impressive 3,000 Kiltwalk heroes undertook the Mighty Stride from Bingham Medway taking the 21-mile route through Portobello Promenade, Leith Shore and Gypsy Brae before triumphantly crossing the finish line at the Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium.

The Big Stroll saw 2,000 Kiltwalkers walk 15 miles from Musselburgh to the home of rugby, while 2,000 Wee Wanderers walked five miles from Gypsy Brae to meet their fellow Kiltwalkers and receive their medal at the finish line.

Kiltwalk slashed the entry fee from £32 to £20 this year to make it even easier for people to help the charity they care about. This is made possible by the generosity of The Hunter Foundation underwriting Kiltwalk.

Walkers donned their tartan and laced their boots in support of a remarkable variety of charities, both large and small.

Mass Participation Events Manager for CHAS, Fiona Leslie, said: “We are absolutely delighted to have been part of Edinburgh Kiltwalk and would like to say a massive thank you to every walker who took on the challenge for CHAS.

“We are blown away by the 208 people who signed up to walk for CHAS and all the funds raised will make a huge difference to the children with life shortening conditions and their families that we support across Scotland.”

Community and Events Fundraising Manager at SAMH, Chloe Watson, said: “We had over 100 SAMH supporters taking part today, and it was so touching to engage with them at our pit stop and hear their stories of why they chose to raise much needed funds for Scotland’s mental health.

“A huge thank you to our supporters – the need for our life-changing services continues to grow and your support is helping us transform lives.”

Kiltwalk’s headline sponsors are Royal Bank of Scotland and Arnold Clark.

Support from Royal Bank of Scotland has facilitated additional sustainability measures, funding fully compostable food cartons at Pit Stops to ensure zero waste goes to landfill.

Judith Cruickshank, Chair, Royal Bank of Scotland’s One Bank Scotland Board, said: “The Edinburgh Kiltwalk is the flagship end to the Kiltwalk series of 2023, as a bank with its historic home here in Scotland’s Capital, Royal Bank of Scotland was once again delighted to partner this fantastic event.

“This year is the most successful Edinburgh Kiltwalk in history and it has been fantastic to see such a turnout throughout the weekend, with many of our colleagues joining the thousands of walkers and volunteers who have helped make it a success.

“The Kiltwalk makes such a positive difference to communities across our country, helping organisations and charities thrive.

“Everyone who has got involved this year should be proud of the difference their efforts will make.”

Arnold Clark offered walkers the opportunity to win £30,000 credit towards their choice of car, with each Kiltwalker automatically entered into the prize draw.

Nicole Watson, Edinburgh Airport rental assistant manager, said: “Here, at Arnold Clark, we care about our local communities, so we’re delighted to continue to support the Kiltwalk.

“We’re extremely proud of everyone taking part, including our branch team, and can’t wait to cheer everyone on! We’re also very excited to find out which lucky individual will win our amazing prize of £30,000 towards their dream car.”

Dates and locations for Kiltwalk 2024 will be announced soon on the Kiltwalk social channels and website www.thekiltwalk.co.uk.

Nic’s Nifty Fifty, the inspiring Kiltwalkers welcoming volunteers at Edinburgh event

Nicola Lamb 19 leads fundraising initiative to raise money for children’s cancer charity, ‘It’s good 2 give’
Nicola 19 leads the Edinburgh walk in memory of her older sister Joanna who sadly passed away in 2019 due to bone cancer
Nicola is at the forefront of the movement alongside her mother. Angela Lamb who works at Royal Bank of Scotland. Walkers include Royal Bank volunteers
As Headline sponsor, Royal Bank of Scotland has a longstanding partnership with Kiltwalk dating back to 2016

TODAY, Nicola Lamb (19), will lead out an inspirational team of volunteers at Edinburgh Kiltwalk, as part of “Nic’s Nifty Fifty”.

Nic’s Nifty Fifty raises funds for children’s cancer charity “It’s good 2 give”, where Nicola works as a fundraising and volunteer recruitment adviser, providing fresh thinking and innovative ideas for the charity.

New for this year, Nicola set up Nic’s Nifty Fifty to walk in memory of her older sister, Joanna Lamb who sadly passed away as a result of bone cancer in 2019 aged 18. Nicola will be joined on the walk by her mother Angela Lamb who works for Headline sponsor, Royal Bank of Scotland. Together they hope to bring together more than 50 volunteers to walk for the charity.

It’s good 2 give supports the physical and mental well-being of young cancer patients and their families in Scotland. The charity delivers vital work in communities across Edinburgh and Glasgow, having recently raised more than £1m to provide specialist psychologists, available through NHS services, to help cancer patients and their families navigate the mental-health challenges presented by a diagnosis.

The charity provides practical assistance through parent and patient packs containing essential supplies for hospital stays such as clothing and personal hygiene products. Recently, the charity introduced a provision of dolls featuring no head hair so that children undergoing cancer treatment can play with a toy that they feel represented by.

The charity also operates the ‘Ripple Retreat’ which offers young cancer patients and their families a chance to unwind during the most challenging of times, in soothing natural surroundings on the shores of Loch Venachar in the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park. Stays at the Ripple Retreat are entirely free, backed by fundraising efforts from volunteers such as Nicola.

Following Joanna’s legacy, parents Angela and Alan Lamb, along with sister Nicola, maintain a very close relationship with the charity, volunteering all year round. Edinburgh’s Kiltwalk provides a fantastic platform to raise awareness and vital funding.

The Joanna Lamb Award for Outstanding Volunteering was created in 2019 to recognise It’s good 2 give volunteers who have made an outstanding contribution. The award was named after Joanna who became the youngest trustee of the charity through her work.

Royal Bank is a longstanding partner of Kiltwalk, Scotland’s largest mass participation walking event. The partnership has seen the bank help the public, colleagues and customers raise funding for charitable causes across Scotland since 2016.

Since its inception, The Kiltwalk, together with Sir Tom Hunter and The Hunter Foundation, has raised a collective £37m, paid-out to 3,000 Scottish Charities to support vital causes and create a legacy for communities throughout Scotland and beyond.

Registration for Edinburgh Kiltwalk 2023 is open and is set to finish at the iconic Murrayfield Stadium.

Find more information and sign up here. To register for Nic’s Nifty Fifty, simply add “Nic’s Nifty Fifty” as your team name at sign up. To give directly to ‘It’s good 2 give’, visit the JustGiving page here.

Nicola Lamb, Intern, It’s good 2 give said: “The Kiltwalk events are such a brilliant opportunity each year for us to raise money at It’s good 2 give.

“Every good idea needs a name, so I started Nic’s Nifty Fifty to try and get 50 volunteers together to represent the charity at this year’s Kiltwalk. I’m delighted to say we are making great progress and we’re well on track to hit more than double the target! I’d like to welcome anybody who would like to join the team to sign-up. It’s really easy and you just need to put ‘Nic’s Nifty Fifty’ as your organisation at sign-up.

“All of our walks are of course dedicated in memory of my sister Joanna. The Kiltwalk provides a wonderful opportunity to get active, spend time with friends and family and raise money for some brilliant causes.

“I can’t think of a more fitting way to honour my sister’s legacy.”

Chair of the Scotland Board at Royal Bank of Scotland, Judith Cruickshank said: “Every year the enthusiasm for Kiltwalk is made so clear by our staff and colleagues across the country who join thousands of others in remarkable fundraising efforts.

“Royal Bank of Scotland has a long and valued relationship with Kiltwalk, and we are proud to be in partnership with a charity that delivers such vital work in communities throughout Scotland.

“There are so many extraordinary individuals and organisations that come together through these iconic events. The Lamb family provide inspiration for us all and we will continue to support all their charitable efforts together in partnership with Kiltwalk.

“By walking, volunteering and spectating, we hope that everyone this year supports this fantastic event and helps celebrate the impact it makes for those who need it most.”

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