Having a Bank Holiday Weekend spring clean out? Did you know you can donate many different items to the Hospice?
– That bottle of wine gathering dust
– That gin still untouched
– The gift set you’ll never use, or the candle that’s not quite your scent
– The extra goodie bag items from your child’s party
– Even those kids toys still in their packaging!
Yes, we want it all, and you’ll feel great having decluttered and done a good deed! Every donation helps us raise vital funds at our upcoming events.
Please drop off unopened gift sets, bottles and kids games at our reception during opening hours, or contact the Fundraising Team on fund@stcolumbashospice.org.uk or 0131 551 1381 for further details
All are invited to our Time to Remember Summer event in Fidra (No.17 Boswall Road) on Friday 19 June, at 2pm. This is an opportunity to gather together to remember loved ones who have died.
It’s an inclusive event, appropriate for all ages, and for people of all faiths and none. If you have children, feel free to bring them too. The event will include: quiet music, readings and reflections, the chance to think about the people we love and to write their name(s), and a gift to take home.
The Iona cafe will be open afterwards offering free hot drinks for anyone who wishes to stay and chat.
PRE-LOVED BRIDALWEAR and OCCASIONWEAR at NEWHAILES
A new chapter begins for our pre-loved bridal and occasionwear! Ever After by St Columba’s located in Newhailes, Musselburgh will open from Sunday 3rd May by appointment only.
Following the successful trial of bridal and occasion wear at our Ocean Terminal charity shop, we’re delighted to announce that we are going to open a standalone bridalwear store, Ever After by St Columba’s, at Newhailes Musselburgh.
As we make the move to our new location we won’t have any bridal wear available to shop or try-on in store for a short period of time. Please bear with us during this transition – we promise it’ll be worth it, as we’ll have lots of space for even more beautiful gowns, occasion wear, and accessories in our new location!
We’ll share opening dates and times as soon as we can – look out for updates in the next few weeks!
Please also note that from 1 April we’re updating our OT shop opening hours.
We’ll be open Friday to Sunday each week, and closed Monday to Thursday.
The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo has announced that its special 75th Anniversary fundraising initiative has raised a remarkable £157,161.75 for St Columba’s Hospice Care, following the conclusion of this year’s Show.
The donation, generated from 75p from every ticket sold in 2025, aimed to resonate with the message of this year’s performance, The Heroes Who Made Us, celebrating and supporting those that go above and beyond in our society.
This donation will enable St Columba’s Hospice Care to continue providing compassionate, free-of-charge palliative and end-of-life care to individuals and families across the region.
During the 75th Anniversary Show, each performance included a special moment honouring different individuals, highlighted as Spotlight Heroes, whose dedication and service enrich communities and the lives of those they encounter. Among those celebrated was Liz Gallagher, a valued fundraising volunteer at St Columba’s Hospice Care.
Liz has been part of the hospice’s fundraising team for six years, giving countless hours to bucket collections, events, and creative fundraising ideas. In her day job supporting people with additional needs, Liz involves her clients in St Columba’s Hospice Care fundraising activities, helping them feel part of the hospice community.
The donation from The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo will be put towards St Columba’s Hospice Care’s continued specialist care provision for people across Edinburgh and the Lothians ensuring that individuals and families can access the support they rely on at such an important time.
This donation goes above and beyond the Tattoo’s usual charitable giving which sees surplus profits distributed annually to military and arts charities in the UK. St Columba’s Hospice Care was chosen by the community with over 50,000 votes cast to select from a selection of non-military charities that provide vital services in the local community.
Jackie Stone, CEO at St Columba’s Hospice Care, said: “Incredible donations like this don’t come along very often, and at a time when hospices across Scotland are facing significant funding challenges, we are especially grateful.
“Support from our community has never been more vital and we are deeply thankful to everyone who voted for us and helped generate this remarkable sum, simply by going along to enjoy the Show.
“It was also wonderful to see our volunteer, Liz, recognised as one of the heroes of the Tattoo’s 75th Anniversary. Her energy, creativity and dedication truly reflect the spirit of our entire hospice community.
“We would like to thank the Tattoo once again for this generous donation. It comes at an important time, helping us continue to provide specialist, compassionate care for people across Edinburgh and the Lothians and ensuring that individuals and families can access the support they rely on, when they need it most.”
Jason Barrett, Chief Executive, The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, said: “Our 75th Anniversary was a tribute to the people who have built and sustained the Tattoo over the years, and it was a privilege to extend that celebration to community heroes like Liz and the team at St Columba’s Hospice Care.
“This donation was made possible entirely thanks to our wonderful audience, whose support enables us to contribute to partner charities and champion the military, traditional arts, and—this year—an extraordinary cause.
“We are proud to stand behind such an exceptional organisation and the dedicated volunteers who give their time so selflessly.”
Discover the power of poetry as a tool for remembrance, on Tuesday 11th November from 6.30pm-7.30pm.
This guided session offers a gentle and welcoming space to reflect on loved ones through poems about memory, love, and loss. You are invited to join us in writing, sharing your own poems, or simply listening to others.
No poetry experience is needed; all are welcome to participate in this shared experience.
Light refreshments will be provided.
This session will be facilitated by our dramatherapist, Sally McRae.
Scottish Government and local partners must act now to protect vital palliative care services
St Columba’s Hospice Care and Marie Curie Edinburgh are warning that essential palliative and end-of-life care services are now at serious risk due to funding decisions made by the Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) and inaction by the Scottish Government.
The HSCP has chosen to reverse a 3% inflationary uplift in funding to hospices, which they committed to earlier in the year. This decision was taken in reaction to the Scottish Government announcement of an additional £5 million to help hospices address workforce pressures.
That £5 million was solely intended to support hospices with the recruitment and retention of skilled staff during a time of extreme pressure, not to replace existing funding agreements.
This decision from HSCP undermines the purpose of the allocation and places essential palliative and end-of-life services across the Lothians at risk. To date, St Columba’s Hospice Care has not received its share of the £5 million, which is approximately £496,000. The delay is creating further financial uncertainty and threatening frontline services for patients and families.
We call on the Scottish Government and HSCP to:
Reinstate the 3% inflationary uplift immediately.
Release the national pay parity funding without delay.
Commit to a national review of hospice funding to ensure equity and sustainability across Scotland.
Jackie Stone, CEO, St Columba’s Hospice Care, said:“Hospice’s are being pushed to make very difficult decisions that may impact on our patients and families. This reversal sends a devastating message to our staff and to the families we care for that fair pay and essential services are negotiable. They are not.
“The Scottish Government made a public commitment to fair pay and sustainable services, but we are being left with broken promises and growing deficits.
“We urge the Scottish Government and local partnerships to act now before we are forced to withdraw services that thousands of people across Edinburgh and the Lothians rely on every year.”
Hospices are an integral part of Scotland’s healthcare system and must be treated as such. They need sustainable, equitable funding. The government must act now to ensure a consistent national approach to hospice funding.
Hospices deliver vital, high-quality care that the NHS relies on, and they must be supported, not penalised, for working to achieve fair pay for their staff.
Whether you’re looking for quality pre-loved furniture at great prices or just fancy a browse, a cuppa and cake, pop along to our Furniture Centre next Saturday for our exclusive discount day!
Every penny raised through the sale of pre-loved goods goes to support vital hospice care in our community.
) to look forward to!