Betty the Shark, an e-waste sculpture created by artist Johnathan Elders, has made another surprise appearance – this time at Edinburgh’s St James Quarter.
The spectacular basking shark, created using electronic waste, is promoting its future attendance at this year’s Edinburgh Climate Festival.
The free event is taking place at the Edinburgh Meadows on June 28th from 12 – 7pm and, much like Betty, aims to ignite community conversation on climate related issues.
The shark was sculpted as a metaphor for the appetite we hold for the latest tech, shining a light on overconsumption and the consequences of the waste we produce.
You can join Betty’s next journey in celebrating and inspiring climate action at the Edinburgh Climate Festival this June.
During the day you can also enjoy a variety of family-friendly performances, stalls, talks, free activities as well as other art installations alongside the sculpture.
The festival serves as a platform for locals to engage with & discover remarkable climate initiatives, just like Betty the Shark, that are taking place in Edinburgh whilst also enjoying an exciting day out with their families.
Franciele Sobierai, ECF’s Event Coordinator, said: “We’re thrilled to welcome Betty the Shark to this year’s Edinburgh Climate Festival.
“Her powerful message about overconsumption and e-waste really captures the spirit of what our festival is all about: inspiring change through creativity, education, and community action.
“We invite everyone to come along, see Betty up close, and be part of a day that celebrates climate action in fun, engaging, and meaningful ways.”
You can find Betty the Shark at Edinburgh’s St James Centre until June 23rd, when she will be getting ready to swim over to the Edinburgh Meadows for her spot at the Edinburgh Climate Festival on the 28th.
You can learn more about the festival & get involved by visiting the links available here
Betty the Shark was created using discarded waste collected by CCL North and is supported by Cognition Art, Edinburgh Remakery, Edinburgh Science, Outer Spaces & Creative Edinburgh.
The Edinburgh Climate Festival is brought to you by Edinburgh and Lothians Regional Equality Council (ELREC) & Networking Key Services (NKS), through the Communities’ Reduce Reuse & Recycle (C3R) Project.
The festival is funded by The National Lottery Community Fund’s Climate Action Fund and is supported by The University of Edinburgh and Edinburgh Napier University.
Enjoy tasty food and brilliant performances from local people. Returning for its fifth year, Stories and Scran celebrates dynamic, thought-provoking work created by our Citizen participants.
Expect diverse and creative talent from Project Esperanza’s Women’s Group, WHALE Arts, the Book Festival’s own Adults Writing Group, and Citizen Collective.
And Scran Academy are back to serve up delicious, sweet treats you can enjoy during the event.
Stories and Scran runs from 8 – 9.15pm at the Book Festival’s new home at Edinburgh Futures Institute on Lauriston Place.
Scroll through our programme to find all the FREE workshops, performances & activities we have planned for you!
You will also be able to find a variety of stalls running their own activities as well as food vendors that will help fuel you through the day!
With the climate crisis worsening, we see how important it is to raise awareness and take climate action. That’s why the Edinburgh Climate Festival (ECF) is back!
The ECF will take place at the Meadows on Saturday 29th June 2024, from 12pm to 7pm. The festival will bring stallholders to cover topics related to the circular economy, mitigation, adaptation, climate education, transport, activism, conservation and more. Community members will also have an opportunity to raise their climate concerns to policymakers.
The festival, now in its 8th year, will offer a free, family friendly & community-led marketplace. It will serve as a platform for locals to discover the remarkable climate initiatives taking place in Edinburgh and enjoy a delightful day out with their families.
Franciele Sobierai, the ECF Event Coordinator said: “The climate crisis can be daunting, leaving us feeling powerless. However, when we unite, work together, and support one another, we can accomplish far more.
“This is the message the Edinburgh Climate Festival aims to spread — encouraging community-driven climate action and solidarity to tackle the climate emergency.”
The attractions and activities will involve an upcycled fashion show, dance performances, choirs, drumming group, eco workshops, wellbeing workshops, children’s activities and much more.
Don’t miss this opportunity to engage, learn, and celebrate our collective efforts towards a sustainable future!
Following a number of recent anti-social-behaviour incidents in the Morningside and Bruntsfield areas, 9 people between the ages of 13-14 years have been identified and charged with 77 offences relating to ASB offences.
Community Inspector Scott Casey of St. Leonard’s Police Station said “ASB is a blight on our communities and I recognise the fear it causes.
“It will not be tolerated in south-east of Edinburgh and my team and I are committed to tackling it and bringing those responsible to justice.
“I would encourage members of the public who are experiencing such issues to get in touch with my team via 101 or you can contact Crimestoppers 0800 555 111.”
Detectives in Edinburgh are appealing for information after a man was assaulted in the city.
The incident happened around 3.10pm on Saturday (17 June, 2023) on Leamington Walk in the Meadows area and involved a cyclist and another member of the public.
A 40-year-old man was taken to hospital and released after treatment.
Detective Constable Michael Campbell said: “Our enquiries are ongoing and we are appealing for anyone with information or who witnessed the incident to come forward.
“Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101 quoting incident 2617 of 17 June, 2023. Alternatively, Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111.”
The next generation of tennis fans in Edinburgh were served a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see a unique piece of the sport’s history as the famous Davis Cup by Rakuten trophy dropped into Craiglockhart Tennis Centre and The Meadows as part of a national tour to celebrate Scotland’s hosting of the illustrious competition.
Selected as one of four venues to host the Group Stage of the Davis Cup by Rakuten Finals, Glasgow’s Emirates Arena will stage Great Britain’s blockbuster Group D ties against USA, Kazakhstan and Netherlands between 13-18 September. Tickets for the event, priced from £10, will go on sale this Thursday (30th June) at 10am and can be purchased here.
Across an 11-stage tour, the trophy will drop-in at several inspirational locations that are continuing to play a pivotal role in broadening the accessibility of tennis in Scotland, helping to open up the sport to more people and building on record participation figures that have been recorded in recent years, with a 12% increase in players playing once or more a year over the past 12 months.
The trophy tour started in the Scottish Borders on Monday (27th June) at Earlston High School, one of Britain’s many educational establishments which are championing the school element of the LTA Youth programme, designed to attract and retain more children aged 4-18 in tennis.
Moving across Scotland, the trophy visited Craiglockhart Tennis Centre on Tuesday as the venue played host to the Scottish Junior Open, one of the largest Grade 2 tournaments in the country which is catering for 515 participating players who are aiming to follow in the footsteps of the tournament’s former 9 & Under champion, Emma Raducanu.
On Wednesday, the trophy then made the short trip to The Meadows which is the setting for the busiest park tennis site in Scotland, featuring 16 courts and a programme which boats excellent links with the community, local schools and The University of Edinburgh.
The tour aims to shine a spotlight on some of the programmes that are encouraging children to pick up a racket for the very first time, including the LTA Youth programme as well as LTA SERVES which is focussed on making tennis more accessible to children from underserved communities, and the Open Court Programme which enables disabled players to enjoy the physical and mental health benefits of tennis.
Tennis Scotland and the LTA have coordinated the trophy tour to build momentum for September’s group stage matches whilst interest in the sport is heightened by the Wimbledon fortnight.
The trophy will now visit several inclusive schools, clubs, and venues as it travels the length of the country to Moray Sports Centre in Elgin; the first venue to benefit from the Transforming Scottish Indoor Tennis Fund (TSIT).
Upcoming trophy tour events and locations:
1st July – Clarkston Bowling and Tennis Club, Glasgow (10am-12 noon)
3rd July – Bridge of Allan Tournament, Stirling (10am-1pm)
4th July – Achieve More Scotland, Haghill Park Primary School, Glasgow (10am-12noon)
5th July – Scotstoun Community Tennis Centre, Glasgow (10am-1pm)
7th July – Elgin Tennis Club, Highlands (10am-12noon)
7th July – Moray Sports Centre, Moray (2pm-5pm)
8th July – West End Club, Dundee (12-4pm)
Standing at 110cm tall, the Davis Cup is one of the most recognisable trophies within the sporting world. Following in the lead of past winners including Scotland’s Andy Murray, Jamie Murray and current team captain Leon Smith, individuals across the nation are being handed the opportunity to witness the trophy up close before the ‘men’s world cup of tennis’ heads for Glasgow’s East End.
Following the Davis Cup Group Stage matches, the Emirates Arena will also host the Billie Jean King Cup Finals in November after the International Tennis Federation announced that the ‘women’s world cup of tennis’ will return to Great Britain for the fourth time in its six-decade history.
Blane Dodds, Tennis Scotland Chief Executive, said: “Glasgow’s hosting of Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup matches is a massive boost for tennis in Scotland and comes at a time when interest in the sport has never been greater.
“We’re thrilled to bring two of the most coveted competitions to Scotland with the LTA, which will provide future players and fans of the game with the chance to experience top level tennis on their doorstep.
“The Davis Cup trophy tour provides the perfect opportunity to build momentum for the tournament and showcase the passion for tennis here in Scotland, whilst inspiring the next generation to follow their dreams of representing the nation on the international stage.”
Olly Scadgell, LTA Participation Director, said: “This is the perfect time for young people to pick up a racquet and get on court. We want to use the fact we are hosting the Davis Cup and Billie Jean King cups to bring more children into the sport and boost participation across the country.
“Our LTA Youth programme is designed to be easily accessible for all children, whatever their background or level of experience. Anyone interested in playing for the first time should go online and search for LTA Youth to find a course near them.”
Police are appealing for the help of the public after a teenage boy was sexually assaulted in The Meadows.
The incident happened around 4.30pm on Friday (15 April) in the public toilets at the east side of The Meadows near Hope Park Terrace.
A 14-year-old boy was approached by a man and sexually assaulted. A member of the public entered the toilets and the man left and walked off towards the crossroads at Hope Park Terrace.
The suspect is described as white, around 5ft 6ins, of slim build, with white stubble and aged around 70-years-old. He was wearing a dark jacket and trousers and a flat cap. He also used a walking stick.
Detective Inspector Grant Paterson said: “This attack has left the teenage boy exceptionally upset. We have officers on patrol in the area and if anyone has any concerns please speak to them or call us.
“This part of The Meadows would have been busy and I am asking anyone who saw this man or who may know who he is to get in touch.
“In particular, I am asking the member of the public who walked into the toilets as this was happening to get in touch. You may have information that is vital to our enquiries.”
Anyone who can help is asked to contact Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident number 2466 of Friday, 15 April. Or make a call anonymously to the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111
Police are appealing for witnesses following an assault with intent to rob which occurred in the city yesterday (Thursday, 5 August, 2021).
Around 12.05 am a 23-year-old woman was walking on Melville Terrace near to the junction with Moncrieff Terrace when she was approached from behind by a man who pulled her to the ground and demanded money from her.
The woman managed to fight the man off before contacting police.
The man ran off northwards in the Meadows towards the tennis courts.
The suspect is described as being in his late 30s, 5ft 9in tall, of slim build, with dark brown/grey hair and spoke with a local accent. He was wearing a grey camouflage face mask, a black short-sleeved shirt, dark joggers and was carrying a messenger bag.
Detective Sergeant Keith Taylor, of Gayfield CID, said: “Thankfully the woman was not injured during this incident, but it was nonetheless a very distressing experience.
“I am appealing to anyone who was in the area around the time of the incident who may have witnessed what happened, or noticed a man matching the above description, to please come forward.
“Anyone with information is asked to contact Gayfield CID via 101, quoting incident number 0047 of 5 August. Alternatively, you can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”
