SATURDAY 21st JUNE from 10am – 3pm
The weeks are whizzing by …
Here at CCC we are dusting off the ducks, refining our recipes for home baking and rehearsing our recitals.
We have a few stalls available for hire on the day. With a footfall of over 300 don’t miss out on this chance to flog your fancies.
Email bookings@ccchub.online to secure your spot!
Loneliness, especially long-term loneliness, increases the risk of mental health challenges like anxiety, depression and stress.
On the flip side, regular social interactions can help us feel less isolated and protect our mental health.
Loneliness can affect anyone. Here are some ways that can help you cope. 
Visit our website for more tips: https://bit.ly/4kcDalm
The way in which offshore wind projects are developed in Scotland is being consulted on, with an updated plan now published for views.
The draft updated Sectoral Marine Plan for Offshore Wind Energy (SMP-OWE) aims to balance the needs of nature, communities, and other users of the sea.
It will be used to help inform the delivery of offshore wind projects from the ScotWind and Innovation and Targeted Oil and Gas (INTOG) seabed leasing rounds.
Proposals in the plan aim to:
Acting Net Zero and Energy Secretary Gillian Martin said: “Growing Scotland’s offshore wind sector presents enormous economic opportunities for our country, with the chance to create thousands of well-paid, green jobs while accelerating our journey to net zero.
“Our updated Sectoral Marine Plan for Offshore Wind Energy sets out the opportunities as well as the constraints to developing offshore wind in Scottish waters.
“It seeks to provides clarity, certainty and confidence to investors and other marine users, to ensure development is sustainable and balances the needs of communities, nature and other users of the sea, to deliver for the people of Scotland and nature.
“It is important that everyone with an interest has their say and the Scottish Government will continue to engage closely with the fishing industry, island and coastal communities and other sectors throughout the consultation.”
Crown Estate Scotland Director of Marine, Mike Spain, said: “We welcome the publication of the draft updated Sectoral Marine Plan and encourage all those with an interest in Scotland’s offshore wind sector to engage with this consultation.
“We are proud to have conducted two successful offshore wind leasing rounds and are working in partnership with the sector to enable these projects to deliver maximum value for Scotland.”
Consultation – draft updated Sectoral Marine Plan for Offshore Wind Energy
The consultation will run until 22 August 2025
Community projects across Scotland aimed at improving lives through local climate action are set to benefit from a share of £5.7 million Scottish Government funding.
Scotland’s nationwide network for Climate Action Hubs encourage and support climate action unique to their own areas from flood mitigation, repair shops and local energy generation to food growing and tree planting.
There is now a Hub covering every area in Scotland fulfilling a previous Programme for Government commitment to ensure people are empowered to act on climate in their own neighbourhoods.
Acting Net Zero Secretary Gillian Martin confirmed the funding during a visit to Buckie Thistle Football Club which is being supported by Moray Climate Hub to reduce its impact on the environment and raise awareness of climate change in local schools.
Ms Martin said: “I am very pleased to hear first-hand how Moray Climate Hub has been helping communities in the area support climate action from working with their local football team to identify ways in which they can cut their emissions to setting up a biodiversity garden for adults with learning difficulties.
“Football clubs, like Buckie Thistle, play an influential role in their local community, and their efforts to reduce their carbon footprint will undoubtedly inspire others to do the same, and provide a template for climate action that other clubs can follow.
“Tackling climate change is our collective responsibility and will require collaborative action at all levels. We must also share in the economic and health benefits that protecting our planet for future generations will bring.
“Communities are uniquely placed to play a critical role in shaping and driving forward the transition to low carbon and climate resilient living and we want to empower people to take action in their neighbourhoods that’s right for them.
“That is why we are proud to continue to support our hugely successful framework of regional climate hubs, which provide a vehicle for communities to come together and engage in collective grassroots action.”
Moray Climate Hub Manager (Moray CAN) Louise Nicol said: “We’re delighted to receive continued funding , it means we can keep supporting communities across Moray to take meaningful climate action in ways that work for them.
“Working with Buckie Thistle has been great, and we are both learning so much from each other. Football is more than a game – it’s a community hub, and it’s a great way to open up conversations about the environment.”
Buckie Thistle Football Club General manager, Stephen Shand, said: “We’re very grateful for the support from Moray Climate Hub – it’s helped us get our heads around what we can do as a club to be more environmentally responsible.
“We’re just at the start of the journey, but it’s exciting to learn more and see where small changes can make a difference. The help we are getting to find funding has been a huge boost to the club.”
A total of 24 hubs have been set up across Scotland – fulfilling a 2024 Programme for Government commitment.
Contact information for climate action hubs.
The Scottish Government is providing up to £6 million of funding in 2025 – 2026 for its network of Climate Action Hubs alongside a support package for delivery. This is broken down as follows – with some funding still to be allocated:
| Hub | Total 25/26 Grant |
| Angus | 171,946.00 |
| Argyll and Bute | 158,208.00 |
| Ayrshire | 370,000.00 |
| Dumfries and Galloway | 212,461.60 |
| Dundee | 163,895.00 |
| East Dunbartonshire | 105,985.00 |
| East Lothian | 166,617.00 |
| East Renfrewshire | 106,294.00 |
| Edinburgh | 375,000.00 |
| Fife | 307,505.00 |
| Forth Valley | 375,000.00 |
| Glasgow | 473,425.00 |
| Highlands & Islands | 476,952.00 |
| Inverclyde | 102,000.00 |
| Lanarkshire | 473,661.95 |
| Midlothian | 125,000.00 |
| Moray | 146,247.00 |
| North East | 510,895.00 |
| Outer Hebrides | 141,700.00 |
| Perth & Kinross | 165,000.00 |
| Renfrewshire | 162,000.00 |
| Scottish Borders | 171,151.33 |
| West Dunbartonshire | 70,960.00 |
| West Lothian | 170,985.00 |
| Total | 5,702,888.88 |
Hello to all those who love potatoes!
Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre’s partnership project with Lauriston Farm is continuing next week TUESDAY 3rd JUNE 10.30am-12.30 noon as we bus over to look after the precious crop with Hannah.
We will take a wee picnic over and earth up the potatoes so they grow in abundance 
All welcome. Meeting at 10am at Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre to take a bus over.
An idea to transform chewing gum wrappers into a fold-up coping device for neurodiverse teenagers has earned industry recognition for three Edinburgh Napier University (ENU) students.
Caitlin Christina Borst, Ewan Bell and Sana Ziyaeen’s project, Origumi, has been named among the winners of this year’s D&AD New Blood Awards – a notable honour for emerging creatives.
The MSc Creative Advertising students are among those displaying their work at the 2025 Degree Show, which is open to the public at ENU’s Merchiston campus until Friday 6 June.
Responding to a brief from the chewing gum giant Extra, the trio designed a series of special wrappers for strip gums, with folding lines to help create origami-inspired paper creations.
Their campaign is aimed at young neurodiverse people, many of whom use fidgeting and stimming to help manage stress and anxiety. It combines unique packaging, out of home billboard adverts and a social media strategy.
Being recognised by D&AD, the leading industry organisation for the UK creative industry, came as a very welcome surprise to the team.
Sana, who is 24 and from Iran, said: “It’s crazy! I remember opening the email and still not quite believing it.
“It was an amazing feeling!”
24-year-old Ewan, who is from Aberdeen, added: “I was actually getting my hair cut at the time! I looked at my phone afterwards and it was going wild!
“When we all met up afterwards, we jumped about like kids!”
The Origumi team will find out which level of D&AD New Blood pencil they have won during an award ceremony in London in July.
They have put this success down to a rewarding year on the MSc course, which they hope will help to launch their career in advertising – as it has done for many predecessors.
Caitlin, 25, from Livingston, said: “It is a massive confidence boost to know that we’ve developed these skills which can be used in the industry.
“I think throughout the year we’ve all learned a lot from each other.”
“It feels like we’ve come a long way very quickly,” added Sana.
“We all have quite different backgrounds in terms of what we were doing before – which has really helped.”
Caitlin, Ewan and Sana have also followed in the footsteps of previous ENU Creative Advertising students Brianna Price and Mairi MacRae, whose Heineken Stim project drew on similar ideas, and was also recognised by D&AD in 2023.
The trio sought out their advice while developing Origumi.
“The fact that we have had industry professionals coming in has been so helpful,” said Ewan. “Having the help of predecessors has been really nice.
“I like that the course teaches you about the structure of a campaign. I feel a lot more equipped to take that out into work.”
Caitlin said: “We learned a lot about neurodivergence when putting this together. We noticed we were involuntarily fidgeting and stimming while discussing ways to take away the stigma.
“The project took a lot of different turns along the way, but I think we’re all pleased with where it has ended up.”
You can see Origumi and other work from across ENU’s School of Arts & Creative Industries at the 2025 Degree Show.
The week-long celebration of undergraduate and postgraduate students is free to attend and open to all until Friday 6 June – find out more about it here.
Edinburgh locals were advised to keep their wands handy as a 25 foot-long Hungarian Horntail dragon made a pit stop at Castle Street yesterday. Onlookers were left spellbound as the ‘captured’ dragon made a rare appearance outside of its usual home at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter.
Locals lined up at the eye-catching display to get up close and personal with the iconic creature, which fans will recognise from Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire.
The huge animatronic dragon, which weighs 1.3 tonnes, brings to life the fan favourite, nail-biting scene where the Hungarian Horntail dragon breaks free of its chains during the first task of The Triwizard Tournament to chase after Harry Potter.
It was created to mark the launch of the new Triwizard Tournament – Making of Champions feature at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London running from 15th May to 8th September 2025. The feature celebrates the 20th anniversary of the cinematic release of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and invites visitors to go behind-the-scenes of the Triwizard Tournament to discover how filmmakers created the iconic competition we see and love on-screen.
Harry Potterfilmmaker and Animatronic Designer, Joe Scott, designed the dragon which visited Edinburgh, replicating the creature in the film, complete with moving head, mouth and eyes and sound effects.
The skilled recreation of the famous dragon was carefully crafted over 750 hours, using materials that included 40 metres of fiberglass. The team first created a series of detailed sketches and CGI mock-ups, before Sculptors, Carpenters and Scenic Artists meticulously built the dragon’s head, which was 3D printed using a scan of the original Hungarian Horntail from the film.
A total of 119 spikes were individually applied to garnish the dragon’s head and tail, taking 265 painstaking hours, whilst 38 razor-sharp teeth were 3D printed in resin to create bite in the creature’s animatronic mouth.
As part of the new summer feature at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London, for the first-time ever, fans can explore the Backlot Stage, showcasing the Secrets of Special Effects. This new, dedicated indoor space, offers visitors the opportunity to discover how filmmakers brought the action-packed scenes from the Triwizard Tournament to life.
Comprising a digital screen, a stage and tiered seating, it promises to uncover secrets that not even the most knowledgeable Muggle will know. From creating the Hungarian Horntail dragon to understanding how Harry Potter held his breath for so long underwater, all will be revealed as part of the feature. Visitors can also witness a mesmerising demonstration reminiscent of the Beauxbaton and Durmstrang students’ arrival at Hogwarts.
Geoff Spooner, Senior Vice President at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London says: “We’re excited to launch our brand-new summer feature, Triwizard Tournament – Making of Champions, where visitors can learn behind-the-scenes secrets of the fourth Harry Potter film.
“To celebrate, we wanted to bring the magic of Warner Bros. Studio Tour London to Edinburgh, recreating the iconic moment of the escaped Hungarian Horntail dragon 20 years on from ‘Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire’.”
Joe Scott, Harry Potter Filmmaker and Animatronic Designer, says: “Revisiting the creation of the Hungarian Horntail 20 years on from ‘Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire’ has been magical.
“Creating the dragons for the Triwizard Tournament was no mean feat, with Engineers, Animatronics, Designers and the Special Effects teams all working together to bring them to life. It’s fantastic to see the craftsmanship that went into this on display at the new feature – inspiring visitors with the magic of our filmmaking secrets.”
Those who are brave enough can take their name from the free Activity Passport and put it into the Goblet of Fire which will be waiting for them in the wand room.
Further additions to the Warner Bros. Studio Tour London summer feature include Mad-Eye Moody’s arrival into the Great Hall and wizarding journalist Rita Skeeter, best known for her poison pen articles.
Triwizard Tournament – Making of Champions is a special feature running from 15th May – 8th September and all new additions are included in the ticket price. Head to www.wbstudiotour.co.uk/whats-on/dragon-tour/ for more info
From Monday 2 June SGN will be upgrading the gas network in Gorgie Road.
Work is taking place in Gorgie Road, near its junction with Stenhouse Drive. This particular location has experienced multiple gas leaks in recent years and by upgrading our pipes now, we can prevent future emergency work and disruption.
Temporary traffic lights and a road closure will be in place around our working area. These lights will ensure traffic flow can be maintained and vehicles can safely pass our site and excavations in the carriageway.
For the duration of the project, Stenhouse Drive will be closed and local diversion routes will be in place for motorists.
You will find more information and details here:
A 35-year-old man has been arrested & charged in connection with breaking into business premises in Dalry, Gorgie and the city centre.
Cafes, take-aways and food stores were broken into between Saturday 17 & Thursday 22 May.
He is due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Monday (2nd June).
Around 90,000 carers are set to receive Carer’s Allowance Supplement this June – an additional payment of £293.50.
The payment is extra money for people who receive Carer Support Payment or Carer’s Allowance on a particular date.
Only available in Scotland, the summer payment will be made between 18 and 19 June 2025. Carers are eligible if they received Carer Support Payment or Carer’s Allowance on 14 April 2025.
Carers eligible for the payment will receive a letter from Social Security Scotland before the payment is made. Carers do not need to apply as it is paid automatically to everyone who is eligible.
Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “This benefit was the first that we introduced when we formed Social Security Scotland back in 2018. It’s an additional payment to recognise the important contribution of unpaid carers in Scotland. A payment not made anywhere else in the UK.
“It’s another example of how we’ve built a radically different social security system in Scotland, with dignity, fairness and respect at its heart.”
Claire Cairns, Director at The Coalition of Carers in Scotland added: “At a time when many carers are struggling to pay the bills, while providing essential support to loved ones, this payment is a vital acknowledgment of their role and a much-needed financial boost that helps ease some of the pressure they face every day.”
If a carer is eligible for Carer’s Allowance Supplement but has not received a letter or payment by 30 June 2025, they should contact Social Security Scotland free on 0800 182 2222.
The next Carer’s Allowance Supplement will be paid in December 2025.
Carer’s Allowance Supplement is paid twice a year. It’s an extra payment for eligible unpaid carers who are getting Carer Support Payment or Carer’s Allowance on the qualifying date. It is paid automatically without the need to apply.
Carers who have a genuine and sufficient link to Scotland but live outside the UK in the European Economic Area, Switzerland or Gibraltar may be eligible.
Find out more Applying outside of Scotland – mygov.scot
