• Scots stars of Love Island, A Place in the Sun and Sean’s Scotland launched campaign by getting their hands dirty in a breakfast challenge at Glasgow school
• Organised by the STV Children’s Appeal, the Big Scottish Breakfast raises funds to provide free breakfasts for children and young people across Scotland
• Nationwide event will take place between 9 – 13 September

Following his stay in the explosive Love Island: All Stars villa earlier this year, Anton Danyluk has faced an even bigger challenge: a pancake-decorating competition with a group of ten-year-olds at a Glasgow primary school.

The telly star was joined by presenters Jean Johansson and Sean Batty at Battlefield Primary School in the city’s southside to help launch the STV Children’s Appeal’s 2024 Big Scottish Breakfast event, in partnership with Kellogg’s. A fun favourite in the charity’s fundraising calendar, the campaign raises money to provide nutritious breakfasts for children and young people across Scotland who often go without.

The celebrity trio each teamed up with a Battlefield pupil and were tasked with creating the most fabulous pancake topping in just five minutes. With the competition fierce, the school very much lived up to its name – but in the end, it was Anton and his partner Kevin, aged 10, who fellow pupils voted as the winning team.

Anton, Jean and Sean were also grilled by Battlefield pupils on all things breakfast, with Anton admitting he loves indulging in leftover curry in the morning, Sean revealing the highest breakfast he’s ever eaten was aboard the world’s shortest flight in the Orkney Islands, and Americano-loving Jean claiming coffee would beat tea in a fight.

The much-loved stars are inviting people across Scotland to get together with friends, family, colleagues and classmates between 9 – 13 September to host their own fun-filled breakfast event and raise funds to help children and families at risk of hunger in Scotland. Every penny raised as part of the campaign will support projects that provide free breakfasts to children across the country.

Kellogg’s has supported breakfast clubs across the UK for over 25 years and is proud partner of the Big Scottish Breakfast. Helen Potter, Kellogg’s UKI Cereal Activation Lead, said: “We’re excited to continue our partnership with the Big Scottish Breakfast for the second year running and to support such an important campaign to raise money for children affected by poverty.

“We know how important breakfast can be and the impact being hungry can have in the classroom. That’s why we support breakfast clubs, so that children can start the day with a full tummy feeling ready to learn.”

Anton Danyluk said: “For many of us, eating breakfast every day is something we take for granted, but sadly that isn’t the reality for some children and families across Scotland. It’s a pleasure to be able to use my platform to encourage more people to take part in the Big Scottish Breakfast this September, and what better way to kick it all off than a lively morning with the brilliant kids at Battlefield Primary? There were a few telly stars of the future there for sure!”                                                                         

Jean Johansson said: “This is such an important cause for me to get behind as I strongly believe no child in Scotland should be affected by poverty. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and whether it’s a get-together with your family, best pals, or workmates, we can all share a meal and raise funds for this important campaign.”

Sean Batty said: “I’ve lost count of how many Big Scottish Breakfasts I’ve had now, but this was certainly one of the most entertaining! A big thank you to Kellogg’s for their support, and to the kids at Battlefield Primary School for giving us a run for our money. It’s all for a fantastic cause and I encourage everyone to join in the fun with their own brekkie challenge in September!”

The Big Scottish Breakfast takes place across Scotland between 9 and 13 September. You can download a fundraising pack at stvappeal.tv.

Edinburgh Leisure is serious about doing social good and adding social value to people’s lives and will be marking the first ever Seriously Social Week in May as part of a national campaign that showcases the work of charities, like theirs, putting people above profit, connecting communities, and helping people to become healthier, happier, and more creative, regardless of age or ability.

Seriously Social has been organised by national body Community Leisure UK. Starting Monday 27 May, each day of the week will focus on a theme to show how companies like Edinburgh Leisure help create social impact and create happier, healthier communities and will showcase the outcomes around health & wellbeing, the community, inclusion, employment and skills and the environment.

Jen Holland, CEO of Edinburgh Leisure said: “We are proud to be part of a network of charities operating with a social conscience, delivering social good when providing public leisure services. Our core business isn’t about making profit, it is about purpose – helping people first. We’re about supporting society to get healthier and happier, employing local people, creating safe spaces for everybody, connecting communities, working towards net zero and supporting people with quality health and wellbeing services for everybody regardless of age or ability.

“Seriously Social is a brilliant way to showcase not only the difference we make but also why we do what we do.”

As the largest provider of sports and leisure facilities in the city, Edinburgh Leisure provide activities for everyone as they move through their lives. As a charitable trust, every penny goes back into taking care of the health and wellbeing of Edinburgh. Being active improves physical and mental health. Edinburgh Leisure is here to support as many people as possible to feel as good as possible.

A recent study commissioned by Public Health Scotland concluded that of the 62,941 deaths that occurred in Scotland in 2022, more than 3,000 would have been attributed to physical inactivity, with cancer and cardiovascular disease (CVD) accounting for around one third of these.

Last year Edinburgh Leisure’s Active Communities team supported over 12,500 people a year to be active to improve their health and wellbeing. They develop and run projects to help make a positive difference to communities in six key project areas.

• People living with health conditions are supported by Active for Health
• People on low incomes and experiencing inequalities are supported by Wellbeing for All
• Older adults are supported to stay active and connected through Staying Active
• Children and young people are supported to live healthier, happier lifestyles through Active Futures
• People with disabilities or additional support needs are supported through Everybody Active
• People living with mental health conditions are supported through Mental Wellbeing

Kirsty Cumming, CEO of Community Leisure UK, said: “Our members don’t just deliver public leisure and cultural services, they support social change for the better every day of the week, 365 days a year.

“As social enterprises and charities, they put people above profit. They are run by local people and have everyone’s best interests at heart. The Seriously Social Week is about showcasing how they go above and beyond supporting individuals and communities. This is a selfless sector, quietly going about supporting people and communities every day. Not because it makes them money, but because it’s the right thing to do. And we thought it was high time more people know about the great work they do and the difference they make.”

More than 110 Charitable Trusts and Social Enterprises deliver public leisure and culture in Scotland, Wales and Ireland as part of the Community Leisure UK network. Together in 2023 they:

• Welcomed more than 209 million visits
• Worked with 170+ Local Authorities
• Collaborated with more than 100,000 Community Groups
• 73% Reduced Carbon Emissions
• 75% provided holiday food and activity programmes.
• Saved the state and NHS £893million through their work getting people more active and healthier *

For more information visit seriouslysocial.org.uk

*Social Value Figure produced by 4Global using data from Moving Communities and DataHub. Full stats can be found at seriouslysocial.org.uk

Joining the stellar contemporary music line-up are gigs from indie stars to folk sensations and post-punk icons. Declan McKenna, Lisa O’Neill and Nadine Shah join the lineup which includes Cat Power, Jordan Rakei, Chilly Gonzales and Bat for Lashes.

Alongside new music, you can hear directly from the inspirational figures calling for change in the Keynote Talks series. Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown, rapper and activist Akala and Caroline Criado Perez, best-selling author of Invisible Women, will tell stories of their activism and share their hopes for the future.

Tickets for new events go on sale 24 May at midday.

We’ll be seeing you soon now

Balfour Beatty has featured in New Civil Engineer, discussing how the company is using innovative technology to improve site security across the UK.

Theft costs the construction industry £800M each year and 62% of construction workers reported a rise in thefts in 2023 in the UK, according to security company BauWatch.

In an interview with Security Technology Director Andy Chambers, the piece explores how Balfour Beatty is actively combatting these stark statistics, using its “digital fortresses” to protect its widespread range of work sites and compounds and detect and tackle over 150 incidents since 2022.  

“From creating ‘digital walls’ around vast areas, triggering remote-access CCTV drones, to capturing thieves and trespassers in act – we are using technology to better intercept criminals and charge perpetrators”, the Balfour Beatty spokesperson said.

Read the full interview with Andy Chambers here.

The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo is set for fresh thinking while retaining the familiarity it’s known and loved for to deliver on exciting new plans for growth.

Speaking on the Tattoo’s new podcast Piping Up, Chief Executive Jason Barrett stated that the brand will tread a fine line between modernity, authenticity, and heritage as it looks to its future and ensures it reaches new and broader audiences.

He said: “Getting the balance right is important and I think we’ve done a really good job of that in recent years. We’ve stretched ourselves in some areas with new things, for example our new twists on the bagpipes with the electro pipes.

“However, we certainly don’t want people to come to the Tattoo and say that it’s not what they remember it to be. That being said, the best compliment I’ve heard in the past couple of years was from a couple who’d been to many shows who told me it was amazing and the best combination of something fresh yet familiar and we just want to strike that balance.

“You’re either moving forwards or you’re moving backwards, you’re never standing still so we choose to progress what we do and make it as entertaining as possible.”

While the Tattoo will never lose sight of the tradition it’s known and loved for, its continued growth and innovation will help it to increase its charitable giving.

Speaking about the strategy for the Tattoo brand, Jason added: “We want and need to be more commercial as the Tattoo and I know that’s new to people and they might not necessarily know what that means.

“We are a charity and it’s with that, that we’re basing our measure of success around how much money we can give to charity. Therefore, if we do not make money, if we’re not profitable and if we’re not good businesspeople, then we fail on that endeavour.

“In Edinburgh, the Show is incredibly successful but that being said, we’re still trying to be as forward-leaning as possible to understand our challenges in the current model and then ask ourselves, what more can we do?”

As the brand innovates and invests, it seeks to understand more about audience experience through research and asking questions. In the podcast discussion, Jason said: “Therefore, innovation and research is something we’re putting even more of a focus on so when someone looks at the Tattoo and what it is, we have our core that we wouldn’t ever want to change like the Massed Pipes and Drums or our lone piper or relationship with the military.

“But the question for us is how we can continue to make the event more compelling and more immersive for our audience and examples can be found with our investment in projection, lighting, and sound in recent years, just to make it a better experience.

“Further exploration will also come in the customer experience in the venue itself. It’s incredible we can build a 9,000-person arena in a matter of weeks. But with the unpredictable Scottish weather, the question is what more can we do for our audience to improve, right through to the hospitality experience.”

As well as the constant search to improve the Tattoo experience for audiences and the benefit the brand delivers for many charities, Jason also touched on the potential for further international touring or diversifying performance types, by saying: “We’re beginning to think about taking the Tattoo abroad which allows us to do things a little differently and open up creative options.

“Could we do a bit of a tour and tap into new audiences? For example, could we go to North America and bring that Scottishness and the Tattoo and its connection to another market? I think that would be a measure of our success and effectiveness.”

To hear more about the plans for the brand, make sure you listen to episode one of the Tattoo’s brand new podcast Piping Up (https://www.edintattoo.co.uk/our-story/piping-up) where Chief Executive Jason Barrett talks in detail about his vision and ambition for the future of The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo.

Tickets for this summer’s Show Journeys are on sale now and can be purchased at edintattoo.co.uk/tickets or on the phone, 0131 225 1188. The Show will run from 2-24 August 2024, with Presenting Partner, Innis & Gunn, offering a bar service at the event.

Tickets for 2025’s Show celebrating the 75th Anniversary of The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo will go on sale in August.

A new release of properties is now available at Cruden Homes’ Birchwood Brae site in Wallyford, near Musselburgh, offering buyers a chance to secure a great value family home in this popular development. The latest release includes a range of spacious 4-bedroom detached house styles with prices from just £335,000, along with 3-bedroom semi-detached homes from just £262,000. Also released for sale is the stunning ‘Hawthorn’ style 4-bedroom show home, which is available fully furnished at only £349,000.

All homes at Birchwood Brae offer excellent value for money as standard, but this summer buyers can also choose from a variety of incentives to help get them moving, including Part Exchange, a deposit contribution of up to 5% or a flooring and upgrades package. Cruden Homes has also partnered with Own New to offer buyers the innovative new Rate Reducer product, which offers a simpler, hassle-free approach to obtaining an affordable mortgage on a new build property, with rates below 1.99% for the initial period.

Selected properties at Birchwood Brae are available to move into now, meaning discerning homebuyers could be settled in for summer and enjoying all the local area has to offer. The village enjoys a range of amenities ideal for growing families, with the added bonus of easy access to Edinburgh by road, rail and bus. Surrounded by beautiful rolling countryside and farmland, Wallyford is also just a stone’s throw from East Lothian’s most sought-after beaches and golf courses.

For more information about the latest release of homes and the incentives available at Birchwood Brae, please visit https://www.crudengroup.co.uk/homes/developments/birchwood-brae or call 0131 600 0164 to book an appointment.

Convention Edinburgh, Edinburgh’s convention bureau, has partnered with Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce to showcase the power of business events for the city.

At an inaugural partnership event – ‘Why business events matter: the economic power and impact of events’ – on Tuesday 30th April at the EICC, speakers from across Edinburgh’s events, technology, and academic sectors will discuss how a collaborative cross-sector approach can pay dividends for the city.

The speakers lined up for the event are Professor Gary Hutchison, Dean of Applied Science at Edinburgh Napier University, Turing Fest’s chief operating officer Tanya Gaxiola, and Lesley Williams, Director at Caellium and former Managing Director of Best Cities.

Marshall Dallas, EICC, CEO, said: “We’re excited to partner with the Chamber of Commerce, and we fully expect next week’s event to be insightful given the calibre of speakers we have in place.  Importantly, it also reflects on the shared passion we have for Edinburgh and how business events can have an outsized benefit towards local economic impact.”

VisitScotland’s Business Events Association Report in March revealed that business event visitors to Scotland spend more per head than any other kind of visitor, with an International delegate spending approximately £450 per day.  By contrast, leisure visitors from Scotland’s highest-value international market, the USA, spend around £180 per day according to latest data.

The EICC took on the guardianship of Convention Edinburgh on behalf of the City of Edinburgh Council in May 2022, with a remit that includes attracting conferences and events to Edinburgh, supporting city bids, and assisting event bookers during the destination and venue selection process for their conferences.

During this time, Convention Edinburgh has received over 400 enquiries, confirming 60 events which will attract over 21,000 delegates to the city, equating to £47 million of economic impact.  Events won include the International Network for Social Network Analysis at Heriot-Watt University, the International Association of Young Lawyers at the Sheraton Grand Hotel, and the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society 2024 at the John McIntyre Conference Centre, Pollock Halls.

Amanda Wrathall, Lead at Convention Edinburgh said: “The small but agile team we put together for Convention Edinburgh has done a fantastic job over the last couple of years, with their performance reflected in the positive numbers that have come through. Credit must also go to the multiple city partners who have supported and contributed to the business event outcomes to date.”

Liz McAreavey, Chief Executive of the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce, added: “The £47 million economic benefit clearly illustrates the value that the convention bureau brings to the city. In addition to this, the bureau’s work supports jobs across a wide range of sectors in the city, both directly and indirectly.

“It is vital that our policy-makers understand the role and impact of business tourism, which attracts high-spending visitors, many of whom will return to the city for holidays after attending business events here, and some even to live and work. It is a crucial component in promoting our city to the global community and has proven to be extremely successful.”

Join Heriot-Watt on Thursday 25 April for their latest industry event.

Recent figures from Skills Development Scotland highlight that 46% of organisations are suffering from a data skills shortage. This event will aim to demystify Data Science apprenticeships, highlighting how Graduate Apprentices are making a positive impact and how employers can bridge the skills gap.

• Power up your business – Employers – understand how to harness the power of your data to enhance business performance. Data Science Graduate Apprenticeships are an ideal way to develop key data skills tailored to the needs of your business – either through upskilling existing employees or attracting new talent.
• Accelerate your career – Individuals – discover how a Data Science Graduate Apprenticeship could kickstart your career. Whether you’re in an existing data role or are looking to change your career direction, this event will demonstrate how our programme can develop your data skills.

SIGN UP TODAY!

This is a great opportunity to hear first-hand from an expert panel of Graduate Apprentices and workplace mentors on how Data Science Graduate Apprenticeships are boosting businesses.

Time: 9am to 10am, 25 April

Location: Heriot-Watt University GRID building

Sign up here > https://buytickets.at/heriotwattuniversity2/1200750/r/edi

Turner & Townsend has been appointed by global security and aerospace company, BAE Systems, as the New Engineering Contract (NEC) Project Manager to support the delivery of Ship Build Hall in Glasgow, Scotland.

With the construction of the facility already underway and practical completion expected in Spring 2025, the new Ship Build Hall is set to become a landmark building in Glasgow, where the latest Type 26 anti-submarine warfare frigates are being constructed for the Royal Navy.

The hall is a key element of BAE Systems’ modernisation and digitalisation of its shipbuilding facilities at Govan and Scotstoun. Alongside a range of infrastructure and automation improvements, the company is introducing digital technology such as tablets and kiosk screens on the shop floor to streamline processes.

Once complete, the 170-metre long and 80-metre-wide structure will provide the space and services for BAE Systems to build two frigates, side-by-side, and will help enable efficient and safe shipbuilding for decades to come with future work unaffected by adverse weather.

The NEC will see the consultancy firm’s Scotland-based infrastructure team provide cost control and project management services for the construction of the new Ship Build Hall.

Steven Jackson, Director of Infrastructure, Scotland said: “BAE Systems’ investment in the long-term future of its Govan and Scotstoun facilities will transform and enhance shipbuilding in Glasgow. Our UK-wide expertise in the defence sector and in the delivery of major projects will play a key role in the development of this new facility.”