The Edinburgh Reporter December 18

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4 NEWS The Edinburgh Reporter Police have a Christmas Grotto Inspector Andy Johnson and Constable Stuart Downie at their Grotto stationed in St Andrew Square ©2018TheEdinburghReporter EDINBURGH Police try to deter crime over the festive period in much the same way as at other times of the year, but as a result of the increased numbers of people coming to the city centre they adopt a high profile presence here. They have set up a specially built police Grotto in St Andrew Square, close to George Street and Princes Street. They would like you to go there if you have to report a crime, but also to speak with officers or to get leaflets about safety information. The special police station is open from 10.00am to 10.30pm daily. Platinum award for Mearns & Company Left: Catherine Bell (Managing Director) Right: Peter Russian, CEO of Investors in People. WEALTH management company Mearns & Company who also look after employee benefits have won Investors in People accreditation for their staff development, customer service and continuous improvement. Not just any accreditation however - they’ve won platinum! The firm has a client comes first policy, but also looks after its staff where corporate objectives are linked to each individual. Catherine Bell, Managing Director of Mearns & Company said: “We are absolutely delighted to have achieved Investors in People Platinum accreditation. Since our Investors in People journey started in 2014, we have worked hard to continually improve by implementing all of the recommendations that our Investors in People advisers have made to us. Our company values of treating people fairly, striving for excellence and making a difference, underpin our culture at Mearns & Company and align well with the aims of the Investors in People framework. We believe that this external recognition that we are successfully leading the way in our people practices, will give reassurance to our current and future clients, that we are committed to excellence and delivering outstanding results.” Chief Inspector Helen Harrison, who is leading on Operation Winter City, said: "With Christmas and New Year now only a few short weeks away, we have once again launched Operation Winter City to ensure all of those living, working and visiting Edinburgh during this very special time of year remain safe. "Edinburgh over the festive period is one of the most vibrant and beautiful cities in the world and hundreds of thousands of people head to our city centre to go Christmas shopping, socialise with friends and family and of course, enjoy the world famous Hogmanay Street Party. "With that in mind, we are devoting our resources accordingly, based on demand, and the public can expect to see lots of officers out and about between now and January as we look to engage with the public and deter crime within the city. City architects appointed to reimagine The King’s CAPITAL Theatres, the charitable trust which runs the Festival and King’s Theatres and The Studio, launched the King’s Theatre Edinburgh Redevelopment Campaign with the announcement that the architects Bennetts Associates will design the new theatre. Visualisation of the front elevation courtesy of Bennetts Associates. The visualisations for the redeveloped King’s Theatre show a design that aspires to retain the majesty of the original BBC Young Reporter THE BBC has launched a competition to give 11-18 year-olds the chance to tell the world their stories. It is supported by big BBC names like Huw Edwards and the best entries will be aired on the BBC using news and other programmes. This is a year round project building on the success of BBC School Report which has run for the last 12 years. To enter, go to bbc.co.uk/youngreportercompetition – where you will find the terms and conditions and privacy notice – Closing date 6 January 2019. Government tackle alcohol harm NEW plans to tackle the harm caused by alcohol will include curbs on the marketing of alcoholic drinks to protect children The Scottish Government’s ‘Alcohol Framework 2018: Preventing Harm’, includes proposals to consult on alcohol marketing such as public spaces and online. Under the The Tattoo is off to Sydney THE Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo has secured a four-night showcase in Australia next year, marking a new international deal as part of the company’s ambitious growth programme. Taking place at the ANZ Stadium in Sydney in October 2019, the all-star Olympic Park venue will host the worldrenowned Tattoo for four shows with production partner Michael Cassel Group and promoters building but reimagines it for the 21st century. The images, a cross-section of the re-imagined building and a front side view showing the building’s depth down Tarvit Street, capture a design which makes best use of the space available in the original 1906 building and offers scope to create additional front of house space including a stunning roof terrace with views across the city skyline. This project will transform one of Scotland’s oldest theatres £25,000 worth of bikes recovered POLICE Scotland have recovered an unbelievable £25,000 of stolen bikes and given them back to their owners. Since the beginning of October 2018the Community Investigation Unit has been working with search and recovery team colleagues to find stolen bikes in Edinburgh. The value of the bikes ranges from £250 to £4,000 each. Nine male teenagers between 15 and 17 years-old have been reported in connection with the thefts. Detective Inspector Bob Campbell from Edinburgh’s Community Investigation Unit said: “We continue to work hard framework, the UK Government will be pressed to impose a 9 pm watershed for alcohol advertising on TV, and restrictions on advertising in cinemas are also proposed. Alcohol producers will be urged to put health information on labels, and the current minimum unit price of 50 pence will be reviewed after 1 May 2020. Seven West Media. As well as thrilling performances from the Massed Pipes and Drums and the Tattoo’s own performers, Pipers Trail, Hjaltibonhoga (The Shetland Fiddlers) and Tattoo Dance Company, the fan-favourite acts will be joined by the Australian Defence Force and a host of international performers against the backdrop of a full-size replica of Edinburgh Castle. making it accessible to all for future generations. Bennetts Associates was founded by Rab and Denise Bennetts after they graduated from the University of Edinburgh and is now one of the UK’s leading architectural practices. In this its thirtieth year the firm has just completed the Bayes Centre which was officially opened last month. Bennetts Associates is also in charge of several renowned cultural projects including Storyhouse in Chester, a much-loved cultural centre which combines a theatre, cinema and library, and the extension to Shaftesbury Theatre, both of which received RIBA National Awards this year. Joining Bennetts Associates as the appointed architect on the project will be Theatreplan, global theatre design and technical theatre consultancy specialists. Together the two firms are also working on the transformation of Citizens Theatre in Glasgow. to tackle the theft of bikes from across the capital. “Thanks to intensive inquiries and the thorough work of officers, a large number of bikes have now been returned to their owners. “We understand that bike theft has a distressing impact on local communities and falling victim to crime is an upsetting experience. “If anyone has had their bike stolen and has reported this to officers, SART officers can be contacted via 101 to check on the status of their missing property. “I would encourage bike owners to ensure they have suitable security measures in place for their property; more advice can be found on our website
@EdinReporter /EdinReporter /edinburghreporter NEWS 5 The Rt Hon Lord Provost Frank Ross writes EDINBURGH is a very prosperous city and one of the best places in the world to celebrate Christmas – but it isn’t the most wonderful time of the year for everyone. As we head into 2019, we still have more than 1 in 5 children living in poverty in Edinburgh and 16% of households see their income fall below the poverty threshold. This has to change and I am pleased to see efforts being made all around the city to give back and help others in need. This winter, 26,000 tickets for the Edinburgh’s Christmas Silent Light show on George Street will be donated to charities. This will help those from poorer and isolated communities around Edinburgh take part in the city’s festive celebrations. Underbelly will also be donating 50p from every single ticket sold towards a cause very close to my heart – the OneCity Trust. As Edinburgh’s civic charity, the OneCity Trust helps projects which support some of the most vulnerable citizens in the Capital and those at risk of inequality and exclusion. In the last year, it has awarded over £100,000 in grants and with Underbelly’s support, an additional £60,000 could be available. At the Council, we’ll be doing our best to look out for our communities and the most vulnerable in our society. Our employees will be making sure children in our care receive Christmas presents from Santa and a full Christmas dinner. Volunteers will spend their Christmas Day working with those without a roof over their head to help people who are homeless secure temporary accommodation. Our Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership will be working to deliver care for anyone and everyone who needs it this winter, while a gritting team will be working round the clock to keep main roads on key routes safe in case we experience bad winter weather - but we need citizens to grit their own residential roads too. Please look out for those in your own communities if you can. Whether it’s by supporting a local charity or helping your neighbours by gritting the street and keeping it safe, there are things all of us can do to make the festive season a little easier for those who find it hard. I hope you have a happy, healthy start to 2019. If you would like to find out more about the OneCity Trust and give back too, please visit onecity.org.uk Light Night 2018 Edinburgh’s Christmas IN a report published last month Underbelly who organise Edinburgh's Christmas for the council say that last year's events brought an economic impact of £113 million, or the equivalent of 2,260 full time jobs to the capital. BOP Consulting produced an impact assessment report for both Christmas and Hogmanay events which Underbelly produce for the council. The impact of Hogmanay events was assessed to be £39 million in 2017/18. In 2017 the Christmas festivities in the city centre brought in 919,344 visitors over 6 weeks which was up by 3.7% on 2015. The Christmas Tree on the Mound, a gift to The City of Edinburgh Council from Hordaland County Council in Norway, was also lit and representatives from Norway were the VIP guests along with the Rt Hon Lord Provost Frank Ross. Buy your gifts at a charity shop Skating in St Andrew Square is just one of the many attractions at Edinburgh’s Christmas 4,653 million people who went to the three main sites during Edinburgh's Christmas although overall numbers in the city centre during the November and December period were about five times that. Ticket sales were up at 771,007 for all the rides and the shows with 64% of the visitors saying that the Edinburgh's Christmas attractions are a major reason for coming to Edinburgh, and in particular the Christmas markets. McCarthy & Stone conducted a survey which named the Christmas Market in East Princes Street Gardens as the best in the UK. John Donnelly, Chief Executive at Marketing Edinburgh, said: “The value that Edinburgh’s Christmas brings to Scotland’s capital is undeniable. Not only does it deliver a positive economic impact for the city through the millions of global visitors that it attracts, our residents also get to experience the UK’s best Christmas Market on their doorstep. The success of events such as Edinburgh’s Christmas continues to position the city as a world leading destination in which to live, work, study, visit and invest.” Fireworks at Light Night in Edinburgh | Photo Martin P McAdam AN estimated 15,000 people flocked to the city centre to watch the Christmas lights being switched on this year. The lovely Saskia Eng a former pupil at the City of Edinburgh Music School and who has found fame and fortune on The Voice with Sir Tom Jones and will.i.am was delighted to turn on the lights. This came after an afternoon of entertainment on George Street on the many stages set up there for community and school choirs, dancers and pipe bands. The afternoon starred 24 Edinburgh and Scottish dance and music groups, including the energetic Edinburgh’s Got Soul, Pulse of the Place, Elite Dance, Edinburgh Ballet, Bhangra Crew who recently came second in TBC-U, the fantastic National Youth Choir of Scotland East Dunbartonshire Boys Choir and Perth Boys Choir and Edinburgh’s-own The Phoenix Community Choir. Saskia herself sang three songs including White Christmas - and wow can she sing! The fireworks display at the end may have started a few minutes ahead of time but it was spectacular and the crowd appeared to love it. We have to particularly note here the appearance of the cast of Kinky Boots - if you saw them then you will no doubt be booking your tickets for the show which opens at The Playhouse in December. AT this time of the year, the company elves get busy thinking about spreading Christmas cheer, with tinsel, mince pies – and Secret Santa of course. So are you full of festive fun and dying to see whose name you pull out of the Christmas hat this year? Why not add a little Christmas spice to your Secret Santa this year, by buying your gifts only from charity shops. The Charity Retail Association want you to think about making a difference this Christmas. Buying a small (in price!) Secret Santa gift from a charity shop helps boost your local high street, supports volunteers to gain skills and keeps products out of landfill which is great for the environment, the economy and for your council who will pay less in landfill tax. Happy shopping! Don’t forget to share your #GoodCauseSantaClaus story online.
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The Edinburgh Reporter December 18

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