Five things you need to know today

More than 6000 hours of voluntary work has culminated in the opening of a community wildlife garden in the south of Edinburgh.

Groups from around the city have spent the last two years helping to transform the historic walled garden and dovecot within the Hermitage of Braid Local Nature Reserve near Morningside.

Now participants have come together to celebrate the completion of the project, which has seen a wildlife haven created within the confines of the 18th century garden located next to the reserve’s restored dovecot.

Initiated in 2012, the scheme was set up by the Council’s Natural Heritage Service in partnership with Friends of The Hermitage of Braid, after funding was secured from Heritage Lottery Fund and Scottish Natural Heritage .

As well as conserving and enhancing the setting of the 200-year-old dovecot, wall and garden, the project aimed to provide opportunities for members of the local community to get involved, and attracted almost 1200 volunteers to participate in its creation over two years.

Participants including RSPB Phoenix Group and Trust for Conservation Volunteers assisted Friends of the Hermitage and contractors to build paths, put in drainage, create raised beds and plant flowers.

A number of charities and youth groups also lent their support, in return learning new skills and participating in teamwork. One of the charities participating were Edinburgh organisation Tiphereth, which works with people with learning disabilities. A Nepalese community group also took part, involving families to build a stone raised bed, while the Edinburgh and Central Scotland Deaf Community worked alongside local artists, a joiner and British Sign Language interpreters to produce an art installation for the garden.

One of the project’s goals was to refurbish the area to reflect the history of the dovecot and garden, which were built in around 1788 along with the mansion house. Materials used for this were selected to fit in with the area’s rustic feel and terraced beds have been themed to represent its historical nature.

Stonemasons were also appointed to refurbish the south wall and north east entrance of the garden using traditional techniques. In addition, a series of workshops in traditional conservation were run for volunteers, including wall re-pointing, hazel weaving and dry stone dyking.

Speaking ahead of the garden’s official opening, Environment Convener, Councillor Lesley Hinds, gave her support to the project.

She said: “This is an excellent example of involving the community to make the most of our historic and natural surroundings, so it’s fantastic to see their efforts coming together so beautifully.

“Edinburgh’s Friends groups do a great job enhancing parks and green spaces across the city, and in this instance have helped the Council realise the potential of a particularly interesting public space.

“While the project is complete it is clear that volunteers, charities and local groups will continue to feel the benefits of the garden and the wildlife it attracts, and I look forward to seeing it develop.”

Project leaders are now working on a ten-year plan for the walled garden to bring together all groups who wish to continue contributing, ensuring the project is sustainable.

Further information on the garden can be found on City of Edinburgh Council’s website. A video on the community garden, made by two Stevenson College students, is available to watch here:-

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Four West End singers are performing in The Butterfly and the Wolf 2 — a unique concert at Edinburgh’s beautiful Greyfriars Kirk on Sunday 1 June 2014 in aid of the little known charity LUPUS UK.

Edinburgh-born Jeff Leyton — who appeared as Jean Valjean to appear in Les Miserables — heads the bill. He is joined by Morag Stiller (Rosie in Mamma Mia), Susie Dumbreck and Andrew Gowland. And by Charles Munro, who has twice recorded at the Abbey Road Studios in London and with Luciano Pavarotti.

The inspiration for this unique charity event is the former Marketing Manager at the Edinburgh Playhouse Theatre, Sarah Heney. In May 2010 she was diagnosed as having the painful, debilitating and incurable autoimmune disease Systemic Lupus. Within two years it forced her to give up her job at the Playhouse.

Last year, several friends from the entertainment world who were moved by how Sarah copes with the illness came together to produce the inaugural The Butterfly and the Wolf concert at Summerhall. Not only did it receive a 4* review, the charity LUPUS UK benefited to the tune of £5,200. Such was the success of the sell-out event, it was decided to create The Butterfly and the Wolf 2.

To get an idea of how good this promises to be, take a couple of minutes and click to watch and listen to Jeff Leyton’s exquisite rendition of Bring Him Home filmed during the Chelmsford Park concert version of Les Miserables.

Despite affecting 50,000 people in the UK, research into treatments for lupus is underfunded. No medication specifically developed to treat the disease has been licensed for use in the UK in over 50 years. So lupus patients are treated with, among other things, medication for malaria and cancer. And every Tuesday night, Sarah injects a chemotherapy drug directly into her stomach. She will do this for the rest of her life. Or until better medication — or perhaps even one day, a cure — is found.

For bookings and donations click here for the website
A minimum donation of £15 per ticket is appreciated

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A tilt at golfing glory awaits amateur Gerald Clark and his Ratho Park PGA professional Andrew Erskine as they bid to reach the Lombard Trophy grand final being staged at Gleneagles – just three weeks before Europe and America meet in the Ryder Cup.

Clark teed up a chance to tread the fairways of the King’s Course at the famous Scottish resort between September 3-4 when he won his club qualifying competition with a nett score of 62.

He and Erskine now advance to the regional final at Crieff Golf Club on Thursday 12 June, where they will compete against up to 70 other clubs for the chance to secure one of 16 prized spots available for the 36-hole grand final.

Lombard, the UK’s largest asset finance provider which invests in local and regional business, has enjoyed a long association with the event, helping make it the biggest pro-am in Europe.

“We are delighted to be associated with the tournament, and wish all the regional finalists good luck as they try and win a place at Gleneagles,” said managing director of Lombard, Richard Hemsley.

“With the 2014 Ryder Cup taking place just three weeks after the Lombard Trophy, it gives the final an extra dimension with competitors able to soak up the build-up ahead of the European and American showdown.”

The tournament, now in its 30^th year, attracts entries from upwards of 700 clubs across Great Britain and Ireland. Lombard originally sponsored the tournament from 1995 to 2006 before returning as headline sponsor in 2013.

The PGA National Pro-Am Championship has a total prize fund of £80,000, with the winning professional at the grand final taking home a cheque for £12,000.

Gerald Clark, is a retired 66-year-old from Edinburgh.

Andrew Erskine, 35, has been a professional at Ratho Park for 20 years.

Last year’s winners were PGA professional Ian Walley and amateur partner Ian Neal from Kedleston Park Golf Club in Derbyshire.

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We would love you to add your photos of the Edinburgh Trams to our photo storyboard here. Are you excited about the launch? Then do tell us! If you are looking forward to using the tram, or if you have vowed not to use it please send us a photo or two and your comments. There will be trams in St Andrew Square this weekend to help you get used to using the ticketing system.