Five things you need to know today

Syrian refugees have now made their homes in Edinburgh, and planning has already begun to welcome more.

The fifteen families arrived in the city last November and moved into homes provided by private sector landlords in collaboration with Link Housing. All children began school in January and English language teaching is being delivered by a partnership set up by the council, Edinburgh College, Saheliya and the Welcoming.

While the funding for the scheme is provided by the Home Office the council is responsible for delivering it. The council say that anecdotal evidence shows that the refugees are settling well, but they will be undertaking more detailed feedback with a view to future arrivals.

This will all be discussed by the council at the meeting of the Communities and Neighbourhoods Committee later this morning.  You can watch this and other council meetings online here. 

In July 2017 Currie Star 2004 will be taking 2 teams to compete in the Gothia Cup in Sweden. They are fundraising to make the trip accessible to all players.   There is a fundraising event being held at the Dominion Cinema on Tuesday 17 May 2016.

A spokesperson said: “It will be a great night out for all Currie Star parents – they are showing the film – “The Intern” in the Dominion’s Gold One Screen Cinema.  Tickets are £10 each (cheaper than a normal ticket at the Dominion) which also includes a glass of wine (or soft drink) and pringles.  There will also be a raffle with a chance to win some fantastic prizes.

To support the year group then join them on 17 May.

 For more information about tickets please contact:

Queen Margaret University’s annual Costume Showcase returns on 13 May with a show that will transport the audience through a chain of imaginary worlds. Led by QMU’s BA (Hons) Costume Design and Construction student group, the event will feature characters drawn from a fairy tale past and a science fiction future. The audience can expect a fantastical feast of visual fun including ghostly apparitions brought to life using 21^st century technology.

The show will transport you across time and space. Characters from Brecht’s ‘Caucasian Chalk Circle’ will walk the runway alongside creations inspired by anime and mythology, by the artic north and the exotic east, by politics and pantomime..

The audience will be introduced to the enchanting family of the ‘Tailor Mice’ and will be amazed by the ‘Experiments in Life Forms’ created specifically for the National Museum of Scotland and Edinburgh’s International Science Festival.

2016’s finale pieces will literally light up the auditorium, so be prepared for a true spectacle! A selection of exquisite Renaissance costumes with a modern twist – ‘Selene, goddess of the moon’, and her court – have been especially designed to feature at an outdoor show as part of the ‘Musselburgh Riding of the Marches’, an event that takes place once every 21 years.

An accompanying exhibition will offer the audience an insight into the working world of QMU’s costume studio including designs, puppets, masks and photos of the students’ show projects. After both the matinee and evening shows, guests are invited to meet the student designers and makers, and to get an insight into the research, creativity and skill that goes into developing their creations.

‘Costume Design and Construction Showcase’ will take place at the Pleasance Theatre Hall, 60 Pleasance, Edinburgh, EH8 9TJ on the 13 May 2016. Matinee performance takes place at 3pm, followed by the exhibition. Evening performance, starts at 7 pm, followed by the exhibition which will remain open until close of business.

Tickets for the show can be purchased via Eventbrite at: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/qmu-costume-showcase-2016-matinee-and-evening-performances-tickets-22916188938

With summer around the corner, the first of the gentoo penguin chicks at RZSS Edinburgh Zoo have started to poke their beaks out of their shells. The first fluffy chick hatched on Thursday 5 May and was soon followed by another three hatchlings, two of which are on the same nest.

Penguin breeding season began in early March with the annual placing of the nest rings and pebbles into Penguins Rock, before the male penguins sought out the best looking and smoothest pebbles to ‘propose’ to their potential mates. The first eggs were laid over Easter weekend and, after a 33-35 day incubation period, the chicks of 2016 have started to hatch!

Dawn Nicoll, Penguin Keeper at RZSS Edinburgh Zoo, said: “This is our favourite time of year as the new penguin chicks begin to hatch. The entire breeding season is an incredibly busy time, but it is all worth it when you see the tiny penguins start to break out of their shells and be cared for by both their parents.

“The rest of the eggs should hatch over the next two to three weeks, as the penguins don’t all lay their eggs at the same time. We had a very successful breeding season last year, with 16 chicks hatching, so we are hoping for another successful year as gentoo penguins are classified as near threatened.”

Workers at Clydesdale and Yorkshire Banks have raised £5million for hospice care and of that over £41,000 has been donated to St Columba’s Hospice in the last eight years. The hospice which has just completed a £26 million rebuild two years ago now has a 21st century facility to treat patients in their inpatient unit or in their own homes. The new interior has also created a new sense of homeliness.

David Duffy, Chief Executive Officer at Clydesdale and Yorkshire Banks, said: “This amazing fundraising milestone is testament to the hard work and dedication of our employees who give their time through fundraising and volunteering for this extremely worthwhile cause.  With the Banks match-funding every penny raised, it’s a real motivation for our team to celebrate and continue to build on the £5 million achievement.”

Below – Clydesdale Bank Chief Executive David Duffy with Hospice UK Director of Income Generation Catherine Bosworth.

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