The Laings Journal
This week we’re celebrating local, independent and family-run businesses, championing their efforts, throughout what has been a difficult year for many. Here our team members from Edinburgh have nominated their favourite local businesses, highlighting how they have evolved through lockdown.
2020 has certainly not been an easy year for many. Local businesses in Edinburgh had to shut their doors back in March and the future looked decidedly uncertain. However, the power of positivity has shone through these past few months and many businesses have adapted to the changing times, continuing to be there for customers, as well as helping others and giving back to the community.
Our team in Edinburgh have nominated their favourite shops, charities, restaurants and businesses, and we want to share their top picks with you, celebrating local businesses and all that they’ve done.
Held in Our Hearts
From Cristina Carballo
Held in Our Hearts is a fantastic charity that provides baby loss counselling and offers free support for families in this difficult time.
This is an excruciating time for parents and children. During lockdown it’s been impossible for the charity to visit families so they’ve been offering their support via zoom calls, as well as sharing ways that families can remember their babies. They’ve also helped to keep children and adults active and healthy and have sent out emails with rainbows to colour in. In July they also hosted a virtual race from Edinburgh to Brisbane, encouraging people to take part by donating £5 and running, walking or cycling as many ‘k’ as they can before passing the virtual baton onto friends, family and colleagues. The amazing charity does all they can to help families in this incredibly challenging time and has worked hard to ensure that they were there throughout lockdown in every way they could be.
https://heldinourhearts.org.uk/
Lauren Gollan
From Louise Ramsay
Lauren Gollan is one of the most highly regarded make-up artists in the beauty and fashion industry and a top make-up artist in Scotland.
During lockdown, she worked on a fundraising event ‘Look Good, Feel Great’ with the proceeds being donated to the NHS. Lauren hosted online make-up classes, allowing people to enjoy taking some time out to pamper themselves. Lauren has over 17 years’ experience in bridal make-up and really understood how disappointed brides were feeling with the postponement of weddings this year. She helped them out by offering advice on the perfect make-up and skincare to help brides get ready for the big day, whenever it may be.
https://www.laurengollan.co.uk/
Civerinos
From Felicity Lynden
Known for their New York style wood-fired pizzas and family recipes, Civerinos is a much-loved pizza spot for locals and tourists alike.
They wanted to harness the power of pizza for good and during lockdown, they launched a pay-it-forward scheme offering pizza to NHS staff, as well as half-price pizza for anyone working in the hospitality industry. They also wanted to ensure that school children were still receiving one hot meal throughout the working day and offered their larger than life margherita pizza slices to all children who are usually entitled to a free school meal. To make sure everyone could keep enjoying pizza they also launched the ‘Dough-It-Yourself’ pizza activity kit that you can enjoy with your whole family at home. This was certainly a hit!
http://www.civerinos.com/
The Portobello Bookshop
From Apollonia Szepligeti
The Portobello Bookshop is a gorgeous independent bookshop in Portobello, offering book-lovers a warm, open space that’s perfect for browsing books.
Throughout lockdown, they regularly refreshed their windows to encourage people to support the NHS, as well as sharing images of local rainbows out on display. When they could they re-opened their shop online and started a click and collect service to ensure that they could continue to share the magic of books.
https://www.theportobellobookshop.com/
Little Bakers Ltd
From Katie Little
Little Bakers is a much-loved family baker in the town of Moffat. They’re the proud winners of the ‘Best Tattie Scone in Scotland’ for two years, as well as several other awards for their baked goods and are a favourite spot amongst locals.
When lockdown hit they began offering free home deliveries in the local area, as well as delivering to farms in neighbouring towns, keeping everyone well stocked. They starting making up bags of flour, sugar, chocolate and jam, as well as selling eggs and milk so that everyone had what they needed to keep baking and adding some joy to their days at home.
https://www.facebook.com/RLittleBakersLtd/
RFEA – The Forces Employment Charity
From Debbie Mckernan
The RFEA provide life-long, life-changing support, jobs and training opportunities to service leavers, reservists, veterans and their families.
They’ve been instrumental in providing support to thousands of people for over 130 years and this hasn’t stopped in lockdown. They’ve been working throughout the crisis to ensure that everyone gets the help that they need, with employment advisers available via phone, email or by video call.
Thank you for joining us in celebrating local businesses, it is now more than important than ever to shop local and support these places that bring so much joy to the community. Let’s continue to champion them and enjoy all that they have to offer!
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