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McLaughlin & Harvey Support Community Meals in Wester Hailes

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On Thursday 16 October, The Health Agency was delighted to welcome the McLaughlin & Harvey team to our weekly community lunch to celebrate the launch of a new partnership. The partnership began with a generous £2,000 donation from McLaughlin & Harvey, helping us provide over 1,000 free, nutritious meals to local residents over the next six months.

 

Our Tasting Change service runs a popular community lunch every Thursday at 12.30pm in The Healthy Living Centre, Wester Hailes. These lunches are about much more than food — they create a welcoming space where people can meet, make connections, and feel part of their community. In an area facing challenges around deprivation and health inequalities, this kind of togetherness makes a real difference.

 

Tasting Change Service Lead, Stacey McGregor, said: “This generous support will help us continue building a stronger, healthier community and means we can keep welcoming people every week through the winter months to share food, friendship, and support.”

 

The McLaughlin & Harvey team — Site Manager John Murphy and Responsible Business Leads Morgan McLeod and Michael Fong — joined us to hand over the donation and take part in the lunch. The company, which is currently building the new Wester Hailes High School, wanted to give back to the community beyond the construction site.

 

During their visit, the team met with local residents and volunteers and saw first-hand the impact of the lunches. Morgan McLeod even rolled up her sleeves to help prepare and serve a delicious meal alongside our volunteers. “As we build the new Wester Hailes High School, McLaughlin & Harvey are proud to support the local community beyond the construction site,” said Morgan. “We were delighted to donate £2,000 to The Health Agency to help provide community meals and to volunteer our time preparing and serving one of their lunches. It’s a fantastic opportunity for our team to connect with local residents and support a project that makes a real difference in people’s lives.”

 

Local resident and regular lunch attendee, Eunice Main, also met with John to share what the community lunch means to her and others. “Togetherness is really important for wellbeing, and a tasty lunch with your neighbours in a safe haven means people can thrive, not just survive,” said Eunice.

 

This new partnership shows how working together — between community organisations and local businesses — can make a lasting difference to people’s health and wellbeing in Wester Hailes.

Discover What’s On This July at The Health Agency

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We’re excited to share our What’s on Guide for July – packed with activities, support services, and community events to help you live a longer, healthier, more fulfilling life.

From chair-based exercise classes and supported gym sessions, to our community lunch on a Thursday. gardening group, and creative workshops – there’s something for everyone.

Whether you’re looking to improve your physical health, connect with others, or just try something new, our weekly timetable offers a welcoming space to do just that.

📅 Drop in to The Health Agency to meet our team, explore our weekly activities and find out how to get involved.

✨ Let’s make July a month of connection, wellbeing, and community.

For more information or to get involved, call us on 0131 453 9400 or email frontdesk@thehealthagency.org.uk.

A Successful AGM and Exciting Plans Ahead!

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Last week, The Health Agency held its Annual General Meeting (AGM), and we were delighted to see such a fantastic turnout! It was a great opportunity to reflect on our achievements over the past year, discuss future plans, and connect with our community.

We are pleased to announce that Eoghan Howard has been re-elected as our Chair, alongside our dedicated Trustees Dr Brendan Magee, Keara Murphy, Milind Kolhatkar, and Sheila Macmillan. Even more exciting, we welcomed three new local trustees – Amanda Whitelaw, Ester Kuperij, and Cllr Fiona Glasgow.

Our Board plays a vital role in guiding our mission to support the people of Wester Hailes in living longer, healthier, and more fulfilling lives. We look forward to working together to continue making a positive impact in our community.

Thank you to everyone who attended and supports our work – we couldn’t do it without you!

#Community #HealthForAll #TheHealthAgency

Safeguarding Services for Wester Hailes and South West Edinburgh

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At The Health Agency, we are committed to supporting the wellbeing of our community. Every year, we help over 2,500 people across Wester Hailes and South West Edinburgh lead longer, healthier, more fulfilling lives. However, with the Edinburgh Integrated Joint Board’s (EIJB) grants programme set to end in June, our future—along with that of 63 other local charities—faces uncertainty.

But there is hope! This week, The City of Edinburgh Council will meet to set its 2025-26 budget, and a proposal is on the table to allocate at least £2 million to mitigate the impact of these funding cuts. This is a crucial opportunity to ensure that vital health and social care services continue to support those who need them most.

We are calling on local councillors to vote ‘YES’ on Thursday, 20 February. A positive outcome will safeguard services like ours, ensuring that we can continue to provide early intervention and preventative care—reducing pressure on the NHS and statutory services while improving the overall well-being of our community.

A huge thank you to our friends at The Edinburgh Reporter for highlighting our story. Their recent article and video showcase the invaluable work we do and the potential impact of these funding decisions on our community.

Long-term investment in community health is not just beneficial—it’s essential. Our dedicated team will continue to support those who rely on us, and we remain hopeful that the council will recognise the importance of funding organisations like The Health Agency.  

Together, we can secure a healthier future for everyone in Wester Hailes and South West Edinburgh. Let’s make sure our voices are heard, and our services are protected!  We’ll keep you updated!

Visit from the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care to Wester Hailes Healthy Living Centre

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The Health Agency was delighted to be part of the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Neil Gray MSP’s visit to Wester Hailes Medical Practice on Thursday 06 February 25.  He spoke with a multidisciplinary team including local GP’s, practice nurse, mental health nurse, community link worker and The Health Agency to better understand the needs of the local residents in Wester Hailes.

This led to positive conversations about the importance of Health, Social Care and the third sector working together to combat the effects of deep poverty, inequality, physical and mental health issues, social isolation, and food insecurity experienced by our local community.  It emphasised the powerful impact that a partnership-led approach has on creating a healthier, stronger and more robust community – where local people can enjoy longer, healthier, more fulfilling lives.  

Open Surgeries for Local Residents

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Joanna Cherry and Fiona Glasgow Doing Local Surgeries

This Thursday, 11th April between 1.30pm and 3.30pm at The Health Agency we have Councillor Fiona Glasgow and MSP Joanna Cherry providing Open Surgeries for local residents.  Do you have any issues that they could try to help you with?  Both will be available to chat to during the Community Lunch and for an individual private chat if needed.

We have been awarded the National Lottery, ‘Improving Lives’ award

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Westerhaven cancer support centre, is delighted to announce that we were recently successful in our application to the National Lottery, ‘Improving Lives’ award. The funds provided by National Lottery community fund over the next 3 years will be vital in helping Westerhaven cancer support centre continue the work of supporting people and families affected by cancer living in South West Edinburgh. On behalf of everyone at Westerhaven we want to say a huge thanks to the National Lottery and all the players that made these vital funds possible.

The National Lottery Community Fund, Scotland Chair, Kate Still said: “Every day National Lottery funding is changing the lives of thousands of people in communities across Scotland for the better. This project delivered by The Health Agency, is a great example of community activity in action, showing just what can be achieved when people come together for a common cause or to help others.

“National Lottery players can be proud to know that the money they raise is helping to support this vital work which is making a real difference to so many.”

The funds provided by National Lottery community fund will be vital in helping Westerhaven cancer support centre continue the vital work of supporting people and families affected by cancer living in South West Edinburgh. On behalf of everyone at Westerhaven we want to say a huge thanks to all

You can find out more from the #NationalLottery on their Twitter Facebook and LinkedIn