Capital has many reasons to be cheerful - Jane Meagher

Council leader Jane Meagher

Granton Gasholder Park 1 opening is a huge milestone for the £1.3bn Granton Waterfront project. It is amazing to look out over this important piece of coastal land for our Capital city and see much needed homes and other facilities being built.

Many more homes are currently being planned or under construction which will be ready for hundreds of new tenants in the next few years. All of this is breathing life into a much-neglected part of the city, making it an increasingly attractive place to live and visit.

Edinburgh Leisure: Did you know that Edinburgh Leisure is unique in allowing young people into our gyms? Our gym accreditation programme for young people from S1 up to 15 years, focuses on cardio, weights machines and bodyweight functional exercises. Thirteen per cent of the membership base is under 16-year-olds, accounting for an average of 10,000 visits each month.

Granton Gasholder Park 1 opening is a huge milestone for the £1.3bn Granton Waterfront project

For our older customers, we’re really inspired by the determination of those attending the Steady Steps programme which focuses on falls prevention. Many not only get their strength back but end up regular gym attendees!

This is a great reminder of why Edinburgh Leisure exists to support everyone in the city, and that age is truly no barrier to staying active and healthy.

Edinburgh Zoo: Last week, I had the pleasure of going behind the scenes at Edinburgh Zoo, run by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS). Like many families, I’ve visited often with my grandchildren, but I hadn’t fully appreciated the incredible work happening beyond the animal habitats.

Hidden in the heart of the zoo is a lab, where conservation scientists analyse genetic samples from species in Scotland and around the world. Their work includes identifying the genetic purity of wildcats in the Cairngorms and supporting efforts to protect rare crocodiles in Cambodia.

RZSS chief executive David Field also shared some of the wildlife conservation charity’s community initiatives. I was particularly moved to hear about plans to install a permanent meerkat habitat at the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People (RHCYP), offering young patients a special connection to nature. We also discussed efforts to combat loneliness among older people and our two organisations’ work with Cyrenians, an amazing charity supporting young people who have experienced homelessness.

Of course, no zoo visit would be complete without meeting some of its remarkable residents. I had the joy of feeding Qabid the rhino (a big puppy at heart!), Haggis the social media-famous pygmy hippo, and the zoo’s latest arrival – Billy the cheetah.

Edinburgh by Numbers: Every year we gather data from around the city and country to paint a picture of Edinburgh, to understand how our city is growing and changing.

This latest set of findings reveal how fast our population is increasing and how well Edinburgh’s local economy is performing compared to other UK cities. Edinburgh residents live longer, healthier and wealthier lives than anywhere outside London. We have some of the highest satisfaction rates for public transport, parks and green space, and some of the highest wages and employment opportunities.

This doesn’t mean we can put our feet up. There is much to celebrate, but also a great deal of evidence that we face many challenges too. I am determined to make sure that Edinburgh does more to improve the lives of everyone who live and work here, and to further reduce the unacceptable gap between the haves and the have nots in our city.