Keep Edinburgh Thriving: How you can be a lockdown hero like Robbie – Susan Morrison

You could help Edinburgh businesses by buying a gift box, wave at folk at their windows, get shopping for neighbours or give blood, writes Susan Morrison

A local entrepreneur, Robbie Allen, has launched ‘Keep Edinburgh Thriving’, a service that will see a selection of local high-quality products packaged up into gift boxes and delivered to households across Scotland’s capital.

What are delivery drivers going to do now with those little “sorry we missed you” notes they used to put through your door? Are their lives easier now that we’re trapped indoors?

Thank you to all the delivery drivers and the posties. In these tough times, it’s good to get a little ray of sunshine through the door.

Our city is full of heroes making a difference. A young lad called Robbie set up a website called ‘Keep Edinburgh Thriving’. He got together with the people in Edinburgh who grind good coffee, hand-make sweets, bake cakes, and, my particular favourite, distil gin.

He hit on the clever idea of putting all these goodies into a box and you can get them delivered as gifts. Darned clever. He’s kept little businesses alive and now they are expanding into Glasgow. Smart cookie, our Robbie. Got a birthday coming up? Look him up and place an order. You won’t be disappointed. In fact, treat yourself.

We all have the chance to be little heroes. You can wave at folk at their windows as you walk past. You could collect shopping for neighbours. For those who can, you could give blood.

They rejected mine. Cheek. Ok, so there’s the cancer thing, I’ll grant you that, but I must have enough gin and chardonnay in there to get anyone’s party started.

If you can give blood, please do.

Look at the advantages. You get to go out. You get to do A Very Good Thing. You get biscuits, and if memory serves, it’s usually a decent selection. Most of all, you are wreathed in the air of smugness you only usually get after a visit to the gym.

All this and no sweat broken? Got to be a good thing.