CORE's Soundkidz performing today

 

CORE (Community Organisation for Race Equality) is inviting you to a music group event this afternoon in North Edinburgh Arts Centre from 3.30pm.

CORE Youth and Children’s Development Worker Hazel Lyons explains: “CORE started a music-making group last December at North Edinburgh Arts Centre and children from the Greater Pilton area have been focusing on music making and discovering different types of music. Throughout the sessions youth workers have been working with the children to explore new forms of music and improve their music skills, with the help of different guest musicians coming along each week.”.

She adds: “The children have been working towards putting on a performance and would love to show you everything that they have learned. CORE would therefore like to invite you to this event on Saturday 31 March at North Edinburgh Arts Centre. The performance will last from 3.30-4.30pm and there will also be refreshments. The children have worked so well together, learned new skills and had lots of fun – we are all really looking forward to the performance”.

 

CORE’s Soundkidz performing today

 

CORE (Community Organisation for Race Equality) is inviting you to a music group event this afternoon in North Edinburgh Arts Centre from 3.30pm.

CORE Youth and Children’s Development Worker Hazel Lyons explains: “CORE started a music-making group last December at North Edinburgh Arts Centre and children from the Greater Pilton area have been focusing on music making and discovering different types of music. Throughout the sessions youth workers have been working with the children to explore new forms of music and improve their music skills, with the help of different guest musicians coming along each week.”.

She adds: “The children have been working towards putting on a performance and would love to show you everything that they have learned. CORE would therefore like to invite you to this event on Saturday 31 March at North Edinburgh Arts Centre. The performance will last from 3.30-4.30pm and there will also be refreshments. The children have worked so well together, learned new skills and had lots of fun – we are all really looking forward to the performance”.

 

May 3 candidates confirmed

The following candidates will be seeking your support in the Local Government elections on 3 May. Four councillors will be elected in both the Forth and Inverleith wards from the following  lists:

4. Forth Ward 

Steve Cardownie – Scottish National Party (SNP)

Cammy Day – Scottish Labour Party

George Gordon – Scottish National Party (SNP)

Ruth Ann Henderson – Scottish Anti-Cuts Coalition

Allan George Jackson – Scottish Conservative and Unionist

Kate Joester – Scottish Green Party

Seumas Stiubhard Macmhicean – Liberal Party in Scotland

Vicki Redpath – Scottish Labour Party

Tim Wight – Scottish Liberal Democrats

5. Inverleith Ward 

Nigel Bagshaw – Scottish Green Party

Gavin Barrie – Scottish National Party (SNP)

Scott Douglas – Scottish Conservative and Unionist

Lesley Hinds – Scottish Labour Party

Tim McKay – Scottish Liberal Democrats

Iain Whyte – Scottish Conservative and Unionist

John Young – Scottish National Party (SNP).

This election uses the STV (Single Transferable Vote) system, which involves putting numbers against preferred candidates.

You must be on the register of electors to be able to vote. You can register to vote for this year’s council elections:

  • if you are 18 or over, or will be 18 on or before 3 May 2012
  • if you are a British or Commonwealth Citizen
  • if you are an EU national
  • even if you are homeless or living in temporary or long-term hostel accommodation.

A registration form is sent to homes every autumn but you can check if you are registered to vote at the Local Government Elections on 3 May 2012 by calling the Electoral Registration Office on 0131 344 2500.  But remember – you only have until Wednesday 18 April to register to vote, so check now!

Storage of petrol – stay safe!

Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service understand the difficulties a strike causing disruption to petrol/diesel supplies may cause individuals, however we would advise people do not store large amounts of fuel in garages, sheds or any part of their house due to the increased risks to occupiers and firefighters.

Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service said:

“Public safety is our overriding concern. We would like to remind people to focus on their own fire safety at all times. We would like to ensure that members of the public who are considering storing petrol on their properties follow these guidelines:”

*       Do not fill a container more than the capacity printed on the label

*       Do not store petrol inside a domestic premises

*       Store petrol in a place that is not part of or attached to a building used as a dwelling

*       Petrol must be stored in approved plastic or metal containers of the sort that can typically be purchased from filling stations

*       You should only store  petrol in two appropriate 10 litre metal containers or two appropriate 5 litre plastic containers.

Petrol is a dangerous substance which, when present can dramatically increase the risk of fire. The Chief Fire Officers’ Association (CFOA) recommends members of the public keep any storage of petrol to a minimum.

Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service

Council official sees the light!

Council official John McFarlane has responsibility for street lighting, and last month he attended a Drylaw Telford Community Council meeting to hear concerns over inadequate street lighting in the area. As well as just listening, however, Mr McFarlane decided to see the problems for himself and left the meeting with a small group of local residents to visit some of the problem areas. Last night’s community council meeting heard that Mr McFarlane has been in touch and is now relooking at lighting in Drylaw.

In an email to community council Chairman Mike Clark, Mr McFarlane said: ‘I can confirm that the residents’ concerns were noted at the walkabout and my design team are currently working on a few change scenarios which will hopefully address these concerns. It is our intention to install alternative solutions in separate areas in Drylaw after which we will liaise with adjacent residents to determine the effectiveness of these solutions. Once a preferred solution is agreed through consultation with the residents we will implement these changes”.

Mr McFarlane added that he would be delighted to attend a future community council meeting and will contact the community council again ‘once we have progressed things at our end’.

Speaking after the meeting at Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre, Mike Clark said: “This is a positive development. Our February meeting was one of the best attended for some time as local residents wanted to make their concerns known. With the new lighting, some people feel that parts of the neighbourhood are just far too dark. It’s encouraging that the council is listening to those concerns and, more importantly, appears willing to act to address them”.

Street lighting has dominated Drylaw Telford agendas for some months now, but among other issues also discussed at last night’s meeting were the proposed skate park for Easter Drylaw Park, the cost of upgrading and maintaining Drylaw Field in Wester Drylaw and two forthcoming special meetings – the annual Thomas Tierney Award presentation and, with the council elections coming up, a hustings event.

The community council also discussed the curious case of the missing goal-posts – this long-running mystery may yet be solved at a future meeting. Watch this space, all may be revealed!

Drylaw Telford Community Council meets on the last Wednesday of the month at 7pm in Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre. All welcome.

Young People's Forum to stage 'barrie' event!

North Edinburgh Young People’s Forum (NEYPF) is holding an event to celebrate the success of their ‘Barrie, Radge and Mingin’’ project next week. The event will also provide an opportunity for young people to decide their next project.

‘Barrie, Radge and Mingin’’ was a collaborative project centred around young people’s views on their local environment – the ‘clean, green and safe’ agenda. Among the highlights of the project was a drama produced with young people from Liverpool’s Collective Encounters theatre group, staged at North Edinburgh Arts Centre in September 2009 (pictured). Next week’s event gives the young people involved the opportunity to share their findings, talk about the highs and the lows and participants will also put forward ideas for what NEYPF should do next.

Danielle Ward, NEYPF’s treasurer and support worker, said: ‘Barrie, Radge ‘n’ Mingin’ in the council means clean, green and safe. Basically what we’ve done is gone around the area taking photos and talking to people, working in groups to develop a general generative themes strategy within these three areas. What people find good about the area, what needs changed and what could do with just a wee re-paint or that. Next week’s event will highlight how we have achieved this. For our future project, each individual young person will have a stall with what they think our next project should be and everyone that attends shall get two votes to choose the project we should do next”.

The NEYPF event takes place at West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre on Tuesday 3 April from 4.30 – 7pm. And you don’t have to be a young person to attend!

Young People’s Forum to stage ‘barrie’ event!

North Edinburgh Young People’s Forum (NEYPF) is holding an event to celebrate the success of their ‘Barrie, Radge and Mingin’’ project next week. The event will also provide an opportunity for young people to decide their next project.

‘Barrie, Radge and Mingin’’ was a collaborative project centred around young people’s views on their local environment – the ‘clean, green and safe’ agenda. Among the highlights of the project was a drama produced with young people from Liverpool’s Collective Encounters theatre group, staged at North Edinburgh Arts Centre in September 2009 (pictured). Next week’s event gives the young people involved the opportunity to share their findings, talk about the highs and the lows and participants will also put forward ideas for what NEYPF should do next.

Danielle Ward, NEYPF’s treasurer and support worker, said: ‘Barrie, Radge ‘n’ Mingin’ in the council means clean, green and safe. Basically what we’ve done is gone around the area taking photos and talking to people, working in groups to develop a general generative themes strategy within these three areas. What people find good about the area, what needs changed and what could do with just a wee re-paint or that. Next week’s event will highlight how we have achieved this. For our future project, each individual young person will have a stall with what they think our next project should be and everyone that attends shall get two votes to choose the project we should do next”.

The NEYPF event takes place at West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre on Tuesday 3 April from 4.30 – 7pm. And you don’t have to be a young person to attend!

North Edinburgh Childcare forges international links

NEC joins Ghanaian Academy in Global Schools Partnership

Staff and children in North Edinburgh Childcare’s nursery first made contact with Larbec International Academy in Kumasi, Ghana, through the British Council’s Global Schools Gateway in June last year. A joint partnership was set up between the two organisations to provide opportunities for all of the children to learn and develop as global citizens. The partnership started with children and staff in both organisations getting to know one another through occasional phone calls and by sending letters, drawings, photos and emails. However it was felt that more could be achieved through direct face to face contact, and steps were therefore taken to explore the possibility of reciprocal visits.  

The cost of travelling between settings would have been unaffordable for either organisation had it not been for a grant secured through the British Council’s Global Schools Partnerships programme, which provided each centre with almost 50% of the travel costs. The remaining costs for the visits were raised through a wide variety of fundraising activities e.g. bake sales, quiz sheets, guess the birthday, stalls at the ForthQuarter Fair, face painting and a Christmas raffle. These events were very well supported by all the families who attend North Edinburgh Childcare and by the local community, all of whom helped staff to raise the necessary funds within a relatively short timescale. Once it was established that sufficient funds would be raised to allow the visits to go ahead two members of the staff team, Patricia Spiers and Shaz Akbar were selected as the nursery representatives who would make the trip.

With all the pre-visit requirements completed Patricia and Shaz set off on 16 February for a ten day visit to Ghana. On arrival they were made to feel extremely welcome by everyone they met. The community spirit in Ghana was very contagious, and Patricia and Shaz found that they were welcomed with cries of ‘Akwabba’ (welcome) everywhere they went!

The trip included two days travelling, five days working with the teachers and pupils in the school, two days training staff in active learning and emotional wellbeing in the early years and one day visiting local areas of interest . Patricia and Shaz also supported the school to raise its profile by visiting a number of organisations across the local community including the police station, abattoir and refuse company – and by meeting the Ashanti Queen and her Elders! A key area for further development in the school community is waste disposal and sanitation, and it is hoped that the courtesy calls made will support school staff in bringing this to the forefront for future development.

On returning to Edinburgh, Patricia and Shaz immediately began finalising the details for the Ghanaian teachers’ reciprocal visit. On 1 March Louis Safro, Head Teacher of Larbec Internation Academy, and Ruth Achiaa, a teaching staff team member, arrived in Edinburgh for a nine day visit. The children at North Edinburgh Childcare welcomed the visitors with a special assembly including greetings songs that they had prepared especially for them. To complement the program of activities undertaken in Ghana, Louis and Ruth spent time observing the teaching practices in North Edinburgh Childcare’s nursery playrooms and learning how to engage in active learning with children. They visited the various departments of the organisation including the Out of School Service and Training Service, all of which gave them ideas for future developments back at Larbec. Louis and Ruth also spent time visiting other organisations and various places of interest across Edinburgh. A special Parents’ Evening was held on 7 March (pictured below) to celebrate their visit and promote the ongoing success of the joint partnership.

Everyone at North Edinburgh Childcare would like to say a huge ‘thank you’ to all the local organisations who welcomed Louis and Ruth to their settings, allowing them to gain a greater insight of how things work here in Edinburgh.

These visits have proved invaluable in the progression of the partnership and both centres now move forward with solid footing comfortable with each other in knowing they share a vision for the future in developing children as Global citizens, becoming familiar with their similarities and respecting each other’s differences.

North Edinburgh Childcare

Improve your qualifications at Telford

PREPARATION FOR FURTHER EDUCATION IN ARTS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES

 The Preparation for Arts and the Social Sciences offers successful applicants the opportunity to achieve Personal Effectiveness SQA Credits at Intermediate 1 level, and in addition the chance to familiarise  yourself with the resources available to students who have either already applied to our Department, or are considering doing so. You will also be afforded guidance from your Lecturers in regards to the details of the Level 5 and 6 Access to Further Education and Higher Education Courses which will be running from September of this year, as well as what HNC Courses will form part of our Curriculum.

This is your opportunity to combine preparation for Further Education or Higher Education with the achieving of SQA Credits that will contribute to your academic CV moving into the future.

All applicants will be considered, and this short course will run for a duration of 10 weeks, from April (10.04.12) until the end of term in June. Fees will be met by Edinburgh’s Telford College.

For further information, please contact:

Mike Cowley on 0131 559 4157 or Mike.Cowley@ed-coll.ac.uk

or

Mario Fabiani on 0131 559 4674 or Mario.Fabiani@ed-coll.ac.uk

Jen Kelly, Edinburgh’s Telford College