Day: July 12, 2015

20 July Fun at Easter Drylaw Park

Discover Easter Drylaw poster landscape

Edinburgh & Lothians Greenspace Trust are hosting an afternoon of summer activities in Easter Drylaw Park on Monday 20th July ( 2 – 4pm), alongside the council’s summer programme of outdoor events.

You can try out and enjoy some biking with the Bangholm Outdoor Centre or some hula hooping with the Hula Honeys. At 2.30, a guided nature walk sets off to help you explore and discover who and what lives in the park, its hedges and trees (you’ll be amazed!)

There’s a parkour workshop to take part in or just watch. Or else join the treasure hunt for some prizes. And you can make your own skateboard design (materials provided).

This is all on top of all the other events in the park that day as part of ‘Fun in the Park’ with the CEC Community Learning Team – football, golf, juggling circus skills, slackline, bats and balls, frisbees and much more …

The event is being run by ELGT with support from the Inverleith Neighbourhood Partnership – follow us on Twitter and Facebook 

Discover Easter Drylaw poster

www.elgt.org.uk

Letters: Capitalism or Socialism?

letter4

Dear Editor

It would seem that in some quarters there is glee with the situation the Labour Party and Labour movement is in, overlooking the fact it is a setback for most people in their struggle to make society work in their interests.

For many decades the focus of the labour movement was the transforming of the capitalist system into a socialist society: not an easy job to do, but great strides were made after the war from 1945 with the introduction of universal services such as the NHS, nationalisation of the rail system, the electricity and gas suppliers and the coal mines – may other welfare services were also initiated.

A frequent criticism if the labour movement is that it did not go far enough to curb the power of the rich, so for today’s ‘flag carriers’ the following article, written many, many years ago is worthwhile reading and worth pondering on:

Socialism v Capitalism

How long will we continue to tinker and patch at an inherently rotten system; every attempt to remedy it’s defects will shed light on the real way forward.

When socialism becomes better understood, when it’s aims are seen not only to be beneficial but possible of accomplishment it will attract men and women to take the path of reconstruction and regeneration of society.

Cooperative management would become a well-defined system and lead to an organisation of society which would take over the present system of fierce competition and selfish class interest to secure the welfare of all, to realise in time the best of humanity.

Men shall be brothers yet, and a’ that.

Tony Delahoy

Seeing Rad: students get competitive for charity

Nursing students raise funds for dementia charity

rad
Edinburgh College’s Access to Nursing students have raised a grand total of £1,512.56 for Alzheimer Scotland to support people in Midlothian living with dementia.

The students have undertaken a challenge set by the charity to see who could raise the most cash, in tandem with the opening of their new Bungalow day centre in Bonnyrigg (pictured below). Up against students from local universities, ten students (and one student’s daughter) and two lecturers raised £1,300 in one day by running in the recent paint-splattered Colour Me Rad 5k race.

bungalow

They added to the sum by collecting cash across the college’s campuses. If the students’ total is more than their university rivals, Alzheimer Scotland will give them a chance to learn more about the charity’s work at The Bungalow. The students have already completed a module on dementia as part of their course so understand the importance of the charity’s work.

The team’s leader, student Petra Muir, said: “It felt great to actively try to make a positive contribution to Alzheimer Scotland. The money we have raised will go towards helping people with dementia and their families, and we are hopeful that we have raised awareness of the charity and the help and support they can provide.”

Abby Parkhouse, Alzheimer Scotland’s Community Fundraiser said: “It’s a fantastic amount of money raised in such a short space of time and will make a huge different to our Bungalow fundraising campaign. It’s going to be a very close competition.”