Share the Centipede Project’s Harvest Banquet

free lunch

The Centipede Project would like to invite you to their Community Harvest Banquet
on Monday 12th October, 1-3pm
at the Old Kirk and Muirhouse Church. 
The Centipede Project is celebrating local produce whilst creatively highlighting food poverty on Monday 12 October. An art installation incorporated into a Harvest Banquet will focus on facts about food poverty at the same time as celebrating traditions of grace and sharing of food from around the world.
Thanks to support from local organisations, a very special treat will be on offer for dessert!

Why not start the fun early?

We are running a FREE Porridge & Play session with Licketyspit Theatre Company, starting at North Edinburgh Arts at 10.30am, for ages 3-8 years with families.

From 11am you can join in with apple pressing and planting your own edibles (indoor activity) in the church, suitable for all ages. There will also be children’s workshops running during the meal.


Collect your FREE tickets from North Edinburgh Arts or Muirhouse Community Shop before they run out!

For more details go to www.centipedeproject.wordpress.com

So there IS such a thing as a free lunch!

First impressions: Edinburgh becomes Scotland’s first ‘Provenance Airport’

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Edinburgh Airport has signed the Scottish Food and Drink Pledge, making it Scotland’s first “Provenance Airport”. Local MSP Colin Keir has welcomed the announcement and says it shows the airport’s ambition to help promote the best of Scotland.

The initiative, which seeks to ensure that authentic, sustainable Scottish food and drink is available through the airport’s retail partners, has been welcomed by Colin Keir MSP for Edinburgh Airport.

Colin Keir MSP said: “This is fabulous news and it an important step by the airport as Edinburgh Airport as Scotland’s busiest airport is a premier gateway to Scotland. It is therefore appropriate that it seeks to showcase the range and quality of Scottish food and drink through its retail offer. They say that first impressions matter and this initiative shows the ambition of the airport to play its full part in promoting Scotland the brand.”

The Scottish Food and Drink Pledge comes after Scotland’s Cabinet Secretary for food, Richard Lochhead wrote to transport hub operators across Scotland asking them to source more local produce.

Cramond: the last resting place of kings?

Could Cramond hold the secret of Scotland during Dark Ages?

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A two-year investigation into the mystery of an Edinburgh crypt has cast important new light on the turbulent history of the Dark Ages.

The mass burial in Cramond, believed to be the oldest occupied village in Scotland, was uncovered in 1975 during an excavation of a Roman Bathhouse found at the site of a car park. Forty years later, a team led by the City of Edinburgh Council has embraced modern science to examine the remains of nine individuals found in the grave with fascinating results.

The evidence has disproved an early theory that the bodies were victims of the bubonic plague, instead dating the individuals back another 800 years to the 6th Century AD. Thanks to state-of-the-art computer programming, researchers were able to create lifelike facial representations for the 1,500 year old skeletons.

By using forensic, isotopic and DNA techniques, the study reveals that the burials belonged to more than one generation of a single family with two of the bodies thought to be warriors due to their multiple healed wounds.

Furthermore, at least one and possibly three family members suffered a violent, murderous end. One female suffered shattering blows to the head and two males bear severe wounds which they survived.

Due to the unique nature of the burial and positioning of bodies, it is thought the victims could be members of a noble family, raising the question of whether Cramond in Edinburgh could be the site of a Royal stronghold.

Councillor Richard Lewis, Edinburgh’s Culture Convener, said: “In 1975, work was under-way to construct a new car park when builders came across a mass burial at what would become one of Scotland’s best preserved Roman buildings, the Bathhouse for Cramond Fort. For decades, the circumstances surrounding the burial were unanswered.

“Thanks to developments in modern science, the Council has been able to revisit the remains and carry out an extensive investigation. The findings have revealed a story even more mysterious than the one we started out with. With theories of ancient warriors, murdered nobles and a lost Royal stronghold – you could be forgiven for mistaking the resulting story for a plot from the Game of Thrones.”

John Lawson, the City of Edinburgh Council archaeologist who led the investigation, added: “Many mysteries remain but thanks to CSI techniques, we’ve managed to make great strides in our understanding of Scotland’s Cramond burials.

“The study has provided important evidence of life during this time of political turmoil and has helped us answer questions about the Dark Ages, but it has also opened up a whole new world of questions. Why did these people migrate to Cramond? What was so special about this area during the dark ages? Why were some of them murdered but given a special burial?

“If this grave was indeed the burial crypt of a noble or Royal family, it suggests Cramond just might be a Royal stronghold of the Gododdin. If this is the case, these findings have a significant impact on what is known about the history of Scotland and Northern Britain during the Dark Ages.”

A free exhibition exploring the discovery will open at the City of Edinburgh Council’s Museum of Edinburgh tomorrow in time for the October school break and Halloween. ‘Dark Goings On In Cramond’, featuring the remains of the Cramond Fort’s warrior and murder victim, will be open until 27 February 2016.

The Museum of Edinburgh is situated on the Royal Mile at 142 Canongate. Please note the Museum will be closed to the public on Tuesday 6 October.

Doesn’t the bloke look a bit like Rhod Gilbert?

Led Rides with MY Adventure

MY Bikers

MY Adventure has teamed up with City of Edinburgh Council to deliver FREE guided cycle rides around our amazing city! Join us as part of the Smarter Choices, Smart Places initiative to explore the cycle network – a fantastic way to get around the city we all love.

The paths are gentle and away from traffic, the perfect way to access so many of Edinburgh’s wonderful sights – the whole family is welcome. Our guides are experienced and friendly and even if you don’t have a bike that’s no problem – just get in touch and we will loan you one for free!

Meet at Gypsy Brae EH5 1QD on 4th or 11th October at either 11am or 2pm for a two hour cycle – or join us in Rodney Street Tunnel EH7 4EW at 12 noon for a trip to the Forth Road Bridge or Portobello.

We will also have displays in Rodney Street Tunnel about cycling in Edinburgh, tonnes of free information and even a smoothie-making bike!

Check out our website www.myadventure.org.uk  for more information and to book online, or phone 0131 629 3065 and receive a free gift on the day!

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Power to the People talk fracking …

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The Power to the Power group is hosting a community meeting on  the issue of fracking and underground coal gasification in the Forth next Tuesday (6 October) from 10am – 12.30 in Royston Wardieburn Community Centre.

A crèche will be available to allow people with young children to participate.

We are keen to raise awareness about this issue locally and will be supporting the action planned on the Forth Road Bridge on Sunday 11 October at 2pm.  Please see the link below for further information :

http://www.ourforth.org/hands-across-the-forth/

Power to the People

Don’t spend it all in the one shop …

… national minimum wage goes up by 20 pence today

20p

From today, the apprentice rate of the National Minimum Wage (NMW) goes up by 57 pence to £3.30 and the NMW rate for adult workers will rise by 20 pence from £6.50 to £6.70 per hour.

The boost for apprentices is the largest ever and means that those working 40 hours a week will now have £1,185 more in their pay packet over the year, the government says.

By implementing a rate higher than the Low Pay Commission’s (LPC) recommendation apprenticeships will deliver a wage that is comparable to other choices for work.

The 3% increase in the adult rate is the biggest real increase since 2006 and moves the NMW closer to the average wage than ever before. The new rate means that a full time employee, working 40 hours, will see the largest cash increase in their annual pay packets since 2008.

Business Secretary Sajid Javid said: “As a one nation government we are making sure that every part of Britain benefits from our growing economy and today more than 1.4 million of Britain’s lowest-paid workers will be getting a well-deserved pay rise.

The increase for apprentices is the largest in history making sure that apprenticeships remain an attractive option for young people. While the National Minimum Wage will see the largest real-terms increase since 2007.

From 1 October 2015:

  • the adult rate will increase by 20 pence to £6.70 per hour
  • the rate for 18 to 20 year olds will increase by 17 pence to £5.30 per hour
  • the rate for 16 to 17 year olds will increase by 8 pence to £3.87 per hour
  • the apprentice rate will increase by 57 pence to £3.30 per hour
  • the accommodation offset increases from the current £5.08 to £5.35

The GMB trade union welcomes the additional 20p on National Minimum Wage for 1.4 million workers but said that £6.70 per hour is NOT a living wage.

On tax credit cuts from April 2016 for 2.62 million workers the minimum loss will £23.72 per week and the average loss will be £34 per week for 3.3 million working families, the union says.

Paul Kenny, GMB General Secretary, said: “The additional 20p per hour for 1.4 million lower paid workers is welcome but as the Chancellor recognized £6.70 per hour is not a living wage. Employers like NEXT who can afford to pay a living wage should do so without delay.

“The Government must also step up enforcement and enable trades unions and local councils to contact HMRC to report employers who are not paying the rate.

“These same workers and their families face a serious loss of income from 1st April 2016 when tax credits are cut. GMB assess that for 2.62 million the minimum loss will £23.72 per week and that over time that the average loss will be about £34 per week for 3.3 million working families.

“For the huge numbers of working families that will be hit by cuts in tax credits the answer is simple – they should join a union to fight for better pay from employers who can well afford it as Osborne confirmed. “

City crackdown on catchment fraud

Council clamping down on school place cheats

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Six families have lost their school places after being caught giving false statements to get their children into popular city primaries in a crackdown by the City of Edinburgh Council.

As a result of the investigations by the Council’s fraud team, the offer of places was withdrawn and several other families dropped their requests when they discovered they were being investigated.

In some cases, families were also found to be fraudulently claiming housing and council tax benefits and were then forced to repay the money. In one instance, where a tenant was discovered to be sub-letting their council house, they lost their tenancy.

Councillor Paul Godzik, Convener of Education, Children and Families, said: “We know this is an issue that concerns many parents and we take it very seriously.

“If we believe there is a possibility that fraud is being committed, we will investigate. If we discover this to be the case we will withdraw the school place.

“By working with the Council’s fraud team, we are able to access a greater range of information, including credit checks, and this has allowed us to identify instances of fraud. Anecdotally we believe there are a number of schools in the city where this is likely to be a greater issue than others and we investigate all potential cases. This year we plan to put these schools under greater scrutiny with spot checks at different stages of the process.”

When registering for a school place for the first time, parents need to provide a council tax demand notice and recent utility bill. If someone is moving house they need to provide proof of purchase and their tenancy agreement.  If they are moving to a different Edinburgh address they will also need to provide proof of sale or termination of lease.

When pupils move from primary to secondary school they are allocated a place based on the current address information held by their school. Spot checks will be carried out to ensure this is accurate.

The Corporate Fraud Team can carry out credit checks, check council tax records and carry out unannounced home visits to establish whether or not someone is actually living at the address they claim to be at. If nobody is at home when they visit, they will speak to neighbours to try and find out if they know who was living in the house.

And the fraud team will continue their address checks during the school registration process which starts in November.

Anyone who believes a parent has given false information to register for a school place can contact the school placing team on 0131 469 3033 or email school.placements@edinburgh.gov.uk. All cases will be treated confidentially and you will remain anonymous.

Port of Leith residents raise £1580 for Macmillan

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Port of Leith Housing Association (PoLHA) has raised £1580 for Macmillan Cancer Support.

PoLHA’s sheltered housing developments St Nicholas Court, Hermitage Court and Jameson Place hosted events for their residents and locals as part of the charity’s ‘World’s Biggest Coffee Morning’ initiative last Friday.

Suzie Connery, who manages the Hermitage Court complex, said:
“We are delighted so many people came along to help makes the coffee mornings a success. Without their generosity we would not have been able to raise such a vast amount of money to this fantastic cause.”

Pictured (left to right): Christine McCauldin, Irene Graham, Mary Fox and Ella Maitland

EVOC thinkSpace event: A Fairer Scotland

Friday 9 October, 9.30am – 12.30pm, EVOC OfficeEVOClogo

We would be delighted if you join EVOC’s Fairer Scotland thinkSpace and hear speakers from the Scottish Government and the Third Sector consider the questions in the current consultation:

  • What are the main issues that matter to you?
  • What do you think needs to be done to create a fairer Scotland?
  • How can you and your community play a role in helping to shape our future?

We invite you to bring two other stakeholders from your organisation, e.g. service users and/or trustees.

Robin McAlpine of the Common Weal will be speaking on People Power plus we have facilitators confirmed from Citizens Advice Scotland, Crisis Edinburgh and One Parent Family Scotland.  Ella Simpson, EVOC’s Director will be leading the discussions on what we can do in Edinburgh and how we can feed back into the consultation process. 

You can book places at: http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/evoc-thinkspace-fairer-scotland-tickets-18434528170

View the Fairer Scotland thinkSpace Programme.

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REMINDER: Voluntary Sector Forum

The October meeting of Forth and Inverleith VSF was brought forward as the meeting was scheduled to take place during the school holidays.

The new date is Tuesday 6 October 1-3pm, at Pilton Community Health Project.

Local MP suspended pending police probe

Michelle Thomson MP

Edinburgh West MP Michelle Thomson has withdrawn from the SNP whip and been suspended by the party after police launched an investigation into property deals conducted by her lawyer Christopher Hales.

News of the police investigation follows revelations which first appeared in a Sunday Times article on 19 September.

Mrs Thomson’s solicitor, Christopher Hales, was struck off in May last year after being found guilty of professional misconduct in relation to 13 property deals – all of which involved Ms Thomson or her company M&F Property Solutions.

There is no suggestion Michelle Thomson is personally being investigated by police, and the Edinburgh West MP – who was also the SNP’s spokeswoman for business, innovation and skills at Westminster – said she will ‘cooperate fully’ with any investigation.

She said yesterday: “I am aware of the police investigation and will cooperate fully if required to do so. I have always acted within the law and look forward to being cleared of any wrong doing.

“I have this afternoon decided to withdraw from the party whip whilst an investigation takes place. Once the investigation is concluded I look forward to returning to play a full role in party activities. I will be making no further comment on this matter.”

While investigations are ongoing Ms Thomson, who was elected in May, will sit as an independent MP at Westminster.