SATURDAY 5 NOVEMBER
Broughton High School 11am – 2pm
Day: November 1, 2016
Living Wage set at £8.45
The First Minister has welcomed the new Living Wage rate of £8.45 an hour and urged more Scottish organisations to sign up as Accredited Living Wage Employers. The rise of 20 pence will benefit thousands of employees at Living Wage-accredited organisations in Scotland. Continue reading Living Wage set at £8.45
From grim to great: help transform Hermitage Park playground
Hermitage Park School Association’s Playground Development project has been chosen as one of three community projects to receive funding of up to £12,000 from the Tesco Bags of Help initiative – and they need your vote! Continue reading From grim to great: help transform Hermitage Park playground
Detecting Cancer Early: Sir Alex hails ‘great example’ Tom
A man who survived lung cancer after seeking help early has been praised as setting a ‘great example to everyone in Scotland’ by Sir Alex Ferguson, who fronts the Scottish Government’s Detect Cancer Early (DCE) lung campaign. Continue reading Detecting Cancer Early: Sir Alex hails ‘great example’ Tom
Remember, remember … tickets available for Meadowbank fireworks
Blake will kick off Meadowbank fireworks
Edinburgh’s biggest Fireworks Display takes place at Meadowbank Stadium on Saturday, 5 November – and there are still some tickets available. Continue reading Remember, remember … tickets available for Meadowbank fireworks
Explore your local Primary School tomorrow
Parents and carers are being urged to find out more about the exciting education on offer at their local primary school as part of the annual open day event this week. Every primary school in Edinburgh will be opening their doors to prospective parents and carers with pre-school age children on Wednesday. Continue reading Explore your local Primary School tomorrow
Garden plant of the month for November: Holly
Its attractive leaf colouring and unusual shape makes Holly a popular plant in the garden. You can also have fun clipping your Holly into all sorts of shapes, from a hedge to a beautiful standard ball and more. Some species are particularly valued for their foliage colour, others because they bear attractive berries. In autumn, birds love the Gardenplant of the Month for November.
Prickly but colourful
There are over 400 different species of deciduous and evergreen Holly (Ilex), the plant native to southern and western Europe, north-west Africa and south-west Asia. The green or variegated foliage and the bright red berries make it an attractive plant all year round in many gardens which can be used on its own, as part of a group planting or as a hedge.
Caring for Holly
The Holly plant will remain healthy and attractive by following a couple of simple tips. Holly is particularly hardy and a very easy plant to have in the garden. It can tolerate both full sun and partial shade and enjoys a normal humus-rich soil that is neither too wet nor too dry. Give the plant a mixed fertiliser in spring and autumn to keep it healthy.
Holly pruning tips
The best time to prune natural Holly is the end of February or beginning of March. Any sooner than this and you run the risk of frost damage. In fact, it’s only really necessary to prune if the plant grows too big, or if it has unsightly or dead branches.
If the Holly is used as a hedge or other clipped form, prune it in June and September. Cutting back to the ‘old wood’ will give poor regrowth with few young shoots so it’s a good idea to tend to the hedge every year!
More information about Holly and other garden plants can be found at Thejoyofplants.co.uk.
Council Cuts: Wightman says report shows need for autonomy
Andy Wightman MSP, Local Government spokesperson for the Scottish Greens, has highlighted a report showing the social impact of the 2016-17 local government budget. The MSP says the report highlights a need to re-address the way councils are funded.
The SPICe/Glasgow University/Heriot Watt University report shows most council expenditure is on services used by less affluent communities – services such as social work, public transport and citizen’s advice – but that most cuts have also landed on these services.
Andy Wightman, Local Government spokesperson for the Scottish Greens and MSP for Lothian, said: “Local authorities provide a lifeline for many communities struggling to make ends meet. Good quality education, social care, public transport, libraries and citizen’s advice are essential if we want a fair society.
“I welcome this new social impact methodology which, although not ideal, is very useful in understanding the impact of cuts to local government budgets.
“Ultimately this report shows the negative impact on local services from the Scottish Government’s cuts to council funding and underlines the need for a fiscal framework between the Scottish Government and local authorities and the need to scrap the Council tax and provide greater fiscal autonomy to local government.”
School play highlights fireworks danger
A hard hitting play focusing on the antisocial use and dangers of fireworks will be performed in nine secondary schools in Edinburgh in the run up to Bonfire Night. TOAST has been staged in Edinburgh schools for a number of years and will be performed to over 1,000 S2 pupils this week leading up to 5 November. Continue reading School play highlights fireworks danger
First meeting of new West Pilton West Granton CC tonight
Dear All,
This is notification of the first meeting of the new Community Council for West Pilton West Granton.
It will be held in the West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre from 7pm to 9pm on Tuesday 1st November.
This is the usual venue for the meetings which are on the first Tuesday of each month.
The minutes of each section of the last meeting will be there.
Looking forward to seeing you .
Barbara Robertson
The result of the Leith Links Community Council election was announced last week – the only community council requiring a ballot following the nomination period.
Following the nominations period to join the Capital’s 44 community councils in September, a poll was required in Leith Links Community Council area where 17 valid nominations were received for 12 seats.
Voting opened on Thursday 20 October 2016 and closed at 8pm on Thursday 27 October 2016. Eligible voters were able to vote online throughout this period and in person at a polling station on Thursday 27 October 2016.
A total of 588 people voted and a list of the successful elected members has been published on the Council website.
Councillor Maureen Child, Convener of the Communities and Neighbourhood Committee, has congratulated everyone who took part in the election process. She said: “Community Councils are an ideal way to support communities to thrive, to allow people from all backgrounds to meet and share ideas and to make change happen.
“My congratulations go to all of the candidates who were successful in the 2016 Leith Links election. I wish them all the very best and look forward to working with them on the issues which matter in the Leith Links Community Council area.”
The first community councils were established in Edinburgh in 1980 in Merchiston and Longstone, and more than 500 people are now members across the city.
They each receive a grant to cover running costs and training is available for the members. They are represented on each of the city’s 12 Neighbourhood Partnerships and work alongside elected members, representatives from NHS Lothian, Police Scotland, the voluntary sector and Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.
For more information on community councils visit www.edinburgh.gov.uk/