Last call: register to vote!

Deadline for registration is MIDNIGHT TONIGHT

ballotbox (3)

Alex Robertson, Director of Communications at the Electoral Commission, said: “If you aren’t registered by 20 April then you simply won’t be able to vote on 7 May so do it now at www.gov.uk/registertovote. It takes just a few minutes and is far easier than the old, paper based process. There’s been a great response so far and we don’t want anyone to miss out on having their say on polling day.”

The Electoral Commission said recent applications included almost 470,000 online applications from 16 to 24-year-olds but added that its research also suggested there may be as many as 7.5 million unregistered voters.

The deadline to register to vote is midnight on Monday 20 April. Register now at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote

Other important dates:

The deadline for receiving new postal vote and postal proxy applications is 5pm on Tuesday 21 April 2015 and the deadline for proxy vote applications is 5pm on Tuesday 28 April 2015.

www.gov.uk/registertovote.

Use it ot lose it – adult education classes resume at Craigroyston

classes

Craigroyston Classes poster April 2015

Our adult education classes at Craigroyston Community High School start back from 27 April and if we do not have enough numbers, the council will cancel classes, so please do encourage people to sign up -use it or lose it!

Also some Lone Parent Scotland cookery classes ongoing at the moment :

Cookery class at Craigroyston Community High School
67 Pennywell Road, Edinburgh EH4 4NL
Run by Lone Parent Scotland

Wednesday 15 April 10am-12.30pm
Making healthy burgers and coleslaw (ingredients all provided) for vegetarians and beef burgers

Thursday 16 April 10am -12.30pm
Making chocolate birthday cake (ingredients all provided)

All lone parents welcome with their children

Fiona Henderson

Blackhall talk on Mary Seacole

Blackhall LibraryBlackhall Library, in partnership with Surgeons Hall, is hosting a talk about Mary Seacole on Wednesday 15 April at 3pm. The event is free.

Click on link (below) for more info about this remarkable woman:

www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/seacole_mary.shtml

seacole_book

Drylaw Skatepark: final consultation event

Last chance to have your say on Drylaw Skatepark

consult

Drylaw Community Association and Edinburgh and Lothian Greenspace Trust will be holding a final consultation event on the new skatepark this Wednesday (15 April) from 5.30 – 6.30pm in Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre.

Go along, have a look at what’s being planned and have your say – the organisers are particularly keen to hear the views of young people.

North Edinburgh Arts AGM next week

NEA

NORTH EDINBURGH ARTS

Annual General Meeting

To be held at North Edinburgh Arts, 15a Pennywell Court

Wednesday 22 April at 12 noon

Soup and sandwiches will be served at 12.30

Creche available on request

Come and hear about the work of NEA and plans for the next three years, followed by the opportunity to put your ideas forward.

To RSVP and reserve a creche space call Sandra on 315 2151 or email admin@northedinburgharts.co.uk by Wednesday 15 April.

Live Well in Later Life

Drop-in event for older people at Broughton High School next week

live well

Come along to our free drop-in event between

11am -3pm on Thursday 16 April

at Broughton High School, East Fettes Avenue. 

Tea, coffee and cake will be served.

Free transport is available if booked in advance.

Call 0131 529 6552 or email rachel.howe@edinburgh.gov.uk

Live Well Inverleith Flyer

Science hits the streets this Easter

Scifest busking on the farm in 2014Spectacular street science is expected to attract large crowds to locations across Edinburgh during the Easter holidays.

The ‘Busking Bikes’ project is part of the Edinburgh International Science Festival and the City of Edinburgh Council is supporting six performances from 4-14 April.

Each trike carries a box full to the brim with impressive, explosive, messy, and down-right weird science experiments. From the power of water to finding out how carbon capture could save the planet, each demo will explain some of the most interesting science happening today.

As well as watching expert performers do some unforgettable demonstrations, the audience can get stuck in too and learn their own science tricks, from skewering a balloon to launching a rocket.

Councillor Frank Ross, the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “This is a really exciting project as we expect the bikes to draw large crowds to each area creating a vibrant atmosphere, colour and life where ever they go. The ‘Busking Bikes’ project is being funded as part of the Council’s Town Centre Strategy to build stronger town centres by driving up footfall to support local businesses.”

Programme:

Saturday April 4 – Portobello Market

Sunday April 5 – Gorgie City Farm

Friday April 10 – Stockbridge Library

Friday April 10 – Morningside Library

Friday April 10 – Costorphine Library

Tuesday April 14 – McDonald Road Library

 

Easter Holiday Programme

PrintWith the holidays almost upon us the Total Craigroyston team has produced a useful guide to what’s on for children and families across North Edinburgh during the Easter break.

To find out what’s on, where and when, click on the link below:

Easter-Programme-2015

tc1

tc2

Nominate your inspiring volunteers

Inspiring Volunteering Achievement Awards 2015

skylineEdinburgh’s Volunteering Ambassador the Lord Provost Donald Wilson will honour some of the dedicated volunteers who give their time, energy and commitment to the people of Edinburgh at a special awards ceremony to take place on Tuesday 16 June at The City Chambers. 

Now nine years old, Edinburgh’s Inspiring Volunteering Achievement Awards reflect the exceptional range of organisations and individuals working in the city’s vibrant charity and non-profit sectors.

Nominations are now invited for this year’s awards, and can be submitted online here:https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/IVA2015

 Organisations are welcome to nominate up to three individual volunteers and one team of volunteers.

Some lucky nominees will be invited to accept their award at the City Chambers, others will receive a certificate in the post. ALL nominated volunteers will receive a certificate either in person or in the post. 

Eligibility criteria for 2015: 

·         The Awards are only open to people volunteering in the City of Edinburgh

·         There are no age restrictions.

·         Volunteers must have volunteered for at least six months with your organisation before being eligible to be nominated.

·         If they have previously received an “Inspiring Volunteering Certificate” at the City Chambers they should not be nominated again.

·         Only fully completed nominations will be considered for individuals or teams, and we will quote from these statements when presenting the awards.

Shortlisted nominations will be considered by the Lord Provost for the ‘Lord Provost of Edinburgh’s Inspiring Volunteer of the Year Award 2015’.

Special recognition categories to highlight some of the diverse areas of volunteering across the City of Edinburgh include: 

·         A Young Volunteer (aged between 11 and 25 years old)

·         Long Standing Contribution to Volunteering Award (an individual who has volunteered for 10 years or more, and has made an outstanding contribution)

·         Charity Shop Volunteer

·         Fundraising Volunteer

·         Trustee Volunteer

·         Health & Social Care Volunteer (volunteers engaged in health and social care, including support work, befriending or projects which reduce social isolation and help assist independent living)

·         Sports Volunteer (volunteers actively involved in supporting sports in their communities).

·         Environment & Conservation Volunteer (volunteers engaged in environmental activities including education, conservation or gardening).

·         Arts, Culture & Heritage Volunteer

·         Housing / Tenant participation champion  *** Introduced in 2014 ***

The Awards Ceremony usually takes place during Volunteers Week – which runs every year from the 1– 7 June, however in 2015 it will be take place on the later date of Tuesday 16 June. Nominations will close on 1 April 2015 at 8pm.

We also encourage volunteer involving organisations to organise their own recognition events during Volunteers’ Week, whether that be their own mini awards ceremony, coffee morning, lunch or social activity that recognises and celebrates the contribution of their volunteers. It’s a great opportunity to do something to say thank you, and show your volunteers that they are valued and appreciated.

Lord Provost Donald Wilson, said: “There are thousands of dedicated and inspiring volunteers in Edinburgh selflessly giving up their own time to help and support others. These awards are simply one way of recognising some of their tremendous work, and their contribution to the wellbeing of our city’s residents cannot be overstated.

Kris Von Wald, Convenor of Volunteer Centre Edinburgh, said: “The Lord Provost has agreed to present these awards because he recognises how important volunteers are to Edinburgh and its residents.  The Awards seek to acknowledge the hard work, commitment, energy and positive difference that volunteers make”. 

cid:image006.png@01CFB18D.169F56C0

 

Read all about it: local Forum lifts literary prize!

We-CTV Award for North Edinburgh Young People’s Forum

DSC01116

North Edinburgh Young People’s Forum (NEYPF) has won second prize in a national competiton organised by the Scottish Youth Parliament. Josh, Laura and Brandin’s entry was the only submission from Edinburgh to win an award at this week’s presentation ceremony (writes Dave Pickering).

Launched last June, the We-CTV Competition asked young people to address issues of interpersonal violence in communities. Groups were asked to produce a piece of creative work on themes like knife crime, abuse and online bullying in one of three categories: Art (drawing, painting, textiles), Literary (creative or discursive writing) or Multimedia (video or audio).

NEYPF decided to take part in the competition and agreed to write a piece on bullying.

It’s been a long process. Entrants were first asked to submit an expression of interest by the end of August 2014. The creative concept deadline was 31 October and a National Creative We-CTV Production Day took place on 11 November, giving entrants an opportunity to meet with creative experts and share ideas. The final submission deadline for ‘creative solution’ entries was 16 January and this was followed by an online vote.

The group has had an anxious wait since voting closed on 8 February, but the NEYPF were rewarded for their hard work when they were announced as runner-up in the Literary category at Wednesday evening’s awards which were held in Glasgow’s Film Theatre.

Josh Ward (13), Laura Hulbert (14) and Brandin Sharpe (13) – all of whom took part in a training session with NEN last Autumn – attended the gala event with NEYPF youth worker Danielle Ward and were delighted to win second prize in their category. As well as the Award, each team member received a certificate and vouchers from Pizza Express and Vue Cinemas.

Their certificates read: ‘Their contribution helped raise awareness of interpersonal violence against young people‘.

Prizes aside, the highlight of the event for the Forum members was meeting Sanjeev Kohli, Still Game’s Naveed, who was MC for the evening! His quote: ‘I am just a monkey in a suit’ was the group’s favourite.

The final words, quite rightly, go to the NEYPF members. “It was an emotional rollercoaster!” said Brandin, while Josh added: “It was fun and I met Navid and we came second!”

Short and sweet but says it all! Well done, NEYPF!

Be_the_Hero