INFORMATION and ACTIVITIES with FREE LUNCH too – ALL WELCOME!
A wee reminder about our community event at Royston Wardiebirn Community Centre today.
The following organisations will be represented at the event:
Granton Information Centre, Pilton Equalities Project, LIFT, Age Scotland, Change Works, Edinburgh Coalition Against Poverty, People Know How, Deaf Action, Thrive, Edinburgh Leisure, Remode Collective, Access to Industry, Project Esperanza.
We will also be having workshops and taster session on storytelling and creative writing, digital skills, arts and crafts, singing for fun, exercise to music, whats on at the national galleries and energy advice.
We will also be having a community lunch between 12 and 1 which anyone can attend.
The main purpose of the event is to provide an opportunity for local people to access information about services which will be able to offer advice and support during the difficult months ahead.
We’re also having a community lunch on the day.
We are hoping to be able to open up the cafe area and increase the days that we are doing the community lunch and the pantry.
1. EACC Meeting Thursday 27 October at 19.00 via Zoom
There are three agenda items:
a)
Tony Harris, Planning Lead at Grange Prestonfield CC, on
‘Caravan structures in residential gardens’;
b)
Kenny Wright, Chair at Drumbrae CC, on
‘Local initiatives in the face of the cost-of-living crisis’;
c)
EACC Chair, Steve Kerr, on building out EACC with the new Members’ Board structure;
plus
AOB.
The Zoom link details are set out at the end of this email.
2. The 24 November AGM
This will almost certainly be a screen meeting, with a CEC Governance official acting as the Returning Officer. Material covering AGM November 2021 Minutes, EGM February 2022 Report, a revision to Standing Orders, a Financial Report and of course an Agenda will be published in the coming weeks.
I have already mailed out Nomination Forms for those who wish to stand for one of the four Office Bearer positions, or would otherwise wish to be elected to the Members’ Board alongside the Office Bearers (twelve seats available). I repeat the Nomination Form in the attachment to this email.
If you have any queries on this, please contact me.
Could I ask that Community Council Secretaries, in particular, make their members aware of what is set to take place and that the opportunity is taken to consider nominations and nominee support for the elected positions.
3. Update
The most important recent development is perhaps the opening of a CEC website to focus on the cost-of-living crisis and to offer information, guidance and support.
Land Commission launches research in a bid to continuously improve engagement
People in Scotland are being encouraged to participate in a nationwide survey to help inform a major public body on how engagement in decisions about land in Scotland can be improved.
The Scottish Land Commission’s easy-to-use online surveys have officially launched giving people in Scotland an opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to land reform.
The Commission is conducting two surveys – one for landowners and one for communities – to find out more about how private and public sector landowners engage with their local communities.
The land reform body is hoping to collect information on the progress that has been made so far while the results will go on to help shape future guidance and regulation changes to encourage more effective engagement with communities when it comes to land.
Hamish Trench, Chief Executive at the Scottish Land Commission, said: “Land is our most valuable asset. It is important to a variety of Scotland’s ambitions such as net zero, nature restoration and community empowerment.
“By listening to the views of landowners and communities, it will paint a better picture of how community engagement has progressed and how it can continue to improve in the coming years.
“Land can and should work to everyone’s benefit and by engaging closely with those across the country, regulations and recommendations can be shaped to ensure everybody is included in that benefit.”
The survey was first run in 2019 to establish a baseline of knowledge for the Scottish Land Commission; the latest survey has launched to look at how the situation has changed.
The survey is now open and will run until the 30 November. The research will then be analysed by the Scottish Land Commission and results may be shared with the Scottish Government and other relevant organisations to inform future work programmes and priorities.
It is the latest initiative from the Scottish Land Commission which recently launched its ‘Land @ Lunch’ bitesize webinars to inform those across the country with practical information about land use and ownership.
The Scottish Land Commission works with landowners, land managers and communities to help them to create a Scotland where everybody benefits from the ownership, management and use of the nation’s land.
The survey for landowners and managers can be found here:
The big issues facing people in Scotland will feature at the Festival of Politics, with the programme for the event being unveiled today.
Taking place over three days from Thursday 11 until Saturday 13 August, the Festival features a number of online and in-person events taking place in the iconic surroundings of the Scottish Parliament.
Themes such as end of life choices, the state of the UK union, cost of living crisis, our climate, migration and equality will all feature. Alongside distinguished panel guests drawn from all walks of life across Scotland and beyond, sessions will allow festivalgoers to share their own experiences and ask questions.
The Debating Chamber will also see well-known figures address the audience in a series of ‘in conversation’ style events. On Thursday, philosopher Professor A.C. Grayling will talk about the three most urgent challenges facing the world today: climate change, technology and justice. On Friday, well-known footballer John Barnes will talk about his experiences of racism and what needs to be done to tackle this in modern society.
This year the Festival will also feature a rehearsed reading of Holding / Holding On from the National Theatre of Scotland scripted by Nicola McCartney in collaboration with care-experienced people and those within the care system. A powerful reading that has, at its heart, the intersection where care, class and poverty meet.
The Rt Hon Alison Johnstone MSP, Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament, said: “This programme that has been unveiled today captures the topics of conversations that are happening all over Scotland with family and friends around kitchen tables, on social media, in newspapers and on television.
“We wanted to bring together those issues that are important to people and allow them to hear different perspectives drawn from people across civic society about how we can make a difference.
“I really do hope that there is something for everyone in this programme and I’m delighted to be welcoming people back into the Parliament for this event.”
The Edinburgh Association of Community Councils (EACC) will meet on Thursday 26 May, at 7pm on Zoom.
(See the Zoom link at the foot of this email.)
*** Agenda ***
1. Presentation by Charlie Raeburn on the ‘Observatory for Sport in Scotland’.
This is a community sports initiative — involving central and local government, as well as the private sector — aimed at tacking Scotland’s health and activity crisis. (See https://oss.scot.)
2. Best practice for community council treasurers? Solutions to banking problems for small organizations? Discussion led by Judy Wightman, EACC Treasurer and Chair of Ratho & District Community Council.
3. Removal of litter bins from parks and greenspaces. Issue to be raised by Tim Parker, Trinity Community Council.
A GROUP of volunteers is being assembled to shape a leading housing provider’s future equality framework and policy.
Leading housing provider, Bield has committed to putting its tenants and community members at the forefront of decisions on equality, launching its bespoke ‘Equality Network’ group.
The network will be made up of tenants and Bield officers who will work together with the aim of increasing awareness and understanding of the needs of people with protected characteristics and while working to ensure the necessary services are provided to them.
This is one of many tenant-led initiatives at Bield as it focuses on achieving more participation and engagement amongst service users.
Head of Policy at Bield, Zhan McIntyre, who has been overseeing the launch said: “The need for an equality group was identified as part of the last tenant engagement strategy. We’ve since placed a greater focus on people with protected characteristics to ensure there is a safe space to voice needs and opinions.
“The network hopes to engage people to both discuss their needs and also identify what we could do differently to further develop the inclusive features that already exist.
“The volunteers who take part are absolutely essential as they will shape how our equality framework will look and work here out, so we’d love to hear from anyone interested in joining.”
Anyone who is currently a customer of Bield and is passionate about improving the services is welcome to join. Members are required to attend quarterly meetings but do not need any particular skill sets or knowledge.
The principal idea behind the network is to diversify the body of people at Bield who are in charge of influencing and implementing policy with a hope that a variety of cultures, backgrounds and experiences will lend itself to a more holistic and representative committee.
Bield’s ‘Free to Be’ ethos is also promoted with this project through encouraging older people across its 180 developments to live independent, social lives by working with their peers and sharing their own ideas.
This is such a fantastic opportunity for people aged 13+ to get together with Katie an d look at what affects them and their community and look to make a positive difference.
