Citizen: A hearty helping of Stories and Scran at the Book Festival

I was delighted to be part of Edinburgh International Book Festival’s ‘Stories and Scran’ event on Tuesday evening.

The event was a celebration of the book festival’s Citizen programme.

Over the last 12 months, Citizen Writer in Residence Eleanor Thom and poet Leyla Josephine have been working with local groups to discuss and respond creatively to themes such as home, identity and belonging.

The evening – a lively mix of live readings, stories and short films – showcased impressive work by participants from Spartans Alternative School, the Citizen Collective (some brilliant young writers aged 16-18) (above), the Citizen adult writing group, the Saheliya Champions and more. And all in front of a live audience, too!

The event was preceded by a delicious community meal prepared and served up by by a team from North Edinburgh’s very own Scran Academy. 

Congratulations to the organisers – coronavirus restrictions must have made this a very difficult event to plan and stage, but it really couldn’t have gone better.

Stories and Scran was live streamed and you can view it here:

 https://www.edbookfest.co.uk/the-festival/whats-on/stories-scran-1/player

Rotten to the core: Charity Food van stolen in Leith

UPDATE: VAN RECOVERED

Police in Edinburgh are appealing for information after a food charity’s delivery van was stolen in Leith.

The white Ford Transit van, one of two main delivery vehicles belonging to social enterprise Edinburgh Community Food, was taken sometime between 1.30pm on Monday, 9 August, and 6am on Tuesday, 10 August, when it was parked on Tennant Street.

The van, registration number SH12 XVO, is distinctive with a large strawberry logo on the sides and rear with the words – edinburgh community food – clearly written on it. (van pictured below is not the stolen vehicle but shows the logo)

Sergeant Elaine McArthur Kerr, of Leith police station, said: “Edinburgh Community Food relies on its vans to deliver to people and businesses in the city and this theft is a shameful act given that it obviously belongs to a charity.

“Edinburgh Community Food delivers fresh fruit and vegetables to people on low incomes and sells it to staff, patients and visitors in city hospitals. This theft has left them seriously inconvenienced and having to hire a replacement.

“Our enquiries are ongoing to trace the van and we are appealing to anyone who may have seen it since it went missing to get in touch. If you can assist please contact us on 101, quoting incident 0689 of Tuesday, 8 August, 2021, or make a call anonymously to the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”

Edinburgh Community Food CEO Brenda Black, said: “We need the van to deliver essential fresh food supplies to isolated people throughout Edinburgh.

“We spent the pandemic making sure the most vulnerable people in Edinburgh got food and essentials to keep them going through the worst of times.

“We continue to deliver food to families, communities and other organisations who really need them but this theft has halved our capacity.”

Let’s hope this vehicle is returned to it’s owners without delay.

UPDATE: VAN FOUND – THURSDAY 12 AUGUST

Officers in Edinburgh can confirm that a food charity’s delivery van which was stolen in the Leith area of the city has been recovered.

The white Ford Transit van, one of two main delivery vehicles belonging to social enterprise Edinburgh Community Food, has been traced to the Newhaven area and enquiries are ongoing to find out how it got there.

Sergeant Elaine McArthur Kerr, of Leith police station, said: “Fortunately the van has been traced as a direct result of our appeal and I would like to thank everyone who responded to it.

“However, enquiries are ongoing to find out how it got there and we continue to appeal for information. I would ask anyone who saw the white Ford Transit with its distinctive large strawberry logo between 1.30pm on Monday, 9 August, and noon on Thursday, 12 August, to get in touch.

“If you can assist please contact us on 101, quoting incident 0689 of Tuesday, 8 August, 2021, or make a call anonymously to the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”

Scotmid launches community pilot programme in Leith to help people make positive life changes

RISE, a collaborative pilot programme designed to help people involved in crime to make positive life changes has been launched by Scottish convenience retailer Scotmid.

Scotmid’s Project RISE (Recovering In a Supported Environment) will be initially piloted in Leith. It has been designed to proactively intervene and support those living in the local community by encouraging them to avoid potential criminal situations, suggesting alternative choices and signposting individuals to support services.

Project RISE will work in partnership with several organisations including Cyrenians, Turning Point, Link-Up, Connecting Circles and Police Scotland.

As a ‘restorative practice intervention’, it will be used as an alternative engagement model to provide solutions to a recurring problem, which in many cases, tends to be crime.

If successful, Scotmid hopes that the programme will be rolled out across other areas of the city, where additional resources and support would help make a difference. 

Nick McGuirk, Project RISE Project Manager at Scotmid, said: “As a retailer based in the heart of our communities, we are in a fortunate position to be able to identify and reach some of the most vulnerable people in our local areas.

“We’re pleased to work collaboratively with some fantastic charities to ensure we can support as many people as possible, helping them to make more positive life choices.”

Carmen McShane, Scotland Service Manager of Turning Point, said: “It has never been so important to make mainstream services more accessible for those who suffer from alcohol and other drug use.

“Accessing support and treatment can be a protective factor in reducing overdose, therefore, outreach work in Leith, and other local communities like this, is vital if we want to prevent drug-related deaths. I’m so pleased to work with Scotmid, Connecting Circles, Cyrenians and Link Up in this initiative to deliver the support to people in our community who need it.”

A Spokesperson at Police Scotland said: “Police Scotland is looking forward to working alongside our partners in this pilot programme, designed to make positive changes for those who require support and help.

“We hope the programme will expand its work to other areas, so that people can avoid potentially dangerous circumstances, whilst flourishing in their communities.”

Have your say on initial proposals for Low Traffic Neighbourhoods in Leith and Corstorphine

A second phase of community engagement on plans to introduce Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs) in two areas of Edinburgh begins today.

Between 8 February and 5 March, the city councill sought the views of residents in Corstorphine, Leith and East Craigs on their travel choices and use of their community spaces for movement and relaxation to help us develop proposals for each area in partnership with the local communities themselves. In total we received around 2200 responses across the three communities.

After the first phase of engagement, there was a clear appetite within Leith and Corstorphine to move forward with more detailed dialogue.

For East Craigs the council will be bringing an additional report on plans for the area to the next Transport and Environment Committee in recognition of the majority of respondents reporting, during our initial engagement in February/March, that traffic levels were not significant on most residential streets.

However, some residents did indicate that there are issues with high traffic volumes on selected streets. We’ll therefore propose to have further discussion on targeted traffic reduction with the East Craigs community at a later date, with a view to bringing proposals back to a future meeting of Transport and Environment Committee.

In Leith and Corstorphine the council is now looking for feedback on initial recommendations to create safer, more comfortable environments for walking, cycling and wheeling, as well as for spending time in local streets and outdoor spaces.

These have been informed by the opinions and ideas shared during the first phase of engagement, as well as traffic data which indicates where there are issues around intrusive traffic.

As part of this second phase of engagement they will be holding co-design-type workshops with community representatives so that the design team can closely explore details in greater depth with the community.

Each of the schemes will be refined following the current period of engagement and brought back to Transport and Environment Committee. If approved, they would be then be introduced on a trial basis via an Experimental Traffic Regulation Order (ETRO) towards the end of 2021.

For Corstorphine, two options have been proposed to improve safety on the High Street, as well as various interventions elsewhere in the area to restrict through traffic, particularly around schools.

The Leith Connections project designs consist of two elements – a high-quality segregated cycle route between the Foot of the Walk and Ocean Terminal, which will be introduced on a permanent basis, and an experimental LTN in the area between Salamander Street, Commercial Street, North and Great Junction Street, Duke Street and the roads around Leith Links.

The LTN designs include restrictions to through traffic and ‘parklets’ to encourage more people to walk, cycle and spend time.

Transport and Environment Convener Councillor Lesley Macinnes said: “Over the last year we’ve seen the impact that lower traffic volumes and space to walk and cycle can have on our environment.

“As we work to make a sustainable recovery from the pandemic, we’re looking at ways of working together with our communities on designs and proposals that would make neighbourhoods more liveable, easier to move around by active travel and welcoming to spend time in.

“Thanks to thousands of comments on the initial engagement about our plans to introduce Low Traffic Neighbourhoods across the city, as well as traffic monitoring both before and after the pandemic to identify intrusive traffic hotspots, we’ve been able to develop a set of proposals for Leith and Corstorphine that really address the issues facing these neighbourhoods, helping to tackle barriers to walking, cycling and wheeling.

“As we now start the next phase of public engagement on these proposals we’ll be continuing to work closely with the communities in a co-design-style approach which involves residents in each key step of the projects’ development.

“In East Craigs, there was a clear view that for most people there weren’t significant traffic problems on most residential streets, although some residents did report too much traffic on certain streets.

“That’s why we’re currently putting the LTN plans on hold in East Craigs. We’d like to come back to discuss ideas on targeted traffic reduction with the community sometime in the future, but for now, we look forward to working with communities in Corstorphine and Leith to take forward designs there.

Transport and Environment Vice Convener Councillor Karen Doran said: “We’ve seen from examples around the world how Low Traffic Neighbourhoods can encourage community interaction and healthy, active travel, and we want to see this happen in Edinburgh.

“Please let us know what you think of the initial plans for Leith and Corstorphine, so we can deliver schemes which work for as many people as possible.”

Key findings from engagement with the public earlier this year include:

Corstorphine – almost 600 responses received

  • Walking was the largest travel mode used by respondents to the survey, with cycling higher than the national average at 9%.
  • Safety of streets for cycling and safety of streets for walking were the main factors that prevent respondents from making trips by foot or bike within the local area.
  • 51% of respondents think that traffic levels and speeds for children cycling or walking are unsafe or very unsafe.

Leith – over 800 responses received

  • 75% of survey respondents strongly support or support the aim for improving cycling conditions in Leith.
  • 80% of survey respondents strongly support or support the aim for improving walking conditions in Leith.
  • The most popular local destinations were Ocean Terminal, Leith Walk and Leith Links. Walking was used for the highest proportion of these journeys with between 44-65% of trips and cycling was used on 13-23% of trips.

East Craigs LTN – over 800 responses received

  • Speed and volume of traffic on Craigs Road was felt by some in the community to be too high and conditions could be improved for people walking and cycling, however there was also general feedback that most streets in the area were not felt by survey respondents to have high traffic volumes or speeds.
  • School drop off/pick up times were highlighted as a particular issue on some streets, resulting in higher volumes of traffic and parking.

Alongside this engagement feedback, project teams have collected and assessed traffic data from before and during COVID to help identify streets where intrusive traffic is a problem. This data has generally corresponded closely to the streets that residents have highlighted as having high traffic volumes and speeds.

Traffic operations plans have been developed to help people to plan journeys around their communities by different transport modes. Every residence will remain accessible by motor vehicle.

Engagement on the Leith and Corstorphine proposals will run from TODAY (Friday 4 June) until 4 July, during which time respondents can view and comment on designs. We’ll also be consulting with key stakeholders including community councils, ward councillors, emergency services and mobility and access groups.

The ETRO process for introducing changes, if approved, includes further public consultation on the traffic regulation changes, with the results to be reported back to Transport and Environment Committee in autumn, when a decision would be made about whether to implement the LTNs on a trial basis (for up to 18 months). 

ETROs allow us to trial measures, in collaboration with the community and stakeholders, to evaluate their impacts and benefits prior to permanent implementation. During the trial we will be monitoring the impacts of the changes and asking for public feedback.

Measures along the future cycle route from Leith Walk to Ocean Terminal, which will change traffic movement in the area, are proposed to be implemented at the same time as the trial LTN. These relate to a permanent route design and have already been through public engagement.

You’ll be able to find out more and share your views on Leith and Corstorphine proposals from today.

A Geen Recovery?

Low Traffic Neighbourhoods: have your say!

Community engagement to help develop proposals for Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs) in three parts of the city has begun. The city council is proposing measures to make it safer and more comfortable to walk, cycle, wheel and spend time in Leith, Corstorphine and East Craigs.

Following public engagement and subject to committee approval the schemes would be introduced under an Experimental Traffic Regulation Order. The council says this provides further opportunities for public involvement in refining measures, even once they’re in place:

‘We’re now seeking residents’ views on travel choices and spaces for movement and relaxation in the relevant areas. Feedback will be used to inform design proposals for each of the schemes, which are the first in a potential programme of low traffic neighbourhoods being considered across the city.

‘In Leith, we’re also developing a protected cycle lane between the Foot of the Walk and Ocean Terminal, which will complement the adjacent Trams to Newhaven project, as well as pedestrianizing Sandport Place Bridge and creating a bus-only section at the Shore. We’re seeking people’s views on concept designs as part of the engagement.’

Transport and Environment Convener Councillor Lesley Macinnes said: “As we look to make a green recovery from the pandemic, it’s important that we get back to work on our long-term plans to support sustainable, active travel and healthy communities, where children can play safely and air pollution is reduced.

“There’s a range of research to show the positive impact LTNs can have on reducing ‘through’ traffic and encouraging people to walk, cycle, wheel and spend time in local areas. We want to bring these benefits to neighbourhoods across Edinburgh and to make sure the changes work for everyone, which is why we want to hear from as many people as possible.”

Transport and Environment Vice Convener Councillor Karen Doran said: “We envision a much safer, more relaxing and ‘people-friendly’ Capital, which is why we’re developing LTNs for different communities.

“By introducing them on an experimental basis we want to involve the people that live here in their evolution, and their participation begins now, as we start to develop designs.”

LTNs are initiatives where motor vehicle traffic is significantly reduced in residential streets, limiting the volume of ‘through traffic’ while maintaining vehicle access for people who live there. This creates a safer, more pleasant and inclusive environment for walking, cycling, wheeling and playing, reducing air pollution, encouraging healthy, active travel and opening up space for improvements like pocket parks, seating areas and planting.

Various studies have demonstrated the positive impacts similar schemes introduced elsewhere in the UK have had on communities. In London, research has shown the ‘mini-Holland programme’, introduced in boroughs across the city, saw a trend toward reduced car use and an increase in active travel. 

Data collected on the Walthamstow Village LTN found a drop of approximately 50% in traffic while a scheme in Dulwich Village reported a 96% increase in cycling, including a rise in the number of children on bikes.

Each of the schemes being put forward for Edinburgh responds to needs and issues specific to the neighbourhoods, including –

Corstorphine: Creating safer routes to school, addressing issues with speed and volume of traffic in residential streets, creating new public spaces and improving cycle routes, including links to the future West Edinburgh Link

East Craigs: Protecting streets from the impact of new developments in the west of Edinburgh, creating safer routes to school, addressing issues with speed and volume of traffic in residential streets and improving cycle routes, including links to the future West Edinburgh Link

Leith: Enhancing and promoting access to public transport, improving cycling provision in the area, addressing issues with traffic volume and speed in residential streets.

The city council says proposals being developed are ‘entirely separate and distinct from any temporary measures being implemented as part of the Spaces for People programme‘.

As part of the engagement process ‘community reference groups’ are being formed of representatives from community and interest groups in each of the areas, offering additional opportunities for residents to feed back. However, this will not supersede the responses gathered as part of the consultation process.

Following community engagement, design proposals will be developed for the three LTNs, which will then be shared for further public engagement.

Designs will then be refined and brought to Transport and Environment Committee in June for approval and permission to start the Experimental Traffic Regulation Order (ETRO).

Subject to committee approval, following ETRO consultation, changes would be implemented on a trial basis in October.

For the Foot of the Walk to Ocean Terminal active travel improvements, further development of existing designs will follow feedback, with the aim of publishing Traffic Regulation Orders later this year and beginning construction in 2022.

Find out more and take part in the Leith ConnectionsEast Craigs Connections and Corstorphine Connections consultations online.

Utilita Energy Hub Leith team takes Future Steps to support Prince’s Trust

Staff normally based at Utilita’s Energy Hub in Leith have signed up to take part in the ‘Future Steps’ campaign – a 10,000 steps-a-day challenge during the month of February to raise vital funds for The Prince’s Trust as the charity works to support young people during these difficult times. 

After former prime minister, Gordon Brown, warned that youth unemployment in Scotland could hit 100,000 this winter as a result of the pandemic, Utilita Energy is powering The Prince’s Trust Future Steps campaign, to enable the charity to give young people hope for the future by helping them to develop the skills and confidence needed to move into work, education or training.

Staff from the Energy Hub in Leith – who have been aptly named the ‘Northern Powerhouse’ – will each clock up 10,000 steps for 28 consecutive days throughout February, resulting in 60,000 steps a day and a massive 1.68m steps in in total by the end of February.

To donate valuable funds to help improve young people’s wellbeing and help them to get into work, please visit the ‘Northern Powerhouse’ JustGiving page here.

Debra Clason, Team Leader of the ‘Northern Powerhouse’ Future Steps team at the Utilita Energy Hub in Leith (above), said: “With so many young people’s lives disrupted and impacted by the pandemic, their education or career plans may have been put on hold, so it’s important that the support they need to confidently get back on track is there when they need it most.

“We’ll be telling the customers we speak to about the campaign, as well as educating each customer about the Energy High 5 campaign – helping every household to reduce their energy spend by £163 per year.”

Laura Heaton, Head of Corporate Partnerships at The Prince’s Trust, said: “We’re incredibly grateful to Utilita for making Future Steps possible by sponsoring the campaign, and to their teams all over the UK who have signed up to get moving in support of our cause.

“The funds raised will help us to keep up with demand from young people in these anxious times, so that they can get the advice and opportunities they need to get back on track and regain control of their futures – whatever challenges they may be facing.”

Staff from across Utilita Energy are taking part in the challenge this year – from senior management to customer service and energy engineers – with the aim to beat 5m steps they achieved in 2020.

Join them today and raise valuable donations to help young people by visiting: 

www.princes-trust.org.uk/futuresteps

Councillors to debate new parking controls proposed for Leith, Gorgie and Shandon

The next steps will be taken toward introducing new Controlled Parking Zones (CPZs) to help alleviate parking pressures around Edinburgh, if approved by councillors this week.

On Thursday (28 January), Transport and Environment Committee will consider the results of an informal consultation on proposals for new controls in Leith, Gorgie and Shandon, as well as details on the operation of measures. Designs for parking controls have been amended following consultation and, if approved, we’ll commence the legal processes for introducing them.

This is the first of four phases of implementation of parking controls around the city, developed as part of the Strategic Parking Review, which was originally approved in 2018. The review has taken a holistic approach to parking pressures across Edinburgh, assessing the city on a street by street basis.

This has led to the identification of areas where parking controls may be required to resolve challenges facing residents, in particular from non-residential parking.

The report also updates on timescales for phase two (Roseburn, Corstorphine, Willowbrae and Saughton), phase three (Southside and Fettes) and phase four (Newhaven, Trinity, South Morningside, Portobello, Stenhouse and Saughton), which have been impacted by COVID-19.

Transport Convener Councillor Lesley Macinnes said: “This review responds to the concerns of residents across the city, many of whom have told us that they want to see controls introduced to help limit the impact of non-residential parking.

Thanks to an in-depth, citywide analysis we have been able to identify the areas most in need of restrictions. Of course, the way we travel has changed immeasurably over the last year, but the introduction of new CPZs will be extremely beneficial to managing parking pressures when we eventually return to some sense of normality.

Not only do these controls help residents to park near their homes, but they can encourage those travelling into and around the city to consider alternative, sustainable modes of transport.”

The city council began the Strategic Parking Review in 2018 in response to comments from residents, community councils and ward councillors across the city, which demonstrated increasing support for new parking controls to limit non-residential parking.

An in-depth review split the city into five areas, further subdivided into 124 investigation areas, helping to generate heat maps for each location showing relative parking pressures by street. As a result, a series of new parking controls were approved in 2019, to be implemented in four phases.

On Thursday, committee members will also be asked to agree proposals to commence the legal process for introducing limited parking controls in Sighthill Industrial Estate to help manage parking demand there, as well as restrictions on the availability of permits for new or redeveloped properties.

The report details an approach to consultation for future phases in light of COVID restrictions, with virtual drop-in sessions, detailed plans online and opportunities to feed back on proposals via websites, interactive plans and questionnaires.

Consultation on phase two of the Strategic Parking Review is expected to begin in February.

Read the full report, Strategic Review of Parking – Results of Phase 1 Consultation and General Update, on the Council website.

You can watch Transport and Environment Committee live via webcast from 10am on Thursday (28 January 2021).

Arthur mural lights up Leith

People experiencing and at risk of homelessness battle extremely difficult circumstances every day and never more so than during this Covid-19 pandemic.

Research shows that if you’re rough sleeping in Scotland, your life expectancy is 47 years for a man and if you’re a woman, this decreases to 43 years.

The family of Arthur Williams are therefore well aware of how much of a miracle it is that, despite living on the streets of Leith for almost 30 years, he somehow managed to defy these odds.

Next month he will be 83 and he is currently living out his days with dignity and respect and being lovingly looked after in a care home.  However, it took years of support and interventions to eventually get him to this point.

It also took years of tolerance, kindness and generosity from countless local businesses and good hearted Leith locals to keep him safe and alive for all those years sleeping rough.

It is for this reason that the family of Arthur Williams, on his behalf, want to give something back to the community of Leith, to say thank you for the years of support from the everyday people and good Samaritans who showed him enormous kindness.

It is hoped that this mural by the incredibly talented local artist Shona Hardie (shonahardie.com) will honour his legacy and bring some much needed cheer, in these dark days, to the people of Leith and to all who see it. 

We are delighted and extremely honoured that Shona Hardie was willing to be involved and are touched at how committed she was to making this happen.

In addition we are grateful to Vue Art (vueart.co.uk) who collaborated with Shona Hardie to incorporate the homeless/mental health signposting artwork on the utility box situated below the mural. 

We also want to thank Casa Amiga (casaamiga.co.uk) for granting permission to site the mural on the side of their premises on the most aptly named street – ‘Arthur Street’.

Throughout his life on the streets, Arthur Williams was known to Social Services, NHS Lothian and Police Scotland and was supported by them and the local homeless charity Streetwork (streetwork.org.uk) which is part of Simon Community Scotland (simonscotland.org).

It is hoped that this mural will serve as a reminder of the plight of people experiencing and at risk of homelessness and that the homeless/mental health signposting may be of use to anyone out there who needs it.

If you wish to make a donation to Streetwork, no matter how large or small, it will help make a difference through the work they deliver:

  • £1 pays for a warm drink a in safe place off the street
  • £5 pays for someone to have a hot shower and access to laundry.
  • £10 helps someone to become more employable – to find a route off the street.
  • £30 pays for a sleeping bag when all options for the night are exhausted.
  • £50 per month helps our outreach team reach and speak to vulnerable people on the street.
  • £150 provides ongoing support to someone in a situation of crisis, including access to health services.

We know that people can and do recover from homelessness. Individual support, linking people into the services they need and, above all, human kindness make a huge difference. Every day we are astounded by the resilience and tenacity of people to survive and find their way to a more positive future.  Arthur Williams is a perfect example of this and embodies the motto of Leith – “Persevere”.

Jan Williamson, Assistant Director for Streetwork said, “We are so grateful to Arthur and his family for arranging this mural for the community of Leith, and for raising awareness of homelessness and mental health. 

“The team at Streetwork were honoured to know Arthur and to have been part of his remarkable story, he is a real gentleman and a true Leith legend and this mural is a fitting tribute to him.”

Ben Macpherson MSP for Edinburgh Northern and Leith said: “This stunning mural is a really uplifting tribute to Arthur, who I know is doing well in his new home. The widespread positive response that the painting’s received already is testament to how much Arthur is loved by the community in Leith and beyond.

“It’s also testament to Shona Hardie’s magnificent artwork. What’s more, the generous donations that are being made to the family’s fundraising campaign, for Streetwork, emphasise that people want to help those in need where they can, like local people in Leith supported Arthur over the years, and our shared commitment and determination to tackle and prevent homelessness.”

The fundraising page for Streetwork is: https://justgiving.com/campaign/StreetworkArthur.

Police seek witnesses to Leith road incident

Police are appealing for information after a car was found crashed in Burns Street, Leith, at around 9.25am on Friday (9 October) with the keys in the ignition and the engine still running.

The silver Vauxhall Astra had been seen earlier, around 9am, by officers on patrol in Easter Road. When they asked the driver to stop after noticing a defect on the vehicle, it did not and they followed it along Restalrig Road towards the junction with East Hermitage Place where it accelerated away.

Around 9.25am, the same officers came across the same Vauxhall Astra which had collided with the drainpipe of a building in Burns Street. They searched the area but there was no trace of the driver.

Sergeant Jill Kirkpatrick, of the Road Policing Unit based in Edinburgh, said: “We are appealing for anyone walking or driving in the Leith area at the time who may have seen this car being driven, possibly at speed, to get in touch.

“The car may have been driven along a number of streets between Easter Road and Burns Street. These include Brunswick Road, Leith Links, Albion Road, Albion Place, Hawkhill Avenue, Lochend Road, Sleigh Drive, Lochend Drive and Restalrig Road.

“In particular, anyone with dash-cam footage that may show the car is asked to contact us. If you can help please call Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident number 0724 of 9 October, 2020, or make a call anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”

Let’s Grow a Garden Here to launch on Leith Walk


Edinburgh based Community interest Company Edible Estates is launching a new community growing project in Leith and is inviting everyone to join in to grow food and community in Leith. 

Edible Estates is building on it’s ‘Leith & Lochend Home Grown’ initiative over the past 6 months to launch a new community growing and green space project in Leith.

In partnership with the Leith Walk Police Box, Out of the Blue, Foundation Scotland, Port of Leith Housing Association and Action Earth the ‘Lets Grow a Garden Here’ initiative aims to encourage community growing projects led by local people this autumn and winter.

The project has also been supported by Ocean Outdoor (advertising) to promote the project on the big screen on Leith Walk and expect that to encourage local people to want to get involved. The advertisement is live until 11th October.

Patrick Dunne, who is co-ordinating the Lets Grow a Garden Here project, wants to see as many people as possible sign up, join in and develop a new grassroots, local, urban food growing initiative including everything from edible streets and doorstep planters to skill sharing and community meals over the next year. 

Patrick explained: “We are really excited to have a chance to develop an emergency Covid response into a new and exciting opportunity for community growing in Leith.

“We hope to be a part of the local food networks and community activity in the winter. Leith has so many great ideas and resourceful and creative people and is full of interesting projects. We are really proud to be a part of it ”

If you are keen to grow your community, learn new skills, improve your local environment and have fun, contact patrick@edibleestates.co.uk to get involved.