Day: April 26, 2012

A warm welcome to Living Well's Shazia

Living Well’s Chair, Jackie Brash, says “We are delighted to announce that Shazia Majid has joined as our new Mental Health Support Worker. Some people may remember her from when she worked before at PROP & Pilton Community Health Project, as a Volunteer Coordinator, leaving in January 2010 when the funding for the volunteering work came to an end.   Shazia is based at our Pilton Centre at 5 West Pilton Park. We know she’ll make a great contribution here and I and all the Members are so pleased that Shazia is back on our team!”

Shazia says: “I am looking forward very much to working with the Living Well Team and having worked in Pilton before, I know just how important the Centre is to its members and how hard staff and volunteers work in providing an excellent service”.

Shazia is particularly looking forward to celebrating the Centre’s work at the Mental Health Arts Festival which will take place later on in the year.

Our services are for people 18+ who have mental health concerns and live in North Edinburgh.  Activities we offer include Relaxation, Support Groups, Tai Chi, Crafts, Pottery and Drop-In sessions.

If you’d like a copy of our programme or some more information about our services, give us a ring on 0131 343 6375 or email us at: livingwellnorthedinburgh.org.uk

Living Well North Edinburgh

5 West Pilton Park

Edinburgh EH4 4EL

Opening hours: Monday-Thursday 9am to 4pm

A warm welcome to Living Well’s Shazia

Living Well’s Chair, Jackie Brash, says “We are delighted to announce that Shazia Majid has joined as our new Mental Health Support Worker. Some people may remember her from when she worked before at PROP & Pilton Community Health Project, as a Volunteer Coordinator, leaving in January 2010 when the funding for the volunteering work came to an end.   Shazia is based at our Pilton Centre at 5 West Pilton Park. We know she’ll make a great contribution here and I and all the Members are so pleased that Shazia is back on our team!”

Shazia says: “I am looking forward very much to working with the Living Well Team and having worked in Pilton before, I know just how important the Centre is to its members and how hard staff and volunteers work in providing an excellent service”.

Shazia is particularly looking forward to celebrating the Centre’s work at the Mental Health Arts Festival which will take place later on in the year.

Our services are for people 18+ who have mental health concerns and live in North Edinburgh.  Activities we offer include Relaxation, Support Groups, Tai Chi, Crafts, Pottery and Drop-In sessions.

If you’d like a copy of our programme or some more information about our services, give us a ring on 0131 343 6375 or email us at: livingwellnorthedinburgh.org.uk

Living Well North Edinburgh

5 West Pilton Park

Edinburgh EH4 4EL

Opening hours: Monday-Thursday 9am to 4pm

Ian Moore is Drylaw's citizen of the year

Ian Moore was presented with Drylaw Telford Community Council’s Thomas Tierney Award for Good Citizenship at a reception in Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre last night. Ian – who came to the area in 1942 and has lived in Drylaw since 1953 – was joined by his wife Muriel, Mrs Cath Tierney and her son Thomas, local councillors, community councillors and members of North Edinburgh Social History group to celebrate the occasion.

Presenting the award, Councillor Lesley Hinds said: “I’ve known Ian since we moved to Drylaw and he’s helpful, always has a smile on his face and is always willing to work with others. He’s a great character, and I think Ian receives the Award for 2011 for his contribution to the North Edinburgh Social History Group’s ‘Never Give Up’ project in particular. It’s a tremendous piece of work and it shows us that history is not just about kings and queens – it’s about ordinary working people too. Ian and the group have made sure that Drylaw and Greater Pilton’s history has been well recorded”.

Ian told the meeting that he first became interested in history from a very early age. “I was born in Tanner’s Close in West Port, where Burke and Hare lived – but not at the same time we lived there, of course! It still had an air of history about it and maybe that’s where my interest in the subject comes from.”

He went on: “I’ve been interested in history – particularly social history – ever since; unfairness and deprivation has always been a theme running through it. There is progress in society but it’s still not fairly balanced, yet. The rich still get richer and the poor get poorer, but I think change is coming. I believe if we all work together, talk to and with each other, and our politicians – then our community centres and communities like ours could develop into launch pads for broader and wider community action”.

North Edinburgh Social History Group member Brian Robertson said: “Ian’s local knowledge is absolutely incredible and he brought a lot of laughs to the group too, he was great to work with. Ian’s a great bloke and we’re delighted he’s received this award”.

Jackie Brown, Drylaw Telford Community Council treasurer, who has also known Ian for many years, agrees. “Ian is one of the friendliest, kindest and most helpful people you could meet. I think the community council definitely made the right choice”.

Ian Moore is Drylaw’s citizen of the year

Ian Moore was presented with Drylaw Telford Community Council’s Thomas Tierney Award for Good Citizenship at a reception in Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre last night. Ian – who came to the area in 1942 and has lived in Drylaw since 1953 – was joined by his wife Muriel, Mrs Cath Tierney and her son Thomas, local councillors, community councillors and members of North Edinburgh Social History group to celebrate the occasion.

Presenting the award, Councillor Lesley Hinds said: “I’ve known Ian since we moved to Drylaw and he’s helpful, always has a smile on his face and is always willing to work with others. He’s a great character, and I think Ian receives the Award for 2011 for his contribution to the North Edinburgh Social History Group’s ‘Never Give Up’ project in particular. It’s a tremendous piece of work and it shows us that history is not just about kings and queens – it’s about ordinary working people too. Ian and the group have made sure that Drylaw and Greater Pilton’s history has been well recorded”.

Ian told the meeting that he first became interested in history from a very early age. “I was born in Tanner’s Close in West Port, where Burke and Hare lived – but not at the same time we lived there, of course! It still had an air of history about it and maybe that’s where my interest in the subject comes from.”

He went on: “I’ve been interested in history – particularly social history – ever since; unfairness and deprivation has always been a theme running through it. There is progress in society but it’s still not fairly balanced, yet. The rich still get richer and the poor get poorer, but I think change is coming. I believe if we all work together, talk to and with each other, and our politicians – then our community centres and communities like ours could develop into launch pads for broader and wider community action”.

North Edinburgh Social History Group member Brian Robertson said: “Ian’s local knowledge is absolutely incredible and he brought a lot of laughs to the group too, he was great to work with. Ian’s a great bloke and we’re delighted he’s received this award”.

Jackie Brown, Drylaw Telford Community Council treasurer, who has also known Ian for many years, agrees. “Ian is one of the friendliest, kindest and most helpful people you could meet. I think the community council definitely made the right choice”.

Community Employability to close

The Community Employability office in Ferry Road Drive will close it’s doors for the last time tomorrow. The local employment and training organisation lost out as the city council restructured employability service delivery across the city. It’s understood that some staff have applied for positions with succesful bidder Community Renewal and may be interviewed early next month.

Community Employability came into being when national organisation Working Links decided to pull out of the North Edinburgh in July 2010. A partnership between Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce and North Edinburgh Trust saw the local employability service saved then, but there will be no reprieve this time round and the office closes tomorrow.

Community Employability’s current clients – around 300 people – have now been referred on to Pennywell Shopping Centre-based Community Renewal, which was part of the four-agency consortium that won the employability contract.

Lead organisation Stevenson College, Community Renewal, FourSquare and Volunteer Centre Edinburgh will now deliver Edinburgh’s integrated employability service for the next two years. It’s thought that the contract will save Edinburgh taxpayers at least £150,000.

No word yet of what will happen to Community Employability’s office on Ferry Road Drive – landlords Pilton Central Association are considering a number of options, including looking at the feasibity of using the premise as a resource for community organisations.

Bye, bye Bert!

Community Employability staff (see article above) will be interviewed for positions with the successful consortium early next month, but there will be no place for Bert Craig, for so long a familiar face through Working Links’ ‘Where’s Bert?’ feature in the NEN. Bert, who is now 67, finished up with Community Employability last week after ten years working in North Edinburgh.

“It’s very sad”, he said. “I think we did a pretty good job here over the years and we were never driven by targets or figures but concentrated instead on doing the very best we could to support people, helping them to make the right choices about what options were best for them and then supporting them all the way through. Some clients need a lot more support than others but that’s the nature of the job – every person who walks through our door is different, has different needs. For some, it’s maybe just a wee confidence boost that’s required or help with job applications or filling in forms, but there’s a huge sense of job satisfaction when a client you have been working intensively with finally lands that dream job which had seemed impossible just a few months before. Those are the ones you remember most”.

Bert hopes to find work and doesn’t plan to settle into retirement just yet. “I still feel I’ve got something to offer, and I hope my working experience and contacts here in North Edinburgh could be put to good use by a local organisation. We all know how difficult it is to find work just now, though – times are hard, and the telephone hasn’t rung so far. I’m here if anyone needs me, though – I love working in this area, feel part of the community and I feel I’ve got more to contribute. I’m just not ready to walk away yet”.

All the best, Bert – and who knows, maybe that telephone call may yet come?

NEYPF event report

Danielle Ward reports on North Edinburgh Young People’s Forum’s (NEYPFs) latest event:

The forum event got into full swing with lots of food and juice for everyone so that everyone could mingle, then we moved onto our presentation which everyone took part in which explained how we done our ‘Barrie, Radge ‘n’ Mingin’ project. Then we moved onto the more exciting part of the evening which was our vote… which involved each young person having two tables of their two project ideas and everyone that attended got two votes. The young people put so much effort into their proposed project stalls it was really great to see young people being so ambitious and involved in an issue that affects them. At the end of the evening we counted up the votes which decided on our next project which came out on top as privatisation/community cuts. There was also a memo table at the event for everyone to leave comments and a young person primary school age has asked for a younger forum so the forum are also going to be focusing on doing some research into a younger forum for primary aged children. So watch this space…

And a big thank you for everyone who took their time to attend the event; we appreciate the support.

 

Danielle Ward, North Edinburgh Young People’s Forum

 

Letter – Changing Society

Dear Editor

A look at our history shows how society has changed; for example from serfdom, to feudal, to what we have now, capitalism. There is no reason to suppose that capitalism, in turn, will not be superceded by the most likely system of socialism.

When challenged, those in control of each system struggled very hard to maintain that control. The capitalist leaders are no different: they have powerful means to retain that control, but are savvy enough to allow general improvements to take place depending on the amount of pressure put on them.

Rapid industrial development throughout the 19th century, followed by the technical developments of the 20th century and the digital developments of the 21st century, have brought problems of trying to manage the vast volume of goods produced – they cannot do so, The only solution they see is to close down places of work, and this, as we know, creates massive poverty and misery. Other capitalist countries act likewise.

As in previous centuries those who own or control the means of production and the land are resisting social changes in society; in fact they are trying very hard to undo much of the collective social progress that has been achieved.

The new social system will not automatically come into existence: it has to be shown to be wanted by the majority, and to work on behalf of the majority.

A. Delahoy

Silverknowes Gardens

Police seek help to find Craigleith woman's family

 

Lothian and Borders Police are appealing for help in tracing the relatives of a woman who was found dead in her Edinburgh home on Tuesday (April 24).

Eighty-one-year-old Margaret Holme died in her flat in Fettes Court, Craigleith Road, sometime between Monday (April 23) and Tuesday afternoon. There are no suspicious circumstances, and a report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.

A police spokeswoman said: “We are appealing for anyone who may know of Margaret Holme, or have information regarding her family, to contact us on 0131 311 3131.”

Anyone with information should contact Lothian and Borders Police on 0131 311 3131, or the charity Crimestoppers in confidence and complete anonymity on 0800 555 111.

Police seek help to find Craigleith woman’s family

 

Lothian and Borders Police are appealing for help in tracing the relatives of a woman who was found dead in her Edinburgh home on Tuesday (April 24).

Eighty-one-year-old Margaret Holme died in her flat in Fettes Court, Craigleith Road, sometime between Monday (April 23) and Tuesday afternoon. There are no suspicious circumstances, and a report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.

A police spokeswoman said: “We are appealing for anyone who may know of Margaret Holme, or have information regarding her family, to contact us on 0131 311 3131.”

Anyone with information should contact Lothian and Borders Police on 0131 311 3131, or the charity Crimestoppers in confidence and complete anonymity on 0800 555 111.