Let's hear it for the girls! Muirhouse Womens Group celebrates success

Let’s hear it for our local ladies who lunch!

Muirhouse Women’s Group haven’t exactly been lacking in causes since they set up almost three years ago. The enthusiastic band first came to the NEN’s attention when they composed and fired off a letter about poverty to the Prime Minister last year, and it seems they’re never stopped since! The group’s come a long way, and their dedication was rewarded recently when they received The Edinburgh Adult Education Award for Outstanding Achievement during Adult Learners Week.

Members of the group picked up their trophy at a celebration event at the City Chambers – and the icing on the cake was to follow  when new Lord Provost Donald Wilson, who had been so impressed by the group’s achievements, invited our local ladies to lunch!

Muirhouse Women’s Group – now North Edinburgh Women’s Group, as women from other parts of the area have joined – have been involved in so many campaigns and activities, both as a group and as individuals, that it’s hard to keep track of them all.

I met up with the women in North Edinburgh Arts Centre last month, and the women enthusiastically (and noisily!) catalogued their achievements:

• Writing to the Prime Minister to highlight the plight of poorer people being exacerbated by welfare reforms
• Researching, compiling and presenting a report on Poverty for last autumn’s Craigroyston Conference
• Actively supporting the North Edinburgh Fights Back campaign, including addressing councillors as part of a delegation
• Working with Muirhouse Library to help resolve local antisocial behaviour issues, then choosing new children’s books (pictured above) and helping to organise a successful Open Day.

There’s probably much, much more – but in my defence it was hard to hear everything that was being thrown at me and I can’t write that fast! The women are justifiably proud of all they’ve achieved, but are keen to continue what they’ve started. Cathy Ahmed said: “This is a really brilliant group to be part of. I can’t really describe how it’s changed things for me – I’ve got an awful lot more confidence and I’ve done things I would never have attempted before, and that’s the same for a lot of the other women as well. We all support each other and have a great laugh when we’re together – we’re different characters and different ages but there are a lot of things we agree on and we have a lot in common too. I couldn’t imagine what it would be like without the group – I think we’ve got lots more to do”.

Community Learning Development workers Sarah Low and Lynn McCabe have supported the group on their remarkable journey – although sometimes it been more like trying to rein them in!

Sarah said: “Members of the group have come so far over the past year, attracting new members, experiencing drama, gaining in confidence and most of all learning new skills – and during all this they’ve also managed to have fun: decorating banners, going on family trips and volunteering at the Muirhouse Play Out Event!  This is an amazing – and well deserved – achievement for the group.”

Willie Black, a member of the North Edinburgh Fights Back campaign, said: ‘Our community has a history of having bred strong women who fight for what they believe in. These women are made in that same mould – they won’t be brushed aside and they smell bullshit at a hundred yards! They’re a credit to North Edinburgh and we need more like them”.

Marco Biagi MSP presented the Adult Achievement Awards at the City Chambers. He said: “This is a great example of non-formal learning in the community and shows the benefits that come from life long learning. Congratulations to all of the groups who are celebrating their success this evening”.

The women received further recognition when a motion by Forth councillor Cammy Day congratulating the group was supported by the full council meeting on 28 June. The motion read: “Council congratulates the work of the North Edinburgh Women’s Group in their award for local community activity – outstanding achievement for adult learning (adult education awards).

Furthermore Council commends the highly successful community conference organised by North Edinburgh Fights Back and the Muirhouse Women’s Group specifically in regards to highlighting poverty, inequality and fuel poverty.

Council welcomes the anti-poverty charter, and agrees to work with these groups in addressing poverty and inequalities.”

For further information about North Edinburgh Womens Group activities call Sarah Low on 552 5700, or email her at sarah.low@edinburgh.gov.uk

Additional pictures by Lynn McCabe