A twenty year old man has been arrested and charged in connection with the incident in Bangholm last Friday evening, and will appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court tomorrow.
Month: August 2012
Happy anniversary, State Street
It’s forty years since State Street moved to the UK, and the corporation’s 750 Edinburgh staff will celebrate at Crewe Toll today with a giant barbecue attended by Olympic silver medallist Roger Black.
Sate Street purchased Deutsche Bank’s securities division and moved into the 146,000 sq. ft. Crewe Toll complex in 2003, and since then the banking giant has played a significant role in supporting local community initiatives, both through staff volunteering and through the organisation’s Foundation Community Support programme.
Among the many local organisations with particular reason to wish their Crewe Toll neighbours a happy birthday are Stepping Stones, North Edinburgh Childcare, Oaklands School, PROP Stress Centre, Drylaw Rainbow Club and Craigroyston Community High School – and there are more.
Speaking ahead of today’s celebrations (fingers crossed for a little sunshine!) State Street’s senior vice-president Jeanette Patrizio said: “This is a time to feel a little more optimistic, and to share that with people. It is up to us as business leaders to remind people that it is not all doom and gloom.”
Forth Neighbourhood Partnership meets on Tuesday
Forth Neighbourhood Partnership’s next public meeting will be held on Tuesday 21 August from 7 – 9pm in Craigroyston Community High School, Pennywell Road.
The Total Craigroyston initiative will be the main agenda item.
For further information visit the website www.edinburghnp.org.uk/neighbourhood-partnerships/forth or telephone 529 5082. All welcome.
NHS Lothian powers up campaign to save energy
NHS Lothian has launched an innovative campaign to encourage staff to save on the energy they use at work. The Power Pack campaign centres on a group of digital characters each promoting a key message to save energy, print less, recycle more and switch-off.
A recent survey showed that 91 per cent of NHS Lothian staff felt they could do more to conserve energy whilst at work. The survey also generated a number of positive suggestions which have been used to help shape the campaign, ranging from double-sided printing and recycling initiatives to rechargeable batteries and car sharing schemes.
Charlie Halpin, Energy and Environment Manager, NHS Lothian, said: “By taking these steps, staff will help NHS Lothian maintain the Carbon Trust Standard and sustaining a reduction in our carbon emissions by four per cent per year over the next five years. Simple tasks like turning off computer monitors overnight or only printing essential documents can make a huge difference. Working together will help us significantly reduce the amount of energy we use and make essential savings for the organisation.”
NHS Lothian spends around £14 million on energy bills and produces 90,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide every year. That works out at £500 and three tonnes of C02 per member of staff.
Kirsten Smith, Senior Charge Nurse, Ward 72, Royal Victoria Building, said: “I’ll definitely be joining the Power Pack. It’s great that staff have the chance to contribute to this campaign and I’ll be putting my thinking cap on to come up with some energy saving ideas of my own.”
Stuart Wilson, Director of Communications and Public Affairs, NHS Lothian, said: “This is an engaging campaign which we hope will grab the attention of the 24,000 employees who work for NHS Lothian. We are keen for all staff to join the Power Pack giving us their own energy saving advice and ideas. Our staff are key to making this campaign a success and continuing our good work in reducing the energy we use at work.”
Dr Charles Winstanley, Chair, NHS Lothian, said: “We are committed to continuing to drive home the message of energy efficiency and hopefully the Power Pack will help to make the difference. We have already reduced our energy emissions from fossil fuels by 5.3% over the past two years and this led to being awarded the Carbon Trust Standard.”
The Western’s recently-opened Royal Victoria Building has achieved a BREEAM Excellent rating. The project incorporates a number of initiatives developed to provide an environmentally friendly building: use of photo-voltaic panels, ground source heat pump, low flush WCs, low energy lifts, occupancy and light sensors. The building also achieved a ‘Considerate Contractor’ award – incorporating high level of construction site waste management, and water services are designed to minimise water-borne disease.
Teenager stabbed in Trinity
A teenager was stabbed as thieves robbed two friends in Trinity last night.
The 16-year-old victims were walking under East Trinity Road, near Bangholm Recreation Grounds at around 9pm when they approached by two men. One of the thieves, described as 18 to 19 years old with a local accent, was carrying a knife and demanded the girl and boy hand over their belongings.
One of the vivtims was stabbed as the thieves made off with a phone and a handbag containing an iPod, purse and other personal belongings.
Lothian and Borders Police are appealing for witnesses to come forward.
Both of the suspects are described as white males, aged between 18 and 19 years old and had Edinburgh accents. One is thought to be about 5’9″ tall and of a slim build with short dark hair. He was wearing a dark or black-coloured hooded top. The other suspect thouoght to be 5’8″ tall, with short blond or fair hair. He was wearing a light-coloured hooded top.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact Lothian and Borders Police on 0131 311 3131 or call Crimestoppers in confidence on 0800 555 111.
Total Craigroyston – update
Manager Christine Mackay gives an update on the Total Craigroyston initiative:
I hope you have all had a good summer in spite of the dreary weather.
Many thanks to all of you who contributed to our consultation events. In total, 215 local residents and front line staff, from 37 different teams and organisations were involved in nine events.
We had expected to be ready to share the outcome with you earlier in August but in the end, processing all the information we received took longer than we thought. However, we now have a draft ‘Road Map’, which will set the direction for the Total Craigroyston Initiative. The information and insights that we gathered have been grouped into themes and we have identified a range of short and long term actions that we would like to achieve over the life of the initiative.
What is obvious is that there is a real strength within the community and a desire to build on the good work that is already going on. Of course, some challenges were identified and we hope that we can make progress on these in order to achieve the kinds of changes that people would like to see.
We have organised a range of meetings to present the findings of the research back to people who were involved and other stakeholders.
The meetings will take place on the following dates:
Tuesday 4 September at 2pm in West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre
Wednesday 5 September at 7pm in Craigroyston Community High School
Thursday 6 September at 10am in North Edinburgh Arts Centre.
Everyone is welcome but please book a place by contacting Julie Innes by telephone on 469 3162 or by email on julie.innes@edinburgh.gov.uk. Childcare can be arranged for those who need it. Please let Julie know when you book a place.
The draft Road Map will be available on Monday 20 August from the Total Craigroyston Blog at totalcraigroyston.wordpress.com and if you have any comments or observations please let us know.
As well as the meetings above, there will be a short presentation to the Forth Neighbourhood Partnership on Tuesday 21 Aug at 7pm, which is open to everyone.
Letter – Stairwell fire
Dear Editor
You might be aware of the fire that took place on Tuesday (14 August) in the back stairwell of the middle block of houses in Royston; a stairwell I may add that is populated by families with small children – we can all just be grateful that it happened during the day and was spotted and contained.
Although I am not aware of how the fire started it would have required materials for it to get going.
Last year I complained to the Edinburgh North office of how a culture of tipping and the accumulation of materials was taking over the back gardens of Royston and it would not be a leap to surmise that the stairwells might be affected by this culture of people getting rid of an excess of materials from their houses into the bottom of stairwells.
Given the demographic of people in the Royston area there will be people who can not afford for items to be uplifted by the council or hire vans to take them away or have no cultural awareness of the etiquette of living in a communal stair in a city.
It would be interesting for someone in the council to do the arithmetic on how much it takes to do a free uplift compared to how much it is going to cost to fix a back stairwell that has been fire damaged? Or how much it takes to fix the problem of a culture of fly tipping taking over?
Maybe some sort of inspection of the state of the stairwells is required throughout that area to asses the potential to prevent any future incidents like this happening again.
I make this suggestion as it would appear by the nature of the questions asked by the police officer who knocked on my door and the neighbours’ doors that the police are looking for someone who was seen running from the scene at the back of the gardens shortly after the fire was started.
Secondly there is now a culture of people smoking at their back stairwell doors in the last few years and if they are not extinguishing cigarettes properly there is the potential for more fires as well if people are storing or tipping materials.
Padraig O’Neill
Pilton Drive North
Royston Wardieburn women go global!
WIG (Women’s International Group) is a new group for local women interested in issues affecting women. The group was established in March this year after a successful event organised by local women to celebrate International Womens’ Day.
Since then the group has organised a number of local events including a hustings before the Council elections in May, a public meeting on housing issues and a film show. The group meets every second Thursday from 1.30 – 3pm in Royston Wardieburn Community Centre on Pilton Drive North.
First meeting this term will be on Thursday 6 September – new members welcome. For more information, contact CLD worker Lynn McCabe on 552 5700 or email Lynn at lynn.mccabe@ea.edin.sch.uk.
Criminal profits from communities – no more!
Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill joined the Proclaimers and young musicians who are developing their career skills thanks to cash seized from crime.
North Edinburgh Arts Centre is one of eighteen studios from across Scotland to have received investment to allow 12 to 25 year-old musicians to record their first demo tracks and allow them access to professional standard recording and rehearsal facilities.
It’s part of Creative Scotland’s Cashback for Creativity project which uses crooks’ cash to benefit young people of Scotland through a series of cultural diversionary activities. Over three years £2.25 million is being invested into dance, film and music programmes.
During 2012 in the Year of Creative Scotland, the CashBack for Creativity programme will create opportunities for over 8,000 budding young film-makers, dancers and musicians to develop their skills.
The CashBack for Communities Programme takes funds recovered from the proceeds of crime and invests them in back into communities, putting young people on a positive path in life by providing opportunities for them to take part in thousands of free activities and projects – over £46 million has been reinvested to benefit over 600,000 young people since CashBack began.
Mr MacAskill (pictured above) said: “CashBack gives young people the chance to get creative and broaden their horizons. I was delighted to meet Jack Hincks and his Band from Biggar who have been given the chance to record professional music at CP Productions in Edinburgh and develop their personal, social and career skills. And who better than the Proclaimers – one of the most successful and popular Scottish bands of all time – to be on hand to share their skills and some of the secrets of their success.
“Jack Hincks and his Band are some of scores of young musicians from across Scotland who will benefit from professional standard recording facilities – and some might follow the likes of the Proclaimers in making a successful career in the music industry.
“Providing opportunities for young people to get involved in the arts, theatre and cultural activities can help improve confidence and give them a sense of achievement whilst also demonstrating that there is more to life than petty crime. Investment in our young people and their communities will always be money well spent.”
David McDonald, Youth Arts Manager at Creative Scotland, said: ‘The CashBack for Creativity programme has allowed recording studios across the country to open their doors to over 161 young bands and acts. The experience of recording in a professional recording studio with experienced producers at such an early stage in their development will hopefully inspire them to achieve their potential in their future careers, perhaps even the music industry.
“The CashBack programme has also given thousands of young film makers and dancers the opportunity to shine and express themselves creatively. Taking part in creative activities can make a real difference to the lives of our children and young people, it can help build confidence, enable them to make friends and teach them how to work as part of a group.”
The Proclaimers’ Charlie and Craig Reid (below) added: “We are delighted to continue to support the Scottish Government’s imaginative policy on community based funding for worthwhile projects, using the confiscated funds from criminal activity.”
Welcome to Muirhouse
A young Spanish Telford College student spent eight months taking photographs in Muirhouse while working on a documentary portfolio for his HND in photography. The result was some superb images, excellent exam results – and friendships that could last a lifetime.
Borja Prada Garcia first became interested in Muirhouse when he passed through on the bus on the way to college. “It was an interesting place, photogenic,” he said. “At first sight it seemed like it had been painted on a grey canvas, but later as I visited day after day I found a broader palette of colours behind it’s doors. Muirhouse is actually a colourful place, because of it’s people”.
Borja may have seemed like an unusual figure, a stranger always armed with a camera but as the days and weeks passed he got to know local residents. “Some people were wary and suspicious when I approached them, one or two were threatening, but most people were friendly and helpful. They were inquisitive and interested when I explained what I was trying to do,” he said. “I found that there are lots of misconceptions about Muirhouse; it may seem like a cold place but the people were warm – their smiles can light misty days.”
One family in particular welcomed Borja into their home. “The Sargents were so good to me”, he said. “They were like a family for me here in Muirhouse – they let me share their lives and I visited them every week.”
Over days, weeks and months Borja built up his portfolio, photographing buildings, people and situations on film and then developing prints. It was a long, laborious and expensive process – Borja reckons he shot between forty and fifty rolls of film – but the effort proved worth it: Borja gained 98% for his Graded Unit 2!
Borja self-published ‘Welcome to Muirhouse’, a 60-page book of Muirhouse prints, and now hopes to exhibit his work both at local venues and at galleries further afield. North Edinburgh Arts Centre will perhaps be the first of many when it stages an exhibition of Borja’s work in October.
Borja’s tutor Susan Richards said: “Each year we have three or four projects worth taking further, but every so often a student submits work that is extra special and Borja’s portfolio falls into that category. It is a really impressive body of work and I know how long and how hard Borja worked to achieve it. That dedication and the images he’s produced certainly deserve a wider audience and I’m delighted that more people will be now be able to appreciate it”.
Borja makes a living by working in a restaurant, but the young Spaniard won’t be saying ‘adios’ to Muirhouse any time soon. “The project is ongoing and I intend to shoot in Muirhouse for several years. I thank all the people of Muirhouse who helped me during the project, especially Jim, Jennifer and the Sargents. It is still a very close relationship – they are my friends and we will stay in touch with each other.”
If a picture paints a thousand words: some of Borja’s images of Muirhouse …
