Just a reminder that the changes to household bin collections come into force from today.
Your green household bin, brown garden waste bin and grey food bin collections will now be on the same day of the week – you will have been notified of what day that is in a new calendar provided by the council.
Grey food bins will still be collected every week, but your green and brown bins will now be collected once a fortnight – the green bin one week and the brown bin the following week.
The red and blue recycling box schedules are not changing – you will continue to receive a separate calendar as usual.
If you use a communal bin, it will be collected as normal.
Some statistical information for all you cyber-geeks out there – the NEN blog will pass three important (for us, anyway!) milestones over the next day or so.
We’re getting very very close to 750 posts, 50,000 all-time views and 250 comments! We think that’s not too bad for a wee community newspaper and it’s nice to be able to shout about it!
The blog was born on 19 January 2011, with a post to introduce the NEN and to welcome readers. There was an understandable silence shortly after that as the NEN’s funding was discontinued, but now – slowly but surely – the figures are creeping up.
Our thanks to you for your contributions and your comments, to our old friends for sticking with us and our new followers who are now beginning to share their stories. Our thanks to you all for helping to keep the blog fresh, interesting, topical and, hopefully, fun to read.
And thanks to our readers, wherever you come from – but a special mention to our loyal friend in Moldova!
The Peking University Chinese Music Institute Chinese Orchestra is visiting Scotland this month, under the auspices of the Confucius Institute for Scotland. As well as educational events, the orchestra will be giving two FREE public concerts tonight and tomorrow.
Monday 10 September – Chamber Concert at Reid Hall 8pm
The first formal concert takes place on tonight in the Reid Concert Hall, Bristo Place. This will be a concert of traditional Chinese chamber music performed by musicians from the Chinese Music Institute within Peking University in association with the Reid School of Music, University of Edinburgh.
Tuesday 11 September – Orchestral Concert in Canongate Kirk 7pm
Taking place in the Canongate Kirk, this concert ‘The Sound of China’ will see the 60 strong Chinese Orchestra joined by a children’s choir, pipers and traditional musicians from North and East Ayrshire and North Lanarkshire schools.
Stepping Stones (North Edinburgh) will be holding their AGM on Thursday 20 September at 12.30pm in Royston Wardieburn Community Centre, Pilton Drive North. All welcome.
Stepping Stones is one of North Edinburgh’s longest established and most succesful community-led organisations, and has worked with young parents (up to 25) and pregnant teenagers from across the Greater Pilton Area of Edinburgh since 1986.
Stepping Stones provides structured but flexible support to young parent families and pregnant teenagers, providing centres where parents can relax, enjoy themselves and their children. The varied group work programmes include leisure recreational and educational activities and is designed to offer a wide range of learning opportunities to the family.
Individual support is also available to complement the group work sessions. Individual support includes counselling, help with parenting, play therapy, relationship advice, career and training advice, housing and debt management, etc. A designated worker provides individual and group support to very young pregnant teenagers.
For further information about Stepping Stones (North Edinburgh) telephone 551 1632, email ststnorthed@hotmail.com or visit their website at www.steppingstonesnorthedinburgh.co.uk Then again, you could find out all the latest Stepping Stones news by attending the AGM!
Initiatives to make Edinburgh a better city for ‘active travel’ will be considered by councillors this week, with cycling set to recieve a considerable chunk of the council’s transport budget. Inspired by Olympic success, there’s been a sharp rise in bike ownership over the last month so the measures are likely to prove popular with the Edinburgh public.
An extra dedicated cycling officer will also be appointed to take forward the design and construction of schemes that are already in the pipeline.
A further £460,000 will be spent on routine maintenance of cycle routes and on marketing and promotion. This year the Council has also attracted £425,000 of matching funding for cycle projects from the Scottish Government via Sustrans.
Councillor Jim Orr, vice-convener of the Transport committee, said: “This programme is evidence of the capital coalition’s commitment to making it easier, safer and more attractive for people to cycle and walk in Edinburgh. It represents a record investment by the Council with 5% of our total transport budget going on cycling, and we believe this is more than any other Scottish authority in both total and per head spend. Encouraging active travel makes sense for environmental, health and traffic reasons, but Edinburgh is also a fantastic city to explore on foot or two wheels. Our investment will make the most of that.”
There will be further spending on promoting walking, with a new post focussed on improving design for pedestrians and upgrading popular routes.
The measures form part of the Council’s Active Travel action plan, which was drawn up in 2010 with NHS Lothian, walking charity Living Streets, Sustrans and the city’s leading cycling group Spokes, among others. The Council’s progress will be measured under Scottish and European schemes to promote cycling, as well as annual reports to the Transport committee.
Edinburgh’s own Sir Chris Hoy’s herculean Olympic exploits have doubtless encouraged many more citizens to get on their bikes. Yesterday council leader Andrew Burns was joined by Inverleith councillor Nigel Bagshaw and Forth’s Cammy Day among others on the freshnlo Pedal for Scotland Glasgow to Edinburgh charity cycle – his tenth in a row! It seems the capital’s gone cycle crazy!
8500 cyclists registered for yesterday’s Pedal for Scotland event which was started by cycling star Mark beaumont and Scottish Transport minister Keith Brown
Your library’s opening hours are changing! From 1 October 22 city council libraries will open 10am – 5pm on Saturdays, with major changes to Thursday opening citywide. Local library opening times will be:
Do you know an inspiring First Aid champion who deserves the recognition of a Scottish First Aid Award? They could be a First Aid volunteer, a child, or an adult who has displayed remarkable courage. Or perhaps you know a quick thinking neighbour or colleague who has saved someone’s life with their First Aid skills? We want to hear about them!
St Andrew’s First Aid is calling for nominations for the inaugural Scottish First Aid Awards. Nominations are open until Friday 28 September 2012 and a panel of judges will announce the shortlist in October 2012. Successful entries will be invited to a prestigious black tie awards event to be held on Thursday 29 November 2012, at the City Chambers, Glasgow.
“The Scottish First Aid Awards have been created to champion First Aid in Scotland and recognise those individuals and businesses that are leading the way in its provision,” said Stuart Callison, CEO at St Andrew’s First Aid. “We would like to encourage everyone to get involved. The awards are open to all, regardless of whether you have received First Aid training with St Andrew’s First Aid or another provider and we are welcoming nominations from individuals, businesses, public sector organisations, shops, schools and many more.”
Entry to any of the awards categories is free and nominations can be made online at www.firstaid.org.uk/awards.
CATEGORY 1: The Workplace First Aid Award Do you know someone in your workplace that deserves recognition for their First Aid Skills? This category has been created to recognise such individuals or organisations that are championing First Aid training to their staff, the public and their customers.
Public/Not for Profit Sector Award
Private Sector Award
CATEGORY 2: First Aid Volunteer Awards Volunteers are the lifeblood of a non-profit organisation. The Volunteer Awards category has been created to celebrate courageous volunteers who have demonstrated an excellent use of their First Aid skills in Scotland.
Young First Aid Volunteer of the Year (up to 15 years of age)
Youth First Aid Volunteer of the Year (16-24 years)
First Aid Volunteer of the Year (25 years and over)
CATEGORY 3: The Herald Community First Aid Award This category has been created to recognise courageous individuals, valiant First Aid advocates and those who have excelled in using their First Aid skills in the Community. We are seeking nominations from anyone, anywhere in recognition of a particularly inspirational First Aid achievement.
Young First Aid Champion (up to and including 15 years of age)
Community First Aid Champion (16 years and over)
For further information please contact Helen Forrest or Stephanie Stewart on 0141 332 4031
Do you know an inspiring First Aid champion who deserves the recognition of a Scottish First Aid Award? They could be a First Aid volunteer, a child, or an adult who has displayed remarkable courage. Or perhaps you know a quick thinking neighbour or colleague who has saved someone’s life with their First Aid skills? We want to hear about them!
St Andrew’s First Aid is calling for nominations for the inaugural Scottish First Aid Awards. Nominations are open until Friday 28 September 2012 and a panel of judges will announce the shortlist in October 2012. Successful entries will be invited to a prestigious black tie awards event to be held on Thursday 29 November 2012, at the City Chambers, Glasgow.
“The Scottish First Aid Awards have been created to champion First Aid in Scotland and recognise those individuals and businesses that are leading the way in its provision,” said Stuart Callison, CEO at St Andrew’s First Aid. “We would like to encourage everyone to get involved. The awards are open to all, regardless of whether you have received First Aid training with St Andrew’s First Aid or another provider and we are welcoming nominations from individuals, businesses, public sector organisations, shops, schools and many more.”
Entry to any of the awards categories is free and nominations can be made online at www.firstaid.org.uk/awards.
CATEGORY 1: The Workplace First Aid Award Do you know someone in your workplace that deserves recognition for their First Aid Skills? This category has been created to recognise such individuals or organisations that are championing First Aid training to their staff, the public and their customers.
Public/Not for Profit Sector Award
Private Sector Award
CATEGORY 2: First Aid Volunteer Awards Volunteers are the lifeblood of a non-profit organisation. The Volunteer Awards category has been created to celebrate courageous volunteers who have demonstrated an excellent use of their First Aid skills in Scotland.
Young First Aid Volunteer of the Year (up to 15 years of age)
Youth First Aid Volunteer of the Year (16-24 years)
First Aid Volunteer of the Year (25 years and over)
CATEGORY 3: The Herald Community First Aid Award This category has been created to recognise courageous individuals, valiant First Aid advocates and those who have excelled in using their First Aid skills in the Community. We are seeking nominations from anyone, anywhere in recognition of a particularly inspirational First Aid achievement.
Young First Aid Champion (up to and including 15 years of age)
Community First Aid Champion (16 years and over)
For further information please contact Helen Forrest or Stephanie Stewart on 0141 332 4031
