Two thieves stealing cash and food from Muirhouse Millennium Centre have been captured on CCTV, and the footage has been posted on YouTube in the hope that the heartless robbers can be caught.
The incident happened last Wednesday afternoon, when the Centre – which is already suffering financially after a series of funding cuts – was visited by the two men. One of the men distracted a wheelchair-bound volunteer at the front desk, while the other sneaked into the kitchen and stole £155 from the locked till and a single packet of bacon from the freezer – despite there being another nine packs inside!
Millennium Centre staff at the centre have now posted CCTV footage capturing the theft on YouTube in a bid to shame the pair. The video appears with the message: “This is not a rich centre. The money that was taken goes towards running the clubs and paying the bills so the thieving scumbags should be ashamed of themselves – stealing from children and old folk. If you know him let the police know!”
Centre manager Peter Airlie said: “The older man started to talk to the volunteer at the front desk. He said one of them was just out of jail and they had thought the community centre was the housing association, as he was trying to find somewhere. The other one went through to the cafe area and took money from the till and bacon from the freezer. We really just want to see them named and shamed – they’re the lowest of the low.”
The men were then seen getting on a bus at Pennywell Road in the direction of Ferry Road.
One of the suspects is described as a white male in his mid-twenties, 6ft 2, of heavy build with short brown hair, clean-shaven and wearing black, thick rimmed glasses. He was wearing a light blue and white Adidas jacket with blue stripes down the arm and dark jogging bottoms.
The other man is aged between 40 and 50, around 5ft 4, with a local accent, of slim build, had a shaved head with a receding hairline and a “prominent chin, forehead and a weathered face”.
Pilton Youth and Children’s Project (PYCP) are holding their Annual General Meeting on Friday 28 September at 3pm in The Greenhouse on West Pilton Place. This will be no ordinary, humdrum business meeting, however – Scottish rugby legend Chris Paterson will officially open PYCP’s brand new purpose-built creative dance studio at the event!
PYCP’s senior development worker LAURA McLAREN explains all:
Pilton Youth and Children’s Project
“The Wooden Spoon Studio”
Pilton Youth and Children’s Project are delighted to announce the opening of their new studio, made possible by a generous award from “Wooden Spoon”, the children’s charity of rugby. Wooden Spoon was founded in 1983 and is dedicated to helping disadvantaged children and young people across the British Isles live happier, richer lives. The charity comprises of over 40 regional volunteer committees, a central national team and over 10,000 members. All regional committees undertake many local fundraising activities and only spend the money raised on projects in their local community. During their first 25 years, over half a million young people benefitted from more than £18 million of charitable support thanks to the efforts of staff and volunteers.
PYCP have worked with Wooden Spoon since late last year, liaising with Charlie Bryden, Regional Committee Chair for Scotland. This resulted in a grant of up to £10,000 with which to renovate an unused room at PYCP into a multi-purpose creative studio. PYCP work with children from the age of 5 to young people age 18. Although staff have been able to offer short-term creative projects, it was felt by both workers and young people of all ages that a protected space with which to develop activities such as dance and drama would be really beneficial.
The grant from Wooden Spoon has enabled PYCP to lay special dance suitable sprung flooring and a large mirror so that young people can watch themselves practice dance routines. They have also been able to buy dance barres and a new sound system. The funding has also helped PYCP update their stage lighting, as well as giving the room a new look with fresh decorating. Children, young people and indeed the wider community are really excited about using the new studio; the first creative project might be a Christmas show!!
Wooden Spoon works closely with the UK rugby community, also involving some of rugby’s top sporting role models in making a difference in the lives of young people in need. PYCP were lucky enough to have Chris Paterson, MBE AND Scottish rugby’s record cap and points holder, to officially open the studio on Friday 28 September as part of PYCP’s Annual General Meeting.
For more information or a tour of the studio, please contact Pilton Youth and Children’s Project on 0131 332 9815.
Port of Leith Housing Association (PoLHA) hosted an event for its residents to provide information on issues such as welfare reforms and benefits advice recently.
Over 60 people attended the open day at South Leith Parish Church Hall where the Association was joined by the Department of Work & Pensions, the City of Edinburgh Council, an energy advisor, a money advice worker from Citizens’ Advice Bureau, Edinburgh Housing Advice Partnership and employability initiative Community Renewal.
Keith Anderson, Chief Executive at PoLHA, said: “There are a lot of changes coming and issues surrounding benefit, energy and money management for our tenants to consider. Holding this event with our partner agencies helped those who came along to understand how these will affect them and how they can make the pounds in their pocket go further. It was a great turnout and I hope people found it useful to help them manage finances in the run-up to the forthcoming benefit changes and the winter months.”
PoLHA was formed in 1975 and now owns and manages 2400 properties in the Leith and North Edinburgh area.
This is just a wee reminder [as if you need it!] that we start Workshops again at North Edinburgh Arts this Friday 14th September 6 – 8pm. and next Saturday 22nd September 12 noon – 2pm. We shall meet every other Friday and every other Saturday so that everyone can come to the Workshops according to their commitments. There will be a crèche for every Workshop, but please make sure you book it with Sandra beforehand 0131 315 2152 and admin@northedinburgharts.co.uk
We have so much to talk about, so much fun to have, so many plans to make, so much theatre to create – YIPPEE I am really looking forward to working with you all again. We also have some new participants to welcome!
Please let me know which Workshops you want to come to – Fridays and/or Saturdays. Of course you can come to both, we shall be covering the same material at the Friday and Saturday Workshops but you always create different work, so it will be really interesting.
In the meantime, if you have any questions please just get in touch. For those folk who do not have internet, please can you make sure they know what’s happening? I will also post this on Facebook.
Take care and see you soon!
Following the inaugural West Pilton and Muirhouse Gala and the disappointing cancellation of this month’s North Edinburgh Community Festival at Forthquarter Park, NEN caught up with SEAN GARDINER, chair of the West Pilton event’s organising committee, to reflect on the gala:
“The committee has yet to meet, but as it stands we have reviewed feedback and the few things we have picked up on for next year is more bins, more ticket stands to avoid queues and perhaps something for older kids like archery, a paintball area or laser quest. All in all the event was a great success; there were a few people felt that some things were a bit pricey, but for everything that cost money there was a free activity too so in the Galas opinion, things that cost money are the individuals’ choice. Hearing feedback from the gala day suppliers I will say it seems that, even with prices not being suited to everyone, all our suppliers had a very successful day.
“With regards to the Forthquarter event , we were never and will never run in competition with ANY event in Edinburgh; our aim from the start was to host a community event for local people, by local people. I must say I was very disappointed to hear it had been cancelled, and with no real explanation either. Areas like West Pilton and Muirhouse have long had this reputation for being a rundown area, events like our gala and the Forthquarter festival prove ten-fold that the area is only as bad as some people make it. There are certain groups operating within the West Pilton and Muirhouse area that promote how bad the place is and how bad the way of life is, when in my opinion, all that really does is brings people down. A little bit of hard work and organisation for something like the gala lifts heads and spirits and gets people in this area – who would otherwise be walking round thinking how bad the place is – walking round with a buzz, talking about how great the gala was or what there kids dance group done, etc.
“I spoke to a man who lives in Pilton Drive North just yesterday and was told about a couple of locals from Pilton and Royston looking into the possibility of a gala in their area next year, so from what started as a fun idea, it has not only been a huge success , it has also inspired other areas to do the same thing. It can only get better …!”
Did you attend the West Pilton and Muirhouse Gala? What could be improved? Let us know!
The new Edinburgh College has announced the name of its first Principal. MANDY EXLEY, who is currently Principal and Chief Executive at Jewel & Esk College, will take over the position when Edinburgh College launches on October 1. Her appointment provides the final key link in the process that will see Edinburgh’s Telford, Stevenson and Jewel and Esk Collges combine to allow the creation of a bigger, stronger and better college serving Edinburgh and the Lothians.
Ian McKay, Chair (Elect) of Edinburgh College, said: “We are delighted to have someone of the calibre and pedigree of Mandy Exley lead Edinburgh College at the start of this exciting journey. We have given a commitment that Edinburgh College will change the face of further education in Edinburgh and Lothians and with Mandy’s previous experience at the helm of Jewel & Esk College, and the vision she has for the new College, we are ideally placed to fulfil our ambition.”
The rigorous selection process to find a Principal for what will be one of the biggest and most influential colleges in Scotland has been conducted over a number of months. In a new development, the process also included the involvement of the leadership of the student body in the college – the President and three vice Presidents of the Edinburgh College Students’ Association. This was seen as an important part of working with and for students in the new College.
John Martin, President of Edinburgh College Students’ Association, said: “The Students’ Association were pleased to be invited to be a part of the interview process, and particularly the value that has been placed on our opinion. Students should be at the centre of every decision making process as colleges across Scotland go through unprecedented changes and tribulations in the coming years and I hope that this sets a precedent for all future appointments of major office holders within Colleges, including membership of Boards of Governors. I congratulate Mandy on her success and look forward to working positively with her over the coming year to make sure our students get the best possible experience out of their life-changing time at Edinburgh College.”
Ian McKay added: “We believe it’s the first time that the student body have played a part in a Principal’s appointment. That illustrates the depth of the recognition of, and commitment to, the students, who we have always said are the most important people in the new College.”
Mandy has a long history of leadership in education in Scotland having served for the last two years as Principal at Jewel & Esk College and previously as Principal at the University of the Highlands & Islands Perth College. She said that she is looking forward to Edinburgh College playing its part in securing improved prosperity for everyone who lives and works in Edinburgh and the Lothians.
She said: “The creation of Edinburgh College is about a journey from good to great. The three existing colleges are really good in their own right but together, they can deliver great results. The College aims to deliver the very best education and training to students. By achieving that, we have an opportunity to build an economic powerhouse – to play a vital role in getting individuals back to work and to deliver skilled people needed in those economic sectors where Scotland can enjoy a genuine competitive advantage.”
Mandy added that with each college having an impressive reputation for forward thinking and innovation, it would allow ‘centres of excellence’ in key learning fields to be developed in the new College.
“The College itself will become a ‘centre of excellence’, building on the existing strengths of the three colleges to foster growth, opportunity and economic development. We are confident Edinburgh College will compete with the best in Britain and that it will be a College we can all be proud of,” she said.
Mandy has worked in education for more 20 years and her career has been both in England and Scotland, working in large inner city colleges in Birmingham, Manchester and Stoke and rural colleges in Gloucestershire, Perth and the Highlands and Islands. Her work has been recognised beyond the college and she has served on a number of Government and Scotland’s Colleges’ Task Groups including the current Government Change Team. She is a Board Director of the Scottish Institute for Enterprise and has a particular interest in Public Value and leads on promoting this work for Scotland’s Colleges.
The new Edinburgh College will operate from four main campuses employing more than 1,500 staff; Granton (formerly Edinburgh’s Telford College), Sighthill (formerly Stevenson College Edinburgh) and Milton Road and Midlothian (both formerly Jewel & Esk College).
The College, a £60m business and the biggest FE college in Scotland, will accommodate more than 35,000 students – the biggest student body in Edinburgh – when it opens next month.
The Total Craigroyston initiative’s Draft Road Map was produced following a number of consultation meetings across the area. The Total Craigroyston team went back out into the community again last week to get feedback on the draft report, holding sessions at West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre, Craigroyston Community High School and North Edinburgh Arts Centre. This feedback will help guide the way forward for the initiative which was set up to improve the life chances of children and families in the Craigroyston High School cluster.
Total Craigroyston’s Tim Packer said: “We had 18 people at the feedback events last week and we will be meeting with others over the weeks to come to continue the conversation about the Road Map and the initiative as a whole.
During the sessions we asked people not only to comment/feedback but also to ‘sign-up’ to particular actions identified in the Road Map. The response to this has been encouraging and we will be following up with those people/organisations on how to take things forward with them.
There has been a lot of interest in the Timebanking scheme and other general opportunities to volunteer and we will make sure how these provisions are accessed is included in the work of Total Craigroyston. Information and communication have continued through the feedback sessions to be an important area requiring further work. It has been great to have a good number of young people involved – they have contributed to a number of the actions and will be involved in taking forward the work.
The Road Map itself is available on the Forth Neighbourhood Partnership website or directly from http://www.edinburghnp.org.uk/media/12573/Road%20Map%202012%2009%2003.pdf. In order to break down the areas of work identified within each of the themes we are preparing a more detailed action plan (with names and some timescales). This will identify who is taking forward each of the areas of work. So, the ‘next steps’ are to go, with the local community and staff, and do the things that people have identified!
If anyone wants to talk about the Road Map then they can contact Christine (Mackay, Total Craigroyston manager) or myself.”
Total Craigroyston is based at North Neighbourhood Office, 8 West Pilton Gardens, Edinburgh EH4 4DP
Tom Allan and Emily Dodd will be hosting the third NENgage social media workshop in Stockbridge Library on Thursday from 5.45 – 7.30pm. The theme of this week’s session is video-blogging – and there are still a few places available.
As ever, the session is free but you so need to register. To do so, or to find out more, go to:
Last week’s session was a lot of fun, with a mixed group of Inverleith bloggers old and new taking part. Such was the participants’ enthusiasm – maybe some bloggers don’t get out much! – that the session overran, and was continued in The Antiquary (thanks for that splendid buffet, incidentally!)
We’re hoping to post some of the articles written by our ‘NENgagers’ on the blog soon, but meantime you can get involved – sign up for NENgage this Thursday!
