Anti-fascism festival at Summerhall this Saturday

Edinburgh Unite Against Fascism proudly presents this Saturday (24 November):

the Love Multiculture Hate Racism Festival

celebrating our multi-cultural society with music, song, dance and comedy.

The festival line-up just gets better and better. In the last week we have confirmed: Bollywood dancers, award winning singer Penny Stone, an Indian Stick Dancer, acoustic sets from James Campbell & Scottish folk singer Eileen Penman.

The daytime cultural event will start at 3pm with jazz from Alistair McDonald backed by “Quatro Macjazz”! Between 3 and 7pm we will squeeze in a packed lineup including an African choir, Indian and Kurdish dance workshops, Indian head massage, drummers, Henna Hand painting and speeches by Show Racism the Red Card and Martin Smith from Unite Against Fascism.

Asian and Turkish food, tea and coffee and entry is by donation.

The comedy packed evening will start with the BAFTA nominated rapper Northern Xposure who has performed with Dizzee Rascal and Amy Winehouse. Then Scottish Comedian of the Year runner up Rick Molland will MC a night of four rowdy
comedians, headlined by “the lord of filth” Richard Coughlan. Your entry fee of £5 includes a free curry courtesy of the Kasbah restaurant and there will be an all-night bar. Doors open at 7.30pm, the event starts at 8pm.

Both these events will be hosted at the Summerhall Art Gallery which is showing a great exhibition of anti-racist posters. Entry from Hope Park Terrace – we apologise but there is no wheelchair access.

Facebook event: please invite your friends!: http://www.facebook.com/events/482507955105412/

United Against Fascism Edinburgh

Get set for Book Week Scotland

Scottish crime writer Alex Gray’s visit (see previous post ‘Top Crime Writer to visit Muirhouse Library’) is the perfect start to Book Week Scotland, Scotland’s first-ever celebration of reading. And whether you want to spend the entire week celebrating books and reading – or if you have just have a single hour to spare – there’s time enough to fall in love with books!

Book Week Scotland runs from Monday November 26 until Sunday December 2, 2012, and people the length and breadth of Scotland will be encouraged to engage in the first ever week-long national celebration of reading and participate in a range of free events.

Initiated by the Scottish Government, Book Week Scotland will be delivered on behalf of Creative Scotland by Scottish Book Trust, the leading agency for the promotion of literature, reading and writing in Scotland. Scottish Book Trust is working with authors, workplaces, libraries and schools across the country to deliver a packed programme of free projects and events, bringing Scots of all ages and from all walks of life together to celebrate books and reading.

Key partners including Scottish Libraries and Information Council, Publishing Scotland, and Edinburgh UNESCO City of Literature will help to deliver Book Week Scotland activity.

Launching the initiave earlier this year, Fiona Hyslop, Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs, said: “Book Week Scotland will be a national, inclusive celebration of reading. It will encourage Scots from all backgrounds, of all ages and with all interests, to embark or continue on a reading journey. It will also provide a platform – in our Year of Creative Scotland – to celebrate our nation’s exceptional cultural, creative and literary talent.

“The Scottish Government is firmly committed to increasing learning through the arts and culture, and to promoting the value of taking part in cultural activity. Through Book Week Scotland, we hope to engage the whole of Scotland in these important aims.”

Marc Lambert, CEO of Scottish Book Trust, said: “Above all, Book Week Scotland will be a celebration of books and reading, providing everyone across Scotland with the opportunity to get involved, and with the inspiration to begin or continue their reading journey, to share old favourites and to discover new must-reads.”

Andrew Dixon, Chief Executive of Creative Scotland, said: “Book Week Scotland will celebrate Scotland’s love of writers and reading. It’s a great national initiative for this Year of Creative Scotland and has the potential to grow into another calendar event for Scotland.”

The development of Book Week Scotland is being supported with £150,000 from Creative Scotland’s Year of Creative Scotland programme, which is funded with investment from the Scottish Government and the National Lottery. Scottish Book Trust is working with a range of partners to lever additional funding and support.

As part of the national celebration, Scottish Book Trust will publish an anthology of writing celebrating Scotland‘s favourite places. Written by members of the public and commissioned authors, thousands of copies of My Favourite Place will be distributed free throughout Scotland during Book Week Scotland.

If a week of books and reading is too much, how about just an hour? At 11 a.m. on St Andrew’s Day (Friday 30 November) thousands of people across Scotland will stop what they’re doing and read. The Reading Hour will happen anywhere and everywhere and you can easily be a part of it. Whether you’re on a train, bus or ferry; in a library, at work or at school, or simply at home in your favourite chair; all you need to do is sit down with a good book.

If you’d like some advice on choosing a book then get in touch with the League of Extraordinary Booklovers, Scottish Book Trust’s band of citizen book experts who are on hand to make sure your next book is a good one.

Events are also happening across the country to mark the nation’s first ever Reading Hour. Come along to the Read-In at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh or click here to find other Reading Hour events throughout Scotland.

For more information about Book Week Scotland, visit the website here. Follow @Bookweekscot on Twitter, check out the #happyreading hashtag or ‘like’ the Book Week Scotland Facebook page.

Will you be taking part in Book Week Scotland? Reading Hour, then?

What’s your favourite book?

Let us know!

PEP volunteers let their hair down

George Reavley, Pilton Equalities Project’s recently appointed Volunteer Coordinator, reports on an event held to thank PEP’s trusty band of volunteers:

PEP’s annual Volunteers Social Evening took place on Thursday 1 November at Queensberry Bowling Club. This is one of those occasions where PEP staff organised the hall and buffet arrangements, giving their time freely to show how much they value the services of our excellent volunteers, who contributed an amazing 7,518 hours in the past year.

The evening consisted of a quiz, buffet, raffle and music, aimed to integrate volunteers and introduce them to other PEP volunteers and staff in a social setting. In total 30 volunteers attended, plus the PEP staff who’s aim was to make the evening as fun as possible. The first task was for the volunteers to choose a team and name them.

Six teams formed; they were: ‘The Smarties’, ‘The PEP Heads’, ‘The Smilers’, ‘The Marshalls’, ‘The Volunteer Vixens (+ 1 fox)’ and last but not least, ‘The Happy Lot’.

The hotly contested quiz consisted of five rounds throughout the evening, but in the end there had to be a winner. In third place were the competitive ‘PEP Heads’ but they were outsmarted by ‘The Smarties’ who came second! The victors were the vivacious Volunteer Vixens (+ 1 smiling fox), (pictured above) who were triumphant after playing their joker card!

All in all, it was an enjoyable evening where volunteers and staff enjoyed some banter and dancing, mixed with a lovely buffet which was enjoyed by all who sampled it. The evening ended with a raffle with the top prize being a delicious food hamper.

We hope to repeat this with another social activity next year and would like to thank Barrie from ‘Floorplay Events’ and the Queensberry Bowling Club for hosting us once again. A huge ‘thank you’ also to all the PEP staff whose hard work made the evening possible.

If you would like to find out more about our volunteering opportunities and services please contact us on 0131 315 4466 or via the PEP website www.pepequalities@btconnect.com

A huge thanks to State Street from North Edinburgh Childcare

A HUGE THANKS TO STATE STREET FROM NORTH EDINBURGH CHILDCARE

North Edinburgh Childcare’s Childcare Academy programme has now supported nearly 200 unemployed people to attain their SVQ Level 2 in Childcare and to progress into jobs in the childcare sector. Despite this success, the reality is that the majority progress into low paid jobs, earning the National Minimum Wage, within a sector where the only way to sustain your employment and enhance your income earning potential is to obtain further qualifications at SVQ Level 3 or above.

Due to the significant costs involved, former Childcare Academy participants cannot afford to self fund their way through the SVQ Level 3 and sources of financial support that were previously available have long since disappeared.

Last year, we were encouraged by one of our service users Lorna Roberts (an employee at State Street Corporation’s Edinburgh Branch) to submit an application for funding to the State Street Foundation to enable us to provide 12 former Childcare Academy participants with the opportunity to undertake their SVQ Level 3 free of charge. The application was successful and the initial group of grateful beneficiaries began their 18 month SVQ Level 3 journey in November 2011. All are progressing well through their award appreciative of the chance they have been given by State Street to enhance their families quality of life. Achievement of the SVQ Level 3 will enable them to sustain their employment, register with the Scottish Social Services Council at the higher ‘Practitioner’ level, compete for higher paid ‘Practitioner’ jobs, enhance their level of household income and ultimately to progress out of ‘In Work’ poverty.

With the encouragement and support of both Lorna and Richard Walker (Client Services Manager at our local State Street) we recently submitted a second application to the Foundation to enable a further group of 14 former Childcare Academy participants to access the same opportunity and we are absolutely delighted to announce that our application has once again been successful.

We would like to extend a huge thank you to State Street for recognizing the long term implications of the situation faced by local workers earning the minimum wage and for providing our former Childcare Academy trainees with the opportunity to further their education, escape the poverty trap and progress towards earning a ‘Living Wage’.

We have delivered a number of ‘information sessions’ to staff members of State Streets ‘UK Families Network’ in relation to ‘the safety of the home environment for children’ and we are in the process of exploring the possibility of delivering some ‘First Aid’ workshops to members in the near future. We are extremely grateful for the on-going support of our local State Street and we look forward to a long, prosperous and mutually beneficial partnership between our organisations.

Gill Dudgeon, North Edinburgh Childcare

Theatre opportunity at North Edinburgh Arts

North Edinburgh Theatre Project

Friday 30 November 7pm

OPEN WORKSHOP & SHARING OF WORK

at North Edinburgh Arts

This Autumn North Edinburgh Theatre project has been involved with a variety of work, including developing scenes inspired by Theatre of the Absurd. This has been hilarious fun and some interesting work has been developed.

You are invited to come to watch some of the scenes and also have a go at some drama, it’s always great fun! There will be some refreshments afterwards.

For further details, please contact: Kate Wimpress, Director North Edinburgh Arts

Email director@northedinburgharts.co.uk , Telephone: 315 2152

Community talks transport at Inverleith conference

Around ninety people attended Inverleith Neighbourhood Partnership’s ‘On the Move’ event held in Broughton High School last week. The theme of the evening was transport, and local residents were encouraged to share their opinions at the ’round-robin’-style event.

Participants moved from table to table to discuss a new topic, with each conversation supported by and helped along by an expert from that particular field. The six themes were public transport, winter weather planning, cycling and walking, road maintenance, road safety and parking – and unsurprisingly each topic generated healthy discussion and debate!

The views expressed at the event were all noted and the main findings and suggestions will help to guide transport planning policy both in Inverleith and further afield. Inverleith Neighbourhood Partnership convener Councillor Gavin Barrie thanked organisers and participants and said: “It was great to see so many people here at Broughton High School, with everyone contributing to an interesting and informative debate. I’ve no doubt that all of the councillors and officers here this evening are listening ans want to hear what you have to say, but we can only do that when you talk to us and you’ve done that tonight. We may not like everything we’ve heard, but this has been a very useful and worthwhile exercise for all of us – thank you for participating.”

Broughton High School students were heavily involved in all aspects of the event, and they did a superb job – from providing the music and technical support to presenting and live ‘tweeting’ – posting discussions as they happened around the tables out to the worldwide web, sharing Inverleith’s thoughts on transport with the whole of cyberspace!

And the Broughton students haven’t quite finished yet – the NEN’s been promised a report and pictures of the conference; we’ll share these with you as soon as we have them!

News from North Edinburgh Transition Group

North Edinburgh’s BME Transition Group has set up a new Facebook page to publicise their activities and events.

Transition Group coordinator Adil Ibrahim said: “The North Edinburgh World Cafe Facebook page has now been created and will be managed by North Edinburgh black and minority ethnic (BME) community Transition Group. It contains information about the TG and its upcoming events, photos from previous events in North Edinburgh as well as current photos. We hope that you will be able to visit and ‘Like’ this page, and we also hope that this page will be a good tool for us to use for sharing information, experiences, photos etc. We’d like to hear your comments.”

A new email address – neworldcafe@hotmail.co.uk – has also been set up to enable the wider community to contact the Transition Group, which was set up following the closure of CORE earlier in the autumn. Get in touch if you’s like to be added to their email distribution database.

To find the North Edinburgh World Cafe Facebook page, follow the link:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/North-Edinburgh-World-Cafe/450103255031013

Among the group’s forthcoming activities are a World Cafe event at Royston Wardieburn this Saturday afternoon and a feedback session at Spartans Community Football Academy on 6 December – check out the above link for more info!