Domestic abuse campaign launched

fearLothian and Borders Police are encouraging victims of domestic abuse to take the first step in their journey to seeking help and getting a fresh start this festive period.

This weekend (7 – 9 December) all bus tickets on Lothian Buses and Firstbus buses will be advertising contact details for the Domestic Abuse Helpline, a charity designed to provide help and guidance to sufferers.

A phone number, website and a QR code will be printed to allow people from communities across Edinburgh, the Lothians and the Scottish Borders to either telephone or visit the Lothian and Borders Police website. The details on the tickets are deliberately subtle so victims needn’t feel worried about being caught carrying them.

Despite an encouraging rise in the past few years in victims coming forward, domestic abuse is vastly under-reported.
This campaign is designed to empower victims and arm them with practical tools they can really use to break free.

Assistant Chief Constable Graham Sinclair from Lothian and Borders Police said: “People often think domestic abuse is purely about physical violence, however many people suffer years of verbal and emotional abuse which is just as damaging.

“Domestic abuse saps the confidence of victims and leaves them in a constant state of fear and anxiety. As such, it is vastly under-reported, and although more than 7,700 incidents were reported across Scotland last year, we believe this is only a fraction of the true amount.

“For women suffering domestic abuse, taking the bus this weekend could be the first step on a much more important journey. If you are suffering domestic abuse, or know someone who is, get the bus this weekend. Call the helpline now or later, have a look at our web pages, and know that there are people who can help.”

Liz Kelly from the Domestic Abuse Helpline added: ” We view this initiative being taken by Lothian and Borders Police as a positive step forward in addressing the anxieties of many victims of domestic abuse who fear that the police do not have an understanding of their situation and the negative impact it has on their own lives and that of their children and families.

“We will work closely with the police during this initiative and give our assurance that anyone affected by domestic abuse will be offered support and information at any time of the day or night. The telephone number is 0800 027 1234 and is free from landlines.”

On the Move in Inverleith

You may recall that we paid tribute to talented Broughton High School students in a previous post about the recent Inverleith Neighbourhood Partnership community conference.

Well, on top of everything else the pupils did to ensure the conference was a success, they also took a few photographs of the event – correction, a few hundred photographs! A (very) small sample is included with this  conference report by Broughton pupil Robbie Thomson:

1

It is always refreshing when Edinburgh youths and local residents alike are provided with the opportunity to pose any queries or concerns they may have in regards to their community. Even more encouraging is when people with the power to influence and change take the time out to listen.

2Broughton High School was the venue for the Inverleith Neighbourhood Partnership Community Conference on 15 November, with a focus on transport. Presented by North Edinburgh News’ very own Mr. Dave Pickering, around 100 attendees were given an opportunity to engage in open discussion with key figures of transport in Edinburgh.

3The set-up consisted of six different tables; parking, winter weather, road safety, road maintenance, walking/cycling and public transport. Attendees at each table rotated throughout the course of the evening, offering everyone the chance to make their voice heard.

4

Mr. Tony Lear of Edinburgh City Council discussed winter weather issues at length, and with an admirable clarity. He claimed £750,000 has been funded to the local authorities by the Scottish Government to prevent expansion and water retention in potholes throughout the winter, while also confirming that more funds are to be set aside from the revenue budget for off-road cycle paths. This winter will see pre-treatment and gritting on North Edinburgh cycle paths for the first time. Mr. Lear also noted that local care homes, sheltered accommodation and school access routes are to receive priority treatment.

5As parents attended in large numbers, road safety was a particular topic of interest. Many parents raised issues over the poor lighting in local streets over the winter months, and the crossing difficulties at the bottom of East Fettes Avenue. Miss Helen Bourquin also addressed concerns over cycling restrictions in the Comely Bank area.

6While the cycling infrastructure in the local area was generally praised, Mr. Phil Noble announced that design standards for walking and cycling in Edinburgh are soon to be revised. The Scottish Government have also recently increased the budget for the marketing of walking and cycling. Mr. Noble also stated that in the next year, 5% of the total transport budget (around £16 million) is to be spent on cycling, which would amount to around £1.5-2 million. There was also praise for Mr. Ian Bieniowski in regards to Lothian Buses pricing system, customer service and general consistency.

7Certainly worthy of a special thanks are Broughton High senior pupils Fraser Young and Calum Chapman. Voluntarily, they again devoted their time towards helping set up the technical aspects of the evening, an essential aspect in the event’s overall success – particularly the ‘warm-up’ musical performances from Broughton pupils. The pair regularly volunteer their technical knowledge and organisational acumen in all events throughout the school – they couldn’t have done it without them!

8The only downside of an otherwise very encouraging evening was the technical issue with the event’s twitter feed. Broughton High School pupils who had volunteered to help out were given I-Pads to regularly update the event’s twitter feed through the hashtag #inverleithconf, but the server became unresponsive midway through the event.

Nevertheless, the evening generated very positive feedback, on the whole. It would appear that the future is bright for the local residents as far as transport is concerned.

Robbie Thomson, Broughton High School

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Seasonal sale at Saint Nicholas

Mrs Frances Veitch1

Saint Nick’s celebrate Saint Nick!

Port of Leith Housing Association’s (PoLHA) St Nicholas Court sheltered housing complex raised £1500 at its Christmas fayre held last Saturday (1 Dec). All funds raised will go towards supporting activities for residents including day trips, theatre trips, exercise classes and lunch clubs.

The complex, on Leith’s Ferry Road, had an array of stalls including a raffle, tombola, home bakes, bric-a-brac, books and toys. There was also the opportunity to buy gifts hand-made by the residents, including decorations, necklaces, knitting and aprons.

Maureen Tait Senior Sheltered Housing Co-ordinator with PoLHA, manages the complex. She said: “The annual Christmas fayre is always great fun for the staff and residents and a great chance for us to interact and have a good time with the local community. We’re delighted to have raised £1500 and are grateful to the all those people who came along to support us. Many of our residents are young at heart and really enjoy getting out and about on trips and this fundraising event helps make it happen for them.”

Pictured: St. Nicholas resident Frances Veitch displays festive treats

 

Looking for an NHS dentist in Edinburgh?

The following dental practices are currently accepting new NHS patients: 

9 Dean Bank Street, Stockbridge                               EH3 5BS         0131 332 5510

4 Inverleith Gardens, Inverleith                                  EH3 5PU        0131 552 4024

4 Howard Place, Canon Mills                                     EH3 5JZ          0131 556 7232

4 Great Stuart Street, West End                                 EH3 6AW       0131 225 3911

264 Morrison Street, Haymarket                                EH3 8DT        0131 229 6633

212 Morrison Street, Haymarket                                EH3 8EA        0131 229 7899

42 Earl Grey Street, Tollcross                                     EH3 9BN        0131 221 9535

1D Pennywell Gardens, Muirhouse                            EH4 4UA        0131 315 2666

3 Quality St, Davidson’s Mains                                  EH4 5BP         0131 336 1785

32 Duart Crescent, Clermiston                                   EH4 7JP          0131 339 7446

65 Ferry Road, Leith                                                  EH6 4AQ        0131 554 1791

163 Great Junction Street, Leith                                 EH6 5LG        0131 554 8589

116 Ocean Drive, Leith                                              EH6 6JG         0131 208 2222

120 Ocean Drive, Leith                                              EH6 6JG         0131 555 0376

80/1B Commercial Quay                                            EH6 6LX        0131 553 5959

57 Constitution Street Leith                                       EH6 7AF        0131 555 2020

6 East Hermitage Place, Leith                                                EH6 8AA        0131 554 5028

1 Bellevue Place, Newtown                                        EH7 4BS         0131 556 3240

15 Earlston Place, Meadowbank                                EH7 5SU        0131 659 5670

Boroughloch Med. Cent, 1 Meadow Place                EH9 1JZ          0131 656 4525

59 Ratcliffe Terrace, Newington                                EH9 1ST         0131 667 4433

39 Mayfield Gardens, Newington                              EH9 2BX        0131 668 1521

125 Mayfield Road, Newington                                 EH9 3AJ         0131 667 5656

147 Bruntsfield Place                                                 EH10 4EB      0131 229 7999

1 Millar Crescent, Morningside                                  EH10 5HN      0131 447 0606

27 Comiston Road, Morningside                                EH10 6AA      0131 447 2722

3C Washington Lane, Dalry                                       EH11 2HA      0131 337 8272

14 Ardmillan Terrace, Gorgie                                     EH11 2JW      0131 337 2771

296 Gorgie Road, Gorgie                                           EH11 2PP       0131 337 3936

176 St. John’s Road, Corstorphine                             EH12 8BE      0131 334 2704

9 Bughtlin market, East Craigs                                   EH12 8XP      0131 339 2992

302 Oxgangs Road North                                           EH13 9ND      0131 441 3231

132 Colinton Road, Colinton                                     EH14 1BY      0131 443 4050

1 Hailsland Gardens, Wester Hailes                           EH14 2QN      0131 453 1151

Westside Plaza, Wester Hailes                                    EH14 2SW      0131 442 4084

38 Balerno High Street                                               EH14 7EH      0131 449 5545

274 Portobello High Street                                         EH15 2AT      0131 669 1193

216 Portobello High Street                                         EH15 2AU      0131 669 2995

310 Portobello High Street                                         EH15 2DA      0131 669 3333

23 Duddingston Park South                                       EH15 3NY      0131 669 9977

198 Peffermill Road, Craigmillar                                EH16 4DT      0131 661 3424

1 Parkside Terrace, Newington                                   EH16 5BN      0131 667 0500

173 Dalkeith Road, Newington                                  EH16 5BY      0844 387 8333

1 Bellstane, South Queensferry                                  EH30 3PU      0131 319 1879

Information correct on 1 December 2012

Edinburgh’s green forever (and that’s nothing to do with Sunday’s Cup result either!)

Victoria Park
Victoria Park

Edinburgh has been recognised for protecting most parks and green spaces in the UK at a prestigious award ceremony. The City of Edinburgh Council was awarded Landowner of the Year at the inaugural Fields in Trust Awards 2012 ceremony that celebrated the achievements of the charity’s Queen Elizabeth Fields Challenge programme, and the city was also given £10,000 from Fields in Trust to spend on further improving the city’s parks.

The city received the award for dedicating more sites as part of The Queen Elizabeth Fields Challenge than any other UK landowner – a total of 25 sites across Edinburgh. This commits the Council to dedicating the named sites for the purposes of public recreation, in perpetuity, for the use of the residents of Edinburgh.

Councillor Jim Orr, the city’s Environment Vice-Convener, said: “Here in Edinburgh we have no shortage of beautiful outdoor spaces and this Council recognises the important role they play in boosting the well-being of communities. I’m delighted that Fields in Trust have recognised our efforts in dedicating many of our green spaces as part of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Celebrations. This will have a lasting legacy for Edinburgh and reaffirms this city’s commitment to protecting our parks and green spaces for future generations.”

The dedicated sites are (local parks highlighted):

  • Easter Drylaw Park
  • Ravelston Park
  • Ravelston Woods
  • Starbank Park
  • Victoria Park
  • Figgate Park
  • Lochend Park
  • Rosefield Park
  • Portobello Golf Course
  • Braidburn Valley Park
  • Hermitage of Braid
  • Blackford Hill
  • Morgan Playing Fields
  • Morningside Park
  • Seven Acre Park
  • Colinton Mains Park
  • Easter Craiglockhart Hill
  • Hailes Quarry Park
  • Harrison Park
  • Saughton Park & Gardens
  • Ferry Glen
  • St Margaret’s Park
  • Union Park
  • Montgomery Street Park
  • Pilrig Park

Fields in Trust was founded in 1925 and is the only national charity working to safeguard and improve outdoor recreational spaces. The Queen Elizabeth Fields Challenge aims to protect outdoor recreational spaces as a legacy from HM The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Easter Drylaw Park
Easter Drylaw Park