Just thought I would let you know about the recent event at Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre.
The store provided the ingredients for a Burns Supper that was enjoyed by the North West Support Services Monday Cooking Club, the Jubilee Club and the Youth Club. They had a great time celebrating the life of our
great bard, Robert Burns.
The photograph shows service users from the centre and some of our colleagues.
Shay, Sainsbury’s
Residents of a Stockbridge care home recently got the chance to see their memories brought to life in a book created by an exhibited artist. Astrid Jaekel, originally from Ireland, compiled the book called ‘We Used to Jive a Bit … I Couldn’t Do That Now’ after her quest to find out more about the capital from peoples experiences.
Four residents from Bield’s Haugh Street care home in Stockbridge were given the chance to tell their stories for the book after providing Astrid with anecdotes of their time in Edinburgh.
The book which was originally an art installation for Astrid’s degree show looked at the lives of the Bield residents aged between 70 and 80 and also included portraits of them and different memories of life growing up in Edinburgh, from summers on Portobello beach to the hardships of being homeless.
Astrid (pictured above) said: “I had a great time speaking to the residents at Haugh Street and thoroughly enjoyed putting this book together of what was a real life account of life in Edinburgh. This project was born out of a genuine sense of curiosity I felt when moving to Britain and to Edinburgh. My aim was to delve beyond the obvious and to find out people’s attachments to a city as opposed to the more official accounts of history. Through this project I have discovered a side of Edinburgh that otherwise may have not opened up to me”.
Astrid first broke the ice with the four residents by having tea and biscuits with them which then turned into a series of recordings taken over three months.
Isabella Crawford who has been a resident at Bield’s Stockbridge care home for over 13 years, said: “This experience has let me remember the good old days and how pretty Edinburgh used to be. I had not thought about my days spent on Portobello beach and the games we played for a long time so it was good fun going through my memories and having them illustrated. It was also great to see how my portrait turned out.”
Astrid said: ‘It was lovely to see how excited and proud the residents were of the book. We all became good friends and I still visit them now for cups of tea”.
Brian Logan, Chief Executive of Bield said: “As Scotland’s leading provider of housing, care and community services for older people we are dedicated to providing quality care which enhances and enriches lives. Our ‘Free to Be’ philosophy which is at the heart of what Bield is all about, allows older people who still have ambition and drive the freedom to do the things they love but which might otherwise be taken away without the right help and support.”
Isabella Crawford who has been a resident at Bield’s Stockbridge care home for over 13 years, said: “This experience has let me remember the good old days and how pretty Edinburgh used to be.
The Electoral Commission has published its assessment of the Scottish Government’s proposed independence referendum question and has also given its advice on what campaign spending limits in the run-up to the poll should be.
John McCormick, Electoral Commissioner for Scotland said: “Voters are entitled to a referendum which produces a result they can have confidence in. The recommendations we have made today are an important part of giving voters that confidence. But it is of course for the Scottish Parliament to have the final say.”
The Commission was asked to test the following question by the Scottish Government:
“Do you agree that Scotland should be an independent country? Yes/No”
The Commission’s established question assessment process involved talking to people across Scotland, asking for advice from accessibility and plain language experts, and writing to people and organisations, including the main political parties represented in the Scottish Parliament and campaigners to seek their views.
We found that the language in the proposed question is clear, simple and easy to understand. However, we also concluded that the words ‘Do you agree’ potentially encouraged people to vote ‘yes’ and should be replaced by more neutral wording.
The Electoral Commission recommends the question should be altered to:
“Should Scotland be an independent country? Yes / No”
The research also showed that voters want factual information ahead of the referendum. In the event of a “Yes” vote there would be a range of issues to be resolved within the UK and internationally about the terms of independence.
Although we would not expect the terms of independence to be agreed before the vote, clarity about how the terms of independence will be decided would help voters understand how the competing claims made by campaigners before the referendum will be resolved.
The Commission has therefore recommended that the UK and Scottish Governments should clarify what process will follow the referendum, for either outcome, so that people have that information before they vote. To avoid confusion we have asked the Governments to agree a joint position if possible.
John McCormick, Electoral Commissioner for Scotland said: “We have rigorously tested the proposed question, speaking to a wide range of people across Scotland. Any referendum question must be, and be seen to be, neutral. People told us that they felt the words ‘Do you agree’ could lead voters towards voting ‘yes’.
“People had a clear understanding that ‘independent country’ meant being separate from the UK. But they did want factual information in advance about what will happen after the referendum. We’re asking the UK and Scottish Government to provide that clarity and we’ll then make sure it gets to voters as part of our public awareness campaign.”
The Scottish Government has welcomed the announcement, and confirmed it will accept all of the Electoral Commission recommendations on the referendum question and campaign spending limits.
Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said she was delighted with the recommended question – ’Should Scotland be an independent country? Yes/No’ – and confirmed that it will be this question that is put before the Scottish Parliament. The Deputy First Minister also said she was satisfied with the recommended spending limits as they provide a level playing field for both sides of the debate.
In line with established practice in referendums throughout the UK, the Scottish Parliament will take the final decision on the wording of the question and campaign spending limits as part of its consideration of the Referendum Bill, which will be introduced in March.
Ms Sturgeon also welcomed the Electoral Commission’s calls for clarity around what a ‘No’ vote will mean for Scotland and its recommendation that the Scottish and UK governments work together to give clarity to the process that will follow a ‘Yes’ vote. She called on the UK government to accept these recommendations.
Ms Sturgeon said: “I would like to thank the Electoral Commission for the work they have done on testing our proposed referendum question and giving advice on campaign spending limits. I am pleased to confirm we will accept their recommendations in full.
“I am particularly delighted with the conclusion the Electoral Commission has reached on the question. While its view is that our proposed question was clear, simple and easy to understand, I am nevertheless happy to accept their recommended change.
“Their advice is based on rigorous testing and we will submit the Electoral Commission’s recommended question – ‘Should Scotland be an independent country?’ – to the Scottish Parliament as part of the Referendum Bill.
“I am also pleased with the spending limits proposed by the Electoral Commission – they deliver a level playing field and will allow a fair and balanced debate on both sides. I am also pleased that the Commission has modified the position set out in their response to our consultation in March, as this would have resulted in an imbalance between the two sides of the campaign.
“We have always said that Scotland’s referendum will be run to the highest international standards of fairness and transparency, and the Electoral Commission plays a vital role in that.
“The Scottish Parliament will take the final decision on the wording of the question and campaign spending limits as part of its consideration of the Referendum Bill which reinforces that this is truly a referendum made in Scotland.
“I also welcome the Electoral Commission calls for both the Scottish and UK Governments to clarify what process will follow the referendum if most voters vote ‘Yes’ or most voters vote ‘No’ vote. The Electoral Commission rightly point out this is in line with the Edinburgh Agreement.
“I have been calling for the UK Government to enter discussions to allow the voters to be better informed, but so far they have refused. This would not be pre-negotiation on the terms of independence but vital information for voters that will allow them to make an informed choice in autumn 2014. Given the Scottish Government is accepting all recommendations from the Electoral Commission I would hope that the UK Government is prepared to do the same.”
The leader of the Labour Party in Scotland Johann Lamont MSP has also welcomed the EC’s findings. Responding to the Electoral Commission report on the proposed referendum question and campaign financing, she said: “We welcome the Electoral Commission’s findings and will, of course, vote for them to e accepted in full. We did not get everything we asked for, but the most important people in this process are the people of Scotland and we believe that in the interests of clarity and certainty all parties should agree to these proposals which have been arrived at independently.
“We also welcome the suggestion that both sides of this debate clarify what will happen after the referendum. The Scottish Labour Party plans to set out before autumn 2014 proposals for how devolution can be developed and extended after Scotland has reaffirmed our place in the United Kingdom in the referendum. I believe it is only right that we set out the process by which such a development of devolution can be achieved after the referendum in which I am confident Scotland will vote to remain in the UK.
“I hope that the Scottish and UK governments, civic Scotland and all interested parties can at least outline how this can be achieved before we go to the polls. The people of Scotland deserve to have as much clarity and certainty in this process as possible.”
Campaign spending limits
As part of the Edinburgh Agreement the Electoral Commission was asked to provide advice on the spending limits for the referendum campaign.
In deciding what advice to give the Commission has applied its established principles for well-run referendums, taking into account the specific circumstances of this referendum, including the Edinburgh Agreement and information we now have about the likely shape and scale of campaigning.
The Commission invited views from campaigners and political parties on what the limits should be, and has considered what campaigners will need in order to put their arguments to voters.
John McCormick, Electoral Commissioner for Scotland said: “The campaign spending limits we have recommended are designed to ensure there are no barriers to voters hearing from campaigners in what will be a historic vote for the people of Scotland.
“We have listened carefully to the views of the Scottish Government and to campaigners, and have set out proposals based on our principles that spending limits should allow effective campaigning for all outcomes, deter excessive spending and encourage transparency.”
The Electoral Commission recommends that campaign spending limits for the independence referendum should be:
Designated lead campaigners: £1,500,000
Political parties represented in the Scottish Parliament:
Scottish National Party: £1,344,000
Scottish Labour: £834,000
Scottish Conservative & Unionist Party: £396,000
Scottish Liberal Democrats: £201,000
Scottish Green Party: £150,000
Other registered campaigners: £150,000
Threshold for registration: £10,000
Sainsbury’s Guide Dog puppies Jasper and Sandy are now 6 months old and they will be coming in to the store on Monday (4 Feb) at 11.30am to show customers and colleagues how their training is coming along.
Sainsbury’s customers and staff have now raised £15,000 for another Guide Dog puppy and will be starting the process of choosing a name for ‘Puppy 3’ soon!
Drylaw Parish Church will be holding their annual Scots Afternoon this Saturday (2 February) from 12.30 – 4pm.
There will be lots of Scottish Country Dancing under the direction of Arthur & Jessie, Edinburgh’s answer to Robbie Shepherd. Jean will sing some Burns songs and we must no forget our Highland Dancing Displays under the guidance of Amanda A great afternoon is guaranteed! Come for lunch at 12.30pm.
Tickets are priced £7.50
A man was threatened with a knife before being bundled into a car and driven off.
The 45-year-old Chinese man was going into a common stair in Royston Main Crescent, Edinburgh at 5.30pm on Tuesday when three men went up to him.
The assaulted him before pulling out a knife and emptying his pockets. The man was then forced into the back of a black car which drove off towards Crewe Road North.
The car did not travel far before stopping at a walkway running between Morrisons and Ainslie Park Leisure Centre and the man was thrown out. He then tried to get help from passing cyclists before he was dragged back into the car.
The kidnappers then dropped him off back at Royston Mains Crescent before driving off.
The three men were white, in their 30s, of average height and wearing scarves over their faces.
Detective Sergeant Andy Macmillan said: “While the victim was not seriously injured, this was a terrifying ordeal for him to endure and he was left understandably distressed.
“Police are carrying out local enquiries to see if anyone remembers seeing anything suspicious in the area, or can help us identify the men responsible.
“We are particularly keen to speak to the cyclists who rode past the man after he exited the car. These individuals are asked to contact police immediately.
“Similarly, anyone with other information relevant to this investigation is also asked to come forward.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact Lothian and Borders Police on 0131 311 3131 or through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Granton Community Gardeners are among the grassroots environmental projects in Edinburgh to received over £5,000 funding support from the Central Scotland Green Network’s (CSGN) Community Projects Fund, to improve their local greenspace and enhance the quality of their environment.
Supported by Forestry Commission Scotland, the CSGN Community Projects Fund is designed to help local communities get involved in delivering green network improvements on the ground to foster community pride in their local greenspaces.
In total, £5,826 was awarded to three projects in the Edinburgh area. The Granton Community Gardeners group has been awarded £2,000 to support North Edinburgh Harvest by purchasing a range of tools, so that the group can accomodate more people working in the garden. The funding will also be used to make access improvements to the garden for older or disabled people.
The Friends of Cammo group has been awarded £1,826 to carry out improvements to the Pinetum at the Cammo Estate in Edinburgh. This project is part of an ongoing series of works to improve the habitat and amenity of the Estate. The funding will be used to plant hedgerows, create areas of wildflowers and to commence management of the Pinetum by replacing trees, clearing scrub, and providing additional space for young “endangered” species of conifers.
Finally the GreenFerry Trust has been awarded £2,000 to improve the nature conservation value of Hopetoun Road Community Woodland and to provide a high quality landscape that the local community can experience and enjoy.
Keith Geddes, Chair of the Central Scotland Green Network Partnership Board, said: “After the positive response our Community Projects Fund received in its inaugural year, it is great to see the programme continue to go from strength to strength and cement our commitment to providing support to grass-roots environmental projects.”
“The CSGN Community Projects Fund aims to break down barriers and provide much needed support for projects that are delivering environmental improvements on the ground. It is these initiatives which are instrumental in achieving our goal of creating a high-quality green network across Central Scotland that will meet environmental, social and economic objectives and ultimately improve the quality of life for local communities.”
Thirty three environmental community projects throughout the CSGN area received a share of this year’s Community Projects Fund.
As one of the Scottish Government’s 14 ‘National Developments’ for Scotland in the second National Planning Framework, the CSGN will change the face of Central Scotland, by restoring, transforming and greening the landscape of an area stretching from Ayrshire and Inverclyde in the west, to Fife and the Lothians in the east.
The CSGN encompasses 19 local authorities across 10,000 sq km and has the potential to benefit 3.5million people, equating to 70 per cent of Scotland’s population. The network’s overarching vision is that by 2050, Central Scotland will be transformed into a place where the environment adds value to the economy and where people’s lives are enriched by its quality.
For further information about the CSGN Community Projects Fund, please visit www.centralscotlandgreennetwork.org
The body of a man has been found washed up on Cramond Island.
A member of the public called police after making the discovery at around 10am on Wednesday.
Lothian and Borders Police said the man’s body had been washed up onto the island near Edinburgh and an investigation is under way.
The man will be identified at a later date.
A police spokesman said: “Lothian and Borders Police responded to Crammond Island at around 10am after the body of a male was discovered on the beach.
“Enquiries are now underway to establish the male’s identity and determine the circumstances surrounding his death.”
It could become the most hated piece of legislation to be inflicted on British people since the infamous Poll Tax. And it’s now only weeks away …
In April, a new measure is to be introduced that will apply to all tenants of working age – welfare reforms will cut the amount of benefit that people can get if they are deemed to have a spare bedroom in their council or housing association home.
Under the legislation, size criteria will restrict housing benefit to allow for one bedroom for each person or couple living as part of the household. Children under sixteen years old will be expected to share with others of the same gender, while children under ten will be expected to share regardless of gender.
Under the new legislation – labelled the bedroom tax – all claimants who are then deemed to have at least one spare bedroom will be affected and face an ‘under occupation’ penalty: a cut to their housing benefit.
The cut will be a fixed percentage of the Housing Benefit eligible rent, which the Westminster government has stated will be set at 14% for one extra bedroom and 25% for two or more extra bedrooms.
Those affected – around 660,000 working-age social housing tenants (over 30% of existing Housing Benefit claimants in the social sector) in the UK – will lose an average of £14 per week, with Housing Association tenants expected to lose around £16 per week.
The architect of the scheme is investment banker and Welfare Reform Minister Baron Freud of Eastry – who incidentally lives in an eight-bedroom Kent mansion when he is not staying in his four-bedroom townhouse in London’s Highgate. The noble Lord believes that ‘spare council house bedrooms are a luxury the country can no longer afford: “It’s not fair or affordable for people to continue to live in homes that are too large for their needs when, in England alone, there are around five million people on the social housing waiting list and over a quarter of a million tenants are living in overcrowded conditions. It’s only right that we bring fairness back to the system and make better use of the social housing stock.”
He went on: “Nearly a third of working-age social housing tenants on housing benefit are living in accommodation which is too big for their needs, in spite of the fact of severe overcrowding. We are stopping the practice of the state paying for rooms beyond claimant needs, and that should go in some way to help tackle the social housing shortage that has been blighting too many lives.”
Lord Freud and his ministerial chums hope that more households will chose to ‘downsize’ to smaller, more affordable properties – and in the process slash £500 million from the Housing Benefit bill. So the government reduces the national debt and tenants get suitably-sized homes: a win, win situation, then – everybody’s happy?
Sadly not. There’s a desperate shortage of suitable, smaller accommodation, as Shelter Scotland Director Graeme Brown explained: “The UK Government is simply failing to listen to the voice of reason being put forward by housing professionals, social landlords, MSPs and individuals. Penalizing low-income people for having an extra room assumes that there is a ready supply of smaller properties for them to move to. This is simply not the case. So the only consequence will be people stuck in homes with mounting rent arrears and a further descent into debt. Even at this late stage, we urge the UK Government to modify its proposals.”
According to the latest Scottish government figures, there are 586,000 households in the social rented sector in Scotland, and 105,000 of these – roughly one in five – will be affected by the Bedroom Tax, each losing an average of around £50 per month.
Advice organisations have already seen a significant increase in demand for their services, and the imminent welfare reforms will inevitably lead to even more desperate cries for help.
Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) Chief Executive Margaret Lynch gave evidence about the impact of welfare changes on advice services at the Scottish Parliament earlier this month.
She said: “We expect demand for benefit advice, to increase even further along with an increased need for other areas of advice such as debt, housing, and budgeting due to changes in benefits. This increase in casework, as well as the increasing complexity and time-consuming nature or many issues, is of course having a knock-on effect on the ability of our service to help our clients.
“We are already at breaking point so desperately need to be adequately resourced to enable us to help those who need it most as we aim to mitigate the impact of welfare reform as much as possible. The recent benefits uprating bill debate highlighted the statistics showing how the poorest are paying the price for cuts. The evidence we are publishing today is not just statistics but is based on the real lives of real people. It is not just about the numbers of people affected, but the severity of the individual cases. We have seen a big rise in the number of people in crisis situations, either because of the direct impact of a benefit cut or because they have fallen through the gaps in the safety net that is meant to protect them.
“The evidence we are publishing shows who is really being hit hardest by current policies and it includes thousands of people who are genuinely sick, disabled, and vulnerable and deserve support. The impact of current policies don’t just hit the individual claimant but can also have a huge effect on children and others being cared for. Pushing people further into poverty and financial difficulties will lead to an increase in other problems such as homelessness, health inequalities, and family breakdown, as well as lead to rising debt and an increase for food hand-outs. Tackling these issues in future years will only add to the overall public spending bill, not reduce it. The UK government must heed this evidence and question whether they really want to continue on a track of devastating reforms which can only damage more lives.”
Shelter Scotland has issued advice to tenants likely to be hit by the imminent benefit cuts, and urge them to ACT NOW:
If you’re going to be affected by a deduction to your housing benefit then it’s very important that you prepare for the change before April 2013.
There are several things you can do:
If you can’t pay all your rent after the reduction you may have to think about finding somewhere else to live or you will risk falling behind with your rent and possibly being evicted. Speak to an adviser in your area as soon as possible if you’re worried that this may happen to you.
For Local advice:
Granton Information Centre 134-138 West Granton Road. Telephone 552 0458 Email info@gic.org.uk
Pilton CAB, Drylaw Shopping Centre: Telephone 202 1153 Email pilton@caed.org.uk
