Month: July 2013

Visiting students attacked in Muirhouse

mmc

A group of overseas students have been attacked and robbed in Muirhouse. The incident happened outside the Millennium Centre on Muirhouse Medway on Wednesday night.

A dozen foreign exchange students were confronted by a gang of 15-20 local youths, both males and females, aged from nine or ten up to 18 years of age. Two of the students were assaulted and robbed and another two students received minor injuries.

A Police Scotland spokesman said the attack took place at about 22:00 on Wednesday and added: “This was an unprovoked attack on a group of foreign students who are currently staying with host families in Edinburgh. Inquiries are continuing and we are determined to find those responsible for this attack. Additional high-visibility police patrols are in the area and anyone with any information is asked to contact us.”

Walkathon update

walkaton

Almost there, people – just two days until the BIG DAY!

The latest itenerary for Saturday is as follows:

9.30 am – 9.45 am
Volunteers and Stewards arrive at Granton Campus to set up e.g Registration Desk/Agree Roles and Routes/Receive Maps and Hi Vis Vest etc.
9.45 am – 10.30 am
Registration
Walkers register and choose which route to walk
Opportunity to find out about community facilities at the College e.g. Hair & Beauty/Spa/Restaurant etc.
10.05 -10.10am
Welcome speech from Chair of NEN Board
10.10 – 10.15am
Show of support speech from Chair of Forth Neighbourhood Partnership
10.15 – 10.25am
Walkers warm up with Edinburgh Zumba Boys
10.30am
Walkers join their chosen groups (Stewards and Volunteers will be wearing Hi Vis vests). and Walk Starts
10.30 – 10.45am
Tally up numbers registered and phone to advise participating centres of expected numbers.
10.45 – 11.30am
Prepare photo opportunity area to welcome first walkers back to The Hub
11.30 –  2.00pm
Walkers expected back
WALKscottishgas2

NEN Walkathon: just three more posts to go

Walkathon Route Map 3

Just in case you’ve missed one or two previous posts, NEN Walkathon is taking place this Saturday (20 July), leaving from Edinburgh College Granton Campus.

Registration takes place from 9.45am and the Walk starts at 10.30.

NEN boeard member Ann Confrey has helped to organise the event. She said: “I have had a very productive meeting with a group of volunteers who will be assisting on Saturday. There are five ladies, all of whom have experience leading or helping to lead groups of walkers in the North Edinburgh area.

“I have one other volunteer – Clare – who will be manning the registration desk and the college’s lovely Jen Kelly will be ensuring that refreshments, information and ample space are provided for the registration process.”
 
So everything’s in place – all we need now are the local walkers to help make the NEN Walkathon a day to remember!
 
 
WalkDNC
 

 

New service to help local veterans find work

DSCF3065

EMPLOY-ABLE:

A NEW SERVICE TO HELP EDINBURGH & LOTHIANS VETERANS FIND WORK

Veterans in Edinburgh and the Lothians can now access a local service that will deliver support to help vulnerable ex-Servicemen and women find work. Veterans’ charity Poppyscotland and mental health charity SAMH (Scottish Association for Mental Health) have created Employ-Able, which provides local support, training and practical advice to assist veterans in their search for jobs.

Employ-Able aims to remove barriers, help develop skills and set goals, taking the form of one-to-one and group work sessions, using the model of SAMH’s successful workshop-based Tools for Living programme. Ongoing support once veterans are in employment is also available.

Bobby Duffy, Director of Operations at SAMH said: “Scotland’s veterans deserve as much support as we can give them when they settle back into the community. We know it can be hard for some veterans to get back into regular employment and that unemployment and financial difficulties are bad for your mental health, so we’re really pleased to be working with Poppyscotland to deliver this service.”

There are around 189,000 veterans of working age in Scotland and Poppyscotland research suggests that the unemployment rate for veterans aged 18-49 is twice that of the general UK population, with around 28,000 veterans in Scotland out of work. The research found a lack of current employability services that specifically target veterans who may be vulnerable or need additional support to get back into work. Employ-Able is intended to address this gap.

Gary Gray, Head of Welfare Services at Poppyscotland, commented: “A small but significant number of veterans face difficulty in adjusting to civilian life with many facing complex and multiple issues. Employment and mental health are areas of great concern as they impact greatly on all aspects of veterans’ lives and those of their families. By combining Poppyscotland’s knowledge of veterans’ issues and SAMH’s expertise we believe Employ-Able will tackle some of these key areas of difficulty and improve veterans’ prospects.”

Army veteran William Burnett (23) served with the Royal Regiment of Scotland for four years and saw service in Afghanistan. After leaving the Armed Forces William struggled to find a secure job but he is now in full-time employment as a warehouse assistant after taking part in Employ-Able. He said: “I was a nervous wreck when it came to interviews and never got the jobs I applied for. Employ-Able really helped me to get my confidence back. It helped me to develop my skills and I received support to prepare for interviews and get my CV up to date.

“I am now in a full-time job, which is going really well, and I am still in contact with my work preparation adviser who is there to offer me ongoing support. I would recommend Employ-Able to anyone who is unsure about how to get back into work after their time in the Forces.”

To find out more about Employ-Able call Poppyscotland’s Employment Services Co-ordinator Dot Pringle on 0131 550 1568 or email d.pringle@poppyscotland.org.uk 

SAMH

PoppyScotland

Walkathon: seconds out!

CreweTollWalk

2013 WALKATHON SPONSOR FORM

The NEN Walkathon is just four days away now – I hope your rigorous training regime, like mine, is holding up in this tropical weather …

Another alternative route to consider:

THE TIPPLER’s TRAIL

Local legend Big Boab Baxter
Local legend Big Boab Baxter

I could regale you with the tale of the Boswall Battler – Big Boab Baxter, the barefist bruiser – but I will save that story for another day. Instead, here’s are the watering holes that make up the historic Tippler’s Trail:

Telford Arms, Telford Road

The Doo’cot, Ferry Road

Ferry Boat, Ferry Road

The Gunner, Pennywell Road

The Anchor, West Granton Road

For seasoned drinkers walkers you could add detours into Davidson’s Mains and/or continue beyond the Anchor to The Old Chain Peir and beyond … each tavern is a new adventure!

Cheers!

WALKATHON ROUTE

Walkathon Route Map 3

Letters: Winners and losers of the global race

Dear Editor

The repeated use of certain words and phrases, for example ‘let me be clear’, ‘openness and transparency’, ‘hub’, ‘flat-lining’ are very irritating; and ‘we must win the global race’, often repeated by David Cameron and most Tory politicians, is both annoying and dangerous.

Dangerous; when the state of the world needs nations to work together to solve problems of food production, fuel and energy supplies, diseases, protection of the world’s forests and climate change.

Dangerous; because ‘winning the global race’ means there are losers, creating disastrous unemployment, poverty and health problems.

There are many examples of companies engaged in the ‘global race’, making vast profits in one country, closing industries in others, showing little concern for people’s’ lives and wellbeing. The ‘global race’ does not exclude the working people of the UK from this exploitation.

A. Delahoy

Silverknowes Gardens