Ease into Exercise at Spartans

Please let anyone you think would benefit know about this great new physical activity opportunity and share around your networks!

The physical activity team at Pilton Community Health Project have partnered up with The Spartans Football Club to develop a brand new physical activity programme for people with a range of inhibiting conditions.

The ‘Ease into Exercise’ sessions will be of great benefit to those with a range of health issues such including;

Cardiac rehab (Phase IV)
Stroke rehab
Diabetes
Obesity
Bone & Joint problems
MS/ME
Respiratory disorders (Asthma, COPD)
Mild/moderate mental health issues

Participants will receive expert advice, instruction and guidance throughout the session. The session will consist of a safe warm up and circuit type exercises that will help improve their functional/CV fitness, strength, endurance and flexibility. The instructor is fully qualified and experienced in exercise prescription for people with the range of inhibiting conditions detailed above. The sessions will be of a great physical, mental and social benefit to those who attend. Ease into Exercise promises to be effective, safe, fun and affordable at only £2 per person. Details about the class are as follows:

When: Mondays 10.45 -11.30am (Starting on 11^th November)

Where: Spartans Football Club, Ainslie Park Stadium (off Pilton Drive)

We also have a programme of volunteer-led health walks that take place on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays. These are accessible to people looking for a gentle introduction to becoming more active. The walks are great way of familiarising people with their local area, addressing any concerns people have about safety and enabling walkers to meet new people.

If you know anyone who would benefit from taking part any of these activities, or if you have any questions please get in touch with me on 0131 551 1671 or email liannepipskyj@pchp.org.uk

For more information on health walks contact claresymonds@pchp.org.uk

Lianne Pipskyj, Community Development Worker (Physical Activity) PCHP

Partnership event: Meet the Funders

Are you involved in a small community project or group that is looking for funding? Forth and Inverleith Neighbourhood Partnerships have organised a

‘Meet the Funders’ event

on Thursday 28 November from 12 – 3pm

at St Serf’s Parish Church Hall off Ferry Road.

The drop-in event will be an informal opportunity to meet a variety of small funders such as Big Lottery and Sports Scotland, SCVO and Bank of Scotland Foundation as well as various City of Edinburgh Council funds including Neighbourhood Partnership Community Grants Fund and Waste Aware Fund, with opportunities to find out more about what type of things these organisations will fund and what the closing dates are.

This event will be of particular interest to small groups who do not have access to major funding sources.

The following funding organisations have confirmed that they will be attending – will you? If you do plan to attend, please contact jim.pattison@edinburgh.gov.uk . Refreshments will be available.

Big Lottery Fund

The Melting Pot

Community Sports Hubs

Community Grants Fund (City of Edinburgh Council)

Forth Neighbourhood Partnership

Youth Business Scotland

Pass It On

Edinburgh4Community

SCVO

Bank of Scotland Foundation

Royal Bank of Scotland Foundation

Waste Aware Grants (CEC)

Business Gateway

Climate Challenge Fund

Activcity Tenants Grants (CEC) In Kind Direct

The Big Lunch

Prime (Equivalent of Youth Business Scotland for over 50s)

Sported Sportscotland

Visit Forth Neighbourhood Partnership website at: http://www.edinburghnp.org.uk/page/Forth.aspx

Letter: Making it work

Dear Editor

I wrote to NEN in 2010:

‘The struggle of the labour movement, trade unions and others has always been to ease the burden of work and to improve wages and conditions of work. It has been a long struggle, great sacrifices being made but always holding out the hope that, at long last, the nation will be able to look after the youngest – giving them all the care and opportunity needed, and giving the oldest respect, dignity and the care they need. This is how it should be and the nation will be judged accordingly.

‘Now despite all the evidence of the correctness of that struggle there are serious moves to undo the good. Raising the retirement age from 65 – to 68 initially, then later on to 70 – is a thoroughly backward move. I believe the majority of people, having worked for an average of fifty years, welcome relief from the daily grind. There should not, of course, be a compulsory retiring age if an individual wishes to continue working.’

It is now November 2013 and:

there is a situation where there are over one million young people out of work, and older people are told they will have to work for years beyond 65. This is creating new problems for the labour movement and the trade unions to solve: how can we tackle these problems and obtain the best results?

As a counter-proposal to raising the retirement age, I suggest an individual option lowering the retiring age to 62. The skills, knowledge and experience of those taking the option can be used for the benefit of their communities by agreeing to do a maximum of nine hours paid work for those three years.

No doubt this example will raise many questions and problems, but organisations representing working people must discuss what options there are and which are beneficial to all.

The scheme would release jobs for young people.
The skills and experience of the older person would be available to the community
The older person would have some work satisfaction, respect and dignity and a better quality of life
There would be a steady replacement of people taking part for the benefit of the community.

Comments and ideas needed!

Tony Delahoy

Silverknowes Gardens

Edinburgh College Open Days to highlight New Year courses

Edinburgh College holding open days to showcase new January courses

Edinburgh College is hosting two open days this month to give potential new students first-hand insight into all courses due to start in the new year.

Anyone who would like to learn about more than 100 full-time, part-time, evening and distance courses beginning at the college in January is invited along on 20 and 21 November. The open days are designed to give school leavers, adult learners, people looking for career boosts or changes and anyone else interested in education opportunities the chance to see the college up close and get advice about their options. Among the programmes on offer are access courses that will equip people returning to education with entry-level qualifications allowing them to progress onto college courses beginning next August.

Students will be putting on live music and dance performances as well as demonstrations to showcase their courses, and prospective students will be able to discuss course opportunities, applications and funding with staff. There will also be the chance to enter a free prize draw to win a Samsung Galaxy Tab 2.

Each open day will cover all the college’s course areas across its four campuses, including:

Access courses
Business
Construction and building crafts
Creative industries
Engineering
English as a second language
Health, wellbeing and social sciences
Tourism and hospitality

The open days take place on:

Wednesday 20 November, 3-8pm – Edinburgh College Granton Campus, 350 West Granton Road, EH5 1QE
Thursday 21 November, 3-8pm – Edinburgh College Sighthill Campus, Bankhead Avenue, EH11 4DE

Edinburgh College principal Mandy Exley said: “It’s not always easy to know which course is the right one for you and the best way to choose is often to talk to students and lecturers and to get a feel for the environment. By throwing open our doors and inviting everyone in to the college, we’re providing a great way to get a proper sense of how our education opportunities can make a huge difference in people’s lives and give them a platform to achieve.”

For more information about the open days and which courses are available to start in January, go towww.edinburghcollege.ac.uk/opendays

Let’s hear it for the girls!

Fresh Start honours volunteers’ community spirit

Hundreds of Edinburgh’s homeless households have been helped settle into their new homes thanks to generosity of local schoolchildren – who were recently honoured for their community spirit.

St George’s Lower School for Girls received a Community Volunteer Award from Edinburgh’s West pilton-based homelessness resettlement charity Fresh Start for its support in helping previously homeless families make a house a home.

Children from the school have collected items to go in Fresh Start’s Starter Packs for the last few years, providing invaluable support for the charity, which survives on donations to be able to make up the packs.

Every year, Fresh Start makes up and distributes around 9,000 packs, which provide the basics for new households to survive.

Keith Robertson, Managing Director, said: “The support of St George’s Lower School has meant hundreds of new households in Edinburgh have been able to make a house a home. These packs provide basics like bedding to keep warm at night, curtains to close the world out, crockery to eat dinner on. Without the kind of community spirit show by St George’s Lower School, we would struggle to continue to be able to provide the support we do.”

Head of Lower School Marjorie Hall said: “It’s been an honour to help provide goods for the packs – all the school children who have taken part have learnt a lot. They make houses to provide the goods in, which helps them to make the connection between being homeless and getting a house. It’s an important life lesson for them – that homelessness can happen to anyone.”

The school’s award was one of a number of awards, given out at the charity’s annual Volunteer Awards on Friday (November 8).

Every year Fresh Start volunteers, staff and directors nominate volunteers to get an award – Starter Pack Volunteer, Hit Squad Volunteer, Church Representative Volunteer, Community Volunteer and Corporate Volunteer.

Other award winners were:

Evelyn Scott from Colinton, who received an award for being an outstanding Starter Pack volunteer.
Tony Shephard from Abbeyhill, who received an award for being an outstanding Hit Squad volunteer. These volunteers help to decorate homes of Fresh Start clients.
Jack Simpson from Craiglockhart, who received an award for his work as a Church Representative.
The award for Corporate Volunteers went to Lloyds Banking Group.

Keith Robertson added: “At Fresh Start we depend on the support of our volunteers and the donations that come in, which is why we take a moment each year to honour those who help us so much.”

Mo! mo! mo! – hirsute runners hit Holyrood Park!

Over a thousand bewhiskered MoRunners from across the city converged on Holyrood Park for the Edinburgh MoRun on Saturday 9 Novemner, raising an estimated £30,000 for charity.

Weather held for most of the race with some showers but the cold temperature were quickly forgotten as the runners were tackling Arthur’s Seat hill.

The first male to cross the line was Danny White who completed the 5k course in an impressive 18.01 minutes, followed shortly after by the female winner Fionna Barrow who finished in 23:12 minutes.

For the 10k, Hedwig Ponjee finished it in 42:08 for the first female and Tom Wilson in an astonishing 36:50 minutes as first male.

Every runner who enters the run wears a moustache for the event, which raises for funds for Movember charity, and many dressed in fancy dress to take on the 5k or 10k route.

Dave Krangel, Edinburgh MoRun Race Director, said: “We were delighted at the success of the first ever Edinburgh MoRun, with thousands of MoRunners turning up to Holyrood Park in awesome fancy dress and comedy moustaches.

“MoRunning is about enjoying running with friends and family whilst raising funds for Movember to help fight men’s cancers. The atmosphere in Edinburgh was buzzing and we hope to have raised around £30 000 for charity”.

The Edinburgh MoRun is one of 11 MoRuns taking place in parks across Scotland and the rest of the UK and Republic of Ireland during Movember.

A full list of results and winners is available on the MoRunning website at http://edinburgh.mo-running.com

Runners can also follow @mo_running on Twitter or join the MoRunning Facebook group http://www.facebook.com/morunning

Get on board in Drylaw

DTCA

You are invited to

Drylaw Telford Community Association’s Annual General Meeting

on Monday 25 November 2013, at 6.00pm

Are you interested in becoming more active in your local community and shaping the future of your neighbourhood centre? We are looking for local people to join our Management Committee. Please come and speak to us if you would like find out more.

AGM Order of Business:

Welcome and Apologies
Minutes of last AGM
Chairs Report
Treasurers report
Approve Annual Accounts
Appointment of Independent Examiner
Staff report
Election of new committee
AOCB

We hope you will be able to attend and join us for refreshments and a chat after the meeting.

Drylaw Telford Community Association

Management Committee

Philippines disaster: how you can help

An urgent appeal has been launched to provide immediate relief and long term recovery for the millions affected as Typhoon Haiyan washed away homes, businesses and entire communities in the Philippines on Friday.

The official death toll stands at more than 2,000, though some reports say it could be exceed 10,000. The United Nations says more than 11 million people have been affected and some 673,000 displaced – this is greater than the entire population of Edinburgh

The Edinburgh Disaster Response Committee is calling on people in the city to donate to the appeal via Mercy Corps, an Edinburgh-based international humanitarian organisation, to help survivors of the disaster.

Mercy Corps has responded to almost every major disaster in the last 20 years, including the Boxing Day tsunami, Haiti earthquake, Japan tsunami, the hunger crisis in the Horn of Africa and the on-going Syria crisis. Based on their experience in the Philippines they will focus on providing immediate, lifesaving assistance while keeping in mind longer-term recovery.

They are working with partners to immediately evaluate distribution needs of non-food items including shelter, hygiene kits, and water.

Ali MacLeod, spokesperson for Mercy Corps, said: “The needs are great and there is a very real threat of disease out-breaks and further storms. With so many so vulnerable we urgently need the support of people here in our home city to help us to help people in the Philippines.

“Cash donations will mean we can buy the items we need close to the disaster site, avoiding the high cost and difficulty of sorting, shipping, storing, and importing the goods.

“By purchasing materials in nearby markets, we can purchase exactly what is needed, support local economies and businesses and get aid to those who need it more quickly, and ultimately use our funds more effectively and wisely.’

Cllr Andrew Burns, City of Edinburgh Council Leader, chairs the Edinburgh Disaster Response Committee. He said: “I’m pleased to have seen very quick action from the government and aid agencies to deal with the impact of this disaster. For our part, we will be working with Mercy Corps who are already looking to the longer-term and planning to provide assistance for the rebuilding of those communities devastated by the earthquake.

“We hope that the people of Edinburgh will support Mercy Corps to help the Philippines as the capital has a long and proud tradition of reaching out to those in less fortunate circumstances. I’m sure they will act with the same compassion and generosity in response to this tragedy.”

The Edinburgh Disasters Response Committee was set up by Mercy Corps and City of Edinburgh Council in 2009. The Committee works in association with other city organisations to co-ordinate fundraising across Edinburgh (and East Central Scotland) to deliver a more effective humanitarian response to the survivors of major disasters.

People can donate by the following methods through Mercy Corps:

– Philippines Typhoon response donation page on our web site: www.mercycorps.org.uk and a dedicated landing page: https://www.mercycorps.org.uk/help-typhoon-haiyan-survivors

– Facebook: Families in the Philippines are in urgent need after Super Typhoon Haiyan devastated towns and villages, causing heavy damage from wind and water. Thousands of people are feared dead, and hundreds of thousands more have been displaced from their homes. Donate Now: http://bit.ly/1ajAkTQ

– Twitter: Survivors of Super Typhoon #Haiyan desperately need our help. Donate Now: http://bit.ly/1ajAkTQ

– Call 08000 413 060 or 0131 6625173

– Cheque to: Mercy Corps Scotland, 40 Sciennes, Edinburgh, EH9 1NJ

… and Forth are having a Health Fair too!

Forth Health Flyer

Forth Neighbourhood Partnership along with Edinburgh Leisure and Pilton Community Health Project is holding a

Health Fair and Family Fun Day at Ainslie Park Leisure Centre

on Saturday 23 November

to showcase local health related services and activities and hear what local residents think are their priorities for improving health in the Forth ward. See the attached flyer for more details.

The event will have a ‘market place’ format with people able to drop in at any time between 1.30pm and 3.30pm.

If your organisation would like to have some space on the day to publicise any health related activities then please get in touch with me at jim.pattison@edinburgh.gov.uk or on 529 5082.

Jim Pattison

Partnership Development Officer, Forth Neighbourhood Partnership

Forth Health Flyer

Goody, goody – health prizes in Inverleith

As you will know, the Inverleith Neighbourhood Partnership is holding a health-themed event at Stockbridge House from 5 – 7.30pm on Monday evening (18 November).

There will be goody bags for first 50 visitors, plus a prize draw for everyone who visits.

The evening is a drop in, so please come visit us and see a range of stalls from health providers on a range of subjects to help improve your health, including health food and cooking, information on walking and cycling, information on local physical activity providers, free health checks and fun ‘come and try’ sessions of power hoops and bowls and others.

There will also be a chance to have your say on what the Neighbourhood Partnership should be focusing on in its new Local Community Plan 2014-2017.

We are using a hashtag for the event to try to drum up some interest – #healthinverleith – if you use twitter and would like to get involved in telling your followers about he event, please use this and please follow us @north_team

We hope you and your family can join us, and please forward this information on to anyone else we may have missed.

Elaine Lennon

Partnership Development Officer

City of Edinburgh Council Services for Communities

8 West Pilton Gardens Edinburgh, EH4 4DP

Tel: 0131 529 5270