Drylaw Telford Community Association have cancelled their Annual General Meeting, which was due to be held in Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre this evening.
We’ll post information about the rescheduled meeting when we have it.
Month: November 2013
Government set to act on pay day lenders
The Westminster government is to introduce legislation to cap the cost of payday loans. In a move that’s likely to be welcomed by campaigners, the Treasury says there is “growing evidence” in support of the move.
The cap will be included in the Banking Reform Bill, which is currently going through Parliament, and the level of the cap will be decided by the new regulator the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
Chancellor George Osborne told the BBC there will be controls on charges – things like arrangement and penalty fees – as well as on interest rates. “It will not just be an interest rate cap, you’ve got to cap the overall cost of credit,” he said.
Although the level of the cap is yet to be determined, the announcement will be welcomed by opposition and campaign groups who have been urging the government to take action against some pay-day lenders’ practices: eye-watering interest rates and hidden charges which hit the poorest hardest and drive desperate people deeper into debt.
Just last week, Citizens Advice Scotland claimed that many payday lenders in Scotland are breaking the promises they made last year to clean up their act. According to CAS research, lenders continued to break ‘most of the pledges in their own code.’
The main points were:
- less than half of payday lenders in Scotland are telling people that loans should not be used for long-term financial problems;
- only 1 in 3 are checking peoples’ financial background before giving them a loan;
- only 14% of customers felt the lender was sympathetic when they got into difficulties repaying the loan; and
- only a third of lenders are warning their customers about the dangers of roll-over loans.
CAS Chief Executive Margaret Lynch said: “When the payday lenders published this voluntary code last year we made clear we would be watching them like a hawk to make sure they kept to their word. Because there’s no point making promises if you don’t live up to them.
“Our survey results – together with the experience of other clients we see every day in the CAB – show very clearly that this Code of Conduct Is being ignored repeatedly.
“Across Scotland, CAB advisers are currently seeing over 100 cases every week of people who are in crisis debt to a payday lender. That’s a third higher than this time last year. Our evidence is that many lenders are operating in ways that result in people getting into debts they can’t handle.
“So the Payday Lenders have had their chance to clean up the industry, and they have failed. It’s time now for the regulators to step in and do it properly.”
Child rescued after Royston wheelie bin blaze
A three year old girl escaped serious injury when she was rescued after a wheelie bin was pushed against the door of a house in Royston and set on fire yesterday morning.
The three-year-old girl was lowered from a window into the arms of bin men who were working in Royston Mains Crescent. Firefighters then arrived shortly after the alarm was raised at 7.30am, leading a 35-year-old woman to safety.
Neither the woman nor the child required hospital treatment, but the Fire Investigation Unit is now investigating the incident.
A spokeswoman for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said: “A bin had been placed against the front door of the property and set on fire. We used two breathing apparatus and one hose reel to extinguish the fire.
“A three-year-old female was lowered from the window into the care of bin men who were nearby prior to the arrival of the fire service and a 35-year-old female was led to safety by firefighters. They were treated at the scene by the ambulance crew but they didn’t go to hospital.”
Even more funders to meet on Thursday
The funders list just grows and grows! More names have been added to an already impressive list of organisations who will be participating in Thursday’s ‘Meet the Funders’ event in St Serf’s Church Hall between midday to 3pm.
The list now reads:
Big Lottery Fund
The Melting Pot
Community Sports Hubs
Community Grants Fund
General Enquiries
Youth Business Scotland
Pass It On
Edinburgh4Community
SCVO
Bank of Scotland Foundation
Royal Bank of Scotland Foundation
Waste Aware Grants
Recycling
Business Gateway
Climate Challenge Fund
Activcity
Tenants Grants
In Kind Direct
The Big Lunch
Prime
Sported
Sportscotland
Scottish Government 2014 Commonwealth Games Legacy
Edinburgh Airport Community Fund
CSV Action Earth Grab a Grant
Royal Bank of Scotland Inspiring Enterprise
Youth Employment Scotland Fund
Voluntary Action Fund
So if you are a small organisation looking for a grant to help your work, this drop-in event is not to be missed – it’s free, informal and no booking necessary.
You’ll find St Serf’s (pictured) at the junction of Ferry Road and Clark Road.
Celebrate Book Week
A host of events are being held in libraries across Edinburgh to celebrate Book Week Scotland 2013 (25 November – 1 December).
Now a major date in Scotland’s cultural calendar, Book Week Scotland is a national celebration of reading created to highlight Scotland’s exceptional cultural, creative and literary talent, and to remind everyone of the unique pleasure that can be gained from a good book.
Throughout the week Edinburgh Libraries will be holding author events, talks, workshops and even hosting a pop-up bookshop in Central Library in celebration of this national event.
Highlights include an event held specifically for prisoners at Saughton Prison Library, a talk by Saltire prize winner James Robertson at Blackhall Library, an event with broadcaster and journalist Lesley Riddoch and a coffee and cake morning at Oxgangs Library with Edinburgh crime writer Lin Anderson.
Councillor Richard Lewis, the city’s Culture and Sport Convener, said: “Book Week Scotland is a great opportunity for everyone to share their love of reading with others. I can think of no better place than Edinburgh, the world’s first UNESCO City of Literature, to get people excited about reading, writing and literature. The city’s libraries are hosting some fantastic events throughout the week and I hope everyone will join us to celebrate the love of a good book!”
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 work with a range of partners across Scotland to deliver a packed programme of free projects and events, bringing people of all ages and from all walks of life together to celebrate books and reading.
For more information about Book Week Scotland, visit
Follow @Bookweekscot on Twitter
check out #bookweekscot
or like the Book Week Scotland Facebook page.
Young mother robbed in her Pilton home
Police are appealing for witnesses after two men burst into the home of a young mother in West Pilton and made off with money on Friday night.
The 23-year-old woman was with her toddler son at an address in West Pilton Green when two men – one of whom was armed with a knife – entered her house at about 11pm on Friday.
Police Scotland said they fled with a small amount of money when the family dog started barking.
The pair were said to be about 16-19 years old and wearing hooded tops.
One was wearing a dark tracksuit with a hooded top and the other was wearing grey tracksuit bottoms, a grey hooded top with a dark band over the shoulders and three white stripes on the sleeves.
Det Sgt Gary Harrison said: “We are appealing for information to help trace the two men who were responsible for this. Neither the mother nor her child were injured during this incident but it was very frightening for them and they are shocked.”
Don’t forget Forth’s Family Fun Day!
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 tomorrow to showcase local health related services and activities and hear what local residents think are their priorities for improving health in the Forth ward.
The event will have a ‘market place’ format with people able to drop in at any time between 1.30pm and 3.30pm, with loads to see and do – see poster (above).
Don’t miss it – it’s what Saturdays are for!
Port of Leith’s excellent inspection
Port of Leith Housing Association receives glowing praise from Care Inspectorate
Port of Leith Housing Association’s (PoLHA) sheltered housing complexes have been classified as ‘excellent’ by the Care Inspectorate for the quality of care and support to their 131 residents.
Findings from the Care Inspection report issued this week revealed that the sheltered housing complexes in the Leith area of Edinburgh – Hermitage Court, St Nicholas Court and Jameson Place – were awarded a grade six (excellent) for ensuringthat residents’ health and wellbeing needs are well catered for. Helping people stay well in their tenancy is a priority for staff and the benefits of an active and healthy lifestyle were recognised through exercise classes, coffee mornings and charity fundraising events.
Following a ‘short notice’ inspection, follow on visits and attendance at tenants’ meetings over a four week period, a series of service records, including evidence of activities and social events, newsletters and supervision and development, were sampled to enable the inspector to review the work being done and deliver a grade.
In addition, 40 per cent of tenants were issued care standards questionnaires. Of the 29 completed questionnaires, 100 per cent were happy with the quality of support they received.
Keith Anderson, Chief Executive of PoLHA, said: “This is a tremendous achievement. We are delighted to have been awarded a grade six for the level of care and services our staff provide. We are committed to delivering the best possible care for our residents and the staff do a wonderful job in ensuring their needs are met are at all times.”
The Association was also awarded a grade five (very good) for the quality of staffing, management and leadership.
Maureen Tait, PoLHA’sSenior Sheltered Housing Co-ordinator, said: “We’re delighted to have been recognised for our efforts. We strive to make our tenants feel comfortable and ‘at home’ while they stay with us. Many residents still like to have their own independence, but also be part of a close-knit team, which is why they enjoy getting on board with our fundraising activities.”
Blooming marvellous! The end’s in sight – in a roundabout way
Drylaw Telford Community Council’s final meeting of the year takes place next Wednesday. The meeting could also see an end to one of the organisation’s longest-running sagas – the Groathill Road North roundabout.
The state of the roundabout has been making some local residents cross almost since the railings were removed there three years ago. Neighbourhood Partnership funding was allocated to Drylaw’s gardening group to undertake environmental improvements on the site, but a catalogue of problems with successive subcontractors has seen the roundabout become an untidy eyesore.
Drylaw Telford CC’s chair Alex Dale has had a series of meetings with North’s Environmental Manager Steven Cuthill to resolve the long-running issue, and a proposal to transform the troubled roundabout will be tabled at next week’s meeting.
Alex Dale said: “Steven produced the proposal at Inverleith Neighbourhood partnership’s last Clean, Green & Safe meeting and explained that this is a proposal and is still being costed. Steven will be attending our community council meeting on the 27th to discuss this proposal or listen to any other ideas the community would like to take forward instead.
“We have the choice to accept this or offer Steven an alternative plan. It will all be up for discussion on the night and if we can agree on something then it should bring the long ongoing saga to a conclusion!”
So there you have it – if the proposal is accepted Groathill Road roundabout will have ‘complete ground cover during summer within two seasons’ – blooming marvellous!
The meeting takes place in Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre on Wednesday 27 November at 7pm. All welcome.
Tenants urged to take up rent payment help
Nearly half the Council tenants in Edinburgh subject to the UK Government’s under-occupancy charge – better known as the ‘bedroom tax’ – have not applied for extra help to pay their rent despite facing growing arrears and debt, it’s been revealed.
Almost 3,000 Council tenants are under-occupying their home and face paying between £14 and £25 per week as their housing benefit doesn’t pay for their extra room, but only around 1,500 of these tenants have applied for extra help available from the Council through Discretionary Housing Payments.
The Council was awarded extra funds from the Scottish Government in September this year, bringing the total available for Discretionary Housing Payments to over £3 million.
Recent figures from the Council’s housing service showed an estimated £1.25 million of arrears are attributable to people not paying the under-occupancy charge, which has been dubbed the ‘bedroom tax’.
City Housing Leader Councillor Cammy Day said yesterday: “It’s critical that hard-pressed tenants seek the extra help the Council is offering in the form of Discretionary Housing Payments, otherwise they face getting deeper into debt.
“Staff from the Council and advice agencies have been holding special surgeries and writing to, visiting and calling tenants over the last few months but ultimately tenants need to apply for the assistance available or they will lose out. I would urge any tenant who hasn’t yet applied for extra help to get in touch with their local housing office without delay.”
The under-occupancy charge was introduced to encourage tenants with a spare room to move to a smaller home. On average there is only ever one single bedroom property available to let for every 80 under-occupying households in the city.
Council tenants affected by the under-occupancy charge are encouraged to contact or call in to their local housing office for advice.