Day: September 5, 2014

Friends of Granton Castle Walled Garden invite

 

Deadline looms for historic local treasure

granton-castle-walled-garden-19201The Friends of Granton Castle Walled Garden group is holding an informal  ‘meet and eat’ event at Royston Wardieburn Community Centre on Tuesday (9 September) at 3pm.

Organiser Kirsty Sutherland said: “It is really important folk know what’s happening before the 3rd October as that is the last date anything can be done to change local development plans. Our local community council agreed with our aims and will write a letter of support for our group, but we hope more people will get involved to help save this precious community asset.”

For further information see the group’s Facebook page.

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Lazarowicz backs ‘bedroom tax’ amendment

bigbenMark Lazarowicz MP has joined Labour colleagues in giving a partial welcome to a Private Members’ Bill being debated today in the UK Parliament designed to exempt some people from the so-called ‘bedroom tax’.

The Housing Reform Act 2012 included the removal of the spare room subsidy, which means that social tenants can see their housing benefit cut severely where they are deemed to be occupying a property larger than they need.

The Bill is being introduced by Andrew George, LibDem MP for St Ives, and although committed to abolition of the bedroom tax the Labour Opposition is aiming to strengthen it as a step towards that.

The North and Leith MP said: “The Bill is welcome in so far as it goes in seeking to exempt some people hit by the bedroom tax and in encouraging the building of new affordable housing but the real answer is simple: scrap the bedroom tax as Labour is committed to do.

“This unfair and vicious policy has left vulnerable tenants like disabled people and their carers under threat of having to move and the Government has been forced to apply sticking plaster to the wound it has caused by increasing discretionary housing payments in dribs and drabs.

“It is all very well for some LibDem MPs to be calling for the bedroom tax to be modified to exempt them a few months before the UK General Election – if they had opposed it from the start, the government would not have been able to bring it in at all!

“The real answer to the desperate shortage of affordable housing is not to victimise existing social tenants but to tackle it at root by building more of it.”

Creative cookery on a budget at Craigie

risottoWe have a great cookery course at Craigroyston Community High School – the focus is on inexpensive, nutritious cooking for families – using only own brand items – and they make really delicious rissottos, thai curries and other tasty dishes all for a weeny weeny amount of money.

The course is free but we do ask for a £1.50 fee to pay each week towards ingredients. The idea is that participants come with containers and take away a substantial meal for a family of four – if  there are more in the family, I am sure there would be enough food!

The tutor is very friendly, patient and helpful and very enthusiastic about cooking. If people can get here they will really enjoy and benefit from the class – and be assured of a  good dinner on Wednesday nights!

Unfortunately we do not have a creche.

Craigroyston Community High School is on good bus routes – along Ferry Road or the 27 which comes down Pennywell Road.

If you would like to enrol, it can be done anytime online by clicking onto www.joininedinburgh.org and use the search box – put in Craigroyston Cook – and then just go through as with any online purchase, or you could telephone the school on 477 7801 to book.

The new cookery class starts on Wednesday 24 September, 6 – 7.30pm

The Joininedinburgh site has information about all the other classes all round the city as well – take a look, there are lots of new things to try!

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Fiona Henderson, Craigroyston Community High School

Result! Super Spartans £150,000 fundraiser

Craig Graham

A fundraising dinner and charity auction at Prestonfield House Hotel has raised an incredible £150,000 for local social enterprise The Spartans Community Football Academy.

BBC SportScotland’s Richard Gordon was Master of Ceremonies and entertainment was headlined by comedian Kevin Bridges and Graham Souness.

A few sore heads this morning no doubt but all in a good cause!

Douglas Samuel

 

Free fun for under-fives this weekend

One, two, free fun with Edinburgh Leisure!

Under 5sEdinburgh Leisure is hosting free under 5’s Open Days at three venues this Sunday (7 September).

Experts agree the best way to help kids enjoy healthy, active lives is to start as you mean to go on, and Edinburgh Leisure has lots of activities that wee ones, and their parents, can enjoy starting from 4 months through to 5 years old.

Come and try out classes specifically designed for pre-school children. And look out for lots more fun around the different centres too, including face painting, bouncy castle and adult health checks!

The three Centres?You’ll find fun aplenty at Craiglockhart Leisure and Tennis Centre (9.15 – 12.15),  the Royal Commonwealth Pool (midday – 3.30pm) and Gracemount Leisure Centre (1 – 3.30pm).

For more information visit: www.edinburghleisure.co.uk