21/09/2014 – The NEN – North Edinburgh News

Waterfront regeneration: still time to book your place

It’s now less than a week away, but there’s still time to book your place at Building New Futures, Forth’s regeneration conference:

Regeneration Event Poster

If you live, visit or work in the north of the city, you may be aware of regeneration activity underway. Here in the Forth Neighbourhood, a number of projects have started or are under development. The Forth Neighbourhood Partnership and local Community Councils feel that this is a good time to bring together as many of those involved with managing or developing local regeneration to engage with the wider Forth community.

The Forth Regeneration event will take place on Saturday 27 September in Edinburgh College – Granton Campus from 10am – 2pm.

The event has been designed to be interactive and allow people the opportunity to fully understand and influence, where possible, current regeneration activity and future proposals. Information and discussion groups will take place around:

· New homes and improved public space in Pennywell/Muirhouse and health facilities;

· Proposals for Granton Waterfront;

· Wider investment across Forth, identifying challenges and opportunities.

An overview of the Second Proposed Local Development Plan will help set the scene before we head into discussion groups around the above three key areas.

A light lunch is available. Please let us know if you require any childcare arrangements.

Use the link below to book a place. If you have already booked, there is no need to re-book – please forward to anyone you think may be interested in attending.

BOOK A PLACE

Location, location, location: Miller Homes launches photography competition

Miller Homes launches ‘great locations’ photography competition

Edinburgh housebuilder Miller Homes is launching a photography competition encouraging people to submit a photo they have taken which encapsulates all that is great about the area in which they live.

Highlighting the importance of location, the ‘Great locations photography competition’ will also ask entrants to provide a sentence or two giving context to their photo.

Anne Marie Britton, Scotland Area Sales and Marketing Director at Miller Homes (pictured above) said: “More often than not, location is a deciding factor in people’s decisions on where they want to live. Location is so important, and for this reason we ensure we only create communities in the very best places in Edinburgh with access to good schools, excellent local amenities and superb transport links.

“For our great location photography competition we are asking people to consider their locations and the reasons why they love them. We want to start conversations about place and to really tap into what makes a location appealing, exploring how vital this is to how people feel about where they live.

“We are anticipating a range of interesting entries and look forward to receiving these over the coming weeks and months. Best of luck to all entrants!”

Entries should be sent to millerhomesphotocomp@miller.co.uk and once received will be published on Miller Homes’ social media channels. Deadline for entries is 26 October 2014.

All entrants must be over 16 years old and pictures will be judged by professional photographer Mike Wilkinson.

Mike (pictured above) has 26 years experience and currently supplies images for The Times, Sunday Times and Financial Times. He said: “Often the most simple of objects make for the most interesting photographs. I am fascinated in the sights that capture the eye and look forward to seeing the array of images that are submitted in the competition.”

A winner will be selected from each of the housebuilder’s six regions (Scotland, North East, North West, Yorkshire, Midlands, Southern) and then from these winners an overall national winner will be selected. Regional winners will each receive a £50 Amazon voucher plus the opportunity to have their photo framed and displayed in their nearest Miller Homes development; and on top of this the overall winner will receive a gift voucher for a one-day photography course as well as a framed copy of their photograph.

Full terms and conditions can be read here.

Royal Victoria Hospital: heritage worth saving

I am the editor of www.craigleithhill.co.uk. Amongst other historical information on the Craigleith district I have included a history of the Royal Victoria Hospital.

My interest with the RVH site is the B listed Admin Block which hopefully the planners are going to retain. This building was built in the 1906 and the design was overseen by the pioneer of Tuberculosis treatment Dr Philip. I am hoping that this building with its superb acid stained beams (see my web site) and superb wood panelled conference room could be retained with the history of the RVH and in memory of Dr Philip who was a pioneer in the treatment of TB.

There are many wall plaques still retained in the entrance way to the old RVH which could well find a new home in this building. The building would be ideal as a conference room for NHS meetings as well as Community Council meetings.

Alan Ross

Saltire Society awards for prominent Scots

Professor Sue Black, Sir Chris Hoy and Dr Ann Matheson honoured for their contribution to Scottish culture

Leading international scientist Professor Sue Black, Olympic cyclist Sir Chris Hoy and celebrated Academic Dr Ann Matheson have been named as this year’s winners of the Andrew Fletcher of Saltoun Award.

Established in 1988, the award forms part of the Saltire Society’s annual awards programme, which recognises and celebrates Scottish culture and heritage. It celebrates the legacy of Andrew Fletcher of Saltoun, often remembered as one of Scotland’s true patriots, by recognising significant contributions made to Scottish culture.

Previous recipients include Tom Fleming, Donald Dewar, George Davie, Dolinna MacLennan, Robin Jenkins, George Mackay Brown and in 2013, William McIlvanney.

Nominations for the award are made by the Saltire Society Council who this year decided to broaden the scope to now include three different categories and thus three awards so as to recognise a wider range of achievements and to engage wider public interest. These categories are: Arts and Humanities, Public Life and Science.

The categories for the 2014 Andrew Fletcher of Saltoun Award are:

Arts And Humanities – awarded to Dr Ann Matheson, member of the Board of the Scottish Poetry Library, for her lengthy and continued championing of Scotland’s literary and linguistic culture;

Public Life – awarded to Great Britain’s most successful Olympian and most successful Olympic cyclist of all time, Sir Chris Hoy;

Science – awarded to Professor Sue Black, Director of Dundee University’s Centre for Anatomy and Human Identification.

The ceremony took place at a reception at Edinburgh’s City Chambers on Saturday afternoon where winners were presented with a bespoke award by Convenor of the Saltire Society, David Ward.

Commenting on the Saltire Society Council’s selection Mr Ward said: “As a Council, we are thrilled to have been able to award one of our most prestigious accolades to three undisputable Ambassadors of Scottish culture.

“This year in particular Scotland finds itself in a spotlight on the world’s stage and we felt it appropriate that we should honour as wide a range of achievements as possible in order to truly be able to reflect the rich and varied cultural heritage that Scotland has to offer and that we support.

“2014’s Andrew Fletcher of Saltoun Award recipients do that and more with their remarkable achievements highlighting some modern day examples of Scottish achievement.”

2014 award recipient Professor Sue Black of Dundee University said: “It is both an honour and a privilege to be selected as a recipient for this award, particularly when I see the calibre of fellow recipients past and present. “I would like to pass on my sincere thanks to the Saltire Society Council for electing to bestow this honour on me.”

Commenting on her award, Dr Ann Matheson said: “I am deeply honoured to receive the Fletcher of Saltoun Award from the Saltire Society. It has been a privilege to have had the opportunity to be associated with Scotland’s literary culture, past and present, and with all those who work so steadfastly on its behalf, during an inspiring period in the nation’s history.”

For more information about The Saltire Society go to:

http://www.saltiresociety.org.uk/

News from Blackhall Athletic

The club currently has five teams (4 boys and 1 girls ), we are in the process of starting up another boys team and girls team and in January another boys team will be launched. That will give us 105 boys and girls having the opportunity to take part in active sport.

As well as the sporting element, there are other benefits too. All of our boys and girls will, through training and playing, undertake over 180 hours of physical activity which is a health benefit.

And then there’s teamwork. Our players come from all over the area; they go to different schools and come from different backgrounds but they are all the same when they put on the club strip. This teaches them that they must all work together to achieve success and the young people learn the life skills they will need as they grow into adulthood.

Recently the Inverleith Partnership awarded a grant of £1164 to equip some of our teams and we have just heard that Scotmid have awarded the club a grant of £450 which will be used to equip a new girls under 13 team .

The club would not exist without this financial support and the dedication of the 25 adult members of the club who carry out a variety of tasks such as coaches, first aiders, admin duties and committee members .

John Adams, Blackhall Athletic