September 2014 – Page 9 – The NEN

Postal voters: act NOW to have your say

City’s schoolchildren to attend historic count

A pupil from each of Edinburgh’s 23 High Schools will attend the capital’s referendum count overnight next Thursday – and postal votes are being urged to act NOW to ensure they have their say in the historic vote.

The pupils, who are all first time voters, will be the guests of Edinburgh city council’s Chief Executive and Counting Officer Sue Bruce. They will all be first time voters and will attend the count at Ingliston between 22:00 on Thursday and 07:00 on Friday 19 September.

The pupils will have access to all areas so they can watch proceedings, and Sue Bruce said: “This will be an exciting, once in a lifetime, opportunity for these first time voters and an experience they will never forget.”

More than 76% of Edinburgh’s postal voters have already had their say in the Scottish Independence Referendum – of the 81,648 people who applied to vote in the poll by post, 62,310 have already been returned to the Counting Officer.

City of Edinburgh Council postal vote staff began verifying the returned postal votes on Thursday in preparation for the count next week – but the 24% of people still to return their postal voting pack are being urged to send it as soon as possible, to ensure it arrives with the Returning Officer by 10pm on Thursday, 18th September.

Sue Bruce said: “I am pleased see such a high turnout of postal voters with less than a week to go until the Referendum, but it is essential that all those who have not yet returned their postal voting packs do so as soon as possible.

“It is important that people plan ahead and don’t leave it until the last minute – in order to have your say you must make sure your vote is posted in time to arrive with the Returning Officer by Thursday.”

Those who applied to vote by post should have received a postal voting pack, which includes a ballot paper, a postal voting statement, an ‘A’ envelope to put the completed ballot paper in and a ‘B’ envelope in which to return the ‘A’ envelope.

Postal voting statements must be completed with the correct date of birth and signature and returned with the ballot paper or the vote will not be counted.

The Scottish Independence Referendum will take place across Scotland on Thursday, 18 September. For those planning to vote in person, information on where and how to vote is available on polling cards and on the Council website.

Members of the public who are unsure of whether they have registered to vote can also find further information on the Lothian Valuation Joint Board website.

A total of 377,413 people in Edinburgh have registered to vote in the Referendum.

Community Shop nominated for National Award

Council projects reach national awards finals

Muirhouse community shop, a £68m housing project in Moredun and a digital rehabilitation service have reached the finals in a national awards scheme.

The City of Edinburgh Council is also in the running for Council of the Year, after the projects were shortlisted as finalists in the Association for Public Excellence (APSE) Local Government Service Awards – one of only three local authorities in Scotland, and 10 in the UK, to be shortlisted.

The three Edinburgh projects are the Muirhouse Community Shop, the Moredun/Hyvots Bank regeneration scheme, and the Smarter Rehab Project.

Shortlisted for Best Public/Voluntary Partnership Initiative, the Muirhouse Community Shop shop was opened by the local community following the closure of Scotmid – the area’s last remaining supermarket – last Spring. Supported by the council, the shop was the brainchild of Tenants and Residents in Muirhouse (TRIM) and local charity Muirhouse Link Up, and it’s gone from strength to strength: run by enthusiastic volunteers, it’s become a community hub.

The Smarter Rehab Project has reached the final in both the Best Health and Wellbeing Initiative and Best Information Technology and Communications Initiative categories, and is believed to be the first of its kind in Scotland.

Occupational therapists work with people who are recovering after a stroke, using digital technology such as smart phones and iPads to do ordinary activities, such as connecting with friends and shopping. The aim is to enable individuals to improve independence and quality of life, and to compensate for long-term impairment.

The Moredun/Hyvots Bank regeneration has been shortlisted for Best Housing and Regeneration Initiative. A ten year commitment to the area by the City of Edinburgh Council, Dunedin Canmore Housing and the community has seen a rundown area transformed into a desirable place in which residents have a sense of pride.

A total of £68m was spent replacing 200 sub-standard properties with 441 new houses, 371 refurbished homes and a community park by the Council and Dunedin Canmore Housing.

Council Leader Councillor Andrew Burns said: “It’s a great achievement for Edinburgh to have so many finalists in this year’s APSE awards. Despite increasing pressure on budgets and resources, our frontline services continue to ensure that the city’s residents are well cared for and looked after.

“I would like to congratulate all staff across the Council for their hard work and dedication to providing excellent services for residents which have led to these nominations.”

Robert Pearson, who volunteers as the Community Shop manager, said: “I was surprised, shocked but exceptionally pleased to be nominated for a national award, it is fantastic.

“The shop has gone from strength to strength and there just seems to be no stopping it just now. The shop is run day to day by volunteers and it really wouldn’t’t be possible without them.

“When you ask people across the UK what they think of Muirhouse in Edinburgh, it would probably be a negative comment. There’s a lot of positive things happening and it’s important to get that out there.”

The winners were announced at a ceremony in Nottingham last night – sadly Muirhouse didn’t win, but a worthy nomination anyway!

OMG! STV to host Facebook referendum debate!

Social media’s the latest referendum battleground

STV will host the first and only official Facebook independence referendum debate between the Yes Scotland and Better Together campaigns tonight.

Scotland Decides: The Facebook Debate will see the SNP’s Humza Yousaf MSP and Labour’s Douglas Alexander MP putting their arguments to Scotland’s voters – as many as 10% of whom may still be undecided.

The debate, which will air on STV Glasgow and be available on Facebook at 9pm and then repeated at 11.40pm on STV.

Facebook users will be invited to pose questions to the two politicians in advance of the debate on the STV News Facebook page and on Facebook’s Democracy UK page.

Questions will then be posed to Mr Yousaf and Mr Alexander on Friday throughout the course of the 30-minute session. As the debate unfolds on TV, people will be able to see the action in real-time on Facebook whilst continuing to share their thoughts and engage after the event.

Elizabeth Linder, Facebook’s politics & government specialist for the Europe, Middle East & Africa region said: “Millions of people from all walks of life in Scotland have joined the referendum debate on Facebook. Whether it’s candidates making their pitch, voters discussing the issues they care about, or friends persuading each other to go and vote – it’s all taking place on Facebook.

“As we enter the final week of the campaign and the polls start to narrow, referendum discussion on Facebook is really heating up. People in Scotland are turning to Facebook to get their questions answered before making their decision on September 18. We hope that the live Facebook debate on Friday will answer some of these questions to help undecided voters reach a decision.”

Bobby Hain, director of channels at STV, said: “STV has played its role at the heart of the referendum debate on air and online and this partnership with Facebook serves as a further great opportunity to engage and inform our viewers on multiple platforms.”

The live debate, which will be moderated by Rona Dougall, presenter of STV’s current affairs programme Scotland Tonight, will be filmed at STV Glasgow’s studio and promises to offer a different dynamic to previous debates, with a format which will see both representatives have more of a fast paced and to the point question and answer session

The debate follows a Facebook campaign, launched last month in partnership with the Electoral Commission, to encourage people to register to vote. People over the age of 16 using Facebook in Scotland can add a “Registered to Vote” Facebook “Life Event” to their Timeline, to announce that they have registered and plan to vote in the Scottish Referendum next week. In the run-up to the close of registration, people in Scotland were also shown posts in their Newsfeed raising awareness of an interactive Referendum guide, launched by the Commission to inform voters on how and where to vote.

STV Glasgow is available in Glasgow and the west on Freeview #23, Sky #117 and Virgin #159 and streamed live online on the STV Player

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Book your place at Forth regeneration event

An opportunity to find out more and have your say on the area’s regeneration …

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 10:00 – 14:00.

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, improved public space and health facilities in Pennywell/Muirhouse

· 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.

To book a place, please use the link below. If you have already booked, there is no need to re-book.

BOOK A PLACE

Scott Donkin

Partnership & Information Manager | North Neighbourhood

Libraries lend support to Just Read campaign

Edinburgh City Libraries are supporting ITV Good Morning Britain’s ‘Just Read’ campaign, to encourage parents and carers to spend ten minutes reading with their children every day.

The campaign, which is supported by national charity The Reading Agency and children’s publisher Puffin, will see 200 libraries across the UK, including five Edinburgh libraries, give away 50 free copies of the bestselling children’s book ‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid’ by author Jeff Kinney this Saturday (13 September).

Children can visit Edinburgh’s Wester Hailes, Ratho, Fountainbridge, Moredun or Kirkliston Libraries to get their free copy.

As well as the giveaway, children who visit the libraries on Saturday 13 September will be able to enjoy other events on the day:

· Ratho Library will welcome well known author Jonathan Meres to the children’s library for a visit at 11am. Meres won the “Scottish Children’s Book Award 2012” and is the author of the bestselling ‘World of Norm’ teenage book series.

· Fountainbridge Library will also be having a visit from author Jonathan Meres at 2:30pm.

· Wester Hailes Library will welcome author Janis Mackay to the children’s library for a visit at 2.30pm. Mackay was awarded the “Kelpies Prize 2007” and is the author of the ‘Magnus Finn’ children’s trilogy as well as ‘The Wee Seal’ and ‘The Selkie Girl’ for younger readers.

· Kirkliston Library is hosting a Wimpy Kid Party for children aged seven to 12 years from 2-4pm. This will be a drop in event, meaning there is no need to book a place. Activities will include designing your own Wimpy Kid book cover, making a badge to take home, and playing the new Wimpy Kid board game.

· Moredun Library is hosting a Diary of a Wimpy Kid fun day from 2-3.30pm. The event will host four different activities for all ages to join in with, from creating your own character clay head and badge making, to Diary of a Wimpy kid mask making and painting, plus a special Diary of a Wimpy Kid treasure hunt around the library.

Councillor Richard Lewis, Convener of Culture & Sport, City of Edinburgh Council, comments: “We are delighted that five of our libraries have been selected to support this UK wide promotion, and we encourage parents and carers to visit participating libraries across Edinburgh to receive free books and enjoy a day out at the same time.”

This exciting campaign follows a wonderful summer of reading across Edinburgh City Libraries when thousands of children took part in the 2014 Summer Reading Challenge. This unique partnership between The Reading Agency and public libraries across the UK, saw MPs, libraries, schools and a host of well-known children’s authors including Jacqueline Wilson and Michael Morpurgo encourage children aged 4-11 to join the library and read for pleasure during the summer holidays.

The campaign comes as a group of leading charities, teachers, parents and businesses join together to form a coalition called Read On, Get On. The coalition has launched a national mission to support parents and teachers to get all 11 year olds reading well by 2025.

The giveaway will highlight how vital libraries are for the nation’s literacy and that books like Diary of a Wimpy Kid can really help children on their reading journey.

The Reading Agency has identified that millions of children are readers because of Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Jeff Kinney’s work is perfect for turning reluctant readers on to books. With 50% words and 50% cartoons, the books are described as 100% hilarious and children agree – Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Hard Luck was voted by children as Favourite Book in the 2014 Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards.

Edinburgh is the UK’s safest city

Edinburgh tops YouGov safest city poll

A new survey has revealed that Edinburgh is seen as the safest city in Britain. The YouGov research asked participants how safe they feel ten British cities are – and Edinburgh came out well on top.

When asked about the capital, 68% of participants – 1724 from across the UK took part in the survey – said it is ‘totally safe’ while only 14% believe Edinburgh is ‘totally unsafe’.

The other cities surveyed were Glasgow, London, Birmingham, Leeds, Sheffield, Bradford, Liverpool, Manchester and Bristol.

Glasgow came eighth in the poll, with 44% of people saying it is safe and 38% saying it is unsafe – although Scots who took part in the survey put both Scottish cities higher: 86% said Edinburgh is safe and Glasgow polled 68% – but Bradford was seen as the least safe city in the UK.

Bradford is perhaps best remembered to outsiders for the race riots of 2001 which lasted three days and led to hundreds of arrests (above). It is the only city mentioned in the poll where more people (42%) say it is unsafe than safe (35%). Britain’s second most dangerous city according to the public is Birmingham: people are divided 41-41% on its safety.

Edinburgh’s senior police officer Chief Superintendent Mark Williams welcomed the findings and said he is ‘delighted but not surprised’ by the poll.

Do you think Edinburgh is a safe city? Let us know!

Waverley – the first global blockbuster

Move over Da Vinci Code, step aside Harry Potter … the world’s original best-seller is on display in the National Library!

Two hundred years ago, an anonymously published novel sold out within two days and went on to become a global bestseller …

The original manuscript of Sir Walter Scott’s Waverley, the first novel in his series of global bestsellers, is now display at the National Library of Scotland – 200 years after it was first published.

The ground-breaking book tells the story of the 1745 Jacobite Rising and is widely regarded as inventing the modern historical novel. The first edition of 1,000 copies sold out within two days of publication in 1814. Within months, a fourth edition was being printed.

The National Library of Scotland (NLS), which has one of the best collections of Scott material in the world, is celebrating this literary landmark with a display of rare books and manuscripts which explore what lay behind the novel, how it was published and what people thought of it.

When ‘Waverley’ was published 200 years ago, very few people knew who had written it. Scott had made his name as a poet and decided to publish his first attempt at fiction anonymously, perhaps uncertain of the impact it might have on his reputation. Fiction was also seen as a lesser literary form in the early 19th century with the result that almost half of all novels were published anonymously or under a pseudonym.

On display at NLS will be items which show how Scott (pictured below) was identified by many people as the likely author and his dramatic public outing over a decade later. Scott seemed to enjoy the intrigue he had created and resisted the advice of friends in the know who urged him to own up to his authorship.

At the heart of the display is the original manuscript, showing Scott editing his novel as he went along. Letters written by Scott, his friends and publishers illustrate how the book developed, with its roots in the stories of 1745 Scott heard as a boy, and reveal that not everyone was convinced that the novel would be a great success. Also on display are the volumes of the first edition from 1814, contemporary advertisements and reviews, and a rich selection of the books which Scott used in researching the period.

Helen Vincent, Head of Rare Books and Music, at NLS said: ‘”Waverley” is an exciting book to read because in it you can see Scott inventing a new way of writing historical fiction. It is a novel full of drama and adventure, but Scott also had a serious purpose in writing it, wanting to capture the past as it was on the brink of slipping out of living memory. Scott’s skill as a storyteller and painter with words meant that his books appealed to readers around the world — and created an image of Scotland that still holds strong today.

‘We are delighted to be able to display some of the treasures from our Scott collections which tell the story of one of the most influential books in the English language.’

‘Sir Walter Scott’s Waverley: Voices from the archives’ is on at NLS on George 1V Bridge until 2 November. Entry is free.

Lazarowicz: keep rail on right track

Edinburgh North and Leith MP Mark Lazarowicz has welcomed the latest figures from publicly-owned rail operator East Coast. He stressed again the case for the line to stay in the public sector and said the issue that has been kept alive by Labour MPs in constituencies along the route – especially those in Edinburgh.

East Coast paid £225m to the government in the year to March 2014, making a total of more than £1bn since the last Labour Government took it back into the public sector. The rail operator also came top for customer satisfaction amongst long distance franchises.

The Labour MP said: “It’s a real achievement for this public sector company to pay back £225m to the taxpayer whilst also coming top amongst long distance operators for customer satisfaction – I want to see the line stay in public hands.

“The Government is determined to reprivatise East Coast and the fight for its future has been led by Labour MPs along the route – in Yorkshire, the North-East and in Scotland.

“Issues like this don’t just stop at Berwick and only Labour is committed to giving it the chance to continue running the line – separation won’t stop privatisation, only a Labour Government will ensure passengers are put first.”

“Labour Shadow Secretary of Transport Mary Creagh has made a commitment to a complete overhaul of the franchise system where operators make unrealistic bids which can only be achieved if corners are cut on services or ticket prices are hiked. East Coast’s results show there is another way.”

Women: ask Elaine anything at North Edinburgh Arts!

Actress and comedian Elaine C Smith will visit North Edinburgh Arts on Saturday at 11.30am to talk to women about the referendum, life, anything!

Ask_Elaine_anything_flyer

Elaine is a commited YES supporter of course, so in the interests of balance we should point out that other voting options are available!

Women: talking referendum at Royston Wardieburn

Join local women Women’s International Group at Royston Wardieburn this morning to talk about the referendum …