Living in Harmony are holding an Equality and Diversity training event on Thursday 11 December at Pilton Community Health Project on Boswall Parkway.
See poster (below) for details:
Equality and diversity training in Pilton
Month: November 2014
Love's in the air at The Greenhouse!
There was a great turn out when Pilton Youth & Children’s Project (PYCP) held their annual general meeting at The Greenhouse on Friday 24 October – it shows young folk just love PY!
PYCP’s Debbie McMillan said: “We had over fifty visitors on the day and handed out award certificates to some well-deserving children, young people and volunteers. They all received an “I Love PY” teeshirt too which are being modelled in some of the photos.
“We also launched our new Annual Report which is available to anyone who would like a copy. A new member joined our board at the AGM but we could do with more board members – if you know anyone who might be interested please get in touch.”
Interested? Contact call Debbie on 332 9815 or email Debbie@pycp.co.uk
Website: www.pycp.co.uk
Facebook: Pilton Youth & Children’s Project (PYCP)
News from Trinity Community Council
Local opportunities to take the budget challenge!
Can you balance the city’s books?
Edinburgh’s budget challenge
The Council is facing a budget challenge which affects how much money they have to invest in services in the coming years. Forth Neighbourhood Partnership and Total Craigroyston have organised a number of drop in sessions to give local residents an opportunity to have their say.
What do you think the Council should spend its money on?
Come along to one of the drop-in sessions and help us take the challenge online at:
Royston Wardieburn Community Centre – Tuesday 25 November 6 – 8pm
Craigroyston Community High School – Thursday 27 November 6 – 8pm
Muirhouse Millennium Community Centre – Tuesday 2 December 6.30 – 8.30pm
Muirhouse Library – Wednesday 3 December 6 – 7.30pm.
Play your part in Edinburgh’s budget challenge!
Can you balance it?
For further information contact:
Jim Pattison, Partnership Development Officer
Forth Neighbourhood Partnership
North Edinburgh Local Office, 8 West Pilton Gardens, EH4 4DP.
Telephone: 0131 529 5082
jim.pattison@edinburgh.gov.uk
Lararowicz: 'arbitrary cap unworkable'
Mark Lazarowicz MP has challenged the Government to wake up to the damage being done to colleges and universities – and the UK’s global influence – by its ‘shortsighted’ immigration policy which includes overseas students in the Government net migration target.
Speaking yesterday, the North & Leith MP said: “Today I will be attending an event to celebrate Edinburgh University’s engagement with the wider world through its research, staff and students and I know that all our colleges and universities here in Edinburgh are rightly proud of their international students and contacts.
“But I know they are also deeply worried about the damage being done by the Government’s inclusion of those students in its arbitrary immigration target.
“The whole idea of an arbitrary cap on immigration has proved unworkable and misguided, and its negative impact on higher and further education is particularly severe.”
“The students this shortsighted policy deters will go to other countries that will benefit in our place – not only in financial terms but also from the goodwill that is fostered that can enhance diplomatic, trade and intellectual contacts in years to come.”
Labour has attacked the way that the net migration target takes no account of the reason that people seek to come to the UK, including students in the overall numbers.
Businesses, students, trade unions and the higher education sector have urged the Government to scrap the policy and Labour says it will do so if it forms the next Government.
'A commitment writ in stane'
Monument reaffirms commitment to no tuition fees in Scotland
A monument to the Scottish Government’s continued commitment to having no higher education tuition fees was unveiled by the First Minister Alex Salmond at Heriot Watt University yesterday.
After viewing the commemorative stone, which was carved and designed by second-year stonemasonry apprentices from Historic Scotland’s National Conservation Centre in Elgin, the First Minister said: “The single biggest achievement by this Government has been the abolition of tuition fees. This one action has restored Scotland’s long tradition of education being based on ability to learn – not the ability to pay.
“Scottish students can be assured this Government remains strongly committed to them and their futures – at a time when fees have soared to £9,000 a year in other parts of the UK, putting university out of reach for many without the means to pay.
“At the same time, we have boosted apprenticeship numbers to record levels, brought more women into the workforce and are outperforming the rest of the UK on job numbers as whole.
“It is both fitting and humbling to have this wonderful monument to that commitment created by young skilled apprentices – and to have the unveiling witnessed by students of today and children who will be the students of tomorrow. It is without doubt now a commitment writ in stane.”
The rock is inscribed with the words of the statement made by the First Minister made in March 2011 which reads:
“The rocks will melt with the sun before I allow tuition fees to be imposed on Scottish students.”
Weighing 0.97 tonnes, it was carved by apprentice stonemasons Gregor Alcorn, 26, and Ross Kennedy, 22, from Clashach Sandstone – the same stone used in the building of the Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh. It was handpicked from Tennants Quarries in Elgin by training manager Graham Campbell who, along with other members of the team, also created the design for the stone.
Professor Steve Chapman, Principal of Heriot-Watt University, said: “We are delighted to host this stone, a beautifully crafted piece and a monument to Alex Salmond’s tenure as First Minister and his strongly held commitment to access to education for Scottish students.”
Maggie's girls – and bloke!
Last weekend the local Maggie’s Centre celebrated its 18th birthday. They had a fundraising ball at the Sheraton hotel and colleagues from Sainsburys Blackhall were there to lend a hand.
Nine colleagues volunteered on the night and helped raised £59,000. Well done to the colleagues who took part!
Pictured: Louisa Higgins, Gabriella Vita, Gail Wilson, Hannah Mills, Sam Wood, Iona Wright and Willie McCaskill.
Gail, Sainsbury’s Blackhall
Can you help Karen find her family?
My name is Karen Paterson and I am writing this letter in the hope of tracing my father and uncles who myself and my sister Nicola have not seen for over thirty years.
We live in South Wales but my father was from Edinburgh, he was in the RAF when he met my mother.
Our fathers name is Douglas James Paterson, he has two brothers, the oldest being James Paterson who married a lady called Rose, and the youngest brother is Ross Paterson who married a lady called Sheila. My grandmother, I remember, was known as Ella Paterson and lived at Moredunvale Bank in Moredun.
It would be so nice to be able to get to know my family. I would be so grateful if anyone that reads this letter has any information that could help me with my search. If you do have any information you can email at karenpat75@gmail.com
Good Food for ALL
Care about food and healthy eating? Pilton Community Health Project is organising an event you won’t want to miss:
To book your place, email admin@pchp.org.uk
Edinburgh: live music matters
Local music professionals have joined forces with officials from the City of Edinburgh Council to discuss the state of the Capital’s live music scene.
At Live Music Matters, an open forum held at the Usher Hall last night, a jam-packed audience of musicians, gig promoters, venue managers and academics discussed the current live music offering in Edinburgh and shared ideas on how to enhance the experience of live music for musicians and concertgoers.
The debate was organised following a commitment in June by the Council’s Culture and Sport Committee to increase understanding and awareness of the live music scene in Edinburgh, in order to capture the key issues and opportunities facing the music community in the Capital.
Council policy on entertainment noise levels, the licensing and provision of live music venues in Edinburgh, and the support of grassroots talent emerged as hot topics for the local music community.
Councillor Norma Austin Hart, Vice Convener for Culture and Sport, said: “It is only right that debate about the city’s music scene is led by the experience and insight of local professionals. The Council-run and operated Usher Hall provides an ideal venue for the Live Music Matters open forum to discuss the current offering that we have in Edinburgh, and ideas for making it even better.
“What has become clear from the debate is that Edinburgh has a passionate and proud music industry, burgeoning with creative talent, and as a city we need to support this talent.
“Many venue owners and musicians feel that the Council’s current policy on noise levels can be a barrier to the development of Edinburgh’s music scene. To tackle this, we will specifically look at the current rules, and how these rules impact entertainment venues and residents.
“The meeting has also highlighted the importance many people attach to music venues, which goes far beyond sentiment and is really around cultural enrichment. The music community has told us they want Edinburgh’s music venues to be protected, and so we will aim to identify whether that is an option, perhaps through a register of cultural venues.
“Looking at ways to maintain and improve the city’s live music offering is a responsibility we need to face head on, and the Live Music Matters debate is only the beginning. We will now be gathering the comments and ideas from today’s discussion to look at ways we might be able to address them. Working in partnership will be crucial and the meeting today has reinforced that message. We will now set up a task force, called Music is Audible, with representatives from the music industry as well as the council.”
Karl Chapman, general manager of the Usher Hall, said: “The Usher Hall is a well placed venue to host this important debate, not just because it’s cultural importance in developing the arts and live music in the city, but also because it’s owned by the Council.
“The debate has been truly fascinating and I was surprised and delighted to see the tickets go so quickly. It’s been incredibly inspiring to hear everyone’s thoughts from across the industry today. The event has certainly shown there is a demand for a healthy live music scene in the city and the City of Edinburgh Council and the Usher Hall are committed to supporting Live Music Matters by hosting future meetings here in the venue.”
John Stout, promoter at Regular Music, added: “It’s fantastic to see the Council kick off this much needed conversation, and the open forum at the Usher Hall has covered the whole spectrum of live music in the city.
“The contribution that these events make to the local economy and towards making Edinburgh a cosmopolitan city can’t be underestimated. It will be interesting to see what the Council’s next steps will be.”
The debate will continue on social media and residents can share thoughts on Twitter using #livemusicmatters, and on the Council’s blog.
Further updates on the programme will become available later in the year.
The Usher Hall is owned and managed by the City of Edinburgh Council, is an international concert which has a maximum capacity of 2900, hosts around 200 concerts and sells around 220,000 tickets annually.