Day: March 14, 2015

Drugs worth £200,000 seized following local raids

Police act on local intelligence – five to appear in Court

Police at Drylaw Shops (2)

House searches at addresses in Drylaw, Leith and Broomhouse have led to five arrests and the recovery of drugs worth almost £200,000.

Acting on local community-led intelligence, police officers from the Organised Crime Counter and Terrorism Unit seized over 16kg of cannabis. 11kg of amphetamine and 112 diazepam tablets.

Four men – aged 51, 33, 49 and 45 – and a 46-year-old woman are now scheduled to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court.

If you wish to report drug crime or any other ongoing criminal activity your area can contact Police Scotland on 101 or make an anonymous report via the charity CrimeStoppers on 0800 555 111.

Scottish Youth Parliament election results

SYP elections logo

The votes have been counted and your MSYPs for Edinburgh are:

Edinburgh Central: Wing Yan Ng and Lucie Duffy

Edinburgh Eastern: Mahnoor Shah and Shannon Donoghue

Edinburgh Northern and Leith: Terri Smith and Eilidh Mackay.

There were only two candidates in each of the other constituencies so Kishore Lennon and Panashe Muzambe (Edinburgh Pentlands), Sarah Garland and Charlotte Watt (Edinburgh Southern) and Owen Cruickshank and Laura Holloway (Edinburgh Western) were returned unopposed.

 

Congratulations to all the candidates, successful or otherwise – hope you go on to do great things for your communities!

‪#‎SYPElex‬‪

#‎SYPED15‬

Holyrood committee to study impact of welfare reforms on women

Women urged to share their experiences of welfare reform 

upset-woman

The impact of recent welfare reforms on women in Scotland will be the focus of a new inquiry by the Scottish Parliament’s Welfare Reform Committee.

Evidence seen by MSPs has suggested that women are being disproportionately affected and research recently published by the Committee highlighted that lone parents have been severely impacted upon. The Committee has now launched a call for views and is asking how welfare changes have affected women.

Committee Convener Michael McMahon MSP explained: “Previous research conducted for the Committee has shown a significant impact on lone parents. That suggests there is likely to be a wider impact on large numbers of women, a view put forward by Professor Steve Fothergill at our meeting this week.

“Our Committee has put personal experiences at the heart of our work. This inquiry will be no different and we would like to hear from people across Scotland on how welfare changes have impacted their life.” 

Deputy Convener, Clare Adamson MSP added: “Our Committee has previously revealed the devastating impact of welfare reform on Scotland’s communities.

“The Committee has already heard first-hand testimony from women in Scotland on the challenges faced by many in light of the UK Government’s welfare reforms. We know there are many other women out there with experiences to share and I would encourage them to get in touch with us.”

The Committee would also like submissions to address the following questions: 

  • What is your (or your clients) experience of being on benefits or employment support?
  • How has your (or your clients) experience with the benefit system changed in recent years since the introduction of the welfare reforms?
  • Are there any challenges involved in being in receipt of your (your clients) particular benefits?
  • What would be your priorities for change when certain benefits / elements of employment support come to Scotland?
  • Do you have any suggestions of practical improvements that you would like to see when certain benefits / elements of employment support are under Scottish control?

 

North West Carers are on the move!

PrenticeCentre

North West Carers are moving home next week. The local organisation won’t be moving too far, however – the Carers are ‘flitting’ from Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre down to the Prentice Centre in Granton Mains.

Manager Angela Dias said: “We are moving to new premises on Wednesday (18 March). Our new address is: The Prentice Centre, 1 Granton Mains Avenue,
EH4 4GA. Our email addresses and website address will remain the same as now, as will our telephone number.

“We would expect communications to be working as normal, however please bear with us if there are complications with our telephone and email systems within the first few days. We will put a mobile number on our website on Wednesday which will provide a default communication system in the unlikely case of any unforeseen difficulties.”

www.nwcarers.org.uk
angela@nwcarers.org.uk

NWCarers logo

More funding for mental health services

man alone

A new £15 million fund for mental health will help to fund innovation and improve services over the next three years.

Jamie Hepburn, Minister for Sport, Health Improvement and Mental Health announced details of the scheme in parliament yesterday. The funding will be spread out over the next three years and will be made up of four key elements:

• An allocation to NHS boards to support increased access to child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS), and to develop new and innovative approaches to treatment
• Funding to NHS Education Scotland to further develop the quality of CAMHS through improved training
• Work with partners and boards to develop better ways of helping people in distress – including those who are at risk of self harm or suicide
• Money to work with boards and partners to develop new ways of working with people with mental health problems in primary care settings

The £15 million innovation fund was first announced in November last year and the details have now been confirmed.

Mr Hepburn announced the details during a parliamentary debate of the Mental Health Bill. This bill, which successfully passed its stage one process yesterday, looks to amend legislation so that is works as well as possible for service users. It also introduces a Victim Notification Scheme for victims of mentally disordered offenders in a way that respects the rights of both victims and vulnerable offenders.

Jamie Hepburn said: “Expenditure on mental health is around £896 million in Scotland, but this additional funding will allow us to do more. It will enable us to find more creative and innovative ways to help people with mental health problems, whether they are going to their GP for the first time, or experiencing severe distress.

“I am particularly pleased to be able to announce that some of this funding will be used to improve access to child and adolescent mental health services, and to improve training in this area.

“We’ve made significant progress in this area in recent years, with a substantial improvement in waiting times and a record number of people working in the field. But there is an increasing number of referalls as more young people feel able to ask for help. That is a good thing, but also brings challenges. Through the innovation fund we will be able to find better ways of helping these vulnerable young people.”

Leith’s Kirkgate set for revamp

kirkgate

It’s been looking a bit tired and run-down for quite a while now, but Leith’s Kirkgate is set to be transformed as part of a plan to improve the area.

Changes will see the addition of trees, uplighting and new seating arrangements, as well as the removal of the tusk feature outside the New Kirkgate shopping centre.

Aimed at creating a safer and more attractive space at the bottom of Leith Walk, the proposals have been approved by Leith Neighbourhood Partnership  following feedback from local residents.

More than 1000 Leithers responded online and in person to a survey that sought their views on the proposed changes. 

Councillor Lesley Hinds, Transport Convener, said: “By listening to the views of local people we hope to create a safer, more attractive atmosphere for all those visiting or passing through the area. This work will complement the ongoing programme to improve Leith Walk, which has already received lots of positive feedback from the public.”

The Kirkgate improvements will come alongside ongoing work to upgrade the bottom of Leith Walk, as part of the Leith Programme, in addition to internal development to Kirkgate shopping centre.

Queen Victoria Leith

As well as enhancing the appearance of the area, the new design aims to create a safe, welcoming space for locals, retaining the Queen Victoria statue at the foot of Leith Walk (above) and making the entrance to the shopping centre more open and accessible.

Find out more about the Leith Programme on the Council website.

Hundreds to celebrate International Women’s Day at Holyrood

Holyrood Parliament (2)

Hundreds of women from diverse backgrounds will gather in the Scottish Parliament today at a conference to celebrate International Women’s Day.

The conference, which is an annual event, aims to celebrate women’s achievements and increase the participation and involvement of women in influencing policy.

Deputy Presiding Officer Elaine Smith MSP, who will chair the event, said: “I am looking forward to welcoming women from across Scotland to the Parliament to celebrate their many achievements and to give recognition to the role that women play in society. Every year, I am impressed by the inspirational stories of women who are given a platform at this event to share their experiences from their own unique perspective.”

The Scottish Parliament has held an event to mark International Women’s Day every year since 2005. The event is organised by the Scottish Women’s Convention, which works to develop ways to ensure women can influence the strategies and policies which affect them. The SWC has a network of over 300,000 women, including women in business, churches, trades unions and voluntary organisations.

This year’s speakers include: 

  • Agnes Tolmie – Chair of the Scottish Women’s Convention and an active campaigner in the women’s movement for over thirty years.
  • Rt Hon Nicola Sturgeon MSP – First Minister.
  • Saima Lawson – student and mother;
  • Emma Park – member of the Young Voices for Change Group.
  • Miriam O’Reilly, former BBC journalist and ageism campaigner; and
  • Ruth Wishart – journalist and broadcaster.

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