Demonstrators set to ‘besiege’ Edinburgh Jobcentre

‘We are fighting back’ – Ethel MacDonald, ECAP

Demonstrators will descend on High Riggs Jobcentre today to declare their resistance to benefits sanctions and workfare.

The protest at the Jobcentre near Tollcross will continue over lunchtime and organisers Edinburgh Coalition Against Poverty say: ‘We aim to send a strong message that cutting people’s benefits and forcing them to rely on foodbanks is not acceptable. Sanctions and workfare not only attack the claimants directly affected, they undermine all workers’ wages and conditions.’

Ethel MacDonald of ECAP said: “An increasing number of benefit claimants are being sanctioned under the DWP’s increasingly repressive measures and more than ever the Job Centre is aggressively pushing the Workfare programmes.

“Just consider the barbaric numbers: according to Corporate Watch, 139,000 sanctions were handed out to Jobseeker’s Allowance claimants in 2009 but this more than tripled to 508,000 in 2011, the coalition’s first full year in government. And the Child Poverty Action Group state that since 2010 sanctions have increased by 126%.”

Sanctions can be from a period of four weeks to up to 3 years.

ECAP support claimants to contest sanctions and resist being sent on workfare. Ethel MacDonald explained: “Claimants are not prepared to remain passive victims – we are fighting back. With the support of ECAP, Edinburgh Jobseeker Jimmy recently overturned a four week sanction imposed after the Oxgangs Neighbourhood Centre refused to take him on a Community Work Programme workfare placement. Workfare provider Learndirect falsely alleged to the DWP that Jimmy had been ‘very intimidating’ to the placement manager – in fact he had just politely informed him that it was disgraceful that a community resource was participating in such exploiting schemes.

“ECAP and Jimmy met the Scotland area manager of Learndirect, insisted that Learndirect withdraw the sanction referral, and also wrote to the DWP explaining that it was Jimmy’s democratic right to express his views on workfare to the placement boss. The DWP have now overturned the sanction and are repaying Jimmy his benefits.”

542 voluntary organisations have declared they will not take part in workfare and signed the Keep Volunteering Voluntary agreement.

The decreasing number of organisations still participating in the schemes are under pressure to pull out of programmes which lead to benefit cuts and sanctions. ECAP regularly blockade and occupy workfare users such as the Salvation Army and DEBRA, and workfare providers like Learndirect. And this week Brian Tannerhill denounced that the organisation he founded, McSence, were using workfare and called on the communities of Mayfield and Easthouses to tell the directors of the Midlothian social enterprise this was unacceptable.

The Edinburgh action is supported by Edinburgh Anti Cuts Alliance, Greater Leith Against the Cuts, Edinburgh Industrial Workers of the World and Edinburgh Anarchist Federation, and is part of a Britain-wide Week of Action in the run-up to the General Election. Co-ordinated via Boycott Workfare, demonstrations are taking place Britain-wide.

City to shine support for Nepal

‘There is no time to lose’ – Lord Provost Donald Wilson

Edinburgh residents are being encouraged to shine to show their solidarity with the people of Nepal tonight following Saturday’s tragic earthquake.

The City of Edinburgh Council is a partner of the Edinburgh Disaster Response Committee which is asking residents to help survivors during the aftermath of the disaster. A fund has opened with the Edinburgh-based humanitarian organisation Mercy Corps for urgent donations.

To pause to reflect on the devastation, the Lord Provost will lead a candlelight vigil which will be open for all residents to attend. The candle lighting will take place at 4pm on Saturday 2 May at the City Chambers.

Tonight is the last evening of the Council’s interactive light installation in St Andrew Square with the Edinburgh International Science Festival. In a display of support for Nepal, Twitter users will be asked to turn the Melville Monument red which is the shade of the Nepalese flag and the Mercy Corps Earthquake Appeal.

The Lord Provost Donald Wilson plans to lodge an emergency motion at Thursday’s meeting of the Full Council to call on support of the appeal. He said: “Edinburgh residents are known for their generosity of spirit and together we can make a difference to people in Nepal by providing urgent donations. Even a gesture of solidarity like the red lighting of St Andrew Square or a candle at Edinburgh’s vigil demonstrates support and raises awareness of the appeal. There is no time to lose.”

Edinburgh based international charity Mercy Corps has been working in Nepal since 2006. The humanitarian organisation has launched an emergency response in Nepal following the massive earthquake and their dedicated team of more than 90 people has been working tirelessly to evaluate conditions and deliver emergency supplies to desperate families, whilst dealing with their own tragedies.

Simon O’Connnell, Chief Executive Officer of Mercy Corps Europe, with their headquarters in Edinburgh, said: “Our thoughts are with the people of Nepal and all those in the region experiencing the effects of the quake. Our team has begun distributing urgently needed relief kits to people most affected and we are also working hard to get more supplies to reach the thousands in need.

“On behalf of the Mercy Corps team, we thank the Edinburgh community for your generosity and compassion as we race to help the Nepalese people.”

Nepal is one of the poorest countries in the world, with about one-third of its citizens living below the poverty line. The country’s dramatic landscape makes it hard to reach remote villages even in the best circumstances. These next days are critical for ensuring the safety and wellbeing of survivors and Mercy Corps is reaching families left homeless who desperately need shelter, food and water.

Send lifesaving relief with an emergency donation to the Edinburgh Disaster Nepal Earthquake Fund now.

Welcoming a Greener Future

Project launch this Satuday – all welcome!

The Welcoming Association are launching a new initiative this weekend – the Welcoming a Greener Future Project.

This new and exciting project aims to help members of Edinburgh’s migrant communities save energy and reduce their carbon footprints.

The launch takes place on Saturday 2 May from 3 – 6 pm at St John’s Church Hall, Princes Street, Edinburgh.

We plan for this to be a family event with free multicultural food, live music and entertainment. Please see attached publicity poster for more details. I really hope you will be able to join us!

I would appreciate it if you could confirm your attendance by 29 April to help us to organise things more efficiently.

For more information or to book a place, please contact myself or Christina Rizou on 0131 346 8577 or email info@thewelcoming.org

Adil Ibrahim, Community Development Practitioner

Welcoming a Greener Future Project, The Welcoming Association

0131 346 8577

www.thewelcoming.org

Nepal earthquake: beware bogus ‘charity’ appeals

As aid flies out from the UK to Nepal, members of the public are being warned to be cautious about charity appeals …

On Saturday 25 April a massive earthquake struck Nepal. It severely shook the lives of at least 5.3m people and left many homeless. Nepal’s major cities, including the capital Kathmandu, have been badly damaged and rural areas near the epicentre have been completely cut off by avalanches.

Already over 3000 people have been confirmed dead and the figure is likely to rise significantly in the coming days. Even those whose homes are still standing are sleeping in the streets because they are terrified by regular aftershocks.

All over the world, people will want to come to the aid of the stricken people of Nepal – but sadly some unscrupulous fraudsters will see the disaster as an opportunity to capitalise on this generosity of spirit.

The Charity Commission is encouraging people wishing to help those affected by the earthquake disaster in Nepal to donate only to established registered charities.

It says charities such as the members of the Disasters Emergency Committee, which has launched a dedicated appeal in response to the earthquake, are experienced in providing emergency help during humanitarian disasters.

The regulator says that most fundraising is genuine, but warns the public to guard against unscrupulous people who exploit the generosity of the public by fundraising fraudulently.

It is urging people not to attempt to send cash or aid out directly themselves and not to forget that there are other ways of supporting registered charities if they cannot afford to or do not want to donate. For example, people can take part in fundraising events and activities organised by a registered charity.

There are laws around collecting money for charity in public which are there to protect donors and make sure that the money raised goes to a genuine charitable cause. The commission says there are simple steps people can take to help ensure they give to genuine registered charities. The tips include:

check for a registered charity number, and check that against the charity’s entry on the commission’s online charity search tool – if you want to give to the DEC appeal, its registered charity number for England and Wales is 1062638
check whether collectors are wearing a proper ID badge and that any collection tin is sealed
if in doubt, ask the collector for more information – a genuine fundraiser should be happy to answer questions and explain more about the work of the charity (please see below for further safer giving tips).

Paula Sussex, Chief Executive of the Charity Commission, said: “The British public is incredibly generous and we want to encourage them to continue giving to people in the most desperate need, such as those affected by the earthquake disaster in Nepal.

Our advice is to give to registered charities that have experience in delivering aid in difficult circumstances in the aftermath of natural disasters. It only takes a few minutes to check whether a charity is registered with us – and if in doubt, ask the fundraiser questions about how your money will be used. Good charities will be more than happy to answer your questions.”

Top tips for checking whether an organisation appealing for donations is a genuine registered charity:

before giving, check the charity’s name and registration number – you can verify this using the online charity search tool on GOV.UK
when approached by collectors, check whether they are wearing a proper ID badge and that any collection tin is sealed
if in doubt, ask the collector for more information – a genuine fundraiser should be happy to answer questions and explain more about the work of the charity
genuine fundraising materials should feature the charity’s name, registered name and a landline contact number – be wary of those that list only a mobile number
look for the FRSB tick logo indicating that the charity is signed up to fundraising regulation, encouraging you to give with confidencewww.givewithconfidence.org.uk
to check whether a fundraiser is authorised to collect money in a public place (they must have a licence), contact your local authority or, if in London, the police – if it is a private place, check with the owner
take care when responding to emails or clicking links to a charity’s website to ensure that they are genuine – instead, search online for your preferred charity to check you have the right web address
after making these checks, if you think that a collection or appeal is not legitimate, report it as a crime to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 and inform the Charity Commission
if in any doubt, contact your favoured charity direct to make a donation

Mums know best – two awards for A-Star Sports!

A-Star Sports doubles up in MITK Awards

Over the last two months, local network Mums in the Know has been hosting its awards across the UK. After receiving over 3,000 nominations and 15,000 votes, the network of readers has decided on its favourite local activities for children – and A-Star Sports has won two awards: Best After School Activity Class and Best Class for 2 – 4 Year Olds.

Local organisation TRIM won the MITK Local Star category and Dads Rock was also commended.

The awards have highlighted the talents of Brian Droudge, owner of two A-Star Sports franchises, through a number of parents’ nominations showcased via the Mums in the Know website, which included being a finalist in a third category – MITK Local Star.

Brian said: “It’s so rewarding to have our coaching highlighted in such a positive way and means a great deal that people have taken the time to vote and given such amazing feedback, too. All of us in the Edinburgh team are passionate about what we do and we take a lot of pride in making physical activity and sport as fun, accessible and enjoyable as it can be.”

Having left school at 16, Brian spent the next 15 years working for large life assurance companies. He also played semi-professional football from the age of 18, as well as managed and coached at various clubs. He has now been coaching physical activity and sports to primary aged children for over ten years and has a great pride in seeing their skills and love of sports grow and develop. He explains: “For me, influencing children’s development on a weekly basis gives me a great buzz, job satisfaction and a very positive feeling about the work I do.”

Brian runs A-Star Sports in Edinburgh South & East, Midlothian and East Lothian as well as Edinburgh North, West and surrounding areas, and employs assistant coaches as part of his multi-sports specialist team.

Following the recent merger of A-Star Sports with leading children’s physical activity provider Sports Xtra, Brian and his team will shortly be introducing an additional range of local activities and ‘Xperiences’ for primary aged children.

Award-winning businesses receive a free article in the winners’ section of the MITK website, social media mentions, window stickers, logo and additional advertising offers.

Over 3000 nominations were received and 15,000 votes cast in this year’s Mums in the Know North Edinburgh Awards. The winners were:

Best Soft Play: Clambers at Royal Commonwealth Pool, Edinburgh
with a special mention to Tumbles, Edinburgh Leisure and Tiki Tots who were also nominated.

Best Class for 0 -2 Year Olds: Monkey Music, Comely Bank Murrayfield and Corstorphine
And a special mention to Music with Jackie and Tinies with Daisy Foundation Edinburgh East who were also nominated.

Best Class for 2 – 4 Year Olds: A-Star Sports Edinburgh North, West and Surrounding Areas
And a special mention to Shuffle Dance Edinburgh and Sparkle Arts who were also nominated.

Best After School Activity Class: A-Star Sports Edinburgh North, West and Surrounding Areas
And a special mention to best Step It Up Dance and Zoo Arts Extra who were also nominated.

Best Place to Eat for Families: Pizza Express Stockbridge
And a special mention to Tony Macaroni, Omni Centre and Vittoria Group who were also nominated.

MITK Local Star: Tenants and Residents in Muirhouse (TRIM) ‘this group really go the extra mile to help the residents and local community’.
And a special mention to Brian Droudge, A-Star Sports Edinburgh North, West and Surrounding Areas and to Dads Rock who were also nominated.

Congratulations to you all!

An inconvenience truth

North Edinburgh to loo-se public lavatories?

Toilets at Granton Square and Canonmills are among a dozen public conveniences earmarked for possible closure by the city council. Local residents are being encouraged to take part in a survey to have their say about the closures.

The Council decided in 2011 to reduce the funding of public conveniences in order to make budget savings of £300,000. It’s believed that around ten public toilets must close in order to achieve these savings.

A list of twelve facilities has been identified for closure, based on criteria such as usage, accessibility and condition:

· London Road

· Tollcross

· St John’s Road

· Canaan Lane

· Middle Meadow Walk

· Joppa

· Hawes Pier, South Queensferry

· Granton Square

· Ardmillan

· Currie

· Canonmills

· Juniper Green

Members of the public are being asked for their feedback on how these potential closures would impact on them individually and their communities – this will help the Council to make the final decision about which public conveniences to close.

Residents can now take part in the online survey which will run until Monday 25 May.

There are currently more than 60 publicly accessible toilets across the city and a community toilets scheme is currently under consideration to further improve provision.

Jass Girls keepie-up the good work!

Skills challenge no obstacle to Millennium’s Danna

Proud Danna Sutherland accepts her prize of a watch for her keepie-uppie exploits at the recent Big Obstacle event (writes James McGinty).

The prize was awarded by PYCP to the person who could do the most keepie uppies with a table tennis ball and bat. Danna floored the opposition with a record of 72 keepie uppies!

The girls were part of the Muirhouse Community Centre/CLD JASS Group who took part in the Big Obstacle event at Cramond foreshore. The girls used the event, organised by young people from Granton Youth Centre, to raise money for The Scottish Wildlife Trust.

Pick up the pieces with Granton’s Garden Buddies

Community Mosaic afternoon: 9 May at Granton Library

Jill Marple from Granton Library has asked me to pass on the attached invitation to you all – happily the library have received some funding to create a story garden with a community mosaic as part of it, and they would really like members of the community to come along and get involved with creating the mosaic – they would love it to have influences from lots of different cultures.

This will be happening on Saturday 9 May from 2pm -4pm (see poster (below)for details).

No artistic experience is necessary – it will be very relaxed and refreshments will be provided. Please let Gill know if you (or anyone you know) would like to go along – her contact details are on the poster.

It sounds like it will be a really fun way to create something for the whole community to enjoy!

Garden buddies Living In Harmony invite

Rachel Farrier

Development Worker – Living in Harmony

Pilton Community Health Project

Exam time: good luck to all candidates

Learning Minister praises hard work ahead of exams

Minister for Learning Dr Alasdair Allan has wished all pupils and students well ahead of this year’s national exam period.

Today sees the start of the exams, with Drama and Economics the first subjects to be taken. There’s then 28 days of exams – administered by the Scottish Qualifications Authority – that finish on Friday 5 June.

Dr Allan praised pupils and students for their hard work so far this year, supported by their parents and the commitment of teachers, headteachers, colleges and local authorities.

In addition to National 5s, Intermediates, existing Highers and Advanced Highers, this year’s exam process will see new Highers examined for the first time.

Dr Allan said: “The exams are the culmination of a lot of hard work over the school year and I know that across Scotland, pupils, parents, teachers, headteachers, colleges and local authorities have been preparing intensively to get to this point.

“Scottish education now offers more flexible learning opportunities for our young people. I offer my best wishes to candidates preparing to sit an exam and to those completing SQA courses that do not involve a final exam.

“This year marks an important milestone in the ongoing implementation of Curriculum for Excellence with the introduction of the new Higher.

“Curriculum for Excellence has been designed to equip our young people with the skills they need to succeed both in Scotland and in the global workplace, with local authorities having the freedom to shape education to meet the needs of our pupils, whatever their background.”

And Good Luck to all students from NEN too!

Election questions answered in Muirhouse?

Are you confused with the Party manifestos at the forthcoming General Election? (writes James McGinty)

Cammy Day (Labour) will run a drop in to Muirhouse Millennium (Community) Centre from 12 noon -1.00pm on Wednesday 6 May to explain any issues or queries you may have.

So come along at any time between 12.00 and 1.00 pm and either add your questions or sit and listen to other peoples questions and prepare yourself for a very important General Election. The meeting will take place in our boardroom initially (dependent on community response).

James McGinty, Muirhouse Millennium Community Centre