Edinburgh prepares for a Big Lunch!

Edinburgh residents are busy with final preparations for The Big Lunch (www.thebiglunch.com) next Sunday (7 June), which helps people get to know their neighbours better and create closer communities.

In the seventh year of the UK-wide initiative, lots of Big Lunch events are taking place across the city, including in Willowbrae, Newhaven, Trinity and Gorgie.

The Big Lunch is the UK’s annual get-together for neighbours, an idea from the Eden Project made possible by the Big Lottery Fund and supported by Halifax and Asda. It is the perfect recipe for having fun with neighbours, feeding community spirit and helping to build stronger neighbourhoods.

Elaine, who is helping to organise a fiesta themed street party with her neighbours in Trinity, explains: “We decided to give The Big Lunch a go in 2009 when we realised we didn’t know everyone in our stair of 8 flats – we’ve now held one every year since!

“We ended up meeting people who had lived in the street for over 40 years but who I had never even seen before as they rarely come out. They had seen previous year’s events through their window and decided to come down. It has been a real icebreaker for us, bringing our community closer together, breaking down barriers and providing a chance to socialise.”

Halifax Princes Street branch will be hosting a Big Lunch at Gorgie City Farm from 10am – 3pm next Sunday.

The Halifax Edinburgh Big Lunch event will host a range of activities for the community to get involved in to raise money for Gorgie City Farm and three other local charities. There will be a gazebo with free sandwiches, music throughout the day and fun activities including face-painting, tombola, bouncy castle, a ‘beat the goalie’ event, egg and spoon races and sack races. From 11am-12pm, the Lord Provost will be attending the event.

The Halifax Edinburgh Princes Street Branch is working with Asda, who will be providing sandwiches on the day.

Esther Clark, Branch Manager at Halifax Princes Street said: “We’re really excited that Halifax Princes Street is hosting a Big Lunch event at Gorgie City Farm on Sunday 7 June. There will be lots of fun activities for all the family to raise money for charity and we are looking forward to welcoming everyone from the local community along. The Big Lunch provides a great opportunity for us to talk to people on a more personal level and really helps strengthen relationships in the community”.

It’s never too late to host a Big Lunch! Anyone who would like to host one on Sunday 7 June (or another date if they prefer) can request a free planning pack from www.thebiglunch.com or call 0845 850 8181.

In 2014 over 4.83 million people took part in Big Lunches across the UK, including thousands from Scotland, who held street parties, picnics in the park and community hall gatherings.

City schoolkids tweet their streets

“My street is unique, old – an antique!”

School pupils from all corners of the Capital have created a mini-map of Edinburgh with a series of tweets about the city’s streets.

The ‘Tweet Your Street’ project, being announced tomorow (Monday 1 June) at the Central Library, sees the launch of an online map where children have started ‘pinning’ poetic tweets about where they live. A selection of tweets will also be on public display within the children’s area of the library.

The map is a result of a series of poetry workshops with P3-S1 pupils from across the Capital and the Edinburgh Makar Christine De Luca.

From the apple trees in Hope Terrace and the cobbles of St Vincent Street, to the cats that stroll along Easter Drylaw Place and the excitement of hearing the jingle of an ice cream van, the map of tweets reveals the essence of living in Edinburgh as a child.

“Walking past running cats

Lovely gardens outside flats

Everyone is full of grace

On Easter Drylaw Place”

(Age 12, Forthview Primary School)

Councillor Richard Lewis, Culture and Sport Convener, said: “These snippets of poetry provide a sweet and honest view of Edinburgh’s communities in the eyes of its youngest residents. In Edinburgh we have a long and proud interest in literature and poetry and it is great to see our pupils’ own writing talent thanks to this project.

“The memories of the street you grow up on stay with you. ‘Tweet Your Street’ captures these memories in a way that will hopefully spark other pupils and residents to view their own communities in a new light and maybe even tweet about it. The Edinburgh Makar Christine De Luca and these pupils have produced a brand new way of mapping Edinburgh and getting students interested in poetry.”

Christine De Luca became the Scottish Capital’s poet in residence, the Edinburgh Makar, and promotes Scottish writing and the Capital’s status as a UNESCO City of Literature locally and around the world. She was appointed as the city’s version of ‘Poet Laureate’ in 2014, and initiated ‘Tweet Your Street’.

Edinburgh Makar Christine De Luca said: “This has been a fun project to do. I’ve really enjoyed working with a group of committed, enthusiastic teachers. Writing a very short poem which captures something about your street isn’t easy, but reading the children’s poems proves it’s possible. Do read them and pass on the link to family and friends. The Central Library has been a great partner.”

All tweets will be available to view online at the Edinburgh Makar website from 11:30am tomorrow. Here’s a flavour of what to expect:

“In Craigour Loan

The people mingle

To the ice cream van’s jingle

They chat, giggle and play

Every sunny day”

(Age 8 Craigour Park Primary)

“My street is unique

Old – an antique –

It’s Newhouses Road

If you drive in

You have to drive back

You see

It’s a

Cul-de-sac”

(Age 9, St. George’s School for Girls)

Search is on for Scotland’s Real Heroes

STV invites viewers to nominate community heroes

The search for Scotland’s most deserving community heroes is now underway with the launch today this week of the third season of RBS – Finding Scotland’s Real Heroes.

Following the success of last year’s series, which received nominations from across Scotland, STV is calling for people from Edinburgh to nominate the friends, family or community groups who have dedicated their time and effort to helping the lives of others. The public can nominate online at stv.tv/realheroes, by phone and by post.

The new series, presented by Carol Smillie and sponsored by the Royal Bank of Scotland, will air on STV this autumn with viewers across Scotland encouraged to cast their vote for the heroes they believe are most deserving of an award.

Each week, shortlisted nominees will be interviewed by a range of star reporters including comedians Fred MacAulay and Sanjeev Kohli, Elaine C Smith (Burdz Eye View), River City stars Jayd Johnson and Stephen Purdon, Ron Donachie (Game of Thrones) and David Hayman (On Weir’s Way with David Hayman, Shetland) to gain some insight into the inspiring work they do within their local communities.

The overall winners will be announced at a star-studded awards ceremony with the overall final category winners in the running to collect the RBS Scotland’s Real Hero of the Year Award.

Elizabeth Partyka, deputy director of channels at STV said: “We were overwhelmed by the public’s response to the last two series of RBS – Finding Scotland’s Real Heroes and have met some truly inspiring people and groups from across Scotland. We want viewers from Edinburgh to nominate their friends, colleagues, neighbours or local groups so we can shine a light on the real heroes of Scotland that truly deserve recognition.”

RBS: Finding Scotland’s Real Heroes is sponsored by RBS.

Debbie Pow, RBS’s Local Chief Executive Officer, Edinburgh said: “We are delighted to be supporting the third series of RBS: Finding Scotland’s Real Heroes. This is a fantastic way to recognise inspiring individuals who have generously dedicated their time and skills to helping others within our communities in Scotland. Everyone at Royal Bank of Scotland will be getting behind the series and we are all looking forward to finding out more about the finalists when the series airs on STV later this year.”

For more information, visit www.stv.tv/realheroes.

Drink Driving: don’t take the risk

A driver will be stopped and breath tested every two minutes this summer

The Scottish Government and Road Safety Scotland have launched their 2015 Summer Drink Drive campaign in support of Police Scotland’s Summer Safety Campaign. Using the strapline ‘Don’t spoil summer’, the campaign reminds drivers that getting behind the wheel after even one drink isn’t worth the risk or the consequences.

New data released yesterday shows that in Scotland there has been a 17% reduction in drink driving offences from January – March 2015 (997) compared to the same period in 2014 (1,209). This follows the introduction of Scotland’s new lower drink drive limit on 5 December, which means that even just one drink could put a driver over the limit.

Police stop a driver approximately every two minutes in Scotland Scotland, and have the powers to breath-test many of them. Police Scotland enforcement activity is running alongside Road Safety Scotland’s social marketing campaign, which highlights the often spontaneous nature of summer socialising.

Following the success of the legislation change in Scotland, the Police Federation of England & Wales last week issued a call for the legal limit in England and Wales to be in line with Scotland.

Cabinet Secretary for Justice, Michael Matheson, said: “Since the introduction of the new lower drink drive limit six months ago, Scotland is starting to see a real change in behaviour. The 17% reduction in drink driving offences indicates that Scottish drivers are avoiding alcohol when they are driving.

“Fewer drink driving offences is a positive story for Scotland and shows that we’re leading social and legislative change in the UK. We’re urging Scots to take care this summer and to remember it’s safer to avoid driving if you’ve consumed alcohol.

Michael McDonnell, Director of Road Safety Scotland, said: “Summer can be a time for getting together with friends and family, and many people go for a drink with colleagues after work on a sunny evening. Because this drinking is often unplanned, people may not have thought about the journey home. And many people don’t realise that just one drink can put them over the legal limit.

“Evidence shows that even one alcoholic drink before driving makes you three times more likely to be involved in a fatal accident. It is estimated that one in eight deaths on Scottish roads involve drivers who are over the legal limit and, despite what many people think, eating food or a perceived alcohol tolerance don’t reduce its effects. Even a small amount impairs your judgement and reactions so, the best advice is just don’t risk it.”

Chief Superintendent Iain Murray, Head of Road Policing at Police Scotland, said: “Our message is simple – don’t spoil summer for you and your family or another family by drinking and driving. Police Scotland stop more than 20,000 Scottish drivers a month. That’s one vehicle every two minutes. If you have committed an offence, or if we have reasonable cause to suspect that you have been drinking, you may be subjected to a breath test.

“Even if you’re just over the limit, you’re still a drunk driver in the eyes of the law – there is no grey area. This may affect your current and future employment and can have wider implications for other areas of your life including overseas travel, even just for family holidays. If you drink and drive, you won’t just spoil summer.”

Find out more by visiting www.dontriskit.info or the Road Safety Scotland Facebook page.

If you suspect someone of drink driving, call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 your local police office by dialling 101. In an emergency, dial 999.

Fingers crossed for fair weather this weekend

Summer’s almost upon us and this weekend sees the start of those seasonal events – the fetes, galas and fun days – here’s hoping the sun will come out and help things along!

There are loads of events happening this weekend. Today we have the Family Fun Day event at Royston Wardieburn Community Centre from 11am – 3pm and there’s also the Teddy Bears Picnic at West Pilton Park from 11.30 – 2.30pm.

Slightly further afield there’s Holy Cross Episcopal Church Summer Fete in Davidson’s Mains from 2 – 4pm today, Clermiston & Drumbrae Children’s Gala today and tomorrow at Drumbrae Leisure Centre and don’t forget Newhaven Gala at Victoria Primary School today from midday too!

A community cleanup is taking place in West Pilton Green from 10am tomorrow morning as well, so fingers crossed the predicted showers stay away – we don’t want those teddies getting wee wet bottoms!

Funding for activities? It’s child’s play!

Community groups across Scotland working with parents and families of children under eight are being encouraged to apply for cash from the multi-million pound Communities and Families fund.

Now in its fourth and final year, the programme funded jointly by the Scottish Government and the Big Lottery Fund, has grants of between £250 and £10,000 available to projects that give Scottish children the best start in life.

Those applying will follow in the footsteps of the latest 37 groups sharing in grants worth £97,748. They range from projects encouraging outdoor play and physical activity through to health and wellbeing schemes for children and their parents.

Three Edinburgh-based projects are among the latest groups to receive funding. A grant of over £8700 will enable Leith’s Saheliya project to run a 30 week play project for children, while Carrick Knowe Parish Church will use their award of £9700 to support workshops and activities for families with young children. Oak Note Theatre received £9600 and they plan to put on shows and deliver workshops to early years and primary school children across Scotland

Big Lottery Fund Scotland Chair Maureen McGinn explained: “Over the last three years the Communities and Families fund has awarded over £4.4 million to 560 groups including playgroups and creches which put children and their needs at their heart of their work. As we enter the fourth and final year of the programme, we are keen to hear from groups across the country who have an idea for funding.

“We know that the demand is likely to be high for the funding available and so we would encourage groups to come and speak to us as early as possible. Full details of our simple application process can be found on our website www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/scotland and you can discuss your idea with us on 0300 123 7110.”

Fiona McLeod, Acting Minister for Children and Young People said: “Since its launch in 2012, the Communities and Families Fund has funded a wide range of activities to support children and families across Scotland. This joint venture with the Big Lottery Fund has been a resounding success by providing resources for groups working directly with children and families in communities. The Fund is now in its last year so I would encourage community groups to take this opportunity to apply for funding.”

One group receiving funding in the latest round of grants is Hawkhill Community Association in Clackmannanshire. The group will use its £9,978 award to deliver a free afternoon homework club for local children under eight years of age.

May Richmond, Community Centre Manager, Hawkhill Community Association, said: “This funding will make a tremendous difference. Put simply we would not be able to run the club without it. The children asked for the homework club. They will receive a 30-minute homework session, 30 minutes to have something to eat and 30 minutes of physical exercise. Everyone benefits from this as the children are better educated, the parents see the difference and teachers are commenting on the improvements.

“The Communities and Families application form was simple to complete and the questions were specific which made it easy to fill in. I’d certainly encourage other groups to apply for the funding available.”

The Communities and Families fund is open to a range of groups including voluntary and community organisations, statutory bodies or community councils. Money is available for a range of activities such as parenting support, including pre and post natal support; community play projects, food preparation and nutrition projects and community based family support activities.

Groups interesting in applying should visit www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/communitiesandfamiliesfund

or email enquiries.scotland@biglotteryfund.org.uk with their project ideas.

See below for the full list of May 2015 recipients:

280515 CCF grants for May release option 2

Blanket ban on ‘legal highs’

‘Sadly, too many have paid the ultimate price from taking these risky substances and this change will go a long way to stop further deaths’ – Maryon Stewart, Angelus Foundation

Action to protect young people from the dangers of so-called ‘legal highs’ and target those who profit from their trade was announced by the UK government today.

The Psychoactive Substances Bill will prohibit and disrupt the production, distribution, sale and supply of new psychoactive substances (NPS) in the UK. They are often sold online or on the high street.

The ban will extend to the sale of nitrous oxide for human use, known as ‘laughing gas’ or ‘hippy crack’, although its legitimate sale will not be affected.

Minister of State for Policing, Crime, Criminal Justice and Victims, Mike Penning, said: “Young people who take these substances are taking exceptional risks with their health and those who profit from their sale have a complete disregard for the potential consequences. That’s why we are targeting the suppliers.

“The landmark bill will fundamentally change the way we tackle new psychoactive substances – and put an end to the game of cat and mouse in which new drugs appear on the market more quickly than government can identify and ban them.

“The blanket ban will give police and other law enforcement agencies greater powers to tackle the reckless trade in psychoactive substances, instead of having to take a substance-by-substance approach.”

The government has already taken a range of action against so-called ‘legal highs’, including banning more than 500 new drugs and creating the Forensic Early Warning System to detect substances not seen before in the UK. There is also ongoing work to enhance the response to prevention, treatment and information sharing.

Last year the government established an expert panel on New Psychoactive Substances to look at ways of further enhancing the enforcement response. Having carefully considered the evidence, ministers decided to act on the panel’s recommendation to explore the feasibility of a blanket ban and are now introducing this new legislation.

Under the Bill:

it will be an offence to produce, supply, offer to supply, possess with intent to supply, import or export psychoactive substances; that is, any substance intended for human consumption that is capable of producing a psychoactive effect. The maximum sentence will be seven years’ imprisonment.
all of the UK will be affected by the blanket ban and law enforcement powers would be extended to all NPS supply from UK websites, so they can be shut down.
substances, such as alcohol, tobacco, caffeine, food and medical products, will be excluded from the scope of the offence, as will controlled drugs, which will continue to be regulated by the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.
there will be powers to seize and destroy NPS and powers to search persons, premises and vehicles, as well as to enter and search premises by warrant if necessary.
similar to the legislation introduced in Ireland, it will also capture substances that, although not new, are psychoactive, have been used as intoxicants for many years and are not harm free.
there will be provision for civil sanctions – prohibition notices and prohibition orders – to enable the police and local authorities to adopt a proportionate response to the supply of NPS in appropriate cases.

In 2013, there were 120 deaths involving NPS in England, Scotland and Wales.

National Police Chiefs’ Council Lead for New Psychoactive Substances, Commander Simon Bray said: “When people buy dangerous drugs they will generally have little idea how potent the drug is or what it may contain. Sadly we have seen too many people losing their lives or becoming seriously ill after taking so-called “legal highs” under the impression that they are safe.

“A blanket ban on new psychoactive substances (NPS) will make it simpler for law enforcement to deal with those drugs which are potentially unsafe but which may not yet be controlled.”

Founder of the Angelus Foundation, Maryon Stewart, said: “Angelus very much welcomes these important legal changes on restricting the supply of so called ‘legal highs’ or new psychoactive substances.

“We expect the law to impact very significantly on the high street trade. The open sale of NPS has led to dangerous experimentation with many young people being badly affected by their unpredictable effects and some ending up in hospital.

“Sadly, too many have paid the ultimate price from taking these risky substances and this change will go a long way to stop further deaths.

“No law can offer the perfect solution to protect people from drugs; it is equally vital we all concentrate our efforts of making the public, young people in particular, more aware of the harms of these substances in schools, at university and during festivals.”

Holyrood set to rock!

A nation-wide competition to find the best new musical talent in Scotland, whilst encouraging young people to use their vote in the 2016 Holyrood election, was been launched in the Scottish Parliament yesterday.

Presiding Officer, the Rt. Hon Tricia Marwick MSP was joined by the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and the other Holyrood party leaders to announce details of the competition. David Hershaw and Sandie Forbes from Fife-based contemporary folk band The Dandylions were also on hand to lend their support and to encourage bands from across Scotland to apply.

Taking place throughout October, the competition will comprise eight regional heats. Forming part of the Rocktober Festival of events, the heats will take place in community spaces and venues in constituencies across Scotland. The final, Holyrood Rocks, will be staged at the Scottish Parliament on Saturday 31 October.

A panel of MSPs and industry experts will be invited to select one act from their regional heat to go through to the final and the winning act will be given the opportunity to record with an XFM producer at their studios in London’s Leicester Square.

Presiding Officer, Rt. Hon Tricia Marwick MSP said: “This competition is an exciting and innovative way to support musical talent whilst also encouraging the participation of young people in the political process.

“MSPs from across the political spectrum are delighted to be involved and I look forward to welcoming the best of Scotland’s emerging musical talent to Holyrood this October.”

The competition is organised in association with the Scottish Political and Cultural Partnership (SPCP) and also aims to raise awareness of the career opportunities available in Scotland across the creative industries and to emphasise the importance of these industries to the economy.

Fraser Paterson of The Scottish Political and Cultural Partnership commented:
“We’re delighted to have the full backing of the Scottish Parliament for what promises to be a fantastic project. We can’t wait to take Holyrood Rocks across the country, hearing the views of Scotland’s young people and encouraging them to make their voice heard.”

Entries are welcome from unsigned acts whose members are all over 16 years of age. There is no upper age limit.

Visit www.scottish.parliament.uk/holyroodrocks for the most up to date information on the Roctober Festival and Holyrood Rocks events and also for information on how to apply to take part.

Happy birthday, trams?

Years late, £ millions over budget and there’s an ongoing public enquiry – but on Sunday (31 May) Edinburgh trams will celebrate their first year of operation. A Happy Birthday? Edinburgh Trams Director and General manager Tom Norris certainly thinks so …

In terms of our business there has been much noise about our performance. Our annual report will be out shortly for the year to end December 2014. On top of this we are releasing further data to give a view of the first full year. So what does it say?

Where did that year go? As I reflect on where we were in May 2014 and the amount of change our business has gone through since then, it is unrecognisable.

We carried 10% more passengers than expected in the first full year. 4.92m in year one.
Our passenger revenue was 3% ahead of target.
Passenger satisfaction was 95%.
In May last year we were totally focussed on the 31st of May go-live date and were in the midst of intensive staff training, testing, commissioning, press engagements and promoting our service. The whole organisation was geared towards this start day with a cautious eye on the One Direction concert at Murrayfield in our first week.

There was a whirlwind of media and external activity as we approached go live and it really seemed that the whole of the UK was looking on as everyone at Edinburgh Trams made their final preparations for that all important first day of service. My last engagement being STV news broadcasting live from the depot on the eve of our first day. As I finished what was a relatively challenging interview, I was hit with a realisation that there was nothing more I could do and it was over to the team to start passenger service.

I arrived at the depot at 0330 and after a quick briefing final preparations were put in place. A number of our key stakeholders were at the depot to be ready for the first tram. It was clear from our tram stop cameras that people started arriving at the Gyle Tram stop a long time before the first 0500 tram was due to arrive. The atmosphere on the first tram, and indeed throughout our first few weeks was electric.

The following year has passed incredibly quickly and I’m delighted to be able to say that it appears both Edinburgh residents and visitors to the city have really embraced our service. We’ve serviced major concerts, international rugby and European football events matches at Murrayfield. We felt truly involved in the summer festival season with festival goers and even performers using our services.

But that said, this year hasn’t been without challenges. Trams have broken down, systems have failed and incidents have occurred. In the scheme of things the disruption has been few and far between. We are very proud to report service reliability of 99% and passenger satisfaction of 95%. Our fare evasion rate is incredibly low. All of these measures can be benchmarked against other operators, and we come out very well indeed. That’s down to a team of committed staff working day and night across Edinburgh Trams, our sister company Lothian Buses, Siemens, CAF, our partners at the City of in Edinburgh Council, as well as and other contractors who support our services.

It’s really at this point I should give a nod to my team. The sheer amount of change our business has experienced over the past two years is more than most would experience in many years. On top of this all of the measures we have for the business are all in the right place. The team have been flexible, committed and it has been a real privilege to lead them over the past two and a half years. My team are superstars and as much as I can reflect and enjoy looking back on our first year, it’s been our people who’ve made it all come together. I simply couldn’t have asked any more. Well done and thank you.

We’re hugely passenger focussed and our staff have delivered exceptional passenger satisfaction scores. But we won’t rest here. There are many changes underway, timetable enhancements to speed up services where possible, relaxing some of the more overzealous rules for our passengers and continuing to build our passenger base by delighting more and more people. We do listen, and we do react. One of the catalysts for changing the rules on food and drink on our services was a letter that stuck with me that I received from a customer who had been feeding his child an oatcake and had been asked to stop. There is no criticism of our staff here, they were following the rules that had been set down. But the reality was that this rule just wasn’t aligned with our customer expectations and harmed the overall experience. That’s why it was changed. We listen to our customers and we act.

So year one of Edinburgh Trams is over. It has been an absolute honour and privilege to lead this team into passenger service and a highlight of my career. From me, a huge thank you out to our customers, our staff and our supporters.

#tramiversary

Community recipe book launched in Muirhouse

Cook & Taste is tried and tested – and temptingly tasty too!

It was a full house at Muirhouse Community Shop for the launch of Pilton Community Health Project’s brand new, hot-off-the-press Cook and Taste recipe book yesterday.

Customers, gourmets and curious guests packed the place out and the icing on the cake was a selection of songs from North Edinburgh’s very own Timebank Temptations.

Special mention to the star of the day Kai Crozier (who is 4 and a half). Wee Kai (below) was the Chief Taster during the preparation of the recipe book and yesterday added the role of Master of Ceremonies to his list of duties, keeping order during the speeches!

The recipe book is packed with recipes brought by local people to the shop for PCHP staff to cook with them – they are tried and tested, and they’re delicious! Pick up a free copy from the community shop or Pilton Community Health Project on Boswall Parkway, or download it at http://pchp.org.uk/resources/cook-and-taste-recipe-book

Some images:

There are more images on our Facebook page too …