Fight or flight: Johnstone congratulates community campaigns

Airport to end trial two months early following community pressure

Alison Johnstone has today congratulated local communities on their campaign success after the Edinburgh Airport announced it will close its controversial flight path trial two months earlier than originally planned.

Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian and Scottish Green Party candidate for Edinburgh Central, said: “I’d like to congratulate the community on their success in reducing the length of the reckless flight trial by two months. This is entirely due to sheer determination and their well organised and effective campaign.

“October will still feel like a long month for the community who have had to suffer negative health impacts and disruptive noise caused by the trial, but I am please the airport have recognised the need to listen and act. And end to this stressful situation is now in sight.

“The past few weeks have demonstrated how powerful Scotland’s communities can be, and lessons regarding the need for meaningful consultation have been learned. I look forward to working with constituents and the airport in the months ahead to ensure that the health and well-being of residents is central in all future proposals.”

Over one million passengers travelled through Edinburgh Airport last month, making it the busiest August on record for the airport and its fourth million plus passenger month in a row. A total of 1,158,794 people arrived and departed Edinburgh Airport in August, an increase of 8.7% on August 2014.

Getting Together, Making a Difference: focus on asylum seekers

Womens International Group (WIG) are holding the second in a series of ‘Getting Together, Making a Difference’ events next week.

CLD worker Lynn McCabe, who supports the WIG group, said: “The event is taking place next Thursday (24th September) from 10 – 12.30 in Royston Wardieburn Community Centre. This event will be addressing important issues such as home, immigration, asylum and human rights. The centre will be a drop-off point that day for anyone wishing to donate basic supplies to support Syrian refugees stranded in Calais.”

See poster (below) for further information or call Lynn on 552 5700

WIG event 24 September

Six days to go: Collection points for EDA Syria Appeal

A final reminder of the local collection points for donations to the Edinburgh Direct Aid Syria appeal (the container leaves in SIX days):

Community Shop, Pennywell Road

Pilton Youth & Childrens Project, West Pilton Place

Spartans Community Football Academy, Ainslie Park

Edinburgh Direct Aid warehouse, West Harbour Road

WHAT’S NEEDED by EDA:

NO MORE CLOTHES, SHOES or BEDDING!

Thank you, but we have been overwhelmed by the generosity of response – our container is almost bulked out. If you have already collected goods on our list – padded jackets, welly boots, etc., – do bring them in. If we can’t send them now, we’ll send them later – but please don’t organise any new collections at the moment!

BUT DEFINITELY:

(new!) underwear
toothpaste
toothbrushes
soap
detergent
toilet paper
nappies
sanitary towels
wipes

and for schools and vocational training:

notebooks, A4 paper
pens/pencils, boardwriters
sewing materials, wool

EDA WAREHOUSE OPENING TIMES:

Wednesday and Saturdays until SEPTEMBER 23

11:00am to 3pm

Contact Ann at 0781 494 9468

Positively Diverse programme announced

We have now finalised the programme for our learning event Positively Diverse on the 1 October (see below). The event will support organisations to implement positive practices that include BME residents.

Please do BOOK your place by calling us on 0131 551 1671 or emailing admin@pchp.org.uk if you want to attend.

Programme

9.30am Arrive and coffee

10.00am Welcome

10.30am Professor Rebecca Kay, co-convenor of Glasgow refugee, asylum and migration network: ‘Living in Harmony: the benefits and joy of working with a diverse client group’

11.00am Residents tell their stories – followed by Q&A

12.15pm Lunch

1pm A Welcoming North Edinburgh – past and present

1.15pm How to make it happen – best practice from local organisations -followed by Q&A.

2.30pm What can you do next?

3.15pm Summing up

3.30pm Finish

Anita Aggarwal

Community Development Manager, Pilton Community Health Project

Shiver our timbers!

Muirhouse lads on Ocean Youth Trust trip of a lifetime

Two of our young Centre volunteers, Paul Alexander & Chris Barnes (above), embarked on the adventure of a lifetime as they enrolled in a positive learning environment under sail on the Alba Explorer from 31 August to 4 September (writes James McGinty).

Both lads kept a log of their adventure with feedback from their skipper Steve. Reading their log was as difficult as writing it in the ocean swell! With goals to achieve daily and new skills to learn, the skipper’s remarks were favourable.

The values and skills learned fell into many categories:

Meeting new people – and the art of conversation.
Following Instructions – Speaking out in groups
Getting Up Early ( Bet you thought this was not possible!!)
Working in a team -Being on time
Working on daily goals – Keeping Calm.

Many of these qualities can be taken into the lads’ adulthood; so well done, Paul and Chris!

Here are some of the 244 pictures and videos taken by the lads and their crewmates. Click On To our Website to see more: www.muirhousecommunitycentre.co.uk

‘Meltdown’: Union fears 3000 council job losses

UNISON says one on six council jobs could go

Trade Union UNISON fears that over 3,000 jobs – one in every six Edinburgh council staff and three times as many jobs as first thought – will be slashed as the effects of accelerated budget cuts become clear, putting the council’s and the Scottish Government’s no compulsory redundancy pledge at risk.

The union has also re-launched its ‘Our City’s Not For Sale’ campaign as reports drawn up by officials put privatisation back on the agenda three years after councillors rejected mass privatisation plans.

“The effect of cuts on services and staff will be devastating as at least 15% of council employees could face being forced out of their jobs”, warned Amanda Kerr, UNISON Edinburgh City branch secretary. “Losing this amount of staff will decimate the services we provide and the public rely on to the point where they would be unrecognisable.

“It is now time for the politicians to stand up for the pledges they were elected on and support UNISON in the fight to save public services in Edinburgh for future generations.”

Lead Edinburgh UNISON negotiator Tom Connolly warned of the effect on services: “Every job lost is a service lost, a school closed, a care home closed, young and old put at risk. UNISON will defend these services and any compulsory redundancies will trigger our longstanding policy to ballot members on action.”

UNISON is calling for meaningful consultation and will demand that the council honours its no compulsory redundancy pledge and its ‘presumption’ against privatisation.

“If there is the political will to save Edinburgh’s services from these vicious government cuts, then councillors need to make sure that officials fully understand that”, said branch president John Stevenson, calling again on the Scottish Government to step in with emergency money to save services while they look at a fairer funding system.

“There has been a deafening silence on the massive cuts local councils have faced with 40,000 jobs lost in the last few years. The government needs to face up to the crisis and make funding available before services disappear for ever.”

UNISON will lobby the Council’s Finance and Resources Committee next Thursday (24 September).

For further information visit http://www.unison-edinburgh.org.uk/citynotforsale/