Friends of Starbank Park
Christmas Carols and Lights in the Park
with Newhaven Choir
Saturday 5th December
4.30 – 5.30pm
Mince pies and hot drinks
Month: December 2015
Can we have a Christmas tree? Yes we CAN!
Community celebrates despite deluge
It lashed down with rain all afternoon and into the evening – a real Muirhouse monsoon! – but local people came out in their droves to see the Christmas tree lights being switched on in Muirhouse Shopping Centre last night.
Craigroyston High School’s Josh Hardwick did the honours and kicked off an evening of music, food and fun that seemed to get everyone in the festive mood!
So many people to thank:
- Craigroyston Community High School for sharing their wonderful musical talents – the band and the choir were superb.
- Local schools Oaklands, Rowanfield, Pirniehall, St David’s, Forthview and Craigroyston for creating the beautiful snowflakes that now adorn the centre
- Fleurtations for delivering, erecting and decoration the tree
- Urban Union for supplying the Christmas tree
- The City of Edinburgh Council for their support and advice throughout
- Weber Shandwick for getting things done
- North Edinburgh Arts staff for their wonderful support: particularly John for his technical wizardry, Michelle and her team for the fabulous food (and wonderful winter punch!) and for sharing her artistic skills to make the shopping centre look great
- Local police for supervising the event
- The Tomorrow’s People team for all their hard work in decorating the Centre and making the event such a success.
- Santa for … well, just being Santa!
- And finally, the children and families of North Edinburgh who came out on such a horrible night to support the event. Comments have been overwhelmingly positive – maybe we’ll try another event in the New Year?
Thanks, everyone!
Andy & Dave, Community Action North (CAN)
Our day in pictures (below)
There are more on Facebook too …
Forthview P3s visit First Minister
Katie Morag Christmas card is ‘amazing’, ‘fantastic’ and ‘brilliant’!
Children from Forthview Primary School joined Nicola Sturgeon at Bute House yesterday for the launch of the First Minister’s 2015 official Christmas card.
The card features Katie Morag, the star of the children’s books written and illustrated by Mairi Hedderwick, who can be seen welcoming children from around the world to the First Minister’s official residence, Bute House.
The original illustration by Mairi Hedderwick will be auctioned next year and the proceeds will be shared between four charities; Enable Scotland, Children 1st, Books Abroad and the Scottish Refugee Council.
The First Minister said: “I am delighted that Mairi Hedderwick was able to create such a wonderful illustration for this year’s Christmas card.
“Katie Morag’s adventures accompanied by Mairi’s beautiful illustrations are adored by both children and adults right across the world.
“Christmas is a time for spending time with those that we love, but it is also a time for thinking about those less fortunate than ourselves.
“There is no doubt that Scotland is a caring and compassionate country but this year in particular, I have been so proud of the warm welcome and kindness which has been extended to all who have come here.
“Whether it’s by helping out at a charity, or having a cup of tea and a chat with a friend or neighbour who is on their own, it’s important to spend some time over the next few weeks giving comfort, companionship and support to those who need it.”
For the first time, special packs featuring Christmas cards from previous years will go on sale in National Galleries of Scotland shops in Edinburgh from next week.
Part of the 2014 fundraising initiative, cards will be sold in a pack of ten and will feature the artwork of Jack Vettriano, Elizabeth Blackadder, John Lowrie Morrison, Peter Howson and Phyllis Dodd.
All profits will be split between 2014’s charities; the Catherine McEwan Foundation, The Mackintosh Appeal, Legion Scotland, Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance and Yorkhill Children’s Charity.
The First Minister added: “Since we launched the charity Christmas card initiative in 2007, sales of artwork and prints have raised more than £168,850 for good causes across Scotland. I’d like to extend my thanks to all the artists, including Mairi, whose time and genorisity have made raising so much money possible.”
And the children’s view of the Katie Morag card? ‘Brilliant’, ‘amazing’ and ‘fantastic’!
Tree-mendous: Christmas arrives in Muirhouse!
Tonight’s the night at Muirhouse Shopping Centre
Dull old Muirhouse Shopping Centre will be transformed into a local winter wonderland tonight when Community Action North (CAN) kicks the Christmas season off in style!
Why are we doing this? During the first phase of the Community Action North project we spoke to dozens of local groups and hundreds of local people – and one of their biggest complaints was about the state of the shopping centre. Everyone agrees it’s not the most welcoming environment, so we decided to do something about it – even if only temporarily. And when Urban Union kindly offered to donate a real Christmas tree we thought: if places like Corstorphine, Morningside and Stockbridge can have public Christmas trees, why not Muirhouse too?
It’s taken a while to organise and has presented a number of challenges – I’m sure Santa’s Christmas present run is easier to plan – but we’re almost there and tonight we hope local people will join us to celebrate our community at a very special time of year.
We’ve been working away to make the Centre look a little bit brighter – children from the local primary schools created some brilliant snowflake stencils and these are now being painted on the walls by a team from Tomorrow’s People, supported by Austeja from North Edinburgh Arts.
Our Christmas tree, a mighty twenty-two foot Norwegian Spruce, was delivered and erected yesterday and will be decorated today. We’ll also be adding some more lights around the Centre to give it that festive feel. There’s still a lot to be done, but we’ll get there!
So what could possibly go wrong? Well, quite a lot – as many local people have been quick to point out! However we’ve looked at all the possibilities, we’ve weighed up all the risks and we’re giving it a go. Christmas is a time of hope, of new beginnings and more than anything it’s about children – and we believe our local children deserve to have their own tree, here in their community.
Among tonight’s highlights:
- Christmas Tree lighting ceremony
- Music from Craigroyston Community High School
- Free festive food and drink at North Edinburgh Arts
- Sweets for the children
- A visit from Santa
- An opportunity to hear about CAN – what CAN can do for you, for groups and for our community
The festive fun kicks off at 5pm. Santa Claus is coming to Pennywell tonight – we hope you will too!
Andy and Dave, Community Action North CAN
Mapping the way ahead
Granton Improvement Society has secured funding from the Scottish Government and Community Ownership Support Service (part of the Development Trust Association Scotland) to undertake an area-wide Asset Mapping.
The map of the Forth area will include all the community assets that are public, private or community controlled and aims to collate the community hidden capacity; skills, services and aspirations regarding access and ownership of those physical assets.
For further information and/or a hard copy of the questionnaire contact:
info@grantonimprovementsociety.org
www.grantonimprovementsociety.wordpress.com
The Questionnaire:
questionnaire leaflet 13 11 15
Roberta Blaikie funeral arrangements
Roberta Blaikie’s funeral service will be held on Tuesday 8 December at 1pm at Warriston Crematorium.
Living in Harmony meets 10 December
Dear all,
I hope you are well. The next forum event is on Thursday 10 December. Please let me know if you would like to come. See details below: Continue reading Living in Harmony meets 10 December
Meet your community cops at Muirhouse Millennium Centre
Meet your community Police Officers at Muirhouse Centre
It’s a long haul for many to visit Drylaw Police Station, especially or those with Mobility Issues, and so the local police officers who keep law and order in our Community have arranged to meet the community at their local Community Centre on the following dates and times:
3 December: 2.30 – 3.30 pm
15 December: 7 – 8 pm.
7 January 2016: 2.30 – 3.30 pm
20 January 2016: 7 – 8 pm
James McGinty
A Book of Ideas for Scotland
‘Scotland is crying out for some big, transformative ideas’ – Common Weal’s Robin McAlpine
Common Weal Director Robin McAlpine will join over 100 Common Weal supporters from across Edinburgh and The Lothians to launch the Common Weal ‘A Book of Ideas’ at City of Edinburgh Methodist Church on Friday evening. Continue reading A Book of Ideas for Scotland
Sainsbury’s Christmas Story competition
Your story could be seen in the Museum of Childhood!
Sainsburys are running a Christmas story competition, open to all Edinburgh schoolchildren. We would love as many children as possible to take part!
The story must be no more than 500 words telling us your “Christmas Memories”.
The competition closes on Friday 18 December and all entries can be submitted to any Sainsburys in Edinburgh.
The competition will be judged by a colleague from Sainsburys and a representative from the City of Edinburgh council. The winning entries will then be displayed in the Museum of Childhood.
Remember to include your name, age and address or telephone number. Good luck!