new ad campaign to support childrens’ literacy and numeracy
Parents and families have a key role to play in helping their children to read, write and count well and a new TV and supermarket-based advertising campaign has been launched to encourage and help parents to support their children’s learning beyond the classroom. Continue reading Help them shine
Continue reading Castles set to celebrate life and works of Burns
Catch college performers before they Take Flight
Edinburgh College’s performing arts students are ready to mesmerise the crowd tomorrow at a one-night dance festival at the city’s Festival Theatre. Continue reading Edinburgh College stars set to shine at DanceFest
Man assaulted during motor scooter theft
Police are appealing for witnesses following an assault and robbery in Muirhouse. The incident happened at around 8.45pm on Saturday evening in Muirhouse Grove. Continue reading Police seek witnesses to Muirhouse assault and robbery
The search is on for people who want to represent the interests of people in the Leith Central area. Nominations are open for places on Leith Central Community Council, which is holding an interim election.
Edinburgh Greens propose small council tax rise to improve council services and combat cuts
Green councillors in Edinburgh are proposing a small council tax rise to raise £10m to invest in services. They believe that combatting cuts in schools, social care and vulnerable children services should be the capital’s priority.
Green councillors in Edinburgh are proposing a 4.3% council tax rise for next year: equivalent to an extra 97p a week for the average Band D property.
The council tax rise, which is backed by 63% of respondents to the council’s budget consultation, would still leave the council having to make significant efficiencies and savings, but, according to the Greens, it would head off the worst cuts.
The £10m package includes
– Retaining a properly-funded school music service
– Blocking cuts to special schools and disadvantaged children
– Keeping budgets for social care for frail older people
– Supporting community centres, libraries and leisure centres.
The additional money would also allow the Council to recruit and keep more care workers to bridge a gap of 5,000 unmet care hours a week. And it would see a substantial investment in long term repair and maintenance of schools.
The proposals are outlined in a blog published today by Green Finance spokesperson Councillor Gavin Corbett, ahead of the council budget meeting this Thursday (21 January).
Cllr Corbett said: “This year’s budget round is by far the toughest since devolution in 1999, with the city council looking down the barrel of £85m worth of cuts. That includes cuts to schools, libraries, swimming pools, social care and community centres.
“That is why almost two-thirds of people responding to the council’s budget consultation backed a council tax rise. I agree with them and I am proposing 97p extra a week to reverse all of the worst cuts and also help tackle to mounting crisis in social care.
“So I believe the city council owes to it to the people of Edinburgh to have a proper grown-up debate about the right balance between new income and spending. To shrink away from that debate, to meekly accept whatever cuts central governments dole out is to infantilise the capital city, to impoverish vital services and to simply store up yet greater problems for the future.
“Let’s have that grown-up debate.”
Edinburgh currently has five Green councillors on a council that is dominated by Labour (21) and the SNP (17) so it would be a major surprise (i.e. there’s next to no chance) if the Green proposals were to be adopted.
When city councillors set Edinburgh’s budget on Thursday it’s expected that the Labour-SNP Capital Coalition will vote through budget cuts of £85 million. Up to 2000 jobs will be lost in what public services trade union Unison describes as ‘the worst cuts in living memory’.
You can find the Edinburgh Greens blog on the budget at
http://www.edinburghgreens.
Did women ‘set up’ assault victim?
Police are appealing for witnesses following a serious assault in the Granton area. The incident happened in Boswall Loan at around 3am in the early hours of Saturday morning.
A 30-year-old man began speaking to two women on Great Junction Street and the group walked along Ferry Road together. Once at Boswall Loan, heading towards Granton Crescent, the man was approached and assaulted by two men.
He was taken to the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary with serious facial injuries.
The first suspect is described as white, 5ft 7-8 inches tall, around 20 years old, with a slim build. He had short dark hair and was wearing a dark-coloured t-shirt, red shorts and white trainers.
The second suspect is described as white, 5ft 9inches tall, around 20 years old, with a slim build. He had short dark spiky hair and was wearing a dark-coloured top, dark jeans or joggers, and white trainers.
The two female witnesses are described as white, around 5ft 4inches tall, 18-20 years old, with slim builds and local accents.
One had elbow-length straight dark hair, and was wearing a light-coloured jumper, dark leggings or jeans, beige boots and carrying a large beige shoulder bag. She was possibly called “Kat”.
The other had dyed blonde shoulder-length hair. She was wearing a ¾ length grey jacket, black leggings and black boots.
Detective Sergeant Clark Martin of Gayfield CID said: “We’re conducting numerous enquiries in the local area in order to trace the suspects, and would urge any witnesses to get in touch. We believe the two men were known to the two women, and would also ask anyone who recognises their descriptions to come forward.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact Police Scotland on 101 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Great British Bake Off star Flora Shedden brought a buzz of excitement to the Scottish Parliament this week as she joined the Presiding Officer to unveil a specially commissioned bake made with honey from the Scottish Parliament’s beehives. Continue reading Buzz of excitement as Flora serves up Holyrood honey
THURSDAY 11 FEBRUARY 3 – 5.30pm
West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre
See poster (below) for a workshop event on Monday 8 February, open to community organisations’ activists and staff. Continue reading How good is your organisation?
