Month: January 2016

New Year news from Living in Harmony

01 JAN community ceilidh

Dear all, 

Happy New Year! I hope you had a good break.

Overcoming Language Barriers write up

I’m attaching the minutes and slides from our last forum meeting about overcoming language barriers. Thank you to everyone who took part. The next forum meeting will be in February. I’ll be in touch soon with the date.

Burns Night Community Ceilidh

I’m attaching a poster for the Burns Night Community Ceilidh at Royston Wardieburn Community Centre on Saturday 23rd January, 5-9pm. This is a really fun, family friendly and accessible evening for anyone living in the area. Tickets are £1 and need to be purchased in advance from the community centre. Please come along and invite others!

Facebook page

The Living in Harmony facebook page is at

https://www.facebook.com/LivingInHarmonyEdinburgh/

We want people to use this page to share information about what’s on so please do like it, post information on it and share it. Luke will be trying to post interesting and useful articles on the page too, so hopefully you’ll find it helpful.

Chat cafes

I’m attaching flyers for the Chat Café at PCHP and an LGBT chat café in the city, both starting this month.

Hannah Kitchen

Development Worker, Living in Harmony 

chat cafe a5 formatted polish anna jan 2016

chat cafe a5 anna jan 2016 english

overcoming language barrier elite linguists

Overcoming language barriers 10th december

PCHP_Ceilidh_Poster_LR

Home truths on the waterfront

Western Harbour development will ease city’s housing crisis

24347771646_2bbba40a2c_z

The National Housing Trust initiative (NHT) will deliver almost 900 affordable homes for rent in Edinburgh, Social Justice Secretary Alex Neil revealed at Western Harbour yesterday.

The City of Edinburgh Council has already delivered more than 400 NHT homes with hundreds more in the pipeline. The latest 234-home development at the Western Harbour brings the total number of NHT homes approved across Scotland to more than 2,000.

The Scottish Government’s financial innovation is unlocking strategic sites for housing development across the country, delivering more homes for less public investment.

The City of Edinburgh Council, Scottish Futures Trust and the Forth Ports Group are spearheading the Waterfront development, which is being built by Hart Builders.

Mr Neil said: “The contribution from innovative financing approaches, such as NHT, using government guarantees, loans, grant recycling and new sources of private funding is substantial and growing.

“Edinburgh has wholeheartedly embraced the NHT, the first guarantee-based model for housing in the UK, as one that can help ease the city’s housing pressures.

“People in the capital will have access to a quality home at an affordable rent, and the NHT model allows them to save for a mortgage whilst staying in the home that they may be able to buy.

“NHT, which is providing affordable homes without the need for grant subsidy, has reached a milestone with over 2,000 homes approved for construction.

“More generally, we have exceeded our target to deliver 30,000 affordable homes in this Parliament including over 20,000 homes for social rent.

“Our new target to deliver 50,000 affordable homes over the next five years is bold, credible and affordable. This is a 67 per cent increase in completed homes over the next five year period.”

Councillor Norman Work, City of Edinburgh Council said: “The City of Edinburgh Council is delighted to work in partnership with Scottish Government, Forth Ports and Scottish Futures Trust in enabling this development, which includes the 2000th National Housing Trust home across Scotland.

“The Council has committed over £100 million for NHT in Edinburgh, and this will deliver almost 900 affordable homes throughout the city. Edinburgh has a shortage of affordable housing and this 234-home development will make a significant contribution towards the regeneration of Western Harbour and creating an integrated sustainable community.

“Edinburgh is a growing city and meeting the need for new, good quality and good value homes is a major part of the Council’s Capital Coalition commitment to ensure that the city’s residents are well housed. The Council will continue to seek innovative funding solutions through collaborative working partnerships to deliver affordable homes”.

Christa Reekie, commercial director at the Scottish Futures Trust (SFT), explained: “Today’s announcement clearly illustrates the huge impact SFT’s award-winning National Housing Trust programme is having and further consolidates the partnership between the City of Edinburgh Council and SFT even further.”

Colin Macdonald of Hart Builders, part of the Cruden Group said: “We are delighted to be working with Forth Ports, Rettie & Co., the Scottish Government, Scottish Futures Trust and City of Edinburgh Council to deliver this development at Western Harbour.

“It will not only provide a secure and sustainable environment, but will also enable Hart to maintain current employment and training opportunities over the lifetime of the construction period.”

Nick Watson, Director at Rettie & Co. said: “Over the last three years Rettie and Co has enabled and coordinated the delivery of much-needed new rental stock for the City of Edinburgh delivering 296 new units.

“We are delighted to have been working constructively on the Western Harbour development with Forth Ports, Cruden, Hart Builders, the Scottish Government, Scottish Futures Trust and City of Edinburgh Council.”

Sign up for North Edinburgh community conference

SAVE THE DATE: Saturday 13 February 9.30 – 3pm 

NORTH EDINBURGH COMMUNITY CONFERENCE

Organised by Community Action North and Granton Improvement Society

Community Conference

 WHAT NEXT FOR OUR COMMUNITY?

Challenges and opportunities facing North Edinburgh

North Edinburgh is facing tough times. Services are being cut, jobs are hard to come by and some of our projects are struggling to survive. 

But maybe it’s not all doom and gloom. Our community has some great resources, and chief among these is our people: the activists and the volunteers, young and old. 

This important conference will discuss what our community needs  –  and work out how, together, we can  get where we want to be.

We believe the people who know best are the people who live here. North Edinburgh needs your ideas – come along and help us to map out a positive future for our community. 

Lunch provided

Free crèche available (MUST be booked in advance)

Contact: 0131 315 6405 or email communityactionnorth@gmail.com | grantonimprovementsociety.wordpress.com

Letters: who cares?

hands

Dear Editor

By the middle of 2016 all patients who have limited life time left will receive palliative care treatment.

In the past there have been other ideas; for example the ‘Liverpool Pathway’ treatment which is now seen as bad practice and was stopped.

A full public explanation of palliative care is urgently needed to give assurance that this latest scheme is based on enhanced individual care, carried out by adequatel numbers of staff fully trained in enhanced caring.

A. Delahoy, Silverknowes Gardens

Remembering Greyfriars Bobby

bobby

A special party was thrown yesterday to celebrate the much-loved life of Edinburgh’s most famous little dog. Pupils laid flowers to the skirl of bagpipes at the grave of loyal terrier Greyfriars Bobby, who died 144 years ago on 14 January 1872.

Bobby is buried in Greyfriars Kirkyard and his death is commemorated with a special ceremony every year on the anniversary of his death.

Amongst the participants was a Greyfriars Bobby look-alike, Bobby the Cairn terrier, sporting a specially-designed coat and badge in honour of her double.

As the one o’clock gun sounded, the time at which Bobby is said to have left his master’s grave each day for a free meal at a nearby café, pupils from George Heriot School laid flowers on the grave. This was followed by ‘Tribute to Greyfriars Bobby’, played on bagpipes by Jennifer Hutcheon.

Abbeyhill Primary School pupils were also in Central Library for a historical story time session about Greyfriars Bobby, joined by Moira and her Skye Terrier Hannah from the Skye Terriers club.

Donald Wilson, Lord Provost, who attended the event, said: “Today’s service was a very fitting tribute to one of Edinburgh’s most famous figures. Greyfriars Bobby truly is a world-famous pet, and his statue and grave are well established parts of the tourist trail.

“Everyone knows and loves the story of his loyalty, and it’s so nice to be part of this special commemoration. Anyone interested in finding out more about Bobby can browse the memorabilia on display just now at the Museum of Edinburgh.”

After the death of Bobby’s owner John Gray, the then Lord Provost, Sir William Chambers, ensured the dog’s freedom by purchasing a license and dog collar, allowing him to roam the graveyard.

Capturing the hearts of passers-by every day, Bobby’s statue was erected a year after his death in 1872 by the Ladies Committee of the RSPCA, and has since become a landmark for the capital, visited by millions of people.

Yesterday’s event was supported by local charity The Grassmarket Community Project.

SOS – Save Our Services!

lobby

Members of the Power to the People group are calling on local groups and individuals from North Edinburgh to  join them at a lobby of the full council meeting on Thursday 21 January to protest against what Unison describe as the “worst cuts in living memory”.   Continue reading SOS – Save Our Services!

Pilton Retreat: a final call for your support

Forty-five years. Tens of thousands of North Edinburgh children and families, Pilton Retreat has given our community so much. Now, at their hour of need, they desperately need the community’s support: it’s time to give something back …

009

Pilton Retreat 1970

The late Victor Lindsay while on his rounds working with the Water Board discovered the unused, semi – derelict scout hall on the edge of Ratho.

In 1970, he along with other community activists from play schemes, youth projects, churches and staff from schools agreed to work together to establish a countryside resource for the children and young people of the Greater Pilton area.

Successful negotiation with the farmer and scouts, a payment of either £10.00 or £20.00 was enough to secure the building for Pilton use.

The thrift shop was opened to sell donated goods to raise funds; a wider appeal for funding and loads of voluntary effort meant that the first groups of children and young people from Pilton started staying at the Retreat in the summer of 1971.

Tens of thousands have visited since.

Initially, it was only the building, by mid 70’s some extra land was rented, and ever since improvements to the facility and grounds have been achieved.

What exists today is as a result of the efforts of many people over these 45 years.

Now these achievements and the resource are under real threat.

Council funding may end, solely on the assessment of three unknown council officials’ and a report to Councillors recommending no continued funding.

We ask that our four Forth councillors seek to persuade the Education Children and Families Committee on 11th February that this would be a detrimental decision.

More than 1,600 people so far have signed our e-petition, asking the Councillors to think again.

45 years of continuously improving service and facilities surely must count?

1,500+ children and young people using the facilities every year surely must matter?

If funding ends on 31/3/16, the Board of Pilton Retreat will spend its own reserves to keep the Retreat open till the end of June 2016.

During these three months many children you may know will visit the Retreat.

School residential camps will involve Pirniehall P 4’s, Craigroyston and Forthview P 5’s, St Davids P6’s and Rowanfield P7’s. School day visits include Craigroyston and St Davids nursery classes and Pirniehall P3’s. Two other Edinburgh primary schools for pupils with additional learning needs will hold residential visits. A further 10 Edinburgh school nursery classes will visit for the day.

It seems ironic, even perverse, that the Council might decide to close down these opportunities for the pupils that they should be providing for. Many other community groups, locally and from elsewhere in Edinburgh will also visit in these three short months. They would also lose out in the future.

Please do all you can to help save these services / opportunities for the children, young people and families in Greater Pilton in the future.

Please sign and share our petition. Click on the link below:

https://www.change.org/p/councillor-andrew-burns-city-of-edinburgh-council-save-pilton-retreat-from-closure?recruiter=false&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink

Pilton Retreat Ratho