Housing and care services are in crisis. Can local community co-operatives help to meet local needs?
These are questions for a ‘radical’ new community project in Edinburgh Northern and Leith. Side by Side aims to explore how we can learn from each other and work together to create positive practical change in our local neighbourhood.
Housing, environment and care of the young and elderly were the top concerns to emerge from two community Open Space events in the last 12 months. The first event identified the needs; the second came up with bold ideas to fill gaps in local services – including housing and childcare co-operatives
Now Side by Side aims to take the next step with The Gathering, at Norton Park Conference Centre on Saturday 3 December. And this time the event will start by celebrating the successes and achievements of local groups who are already changing lives.
‘Through our events we discovered fantastic creative enterprises in Edinburgh Northern and Leith,’ says Fay Young, one of the organisers, ‘But not everyone knows about them. We hope to learn from each other to build on what is here already and generate new ideas to enhance quality of life in our area.’
Keynote speaker Josh Littlejohn, co-founder of Social Bite, will set the tone of an event which seeks to ‘share best practice and build on local achievements’. A panel of experts from Pilton Community Health Project, Port of Leith Housing Association, Shrub Swap and Reuse Hub and North Edinburgh Childcare will also provide first hand accounts of successful community enterprises and projects.
Workshop discussions and outcomes will be led and decided by the audience and facilitated by Judith Chivers. Proposals put forward by The Gathering will contribute to a community manifesto for our neighbourhood in time for the local authority elections in May 2017.
Side by Side has grown from two Open Space community discussion events hosted by Councillor Lesley Hinds, in December 2015 and April 2016. Local organisations and residents were invited to explore how we might make use of new powers coming to the Scottish Parliament to improve life in our part of Edinburgh.
Councillor Hinds who is standing down after 33 years on City of Edinburgh Council said: ‘I promised to turn words into action and that is what The Gathering aims to do. My colleagues will ensure this is taken forward”.
Side by Side is a community project open to all. The Gathering will be introduced and hosted by Labour Councillors for Edinburgh Northern and Leith, and is supported by Leith Open Space, an intercultural community discussion group formed in 2005.
Edinburgh based Selah Corbin, a cinematic songwriter and multi-instrumentalist whose work has been likened to “paintings that come alive” will provide the music and a light lunch of delicious food from Punjabi Junction will be served.
To take part, book now on Eventbrite https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/side-by-side-edinburgh-northern-and-leith-gathering-tickets-28336222404?aff=es2
and follow Facebook.com/SBSGathering and http://www.edinburghlabournorthernandleith.org.uk/ for updates.
For further information please contact Marion Donaldson councillormariondonaldson@gmail.com
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We already know what Labour have to say about this: attack and blame the SNP while saying that they should use their powers to raise Council Tax and general taxes to pay for local services. Meanwhile a £700 million contract has just been awarded to a private healthcare company in England for providing community healthcare. Scotland’s budget is determined by what England spends it’s money on. So if it allocates less money to the English NHS then there is a knock on effect to the Scottish Block Grant. So as the NHS is slowly privatised in England so our ability to provide publically funded services decreases. Yet Labour in Scotland will never mention this – they will just attack the SNP and tell them to raise tax. With EVEL our MPs now have no say in how England spends it’s money which in turn determines our budget. Local services might be at breaking point but we already pay taxes to cover these services. Why should we pay more? Why should our budgets be decreasing just because Westminster want to privatise services? Incidentally most of the millionaire Tories who are privatising the services have personal interests in private healthcare companies. Again Labour say nothing. They accuse the SNP of grudge and grievance. I think the SNP are performing miracles under the circumstances. The last Labour/Lib Dem coalition built a grand total of 6 Council Houses when in power. They sent £1 billion of the Scottish Block Grant back to Westminster because they didn’t know what to spend it on. While events like these are welcome from what I have heard from the Labour leadership I very much doubt they are going to be objective enough to talk about the big picture and criticise the real people who are calling the shots. It should not be just as simple as shouting ‘increase taxes across the board’.
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