Celtic and Scotland footballer Scott Brown officially opened the new sports hall at Cramond Primary School yesterday. Scott cut the ribbon of the new £1m building with Head Teacher Helen Donaldson and the school’s eight Primary 7 house captains. Continue reading Great Scott! Cramond Primary scores with new sports hall
With December just round the corner, all voluntary sector managers are thinking about just one thing … no, funding!
The next Meet the Funders event is on Thursday 8 December
http://www.edinburghnp.org.uk/about-nps/funding/meet-the-funders/
‘Meet the Funders’ is a free marketplace event providing access to funding information for community projects. It is an opportunity for groups to discuss their ideas with potential funders and collect a range of information about possible sources of grant aid. The event also offers the groups an opportunity to meet and work together.
All Welcome
Free drop in event open to the public from 11am to 2pm
Heart of Midlothian Football Club’s Gorgie Suite
Tynecastle Stadium, McLeod Street
The final list of funding organisations is:
For further info contact Jim Pattison : Partnership Development Officer : Forth Neighbourhood Partnership : North Edinburgh Local Office, 8 West Pilton Gardens, EH4 4DP : direct dial- 0131 529 5082 jim.pattison@edinburgh.gov.uk
A nurse from St Columba’s Hospice is today presenting information on how to have a ‘digital death’, at the national conference for health and social care practitioners working in end-of-life care.
Continue reading Edinburgh hospice nurse urges people to consider their ‘digital death’
At least 25 cars damaged in overnight vandalism attacks
Police are investigating following a wave of car vandalisms across North Edinburgh. A series of incidents occurred overnight between Sunday and Monday and took place across the area -incidents were reported in Granton, Boswall, Trinity and Hawthornvale. Continue reading North Edinburgh hit by car vandalism spree
Hello,
We would like to invite you to our event ‘Do you see?’ This event is being planned and presented by our young parents. They will be launching a film they have made to combat the stigma around being a Young Parent and sharing their experience. This is a chance for them to have their voices he’rd on a topic that has a massive effect on them.
The event will be held on Wednesday 7 December at North Edinburgh Arts, 15a Pennywell Court.
1pm – 1.30 pm – presentation and film launch
1.30pm – 2.30pm – a more informal chance to speak to the young parents, network and find out more about the services provided by Stepping Stones. Refreshments and nibbles will be provided.
If you can make it along to either the presentation and film launch, and/or for a chat and a bite to eat afterwards , the young parents would appreciate your support.
Please RSVP to info@steppingstonesnorthedinburgh.co.uk
Last week, MSPs and Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament (MSYPs) came together to focus on the views and voices of young people in Scotland. The Parliamentary reception focused on the Scottish Youth Parliament’s 2016-2021 Manifesto, Lead the Way.
Lead the Way is based on the analysis of 72,744 consultation responses from young people all over Scotland, and outlines their views on 54 different issues, everything from climate change to physical assault on children. At the reception, Ben Macpherson, MSP for Edinburgh Northern and Leith, got the opportunity to meet with local MSYP to discuss the issues affecting young people, specifically in the area.
Commenting Ben Macpherson, MSP for Edinburgh Northern and Leith, said: “It was a pleasure to meet Lucie, Shannon and Eilidh to hear about the great work they are doing to ensure that young people’s voices are heard in Scotland.
“As Scotland continues to move forward, the Scottish Youth Parliament’s work is extremely important to ensure that children and young people are listened to, at every opportunity, as we continue to build a fairer and more inclusive Scotland.”
Pictured: Lucie Duffy MSYP, Shannon Donoghue MSYP, Ben Macpherson MSP and Eilidh MacKay-MSYP
Fiona Garven, Director of SCDC and Chair of the Scottish Co-production Network looks at the progress co-production has made in Scotland – and where it can go next:
It doesn’t feel like so many years ago that we started talking about co-production in Scotland. In fact, in relation to the time it takes to make a system shift towards new ways of working, it has actually been no time at all!But, since it started in 2011, the Scottish Coproduction Network has grown to a membership of almost 1,000 made up of people active in their own communities, practitioners from across a range of sectors, and others interested in how to make coproduction fundamental to public policy.
Co-production has been championed in Scotland for a long time, in the work of many community and voluntary sector organisations, and by those who believe in the importance of participation and the contribution of all in helping to achieve better outcomes. Through the Scottish Co-production Network, we’ve been able to share examples of citizens and services working together to produce innovative solutions to many social issues, from working with vulnerable young people to maximise their life chances through to support for older people to live well and independently for longer – there are many other examples besides.
But, although these examples of good practice are making a positive impact on people’s lives, we have yet to reach the stage where working alongside citizens or service users as equal partners, or recognising and supporting independent community action, is at the foundation of how we deliver public services in Scotland.
Over the last few years we have seen a significant move at government level towards an empowerment agenda, with specific legislation in the shape of the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act, but also supported by policy initiatives in respect of reforming public services, new thinking on ‘what makes us healthy’, and addressing inequalities – all with an emphasis on community participation and the involvement of citizens.
Co-production is at the heart of nearly all of our policy ambitions, and with Co-production Week Scotland, it’s time to build on the enthusiasm and messages for a national campaign where we can all contribute our ideas, thoughts and examples of where this way of working and thinking has made a real difference.
We still face the impacts of austerity in Scotland, and new global challenges in the manifest distrust of political and governance systems. Now, more than ever, is the time to promote and celebrate the difference co-production can make in shaping Scotland to be a more inclusive, participative and equal place to live.
Learn more about Co-production Week Scotland and get involved at #CoProWeekScot
Details of a community event, which will give north Edinburgh locals the opportunity to tell politicians what improvements are needed in the area, have been announced.
The ‘upside down hustings’, organised by Pilton Community Health Project (PCHP), will bring together community campaigners, residents, councillors, and MSPs to debate issues such as mental health services, the environment and housing.
The event will take place at Royston Wardieburn Community Centre, Pilton Drive North, on 23 November at 6pm. Media are invited to attend. Members of the public can book their place at:
Grassroots representatives confirmed for the event are:
Andrew Paterson, Research and Policy Officer from CHEX will also give context on how policy is changing to give communities more voice.
Politicians who have confirmed their attendance are:
All current Councillors for Forth and Inverleith, as well as those from their Parties who support the development of the manifestos, have been invited.
Anita Aggarwal, PCHP’s Community Development Manager, said: “By flipping the traditional hustings model on its head and creating an opportunity for the people of north Edinburgh to discuss the changes they want in the areas, we hope to influence political parties’ manifestos for next year’s city council elections. We hope this will be the start of a constructive dialogue with local politicians through until next year’s elections and beyond.
“While parts of Edinburgh continue to prosper there remain some serious social and economic inequalities between different parts of the city. Men in the most deprived areas of Edinburgh can expect to live over ten years less than those areas with the lowest levels of deprivation.”
The outputs from the debate will also be fed into the 2050 Edinburgh City Vision.
Minister for Childcare and Early Years, Mark McDonald, has announced that Edinburgh, Aberdeen and the Scottish Borders will be the first three locations for Early Learning and Childcare expansion trials. The Minister made the announcement during a visit to Craigentinny Nursery yesterday.
The trials, which form part of the Scottish Government’s drive to increase the flexibility, quality and quantity of provision, will commence in January 2017 and will test out a variety of models including:
Mr McDonald said: “High quality early learning and childcare plays a vital role in narrowing the attainment gap that is why this Government has gone further than any other in our commitment to expanding free entitlement.
“But, the Scottish Government is not simply determined to increase the amount of early learning and childcare. We are also determined to deliver the flexibility that families need to make best use of high quality childcare.
“Right now, councils work hard to be flexible but we must all acknowledge that too often the system does not offer places where and when families need them. We are going to change that.
“We have already launched a major consultation looking at different options, including blending together ideas like funding following the child and Children in Scotland’s Childcare Commission proposal that parents can opt to receive funding in a childcare account.
“Today, we are launching a series of trials to test various models of delivery for the expansion to 1,140 hours.
“By trialling different delivery models we will be better able to understand what parents and children need and want. The three successful local authorities announced today put forward a diverse range of proposals and I look forward to seeing how these work in practice.”
“As highlighted in research from Heriot-Watt University published yesterday, quality childcare is a key contributor to reducing poverty and tackling inequality. Today marks the latest milestone in Scotland’s journey towards a high-quality, flexible childcare system that helps children, parents and families the length and breadth of the country.”
Councillor Cammy Day, Education Children and Families Convener for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “It’s important for children to experience a diverse education from an early age and the Forest Kindergarten trial project is a really innovative way of enriching their learning as research shows that education outdoors has a really beneficial impact on young people.
“Apart from the positive educational benefits the project will also give pupils from areas of social deprivation opportunities and experiences which may otherwise be limited to them.”
