Day: June 1, 2017

Tonight: Unite4Ramadan

TONIGHT: North Edinburgh Arts 8.15pm. All welcome

Transport available

For further info email beyondtheveil@hotmail.co.uk

Just a wee reminder that Beyond the Veil women’s group and the Edinburgh Inter Faith Association are hosting a #unite4ramadan event in North Edinburgh Arts tonight at 8 pm. The organisers hope the event will help to create a better understanding of the peaceful message of Islam.

It will be a very informal session with plenty of opportunity to ask questions, have a chat and eat together. The event is free but registration is essential. Please email beyondtheveil@hotmail.co.uk or call 0771 728 3331.

A minibus has been organised to get people there and back home after the event. Please call Lynn at Royston/Wardieburn Community Centre on 552 5700 to book a seat on the bus.

 

Health Project celebrates the work of ‘amazing’ volunteers

During Volunteers’ Week (1st to 7th June) Pilton Community Health Project will be celebrating the amazing work that volunteers in the area do.  All week we will be posting details of their achievements on facebook.  North Edinburgh would be a much poorer place without the efforts of residents who volunteer (writes PCHP’s Anita Aggarwal).  Continue reading Health Project celebrates the work of ‘amazing’ volunteers

Calls to Samaritans reach record high

Samaritans volunteers responded to more than 5.7 million calls for help in 2016, an increase of nearly 300,000 on the previous year. Releasing the figures to coincide with the start of Volunteers’ Week (1-7 June), the charity says there are a number of reasons for the record high, including making its confidential helpline free to callers. Continue reading Calls to Samaritans reach record high

Cyclist dies following city centre collision

A woman cyclist has died following a collision in the city centre. It’s understood she overbalanced when her cycle wheel became stuck in tram tracks and she fell into the path of an oncoming tour bus. 

The 24-year-old was cycling at the West End of Princes Street at around 8.30am yesterday when she came off her bike at the junction with Lothian Road, before being involved in a collision with the Rabbie’s Tours mini-bus. The woman, who has not yet been named, sustained serious injuries and was taken to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh where she later passed away.

Roads at the busy junction were closed for several hours and diversions put in place while Road Policing Officers carried out investigations at the scene.

Anyone with information is asked to come forward.

Sergeant Fraser Wood from the Road Policing Unit in Edinburgh said: “Sadly, as a result of this collision, the young woman sustained injuries that she could not recover from. Our sympathies are with her family and friends at this time.

“As part of our ongoing investigation we remain keen to speak to members of the public who witnessed this incident, or who have information that can assist us in establishing the full circumstances of what happened.”

Those with information can contact the Road Policing Unit in Edinburgh via 101 and quote incident number 643 of the 31st May.

Alison Johnstone, Scottish Green MSP for Lothian, used First Minister’s Questions to raise concerns about safe cycling infrastructure following yesterday’s fatal accident in Edinburgh in which a twenty-four year old woman came off her bike on tram tracks and was hit by a minibus.

Cycling campaigners have claimed that the number of accidents on tram tracks in the Capital is higher than in other UK cities.

Alison Johnstone, co-convener of Holyrood’s cross-party group on cycling, said: “Our deepest sympathies go out to the family and friends of the young woman who died. While an investigation is underway into the circumstances, it is terrible that it often takes such shocking events to prompt a rethink of how we plan our infrastructure.

“Cycling should be a safe way of getting about our towns and cities for everyday activities. I’m pleased that the First Minister agreed to my request that the Transport Minister meets with campaign groups to discuss what can be done to prevent any further injuries or loss of life.”

Teetering on the brink: most Scots one bill away from debt

Over half of Scots sometimes run out of money before payday

More than half of Scots (51%) say they occasionally run out of money before payday, with 15% saying they do so ‘most of the time’ or ‘always.’ 

The figures are part of a major new report published by Citizens Advice Scotland (see below) which aims to take a snapshot of the financial realities facing Scots in 2017, and in particular the relationship people have with debt.

Other key findings from the research, which was conducted by Ipsos Mori, include:

• 55% of Scots would be unable to pay a sudden bill of £100 without borrowing, using savings or cutting back on essentials. The equivalent figure for a £250 bill is 69%, and for £1,000 is 83%.

• Only 42% of Scots feel they understand their rights in relation to debt.

• Older people and those with full-time jobs are less likely to be in debt, but many Scots who are in work report that they often need to borrow to supplement their income.

• Those who are in work are just as likely to be refused credit as those not in work.

Publishing the report, ‘Living one payday to the next,’ CAS policy manager Keith Dryburgh said: “This study shows that for most Scots debt is just a fact of life. It also shows that debt is not just an issue for people who are on low incomes. Many working Scots on reasonable salaries occasionally need to borrow money to get them from one payday to the next.

“While many of these people would not regard this as a crisis situation, our research also finds that many people are vulnerable to financial shocks, like being unable to pay a sudden bill without getting into debt or using savings. And more than half of Scots are not familiar with their rights as debt consumers.

“Given that debt is so pervasive in Scotland, we are keen to make sure that people know their rights in relation to debt, and also know what options they have if they want to manage their finances better. We have information and tools on our website that will help anyone do this, and free impartial advice is also available at every local CAB.”

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