Month: January 2020

Local derby opens new pitches at Hunters Hall

Sports facilities at Hunter Hall Park in Edinburgh have received a boost thanks to the opening of two new third generation (3G) artificial grass pitch (AGP).
The park, can now boast some of the best sporting facilities in the local area and both pitches will be floodlit, allowing year-round use in late evenings and during the winter.

The new pitches were officially opened by Culture and Communities Convener, Donald Wilson on Friday 10 January. He was joined by representatives from Edinburgh Leisure and Scottish Football Association at a special opening ceremony.

Players from local teams Edina and Gold & Gray cheered the opening before kicking off a friendly match.

The football pitches offer outstanding amenities for the local sports clubs and the wider community. This phase of the redevelopment of the facilities in the area has also brought improved path network and overflow car park.

Funding from Section 75 contributions from local developments has enabled the Council to refurbish the existing 2G full size pitch and convert an existing grass pitch area to form a new 7-aside floodlit 3G playing surface.

This modern facility can be much more widely used, becoming a community hub for football in the area. The work was carried out by Allsports Construction & Maintenance Ltd.

Culture and Communities Convener Cllr Donald Wilson said: “I’m delighted that with our partners we have been able to provide these pitches which will offer year-round opportunities for both adults and young people to take part in sport.

“Not only will it help to increase participation in football and outdoor sport, it will also help the development of grassroots football in the area.

“As a council, we are committed to encouraging and enabling everyone to become more physically active and enjoy the associated benefits. We want sport to be as accessible as possible for our residents and our investment in fit-for-purpose sports facilities is helping to ensure that as many people as possible can get involved in sport throughout the year.”

An Edinburgh Leisure spokesperson said: “Making a positive impact on the health and wellbeing of the people of Edinburgh is at the heart of what we do.

“The upgraded 3G floodlit pitches will mean more opportunities for the local community to get involved in grassroots football.”

David Gold from Gold & Gray Soccer Academy added: “We are very fortunate to work in partnership with Edinburgh leisure and the Jack Kane Centre.

“The standard of Astro allows us to put on quality sessions that benefit the physical health and wellbeing of the community as a whole.”

Brian Gunn, committee member of Edina Hibs added: “The new Astro turf pitch facilities at the Jack Kane Sports Centre are just what Edina Hibs Football Club and the local sports community needed.

“The new facility will enable Edina Hibs, in partnership with Edinburgh Leisure and Jack Kane Sports Centre, deliver our core aim of providing team sports to help keep children healthy and happy in the local community and beyond.

Jennifer Malone South East Regional Manager, Scottish Football Association added: “It’s fantastic to see this new facility opening which in turn will hopefully see even more of the local community taking part in the game.”

 

Scottish and world Folk music industry join forces in support of Australian bushfires

LEADING music festivals, events and artists have rallied together to raise funds in support of those affected by the unprecedented Australian bushfires, currently destroying parts of the country.

In just 48 hours, thousands of pounds worth of prizes have been donated towards a major prize draw, with all proceeds split between the Australian Red Cross and World Wildlife Federation.

Festival tickets, VIP passes, travel and accommodation for leading events – including the Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival, Edinburgh International Fringe, the Hebridean Celtic Festival and The Cambridge Folk Festival, amongst many more – have been generously gifted to the fundraising effort.

The campaign has been organised by the team behind the Year of Scotland in Australia 2020 – the largest-ever programme of Scottish music and culture to be presented in the country.

Produced and curated by Showcase Scotland Expo and Woodfordia Inc, in partnership with over 30 of Australia’s festivals and event organisers, the year-long programme is backed by Creative Scotland, VisitScotland, The Scottish Government and The Glenturret whisky.

The prize draw will take place during a live streaming from Showcase Scotland 2020 in Glasgow, on February 1.

Tickets can be bought from https://yosa2020fireappeal.eventbrite.co.uk/ with all attendees’ tickets entered into the draw. A full list of prizes is also available through the purchasing link.

Culture Secretary, Fiona Hyslop, said: “On behalf of Scotland, I’d like to send a message of solidarity and friendship to Australia at this difficult time.

“The Year of Scotland in Australia 2020 celebrates the strong links between our countries and I am pleased that participating bands are supporting this fundraising appeal.

“I would encourage everyone to take part in this prize draw as a way of helping those affected by these devastating wildfires.”

Scottish Producer of the Year of Scotland in Australia, Lisa Whytock, said: “Australia has been so generous and welcoming to Scotland and our artists and we are devastated to see the destruction being caused by the fires.

“We simply had to do something! We contacted our stakeholders two days ago to ask for donations and support and have been overwhelmed by the generosity of the world’s music sector. Donations have come from all corners of the UK as well as Europe, the USA and Canada.

“I think this illustrates how deeply affected the world is by what is happening in Australia and the live streaming means that, in addition to raising funds, people from across the globe can come together for one small moment in time to show support for the people of Australia.”

Caroline Maclennan, director of the Hebridean Celtic Festival, added: “Everyone who has seen or read about the devastating effects of the bush fires will have been deeply moved by the trauma being experienced.

“While we are geographically remote from Australia, we have close family and cultural ties with the country and its people. The HebCelt board had no hesitation in offering our support to this international appeal and the response from the wider festival family across the world will provide much needed funds to help towards the massive recovery effort.”

Scottish artists currently on tour in Australia, as part of the year-long programme, have also thrown their support behind the campaign. Siobhan Miller and Brighde Chaimbeul are both offering collections on their respective tours, which run throughout January, whilst five-piece Elephant Sessions are auctioning a signed guitar – which has currently raised over $1,300 AUD for the recovery efforts.

Siobhan Miller said: “My thoughts go out to everyone in Australia affects by the bushfires – the loss of lives, wildlife and homes is heartbreaking.

“My band has been welcomed so warmly to this wonderful country, and I hope we can help in a small way by fundraising to support the Red Cross and the World Wildlife Foundation whilst touring with the Festival of Small Halls.”

Mark Bruce, of Elephant Sessions, said: “The Australian people have been so kind to us and it’s truly heartbreaking to see this beautiful country being so horrifically damaged by these fires. We hope that this small gesture can go towards helping in some way.”

One of the flagship events within the Year of Scotland in Australia 2020 is The Glenturret Burns Supper, in the Sydney Opera House on January 25, with music from leading Scottish group Breabach alongside artists Eric Avery and many others.

In celebration of their 15th year on the road, and in collaboration with The Glenturret, the band have released a limited-edition single malt whisky – with the first bottle distilled also set to be auctioned off, in aid of the bushfire campaign. A donation of $50 from each ticket purchased will also be made towards the campaign.

Ewan Robertson, of Breabach, said: “It is truly heart-wrenching to witness the devastation wrought by these fires. As a former volunteer firefighter myself I feel particularly helpless but hope that our small contribution can help support the relief effort in some way. Our thoughts and love are with all those affected.”

Photograph (above)courtesy of Elephant Sessions

Jobcentres to receive new £3 million fund to support homeless people

Jobcentres across the UK are to benefit from a boost of up to £3 million to support homeless people, Minister for Welfare Delivery Will Quince announced yesterday.

The new funding will see jobcentre staff joining outreach teams on the streets to speak to people sleeping rough, helping them to claim their benefits, find new work, secure stable accommodation and direct them to additional support. Continue reading Jobcentres to receive new £3 million fund to support homeless people

Greens launch campaign to stop Sheriffhall ‘spaghetti junction’

The council estimates that congestion costs Edinburgh £225m a year, yet they and the Scottish Government insist on repeating the same failed mistakes of the past.Alison Johnstone

A proposed £120m spaghetti junction at Sheriffhall roundabout will increase congestion and should be scrapped, according to the Scottish Greens.

Scottish Green MSPs and councillors have launched a campaign to halt the proposal and instead use the money to improve clean transport across the city region, reflecting Edinburgh’s proposed new ten-year City Mobility Plan.

The campaign highlights how £120m could be better invested in segregated cycle paths, bus lanes and park and rides, transforming the city’s transport infrastructure.

Speaking ahead of the launch, Lothians MSP and Scottish Greens parliamentary co-leader Alison Johnstone said: “The council estimates that congestion costs Edinburgh £225m a year, yet they and the Scottish Government insist on repeating the same failed mistakes of the past.

“Since the 1960s we’ve known that if you build more roads, they fill up with cars. That’s why the proposal to turn Sheriffhall roundabout into a spaghetti junction isn’t an upgrade, it’s a step backwards, especially when we now know 60,000 cars are coming into the city every morning.

“This is the 21st century, and we are in a climate emergency. £120m could go a long way in transforming our capital for the future. It could pay for 120 miles of segregated cycle paths, for example. It could boost our bus lanes and park and ride offerings to get our city moving again, instead of sitting in gridlock every day.

“The SNP in Edinburgh council and Holyrood need to match their rhetoric with real transformative change if we are to build a sustainable future. That means ditching the failed old ways like spaghetti junctions.”

Edinburgh Green councillor Claire Miller said: “There is only one credible direction for Edinburgh, which is at least reflected in the council’s draft plan, but Edinburgh has struggled to get even basic bike schemes off the ground, while developing a single tram line was fraught. That can’t continue.

“The city region deal needs to catch up too, that’s why £120m going towards a spaghetti junction at Sheriffhall just does not add up. The prize is a much better Edinburgh for everyone.”

You can object to the proposals here

https://twitter.com/i/status/1216736345030385664

“Dehumanising” – Airports failing to meet the needs of disabled travellers

Passengers with reduced mobility are sometimes being left humiliated, deprived of their dignity and in some cases even physically hurt when travelling through airports, putting them off flying altogether, a new Which? investigation has found. Continue reading “Dehumanising” – Airports failing to meet the needs of disabled travellers

Scottish prison custody officers launch strike ballot

An industrial action ballot of Prisoner Custody Officers (PCOs) in GeoAmey gets underway today (Monday 13 January) over a pay imposition which will result in staff receiving less than £10 an hour for the next two years.  Continue reading Scottish prison custody officers launch strike ballot