Month: April 2023

Community Shed re-opens … in Drylaw

The North Edinburgh Arts Community Shed has finally reopened its doors after a 3 month hiatus. The Shed will now operate from Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre until the new North Edinburgh Arts building opens early next year.

The shedders created their new home by converting what was previously Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre’s minibus garage into a fantastic new workspace.

North Edinburgh Arts chairperson Lesley Hinds said: “The Shed is a welcoming, safe space where people living in North Edinburgh can come to make or mend stuff using recycled wood.  We aim to be a fun space where our members can meet new people, learn new skills, and feel supported to realize their creative ambitions. 

“We believe that when we work together we can achieve almost anything.  Our limitation is our imagination!”

Community Shed Manager Rik Hodgson explained: “We are delighted to be finally reopening and to be getting back to the bread and butter of what we do – which is making and mending in Muir … ehhh, Drylaw!

“I don’t think any of us were particularly excited about operating for a year in this garage – just two months ago it was full of rubbish, was dark, dingy, damp, dreary, and tiny.

“It was hard to envisage us operating out of it, having luxuriated in the space at the old Co-op (on Pennywell Road), we moved from a Tardis into a phonebox!

“Each day of the build involved dragging large sheets of plasterboard, sterling board, MDF in and out of the garage and the shipping container prior to being able to do anything constructive. And then at the end of the day, the items we hadn’t used had to be put back.

“Most of this board has been used to line the garage and the shipping container to give us insulation and something to hang our tools on and put up our work benches.

“All the wood used in the build was recycled and, apart from a few tools we have bought nothing for this build.

“I would like to express my massive thanks to both the staff but in particular our truly awesome volunteers who, without their help, this build would never have happened.

“I would like to personally thank Alex, Andy, Bob, Bob, Dee, and Stuart who have worked tirelessly to ensure that our new temporary home is as welcoming as it is. Other volunteers have come along and been supportive but these six in particular have been coming almost daily to help us transform this garage into a workshop.

“Can I ask you to put your hands together and clap these six people for their work. I have put them forward for the team volunteering award 2023 and no mistake they deserve to win it!  Hopefully the judges will look at the photos of the before and after of this transformation and recognise their enormous endeavours.”

Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre (DNC) is also excited to announce a partnership with Edinburgh & Lothians Regional Equality Council (ELREC) to provide the following activities:

Sustainable Cooking:

Looking to spice up your kitchen skills? Come join our sustainable cooking sessions to learn new techniques and create delicious meals while making the most out of your ingredients. You can save money while eating well. The sessions will be held on May 8th and 22nd from 5pm to 8pm at DNC. To book your spot, email shana@elrec.org.uk.

Cycling Club:

Want to join a cycling club? Here’s your chance! DNC and ELREC are hosting a cycling club every other Thursday at DNC. It’s completely free! You can email cfc@elrec.org.uk to book your place. Here’s what you can expect:

Cycle Rides: Join us for our weekly flat cycle path rides. Everyone is welcome, including children under adult supervision. Bring your own bike, helmet, water, packed lunch, sunscreen, and waterproofs. To learn more about dates and times, email cfc@elrec.org.uk. Bikes and equipment are also available on request.

Drop-In Bike Repair: From 2pm to 4pm, join our drop-in bike repair service and learn how to fix your bike. Our experienced mechanics will guide you, whether you need to fix a flat tire or overhaul your entire bike.

Electric Bike Library: Lastly, check out our e-bike library and loan one of our top-of-the-line e-bikes for just £10 per week! Explore the city with ease and comfort, while reducing your carbon footprint. To request an e-bike, email cfc@elrec.org.uk (first come, first served).

Not Proven No More?

‘A BOLD, NECESSARY AND IMPORTANT BILL’ – RAPE CRISIS SCOTLAND

Legislation proposing a significant package of reform to ensure victims are treated with compassion and their voices heard across the justice system has been published.

The Victims, Witnesses and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill will require justice agencies to make efforts to reduce re-traumatisation of victims and witnesses and will address long-standing challenges in the justice system’s approach to serious sexual offences.

Significant reforms proposed in the Bill include abolishing the not proven verdict in all criminal trials to help create a clearer, fairer and more transparent decision-making process. It will reduce juror numbers from 15 to 12 and increase the jury majority required for conviction to at least two-thirds – to ensure fairness, balance and promote confidence that verdicts are decided on a sound and rational basis.

If passed by Parliament, the Bill would also establish an independent Victims and Witnesses Commissioner for Scotland to champion the rights of victims and witnesses and encourage government and criminal justice agencies to put those rights at the heart of the justice system.

The Bill also includes significant new measures to meet the needs of survivors of sexual offences, building on the recommendations of Lady Dorrian’s Review Group on improving the management of sexual offence cases, enabling public confidence in the justice system by:

  • protecting the dignity of victims through an automatic lifelong right of anonymity for victims of sexual offences 
  • establishing a specialist sexual offences court with national jurisdiction to enable complainers to give their best evidence while minimising the potential for re-traumatisation
  • providing an automatic right to state-funded independent legal representation for complainers when applications are made to lead evidence of their sexual history or ‘bad character’ in sexual offence cases
  • enabling a pilot of single judge trials for cases of rape and attempted rape to take place to gather evidence on their effectiveness

Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs Angela Constance said: “This Bill will put victims and witnesses at the heart of the justice system. It is testament to the efforts of many campaigners who have worked to ensure that the processes of justice better serve victims, witnesses and vulnerable parties.

“This landmark legislation is among the most significant since devolution and will ensure fairness is cemented into the bedrock of Scotland’s modern-day justice system. Building on the experiences of survivors, victims, and their families, these key reforms will make justice services more sensitive to the trauma it can cause.

“This government has been clear we must take action to improve the experience of those who suffer sexual abuse. The majority are women, who must be supported to have trust and confidence that the processes of justice will serve their needs, allow them to give their best evidence and support them in their recovery.

“By creating an independent Commissioner for Scotland to champion the rights of victims and witnesses we can ensure that they are treated with compassion and their voices are heard.”

While Rape Crisis Scotland has concerns over the proposed reduction in the number of jurors, the organisation welcomes what it describes as a ‘bold, necessary and important bill’:

Today the Scottish Government published the Victims, Witnesses, and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill. This is a potentially transformative bill which could significantly improve the experience of survivors of sexual violence.

Survivors across Scotland have campaigned tirelessly to highlight the injustices of the current legal process and have played a crucial role in making the case for change.

The bill will:

  • End the not proven verdict;
  • Introduce a specialist sexual offence court;
  • Give ministers the power to begin a pilot of single judge led trials in Scotland;
  • Introduce independent legal representation (ILR) for survivors in cases where the defence seeks to bring evidence on their sexual behaviour into court;
  • Introduce a legal right to anonymity in sexual offence cases.

We are strongly supportive of these proposals. For more information on our positions, please see our policy briefings on criminal justice reform, alongside specific briefings on the proposed specialist sexual offence court, judge led trials and independent legal representation.

Many of these steps were recommended in Lady Dorrian’s review of the management of sexual offences and we pay tribute to her leadership and the work of this group.

In Scotland, conviction rates for rape are the lowest of any crime type. For cases that reach trial the conviction rate is around 51% compared to 91% for all other crimes. Most cases never make it as far as court: in 2021/22 there were 2,298 rape and attempted rapes reported to the police, but only 152 prosecutions and 78 convictions.

There is significant evidence that myths about sexual violence influence juries in their decision making.

There is a huge amount of research and evidence to suggest that these steps will not only make engaging with the justice system easier for survivors but lead to more justice being done.

We asked survivors what they thought justice reform in Scotland needs to look like and why it matters. Here are some of their comments:

“Victims should not feel scared to come forward and report a crime due to the pressures of a court case. Where is the justice in that?”

“it was a horrendous ordeal and completely traumatising – from the court dates being suspended and rescheduled, the actual trial itself… and the way I was perceived by all professionals involved, other than the lovely victim support girls on the day of trial and of course rape crisis, as doing something wrong in speaking out…. So, I would love nothing more than to see some change!“

“For me, the thought of standing in front of the family, the public, the people who have abused and assaulted me or lawyers and judges, is absolutely terrifying and something I could never even consider. The culture of victim blaming in society is so damaging that people who have these experiences are likely to think they’ll be blamed even when the evidence is strong. Or the mental chaos that going through the lengthy court process is, only for the perpetrator to end up with a short sentence is not worth it.”

Making the decision to report rape or sexual violence can be very difficult. It is not made easier by the barriers in place to accessing justice for survivors. We hope this bill will begin to remove some of these barriers and help more survivors in Scotland to get justice.

This is not a perfect bill. We have concerns about its proposed changes to jury majority from 8 out 15, to 8 out of 12. We know that juries are reluctant to convict in rape cases, and any change in jury majority could have a significant impact on convictions.

We are concerned that unless significant and sustained efforts are made to address the impact of rape myths on jury decision making the overall impact of this bill might actually be to reduce the number of rape convictions.

Notwithstanding our concerns about the change in jury majority, the fact that these proposals have been made by the Scottish Government is testament to the incredible work of survivors from across Scotland who have campaigned for change. This is a bold, necessary and important bill.

WLF’s Call for Youth in Edinburgh!

Registrations are now open for young people in Edinburgh to be a local Youth Ambassador for the World Literacy Foundation.

Young people can apply online for the 4-month youth leadership development initiative to support and advocate literacy in their local community.

https://worldliteracyfoundation.org/ambassador-program/

Rebecca Aldred, Youth Ambassador Program Coordinator, said: “We are looking for young people who aspire to be a “Change Makers” in Edinburgh.

“Each young person will join a global community of other Youth Ambassadors to develop their leadership skills, learn about literacy, fundraise, and make a positive impact in their region.”

The young person will undertake 5 training modules, learn about the topic and raise funds to address illiteracy.

Ms Aldred said: “It’s a perfect opportunity for inspiring young people to take action, develop leadership skills, be a voice in their community, and connect with young people who are eager to make a social impact. 

“Nearly 61% of children from disadvantaged homes in Edinburgh don’t own a single book and face lifelong poverty if something isn’t done, I don’t think that is a figure we should accept and our Youth Ambassadors can help change this”.

Through this program, young people who join can support education and literacy in their local community and be connected to young people worldwide.

Visit https://worldliteracyfoundation.org/ambassador-program/ to apply.  

About The Youth Ambassadors program and World Literacy Foundation  

The Youth Ambassadors program has its objectives: to develop a group of young people who have a strong sense of global citizenship and give back to their local community. As “change makers” the young people will gain an awareness of literacy issues and develop leadership skills.

At the World Literacy Foundation, we promote mutual understanding, respect, and collaboration among people around the world and provide them an opportunity to participate in an experiential learning program, leadership training, community civic engagement, mentorship by community, business, and NGO leaders, and volunteering.  

The World Literacy Foundation is a peak not-for-profit charity striving to eradicate illiteracy by 2040.  In the UK, 9 million people struggle to read a sentence and are considered to be functionally illiterate.

We work in 52 countries and reach 500 million people each year. 770 million people on the globe are illiterate. A further 2 billion people struggle to read a sentence.  

The economic and social cost of illiteracy is estimated at £36 Billion in the UK per year. 

Police recruitment and information event for women

Come along to our women’s recruitment and information event at Fettes Police Station, Edinburgh on Thursday, 4 May 2023, from 6pm to 8pm

Our Positive Action recruitment team will talk about the recruitment process, the entrance test and fitness test, as well as the assessment day. A serving female police officer will be there to discuss their experience of the recruitment process and their experiences of the role so far.

You will have the opportunity to ask any questions you may have and meet potential candidates who are also thinking of applying to become a police officer.

We are committed to increasing the number of officers and staff from under-represented groups. There are well documented barriers to some people applying to join the police service.

We therefore run a number of different recruitment events to answer specific questions from people from diverse communities. This is to make sure everyone has fair access to the Police Scotland recruitment process.

These events are for groups currently under-represented in Police Scotland. The consent, support and cooperation of our fellow citizens lies at the heart of the identity and legitimacy of policing in Scotland.

To ensure that bond is as strong as possible, we must fully represent and reflect the communities we serve. Inclusion is an operational necessity and morally the right thing to do.

👉For event details, please visit http://ow.ly/3MoV50NGW22

👉To sign up, please email RecruitmentPositiveActionTeam@scotland.police.uk

HMRC prepares to send 1.5 million tax credits renewal packs

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) will issue 1.5 million annual tax credits renewal packs for the 2023 to 2024 tax year to customers between 2 May and 15 June 2023.

Once customers receive their annual renewal pack they will have until 31 July 2023 to check the information is correct and notify HMRC of any changes to their circumstances which may affect their claim.

Tax credits help working families with targeted financial support, so it is important that people do not miss out on money they are entitled to.

There are two types of renewal packs:

·         if it has a red line across the first page and says ‘reply now’, customers will need to confirm their circumstances to renew their tax credits

·         if it has a black line across the first page and says ‘check now’, customers will need to check that their details are correct. If they are, they do not need to do anything and their tax credits will be automatically renewed

More than 500,000 tax credits customers will need to reply to HMRC by the deadline to confirm their circumstances for the 2023 to 2024 tax year, or risk having their payments stopped.

Customers can renew their tax credits for free via GOV.UK or the HMRC app.

Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s Director-General for Customer Services, said: “Tax credits provide families with vital financial support, so it is important that customers look out for their renewal pack and renew by 31 July.

“For details on how to renew, search ‘manage my tax credits’ on GOV.UK.”

The renewal packs will be sent out in batches. HMRC is reminding customers who have not received theirs to wait until after 15 June before contacting HMRC about their pack.

HMRC has released a video to explain how tax credits customers can use the HMRC app to view, manage and update their details.

Renewing online is quick and easy. Customers can log into GOV.UK to check the progress of their renewal, be reassured that it is being processed and know when they will hear back from HMRC.

Customers choosing to use the HMRC app can:

·         renew their tax credits

·         update changes to their claim

·         check their tax credits payments schedule, and

·         find out how much they have earned for the year

If there is a change in a customer’s circumstances that could affect their tax credits claim, they must report the changes to HMRC. Circumstances that could affect tax credits payments include changes to:

·         living arrangements

·         childcare

·         working hours, or

·         income (increase or decrease)

By the end of 2024, tax credits will be replaced by Universal Credit. Customers who receive tax credits will receive a letter from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) telling them when to claim Universal Credit.

It is important that customers claim by the deadline shown in the letter to continue receiving financial support as their tax credits will end even if they decide not to claim Universal Credit. However, there is no need to wait for their transfer letter, and customers can apply to move to Universal Credit sooner, if it is right for them.

The UK Government is offering Help for Households. Check GOV.UK to find out what cost of living support individuals could be eligible for.

Criminals use deadlines, like the one for tax credits renewals, to trick people who might be expecting to hear from HMRC into sharing their banking or other personal details. If a phone call, text or email is unexpected, do not give out private information or reply, and do not download attachments or click on links. 

It is ok to reject, refuse or ignore any requests – only criminals will try to rush or panic people. HMRC is also warning people not to share their login details with anyone else.

Visit GOV.UK for more information on how to report a scam or suspicious activity.

Have your say on parks in Leith

Come along and talk about plans for parks in Leith! 🌿

We have events coming up looking at how to make six of our parks in Leith better for people and nature. This is part of the #EdinburghNatureNetwork

📧Booking is essential: email the team at thrivinggreenspaces@edinburgh.gov.uk

“A City where you Don’t Need a Car”

Spokes public meeting, Wednesday 24 May

Speakers

  • Cllr Scott Arthur, Edinburgh City Transport Convener – the Council’s plans
  • Phil Noble, Strategy Manager for Active Travel and Streetspace – more detail on the policy delivery documents, including ATA, the Active Travel Action Plan
  • Adrian Davis, Professor of Transport & Health at Napier Transport Research Unit – he will critique the policies – are they sufficiently ambitious? will they work?
  • … followed by our one-hour panel QA, chaired by Dr Caroline Brown, Spokes member, Transform Scotland policy adviser, transport academic – your chance to interrogate and challenge the speakers

Arrangements

  • Where Augustine United Church 41 George IV Bridge, Edinburgh EH1 1EL
  • Date Wednesday 24 May
  • Time Starts 7.30, Ends 9.30. Doors open 6.45 for coffee, stalls and chat
  • Queries & Questions Queries, or questions for the speakers, can be emailed to spokes@spokes.org.uk. However, questions in person from audience members are likely to have greatest priority on the night
  • Online We hope to live broadcast on our youtube channel – details nearer the time on Spokes website. We also intend to make the recording available a few days later.

Background

Edinburgh City Council is consulting on a new Active Travel Action Plan (ATAP) and a series of other Mobility Plan ‘delivery documents’ all aimed to support Edinburgh NetZero 2030, and a 30% reduction in car-km by 2030.

Our public meeting will hear from the Council, followed by an expert critique, and then there’s a full hour panel discussion – your opportunity to challenge the speakers.

Do the delivery plans live up to the Council’s ambition to cut car-km 30% by 2030, alongside greatly increased travel by foot, bike and public transport? Will they enable more people to live car-free? Will they lead to speedy implementation? Our meeting is your opportunity to find out!

The ambition “to create a city where you don’t need to own a car to get around,” mentioned in several of the documents (e.g. Parking Action Plan, p8) is very welcome, for reasons of climate, public health, congestion and equalities. Such an ambition is also essential if the Council is to achieve its ultra-tough target to reduce car-km 30% by 2030.

A top cycling takeaway from the draft ATAP is the new focus on main road segregated routes. It says [chap 5],

“The (off road) traffic-free routes will continue to play a vital role, and we will seek to improve their comfort,safety and security. However, we now plan to develop a joined-up network of routes that feel safe to everyone at all times of day. This network will need to use segregated cycle tracks on main roads, as well as unsegregated on-street routes that have low volumes of motor traffic.”

The three highlighted phrases above [our emphases] neatly summarise important major developments, which we strongly welcome, in the Council’s approach to cycling policy, and we urge determined implementation.–

** Spokes: spokes.org.uk; twitter.com/SpokesLothian

When Harry met … Harry!

Scotmid celebrates International Guide Dog Day

In a nod to International Guide Dogs Day (26th April) – Scotmid has surprised its soon to be retired President with a gift he’ll never forget!

With four legs, a fluffy tail and skills that help change lives, A Guide Dog puppy has been ‘named’ Harry after Harry Cairney as a parting gift. Human and hairy Harry met to shake paws and celebrate Scotmid’s ongoing Charity partnership with Guide Dogs.

PICTURED (L to R) –  John Brodie (Scotmid Chief Executive), Harry, , Shelagh Davidson (Guide Dog Puppy Raiser), Kyla McVicar (Guide Dogs), Harry Cairney.

It’s all about that Base!

Celebrate International Dance Day this week with Dance Base

Dance Base, Scotland’s National Centre for Dance, is inviting everyone to celebrate this year’s International Dance Day on Saturday and take part in the fantastic summer term starting just two days later, on 1 May.

Audiences can now choose from over 50 dance classes for people of all ages and all levels of dance experience forming Dance Base’s summer term. The term will run until 24 June and feature audience favourites such as Burlesque, Bollywood, Aerial, Tap and Cuban Salsa as well as Irish dance, Musical Madness and Pilates, available as an 8-week course or drop-in classes.

As always, Dance Base provides a range of classes for the youngest (3+ yo) and mature dancers (60+ yo). It also continues its popular Dance for Parkinson’s classes suitable for people with no dance experience, aimed at developing participants’ confidence and creativity, whilst addressing Parkinson’s specific concerns such as balance, flexibility, coordination and gait.

Jim Hollington, Dance Base’s CEO said: “International Dance Day provides a fantastic excuse to celebrate all things dance, the joy it brings and the community it helps build.

“We are honoured and driven to continue to play a vital part in Scotland’s creative landscape which has been under a lot of strain over the past few years. but thanks to the high level of support from our teachers and regular dancers, who helped to make the term we’ve just finished much busier than anticipated, we’re able to open over 50 classes in the summer term.

“Our future depends on your support, so I hope you’ll celebrate the International Dance Day with us and sign up to one of our fantastic courses or drop-in classes.”

Tony Mills, Dance Base’s Artistic Director said: “We recognise that a dance class can become an incredibly meaningful experience that builds community, creativity, joy and well-being.

“At Dance Base, I consider us to be in the business of providing this kind of opportunity, so I am happy that we mark this year’s International Dance Day with a new fantastic term of over 50 classes.”