Heart of Newhaven: August newsletter


Welcome to your August newsletter
Visitors from Singapore

The Heart was delighted to be able to host a visiting delegation from Singapore last month. The visitors, around 20 researchers from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore, were on a fact-finding trip hosted by DTAS (Development Trusts Association Scotland) and requested that the Heart be part of their itinerary.

Around two dozen visitors therefore enjoyed a delightful lunch at the Heart, followed by guided tours of the site with some of our trustees, and ending with an informal question and answer session before leaving for their next port of call.

They wanted to know about the community right to buy such assets as the Heart and how we are now funding and running it for the community and what they learned will feed in to their Future Ready Society Conference in Singapore.

First Dementia Tea & Blether

Our dementia worker Valeria hosted her first official Meeting Centre event last month with a good-sized turnout of interested adults, carers and volunteer helpers. Tea, coffee, biscuits and a delicious home-made cake were happily consumed over discussions of old photographs from the Heart’s heritage collection and a few intriguing items from the Victorian Schoolroom.

Attendees had an informal tour of the ground-floor heritage displays and the event finished with much laughter as participants tried their hand at quoits or beanbag throwing – both much more difficult than they would appear to be!



There will be further monthly meetings and the next one is scheduled for Wednesday 30th August. Contact valeria.lembo@heartofnewhaven.co.uk if you’d like to attend.

Local glass artist

Juli Bolanos-Durman  paid a visit to the Heart recently, when she was thrilled to be able to claim many of the excess scientific glass objects from the History of Education Centre.

She will use the old test tubes, flasks and rods to create new glass sculptures.  HEC was equally thrilled that their old glass would be saved from landfill and used to produce new artwork. Watch this space for photos of the finished pieces.

Coming up soon

The Heart will be hosting an exhibition for Edinburgh Shoreline next month.
This will be a week-long exhibition, open to the public from Saturday September 16th and running until the 24th.

The 16th is the date for the deployment of oysters in the Forth, an historic event.

AGM

Important date

The Heart of Newhaven Community’s AGM will be held this year on Saturday 9th September, at 2pm.  

Please check whether you are a member or not as we must update our records every year.

You may be signed up to receive the newsletter, but not be a member.

If you are a member, you will receive your official notice next week
and be told what the next steps are. 

The AGM would be an ideal time to step up and join the Board.

We need new volunteers to join us, particularly if they have financial experience of any kind. If you would be interested in helping, contact Judy,Crabb@heartfnewhaven.co.uk or andrew.waldie@heartofnewhaven.co.uk

You can also find more details at https://reachvolunteering.org.uk/opp/heart-newhaven-community-trustees or https://reachvolunteering.org.uk/opp/heart-newhaven-community-treasurer

The AGM would also be a great time to start getting more involved with the running of the Heart. We’re always on the look-out for more volunteers on the ground and there are many ways of lending a hand, whether it’s by manning the welcome desk at specific times, providing IT or comms support, stepping forward to help organise events or sharing your own particular skills or expertise in so many ways.

Do say hello to one of our Trustees and offer to help in whatever way you can.

Work with Us.

We have a vacancy for another part-time staff member.  This is a part-time (16hrs per week), fixed-term role for six months but it could evolve into a permanent position. Check out the specifications on the website –

New Teaching Kitchen

Watch out for big changes in the Victoria Building, coming up soon.

There have been delays to the installation of the promised new teaching kitchen, the hold-up being unexpected additional costs having to be met, but the work will begin in the next couple of weeks.

We apologise in advance for any disruption caused, but rest assured the finished amenity will meet all sorts of community demands.

More changes

You’ll be seeing lots of young faces around the Heart from now on, with the new childcare facilities starting in the Anchor Building this month.

As we explained in the last newsletter, Daddy DayCare are moving in, so welcome to our new young users. Have fun!

New partner NEECS

Finally, welcome to our new partner, NEECS, North East Edinburgh Counselling Service. NEECS was established in 1995 and provides free one-to-one professional counselling for young people and adults who are experiencing poor mental health.

You’re invited to their upcoming AGM and the ‘house warming’ of their new premises on the first floor of the Victoria Building on Thursday 24th August.

This will be their first in-person AGM since the pandemic and an opportunity to see their new room at The Heart. The day will start with coffee & cake from 9am, then starting the AGM at 9.30am in one of the meeting rooms in the Anchor Building in the playground.

WHAT’S ON AT THE HEART














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davepickering

Edinburgh reporter and photographer