Month: June 2024

Heart of Newhaven: Update on our Christmas Tree Project

The tallest knitted Christmas tree in Scotland project has reached the halfway mark. The knitters are aiming for an ambitious height of between five and six metres for the tree, about the height of a giraffe, but are more than happy with progress so far.

The veritable army of knitters in Edinburgh and beyond has been busy knitting multi-toned green squares and colourful Christmas baubles and decorations for several months now, and are celebrating having reached the halfway stage. They now have 5,000 squares and need another 2,500 while the pile of decorations has reached the 1,000 mark, about half of what is needed.

The community project, based at the Heart of Newhaven Community (the old Victoria Primary School), has given people across Edinburgh a purpose for their knitting and is creating a real sense of community.

The squares are also coming from across the UK, sent by people who are happy to contribute to the imaginative project. 

The tree is being supported by knitters in Edinburgh and the surrounding area as well as from as far afield as Liverpool, Southport, Luton, Norwich, Fife and Inverness.

Children at local primary schools have been learning to knit with the help of the Tree@ The Heart supporters and in return have been handing in their green squares. Local care homes have also been getting involved.

It is hoped the ambitious project will encourage donations which will go towards improved disabled access at the Heart while Homestart is the chosen local charity that will also benefit. 

The Heart is now beginning to get ready for the official reveal on 30th November when the Tree will be the star of the show, but centred around the growing tree, there will also be a Christmas craft market and live music.

The team knows that there are many squares still out there but the Heart is open and ready to receive them all.

Apart from the current knit and natter sessions at the Heart (see the website Heart of Newhaven) there will now be new Friday afternoon sewing sessions to get the final branches ready.

They’ll be held on the following dates from 2 – 4pm:  5th July, 19th July and 2nd August.

The sewing sessions will concentrate on sewing the squares into leafy triangles ready to go on the Tree, while the trunk is being created by the craftsmen at the Men of Leith’s Men Shed, who are based at the Heart.

Everyone is invited to go along and join in at one of the knit and natter or sewing sessions. There’s always a warm welcome!

The Heart of Newhaven Community 

‘Bringing People Together’

Summer Playscheme at Royston Wardieburn Community Centre

Summer Playscheme for Primary 5 – Primary 7 at Royston Wardieburn Community Centre

Monday – Thursday between the 1st & 18th July

10am – 12:30pm with Breakfast and Lunch included

Art & crafts, cooking, sports activities and games

Places limited so register at reception

Call 0131 552 5700 for more info

Volunteer opportunities in Granton Art Centre (NGS)

National Galleries Scotland are recruiting volunteers to help with our upcoming events that will take place in the Granton Art Centre.

We are prioritising volunteers based in the area as we are looking to support local people and help connect them with the community. You can find more information in the link below:

https://volunteer.nationalgalleries.org/opportunities/67344-granton-art-centre-volunteer-2024-06-05

We need your help in providing a warm welcome for community groups and visitors to Granton Art Centre, where we house many artworks from the National Galleries of Scotland’s collection.

With your help we can support audiences, in particular groups from North Edinburgh, to feel more connected to the collection and National Galleries of Scotland.

Your role: 

You will be supporting the GAC team – led by our Store Manager, Holly – as well as freelance artists and educators who lead tours, events and activities to ensure community groups and visitors have a positive and memorable experience.

This opportunity supports National Galleries of Scotland with its community development programme in North Edinburgh, building relationships for The Art Works – National Galleries of Scotland’s future project in Granton to deliver a community centred and sustainable new facility for Scotland’s collection of art.

What is the Granton Art Centre: 

Granton Art Centre is Scotland’s first purpose-built art store for paintings, drawings and sculptures from the national collection. It provides 1,300 square metres of secure and climate-controlled storage space.

It is a living archive, full of potential inspiration for community groups, artists, researchers, schools, and individuals where visitors can see artworks up close.

In the future, Granton Art Centre will eventually exist as The Art Works.

How to apply:

  • Easiest way to apply is online through the button on the right. You will be asked to provide some basic information about you, along with why you would like to volunteer in this role. You will also be asked for two referees, ideally one of them should be work/education/volunteering related and the other personal.
  • Alternatively you can email us at volunteer@nationalgalleries.org or call us 0131 624 6266

We are looking to recruit a team of 4 – 5 volunteers each contributing about 2hrs per month

PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION BY THE END OF JULY

Through this opportunity we aim to support local people and help connect them with the community. As such, priority will be given to applications from local residents (EH5 postcode).

Police appeal for info following Princes Street road accident

POLICE are appealing for information following a crash involving a car and a pedestrian in Edinburgh.

The crash happened around 5.35pm on Friday, 21 June, 2024 on Princes Street.

The pedestrian, an 83-year-old man, was taken to The Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh for treatment.

Constable Chris Beddows said: “Our enquiries are ongoing and we are now appealing to anyone who witnessed the crash to contact us.

“We also ask motorists with dashcam footage of the area at the time to come forward.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101 quoting incident 2965 of 21 June, 2024.

TUC: Child poverty in working households has increased by over 1,300 a week since 2010

Analysis shows number of kids growing up in poverty in working households increased by 44% (+900,000) between 2010 and 2023

  • Union body says a “toxic combination” of pay stagnation, rising insecure work and cuts to social security have had a “devastating impact on family budgets” 
  • TUC calls for urgent economic reset and for a government that “makes work pay” 

Child poverty in working households has increased by over 1,300 a week, on average, since 2010 – according to new TUC analysis published yesterday. 

The analysis shows that the number of kids living in poverty with at least one parent in work increased by 900,000 (44%) between 2010 and 2023 – the equivalent to 1,350 a week. 

The TUC says in 2023 there were 3 million kids in working households living below the breadline in the UK. 

Children growing up in poverty in working households now account for: 

  • 69% of all children in poverty 
  • 24% of all children in working households  

“Toxic combination” 

The TUC says that a “toxic combination” of wage stagnation, rising insecure work and cuts to social security have had a “devastating impact” on family budgets. 

Real wages are still worth less today than in 2008 and the union body estimates that had they grown at their pre-crisis trend since the Tories took power the average worker would be over £14,000 a year better off. 

And separate analysis from the TUC shows that the number of people in insecure work, low-paid work has increased by nearly 1 million during the Conservatives’ time in office to a record 4.1 million. 

Economic reset 

The TUC says Britain urgently needs an economic reset. 

It highlighted the importance of Labour’s New Deal for Working People and Green Prosperity Plan in creating good jobs and helping make work pay. 

And it called on political parties to make reducing child poverty a national priority. 

TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said: “No child in Britain should be growing up below the breadline. 

“But under the Conservatives we have seen a huge in rise in working families being pushed into poverty. 

“A toxic combination of pay stagnation, rising insecure work and cuts to social security have had a devastating impact on family budgets. 

“We urgently need an economic reset and a government that will make work pay. Reducing child poverty must be a priority in the years ahead.” 

Advice for residents on returning postal votes or applying for a new proxy vote

The city council is issuing guidance so everyone is able to cast their vote in the General Election on 4 July.

If you applied for a postal vote by 7 June, then this has been posted out and should arrive soon if you haven’t already received it. If you applied for one between 8-19 June it will be sent out by this weekend. Further information can be found on our website.

Please fill your postal vote in as soon as possible once you receive it and post it back to us.

When filling out your postal vote if you’ve separated the statement from envelope A this isn’t an issue, please just send everything back. Don’t worry about using blue ink. 

If you need a proxy vote, where someone votes on your behalf, the deadline for new applications is tomorrow (26 June) at 5pm. Guidance on proxy votes is available on our website.  

If you are going to vote in person, this is the first UK General Election where voters must show a form of photo identification (ID) to cast their ballot.

A list of approved forms of ID and information on how to obtain a free Voter Authority Certificate are also available on the website.

The deadline to apply for a Voter Authority Certificate to vote in the 2024 General Election is also tomorrow (26 June) at 5pm.

The Council’s website has a full list of candidates standing in Edinburgh’s five parliamentary constituencies.

Six-year-old Anthony Green to visit over 50 police stations for charity

Next month six-year-old Anthony Green will be travelling up and down Scotland to visit all 13 police divisions for charity.

Anthony has visited Divisional Headquarters in Fife on Detroit Road in Glenrothes every week since April 2022 to see police vehicles and personnel coming and going.

As a way to give something back to policing Anthony has decided to spend the month of July travelling to over 50 police stations, raising money for charity.

Officers across the country have got involved to help with the planning of these visits to ensure Anthony receives the warm welcome he’s used to from his hometown police.

Sergeant David McCabe said: “We are used to seeing Anthony accompanied by his parents in Glenrothes every week and it is fantastic to see the joy our vehicles and colleagues bring him by simply doing our job.

“His love of policing is evident in this challenge and we hope he enjoys seeing our colleagues across the country while on his travels.”

BBC ALBA provides respite from hustle and bustle with new slow-living series

BBC ALBA is set to go off-grid in a brand-new series exploring the growing lifestyle trend of ‘hutting’. Bothag Phàdruig | Peter’s Hut reunites viewers with Peter MacQueen, his partner Coinneach ‘The Hebridean Baker’ MacLeod, and their loveable sidekick, Seòras the dog, as they spend time at the family’s secluded hideaway in Argyll and Bute.

Set on edge of Clachan Sound, overlooking the famous Slate Islands, the series will take viewers on a ‘through the keyhole’ experience of off-grid living, with no phones, Wi-Fi or mains electricity to connect Peter and his guests to the outside world.

The eight-parter, produced by Caledonia TV, follows Peter for a full year as he and his family and friends visit the hut to escape their busy day-to-day lives.

In the first episode, Peter is joined by his other half, Coinneach – the Hebridean Baker – for a family weekend at the hut.

After a quick tour around the garden, Peter helps Coinneach make Bakewell scones just in time for his dad and uncle Stuart arriving.

Viewers can also expect to see special moments of Seòras, the loyal and beloved family dog before he sadly passed away last year.

Peter MacQueen comments: “The hut has always been an incredibly special place to us. My father built our hut six years ago and we have never looked back – it’s a privilege to give BBC ALBA viewers this exclusive chance to see our rural hideaway. Hutting helps families to go back to basics, appreciate the simple things in life and strengthen social bonds.

“Viewers can expect true off-grid living with no electricity, or Wi-Fi to access social media. We have kept up this family tradition to switch off from our bustling daily lives and reconnect with nature in its simplest form.

“Throughout the series, we have different guests join us for a bit of respite and to enjoy a slow-paced way of living. The series also captures the last few months we had with Seòras before we sadly lost him last year.

“Although it has been emotional seeing him again on screen, we are grateful we had the chance to create lasting memories with him at the hut.”

‘Hutting’ is a growing lifestyle trend in Scotland, offering access to the outdoors for those living in busy cities and rural settings alike. Often remaining in the same family for generations, the concept was established in Scotland following the First World War whereby people would pay a small amount in ground rent to landowners to build a rustic bolthole for their families.

‘Hutting’ is a prominent part of Scandinavian cultures as a place to visit with family and friends on the weekends and holidays.

Bill Macleod, Commissioning Editor, BBC ALBA, said: “This series is the definition of heart-warming television. I defy anyone who watches it not to want to spend time with Peter and his family as they cook, build, forage, swim and simply enjoy each other’s company in what must be one of the most beautiful spots on the planet. Kick back and be transported for the ultimate get-away!”

With weekly episodes airing every Tuesday throughout June and July (and available on demand on BBC iPlayer), special guests on the programme will include broadcaster and journalist Lesley Riddoch who enjoys a leisurely break to the hut while embracing the natural surroundings.

The first episode of Bothag Phàdruig | Peter’s Hut will premiere on BBC ALBA TONIGHT (Tuesday 25 June) at 8.30pm and on demand on BBC iPlayer (in Gaelic with English subtitles): https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001v5wc.

Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home tackles pet poverty head on with their Pet Care Clinic

Pet owners in Edinburgh and Midlothian who are struggling to afford to care for their pets are being given the opportunity to attend drop-in Pet Care sessions at four locations across the city.

Providing support, and guidance, the Pet Care Clinics are an in-person service which allows veterinary experts who volunteer for the Edinburgh Dog and Cat to support owners with basic behavioural queries, providing equipment to support training, advice on welfare, wellbeing checks and signposting to available services and support.

The monthly drop in sessions take place at Simon Community Scotland, Food Facts Friends (Penicuik), Craigmillar’s Edinburgh Food Project and the Salvation Army in Granton.

These venues are also supported by the Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home’s food bank service, which works with 87 pet food bank providers across East and Central Scotland, providing meals to pet owners who would otherwise not be able to afford to feed their beloved pets.

The cost of living crisis has impacted the ways in which some pet owners care for their animals with some being forced to surrender their pets due to being unable to afford to care for them.  From January to April 2024 the Home received 458 surrender requests from those struggling to keep their pet, they administered 104 vaccinations to animals in their care and provided 181 free pet essential items to owners in need.

Jamie Simpson, Director of People and Services at Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home, said,“ We are seeing a worrying increase in the number of pet owners who are unable to afford vet treatment and don’t know where to go to get advice on training, behaviour, nutrition or general pet care.

“We want to take action to prevent minor issues, behavioural or veterinary, becoming much bigger issues and in doing so prevent a pet owner from potentially having to give up their pet.

“Our Pet Care clinics include a volunteer vet to support with basic pet care advice and are delivered in partnership with local organisations in a hub setting to allow owners to find support and advice under one roof.

“The aim is to support pet owners with advice as well as to signpost them to other support and in doing so, keep pets in loving homes.”

Volunteer vet,  Victor Bates said, “For many of the people seen via Pet Care, the impression is that their pets are sometimes the one real emotional support and constant in their lives.

“I think that Pet Care helps to at least reduce some of the worries that people on low or no incomes have about feeding and ensuring the well being of their pets and companions.”

Volunteer vet, Susan Little said, “As a local vet with some spare time, I enjoy being able to help and advise people, whilst sharing in their stories of their pets, with all their adventures and mischief.

“Being part of a regular, small team of friendly faces allows trust to be built up, so that folk feel comfortable to confide in us about the issues they are facing. “We are able to give general support and advice, along with being able to make a bit of fuss of any dogs which they bring along.

“A bit of chat and humour with the people coming along to the sessions makes it an inclusive, welcoming time, which is rewarding for volunteers and owners.”

Hugh Hill from Simon Community Scotland said, “‘Across all our services we support people to stay connected with their dogs.

“We recognise the companionship and care each receives from each and in many cases it isn’t simply the most important relationship in their lives, it can be the only one. Our partnership with Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home has been hugely valuable in supporting owners and their dogs to stay together and have the support to maintain that powerfully healthy relationship.”

Please contact foodbanks@edch.org.uk if you would like to support the Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home by running a pet food drive at your place of work or community group, or if any pet food store/business would like to help with donations.

For more information please visit: www.edch.org.uk/pet-care