Month: October 2024

Newhaven mural celebrates restoration project

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A visual legacy celebrating a project aimed at restoring seagrass and oysters to the Firth of Forth has been unveiled.

The mural in the grounds of the Heart of Newhaven Community Centre celebrates the innovative Restoration Forth initiative which aims to bring back seagrass meadows and European flat oysters to the waterway.

Edinburgh based mural artist and illustrator Natasha Russell was commissioned by the Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh to bring to life the restoration activities across the Forth. 

Local residents, alongside pupils from Victoria Primary School, attended workshops to explore what the themes and design of the artwork would be.

Artist Natasha Russell said: “It’s been an absolute pleasure to work with the local community and Restoration Forth, RBGE and Heart of Newhaven in order to design this mural.

“Through creating the artwork we wanted to celebrate and help to spark interest in the return of oysters to the Firth of Forth and the ways that they can benefit local communities once again by enhancing water quality and supporting biodiversity. The mural also looks to capture the story of how the oysters in the Forth used to support fishing communities in Newhaven and highlights how our relationship with this species has changed over time.

“Through painting the mural at the Heart of Newhaven we hope to support the lively environment of this community space and to make an artwork that is accessible to the wide range of people who pass this wall.”

Workshop participant Beth Cockerline said: “It was so lovely to come together to discuss the mural , the local community and learn about the beauty and importance of the oysters.

“I’ve been telling everyone how cool and vital they are.”

Workshop participant Lucy Neville said: “I have loved the opportunity to be involved in the mural workshops. The Forth was once such a biodiverse estuary filled with life that supported us communities.

“Volunteering with Restoration Forth has given me the faith that it can be that way again. And the mural will be a daily reminder of our history, present and potential future, as a community that is part of the river and sea.”

Heart of Newhaven is a community hub for the Restoration Forth project, aiming to engage local people with efforts to restore and enhance the Firth of Forth.

Judy Crabb, Chair of Heart of Newhaven said: “It is a great privilege for us to be the location for a beautiful mural that represents such an important part of the heritage of this area.  We can’t wait to share it with everyone that visits the Heart for years to come.”

The oyster beds around the Firth of Forth were some of the most famous in Scotland over the 17th and 18th centuries.   Oysters were significant for jobs, the economy and diet in the local Newhaven and Leith areas. 

The ‘Newhaven Fishwives’ would sell oysters around Edinburgh and were a prominent part of the community.  Some records show that nearly 30 million oysters were fished from the Firth of Forth annually.  Unfortunately, overfishing and industrial development led to the local extinction of oysters in the area. 

We now understand a lot more about the benefits of oysters within an ecosystem. Where there are oyster reefs, you can also find juvenile fish, crabs, sea snails, sponges and more! By reintroducing European flat oysters to the Firth of Forth, we’re creating a sanctuary for a vast array of marine life.  Recent research suggests that by restoring healthy oyster beds, biodiversity could potentially double over a 10-year period.

Restoration Forth was recently announced as a finalist at the Nature of Scotland Awards.

The aim of Restoration Forth, a partnership with communities and organisations, is to restore 4 hectares of seagrass meadows and European flat oyster beds in the Firth of Forth. Partners delivering Restoration Forth include WWF, Edinburgh Shoreline, Fife Coast & Countryside Trust, Heriot Watt University, Marine Conservation Society, Project Seagrass, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Scottish Seabird Centre, The Ecology Centre, and The Heart of Newhaven Community. 

This three-year programme has been made possible by funding from Aviva, the Moondance Foundation, the ScottishPower Foundation, and Sky; this project is also supported by the Scottish Government’s Nature Restoration Fund, facilitated by the Scottish Marine Environmental Enhancement Fund, and managed by NatureScot. 

PICTURE: ANDREW PERRY

Victoria Primary School Head Teacher Rhian Chapman cuts the ribbon with some of the pupils that were involved in the mural design workshops

LifeCare launches urgent appeal to help older people get through ‘very difficult winter ahead’

Edinburgh charity anticipates 30% growth in demand for free support

This winter will be much harder for many local older people.  Cuts to winter fuel benefits alongside continued high prices will force more older people in Edinburgh to make difficult choices.

Local charity LifeCare delivers vital services and activities which makes an immediate difference to the lives of those that need it most – but urgently needs support to help meet increasing demand. 

LifeCare Edinburgh has over 80 years’ experience offering the vital care and support older people need all year round, and supports over 900 individuals a year.  The charity reported unprecedented levels of enquiries for support through the pandemic and continues to experience rising demand for their free and subsidised services through the cost of living crisis, with enquiries up over 67% from those living on a low income.  

The charity responded to these growing local needs by extending its vital programme of free support.  

This includes free ‘meals on wheels’ delivering hot, freshly-cooked two-course meals to the homes of local older people, free ‘help at home’ services helping with cleaning, shopping and prescription collections – even more important during the icy cold months, free wellbeing activities and hot drinks for the growing numbers of struggling unpaid carers and a growing programme of free community engagement activities for local people.  

They also run their free Saturday Social warm space providing hot food, activities and companionship from their Cheyne Street community hub every week. 

However, the charity is struggling to sustain these services through this period of high need. The organisation’s own costs are increasing with food, fuel and staff costs all rising significantly plus the charity has been impacted by the recent Local Authority budget cuts with further reductions anticipated next year.  

The charity is calling on local people and businesses to get involved and give a donation to help deliver support to those that need it most this winter.

Sarah van Putten, Chief Executive of LifeCare said “Local older people right here in Edinburgh face a very difficult winter ahead.  With the 10% increase on energy costs, continued high food prices and a reduction in benefits, it will be devastating for many. 

“Last year we delivered over 5,000 free meals to those living on a low income.  This year we anticipate needing to grow the service by a further 30% to help meet growing demand for this important service as more local older people struggle. 

We urgently need the support from local people and local businesses, to enable LifeCare to deliver services such as this which make a real difference to those struggling most.  

“Thanks to our services, older people keep well in their homes, they have a warm place to visit, hot nutritious food to eat, have company to look forward to and are able to get out and about to activities safely.  

“Over 75% of the people we support live alone, rising to over 85% of our Meals on Wheels clients.  And as many of our clients can’t leave their homes unaided, they would go for a very long time without any contact without our support.  

“The frustration is that we know we can deliver the care that people want and need, but we are facing increased costs too. We are asking local people and businesses to consider giving a one-off or regular gift through our Winter Warmer appeal.  

“Donations can be made on our website or alternatively people can come along to our community café on Cheyne Street to pledge their support.  Even choosing to have your coffee or lunch from our café will help us to deliver the care local older people need to ensure they continue to thrive at home.” 

All money raised through Winter Warmer will go directly towards supporting older people in the city.  For more information about LifeCare’s services visit https://www.lifecare-edinburgh.org.uk/ or call 0131 343 0940 to chat with the friendly team. 

Edinburgh Leisure Membership Offer – Enjoy one month free of soft play

Unlock your key to unlimited soft play


Keep the kids entertained while developing their sense of balance, stimulating their mind and encouraging an active lifestyle with the latest Edinburgh Leisure Young Explorer soft play membership.

For new customers signing up to become a member in October 2024, December is completely free. And for existing members referring a friend, if their friends join, the existing member will also receive a free month in December.

From only £18.99* per month, the Young Explorer Soft Play Membership offers incredible value, fantastic flexibility and of course, will keep little ones entertained and burning off energy as they explore the soft plays.

Little adventurers can visit as many times as they wish, enjoying unlimited fun at any of Edinburgh Leisure’s three soft play venues across the city at Clambers at the Royal Commonwealth Pool, Tumbles at Portobello, and Scrambles at EICA: Ratho.

Edinburgh Leisure’s play frames are suitable for children up to ten years old and there are frames for babies, toddlers, and juniors up to 10 years.  Each venue has a Café Refresh offering healthy snacks and tasty treats.

With great member benefits, the Edinburgh Leisure soft play is only available to buy online.

https://www.edinburghleisure.co.uk/softplaycampaign

Launching this week: Tape Letters Scotland

Beginning 3 October, Tape Letters Scotland, is set to launch a series of new audio-visual exhibitions in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Dundee, shining a light on the use of audio cassette as a mode of long-distance communication by the Pakistani diaspora in Scotland between 1960–1980.

Drawing directly from both first-hand interviews carried out by the project team and the informal, intimate conversations recorded on cassettes themselves, the exhibitions showcase the experiences of members of Scotland’s Pakistani communities, exploring the topics of migration, identity, communication and language. 

A pre-cursor to the modern-day voice-note, sending physical audio cassette recordings became popular amongst British-Pakistani communities in the 1960s, as a means of communicating with friends and relatives in Pakistan. The format offered a cheaper alternative to international telephone calls, whilst also providing a more accessible option for those unable to read or write letters.

However, the practice has since remained largely unknown to many, even within British-Pakistani communities, with many original tapes lost or later recorded over.  

First launched in 2018, Tape Letters is a pioneering project by Modus Arts, which aims to unearth, archive, and represent a portrait of this method of communication for communities during this period. A time when the telephone was communal, the tapes left room for intimacy in messages to loved ones.

The exhibition also highlights the prominence of liberated female voices. It enabled the speaker to convey humour or capture disbelief, sing songs or speak poems aloud.

Glasgow resident Assia Ali held these ‘prized possessions’ close as did Izaz Ur Rahman from Edinburgh who treasured the immediacy of this form of communication as it felt like his family were there in the room with him. Jamila Bibi exclaimed she had a reply from her parents in as little as a week in some cases. 

The project began with Modus Arts Director, Wajid Yaseen, discovering his own family’s history of sending personalised cassette tapes to relatives.

It uncovered a wide-spread history of the practice across British-Pakistani families in England and more recently Scotland. 

This Autumn, the Scotland-wide edition of the project, Tape Letters Scotland, which launched in 2022, is hosting a series of three exhibitions at the Museum of Edinburgh, Tramway, Glasgow, and Dundee Central Library.

The cumulation of two years of work, the exhibitions will showcase the stories and experiences from 20 cassette tapes, and 80 oral histories, gathered from individuals and families living across Scotland’s central belt.  

On 8 October, the National Library of Scotland will host a special public talk featuring Wajid Yaseen and Tape Letters Scotland Project Coordinator, Syma Ahmed, where audiences will be invited to hear first-hand from the project team about their work, and the importance of archiving and preserving migrant stories for present and future generations.

Serving to both broaden access to the project, and preserve these unique historical accounts, Tape Letters Scotland is set to launch a WebXR-based digital exhibition and specialised App this October, followed by a Podcast series later this year.

Culture and Communities Convener, Cllr Val Walker said: “How fortunate we are to have Tape Letters at Museum of Edinburgh this winter.

“We live in such modern times, where everyone is an instant call away no matter where they are in the world. You can only imagine the excitement felt when a tape would arrive from family members, loved ones and friends and their voice and stories would be heard through the speakers.

“Tape Letters is a touching exhibition that can be appreciated by all members of our diverse community. I encourage everyone to take the time to visit, listen and reflect.”
 
Wajid Yaseen, Director of Modus Arts, said: “The Tape Letters project has turned out to be far more fruitful than I could have envisaged, and analysing the archive has felt akin to undertaking a sort of ‘sonic archaeology’ – a deep dive into a wide range of fields and themes, including memory studies, linguistics, migration, discrimination, communication technologies, class and socio-economic dynamics, and many others.

“Although it has become a surprisingly complex social history project, it primarily demonstrates the deep and inherent need for people to communicate with each other in whatever way they can, wherever they’re originally from or wherever they find themselves in the world.”  

Faria Khan, from Glasgow, who contributed to the archive, said: “Dad used to turn the cassette player on and test it and, you know, he’d bang on the mic saying “testing, testing”.

“It was just such an exciting thing preparing to record something! Like, what are we doing here? He’d then explain to us that it was a message for the family back home in Pakistan.” 

Aqsa Mohammed, from Glasgow, also part of the exhibition, said: “My mum would listen to the tapes and tears would fall – she was always crying.

“Even when recording she would be crying. I’d get excited though. “Haan tape aayi!” [Alright! a tape has arrived!] It felt like a different feeling for us – a very emotional time. Emotional for her. Excitement for us.”

Tape Letters Scotland Exhibition

Tape Letters is a social history project which shines light on the practice of recording and sending messages on cassette tape, as an unorthodox method of communication by Pakistanis who migrated and settled in the UK between 1960-1980. 

Drawing directly both from first-hand interviews and from the informal and intimate conversations on the cassettes themselves, this exhibition platforms the experiences of members of Scotland’s Pakistani community. It explores topics of migration, identity, communication and language.

Tramway, Glasgow

This exhibition platforms the experiences of members of Glasgow’s Pakistani community
12th Oct 2024 – 31st Jan 2025

For more information visit https://www.tramway.org/event/eba60b68-d275-467d-b72b-b1e30089d53d#:~:text=Tape%20Letters%20Scotland%20is%20a,UK%20between%201960%20and%201980 
 

Museum of Edinburgh

This exhibition platforms the experiences of members of Edinburgh’s Pakistani community
Thu 3 Oct 2024 to Sun 23 Feb 2025

For more information visit https://www.edinburghmuseums.org.uk/whats-on/tape-letters 

Dundee Central Library

This exhibition platforms the experiences of members of Scotland’s Pakistani community
22 Oct 2024 – 31 Dec 2024

For more information visit https://www.dundeecity.gov.uk/events/event/33319 

UK government charters flight to help British nationals leave Lebanon

  • The UK has chartered a flight to help meet any additional demand British nationals and their dependants wanting to leave Lebanon 
  • The flight is scheduled to leave Beirut on Wednesday. Any further flights in the coming days will depend on demand and the security situation on the ground.  
  • Vulnerable British nationals will be prioritised for this flight.

The UK government has chartered a commercial flight out of Lebanon to help British nationals wanting to leave following escalating violence in the region, the Foreign Secretary announced yesterday (30 September).

British nationals and their spouse or partner, and children under the age of 18 are eligible.

The government has worked with partners in recent weeks to increase capacity on commercial flights to enable British nationals to leave, and has now chartered a flight to provide additional capacity.

The flight is due to leave Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport tomorrow (Wednesday).  

Those who have registered their presence with the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office will be sent details on how to request a seat. If you are a British national in Lebanon who has not already registered your presence, please do so immediately.  

Vulnerable British nationals and their spouse or partner, and children under the age of 18, will be prioritised for this flight.

British nationals should not make their way to the airport unless they have a confirmed seat on the plane.  

Foreign Secretary David Lammy said:  “The situation in Lebanon is volatile and has potential to deteriorate quickly. 

T”he safety of British nationals in Lebanon continues to be our utmost priority.  

“That’s why the UK government is chartering a flight to help those wanting to leave. It is vital that you leave now as further evacuation may not be guaranteed”.

UK government officials have been working non-stop in London, Beirut and the wider region to provide support to British nationals. Last week, 700 troops, alongside Border Force and Foreign Office officials deployed to Cyprus to continue contingency planning for a range of scenarios in the region.  An FCDO Rapid Deployment Team has also arrived in Lebanon to bolster the support offered by British Embassy officials.    

The safety of British nationals in Lebanon, Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) continues to be the UK government’s utmost priority and the FCDO urges everyone to continue to follow the relevant travel advice, exercise caution, and monitor media in Lebanon for developments.  

The UK has been calling for a ceasefire between Lebanese Hizballah and Israel for over a week and that further escalation must be avoided. A ceasefire would provide the space necessary to find a political solution in line with Resolution 1701.

However the UK continues to sell arms to Israel …