The North Edinburgh Community Festival has been cancelled. The event was due to take place on 29 September, but organisers say that the annual event must be cancelled due to ‘unforeseen and insurmountable circumstances’. The decision comes just a week after a succesful community gala was held at West Pilton Park.
National Grid hosted the first new community festival at Forthquarter Park in 2008, attempting to join the established North Edinburgh and new Waterfront communities together by recapturing the community spirit of former gala days. The festival was popular and well-attended, particularly in the early years, but organisers have now made the tough decision to cancel the 2012 event. A meeting will be held later this year to determine the future of the Forthquarter Park event.
In an email yesterday, Granton Parish Church Minister Norman Smith, who chairs the North Edinburgh Festival Committee, explained: “I am sorry to have to inform you that due to a combination of unforeseen and insurmountable circumstances, the North Edinburgh Festival Committee is left with no choice but to cancel the community gala planned for Saturday 29 September. We realise that, given the success of previous years’ festivals, this will be a big disappointment to everyone who has attended in the past. We wish to thank each and every one of you for all you have done to ensure the event went ahead, however the combination of uncertainties has mean we have little option at this time but to cancel. While any one issue would not have given the need to cancel the event – the combination of issues outwith the committee’s control or influence has left us in an insecure position. We will be convening a meeting later this year, around November, to discuss next year’s event and how we can avoid this situation reoccurring. Thank you for your support.”
SELEX Galileo Edinburgh Charity Golf Committee Raises over £5000
Last week the SELEX Galileo Edinburgh Charity Golf Committee was proud to present Woodlands School with a cheque for £5000. School pupils Findlay Gillespie and Ann Marie Mooney and Head Teacher Aisling Boyle thanked the committee for the funds which will be used to build an all-weather play area for the children.
Also present was the winner of the Golf Championship, Kenneth Wilson of Walker Precision Engineering and committee members Richard Gillies, Robert Creegan, John McHugh, David Kelly and Marie Cooper.
I paid a visit to Forthview Primary yesterday to meet the P5 children and talk about the NEN and how North Edinburgh has changed over the years. It’s usually me who asks the questions when I’m out and about, but the tables were well and truly turned yesterday! It was great fun, though, and I promised to post the childrens’ comments on the visit on the NEN blog (see below). ‘Super duper smart and cool?’ – that’ll do me!
In P5A Dave came into talk about a newspaper called the NEN. He was very nice and all the information was outstanding. It taught me a lot. I was very happy. I think he has done a good job and thank you for letting us keep the amazing newspaper.
Demi
When Dave came to visit from NEN, he told everybody a lot of interesting information, like about before there were any speed bumps. We also learnt about a nursery that got set on fire. Dave was super duper smart and cool. We had a great time.
Louise
This morning Dave from the NEN news came into our class and told us about himself and why he wanted his job. He wanted his job because he said it would be good working at a place about where he lives. After he gave us all a newspaper each and everybody had a look at it. I learned that he did more than one job.
Jupiter Artland’s head gardener will be giving a talk at Blackhall Library on Wednesday evening at 7pm as part of the library’s ‘Autumn Almanac’ series. Tickets are available from the library or telephone 529 5595.
For further information about the fascinating Jupiter Artland visit www.jupiterartland.org
Muirhouse Housing Associaiton will welcome tenants old and new when they celebrate their 20th anniverary with a fun day at Muirhouse Millennium Centre this afternoon.
With acrobats and magicians, face painting and balloon modelling there’s all the fun of the fair, and for the more energetic there’s a bouncy castle, inflatable assualt course, Zumba or an opportunity to take part in fun exercise classes using hulahoops!
The fun gets under way at 1pm – happy birthday, MHA!
Edinburgh North and Leith MSP Malcolm Chisholm was awarded Pilton Central Association’s Rose Bowl at the community organisation’s annual general meeting this evening. The Rose Bowl is awarded annually to people who have made a major contribution to community life in North Edinburgh, and Malcolm Chisholm is the first politician to receive the award since it’s introduction in 1990.
PCA chairperson Betty McVay said: “The Rose Bowl was donated to the PCA by one of my predecessors, Agnes Laidlaw, who was a tremendous example to community activists. The Rose Bowl is presented to individuals who we feel have made a contribution to making this community a better place to live. Malcolm certainly falls into that category, and has done for a number of years. I know Malcolm has to declare all gifts and presents, so I should point out that this rose bowl is only his to keep for a year – we’ll be wanting it back!”
Malcolm, who has represented North and Leith at both Westminster and then Holyrood since 1992, was genuinely surprised to receive the award. “This is a huge shock, but I’m very honoured and feel very humble to have been considered for a community award like this, particularly here in North Edinburgh. Truly, I’m overwhelmed.”
The Rose Bowl presentation was the highlight of a very successful night for the PCA in West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre. The meeting was very well attended and the PCA managed to attract a full complement of sixteen committee members, including a number of new faces … and, would you believe it, a young person!
There were two guest speakers at the meeting. North Edinburgh Social History Group’s Roberta Blaikie gave an entertaining history of the succesful community project which has been running for almost four years – and shows no sign of stopping yet! PCA’s financial support enabled the Social History Group to publish their acclaimed ‘Never Give Up’ book.
Jimmy Butler has been a friend of the PCA since ‘being dragged into Ferry Road Drive in 1974 and painting the back shop!’ Most recently Jimmy has been working on a business plan for the PCA and he gave a brief introduction to the draft Community Enterprise Operational Plan. The plan will be discussed in detail at forthcoming committee meetings, but Jimmy said the plan will help PCA to ‘move forward and remain relevant’. He added: “The PCA has been here, well, forever and let’s hope we can make sure it will be here forever!”
Stockbridge Market’s Beth Berry extends an invitation to a birthday party …
Stockbridge Market celebrates its first birthday on Sunday 9 September. Opening day last year saw 17 traders set their stalls and hope the public would arrive – now Sundays are regularly packed with happy shoppers and we average 40 traders covering everything from the basics – meat, fish, bread, veg, cheese – to the exotic – olives, jams, chutneys, cured meats, French wines, cupcakes, sweets and lots of homebakes. Most traders are producers and you can discuss your purchase and get advice on how best to enjoy it. Most traders also offer tasters so you can go home secure that you will like what you’ve bought – a very different experience than the supermarket!!
Dont forget the eclectic mix of crafts, even featuring vinyls and CDs!! The market also offers lots of hot tasty treats and fantastic coffee to enjoy as you walk round and provides tables and chairs so you can rest and chat to your pals while the kids run round. Buskers and even choirs have started to turn up and the result is a fun, relaxed, social – even continental – feel for your Sunday. Come and help us celebrate our birthday – we are offering a free raffle with a packed market hamper as prize, and there will be balloons and free activities for the kids.
CORE (Community Organisation for Racial Equality) has closed. Members voted last night to dissolve the organisation, but there’s hope that something can be salvaged from ashes of the old BCDP …
It started raining at lunchtime and it simply didn’t stop. It rained and it rained and it was still raining when around sixty CORE members, supporters and service users trooped in to Royston Wardieburn to deliver the coup de grace to an organisation that has been an important feature of North Edinburgh community life for 17 years. The mood matched the miserable weather as CORE – like North Edinburgh Trust (NET, formerly Pilton Partnership) and North Edinburgh News (NEN) before it – became the latest casualty of funding cuts.
Facing funding shortfalls, dramatically decreasing reserves and a serious pension deficit (for which individual committee members could be held liable), four office bearers – all volunteers – have battled to save the organisation since May, but they were finally forced to bow to the inevitable and admit defeat.
Chairman Fernando Almeida Diniz said: “It is not just one thing, but a combination of events, decisions and circumstances that have brought about this unhappy day. There is no one reason, and no individual, to blame, but there is one key message – the sole factor that triggered CORE’s closure is financial. We have looked at all options, and sadly there is no alternative.”
Development worker Adil Ibrahim stayed on to support CORE as a volunteer when trouble hit the organisation, and Adil and former chairperson Mariam Gallander made a brief presentation on CORE’s activities over both the last twelve months and some other recent successful initiatives; a final opportunity to reflect on an illustrious past.
It was left to Honorary Chairman Daniel Onifade to go through the formality of the vote to dissolve the organisation. With no other viable options available, members voted 20 – 3 with one abstention to close CORE, and at 7.20pm the organisation was formally dissolved. Mr Onifade said: “I have known, and been involved with, the organisation since before the Black Community Development Project was born, so this is an extremely sad day for us all.”
However there are hopes that all that was good about CORE can be retained; through existing organisations and agencies or perhaps even through a new group. During a discussion session chaired by Forth councillor Vicki Redpath, city council equalities chief Nick Croft said: “We could spend time talking about what went wrong – quite bluntly, Edinburgh lost out to the West of Scotland when it came to employability funding, and CORE’s application was not the best – but I think it’s more important that we build on the positive energy that has been generated this evening to ensure that we build services to meet the local community’s needs.”
That ‘positive energy’ produced a ‘transition group’ of six volunteers which will work with council officers and other agencies to ensure gaps in provision for the black and minority ethnic community are addressed short-term and that any new services are designed to meet both their needs and those of the wider community too. Royston Wardieburn will initially become a ‘hub’ for these activities while evaluation work is ongoing, and voluntary organisations – both local and city-wide – have also offered their support. An initial meeting of interested parties will take place within two weeks.
So yes, a sad evening – but an evening with some positives too. And leaving the meeting, the rain had stopped.
I am faced with a dilemma. This evening, Pilton Central Association will be holding their annual general meeting in West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre. The PCA has supported community initiatives across Greater Pilton for over fifty years, and just this month sponsored the latest edition of the NEN.
But over at Stockbridge Library, Tom Allan will be the hosting the first of our NENgage social media sessions – an opportunity to learn all you need to know about Facebook, Twitter, blogs – you name it, if it’s new media Tom will be covering it!
The old and the new – what to do?
Well, I’m a traditionalist. I was lucky enough to grow up and work during the golden age of newspapers. There are no words to describe the feeling in your gut when the presses started up under the old Scotman building on North Bridge. Deep in the bowels of the building, a klaxon would sound and you’d feel the building literally shake as the massive printing presses rumbled up to speed. Down in the machine room below Market Street the noise was deafening, and oh, the smell of newsprint and ink – and drink, but that’s another story!
So yes, I love newspapers – the feel of them, the smell of them and long may they be with us. I hope there will always be a place for newspapers.
But there’s no denying that technology has moved on, and that people’s demands and expectations have changed. Newspapers are extremely expensive to produce and the second a newspaper has gone to print, the news is out of date. And by the time it hits the streets – particularly for papers like the NEN – it can be very old news indeed. People today expect to be kept up to date instantly – and that’s now possible. We have instant, accessible 24 hour news whenever we want it, and that’s thanks to new technology and new media.
Now I won’t pretend that I’m an avid disciple of the new media. I don’t feel the need to know that Tom ‘likes McDonald’s’ on Facebook, that Dick ‘is waiting for a bus’ on Twitter or that Harry is ‘wondering what to make for tea’ on his blog. I don’t need to know these things, and I don’t know why some people feel the need to share the minutiae of their daily lives with the whole world. Some of the more enthusiastic devotees surely don’t have time to live a life, they’re so busy telling the Twittersphere what they’re doing/thinking/planning/have done/will do/might do tomorrow if they’ve got time OMG! However that’s just me; we’re all different.
New media does have a role; and as you’re reading this you’ll be aware that NEN has a blog, a Twitter account and a Facebook page. The blog was created in January 2011 and so far there have been 693 posts (this will be 694), around 45,000 views, we have 72 followers plus another 375 Twitter followers. Our busiest day was Jan 16 this year when we had 2200 ‘views’ for a story about a local woman who had been attacked. The internet allows us to reach readers far and wide – we’ve been accessed from Australia, Nigeria, the USA and Moldova. And you won’t find copies of the NEN in your local library or community centre in Chisinau!
So new (and newer and newer) media is here to stay, and I would like to have attended this evening’s first workshop session. However the workshop is the first in a series, and there will be other opportunities, so instead I will take my leaky pen and battered old notepad to join my old pals at West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre – the iPads, laptops, Blackberries and PDA mobile phones will just have to wait!
Ah, the good old days!
PS:
Just a thought. I could always attend the start of the Stockbridge session and then leave for West Pilton, using a modern transportation technology called the motorised omnibus!
The annual Green Pencil Award, a creative writing competition for Edinburgh children, was launched yesterday. The theme of this year’s Award, which is run by The City of Edinburgh Council for children in the P4 – P7 age range, is ‘Birds & Beasties’, encouraging entrants to write about wildlife they encounter in their garden, local park etc.
Over 1,100 entries were received in 2011 with last year’s overall winner, James Macnab from Cargilfield School, winning the prestigious Green Pencil Award Trophy for his entry ‘The Last Christmas Tree’.
In addition to the trophy there are various activity prizes for the winner and their class mates donated by the Scottish Seabird Centre, RSPB, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Forestry Commission Scotland, Forest Rangers, Scottish Natural Heritage and The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland.
The awards will be presented on Friday 23 November at the Central Reference Library on George IV Bridge.
Councillor Richard Lewis, Culture and Leisure Convener for The City of Edinburgh Council said: ‘The competition presents a wonderful opportunity for our young people to demonstrate their creative writing skills and to show how much they know and care about protecting their environment. I look forward to seeing another excellent range of entries from children throughout the city.’
Helping launch the 2012 competition, Ron Butlin, Edinburgh Makar (Poet Laureate) said: ‘The Green Pencil Award is surely one of the most important children’s writing competions there is. Year after year it fires up children’s imaginations about topics that really affect us all. I’m very much looking forward to hear what the boys and girls will say about ‘Birds & Beasties’. I know it will be imaginative, thought-provoking – and, most of all, exciting!’
The creative writing can be either poetry or prose but must only take up one side of A4.
The competition, run by Edinburgh City Libraries and Eco-Schools in Edinburgh seeks to: promote literacy and creative writing; demonstrate care and understanding of environmental issues; encourage learning; link to Curriculum for Excellence aspirations and strengthen partnership working between libraries, schools and other partners.
Participation is invited through local libraries, schools and the Council website with a closing date of Friday 12 October.
Further support for schools and teachers is on offer this year through three Live Literature creative workshop sessions with local schools, part funded by the Scottish Booktrust and being led by acclaimed local authors Vivian French, Anita Govan and Lari Don. The support to participating schools is also being extended with a further two creative writing sessions run by the council’s own Reader in Residence Ryan van Winkle to local schools in Muirhouse and Portobello.
Two creative writing training sessions for participating teachers are also being run to help inspire teachers to encourage their classes to enter.
The main supporters for Green Pencil Award 2012 are: The Scottish Book Trust, The Scottish Poetry Library, UNESCO City of Literature, The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, Forestry Commission Scotland, Scottish Natural Heritage, the Scottish Seabird Centre, RSPB and the Forest Education Initiative.
