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Forthview to celebrate Pathways to Pilton

Forthview Primary School will celebrate the culmination of the year-long Pathways to Pilton project with a video and photo exhibition at the school next month (12 March). The event will mark the end of what has been a remarkably successful project which has captured the imaginations of the young and not so young alike!

The Friends of Forthview parents group received Lottery funding last year to ‘create new opportunities for local children and their families to acquire new skills and develop confidence and self-esteem through participation in exciting and innovative creative activities.’ Since then, groups have been working on three different elements.

Forthview Family Support Worker Tracey Berry, who has worked with the group throughout the project, explained: “We carried out three projects which were geared towards the development of a caring tolerant and creative school and community. Adults and children worked together in an intergenerational and multicultural context to explore cultural similarities and differences with a focus on equality. The three projects were:-

Family Storytelling: We had two groups – one group for dads and their children, the other mums and their children. Each group worked to create a story book which can be used as a resource in our school. The adults and children were extremely enthusiastic and have produced three fabulous story books, with amazing themes – children shrinking the dads, children being rescued by mums from Volcano Island and Fairyland! An award from “Cash for Kids” allowed us to print many copies of each book.

Family Photography: Carers and children worked together to produce fun and unusual family portraits.

Film Making: This part of the project introduced Carers to using digital media as a means of expression. A film called “Pathways to Pilton” has been produced which follows the diverse roads our children & their carers have travelled to reach Forthview School.”

It’s a fascinating journey, and all roads will lead to Forthview next month when the school will host a 12 March event to share what the families have learnt and celebrate the success of these projects with the school and the wider community. The families will talk about the project and there will be a screening of the ‘Pathways to Pilton’ Film.

Fun and learning at West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre

West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre in West Pilton Grove is launching a series of new daytime activities for all the family next month.

As part of the Centre’s Adult Learning programme there are courses on Raising Self-Esteem in Children on 7 and 14 March from 9.30 – 11.30am, while on 21 March you can take part in an Introduction to Criminology (9.30 – 12.30pm). Wednesday 28 March offers an opportunity to learn with an Introduction to Social Policy (9.30 – 12.30pm).

There are also new opportunities to enjoy family activities at the Centre. On Mondays from 10.15 – 11.45am there are Family Group Activities, offering parents and carers interactive play sessions with pre-school children, while there’s also a new Fun Time Session on Wednesdays (11am – 12) for preschool children and their parents and carers to participate in singing, dancing, music, soft play and games.

For further information on these activities or to book your place call Linda on 551 3194 or email Linda.chandler@ea.edin.sch.uk

Visit Stockbridge for a real super market!

With Spring almost upon us, thoughts turn to weekend strolls in the sunshine (sometimes!) and there’s a delightful local venue where you can not only enjoy a pleasant wander but stock up on special treats too!

Stockbridge Sunday Market first opened for business last September, and the wee local enterprise has gone from strength to strength. Situated at the junction of Kerr Street and Saunders Street, stalls offer a wide variety of home produced goodies – from fresh meats and cheeses to jams, pies and chutneys, speciality breads and sweeties – the list goes on and on. For the fashion conscious there are vintage clothes, bathtime treats and hand-crafted jewellery stalls too and it seems that every stall has something new and different to offer.

The market is open from 10am – 5pm every Sunday. If you’ve never been before, get down to Stockbridge to browse, maybe bag a bargain or just soak up that special market atmosphere. If you’re tired of trudging round supermarkets there really is a fun and different shopping experience awaiting you by the Water of Leith!

For more information on Stockbridge Sunday Market visit www.Stockbridgemarket.com or visit the Stockbridge Market Facebook page.

Leapers and Creepers! Craigroyston's art exhibition is moving!

Craigroyston Primary School’s annual art exhibition is one of the highlights of the school calendar, and this year the childrens’ remarkable artwork will be seen by an even wider audience – it’s being displayed in a Stockbridge art gallery!

Craigroyston Head Teacher Lorna Stewart explained: “Every year we celebrate our pupils’ work with an Art Exhibition where every child has work exhibited. We invite parents and carers, other professionals and visitors who have worked with the children as well as prominent local people. This year, thanks to the support of Joyce Gunn Cairns MBE, we are fortunate to be able to exhibit in the WASPS Gallery where Joyce has her studio. We are also grateful to Joyce for arranging for musician John Sampson to open the exhibition for us.”

She continued: “We are very pleased and excited at the prospect of using this space and it will be an excellent opportunity for the children to have their achievements celebrated and recognised beyond their immediate community.”

This year’s theme is ‘Leapers and Creepers’ and the exhibition opens at the WASPS Studios in Hamilton Place on Friday 23 March at 4pm. Don’t miss it!

Leapers and Creepers! Craigroyston’s art exhibition is moving!

This year’s theme is ‘Leapers and Creepers’ and the exhibition opens at the WASPS Studios in Hamilton Place on Friday 23 March at 4pm. Don’t miss it!

Accie's stars raise Stockbridge cheers …

…as they ‘try’ out the new Domino’s store in Stockbridge! It was all work and no play for the boys from Edinburgh Accies Rugby team sponsored by Domino’s Pizza, as they showed their support at the opening of the new Domino’s store launch in Stockbridge on 15 February. Tom Drennan (22) and Jamie Sole (22) volunteered their bodies and painted themselves in the trademark colours to represent the brand.

The new Raeburn Place store comes as a welcome local employment boost with the creation of 30 jobs. Franchisee for the new store, Sean Geddes, has recruited within the community for trainee managers, trainee pizza makers, customer service representatives and delivery experts. He said: “We like everyone who works with Domino’s to demonstrate a sense of fun while working under pressure and we’re delighted the boys from Edinburgh Accies were able to help us ‘try’ out the new store offering for the local community in Stockbridge!”

Accie’s stars raise Stockbridge cheers …

Community celebrates NEN relaunch

Community activists, business leaders, local workers and politicians joined members of the NEN board to celebrate the relaunch of the community newspaper on 16 February.

The paper ceased publishing last March following funding cuts, but since then the NEN’s voluntary management board has been working to get the paper out once again. The relaunched NEN has now been delivered across the area and the NEN board held a celebration event in The Doo’cot to mark the occasion.

NEN chairman Martin Hinds told guests: “Almost a year ago the last edition of the NEN was published, after 30 years of almost continuous publication – an extremely sad day for us all. We all recognise the value of our community newspaper – I don’t think we can underestimate the importance of the NEN; it binds the community together and gives it identity. It therefore gives us great pleasure to relaunch the newspaper this month”

He went on to thank those who helped to make the relaunch possible – past and existing Board members, community groups, contributors and politicians – but pointed out that there are challenges ahead.

“We have been able to produce the NEN with money left over from the sale of the NEN office and staff redundancy costs have been paid. Longer term, the model that we have hit on will depend on contributions from the community – we have applied to the Neighbourhood Partnerships to allow us to recruit volunteer community journalists. We also need to increase our income to make us sustainable on a long-term basis. This is going to be a challenge for us but I think we’re up for it. Onwards and upwards – and welcome back, NEN!”

The next issue of the NEN is due out next month – and remember, the deadline is this Friday!

Support for Stockbridge hotel restoration

It’s been an eyesore for Stockbridge residents for too long, but The Raeburn House Hotel could be brought back to life if new owner Archie MacLean gets planning permission to restore the run-down building into a boutique hotel.

A public meeting held in Lifecare House last week heard that council officials do not support Mr MacLean’s plans to add two storeys to the existing B-listed building, creating an up-market ten bedroom hotel. The new owner – who paid £1.2 million for the hotel last November – organised the public meeting to gauge local feeling and to harness support for the plans.

Mr MacLean said: “Council officials have suggested a single storey extension that becomes two stories further back, but that wouldn’t work for us. Guests would have to go through the restaurant to use the lift and from an operational point of view that is implausible. We feel that with local support we have a chance of getting planning permission”.

Mr MacLean estimates that restoration work would cost from £1.5 – £2 million.

There was widespread support from the 150 people who attended the 16 February meeting – a show of hands was unanimous.

Architects Aitken Turnbull Architects Limited will submit a planning application later this month, and if permission is granted it’s thought that the revamped Raeburn House Hotel could open in August 2013.

Edinburgh voters urged to register

With the Independence Referendum being the main focus of political discussion across the country it’s easy to forget that the Local Government Elections are now only ten weeks away. Edinburgh residents are now being urged to join the thousands already registered to vote in the Local Government elections on Thursday 3 May 2012 – and you only have until 18 April to make sure you have your say on how Edinburgh is governed.

Almost 60,000 people have already registered to vote by post, out of more than 330,000 electors. This is the highest number of postal voters registered for any council in Scotland.

Sue Bruce, Returning Officer for Edinburgh said: “We are pleased to see that so many people have already registered to vote. For those who have not yet done so, I would urge you to make sure you register by the deadline of 18 April.

“Registering is quick and easy and makes sure that you will be able to vote in a way that is most convenient for you – by post, at a polling station near your home or even in exceptional circumstances, by proxy – so that you can have your say in the elections on Thursday 3 May.”

You can check if you are registered by phoning the Electoral Registration Office on 0131 344 2500. If you are not already a postal voter and wish to apply you can download a form from www.lothian-vjb.gov.uk or phone 0131 344 2500 and ask for a form to be posted to you.

In the forthcoming Local Government election, voters will be electing 58 councillors to represent them across the city’s 17 wards. There are 7 four-member and 10 three-member wards in Edinburgh. The election will be conducted under a voting system called the ‘Single Transferable Vote’ (STV). Voters can vote for as many candidates that they like, ranking them 1, 2, 3 etc in order of preference. A formula then calculates who is elected based on those preferences.

Further details on the 2012 Local Government election will be available on the city council’s website over the coming weeks.