Tenants and Residents in Pilton (TRIP) are holding their annual general meeting in The Doocot tonight at 7pm. The AGM will be followed by a Christmas dinner.
TRIP’s Jon Black said: “It would be great to see residents of West Pilton/West Granton there for the AGM, and you will get a Xmas dinner. Anyone from further afield is most welcome to join us after the AGM part of the evening for food and a drink!”
For further information give Jon a call on 0790 191 4829.
William McLean couldn’t believe his luck when he was selected to represent his country in the Homeless World Cup. William was a homeless ex-offender who had battled drug addiction when he started playing football, but the 27-year-old Edinburgh man says football has helped him turn his life around. Now, William is volunteering as an ambassador for young people and training to become a community football coach.
William got into football when he was staying at the Dunedin Canmore Housing Association Hostel in Leith. He took part in free Street Soccer events held at Portobello and Sighthill Power Leagues as part of a Dunedin Canmore project to help homeless men get into work.
After helping the Dunedin Canmore Partizan football team reach the Street Soccer National League Cup Final William was invited to attend trials for the national team to represent Scotland in the Homeless World Cup in August and was delighted to be selected for the final squad of 8 players from over 300 applicants. The Scots did the nation proud at the games in Paris, out-performing 47 other teams to bring home the trophy before going on to pick up the most inspirational performance award at the Scottish Sports Awards on 1 December.
When Dunedin Canmore started partnering with Street Soccer Scotland to offer football sessions the goal was to get more homeless men involved in their employability project. Now the Edinburgh based social landlord is celebrating what it says is a real home win for young men like William who have turned their lives around. Since returning from Paris William has continued to work with the employability links worker and developed an interest in community coaching. He is now volunteering with Street Soccer Scotland, working towards gaining SFA coaching qualifications and hopes to move onto paid work as a community coach.
James Horsburgh, the goalkeeper in the Homeless World Cup Team, also got involved through the Dunedin Canmore employability project and is now working as a community coach for a football team in South Gyle. William and James are former residents at Dunedin Canmore Hostel in Leith and both are now living in a permanent home.
The Dunedin Canmore Group was the official sponsors of both the men’s and women’s teams which competed in the prestigious International tournament. As well as contributing £5000 towards travel and accommodation for Scottish teams Dunedin Canmore sponsored William as an individual player.
William said, “The work that Dunedin Canmore has done for me is great. Instead of pushing me into a job they took the time to find my interests and helped me find something constructive to do with my time. A lot of people say that we’re just playing football but the skills we gain from taking part in the sessions, working as part of a team, communication, trust, health and safety, compassion – it all makes a difference.”
Gavin Edmonds, Community and Business Initiatives Officer said, “Football is about team work. It’s great for improving fitness and health including mental health. The project has definitely put the young people in a more positive place. The skills they learn can help them move out of poverty and into a better life. It can really help them look to their future.”
Ewan Fraser, CE Dunedin Canmore said, “We are proud to be associated with the Homeless World Cup and congratulate the team and players on winning this fantastic award. Dunedin Canmore is committed to helping others through a number of initiatives and the Employability Pathways Programme is a great example of how we can make a difference by giving people the skills and confidence to help them to move on in their lives.”
For residents living in the Edinburgh area there will be no change to collection dates for green wheelie bins/ black sack collections, food waste bins and red and blue boxes over the festive period.
However residents are reminded that there will be no garden waste collections or special uplifts between 26 December and 6 January. Normal service will resume on Monday 9 January.
City of Edinburgh Council
Lothian and Borders Police have arrested 14 drink drivers in West Lothian in the first two weeks of the ACPOS Festive Drink Drive campaign.
This year the vehicle forfeiture scheme has been extended to include those who are more than three times the drink drive limit, and those who refuse to provide a sample at police stations. Of the 14 incidents, nine fit the forfeiture criteria.
Last Monday (December 12) a 55-year-old woman was involved in a crash in Livingston, and admitted drink driving in court the next day, so a warrant was issued for the seizure of her vehicle. In the early hours of Sunday morning (December 18) a driver was found asleep in his vehicle in Bathgate and was charged with alleged drink driving. He was due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court yesterday (December 19).
Inspector Simon Bradshaw, Livingston Road Policing Branch said: “It is disappointing that a small minority of drivers still choose to put their own and others lives at risk, by driving whilst under the influence of alcohol. We will continue to do our utmost to detect and arrest drink drivers and bring them before the court and drive the message home that drink driving will not be tolerated.
“As we have already seen during this campaign, where appropriate, drink drivers’ vehicles will be forfeited by the court, thereby removing them from the road. I would urge all drivers to think of the potential consequences and not to get behind the wheel whilst under influence of alcohol or drugs.
“Anyone who suspects that a person may be driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs can contact the police on 0131 3113131 or by dialing 999 in urgent cases. Alternatively they can contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555111 where the information will be treated in confidence of anonymity.”
Lothian and Borders Police
Spartans FC Women’ Premier League side gathered at the Academy on Saturday night to celebrate the 2011 season. Finishing in runners up spot to worthy champions Glasgow City was a great achievement and full credit must go to the full squad of players, coaching staff and volunteers for their hard work and determination throughout the season.
It was time for the Spartan players to recognise there team mates contributions and the Players Player of the year awards were as follows: –
In 3rd place was central midfielder Kirsty McLaughlin who has really excelled in her first season at the club with terrific performances, 2nd Place went to striker Sarah Ewens who has blossomed as a player this season and is fulfilling the potential she displayed when she joined the club in 2009 scoring 21 goals in 2011.
Spartans Players Player of the year and also the Coaches Player of the Year was awarded to Hayley Lauder for a fantastic season for both Spartans and Scotland, the young midfielder played a huge part in Spartans success and all involved at the club are extremely proud of her individual achievements and we are all excited for her future.
To honour the contribution made to Spartans and acknowledge the achievement of scoring 100 goals during the 2011 season the final award of the evening was made to Diana Barry, a special award to a special player. Diana has now scored 118 goals in 94 games for the club and as she continues to score goals she will continue to set records that will be very difficult to match.
All the players receiving awards also received a generous gift from our fantastic sponsors Scott + Co and all pass on their gratitude for such a kind gesture.
www.spartanswfc.com
Shopping all done? Presents wrapped? Then it’s time to put your feet up, relax and enjoy the NEN’s Twelve Days of Christmas Quiz!
Below you’ll find the first letters of words in the first lines of twelve classic Christmas songs. Can you name them all?
1. TTIAHTNAH
2. AIAMNCFAB
3. WSGSUTC
4. OTFDOC
5. IDOAWC
6. AYHUYSOYW
7. AROHFITS
8. WWITA
9. CTTMPRPPP
10. WWYAMC
11. OCAYFJAT
12. IWCEB
Send your answers to the NEN blog or email: northedinnews@gmail.com
There’s no prize – just a bit of festive fun – but we’ll give an honourable mention to all correct entries received before 31 December. Good luck!
Licketyspit
Craigroyston Nursery and Primary 1 children are taking part in Lickety Leap – an exciting new interactive theatre project for Early years Children.
Licketyspit Theatre Company is based at North Edinburgh Arts and the group has performed shows including Molly Whuppie, Magic Spaghetti and Wee Witches at the arts centre. Lickety Leap is their first totally interactive show and is performed with small groups of children. It is a really memorable and enjoyable experience for the children and it has shown to have a big impact on their developing confidence, social skills, ability to work together and to problem solve.
Licketyspit has been funded to deliver Lickety Leap across Scotland and it’s all beginning here in North Edinburgh’s Craigroyston Primary School!
“This group was great for the kids. My daughter loved it and when we went to see everything the kids had done their faces showed just how much they loved it. It is really good how it gets the kid’s imagination going so well with the simplest of thing” – Caitlin’s mum
“Lickey Leap has been a fun-filled, exciting and entertaining project which children, parents and staff have enjoyed; it allows children to be actively involved in a fun adventure to find their ‘heart’s desire’” – (Craigroyston PS Staff)
The Festival staged by North Edinburgh Waterfront Community at The Hub in Edinburgh’s Telford College last night proved to be a real Christmas cracker. A bit like opening those Christmas presents you never know what you’re going to get next, and so it proved at Telford.
With songs by Granton Primary School and Pilrig Church choir, films, quizzes and international music from the Rongong family – and some truly awful Christmas cracker jokes too! – there was something for everyone. With free refreshments, face painting and Christmas crafts and decoration-making, laid on by members of local churches, the evening was the perfect antidote to the stresses and strains of last-minute Christmas shopping.
For more information on North Edinburgh Waterfront Community go to info@new-community.org.uk
New Year, new community crèche for North Edinburgh? Local organisation Stepping Stones has held discussions with Community Learning and Development staff at Royston Wardieburn Community Centre to explore the possibility of setting up a new community crèche when the new Centre opens next year.
Stepping Stones’ Marilyn Keilloh explained: “The ‘new’ Royston Wardieburn Community Centre will be opening to the public in the New Year. Lydia Markham (Community Learning and Development) and I have had a very brief meeting about the possibility of developing a community crèche facility in the Centre. We have arranged a meeting for Thursday 12 January from 1 – 3pm in the new centre and would like to invite anyone who is interested in developing a facility like this in the area to come along”.
For further information call Marilyn at Stepping Stones North Edinburgh on 551 1632 or Lydia at Royston Wardieburn Community Centre on 552 5700.
Alex Dale, Drylaw Telford Community Council’s representative on Inverleith Neighbourhood Partnersip’s Clean, Green and Safe Action Group, has reported that Easter DrylawPark has been uprated from ‘good’ to ‘very good’ in the city council’s latest 2011 Parks Survey.
