Author: davepickering

Edinburgh reporter and photographer

A huge thanks to State Street from North Edinburgh Childcare

A HUGE THANKS TO STATE STREET FROM NORTH EDINBURGH CHILDCARE

North Edinburgh Childcare’s Childcare Academy programme has now supported nearly 200 unemployed people to attain their SVQ Level 2 in Childcare and to progress into jobs in the childcare sector. Despite this success, the reality is that the majority progress into low paid jobs, earning the National Minimum Wage, within a sector where the only way to sustain your employment and enhance your income earning potential is to obtain further qualifications at SVQ Level 3 or above.

Due to the significant costs involved, former Childcare Academy participants cannot afford to self fund their way through the SVQ Level 3 and sources of financial support that were previously available have long since disappeared.

Last year, we were encouraged by one of our service users Lorna Roberts (an employee at State Street Corporation’s Edinburgh Branch) to submit an application for funding to the State Street Foundation to enable us to provide 12 former Childcare Academy participants with the opportunity to undertake their SVQ Level 3 free of charge. The application was successful and the initial group of grateful beneficiaries began their 18 month SVQ Level 3 journey in November 2011. All are progressing well through their award appreciative of the chance they have been given by State Street to enhance their families quality of life. Achievement of the SVQ Level 3 will  enable them to sustain their employment, register with the Scottish Social Services Council at the higher ‘Practitioner’ level, compete for higher paid ‘Practitioner’ jobs, enhance their level of household income and ultimately to progress out of ‘In Work’ poverty.

With the encouragement and support of both Lorna and Richard Walker (Client Services Manager at our local State Street) we recently submitted a second application to the Foundation to enable a further group of 14 former Childcare Academy participants to access the same opportunity and we are absolutely delighted to announce that our application has once again been successful.

We would like to extend a huge thank you to State Street for recognizing the long term implications of the situation faced by local workers earning the minimum wage and for providing our former Childcare Academy trainees with the opportunity to further their education, escape the poverty trap and progress towards earning a ‘Living Wage’.

We have delivered a number of  ‘information sessions’ to staff members of State Streets ‘UK Families Network’ in relation to ‘the safety of the home environment for children’ and we are in the process of exploring the possibility of delivering some ‘First Aid’ workshops to members in the near future. We are extremely grateful for the on-going support of our local State Street and we look forward to a long, prosperous and mutually beneficial partnership between our organisations.

Gill Dudgeon, North Edinburgh Childcare

 

Theatre opportunity at North Edinburgh Arts

North Edinburgh Theatre Project 

Friday 30 November 7pm

OPEN WORKSHOP & SHARING OF WORK

at North Edinburgh Arts 

 This Autumn North Edinburgh Theatre project has been involved with a variety of work, including developing scenes inspired by Theatre of the Absurd. This has been hilarious fun and some interesting work has been developed.

You are invited to come to watch some of the scenes and also have a go at some drama, it’s always great fun! There will be some refreshments afterwards.

For further details, please contact: Kate Wimpress, Director North Edinburgh Arts

Email director@northedinburgharts.co.uk , Telephone: 315 2152

Community talks transport at Inverleith conference

Around ninety people attended Inverleith Neighbourhood Partnership’s ‘On the Move’ event held in Broughton High School last week. The theme of the evening was transport, and local residents were encouraged to share their opinions at the ’round-robin’-style event.

Participants moved from table to table to discuss a new topic, with each conversation supported by and helped along by an expert from that particular field. The six themes were  public transport, winter weather planning, cycling and walking, road maintenance, road safety and parking – and unsurprisingly each topic generated healthy discussion and debate!

The views expressed at the event were all noted and the main findings and suggestions will help to guide transport planning policy both in Inverleith and further afield. Inverleith Neighbourhood Partnership convener Councillor Gavin Barrie thanked organisers and participants and said: “It was great to see so many people here at Broughton High School, with everyone contributing to an interesting and informative debate. I’ve no doubt that all of the councillors and officers here this evening are listening ans want to hear what you have to say, but we can only do that when you talk to us and you’ve done that tonight. We may not like everything we’ve heard, but this has been a very useful and worthwhile exercise for all of us – thank you for participating.”

Broughton High School students were heavily involved in all aspects of the event, and they did a superb job – from providing the  music and technical support to presenting and live ‘tweeting’ – posting discussions as they happened around the tables out to the worldwide web, sharing Inverleith’s thoughts on transport with the whole of cyberspace!

And the Broughton students haven’t quite finished yet – the NEN’s been promised a report and pictures of the conference; we’ll share these with you as soon as we have them!

News from North Edinburgh Transition Group

North Edinburgh’s BME Transition Group has set up a new Facebook page to publicise their activities and events.

Transition Group coordinator Adil Ibrahim said: “The North Edinburgh World Cafe Facebook page has now been created and will be managed by North Edinburgh black  and minority ethnic (BME) community Transition Group. It contains  information about the TG and its upcoming events,  photos from previous  events in North Edinburgh as well as current photos. We hope that you will  be able to visit and ‘Like’ this page, and we also hope that this page will be  a good tool for us to use for sharing information, experiences, photos etc.  We’d like to hear your comments.”

A new email address – neworldcafe@hotmail.co.uk – has also been set up to enable the wider community to contact the Transition Group, which was set up following the closure of CORE earlier in the autumn. Get in touch if you’s like to be added to their email distribution database.

To find the North Edinburgh World Cafe Facebook page, follow the link:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/North-Edinburgh-World-Cafe/450103255031013

Among the group’s forthcoming activities are a World Cafe event at Royston Wardieburn this Saturday afternoon and a feedback session at Spartans Community Football Academy on 6 December – check out the above link for more info!

Top crime writer to visit Muirhouse Library

Best-selling Scottish crime writer Alex Gray will visit Muirhouse Library on Monday 26 November at 6.30pm. The Glaswegian author, who has nine published crime novels, will be reading from her new paperback  A Pound of Flesh and answering audience questions about her writing and the Lorimer series.

The event is free – contact Muirhouse Library on 529 5528 for further details.

Standard Life support for MS Therapy Centre

The Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Therapy Centre in Edinburgh has received a donation of five desktop computers and a laptop from Standard Life. The Edinburgh-based finance company’s gift has come as a welcome boost to the Centre, which cares for those are affected by MS in Edinburgh, Fife, The Lothians and The Borders.

Carole Macartney, chair of the MS Therapy Centre said: “We are delighted at the generosity of Standard Life.  As part of their regular updating programme, they have kindly donated some of their I.T. equipment and office furniture which should help to make our dedicated staff and volunteers’ jobs easier. There is a fair amount of admin to be done at the Centre and our current PCs are getting on a bit. The new equipment means we can work faster and without fear of equipment breaking down.

“Crucially, the computers will help us to keep our website up-to-date, which is vital to pass on information to our regular visitors, as well as the wider community.  Having the laptop will also assist in taking the MS Therapy Centre out into the local area. This really is a lifeline, ensuring we can continue to remain in contact with people across the region who live with MS and who rely on us to be there.”

It is estimated that there are around 2300 people in the Lothians who live with Multiple Sclerosis. The MS Therapy Centre costs £180,000 to run each  year,  with the majority of this money coming from fundraising and charitable donations.

Extended opening for Stockbridge Market

With the Christmas countdown well under way, Stockbridge Market could be just the place to pick up those quirky and unusual personal gifts you just won’t find in your high street stores.

And there will be more opportunities to pick up these bargains as Stockbridge market extends it’s opening times over the festive period. In the run up to Christmas the Market will open on Friday 21 and Saturday 22 as well as on Sunday 23rd December, and the Market will again be open all weekend from Friday 28 – Sunday 30 for those pre-Hogmanay purchases.

It’s a lovely bright morning – why not call in at Stockbridge Market today? The market’s open from 10 – 5pm.

Oceans of support for Canine Partners

An Information Day held at Ocean Terminal Shopping Centre on Saturday 10 November has raised £171.33 for Canine Partners, a charity that provides specially trained assistance dogs to people with physical disabilities.

Visitors to the shopping centre visited a Canine Partners stand where they could pick up information and take part in a raffle. Staffing the stand were Canine Partners staff, puppies in training and people with disabilities who have a canine partner.

One of those present was Sally Hyder from Edinburgh, Olympic torch bearer and author of best-selling book Finding Harmony, which describes her life before and after she received her canine partner Harmony.

Sally was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1990 but has continually strived to be an active mother to her three children, despite being in continual pain.  She said: “Thanks to Harmony I get out every day and have made new friends amongst the dog-walking community. I do my own washing and shopping.  Harmony has now learnt to put things in the washing machine rather than purely taking them out.   I have the energy to do things.  I drop things I don’t have to ask a stranger or my family to pick up after me. She even goes for help if I happen to fall out of my wheelchair.”

Dale Gormley, Canine Partners community fundraiser for Scotland, said: “Thank you to Ocean Terminal Shopping Centre for letting us have a stand and to all those who visited us.  We are striving to spread the word as much as possible about how our dogs can change the lives of people with disabilities in Scotland.  We rely heavily on volunteers and fundraisers, so if you think you can help us out do please get in touch.”

If you feel you can help Canine Partners in Scotland through fundraising, volunteering, taking on your own challenge, saving your used stamps and much more please call 0845 4811915 or visit www.caninepartners.org.uk.