Drop-in event for older people at Broughton High School next week
Come along to our free drop-in event between
11am -3pm on Thursday 16 April
at Broughton High School, East Fettes Avenue.
Tea, coffee and cake will be served.
Free transport is available if booked in advance.
Call 0131 529 6552 or email rachel.howe@edinburgh.gov.uk
Spectacular street science is expected to attract large crowds to locations across Edinburgh during the Easter holidays.
The ‘Busking Bikes’ project is part of the Edinburgh International Science Festival and the City of Edinburgh Council is supporting six performances from 4-14 April.
Each trike carries a box full to the brim with impressive, explosive, messy, and down-right weird science experiments. From the power of water to finding out how carbon capture could save the planet, each demo will explain some of the most interesting science happening today.
As well as watching expert performers do some unforgettable demonstrations, the audience can get stuck in too and learn their own science tricks, from skewering a balloon to launching a rocket.
Councillor Frank Ross, the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “This is a really exciting project as we expect the bikes to draw large crowds to each area creating a vibrant atmosphere, colour and life where ever they go. The ‘Busking Bikes’ project is being funded as part of the Council’s Town Centre Strategy to build stronger town centres by driving up footfall to support local businesses.”
Programme:
Saturday April 4 – Portobello Market
Sunday April 5 – Gorgie City Farm
Friday April 10 – Stockbridge Library
Friday April 10 – Morningside Library
Friday April 10 – Costorphine Library
Tuesday April 14 – McDonald Road Library
Edinburgh’s transport leaders were treated to a first aid master class yesterday as they unveiled a brand new defibrillator for the city’s bus station. The life-saving equipment, which is used on people who have had cardiac arrests, was installed this week.
Public access defibrillators (AEDs) allow trained individuals to treat casualties in areas where ambulance access is difficult or while awaiting paramedics, increasing the likelihood of survival.
Staff at Edinburgh Bus Station, which sees between five and seven million customers a year, will now be given training to use the potentially life-saving equipment.
Transport Convener, Councillor Lesley Hinds, said: “Safety is of utmost importance to us as a Council, so it makes absolute sense to install this life saving equipment in such a busy area of the city.
“The bus station welcomes a real variety of people through its doors each day and if the new AED were to save just one of these lives, it would be worth every penny.”
Alongside the unveiling, St Andrew’s First Aid offered councillors and members of the public first aid tips and advice, as well as demonstrating the use of the AED.
Jim Dorman, Operations Director from St Andrew’s First Aid said: “We are absolutely delighted that City of Edinburgh Council has arranged to have a defibrillator placed within the city’s bus station. It is the perfect place to site an AED bearing in mind the central location of the station and the amount of people passing through the station each day.
“Defibrillators are proven to save lives and having one readily available will enhance the chances of survival for someone should they have a cardiac arrest in or near the station.”
The Council recently agreed to install defibrillators in all of the city’s high schools, partly paid for with fundraising by parents and the local community.
Find out more about St Andrew’s First Aid and the courses on offer
Pictured: St Andrew’s First Aid trainer Annemarie Pattison demonstrates the new equipment to Councillors LesleyHinds and Adam McVey.
Inspiring Volunteering Achievement Awards 2015
Edinburgh’s Volunteering Ambassador the Lord Provost Donald Wilson will honour some of the dedicated volunteers who give their time, energy and commitment to the people of Edinburgh at a special awards ceremony to take place on Tuesday 16 June at The City Chambers.
Now nine years old, Edinburgh’s Inspiring Volunteering Achievement Awards reflect the exceptional range of organisations and individuals working in the city’s vibrant charity and non-profit sectors.
Nominations are now invited for this year’s awards, and can be submitted online here:https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/IVA2015
Organisations are welcome to nominate up to three individual volunteers and one team of volunteers.
Some lucky nominees will be invited to accept their award at the City Chambers, others will receive a certificate in the post. ALL nominated volunteers will receive a certificate either in person or in the post.
Eligibility criteria for 2015:
· The Awards are only open to people volunteering in the City of Edinburgh
· There are no age restrictions.
· Volunteers must have volunteered for at least six months with your organisation before being eligible to be nominated.
· If they have previously received an “Inspiring Volunteering Certificate” at the City Chambers they should not be nominated again.
· Only fully completed nominations will be considered for individuals or teams, and we will quote from these statements when presenting the awards.
Shortlisted nominations will be considered by the Lord Provost for the ‘Lord Provost of Edinburgh’s Inspiring Volunteer of the Year Award 2015’.
Special recognition categories to highlight some of the diverse areas of volunteering across the City of Edinburgh include:
· A Young Volunteer (aged between 11 and 25 years old)
· Long Standing Contribution to Volunteering Award (an individual who has volunteered for 10 years or more, and has made an outstanding contribution)
· Charity Shop Volunteer
· Fundraising Volunteer
· Trustee Volunteer
· Health & Social Care Volunteer (volunteers engaged in health and social care, including support work, befriending or projects which reduce social isolation and help assist independent living)
· Sports Volunteer (volunteers actively involved in supporting sports in their communities).
· Environment & Conservation Volunteer (volunteers engaged in environmental activities including education, conservation or gardening).
· Arts, Culture & Heritage Volunteer
· Housing / Tenant participation champion *** Introduced in 2014 ***
The Awards Ceremony usually takes place during Volunteers Week – which runs every year from the 1– 7 June, however in 2015 it will be take place on the later date of Tuesday 16 June. Nominations will close on 1 April 2015 at 8pm.
We also encourage volunteer involving organisations to organise their own recognition events during Volunteers’ Week, whether that be their own mini awards ceremony, coffee morning, lunch or social activity that recognises and celebrates the contribution of their volunteers. It’s a great opportunity to do something to say thank you, and show your volunteers that they are valued and appreciated.
Lord Provost Donald Wilson, said: “There are thousands of dedicated and inspiring volunteers in Edinburgh selflessly giving up their own time to help and support others. These awards are simply one way of recognising some of their tremendous work, and their contribution to the wellbeing of our city’s residents cannot be overstated.”
Kris Von Wald, Convenor of Volunteer Centre Edinburgh, said: “The Lord Provost has agreed to present these awards because he recognises how important volunteers are to Edinburgh and its residents. The Awards seek to acknowledge the hard work, commitment, energy and positive difference that volunteers make”.
Connected Capital: Enjoy free wi-fi this Easter
Edinburgh residents and visitors are to benefit from free wi-fi in 70 public buildings across the city as part of the City of Edinburgh Council’s Connected Capital Programme.
Attractions such as the majority of Edinburgh Leisure centres and the National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh Zoo and Dynamic Earth, will be live in time for Easter and the rest will come on line in the coming weeks and months.
Those travelling on Edinburgh’s trams and Lothian Buses are already benefitting from free wi-fi as the project is rolled out across the city.
Edinburgh is one of 22 cities across the UK benefiting from the Government’s SuperConnected Cities £150m Programme, which is being delivered through Broadband Delivery UK.
Councillor Frank Ross, Economy Convener, said: “This is great news as the new service will mean that everyone will be able to get free access to the latest information on their favourite apps and websites while out and about and when going to the gym, taking in some art or when taking their children to one of Edinburgh’s many museums. It is also great timing as some of the attractions gearing up for Easter crowds already have public wi-fi installed.
“This project is central to the Council’s plans for growing the city economy, and encouraging residents and visitors to stay longer and increase their spend.”
Edinburgh Leisure, ICT Manager Stuart Fairbairn, said: “Edinburgh Leisure is delighted to offer free wi-fi in 13 of its venues thanks to this funding from the UK Government via our partners at The City of Edinburgh Council. It will allow us to provide our busy customers with a great opportunity to stay connected while working out or relaxing in these venues, giving them yet another reason to stay healthy and active with Edinburgh Leisure.”
Hugh Wallace, Head of Digital Media, National Museum of Scotland, said: “We’re already seeing a healthy level of uptake, and people connecting to the service are then linking to museum-based material on our website (what’s on information, downloadable apps, e-newsletter sign-up). When we fully promote the service we will encourage the sharing of content, engagement with the museum’s collections, and offer further downloadable options – something we hope will provide a real step change for our visitors.”
Culture Secretary Sajid Javid said: “I’m delighted Edinburgh took up the challenge to become one of the UK’s Superconnected Cities as part of the Government programme. It’s vital that our cities have the digital infrastructure like superfast broadband and wifi in place to deal with the demands of the digital age. Our investment in Edinburgh has delivered a welcome boost to the local economy, and is all part of our long term economic plan.”
Buildings that currently have free wi-fi include:
Buildings which will go live at some point in the next few months:
Free wi-fi is also being installed in a number of the Council’s community centres, care homes and young people’s accommodation.
The Edinburgh Police Choir is looking to recruit new tenors to its ranks. We are arguably the most exciting and innovative contemporary choir in Scotland, made up of police officers, support staff and members of the local community.
The choir started in 2008, and has performed at some cracking venues, including the Festival Theatre, Usher Hall, the SECC, Scottish Parliament and as far afield as New York. More recently the choir finished in 6th place at the 2014 BBC Choir of the Year adult category, and in 2nd place at the Manchester Amateur Choral Competition last month, although most of our performances raise money for charity.
If you can hold a tune, don’t mind working hard and would like to perform great material in some fabulous venues, then get in touch to arrange to meet the choir. We rehearse in north-west Edinburgh on Sunday evenings.
email us at edinburghpolicechoir@gmail.com
check out our website at www.edinburghpolicechoir.com
or ring 07971920435
A touring exhibition tracing 100 years of town planning in Edinburgh opened at the historic Museum of Edinburgh on Saturday.
The 100 Years of Planning temporary display, which launched at the city council’s Waverley Court headquarters in September before touring different corners of the city, takes the visitor through ten decades of the Edinburgh skyline from 1914 to the present day.
From the father of modern town planning, Sir Patrick Geddes, to the man who designed Edinburgh’s iconic police boxes, Ebenezer James Macrae, the exhibition takes a look at the personalities who have made significant contributions to the cityscape of the Capital.
Providing a remarkable insight into the changes which have occurred in the city over the last hundred years, the exhibition presents the opportunity to learn lessons from the past. As Edinburgh adapts to the changing social and economic conditions of the future, Sir Patrick Geddes’ concept of ‘Conservative Surgery’ – keeping the best from the past whilst improving the environment of the city for the future – will remain an important consideration for planning.
Edinburgh was at the forefront of town planning many years before the establishment of the Royal Town Planning Institute, and the New Town of Edinburgh, built between 1765 and 1850, is considered to be a masterpiece of city planning. Along with the Old Town, this area of Edinburgh is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Councillor Ian Perry, Convener of the Planning Committee, said: “This exhibition offers a fantastic opportunity to take stock of planning in Edinburgh over the last century. Our Edinburgh World Heritage site is part of the city’s international status and the display provides visitors with a great insight into how this has been achieved.”
Councillor Richard Lewis, Convener of the Culture and Sport Committee, added: “Above the entranceway to the Museum of Edinburgh there is a an old Latin inscription which translates as Today to me, tomorrow to thee. To me, this sums up Edinburgh’s streets and buildings which change and grow as the city gets older and is inherited by new generations. A timeline will run through the exhibition so that visitors can understand the city’s architecture and streets in context with other events that took place in the city and the wider world over the last 100 years.”
The Museum of Edinburgh is housed in a series of 16th to 18th century buildings arranged around a close off the Royal Mile, making parts of the site up to 500 years old. The exhibition is free to enter and will remain in the Museum until 20 June 2015.
Visit the exhibition to find out about some of the important personalities that have shaped the streets and skyline of Edinburgh
1920s: Sir Patrick Geddes – Edinburgh is fortunate to be so closely associated with Geddes, the father of modern town planning in the 1920s.
1930s: Ebenezer James Macrae – Macrae was influential, both as an early adopter and promoter of the idea of conservation, and as the creator of large swathes of inter-war Council house schemes, numerous schools, and the iconic Edinburgh police boxes.
1940s: Sir Patrick Abercrombie – Patrick Abercrombie was an extremely influential figure in UK planning. Abercrombie’s proposals for Princes Street included the creation of three separate decks. The upper level was to be a service road with all traffic diverted from it. The middle level, in the gardens, to be a car park and promenade area, with traffic restricted to a tunnel a level underneath.
1950s: Councillor Pat Rogan – Rogan was a prominent campaigner in the move to improve slum housing in Edinburgh. He took Harold Wilson on a tour of the slums, and the future prime minister pronounced them the worst he had ever seen.
1960s: Sir Basil Spence – was one of the most important and versatile British architects of the post-War period. He is associated with many buildings of the period including the design of residential blocks on the Canongate (1961-69), Mortonhall Crematorium (1967), and Edinburgh University library on George Square (1965).
1970s: Desmond Hodges OBE – Desmond Hodges became the first Director of the Edinburgh New Town Conservation Committee (ENTCC) in 1972. During his 22 years overseeing the project, the ENTCC carried out over 1,200 repair projects and offered over £7.5 million in grants.
1980s: Sir Terry Farrell – An architect, he has been influential in Edinburgh’s modern changes and was responsible for the Edinburgh Exchange District as well as designing the Edinburgh International Conference Centre.
1990s: Professor David Begg – Professor David Begg was a Convenor of Transport who promoted innovative transport policies in the 1990s. His policies included giving buses priority on key ‘greenway’ routes, such as banning cars from driving along Princes Street. Many people strongly disagreed with his methods, but they set out the transport agenda that is still pursued today.
2000s: Enric Miralles – Miralles was a Spanish architect and graduate from the School of Architecture Barcelona, whose largest project came in the form of the Scottish Parliament Building.
Lallie Wilson: Exhibition Opening Invite
Friday 20th March
North Edinburgh Arts
6 – 7.30pm
North Edinburgh Arts is pleased to present the first major painting exhibition by the artist Lallie Wilson. Based in Musselburgh, Lallie has a body of mixed media artworks and colourful paintings. The exhibition portrays Lallie’s life story; from a young girl in wartime Britain, to a woman still painting many years later.
Daily opening times of exhibition:
Monday 10am – 5pm
Tuesday – Thursday 10am – 7pm (except Thursdays 1-5pm)
The exhibition will run until 27 April.
North Edinburgh Arts are always on the look out for groups and artists who would like to exhibit their work. Find out more on our exhibition page here.
Council apologises and agrees to ‘up the brightness’
The city council is to improve the brightness of street lighting following complaints from residents. New LED lights have been installed across the city over recent weeks but hundred of people have expressed concern over the quality of the new street lights. Now, following a review, the lights will be turned up next month.
Councillor Lesley Hinds, Transport and Environment Convener, said: “We’ve been closely monitoring lighting levels in streets where we’ve had a number of complaints about the new LED lights not being bright enough. I held a meeting with the Vice Convener and officers to decide on a course of action and I’m pleased to confirm that after monitoring the situation and taking complaints into account, we’ll be upping the brightness in streets where this appears most needed. This adjustment work will start in April once all the new lighting in this first phase of the rollout has been installed.
“LED street lights are much better for the environment and as they are longer-lasting than sodium street lights and with energy costs predicted to double over the next decade, they could potentially save the city millions of pounds in energy costs. While they are also recommended by police as being safer and better than the old kind of street lights, clearly the brightness has to be set at a level which reassures residents that they can feel safe at night in their street.
“In response to the feedback from the first phase, the rest of the lights due to be installed in various parts of Edinburgh before the end of March will be set at this same increased brightness level. Residents will also receive letters advising them about the new lighting and the reasons behind its installation. I’m aware that there was inadequate communication with residents whose streets were first to get the new street lights and I apologise for this on behalf of the Council.”
Police Scotland have reported more progress in the fight against crime on Edinburgh’s streets
Police in Edinburgh investigating a firearms discharge in West Pilton have charged three men as part of wider disruption activity linked to the enquiry.
Officers responded to calls to West Pilton March in the early hours of Tuesday 3 March after gunshots were fired at the front door of a house.
Through information gathered from the local community during the subsequent investigation police identified three men aged 20, 23 and 25 in connection with a number of other crimes, including housebreaking, robbery and bail offences which had occurred across the city.
The three have since appeared in court and are all remanded in custody. Enquires are continuing into the firearms discharge and anyone who can assist police with their ongoing investigation is asked to come forward.
Detective Chief Inspector Stuart Houston said: “The local community in West Pilton have been extremely helpful during our enquiries into the firearms discharge and as a result of this investigation, three men have subsequently been charged.
“I would like to thank the public for all of their assistance so far and would again request that anyone who can help us trace those responsible for the firearms discharge to contact police immediately.
“In addition, anyone wishing to report any further criminal activity can also get in touch by contacting 101 or making an anonymous call to the charity Crimestoppers on 08000 555 111.”
In a separate development, enquiries into a Portobello armed robbery have led to arrests for crimes committed in Craigcrook Road.
A 21 year old man old appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Tuesday facing charges in connection with an armed robbery at a Ladbrokes betting shop in Portobello on Monday 2 March.
Enquiries in relation to this robbery led to the subsequent arrest of a man and woman in connection with an attempted robbery in Liberton Gardens and a housebreaking and vehicle theft in Craigcrook Road.
Both offences took place on Monday (9 March) and the pair aged 20 and 21 appeared in court yesterday.
In addition, a 25-year-old man has been charged following a robbery in Magdalene Gardens on Sunday 8 March. The male has also been charged with a firearms offence following a disturbance in Lochend Drive the same evening.
Detective Inspector Alan O’Brien said: “As a result of vital intelligence from the public, alongside extensive investigation from police in Edinburgh a number of individuals are now in custody in connection with various incidents, which took place in the Capital over the past week.
“We are continuing with our enquiries to identify others believed to be involved in the Portobello robbery and would again request that anyone with information that can assist with this investigation comes forward.
“Police Scotland is committed to tackling violent crime and offences where weapons are used. Whenever we receive reports of this nature we will conduct a thorough investigation to identify those responsible and bring them to justice.”
Those with information can contact Police Scotland on 101 or alternatively, the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
