Category: Comely Bank

Botanic Cottage receives Royal approval

An internationally-important seat of learning from the Scottish Enlightenment which fell into dereliction and was painstakingly dismantled to be reconstructed two miles across the ity has received the royal seal of approval. It’s both the oldest and the newest building at the Botanics, and the magnificent Botanic Cottage was officially opened by Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal yesterday.

Saved by a community campaign, the Georgian cottage was reconstructed with the express intention of nurturing public engagement so it was appropriate that those welcoming Her Royal Highness included school pupils and community groups.

Volunteers from the Edible Gardening Project were on hand, as were the community activists who fought for the building to be saved, those involved with the reconstruction and RBGE staff who had roles to play in the venture. Main funders, including representatives of the Heritage Lottery Fund were also introduced.

Lucy Casot, Head of the Heritage Lottery Fund in Scotland, said: “Thanks to players of the National Lottery, Botanic Cottage has a new lease of life. It will be a lively, welcoming hub where young and old, many with more challenges in life than others, can be inspired by these wonderful gardens and collections. We are delighted to have played our part in this project and look forward to seeing Botanic Cottage blossom.”

The Princess was hosted by Regius Keeper Simon Milne MBE who introduced her to key people in the building’s recent history, from its rescue on Leith Walk in 2008 through the wholesale move and traditional rebuild to those who have established it as a new centre for community and education work at the Garden’s Inverleith site.

Mr Milne commented: “The completion of the Botanic Cottage is such a wonderful achievement for everyone involved in getting the building from Leith to Inverleith and bringing it back to life as a focus for education and community work. Today has provided well-deserved recognition to the team and we were all delighted to have had the opportunity to welcome The Princess Royal.”

Absolutely bankers: one thousand branches closed in two years

High street banks have closed more than 1,000 branches in the last two years, new research from consumer organisation Which? has revealed. Ninety of these are in Scotland – and Scotland-based giants Bank of Scotland (34) and RBS (31) have shut most branches. Continue reading Absolutely bankers: one thousand branches closed in two years

Community facilities at Waitrose Comely Bank

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Local not for profit groups and can now book a free meeting room at Waitrose Comely Bank. The new community room is free of charge and can be used whenever the store is open, including weekends. It has a table and chairs and can accommodate 20 people. To book the room please call the branch on 0131 332 6312.

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Young people to help shape the future of their schools

 

The review into the way schools are run is seeking direct input from those most affected by Scotland’s education system – children and young people themselves, Deputy First Minister John Swinney said during a visit to Broughton High School yesterday.

In September, Deputy First Minister John Swinney announced the start of a major governance review, with the presumption that decisions will be devolved to school level. Underlining the commitment to involve and listen to pupils, the Scottish Government is funding work to gather their perspectives.

Young Scot, in partnership with Children in Scotland and Scottish Youth Parliament, is taking forward the engagement programme, which will secure input from a diverse range of young people with different life experiences – including those from urban and rural settings, in the care system, and who have a disability.

Announcing £60,000 to support this work over the next three months, Mr Swinney met today with some of the 90 pupils taking part in the first engagement session at Broughton High School in Edinburgh. He said: “Our review is about ensuring schools deliver the best outcomes for children and young people, with teachers empowered to make decisions about learning within schools, supported by parents and the local community.

“I’ve committed to listening to teachers, practitioners and partners. It’s also crucial that we seek the views of children and young people – on what works well with their learning and in their schools and where improvements can be made.

“The feedback gathered by Young Scot, Children in Scotland and the Scottish Youth Parliament will make a valuable contribution to the review process, shaping our mission to deliver excellence and equity throughout our education system.”

Louise Macdonald, Chief Executive of Young Scot, said: “Any conversation about the future of schools, education and learning needs to have children and young people at the heart. They are experts of their own experience, and it is vital they are given the opportunity to share their insight and their views about what matters so much for them today and in the future.”

Children in Scotland Chief Executive Jackie Brock said: “We believe that children and young people have the right to influence policy and legislation that has an impact on their lives. Hearing from school pupils about how their experience of education could be improved is a key part of this and we are delighted to be partners in a project with such a strong emphasis on consultation and engagement with our young people.”

Amy Lee Farioli, Vice Chair of the Scottish Youth Parliament, said: “Empowering children and young people to have their say in decisions that affect them is a fundamental right that all children and young people have. It is essential that they are involved in making decisions about their learning and the learning environment. We see activities like today’s event as vital for shaping the positive involvement of young people as equal, meaningful partners in decisions for the future.”

 

Your community needs YOU! – be part of something great!

Community Council nominations open on Monday

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Nominations for Edinburgh’s community councils open on Monday (5 September) and the city council is calling on people passionate about their area to play an active role and be part of something great! Continue reading Your community needs YOU! – be part of something great!

We love our charity shops!

Britain is a nation of charity shop lovers – but 97% of Scots will use a charity during their lifetime
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  • More than eight out of ten of us (86%) have bought an item from a charity shop
  • Older people, women and people living in more affluent areas are the most likely to have bought something from a charity shop
  • Nearly every household (98 %) in the UK has used a charity at some point

The UK is a nation of charity shop lovers with more than eight out of ten of us (86%) having bought an item from a charity shop, according to the latest research by the Charities Aid Foundation.

Older people, women and people living in more affluent areas are the most likely to have bought something from a charity shop. People living in rural areas are also more likely to have bought something from a charity shop than their urban counterparts.

The research reveals that those in the  East of England are the biggest charity shoppers with Londoners being the least likely to have ever bought something.

The figures form part of a wide-reaching report, Charity Street II, which examines the way people use charitable services and their awareness of the scope of charitable services.

The figures show that nearly every household (98 %) in the UK has used a charity at some point and on average people have used about six charitable services in the past year.

But awareness of which services are provided by charities is surprisingly poor.

Around a quarter (23%) of the population are unaware that the charity services that they or someone in their household used were, in fact, run by charities. Given a list of 16 services provided by charities, less than one in ten people were aware they were all provided by the voluntary sector.

The report shows:

  • Charity shopping is more popular among those living in the UK’s most affluent areas, where 90% reported having ever bought an item compared to 82% of people living in the most deprived areas;
  • More than seven in ten people (71%) aged 65 or over bought something from a charity shop last year. This compares to 53% of 18-24 year olds, with people becoming more likely to buy from charity shops as they get older;
  • In rural areas 91% of people have ever bought something from a charity shop; in urban areas the figure in 84%;
  • 93% of people living in East England have bought something from a charity shop compared to 80% of Londoners.
  • Women buy things from charity shops more than men, with seven out of ten (70%) having bought an item in the past year, compared with just 54% of men;
  • The other most common ways people have used charity services are visiting a charity run gallery, museum, garden or stately home (69%); visiting a church or religious institution run by a charity (46%) getting advice or information from a charity website (45%) and attending a university (44%)

Susan Pinkney, Head of Research at the Charities Aid Foundation, said: “Gone are the days when there was a stigma attached to charity shopping with our figures showing that people in more affluent areas are on average more likely to be charity shoppers.

“Charity shops can be high street treasure troves, selling cheaper, second hand goods and often promoting ethically produced and ‘fair trade’ items.

“But crucially, charity shops do not just rely on the shoppers. Their success is built on many different acts of altruism, from those who donate goods to the tens of thousands of volunteers who help to work to run them.

“Our research also highlighted how much we all rely on charities without necessarily realising it. A huge amount of British public life is supported by generosity. And a lot of us are unaware of the scope of charities in the UK.”

The UK has more than 10,200 charity shops and 85% of goods sold in charity shops are from donations, according to the Charity Retail Association.

The Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) is one of Europe’s largest charitable foundations, providing advice, financial services and research to help people and companies give to causes they care about.

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