Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre are looking to recruit two freelancers for a pilot project. Drylaw Good Apples, based in two Drylaw community orchards.
We are looking for a Community Orchard Gardener (£20 an hour) and an Outdoor Youth Worker (£18 an hour). Both are both approximately 4 hours a week for approximately 3 months depending how the sessions operate in practice. Both posts require 2 x hours contact time with locals and 2 x hours prep/ materials ordering/ tidy up per week.
See attached document (below) which contains the Job Descriptions, the Person Specification and a little more detail about the project.
Initially, we are simply looking for people to express a note of interest by writing to me to state what they like about the project and what they can bring to it.
Deadline for this is 31st October 2024. We hope this project will appeal to you.
Want to learn how to fix a puncture or service your bike? Our free, four-week cycle maintenance course will equip you with the skills and confidence to maintain your bike. The course is informal, social, and fun!
Looking for more cycling fun? Check out the Edinburgh Cycling Club for group rides and events! We organize regular group rides, events, and social gatherings, creating a welcoming environment for everyone. Find us on [Meetup] https://www.meetup.com/Edinburgh-Cycling-Club/…
We are excited to announce new evening Alterations & Mending classes with @frank_franciaclothing! These classes will be on Thursday evenings 6 – 8pm, running from 24th October – 21st November.
Looking to learn or refine your sewing skills? These drop-in sewing classes are perfect for everyone, from beginners to experienced sewers! We will have the fantastic Francia on hand to support your learning. Bring your own clothes or garments for repair and alteration, or bring your own fabric to create something new. All equipment and some materials are provided.
The best part? These sessions are free! We do suggest a donation of £5 to support the centre, but there’s no need to commit to every week—just come when you can!
Join us for some creative fun and skill-building in a supportive space
Support for Climate Action and Innovation in Edinburgh’s Communities
The Edinburgh Communities Climate Action Network (ECCAN) is excited to announce the recipients of its annual GreenLight Seedgrant Fund, worth £100,000.
The overwhelming response to this year’s grant, with applications totalling £386,522 from 49 organisations, underscores a strong desire across the city to drive meaningful climate action.
This year’s awardees reflect a wide spectrum of grassroots campaigns and innovative, community-driven solutions aimed at tackling the climate crisis. These projects will contribute to a more sustainable and resilient future for Edinburgh, building upon the creative and impactful work that is already happening in our communities.
The GreenLight Funding Awards were presented at ECCAN’s Autumn Assembly on Wednesday (25th September). This gathering brought together members, individuals, and policymakers from across Edinburgh.
The event was held in alignment with Scottish Government’s Climate Week, a celebration of the positive climate action being taken across the country, whilst inspiring further collective, transformative change.
Seed Grant Funding Across Key Categories
TWENTY-ONE recipients were selected for the GreenLight fund, with projects spanning several critical areas, including:
1. Mitigate climate change: Reducing greenhouse gas emissions and damaging environmental impacts.
2. Biodiversity Protection: Initiatives that protect, enhance, or increase local biodiversity.
3. Climate Adaptation and Resilience: Projects helping communities adapt to and build resilience against the impacts of climate change.
4. Climate Awareness and Action: Raising awareness and inspiring action on climate-related issues.
5. Community Collaboration: Encouraging communities, organisations, and residents to work together in addressing the climate emergency.
A Commitment to a Sustainable Future
Mark Dowey, ECCAN Network Lead, said: “ECCAN is proud to support these exceptional individuals and organisations. The GreenLight Seedgrant Fund not only sustains the progress already being made in Edinburgh’s communities, but it also serves as a catalyst for others to join the collective fight against climate change.
“We were blown away by the ambition and energy of the 49 applications we received. It was incredibly challenging to narrow it down to 21 awardees, however we believe that the projects we’ve selected are set to make a real difference in Edinburgh.
“I am excited to see the impact these initiatives will have in the coming months, and I hope we can continue to build on this momentum as we continue to ambitiously tackle climate change.”
THE SUCCESSFUL APPLICANTS ARE:
Edible Estates
Earth in Common
The Edinburgh Tool Library
Porty Community Energy
BANZAI – Bruntsfield Area Net Zero Action Initiative
Bikes for Refugees (Scotland) SCIO
The Meaning Map Project
Rhyze Mushrooms Cooperative CIC
Drylaw and Telford Community Association
EALA Impacts CIC
Youth Vision
Broomhouse Community Growers Association
Bridgend Farmhouse
Edinburgh Building Retrofit & Improvement Collective (EdinBRIC)
TWO-way temporary traffic lights at the top of Groathill Avenue from 7am on Tuesday 24 September for ongoing power cable renewal works – expected until 11 October.
Closures on Groathill Avenue and Groathill Road South remain in place for a few more weeks.
To and from Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre (you can start with us 10.20 at Granton Station).
The route will take in Granton Station, Granton Gas Tower, Granton Walled Garden and Dovecot, the new history mural, Granton Lighthouse, Caroline Park, the ‘Going to the Beach’ sculpture, Granton Hub, Granton Square and Granton Harbour.
Bring a pack lunch, water and something to sit on. Please wear suitable clothes for the weather.
Book via Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre by phoning 0131 315 4989 or messaging us
For October, Dobbies Garden Centres has launched a brand new autumn edition of its hands-on planting experience, combined with a tasty Afternoon Tea in its Edinburgh store.
Planting and Afternoon Tea: Autumn Edition is taking place on Tuesday 8 and Saturday 12 October, offering attendees the chance to create a seasonal style piece that can feature as a home or front door decoration.
Attendees at Dobbies’ Edinburgh store will get to participate in a hands-on 90-minute workshop led by one of Dobbies’ horti experts with a demo, Q&A session and the opportunity to craft your very own succulent planter, made from a pumpkin, to spook-ify autumnal decor (worth £40).
Dobbies will provide a terracotta pot, pumpkin and a mix of succulents such as Echeveria elegans, Aloe artisata and Graptopetalum pentadrum, all selected by Dobbies’ Senior Buyer, Claire Bishop, who featured as a judge at RHS Chelsea Flower Show this year.
Attendees will be invited to carve out a pumpkin to display the terracotta pot in, and then have the joy of picking succulents with a variety of colours and textures. Once Halloween is over and the pumpkin starts to fade, it can be recycled and the succulents can be used in the terracotta planter for an all-year-round display.
Before creating the seasonal succulent pumpkin, attendees at Dobbies’ Edinburgh store can enjoy a Traditional or Luxury Afternoon Tea, delving into three tiers of sweet and savoury delights. There are unlimited tea and coffee refills and the chance to upgrade the hot drink, or enjoy a glass of prosecco.
The Traditional Afternoon Tea offers an assortment of freshly made finger sandwiches, including smoked salmon with cream cheese, egg mayonnaise with watercress, and ham with rocket and wholegrain mustard.
Customers can also enjoy Dobbies’ famous scones, served with Cornish clotted cream and a pot of jam, and a delicious selection of sweet treats, including a rainbow meringue kiss and lemon mousse. The upgrade to the Luxury Afternoon Tea is an additional £4 extra per person.
Dobbies’ Events Programme Manager, Ayesha Nickson, is excited to see what centrepieces customers at the Edinburgh store craft during this workshop. She said: “Our Planting and Afternoon Tea experiences have been hugely popular and this version with an autumn twist is the perfect opportunity to create a seasonal decoration that could be styled in your home or entrance way.
“Whether you’re a novice and have little experience with plant styling, or are looking to have some interior fun this autumn, this experience in our Edinburgh store is a great way to try something new. Plus our Afternoon Tea in the restaurant is a great way for attendees to enjoy a delicious array of sweet and savoury treats.”
The Planting and Afternoon Tea: Autumn Edition is priced at £45 per person and is now bookable at dobbies.com/events.
Dobbies offers a programme of autumnal events. Families can get involved in Dobbies’ Little Scare-lings, a frightfully fun Howl-o-ween party taking place across various dates throughout October, priced at £10.99 per child and £7.40 per adult.
If you’re looking for a pumpkin picking experience, Dobbies’ Pumpkin Patch is kicking off on Saturday 19 October across 20 stores, offering children the chance to enjoy some activities, seasonal treats and pumpkin of their choice to take home, priced at £9.99 per person.
Known for its love of dogs, Dobbies has also introduced a Pup-kin Patch for those who want their pooches to join in the fun. Priced at £8 per pup, this event allows dogs at Dobbies to explore the Pup-kin Patch and pick out a Halloween-themed toy to take home before getting their photo taken in an autumnal setting by a Dobbies colleague.
To learn more about the autumnal events and to make a booking, visit dobbies.com/events.
Book your spot for free! 
The best part? These sessions are free! We do suggest a donation of £5 to support the centre, but there’s no need to commit to every week—just come when you can!
