Category: Drylaw Telford

Support for Drylaw Dance School


Three projects across Edinburgh and the Lothians have received new funding to offer local young people the chance to get involved in traditional Scottish music and dance – and one of them is based right here in Drylaw.  
In partnership with Creative Scotland, The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo Youth Development Fund supports 5-26yr olds in the development of skills in piping, drumming, Highland dance and traditional fiddle playing.

 Edinburgh’s Amanda Kane School of Dance is getting ready to host a series of fun Highland Dance classes at Drylaw Parish Hall, while Midlothian’s KIC Arts Development Trust is offering affordable access to online tuition in Highland Dance, drumming and piping, culminating in a showcase concert planned for February 2021. 

Sharon Jones, KIC Dance, said: “Through our classes – which will now include live music - we’re delighted to be able to create exciting opportunities for young people in the area to have fun learning new music and dance skills; develop new friendships and build self-confidence at the same time.”  

East Lothian’s Dunbar Music School and Dance Discovery are coming together to createa new youth music and dance group. Through online classes and workshops, the group is already working on its first project – a new composition and choreography inspired by the events of The Siege of Dunbar in 1338, and the historical figure of Agnes Randolph.   

These three projects are among sixteen taking place across Scotland.

Rucelle Soutar, Chief Operating Officer, The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo said: “We’re delighted to see these wonderful projects being delivered from our 2019 Youth Development fund.

“At the Tattoo, celebrating Scottish traditional arts is a key goal, and we wish them the very best of success.”  

Colin Bradie, Head of Creative Learning, Creative Scotland said: “Whilst the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic are extremely challenging in so many ways and for so many people, it’s inspiring to see how these creative projects have been adapted to continue to offer engaging, high-quality opportunities for young people to create new and exciting work and increase accessibility across traditional Scottish arts.”  

Mental Health and Wellbeing Support in North Edinburgh

Local organisations have put together a booklet listing mental health & wellbeing support services in North Edinburgh (see below).

If you need support call the new Community Wellbeing Helpline on 0131 332 8773.

Praise for Drylaw’s ‘urban art installation’

A controversial community art ‘installation’ has been praised by arts organisation Creative Scotland. Drylaw’s ‘Love My Docs‘, which is situated behind The Ferry Boat in Drylaw Shopping Centre, has been recognised as an iconic image of the coronavirus era.

Creative Scotland’s Ruaridh Afton-Waters said: “The Drylaw artwork is an important piece of modern sculpture, symbolising  a working class community’s fight against this all-powerful invisible enemy that is Coronavirus.

“What makes this piece so special is that it encourages local people to add their own pieces of art – and hundreds of community artists have stepped forward to embrace the challenge. Their imaginative contributions have built into an incredibly important statemement of empowerment.

“They are saying: ‘you won’t defeat us, coronavirus.  You can shut our museums and art galleries, you can even shut our Ferry Boat – but you’ll never destroy our spirit of creativity.’

“It is brutal, it is primitive, but most of all ‘Love My Docs’ is truly,  deeply moving.”

Moving, indeed – and some Drylaw residents are hoping the artwork will be moving on sometime soon!

North Edinburgh’s Food Share group updates city councillors

North Edinburgh’s Covid-19 Foodshare Group has written to city councillors to update them on the work of the local coalition:

Elected member,

Since the setting up of North Edinburgh Covid-19 Foodshare Group we have kept elected members informed of the work the community organisations, volunteers and funders have been carrying out in these very challenging times.

Attached is a newsletter which, by the end of this week, will be delivered, by volunteers, to 14,000 households in North Edinburgh. Please circulate this to any individuals or groups who will find the information helpful.

NEN_8pp_A4_MAY20_2

Over the past six weeks (20 April – 25 May 2020) North Edinburgh organisations have:

· Produced 58,258 Food Items/Packed Lunches/Packs

· Gifted 23,888 Food Items/Packed Lunches/Packs to other organisations

· Delivered 79,171 Food Items/Packed Lunches/Packs

· There have been specific deliveries for Milk, Butter, Vegetables,Toiletries and Fruit.

· Passion 4 Fusion are providing culturally specific foods for BAME communities in the area.

Of the 919 postcodes supplied by agencies, 582 residents lived in Deciles 1&2, which means we reaching some of the most vulnerable in North Edinburgh.

63.3% of Food Items delivered are reaching those who need it most.

Please get in touch if you want further information, regarding the work of North Edinburgh Covid-19 Foodshare Group.

Willie Black

Chair, North Edinburgh Covid 19 Food Share Group

Newsletter deliveries resume this morning

Volunteers will be hitting local streets once again today to deliver the NEN Coronavirus special edition newsletter across North Edinburgh.

An enthusiastic team of volunteers delivered thousands of newsletters across Drylaw and Telford, Muirhouse, Salvesen, West Pilton, Granton and Royston Wardieburn last week, and a final push will see the last of the newsletters delivered this week.

If you would like to lend a hand – full guidance and protective equipment will be issued – teams will be leaving from the following locations from Tuesday – Thursday this week:

Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre, Groathill Road North at 11am

Fresh Start, Ferry Road Drive at 11am

Pilton Community Health Project, Boswall Parkway at 11am

Ainslie Park Leisure Centre car park, Pilton Drive North at 2pm

The newsletter contains helpful information and key telephone numbers to help local people get through the pandemic.

The North Edinburgh Covid-19 Foodshare coalition would like to thank our magnicent volunteers who have done so much to support the community dring these most difficult of times.

Thanks also to the following organisations for their terrfic support:

Funders:

Cash for Kids,

Inspiring Scotland,

North Edinburgh Community Councils,

Muirhouse Housing Association,

Pilton Central Association (PCA),

SCVO,

STV Appeal,

The National Lottery for Communities,

West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre

Cairn Energy

Cramond FC

Edinburgh City Council

Lindsay’s Charitable Trust

Martin Lewis Foundation

Murray Foundation

National Emergencies Trust

Neighbourly Community Fund

Places for People Foundation

Port of Leith Housing Association

Queensberry House Trust

Richardson and Starling

Scottish Government

Stewart Investors.

Food, supplies and support have kindly been donated by:

Baillie Gifford, Chand & Co Group,

Edinburgh Academy,

Fettes College,

Mathieson’s the butchers,

Morrisons,

PrepTable Scotland,

Porto & Fi cafe,

Scottish Gas,

Social Bite,

Tesco,

TB McKay Energy Supplies

Investec

Neighbourly Community Fund.

We couldn’t do it without you – THANK YOU ALL !

 

Newsletter deliveries continue this weekend

Deliveries of the NEN Covid-19 Special Edition newsletter continue over the weekend – whatevever the weather! – and new volunteers are more than welcome.

Managed by members of North Edinburgh’s Covid-19 Food Share Group team, volunteers are delivering an informative newsletter to Drylaw, Pilton, Royston Wardieburn, Boswall and Granton.

Volunteers are given a route map and delivery instructions and are also issued with hand sanitiser, protective gloves and a contact number should they encounter any problems during the distribution run.

Meeting times this weekend:

Saturday 6th June and Sunday 7th June:

WEST PILTON / WEST GRANTON

11am – 1 hour delivering

Meet at Fresh Start, Address: 22-24 Ferry Rd Drive, EH4 4BR

Phone: Willie Black : 07515686421

GRANTON / BOSWALL

2pm: – 1 hour delivering

Meet at Ainslie Park Leisure Centre car park, 94 Pilton Drive, EH5 2HF

Phone: Willie Black: 07515686421

If you wish to deliver in your own time, call Lesley Hinds on 07778413792 or Willie Black on 07515686421.

Our thanks to the volunteers who have helped with distribution so far

Call for volunteers to support newsletter distribution

ONE OFF TASK from Wednesday 3 June to Sunday 7 June.

This will get you fit and help the residents of North West Edinburgh access services!

Newsletter Distribution in NW Edinburgh

This is a one off opportunity managed by NW Edinburgh Team who will take responsibility for managing all the volunteers to deliver a informative newsletter to Drylaw, Salvesan, Pilton, Royston Wardieburn, Boswall and Granton.

We envisage you distributing for about one hour in total.

There is a route map that you will follow and will be handed out at the distribution point along with hand sanitiser and gloves and a contact number of the person offering the instructions at the beginning so you can contact them if there are any incidents or you are not sure.

WEST PILTON / WEST GRANTON

Wednesday 3rd June – Sunday 7th June 11am

Meet at Fresh Start, 22-24 Ferry Rd Drive, EH4 4BR

Phone: Willie Black : 07515686421

 

DRYLAW / TELFORD

Wednesday 3rd June – Friday 5th June: 11am

Meet at Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre, 67B Groathill Road North, EH4 2SA

Phone: Roy Douglas: 07801971892

 

WARDIEBURN / ROYSTON

Wednesday 3rd June – Friday 5th June: 11am:

Meet at Pilton Community Health Project, 73 Boswall Parkway, EH5 2PW

Phone: Helen Scammell: 07847476612

 

GRANTON / BOSWALL

Wednesday 3rd June – Sunday 7th June: 2pm:

Meet at Spartans, Address: Ainslie Park, 94 Pilton Drive, EH5 2HF

Phone: Willie Black: 07515686421

If you wish to deliver in your own time. Please make contact with Lesley or Willie to determine where to deliver to.

Phone: Lesley Hinds: 07778413792 or Willie Black: 07515686421

This will require a minimum of 6 volunteers for each session working in pairs on each side of the street to put newsletters through people’s letter boxes in stairs that are accessible.

At the end please report back to the contact detailed for your distribution point.

Please wear comfortable shoes and appropriate clothing and bring a bag that is suitable for holding 100-150 leaflets.

Thank you for your interest in this and your contribution is invaluable.

Please contact Lesley or Willie if you have any further questions.

Heather Yang

Core Services Manager, Volunteer Edinburgh