Join us for a 4-week block of Chi Gung sessions with Tamsin Grainger
18th February – 11th March
Wednesdays, 11am–12pm
Chi Gung is a gentle, meditative movement practice that can help to:
• Improve balance and mobility
• Reduce stress and tension
• Boost energy and wellbeing
• Support breathing and relaxation
The sessions are suitable for all abilities and are completely free, but spaces are limited and booking is essential. Call 0131 315 4989 or email info@drylawnc.org.uk to book.
DRYLAW NEIGHBOURHOOD CENTRE PLANS COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP
Our community has an incredible opportunity right now: the chance to own the Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre and the land around it, and shape it into something truly special for everyone who lives here.
But to make it happen, we need as many local people as possible to fill in the community survey. Your ideas, your hopes, and your experiences matter.
The more responses we get, the stronger our case becomes – and the more likely it is that we, as a community, take ownership of the space and its future.
Imagine what this could mean …
A place where families can spend time together
Safe, welcoming spaces for children and young people
New activities, events, and facilities shaped by you and your neighbours.
A centre and grounds designed around the real needs of local people.
This is about more than a building. It’s about building a better future for Drylaw; a future shaped by the people who live here, who care about the place, and who want to see it thrive.
FETLOR Youth Club hosted the first FetLor Futures awards ceremony this week celebrating the outstanding achievements of its young members.
At the special event at the charity’s North Edinburgh club house, 23 young people received awards for demonstrating exceptional dedication and commitment across a range of programmes.
The awards were presented by Major General Robin Lindsay CBE, General Officer Scotland, who joined the celebrations to recognise the hard work and achievements of FetLor’s young people.
The young people received completion awards for the club’s Climbing Programme and Outward Bound, while others were recognised with Youth Achievement Awards for their commitment in supporting others. In a significant milestone for the club, two members achieved their Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Awards.
The awards ceremony marked an important moment in FetLor Youth Club’s 102-year history as it continues in its mission to support young people in Scotland’s capital.
Based in north Edinburgh, FetLor Youth Club is Scotland’s oldest youth club and welcomes around 330 young people each week.
The club provides opportunities and support to help members develop skills that will have a lasting impact as they continue their life’s journey. Since launching the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award programme, the club has enrolled 14 young people in Bronze and Silver Awards, with three candidates working towards their Gold Awards.
Dr Richie Adams, FetLor’s Chief Executive, said: “We are incredibly proud of our members’ achievements over the last year.
“This awards ceremony was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate their dedication and the positive impact these programmes have had on our members personal development.
“We can only deliver our services thanks to all those who generously fund our charity. Their support helps our young people achieve their potential.”
Major General Robin Lindsay, a supporter of FetLor for a number of years, added; ”These awards are the outcome. The real benefit is taking part, building resilience and developing confidence.
“All the young people and their families should feel very proud.”
Gas network company SGN is upgrading the gas network in Telford Road to ensure local homes and businesses continue to receive a safe and reliable gas supply.
The project involves replacing old metal mains, reaching the end of their useful lives, with new plastic pipe. This will help ensure local homes and businesses continue to receive a safe and reliable gas supply long into the future.
Following close consultation with the City of Edinburgh Council, works will start on Monday 26 January and last for approximately six weeks. The project will begin in Telford Road at its junction with Groathill Road North, operating under temporary traffic lights for approximately two weeks.
The work will then progress eastbound along Telford Road under a lane closure. before progressing east under a lane closure. Please note that delays are expected during peak travel periods.
Localised road closures in Groathill Road South and Telford Drive will be required at various stages to allow traffic to flow on Telford Road. Clearly signed diversions will be in place to assist road users.
SGN spokesperson Katie Lobban said: “We’ve worked closely with the local authorities in planning this work and we will be doing everything we can to limit disruption during our essential project.
“This section of our gas main has required a number of emergency repairs in recent years, so we’ve made the decision to fully replace the pipe to reduce any further disruption to the local community and commuters.
“We appreciate that roadworks can be frustrating and would like to thank everyone affected for your patience, understanding and support as we work to improve the energy infrastructure in Edinburgh.”
Drama@Drylaw is a friendly, informal group where we come together to move, chat, laugh and explore everyday life through simple drama activities.
The activities are based on familiar, real-life situations, so it’s great for building confidence, communication skills and vocabulary – including for people who want to practise English in a natural, supportive way. Everyone’s contributions are valued, and people bring their own experiences to the group.
Each session begins with gentle, mindful bodywork to help us relax and feel comfortable working together. There’s also time to catch up, share news and enjoy being part of a group before moving into creative activities. The activities are different every week, so if you miss a session because of appointments or family commitments, you can drop straight back in the following week.
There’s no acting, no scripts and no pressure to perform – just a chance to try something new in a safe, encouraging space. Drama@Drylaw is growing, and the new year is a great time to give it a try.
Every Tuesday 10:30am – 12:30pm.
New members are very welcome — just come along and see how it feels!
We would love to see more of you at our community council meetings.
Just so you know, community council meetings aren’t just about business; they’re a fantastic way to meet your neighbours, share experiences, and build a stronger community spirit!
Come along, grab a cuppa, and connect with the people who care about Drylaw & Telford as much as you do.
NEN PUBLISHED OUR FIRST BLOG POST ON THIS DAY IN 2011
The very first NEN blog post was published on this day in 2011. The post read:
Hello, and welcome to the brand new NEN blog.
For those of you not already familiar with the newspaper, we are a local community paper serving the North Edinburgh community. We’ve been here for over thirty years.
This blog, along with our new Facebook page and Twitter stream, represents our first foray into the world of social media. We really want to encourage more participation, more questions and ideas from the North Edinburgh community – both online and offline – and hope that these new tools will help us to do that.
We already have a good website, where you can always find the latest edition of the printed newspaper. The blog won’t be replacing that, but will instead be there to show people the latest news about the area, and also to help us cover the current funding crisis we are facing as an organisation.
Above all, we want to include your input on the blog – be it ideas for stories, comments, pictures and events. So get in touch!
The NEN’s website was sadly deleted when funding ceased but our social media presence continues on both Twitter and Facebook and the blog is still going strong with 10 – 12 posts daily.
2025 was the NEN blog’s busiest ever year with 36,000 visitors. As I write this we’ve published more than 38,000 posts – all of these remain accessible online – and we’re currently on a run of publishing on 2749 consecutive days.
When the NEN office in Crewe Road North closed much of the NEN archive material was lost, but thankfully some of our picture library was salvaged and can now be found at granton:hub (Madelvic House), where the volunteer archive team has also collated all remaining hard copies of the North Edinburgh News newspaper.
Hopefully, between the physical archive and the NEN blog, you can find all you need to know about our community’s rich history – and we’re adding to that history every day!
18th February – 11th March
Wednesdays, 11am–12pm
Valentine’s Craft Session 
Children must be accompanied by an adult
Pay what you can – donations welcomed
Limited spaces available
Drama@Drylaw – a relaxed, welcoming social group
Hello Drylaw & Telford.
