EVOC: ‘Localities’ thinkSpace events dates

More and more local and national governments have come to the view that engaging with citizens and planning, purchasing and delivering services at a ‘sub-local’ or ‘localities’ level is the way to add value.

In Edinburgh the City of Edinburgh Council has agreed a localities way of working, with the city divided into four quadrants, or localities, as described in the Council’s ‘Organise to Deliver’ reports.

Simultaneously, there is a drive within the legislation covering the integration of Adult Health with Social Care that services will be designed and delivered closer to communities.

What does this mean for Edinburgh? What does this mean for the city’s Voluntary Organisations? What are your hopes and your fears? What are your expectations of EVOC?

EVOC intends to bring organisations together to consider current plans, and their implications for our communities, by means of a series of four thinkSpace events spread across the city.

This comes out to you as a request to ‘save the date’ to attend the event within the locality most relevant to your service provision:

SOUTH WEST

Tuesday 21 April 2 – 4.30pm, WHALE Arts

NORTH EAST

Thursday 30 April 10am – 12.30pm, The Halls

SOUTH EAST/CENTRAL

Wednesday 6 May 10am – 12.30pm, Methodist Church

NORTH WEST

Monday 11 May 2 – 4.30pm, Royston/Wardieburn Community Centre.

If you have any comments or queries, please don’t hesitate to contact Dianne Morrison on 0131 555 9100 in the first instance.

EVOC will continue to publish relevant documents on its ‘Organise To Deliver’ page:http://www.evoc.org.uk/information/organise-deliver-bold-initiatives/

Milind Kolhatkar

senior development officer – community planning

Jewellery robbery: Drylaw pair in custody

A man and a woman are being held in connection with an armed robbery at an Edinburgh jewellers yesterday. Police Scotland said a 27-year-old man and a 31-year-old woman have been detained.

An investigation was launched after a man robbed Laing the jewellers in Frederick Street at gunpoint and took watches to the value of £100,000. The robber subsequently hijacked a private hire car and was last seen in Pilton Drive North.

The couple were detained in North Edinburgh this afternoon following the search of a property in Easter Drylaw.

A Police Scotland spokesman said: “Police in Edinburgh attended an address in Easter Drylaw earlier today (Tuesday) as part of their investigation into an armed robbery and investigations are ongoing.”

Anyone with information about the robbery is asked to contact Police Scotland on 101 or through Crimestoppers on 08000 555 111.

Parents and people with disabilities hardest hit by welfare reforms

‘This latest evidence shows that some of those most in need of support, namely parents and disabled people are being hardest hit. For us to be in this situation in 21^st century Scotland is unacceptable.’ – Michael McMahon MSP

Parents and people with disabilities are being hit hardest by the UK Government’s programme of welfare reform according to new research commissioned by the Scottish Parliament’s Welfare Reform Committee.

The report, published yesterday, represents the first time the impact of the UK Government’s welfare reform agenda on different household types in Scotland has been quantified.

The research for the Committee was conducted by Professors Christina Beatty and Steve Fothergill of the Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research at Sheffield Hallam University.

The new evidence shows that in Scotland, it is estimated that couples with dependent children will lose an average of more than £1,400 a year, and lone parents with dependent children stand to lose an average of around £1,800 a year from their income stream.

In all, families with children will lose an estimated £960m a year – approaching two-thirds of the overall financial loss in Scotland.

Disabled claimants and those with health problems have also been shown to be disproportionately affected. Reductions in incapacity benefits are estimated to average £2,000 a year, and some of the same people also face big losses in Disability Living Allowance and reductions in other benefits.

Committee Convener Michael McMahon MSP said: “The Welfare Reform Committee has amassed a growing volume of evidence documenting the impact of the welfare reform agenda on Scotland’s communities. This latest evidence shows that some of those most in need of support, namely parents and disabled people are being hardest hit. For us to be in this situation in 21^st century Scotland is unacceptable.”

The report also shows that almost half the reduction in benefits might be expected to fall on in-work households.

Deputy Convener, Clare Adamson MSP said: “The Scottish Government is to be commended for introducing measures to alleviate some of the worst effects of the welfare reform agenda. New powers over a range of benefits are due to be given to Holyrood in the coming years and this research will help direct those new powers to help those most in need of support.”

Until now, there has been no way to assess the impact across the various benefits on different types of households. Because of the cumulative impact of people being affected by several different benefit streams, the overall impact of welfare reforms has been hidden.

The statistics are expected to become an essential tool for government and local authorities in shaping targeted responses and service delivery.

The research follows two previous reports which measured the financial impact of welfare reform on Scotland as a whole and by local authority area, and the impact down to ward level.

The Committee expects to hear oral evidence on this report at its meeting on 10 March.

Professor Steve Fothergill, of the Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research at Sheffield Hallam University, said: “The figures demonstrate that the welfare reforms impact very unevenly. The very big impact on families with children, in particular, has previously been under the radar because it is the cumulative result of several individual reforms. Coalition ministers have argued that “we’re all in it together”. The impacts of welfare reform, documented in our report, show this is far from being the case.”

Communities call: bring back our 42!

‘We want the 42 bus service to Craigleith Retail Park restored with immediate effect’ – DTCC’s Alex Dale

Four local Community Councils and a residents group have joined forces to call for the immediate reinstatement of a local bus service to Craigleith Retail Park.

Drylaw/Telford, Muirhouse/Salvsen, Craigleith/Blackhall and Stockbridge/Inverleith community councils, along with Easter Drylaw Residents Association, are urging Lothian Buses to bring back the 42.

Drylaw Telford CC chairman Alex Dale explained: “I have set up a CEC petition form (see below) calling for the return of bus service 42 to the retail park with immediate effect.

“The service was withdrawn by Lothian Buses at the end of last year. They said buses entering and leaving the retail park were held up because of congestion and that these delays meant the service couldn’t keep to its timetable further along the route.

“As the bus uses the section of the park owned by Sainsbury’s, I have been badgering away over the past months to try and solve the issues. In the end Sainsbury’s agreed to pay for equipment to both the buses and the traffic lights which will allow buses priority at these lights – this is now in place and Lothian Buses are at present trialling the system with the 38 bus, which still accesses the park.

“If the trial is successful Lothian Buses will look at a possibly returning the service at their Autumn timetable, but our community councils agree that the company should return the service 42 with immediate effect as part of the trial, and not wait till Autumn.”

service 42 Signature form of those individuals supporting the petition (1)

Members of the public/local businesses can also view and sign petition by going to www.edinburgh.gov.uk/petitions and selecting ‘Support a Petition’.

The Closing Date is the 13 March 2015.

Communities: get stuck in to the Big Lunch!

The Big Lunch encourages Scots to get numbers climbing and boost community spirit!

Organisers of the UK’s annual get-together for neighbours are calling for at least 10% of Scots to get stuck into a day of food, friendship and fun on Sunday 7 June.

The call to action was launched on Thursday – the ‘100 days to go’ mark before the big day. It is hoped that millions of neighbours across the UK will again be getting together in an effort to boost community spirit where they live. A massive 4.83 million people took part in the lottery funded initiative in 2014.

Emily Watts, Communications Manager for The Big Lunch in Scotland encouraged more people in Scotland to get involved this year. She said: “C’mon Edinburgh! We want to see the number of people taking part in Scottish communities climbing to 10% of the population. Year on year, feedback from previous participants is very positive, with people feeling more connected to their communities after a Big Lunch. People start new relationships that continue after the day too.

“We know Scots are friendly but we all recognise the feeling that we could make more effort with our neighbours. The Big Lunch is an excuse to chap the door and ask if they’d like to get together.”

The Big Lunch, partnered by Halifax and ASDA, is now in its seventh year. Big Lunches can be big or small, take place on a street, park or community venue and be as simple and inexpensive as you like. There are no rules to getting involved besides that people are the key ingredient!

In 2014, thousands of communities from all across the country took part in the big event. Lou, who organized her street’s first ever Big Lunch street party in Edinburgh last year, said: “Before our Big Lunch I knew the neighbours near our house to speak to, but not further up the street. Now we all know each other and feel able to stop and say hello, which I wouldn’t have done before.

“Our neighbours really got into the spirit of contributing something on the day, bringing lovely food to share and helping with party tunes and activities for the kids. This made it really easy and inexpensive to pull together. Looking back, it felt like a day from a bygone era and I’m glad we put the time aside to get to know our community better. I really recommend getting involved in 2015!”

Edinburgh neighbours who are interested in getting involved this June can register for a free pack, now available from www.thebiglunch.com or on 0845 850 8181. Packs include invitations, posters, recipes and activity ideas, as well as lots of information to get events off the ground. All pack materials are undated so communities can have Big Lunches when best suits them if they can’t join in on Sunday 7 June.

Footage from previous year’s Big Lunches: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=un-ooSya828

The Eden Project started The Big Lunch in 2009 with the belief that we’re better equipped to tackle the challenges we face when we face them together.

The Big Lunch is led by the Eden Project, funded by the Big Lottery Fund and supported by Halifax and Asda.

Find out more about The Big Lunch at www.thebiglunch.com

Lazarowicz calls for fair treatment for Equitable Life policyholders

Speaking in a debate at Westminster, Mark Lazarowicz MP highlighted the need for compensation to Equitable Life members to be increased and greatly speeded up to reflect the reality that many of those who lost out as a result of the maladministration are now advanced in age.

Speaking after the debate, he said: “Under the current scheme, the vast majority of Equitable Life policyholders will only receive less than a quarter – 22.4p in the £ – of what they lost after investing in what was to all appearances a safe, well-established and regulated scheme: it was anything but.

“I want to see the compensation properly reflect what all policyholders lost and be speeded up: the Government should act in the upcoming Budget.

“These were people who tried to make provision for their retirement and they should receive compensation while they can benefit from it: many who lost out have already died before receiving anything at all.

“This highlights why it’s also such a concern that the Government is so behind schedule in providing advice to people on how to make use of the new freedom to take some or all of their pension pot early.”

Even though official estimates of the losses suffered by policyholders at Equitable Life put the total figure at £4.3 billion, the Chancellor allocated only £1.5 billion in October 2010.

That has to cover the cost of administering the scheme and the £620m for full compensation to be paid to the 37,000 holders of with-profits annuities leaving the rest to be shared out amongst the remaining 945,000 policy holders.

Mark Lazarowicz’ contribution to the debate can be found here.

SNP candidate takes swipe at ‘double-jobbing’

SNP launch Edinburgh West general election campaign tomorrow

Michelle Thomson, SNP candidate in Edinburgh West, has spoken out against ‘double jobbing’, and condemns current LibDem MP Mike Crockart for backing the Tories and rejecting a ban.

The LibDem MP for Edinburgh West voted with the Tories to reject a ban on MPs carrying lucrative directorships alongside their parliamentary commitments.

“If I win this seat at Westminster, I will commit full time to the constituents of Edinburgh West rather than simultaneously act as some kind of adviser, director or business manager. I know women are great at multi-tasking but constituents deserve better than a part-time MP”, she said.

“Mr Crockart clearly has no such reservations and believes that it is perfectly viable to have a couple of jobs at once. I think voters deserve more than that.

“As a party, the SNP has made it very clear that we have no truck with Rifkind, Straw and all the others who back the idea of double jobbing. The LibDems are once again in bed with the Tories protecting the interests of the wealthy and elite.”

Following a Channel 4 programme that exposed Messrs Rifkind and Straw offering their services to a fictional Chinese company for rates of £5000-£8,000 a day, Labour moved a House of Commons motion to ban the practice. The Westminster SNP MPs voted in favour Labour’s motion, while the Tories and LibDems voted together to defeat it.

“The current position is, to my mind, ludicrous,” says Michelle Thomson. “Surely a salary of £67,060 a year plus generous expenses is enough for anyone to live on? I believe that those in elected office have an absolute duty to their constituents’ interests.

“Even apart from the row over ‘cash for access’ and the conflict of interests that can follow, I do not understand why any MP would have either the time or the need to earn additional money. If you want to earn millions, then don’t go into politics. You need to be absolutely committed to the job, not your pay packet.

“I grant that there are particular situations, such as family-run businesses for example, where elected representatives in either the Scottish or the Westminster Parliament retain a connection.

“That is a very different scenario from additional earnings such as Gordon Brown’s, currently almost a £1m a year. Is he representing the interests of his constituents in Fife?”

Comedian and broadcaster Hardeep Singh Kohli will be in Edinburgh West tomorrow morning to officially launch SNP candidate Michelle Thomson’s bid for a seat at Westminster.

Hardeep says: “Michelle is a fantastic person and so right for this task. She is completely without the pretensions you find in so many politicians. She genuinely cares and wants to bring real change.

“She has the endorsement of some very influential people like Angela Constance, Fiona Hyslop, Jim Sillars and Alex Neil. And, of course, me!

“I know she can do it. This is a great Campaign Hub and she has a fantastic team of committed folk around her. I wish her all the very best.”

Angela Constance MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning, will also join tomorrow’s launch. She said: “Michelle has a proven track record. She’s an organiser, she gets things done and she is a great presenter on TV and radio.

“She knows and understands the challenges of running a small business and is an ideal candidate for Edinburgh West. She’s a warm and engaging person who genuinely cares and is committed to the community in which she has lived for more than 20 years.”

Michelle Thomson said: “Scottish politics has changed forever since last September and now is an incredibly exciting time to be involved so directly.

“We need to make sure that we have the strongest possible team of SNP MPs to hold the Westminster Government’s ‘feet to the fire’ on the big promises made before the Referendum.

“The people of this community have been let down by elected representatives doing one thing and saying another. Whether it is on tuition fees for students, the Bedroom Tax or paying down the debt, the UK parties seem unable to present any positive polices that help the voters of Edinburgh West.

“I want to see a Scotland that is growing stronger, more prosperous and fairer. Come 7 May, people in Edinburgh West have the opportunity to vote for integrity, honesty and real change for the better.”

The launch takes place at the SNP ‘Campaign Hub’ at 183 St. John’s Road from 10am.

Final call for Compact 10 event

Voluntary sector organisation? How are things for you? Help shape the future – there are still some places available at Tuesday’s Edinburgh Compact event (see below):

Third Sector Poster

Superfast broadband? Mind the gaps!

‘The Culture Secretary hailed improvements but too many people here in Edinburgh haven’t seen them’ – Edinburgh North and Leith MP Mark Lazarowicz

Edinburgh North and Leith MP Mark Lazarowicz has called for action to tackle the households and businesses in Edinburgh bypassed by superfast broadband. He has urged any constituents affected to contact him.

Mr Lazarowicz stressed the need for concerted action from the UK and Scottish Governments, Edinburgh City Council and – not least – broadband providers during a Westminster debate yesterday.

The MP spoke out after being contacted by a stream of constituents who don’t have access despite assurances and announcements hailing new roll-outs – often reheated – from both Ministers and broadband providers.

Speaking last night, Mark Lazarowicz explained: “I am regularly contacted by constituents, whether in Central Edinburgh or new developments along the waterfront, who don’t have access to superfast broadband.

“It’s a vital part of basic infrastructure for businesses and the many people who work from home as well as for leisure as well – the failure to connect people living in or near Scotland’s capital city is damaging to our economy.

“The Culture Secretary hailed improvements but too many people here in Edinburgh haven’t seen them, with fibre optic cable sometimes passing within a few feet of new flats left unconnected.

“My aim is not to allot blame but to get action that is long overdue – I am asking any constituents affected to contact me so I can pressure government and broadband providers to come together to act.”

Mr Lazarowicz has raised access to superfast broadband with BT and also previously at Culture, Media and Sport questions in Parliament but the action promised hasn’t materialised.

He is asking people in Edinburgh North and Leith who have been unable to get access to superfast broadband to contact him at

mark.lazarowicz.mp@parliament.uk

or through his office at 5 Croall Place, EH7 4LT, Telephone: 0131 557 0577.

Service 29 at the double!

Customer demand drives bus service upgrades

Increased frequencies in the evening and at weekends plus extra capacity are just some of the changes being introduced by Lothian Buses at the end of March. Local service improvements include the 29 becoming a double decker and there will be increased frequencies for 23 and 27 on Saturdays – you’ll get one every twelve minutes.

Services have been reviewed in response to customer feedback and passenger demand, resulting in a range of improvements that aim to maintain high satisfaction rates.

Sarah Boyd, Head of Operations, said: “Our changes reflect our continued commitment to our customers at a time when more and more people are relying on public transport to travel around our city. Our research has shown that the vast majority of our passengers will benefit from these changes and will see an improved service as a result. We will continue to monitor all our services to ensure we are providing the best possible transport network for the people of Edinburgh.”

Service 5 will see its frequency increased with buses now running every 10 minutes Monday to Friday during the daytime.

Service 7 will run 24/7, with increased frequency during the day Monday to Friday and in the evening Monday to Saturday. New service N7 will be introduced running hourly each night.

Sunday services doubled in frequency with services 8 and 21 to run every 15 minutes daytime and service 47 to run every 30 minutes daytime.

Services 11 and 16 will have Sunday frequencies increased to every 12 minutes daytime and every 15 minutes in the evening. Additionally service N11 is extended to Ocean Terminal, meaning both services now run 24/7 on their full routes.

Service 15 will have a revised route and timetable to create a quicker and more direct service from Penicuik.

Services 23 & 27 will have Saturday daytime frequencies increased to every 12 minutes.

Service 29 is converted to double-deck to provide more capacity. All Monday to Friday peak journeys will operate to Gorebridge with Mayfield no longer being served.

Service 37 will see alterations in Midlothian. On Monday to Friday alternate daytime journeys will terminate at Easter Bush and will not serve Penicuik. Journeys which continue to Penicuik Deanburn will additionally serve Roslin. Roslin will now have a significantly enhanced bus service with service 37 and N37 providing a full 24/7 service. On Saturdays and Sunday service 37 will continue to run every 20 minutes during the day, with all buses running to Penicuik Deanburn via Roslin.

Service 40 has been altered to serve Auchendinny ensuring local links to Penicuik and Loanhead are retained following the withdrawal of service 15 from the village.

Service 41 will be increased at busy times to provide an alternative to service 43, which is withdrawn due to insufficient passenger numbers. Service 43 operated between Barnton and Waterloo Place, which is also covered by the service 41.

Following customer feedback service 63 will be re-routed to serve Hermiston Gait Retail Park instead of South Gyle Crescent. The Monday to Friday frequency is increased to every 40 minutes with later journeys introduced. On Saturday and Sunday earlier and later journeys will be introduced.

Following requests from passengers service 104 will now serve The Jewel instead of Brunstane.

Service 113 is increased in frequency Monday to Saturday with buses now running every 30 minutes during the day. This will provide more capacity along the route and provide more direct journeys for Tranent following the withdrawal of service 44 from the town.

Nightbus services are also improving, notably:

Service N3 – better links to Eskbank through the night on all days of the week.
Service N7 – new route introduced from the Royal Infirmary to Ocean Terminal via Newhaven. This will run hourly each night, following the daytime route of Service 7.
Service N11 – route extended from Leith Street to Ocean Terminal serving Pilrig, Bonnington Toll and Newhaven.
Service N37 – serving Roslin on all days of the week, providing the village with a full 24/7 service.

Lothian Buses will have street teams promoting the service improvements starting on Saturday 14 March at Penicuik Centre between 9am and 2pm. Following this event staff will be travelling on buses in the Midlothian and Tranent areas in the two weeks leading up to the change to assist passengers with any questions.

The company reported last May that it had its best year ever in 2013 with a net profit of £8.5m, an increase of 7.8% on the previous year. It also announced it would pay a dividend of nearly £3.3m to local authority shareholders.

In December Lothian Buses announced bus passengers were up from 115.4 million to 118.4 million in 2014.

Last year the company also invested £15m in 65 new low emission and ultra-low emission buses that will significantly impact on improving the city’s air quality and lower carbon emissions.

Full details of the schedule changes are available at www.lothianbuses.com.