Forth – Page 17 – The NEN – North Edinburgh News

Tierney Award for Susan – Leader of the Pack!

Susan Jeffrey received Drylaw’s Thomas Tierney Award for Good Citizenship at a packed Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre last night. Susan was joined by friends, family and colleagues at a reception organised to mark the annual award that celebrates our unsung local heroes (writes Dave Pickering).

Susan was the unanimous choice of Drylaw Telford community members for her incredible contribution as a volunteer with the Brownies at Drylaw Parish Church – Susan has been with the pack on a Monday evening for thirty years!

Presenting the award, Councillor Lesley Hinds said: “It’s really nice to see such a big crowd here tonight and it’s particularly good that Mrs Tierney has joined us once again.

“The community council received four every strong nominations this year ans it says a lot that Susan was the unanimous choice of the community council for her thirty years service with the local Brownie Pack, but also in recognition of her work as a fundraiser with Drylaw Church, where she chaired the fundraising committee.

“Presenting the award gives me particular satisfaction this year as I am an ambassador for the local Girl Guiding movement and I know just what a difference people like Susan can make to young people’s lives. I wonder just how many girls and young women have been influenced in a positive way over those thirty years? Susan has been described as a ‘warm, caring person’ and while she may be quiet and reserved she has made a great contribution to community life here in Drylaw.”

Susan said: “I would like to thank everyone – my friends and family – who have helped and supported me. I don’t know if I will manage another thirty years but we will see how things go!”

Speaking after the presentation Guide Leader Elizabeth Martin, ex-Commissioner of Raeburn Division (which covers Pennywell District, of which Drylaw is part) said: “It was an honour for me to present Susan with her 30 year knot at 170th ‘B’ Brownies in January, my final role as Division Commissioner for Girlguiding Raeburn.

“Susan has seen many girls go through Brownies and some have even become leaders within Girlguiding and Scouting. She always encourages the girls to do their best along with encouraging the volunteers she has had over the years to take a full part in the unit. Susan runs a very full programme of activities for the girls and plans the unit meetings with her other leaders. Congratulations, Susan on your Award.”

If you’d like more information about Girlguiding – perhaps your daughter is interested in joining or you’d like to find out about volunteering with the organisation, visit www.girlguiding.org.uk

Susan is the fifteenth recipient of the annual award – and the women have forged into a clear lead! The tally now stands at 9-6 in the girl’s favour, so come on Drylaw boys – get out and support your community!

Thomas Tierney Award for Good Citizenship Award Winners:

2000 Harry MacDonald

2001 David Pickering

2002 Anna Aitken

2003 Alexander Sandilands

2004 Emma Robertson

2005 Florence Atkinson

2006 Evelyn Crawford

2007 Jackie Brown

2008 Eileen Outterson

2009 Margaret Robinson

2010 Henry MacDonald

2011 Ian Moore

2012 Alex Dale

2013 Mhairi Curren

2014 Susan Jeffrey

More pictures from last night’s event:

Dave Pickering

Edinburgh Police Choir on lookout for new members

The Edinburgh Police Choir is looking to recruit new tenors to its ranks. We are arguably the most exciting and innovative contemporary choir in Scotland, made up of police officers, support staff and members of the local community.

The choir started in 2008, and has performed at some cracking venues, including the Festival Theatre, Usher Hall, the SECC, Scottish Parliament and as far afield as New York. More recently the choir finished in 6th place at the 2014 BBC Choir of the Year adult category, and in 2nd place at the Manchester Amateur Choral Competition last month, although most of our performances raise money for charity.

If you can hold a tune, don’t mind working hard and would like to perform great material in some fabulous venues, then get in touch to arrange to meet the choir. We rehearse in north-west Edinburgh on Sunday evenings.

email us at edinburghpolicechoir@gmail.com

check out our website at www.edinburghpolicechoir.com

or ring 07971920435

Soapbox: Fixing North Edinburgh

Muirhouse man and award-winning film maker Garry Fraser gives his take on his community’s current problems …

It’s kinda ironic that the police put out their chopper every night and day, costing some were like £400 grand per month. The aim of this chopper is to catch the young team in their stolen cars and bikes. A’m sure the figures are out but North Edinburgh has the highest crime rate in Scotland. They have evicted folk, jailed folk, issued community sentence orders and then cut off another generation to jail as they are too old.

None of their policies work, which leaves the System scratching its head wondering ‘what are we doing wrong?’ You have a massive college in North Edinburgh where folk from around the world come to study – but only two streets away it’s another world. They shipped everybody out of Muirhouse when knocking down the Pennywell flats. Over the years they took away most forms of economic growth: i.e. the pipes and the gas works even Granton’s fishing boats.

Every local MP & MSP & councillor get in to their comfy seats and forget about this and do nothing, apart from sit over an HIV & smack epidemic that of course lasted through the 80’s & 90’s – now comes weed & legal highs.

Its like south central Edinburgh.. How many police stay in the area were they enforce the morals? How many of those wee guys, if trained in whatever, would probably take a job or go and study but only if they were helped and supported through the college system. Every brickie or trades guy who makes it from Muirhouse, Pilton, Royston or Drylaw ends up being one of the best on the site – that’s a fact …

Most folk down there who get a real chance and opportunity in work or education grab it with both hands as they know what the alternative is … that’s robbing, stealing, dealing and living within the chains of masculinity. That is now, because there are no real opportunities.

Ye need to empower a community and let them come up wi’ their own solutions. You need to invest in education to reduce the gap in equality.

You need to have a rehab or treatment centre bang in the community to get three generations of methadone and other daft prescription drugs clean: ye can’t sell green to addicts through drugs policies then jail folk for selling weed to pay for food, power and for some their own smoke.

Ye can’t put shops with pubs chippy’s and bookies then wonder why folk get addicted to putting bets on! Fatty foods, drink then say ‘Oh, why are they dying of preventable illnesses well before their time?’

When I went to college they say I saved them £1.6 million over three years in the social return on investment – imagine what these wee guys now are costing?

See whoever gets elected for the North Edinburgh do you think they will do anything about these injustices while they say they wish to cut austerity?

I taught maself to read, taught maself to write, love ma people and these rich folk take take take & give nothing back apart from academic reports done by their pals.

The system is rigged …

Free local playgroups with Dads Rock

More homes available at Varcity North

The penultimate campus at Miller Homes’ Varcity North development is now taking reservations for completions in December 2015.

Released now, the Stafford Campus is sixth block redeveloped within the former development and offers one, two and three bedroom apartments over five floors, with prices from £118,000 to £176,000.

Ten apartments have already been reserved, reflecting the highly desirable location, coupled with the extensive open plan living on and value for money on offer at Varcity North.

Anne Marie Britton, Scotland Area Sales and Marketing Director at Miller Homes, said: “Varcity North is a fantastic development, which has proven to be extremely popular location, with a range of buyers including investors for the buy-to-let market and young couples settling into their first home.

“Attractively priced, the open plan living is ideally suited to the market and does not compromise on space throughout the apartments. The apartments released now are already being snapped up for entry later in the year, so early viewing is a must.”

Situated near Crew Toll and with excellent transport links Varcity North combines stylish city living with spacious, practical and affordable homes.

For more information, go to www.millerhomes.co.uk or call 0808 250 6468.

Grown-up debate: meeting to discuss cuts to adult education classes

Campaigners have organised a public meeting to oppose cuts to adult education classes at Craigoyston Community High School. Adult education has always been a key element of life at the local high school – indeed, it’s seen by many as the ‘community’ in ‘community high school’ – but budget cuts now see adult education classes under threat (writes Dave Pickering).

The meeting takes place at the school on Tuesday at 3.30pm.

An online petition at www.change.org has already attracted almost 200 signatures and campaigners now hope to broaden that support.

The change.org petition reads:

‘Day Time Adult Education classes are under threat across the City of Edinburgh. We at Craigroyston Community High School are campaigning to save our day time classes.

There has been a change in the way money raised through lets and classes is allocated. Rather than the money going to the school it will now go directly to The City of Edinburgh Council.

This undermines the incentive for schools to run Adult Day Time classes and this will have a profound impact on Adult Learners.

Please support our Campaign to save Adult Education Day Time classes not only at Craigroyston Community High School but city wide as well.’

Vanessa Cousins, who initiated the local campaign, said: “Thank you everyone for signing up to our campaign – the response has been really encouraging. I am also setting up a Facebook page called Adult Learners Unite and I hope that this and our public meeting at the school will highlight our concerns even more. It’s important that we get the message about as widely as possible – we are short of time as changes could be taking effect as soon as April.”

Dave Pickering

Perfect weather conditions to view solar eclipse

Bright, sunny … and no cloud! Conditions are perfect to experience this morning’s solar eclipse, one of the natural world’s most stunning phenomenon.

At around 9:35 Edinburgh will briefly be plunged into a eerie darkness as the the Moon covers up the Sun. The whole process will start at around 8:30 as the moon slides in front of the sun and will end at 10:44 when the sun’s full brightness is restored.

It’s an event the ancients believed signalled the end of the world but I am confident we will return to post later today …

However, be careful when trying to view the eclipse:

WARNING. NEVER LOOK DIRECTLY AT THE SUN WITH THE NAKED EYE, OR WITH CAMERAS, TELESCOPES, GLASSES OR DEVICES OF ANY KIND UNLESS SPECIFICALLY STATED THAT IT IS SAFE TO DO SO.

LOOKING AT THE SUN WITHOUT PROPER PRECAUTIONS CAN CAUSE SERIOUS EYE DAMAGE.

March 20, 2015 — Total Solar Eclipse

Spartans benefits from old school ties!

Local businessman Daren Henderson went back to his roots when he presented a £1000 cheque to Spartans Community Football Academy last month. Daren, who owns the Edinburgh Driveway Company, is a Muirhouse laddie, and he handed the cheque over to his old Muirhouse Primary pal – and now Spartans Community youth work manager -Kenny Cameron: the pair were P1s together! (writes Dave Pickering)

Daren explained: “When I watched the Spartand video NEN posted on YouTube (see below) I couldn’t help but listen to the youngsters and think: that was me! I was that young boy with nothing to do but hang around the street corners of Muirhouse and Drylaw.”

Daren immediately decided to support the Spartans Community Football Academy, which provides opportunities for local young people that weren’t so readily available when he and Kenny were growing up.

“The Spartans Community Football Academy is very close to my heart and it was a pleasure to hand over a cheque – this money goes straight into the coffers of the academy and helps take local kids of the streets of North Edinburgh and into much more meaningful activities”, he said. “As an extra, The Edinburgh Driveway Company will be funding go-karting and combat activities as part of Spartans summer programme AND one lucky kid gets to come and work with us for a whole week as part of his/hers work experience to give them that much needed experience of working life.”

Daren’s generosity won’t end here. “This relationship is ongoing and I will continue to support this fantastic organisation – the work they do throughout the whole north Edinburgh community is absolutely second to none.”

Kenny Cameron said: “It was great to see Daren and his support is really appreciated by everyone here at the Academy.”

For more informaton on the Edinburgh Driveway Company visit their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/theedinburghdrivewaycompany

Dave Pickering

General election: North & Leith hustings tonight

It’s now less than fifty days until the general election – it’s seven weeks today – and tonight you have an opportunity to hear the candidates for the North & Leith constituency.

The hustings is being held at Royston Wardieburn Community Centre and the debate kicks off at 6.30pm. The event has been organised by Pilton Community Health Project and will be chaired by Harry Woodward.

Why not go along to hear what the politicians have to say – and get your questions answered?

PCHP_ELECTION_A4_LR

Lallie Wilson exhibition at North Edinburgh Arts

Lallie Wilson: Exhibition Opening Invite
Friday 20th March
North Edinburgh Arts
6 – 7.30pm

North Edinburgh Arts is pleased to present the first major painting exhibition by the artist Lallie Wilson. Based in Musselburgh, Lallie has a body of mixed media artworks and colourful paintings. The exhibition portrays Lallie’s life story; from a young girl in wartime Britain, to a woman still painting many years later.

Daily opening times of exhibition:

Monday 10am – 5pm
Tuesday – Thursday 10am – 7pm (except Thursdays 1-5pm)

The exhibition will run until 27 April.

North Edinburgh Arts are always on the look out for groups and artists who would like to exhibit their work. Find out more on our exhibition page here.