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?
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.
Friends of Granton Castle Walled Garden are staging an exhibition at North Edinburgh Arts to publicise their efforts to retain the historic green space from development.
Friends group member Kirsty Sutherland said: “North Edinburgh Arts centre staff really pulled out all the stops and helped us put up an exhibition on the walled garden’s story. Thank you Caroline for all your patience and perseverance, it looks fab! Thank you to Friends Group members for pitching in.
“We used some of the old and new images of the garden, maps, photos, a few flowers, some captions and a timeline: go see!
“We are hoping this will help raise awareness locally and let more folk join the group, add their ideas and strength to the campaign to safeguard the garden first, and then to help restore it for community use.
“Membership forms have been put out too – and there are lovely new flower power boxes to deposit filled out forms. We decided to make membership of the group free for the first year so no cash please!”
Council apologises and agrees to ‘up the brightness’
The city council is to improve the brightness of street lighting following complaints from residents. New LED lights have been installed across the city over recent weeks but hundred of people have expressed concern over the quality of the new street lights. Now, following a review, the lights will be turned up next month.
Councillor Lesley Hinds, Transport and Environment Convener, said: “We’ve been closely monitoring lighting levels in streets where we’ve had a number of complaints about the new LED lights not being bright enough. I held a meeting with the Vice Convener and officers to decide on a course of action and I’m pleased to confirm that after monitoring the situation and taking complaints into account, we’ll be upping the brightness in streets where this appears most needed. This adjustment work will start in April once all the new lighting in this first phase of the rollout has been installed.
“LED street lights are much better for the environment and as they are longer-lasting than sodium street lights and with energy costs predicted to double over the next decade, they could potentially save the city millions of pounds in energy costs. While they are also recommended by police as being safer and better than the old kind of street lights, clearly the brightness has to be set at a level which reassures residents that they can feel safe at night in their street.
“In response to the feedback from the first phase, the rest of the lights due to be installed in various parts of Edinburgh before the end of March will be set at this same increased brightness level. Residents will also receive letters advising them about the new lighting and the reasons behind its installation. I’m aware that there was inadequate communication with residents whose streets were first to get the new street lights and I apologise for this on behalf of the Council.”
One Parent Families Scotland are planning cookery classes for single mums and dads and the kids at Craigroyston Community High School.
The classes will run on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays (10am-12.30pm) from 7 – 16 April.
If you would like to improve your cooking skills while learning how to cook nutritious meals on a budget, contact Tom Carroll on 07814 078139 or email: tom.carroll@opfs.org.uk
Edinburgh College community garden provides opportunities to adults with complex learning needs
Adults with complex learning needs are using one of Edinburgh College’s community gardens to develop their green fingers as well as social and education skills.
The students, who are all users of the adult day services at Fisherrow Community Centre’s Fisherrow Hub in Musselburgh, have been visiting the community garden at the college’s Milton Road Campus since May 2014. After spending the summer helping out weekly at the garden they registered for the Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society’s (RCHS) Recognition of Individual Achievement in Horticulture Award (Caley Award), and are now working towards achieving this.
The award recognises the achievement and learning experience of individuals with complex learning needs in a garden environment. It encompasses a mix of seven core horticultural activities including cultivation, composting, plant-care and harvesting.
It is hoped that students who achieve the Caley Award will go on to a second level of the scheme, which is currently under development by RCHS.
The nine students have been split into two groups, and visit once a week for a few hours. Each group has their own growing space in the garden where they grow vegetables that they can take either back to Fisherrow to use in a cooking activity or home to share with their household.
The award also includes a personal learning plan, where students identify self-improvement goals such as improved timekeeping, teamwork or learning a social skill. Individuals progress at their own pace, encouraged and inspired by the achievement of others. Achievement is assessed through compiling a portfolio and recording of evidence, which are formally verified by the RCHS.
The Milton Road Community Garden was established in September 2012 to transform an area of previously unused land into a green space for staff, students and the local community to grow plants, vegetables and fruit. The project has been so successful that Edinburgh College now has a second community garden at the Sighthill Campus.
Colin Jeffrey, Fisherrow Hub manager, said: “The community garden at Edinburgh College has provided people who use the service at Fisherrow in Musselburgh an invaluable opportunity to undertake practical gardening tasks, which they are now learning and developing in order to undertake the Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society Award, or Caley Award.
“This is a fantastic new opportunity for the involved individuals, which is developing their practical skills in horticulture as well as supporting skills development in other areas, geared towards individuals’ specific personal goals, included as part of the award.
“At Fisherrow, we are continuing to work with Edinburgh College, to further develop joint working initiatives and new opportunities for people accessing services from our resource and to work together on a partnership agreement, to establish this working relationship and continue to support our ethos of promoting meaningful, structured activities for the service users at Fisherrow in new, exciting and inclusive ways with other organisations.”
Severine Monvoisin, community garden coordinator at the college, said: “The Caley Award is about recognising achievement. Far more importantly, it also gives individuals with complex learning needs opportunities for learning new skills and achieving in an inclusive environment. The gardening activities and knowledge are a medium to progress in their life by increasing the social interaction with others, learning to express their feelings, developing a better understanding about the environment, increasing confidence and self-esteem, learning to work together, increasing their abilities.
“For all the garden’s participants, coming to the garden is strongly linked to improved emotional health: they learn and exchange views about the importance of healthy eating and healthy lifestyle, are active in an outdoor environment, build social contact in a safe and relaxed environment and, importantly, become part of a community.”
Hello all,
The North Edinburgh Physical Activity Forum (NEPAF) is nearly two years old already! PCHP has been leading NEPAF since it began in June 2013 and we are really keen to evaluate its usefulness.
It would be very helpful if you could take 10 minutes to answer the following questions and get them back to me by Wednesday 18 March. We will bring the responses together to discuss at the next NEPAF meeting in April.
1. Is NEPAF helpful, and if so how?
2. What has the impact of the forum been for you and/or your group/organisation?
3. Who have made connections with?
4. Have you done anything differently?
5. Have you started any new pieces of work as a result?
6. Do you have more information, access to more resources?
7. How often would you like to attend?
8. When is the best times/days for you to attend?
9. Do you think NEPAF should (Please tick as appropriate)
– Respond to consultations from local or national government
– Hold networking meetings
– Have meetings with speakers
– Influence decision makers (have a collective voice locally and nationally)
– Plan and deliver events together
Thank you very much for your time – we look forward to seeing you at the next meeting,
Lianne Pipskyj
Development Worker – Physical Activity, Pilton Community Health Project
Telephone: 0131 551 1671
North West Carers are moving home next week. The local organisation won’t be moving too far, however – the Carers are ‘flitting’ from Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre down to the Prentice Centre in Granton Mains.
Manager Angela Dias said: “We are moving to new premises on Wednesday (18 March). Our new address is: The Prentice Centre, 1 Granton Mains Avenue,
EH4 4GA. Our email addresses and website address will remain the same as now, as will our telephone number.
“We would expect communications to be working as normal, however please bear with us if there are complications with our telephone and email systems within the first few days. We will put a mobile number on our website on Wednesday which will provide a default communication system in the unlikely case of any unforeseen difficulties.”
www.nwcarers.org.uk
angela@nwcarers.org.uk
North Edinburgh Credit Union AGM TONIGHT!
North Edinburgh Credit Union’s annual general meeting will be held
on Thursday 12 March at 6.30pm
at NECU Office, 63 Wardieburn Drive
The Credit Union has been around since June 1986 and is getting a bit ‘tired’ – especially the current volunteers! If you want your Credit Union to continue we need volunteers who are younger and have fresh ideas to take the Credit Union forward.
We have at last updated our Rule Book and extended our Common Bond to taek in Live and/or Work in the designated map area, which has also been extended to Silverknowes, Craigleith, part of Comely Bank, Fettes, Ferry Road to Newhaven Road and down to Newhaven harbour.
The current committee has been talking to a new group called Water of Leith Credit Union (Community Bank) who have lots of new ideas (including technology) which would help take this Credit Union forward. Some of their committee will attend our AGM to give a short presentation and answer questions.
Why not join us to hear their views?
North Edinburgh Credit Union
Police Scotland have reported more progress in the fight against crime on Edinburgh’s streets
Police in Edinburgh investigating a firearms discharge in West Pilton have charged three men as part of wider disruption activity linked to the enquiry.
Officers responded to calls to West Pilton March in the early hours of Tuesday 3 March after gunshots were fired at the front door of a house.
Through information gathered from the local community during the subsequent investigation police identified three men aged 20, 23 and 25 in connection with a number of other crimes, including housebreaking, robbery and bail offences which had occurred across the city.
The three have since appeared in court and are all remanded in custody. Enquires are continuing into the firearms discharge and anyone who can assist police with their ongoing investigation is asked to come forward.
Detective Chief Inspector Stuart Houston said: “The local community in West Pilton have been extremely helpful during our enquiries into the firearms discharge and as a result of this investigation, three men have subsequently been charged.
“I would like to thank the public for all of their assistance so far and would again request that anyone who can help us trace those responsible for the firearms discharge to contact police immediately.
“In addition, anyone wishing to report any further criminal activity can also get in touch by contacting 101 or making an anonymous call to the charity Crimestoppers on 08000 555 111.”
In a separate development, enquiries into a Portobello armed robbery have led to arrests for crimes committed in Craigcrook Road.
A 21 year old man old appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Tuesday facing charges in connection with an armed robbery at a Ladbrokes betting shop in Portobello on Monday 2 March.
Enquiries in relation to this robbery led to the subsequent arrest of a man and woman in connection with an attempted robbery in Liberton Gardens and a housebreaking and vehicle theft in Craigcrook Road.
Both offences took place on Monday (9 March) and the pair aged 20 and 21 appeared in court yesterday.
In addition, a 25-year-old man has been charged following a robbery in Magdalene Gardens on Sunday 8 March. The male has also been charged with a firearms offence following a disturbance in Lochend Drive the same evening.
Detective Inspector Alan O’Brien said: “As a result of vital intelligence from the public, alongside extensive investigation from police in Edinburgh a number of individuals are now in custody in connection with various incidents, which took place in the Capital over the past week.
“We are continuing with our enquiries to identify others believed to be involved in the Portobello robbery and would again request that anyone with information that can assist with this investigation comes forward.
“Police Scotland is committed to tackling violent crime and offences where weapons are used. Whenever we receive reports of this nature we will conduct a thorough investigation to identify those responsible and bring them to justice.”
Those with information can contact Police Scotland on 101 or alternatively, the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
