Category: Granton

Strike action set for British Gas over ‘Fire and Rehire’ plan

Over 1,000 British Gas workers in Scotland will begin five days of strikes from 00.01 hours this morning (Thursday 7 January) as part of the biggest dispute seen in the sector for over forty years.

In a direct response to the ‘fire and rehire’ plan for British Gas operations laid-out by Centrica Plc Group’s Chief Executive Officer Chris O’Shea, over 10,000 GMB members across the UK four nations will take part in the action.

O’Shea has refused to accept efforts by GMB to negotiate a way forward for the business. Instead, after months of talks, workers have been told to accept the slashing of wages and conditions, or face being sacked.

All British Gas divisions and services, including Service & Repair, Electrical Services, Smart Metering, Installations, and Customer Services will be impacted.

GMB Scotland Senior Organiser for Commercial Services Hazel Nolan, blasted Centrica’s executives for their role in creating their own company crisis and exploiting workers during the COVID-19 pandemic:

“Today is CEO pay day, Chris O’Shea will take home a pre-bonus wage of £775,000, and Centrica have recorded a £901million operating profit for 2019.

“While GMB members in British Gas acted as emergency workers during the COVID19 pandemic, Chris O’Shea & the Senior Millionaires Team of British Gas were busy plotting how to slash workers terms & conditions.

“In the grip of a global pandemic, Chris O’Shea’s anti-worker, ‘fire and rehire’ agenda would set a dangerous precedent for major UK employers, opening the floodgates for widespread attacks on workers’ jobs, pay and conditions. This is not how a country builds back better.

“GMB members are being told they’ll be sacked and then forced to accept new terms and conditions – across the board cuts in wages pensions and leave. Take it or leave it. Centrica are turning a once great British industrial institution into a cowboy contractor.

“We have no choice but to fight-back.”

Centrica says contingency measures are in place.

Help is at Hand: Local Pantry opening hours update

Due to the pandemic restrictions the main North Edinburgh Arts venue will remain closed, but the NEA Pantry (in the old Co-op building on Pennywell Road) is open today from 10-2pm for new members, resuming usual hours from next Wednesday 13 January.

FRESH START PANTRY

New opening hours for Fresh Start Pantry on Ferry Road Drive

If you need help or advice, please call our North Edinburgh phoneline on 0131 356 0220 and we will help or signpost to who can!

GRANTON:HUB PANTRY

The first pantry of the New Year took place yesterday (Wednesday 6th January) from 11 – 12pm.

The pantry will continue to run on Wednesday’s on a fortnightly basis – next one will be Wednesday 20 January.

Thank you for the produce supplied by FareShareRoyal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and Edinburgh Food for Good/Refugee Community Kitchen.

For more information contact community@grantonhub.org

There’s also daily food support from Leith-based Empty Kitchens Full Hearts:

Advice and support still available at Granton Information Centre despite latest lockdown

Following the latest coronavirus guidelines announced on Monday, Granton Information Centre staff are working from home and our office on West Granton Road will remain closed for the foreseeable future – BUT PLEASE BE ASSURED THAT WE ARE STILL OPERATING!

You can contact us by email at info@gic.org.uk or by calling 0131 551 2459 or 0131 552 0458.

Any messages left on our answering machine will be dealt with as soon as possible – please ensure you clearly leave your full name and telephone number when leaving a message.

Let’s all play our part in keeping each other safe, stopping this terrible virus and getting life back to normal!

Edinburgh College New Year Plans

The College closed for the festive break on Friday 18 December and staff will return to working from home on Wednesday 6 January. During the festive break, all campuses will be closed and staff will be taking a well-deserved break.

Plans for January 2021

The Scottish Government announced that all of mainland Scotland will move into protection level 4 from Boxing Day (Saturday 26 December), initially for a three-week period. This is expected to remain in place until at least Monday 18 January 2021.

To best protect the Edinburgh College community, online classes are planned to resume during the week commencing Monday 11 January. It is important that nobody comes onto any of our campuses unless they are told to do so.

Students are encouraged to use Wednesday 6 – Friday 8 January to re-engage with our online learning platforms, access student support services, and prepare for the new term.

We will provide more information for staff and students on plans for the start of term in the new year. Please continue to check our channels for updates.

Staying safe during the festive period

It’s important that we all take extra care to mitigate the risk of transmission of COVID-19 over the festive period.

We must all follow the latest advice and guidance provided by the Scottish Government on keeping safe during this time.

Find out more information about protection level 4 rules.

Looking after our wellbeing during the festive period

We know that this time of year can be difficult for some, please remember that you can access support during the festive break.

The SilverCloud mental health and wellbeing platform is available to all staff and students and offers a wide-range of self-help programmes for people who may need support during this time. You can access it here.

Click here for a list of a list of external organisations you can contact for various levels of support during the festive period.

Staying informed

Please continue to check our College Communications channels including College emails, the MyEC app, Edinburgh College website and social media for the latest updates from the College – in case the situation changes. We may also contact you via your personal email or text message for any urgent updates.

Still time to apply for Walled Garden development officer post

Granton Castle Walled Garden Development Officer (one year)

N.B. REVISED CLOSING DATE 8/1/2021

Are you interested in working with local volunteers and community groups to help protect and develop a late medieval walled garden in North West Edinburgh?

The Friends of Granton Castle Walled Garden are looking for a Development Officer to coordinate plans for work in the garden and in the community over the coming year, a time when we will all hope to see a different world emerging.

£15 ph for an average of 24hpw on a self-employed basis.

Under the oversight of the Trustees, duties would include:

Developing our website, communications and social media with regular updates and monthly newsletters;

Reorganising our database to update our contacts, volunteers, members/friends and associates while ensuring GDPR compliance;

Fundraising for our strategic plan including future funding for administrator, gardener, green gym, Victorian greenhouse re-build, workshops and events, utilities etc.;

Coordinating volunteers, special interest groups and working parties, especially for gardening, workshops and events;

Strengthening links with educational and community groups and increase participation of local residents;Updating policies: eg H & S, Safeguarding, Volunteer Induction;

Exploring feasibility of installation of electricity and water.

Hours of work will vary due to garden seasonality, events, workshops, meetings and when volunteers are available and will include some weekend working.

Formal qualifications are not essential, but experience of communicating and networking with Council and community groups, good MS Office and fund-raising skills and expertise in social media and database development, preferably within an historic, horticultural environment, required.

Interviews will be held in January 2021 to start in March 2021.

For more information please see https://www.facebook.com/GrantonCastleGarden/

If interested, apply with CV and names and email addresses of 2 referees to:

grantongarden@gmail.com

OR

Chair, Friends of Granton Castle Walled Garden,

23 West Shore Road, Edinburgh, EH5 1QB.

CLOSING DATE: Friday, 8th January

Revised closing date for Development Officer post

Granton Castle Walled Garden Development Officer (one year)

N.B. REVISED CLOSING DATE 8/1/2021

Are you interested in working with local volunteers and community groups to help protect and develop a late medieval walled garden in North West Edinburgh?

The Friends of Granton Castle Walled Garden are looking for a Development Officer to coordinate plans for work in the garden and in the community over the coming year, a time when we will all hope to see a different world emerging.

£15 ph for an average of 24hpw on a self-employed basis.

Under the oversight of the Trustees, duties would include:

Developing our website, communications and social media with regular updates and monthly newsletters;

Reorganising our database to update our contacts, volunteers, members/friends and associates while ensuring GDPR compliance;

Fundraising for our strategic plan including future funding for administrator, gardener, green gym, Victorian greenhouse re-build, workshops and events, utilities etc.;

Coordinating volunteers, special interest groups and working parties, especially for gardening, workshops and events;

Strengthening links with educational and community groups and increase participation of local residents;Updating policies: eg H & S, Safeguarding, Volunteer Induction;

Exploring feasibility of installation of electricity and water.

Hours of work will vary due to garden seasonality, events, workshops, meetings and when volunteers are available and will include some weekend working.

Formal qualifications are not essential, but experience of communicating and networking with Council and community groups, good MS Office and fund-raising skills and expertise in social media and database development, preferably within an historic, horticultural environment, required.

Interviews will be held in January 2021 to start in March 2021.

For more information please see https://www.facebook.com/GrantonCastleGarden/

If interested, apply with CV and names and email addresses of 2 referees to:

grantongarden@gmail.com

OR

Chair, Friends of Granton Castle Walled Garden,

23 West Shore Road, Edinburgh, EH5 1QB.

REVISED CLOSING DATE: Friday, 8th January 2021

Have your say on North Edinburgh’s active travel connections

Residents in north Edinburgh are being invited to help shape a key project to improve connections and public spaces in their local community.

The city council is asking people from across Muirhouse, Pilton, Granton and Drylaw to contribute to the future of Pennywell Road and its links to existing paths at Crewe Toll, Gypsy Brae, Silverknowes and West Granton Access Road.

Through the North Edinburgh Active Travel (NEAT) Connections scheme we’re proposing changes to Pennywell Road and the surrounding area. These include increasing space available for walking, cycling and wheeling, making it easier to access local shops and community spaces without the use of a car and working with members of the community to improve public areas and green spaces.

We’re seeking feedback from residents via a dedicated Commonplace map, a tool recently used as part of Spaces for People engagement, which attracted more than 4000 comments.

This will help to identify existing problem areas and opportunities for new crossings, green spaces or where other improvements could be made.

Transport and Environment Convener Councillor Lesley Macinnes said: This project will create a much more welcoming, relaxed environment for those travelling on foot, bike or wheelchair.

“We’ve already seen how temporary Spaces for People initiatives across the city have encouraged people to walk, wheel or cycle and we want to see this happen long-term, with the associated benefits to health and the environment.

“Of course, we want any changes to work for all the people who live and spend time in this area, which is why we want to hear what they think and where improvements can be made. By sharing their thoughts and ideas they can help shape the final design, which will make travel to nearby schools, shops and local areas much easier and safer for pedestrians and cyclists.

Interim Head of Infrastructure Delivery for Sustrans Scotland, Chiquita Elvin, said: “Despite being close to existing walking, cycling and wheeling routes, such as the North Edinburgh Path Network, it can be challenging to access them for Muirhouse and Pilton due to the volume of traffic and the focus on roads in the original design of the area.

“We want the local community to tell us how we can make walking, cycling and wheeling easier for them, be that with new path connections, wider pavements, dedicated space for cycling or new crossings. These changes have the potential to transform how people get around North Edinburgh and every opinion matters.”

As well as benefiting local residents, changes could make it easier for travel to Craigroyston Community High School, Craigroyston Primary, Oaklands Primary, Forthview Primary and the new civic centre being developed at the former Muirhouse Shopping Centre.

In addition to the Commonplace website locals can leave their feedback on maps displayed in the North Edinburgh Arts centre café. 

NEAT Connections has been funded through Sustrans’ Scotland’s Places for Everyone programme, with support from Transport Scotland.

Separate temporary measures to make cycling safer and easier on Pennywell Road, Muirhouse Parkway and Ferry Road are currently in place and have been implemented through the Spaces for People programme.

Motion of support for Wardie Bay swimmers

We are deeply grateful and delighted to announce that Councillor Ellie Bird has proposed a motion in support of our #WardieBay4BathingWater campaign, which will be delivered to Full Council today.

The meeting will be webcast live from 10am. We are item 9.2 so will likely be a little later. You can watch at https://edinburgh.public-i.tv/core/portal/home

Please continue to share and support our petition for water quality monitoring at Wardie Beach. #coastalcommunities #marinepollution #sewage #wildswimming

KAREN BATES

Wardie Bay Beachwatch

Work opportunity with Friends of Granton Castle Walled Garden

Granton Castle Walled Garden

Development Officer (one year)

Are you interested in working with local volunteers and community groups to help protect and develop a late medieval walled garden in North West Edinburgh?

The Friends of Granton Castle Walled Garden are looking for a Development Officer to coordinate plans for work in the garden and in the community over the coming year, a time when we will all hope to see a different world emerging. 

£15 ph for an average of 24hpw on a self-employed basis.

Under the oversight of the Trustees, duties would include:

Developing our website, communications and social media with regular updates and monthly newsletters;

Reorganising our database to update our contacts, volunteers, members/friends and associates while ensuring GDPR compliance;

Fundraising for our strategic plan including future funding for administrator, gardener, green gym, Victorian greenhouse re-build, workshops and events, utilities etc.;

Coordinating volunteers, special interest groups and working parties, especially for gardening, workshops and events;

Strengthening links with educational and community groups and increase participation of local residents;

Updating policies: eg H & S, Safeguarding, Volunteer Induction;

Exploring feasibility of installation of electricity and water.

Hours of work will vary due to garden seasonality, events, workshops, meetings and when volunteers are available and will include some weekend working.

Formal qualifications are not essential, but experience of communicating and networking with Council and community groups, good MS Office and fund-raising skills and expertise in social media and database development, preferably within an historic, horticultural environment, required.

Interviews will be held in January 2021 to start in March 2021. For more information please look at https://www.facebook.com/GrantonCastleGarden/

If interested, apply with CV and names and email addresses of 2 referees to:grantongarden@gmail.com, OR

Chair,

Friends of Granton Castle Walled Garden,

23 West Shore Road, Edinburgh EH5 1QB,

by noon on Friday, 18th December 2020.

Sharing the Christmas sparkle across the Capital

Christmas 2020 will see more festive lights than ever across the Capital following a one-off funding boost that aims to spread some cheer at the end of a challenging year.

Thanks to savings identified in the Culture budget due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on festivals and events there will now be Christmas lights in every ward of the city, with the new provision being used to dress living trees. 

The traditional Christmas centrepiece is already illuminated following the switch-on of the 2020 Christmas Rainbow on the Mound to accompany the traditional Norwegian tree on Friday (27 November). The 18m wide rainbow pays tribute to frontline workers who have given so much during the pandemic. The programme of citywide installation has begun.

Culture and Communities Convener, Cllr Donald Wilson, said: “This has been a very tough year for all of us and as we now look ahead to a very different Christmas, it’s important to show that Edinburgh’s festive and community spirit is alive and well despite the challenges we’re facing.

“Along with our usual provision of Christmas lights and trees around the city we’re also making sure that we spread the Christmas sparkle where we can to parts of Edinburgh that have not previously had festive lighting provision and to make sure that is the case for several years. I’m delighted to confirm that from 2020 there will be lights in every ward of the city.

“With this one-off spend we’ll be ensuring all 17 wards have festive lights for around five years – the life span of the new lighting.”

Culture and Communities Vice Convener, Cllr Amy McNeese-Mechan, said: “To keep everyone safe we unfortunately weren’t able to have our usual community light switch-on ceremonies this year, but I hope this extra splash of festive sparkle across the city will boost spirits and can be enjoyed by residents safely.

“Our thanks to the team who had to work so quickly and explored ways to add lights to previously unlit areas. The task of plotting the best spots is not as easy as it sounds and I want to congratulate the team for researching the city and making sure we could find living trees that are suitable for lights. They had to be on Council land, big enough to accommodate lights without harming branches, in a visible spot or in area of high footfall and near a suitable power supply.

“The installation of the festive lights has started across our communities and I hope citizens enjoy the extra Christmas cheer they’ll bring to local neighbourhoods.”

New Christmas lights for 2020:

Rainbow on The Mound
Nativity Scene (East Princes Street Gardens)
Granton
Gracemount
Longstone
Currie
Balerno
Liberton
Sighthill
Oxgangs
Kirk Brae
Craigentinny
Portobello High School
Leith Walk
Duddingston
Meadowbank
Canongate
Leith – Bernard St Bridge
Meggetland Bridge