Category: Leith

Police appeal following Leith purse theft

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Police are appealing for information after an elderly woman had her purse stolen in Leith. The incident took place between 12.30pm and 1pm on Thursday (20 October) in Portland Street.

The woman, who is in her eighties, answered the door to a man who forced his way into the house. He then stole her purse from within the living room, which contained a three-figure sum of money, and left. The purse was later found in Blackie Road by four children, all under the age of ten, who handed this into Leith Police Station.

The suspect is described as white, 5ft 4ins tall, of slim build, 25-30 years old, with dirty brown hair, unshaven and wearing a navy zip-up top.

Detective Constable Chris Harding of Gayfield CID said: “We’re conducting a number of enquiries in an effort to trace the perpetrator and are appealing for the public’s help as part of this. Although the victim was uninjured, she was understandably very shaken and I’d urge anyone with information which can help to come forward.

“Anyone who recognises the description of the suspect, or who may have seen him in the Portland Street or Blackie Road area, is asked to get in touch. I also want to take this opportunity to extend my sincere thanks to the children who found the purse and made the effort to hand this back in.”

If you have any information contact Police Scotland on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Leith Links set for community council election – but local CCs fail to attract enough members

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An election is to be held for membership of Leith Links Community Council due to the volume of nominations submitted, but it’s a different story for two local community councils: both Drylaw Telford and Muirhouse Salvesen CCs failed to attract sufficient nominations to reform.

The nomination process closed on 26 September and membership has now been confirmed for the city’s other community councils.

Continue reading Leith Links set for community council election – but local CCs fail to attract enough members

Britannia back on the open waves? Don’t be daft, says Deidre

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Deidre Brock MP has dismissed Tory calls to bring the Royal Yacht Britannia back as a working ship as ‘daft’. Speaking ahead of this afternoon’s parliamentary debate on the issue, Ms Brock said: “The Royal Yacht Britannia is a beautifully kept museum piece. The plan to bring it back as a working ship is just daft.

“The ship is a floating curiosity from a bygone era and it is staying put in Leith – not just because one of the propellers has been melted down into a statue of a Royal Yachtsman.

“By remaining at the Ocean Terminal, Britannia can actually give something back to society, bringing in money to help regenerate a poorer area, rather than leeching further from the public purse.

“Given the austerity being inflicted upon us, surely even the Tories would flinch at the idea of recommissioning a Royal Yacht?

“As benefit sanctions leave the most disadvantaged people to go hungry, as the working poor join claimants in the foodbank queues, how can anyone justify recommissioning a Royal Yacht? Which budget do they want to cut for that?

“Flashboat democracy has no place in the modern world – which has changed utterly from the day in 1997 that Britannia was decommissioned, never mind the world in which it was commissioned in the first place. If Tories want to see economic revival then they must act to ease austerity and properly invest in our people, our infrastructure and our public services, not throw money at baubles from a bygone era.”

Today’s Westminster debate ‘Reintroduction of the Royal Yacht Britannia for the purpose of international trade’ was called by Conservative MP Jake Berry. The case for reintroduction of the vessel has support of a many Conservatives including Michael Gove MP.

Easing the burden: funding extension for ‘crucial’ advice services

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Successful projects that have helped people cope with issues such as debt, mortgage worries and benefit problems will continue thanks to £6 million of funding. Among those succesful projects is Granton Information Centre, who increased one client’s household income by a staggering £15,000. Continue reading Easing the burden: funding extension for ‘crucial’ advice services

Don’t miss COLLECTOR exhibition

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Arcadeum’s Collector exhibition opened on Saturday afternoon at Whitespace Gallery on East Crosscauseway – and the exhibition has already attracted over one hundred visitors!

The fascinating exhibition features the personal collections of twenty residents and local workers from North Edinburgh and includes collections of model buses, spoons, toysoldiers, John Wayne memorabilia and  more …

The exhibition runs until Thursday and is open daily from 11am – 6pm – and it’s free. Don’t miss it!

More info at Facebook – Arcadeum Collectors Project and www.arcadeum.org/projects

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£eith Decides – again!

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From this weekend, people in the wider Leith area will be asked to decide how more than £44,000 of City of Edinburgh Council funding should be spent on projects that benefit their local community – and for the first time voters will be able to cast their vote online from Saturday 8 October until Saturday 22 October 2016. Continue reading £eith Decides – again!

Cash boost from Community Choices fund

Community cash for participatory budgeting initiatives

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Communities across Scotland are to benefit from £1.5 million funding which will give people more power to make decisions directly on spending in their local areas.

The Community Choices Fund is targeted at work in deprived areas, and for the first time community groups as well as public authorities, including local authorities, were able to apply for funding to organise their own Community Choices budgeting events.

The fund received well over 100 applications with 16 successful community projects and 12 public authorities spanning the breadth of Scotland. A full list of successful applicants is provided below.

The projects include:

  • The Joint Community Councils of Moray, £46,500 to use the Community Choices process to help tackle social isolation
  • Aberdeen City Council, £100,000 to target the 8 most deprived areas in the city to help reduce community isolation
  • Edinburgh City Council, £81,895 to support events on health and hate crime
  • North Carrick Community Benefit Company, £95,868 to recruit 8 community participation champions from underrepresented communities
  • Burnfoot Community Futures Housing, Hawick £39,000 to address social and community needs.

Leith Links Community Council was among the community projects to receive funding. The community council was awarded £20,869 to support their ‘CommUNITY links: Brightening Local Lives’ initiative.

Local Government and Housing Minister Kevin Stewart said: “It’s the commitment of this government to give communities more control to shape their futures. I am delighted to see communities applying for Community Choices funding and to read about the innovative and creative ways communities are working to address the issues that are important to the people in their community. It is also pleasing to see that we have engagement with Community Choices right across the country from Shetland to the Scottish Borders.

“The Community Choices Fund offers an opportunity for decisions to be made by people in their local communities who are best placed to know what their community needs.”

The Community Choices Fund builds on the Scottish Government investment in participatory budgeting over the last two years. More information about participatory budgeting is available at: http://pbscotland.scot

 

Government action to address fuel poverty

Over £9 million to improve energy efficiency

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Homes and businesses across 11 local authority areas will be warmer and cheaper to heat thanks to over £9 million of Scottish Government funding. Edinburgh will receive over £1 million.

Continue reading Government action to address fuel poverty