Today … Leith’s very own Viking Festival!
Category: Leith
Leith Walk By-Election tomorrow
The last few doors have been knocked, the final leaflets have been posted through letterboxes … now it’s up to the voters of Leith Walk:
Leith Walk constituents will go to the polls to elect two councillors for the ward tomorrow (Thursday 10 September).
There are 25,526 Leith Walk residents registered to vote in the election, which takes place in one of the most densely populated areas in Scotland.
Under the Single Transferable Vote (STV) system – a form of Proportional Representation – voters use numbers to rank the 10 candidates in order of preference rather than just using a single cross. Voters can express ‘preferences’ for as many or as few of the candidates as they wish.
This will be the first time in Scotland that an STV by-election has been needed to fill two vacancies in the same ward.
Andrew Kerr, Returning Officer for The City of Edinburgh, said: “This by-election will allow the residents of the Leith Walk ward to play a part in Edinburgh’s democracy, choosing two elected members to represent them and their interests on the City Council. I look forward to working with the electorate to make sure the process runs smoothly.
“Voters should remember that STV allows them to vote for as many candidates they like, numbering choices in order of preference.”
Polling stations will be open from 7am to 10pm on 10 September. There are 11 polling places in the ward, details of which can be found on polling cards and the Council website.
Votes will be taken to the Council HQ where the candidates and their agents will watch them counted electronically as soon as the polls close at 10pm.
Full details of candidates are also available on the Council website.
Find out more about the Single Transferable Vote system.
Leith Walk By-Election: In numbers
11 polling places
19 polling stations
3996 postal votes issued
2 councillors to be elected
10 candidates
25,526 eligible voters – about 7% of the city’s electorate
210 books of ballot papers (100 in each)
40 polling staff, including presiding officers and poll clerks.
Forty years old but no slowing down: happy birthday, PoLHA!
Port of Leith Housing Association (PoLHA) marked its 40th anniversary with a celebration at Hibs’ Easter Road stadium last week. The event was attended by 150 guests including staff, tenants, partners and contractors.
Established in 1975, the Association has invested over £200m creating over 2,700 good quality affordable homes in the Leith and North Edinburgh areas, and the Association has also assisted over 500 young people into further training and work since the launch of it’s TOiL project in 2005.
To mark this impressive milestone, a “This Is Your Life” style production entertained the guests. This featured old stills of Leith and PoLHA along with a short film highlighting the impact the Association makes on the lives of residents and the community.
On a night to remember there was also an audio featuring Douglas McKay, the very first Chair of the Association, and current Chair Margaret O’ Connor and her predecessor Jack Hunter also took part in live interviews.
Keith Anderson, Chief Executive, said: “As one of Edinburgh’s oldest local housing associations to have reached this milestone is a great achievement.
“Our beliefs are still very much what they were 40 years in that we are committed to building even more high quality affordable homes for people in Leith and North Edinburgh.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has supported us over the years. Working together we are better able to deliver our ambition which is to make places great for people to live in and to change lives for the better in future.”
Helping the helpless: local collection points for humanitarian aid
Edinburgh Direct Aid supporting Syrian refugees
Newhaven -based charity Edinburgh Direct Aid (EDA) is supporting international efforts to give aid to the tens of thousands of desperate people who have been forced to flee their homes, run for their lives and risk the safety of their families.
We can help by providing much-needed supplies – we can all help to make a difference.
The public response has already been tremendous, but the following items are urgently needed:
underwear (new!)
toothpaste
toothbrushes
soap
detergent
toilet paper
nappies
sanitary towels
wipes
And equipment needed for education and vocational training:
notebooks
A4 paper
pens/pencils
boardwriters
sewing materials
wool’
WHERE TO DONATE:
GRANTON MUIRHOUSE and WEST PILTON
The EDA warehouse is located behind a wire-grid gate on the south side of West Harbour Road – just past the TEBA boxing studio and opposite Len Lothian. It’s now open on Tuesdays and Saturdays from 11am – 3pm.
It is usually possible to park in the road outside, or to bring a car inside the gate but manoeuvring inside the yard can be awkward.
For further information contact Ian on 0785 785 5849
If it’s more convenient, you can make your donations in Muirhouse or West Pilton – both Muirhouse Community Shop on Pennywell Road (Monday to Friday 9am -3pm) and Pilton Youth & Childrens Project (PYCP) (telephone 332 9815) are also collection points for the Edinburgh Direct Aid appeal.
Please give what you can
Fire safety message taken to Edinburgh Mela
Thousands see fire safety displays at city music and dance festival
City firefighters joined revellers at the Edinburgh Mela over the weekend to raise awareness of the support available to help the public prevent fires and the tragedies they cause.
Thousands of people enjoyed live music at Leith Links on Saturday and Sunday, making the annual festival an ideal opportunity for Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) crews to share potentially life-saving information.
Watch Manager Steve Scott said: “Our community action teams and crews from Marionville and McDonald Road Fire stations had two great days of engagement with the public.
“We had more than 1,200 people visit the SFRS Mobile Museum and they loved getting dressed-up in fire kit and getting selfies. It’s popular with young and old alike but of course the main drive is making our communities safer.
“All these visitors saw displays that make you very aware of common hazards within the home as well as the steps you can take to prevent them causing a potentially devastating fire.”
The SFRS crews offered free home fire safety visits, which involve local firefighters helping householders identify hazards and taking simple steps to address them.
With early warning known to be vital if a fire does happen, the SFRS crews also check smoke alarms are working and even provide and install the devices if they are found to be needed.
Free home fire safety visits are available from SFRS by calling the freephone number 0800 073 1999, by texting ‘FIRE’ to 80800 or by filling in an online form at www.firescotland.gov.uk.
Watch Manager Scott added: “We would much rather take 20 minutes to help someone stay safe than attend a fire that could have been prevented.
“Fire in the home is devastating. Even where no-one is seriously hurt, the loss of cherished possessions, the financial impact and the emotional trauma can all be horrific for those involved.
“We want to hear from anyone who thinks they or someone they know could benefit from some friendly, expert advice and support from their local crews.”
Pictures: Edinburgh Mela
Bogus callers target 81 year old woman in Nichollfield
‘This is a despicable theft from an elderly lady in her own home’ – Detective Constable Mark Seymour
Police in Edinburgh are investigating a theft from an 81 year old woman in Nichollfield in Newhaven.
The incident happened around 10.45 am on Saturday (22 August), when the woman was visited by two men who said they needed to speak to her about her water supply.
She allowed the men into the house and after a short while they stole items from her house and made off. The suspects were chased from the scene and were last seen running through a common stair in North Fort Street.
The two suspects are described as:
(1) male, white, about 6’ tall, slim build, short dirty blond/grey hair, wearing a dark grey woollen jersey and carrying a carrier bag;
(2) male, white, about 5’10” tall, slim build, short dark hair and possible moustache, wearing a dark top.
Detective Constable Mark Seymour of Gayfield Police Station said; “This is a despicable theft from an elderly lady in her own home by these two suspects who have managed to trick their way into her home by acting as bogus officials.
“We are appealing for anyone who may have seen the suspects as they fled the scene around 10.45 am on Saturday to get in touch.
“A robust and thorough investigation is underway to catch those responsible and I would urge anyone who has any information which may help in this investigation to call us on 101, or if they want to remain anonymous then through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”
Anyone for tennis in Trinity?
Partnership serves up new free sports facilities
Councillor Lesley Hinds opened new tennis courts and a basketball court in Victoria Park yesterday. The Environment Convener was joined by Minister for Sport, Health Improvement and Mental Health, Jamie Hepburn and Culture & Sport Convener Councillor Richard Lewis to open the new sports facilities, which came about following a consultation organised by Trinity Community Council.
Cllr Lesley Hinds said: “We have many wonderful parks and green spaces throughout the city and Victoria Park is a fantastic example of an excellent outdoor space that is enjoyed by the whole community.
“The consultation showed us that there is demand for free local sports facilities so the opening of these new tennis and basketball courts is great news. I hope it will encourage even more people to make the most of this beautiful park.”
The new courts are thanks to a £95,000 investment jointly funded by the City of Edinburgh Council and Sportscotland via the Legacy 2014 Active Places Fund.
A community consultation found that some local residents were discouraged from using local sports facilities due to financial barriers and that there was a lack of quality free sports provision in the area. The results of the consultation led to the development of the courts, which will also benefit the three schools located nearby, Trinity Academy, Trinity Primary and Holy Cross Primary.
Culture and Sport Convener, Cllr Richard Lewis, said: “I am delighted that these new facilities are now open and the fact that they are free and accessible to everyone makes them an excellent resource for the community.
“A key priority for the Council is to provide more opportunities for people to get active and encourage greater participation in sports as part of healthy lifestyle. The new courts will help us to achieve this and will be a real asset for local people of all ages.”
Victoria Park was first awarded a Green Flag in 2011 and forms part of the North Edinburgh Cycle Network, National Cycle Network and North Sea Route.
Leith Walk candidates confirmed
The candidates standing in the Leith Walk by-election, which will elect two councillors on Thursday 10 September 2015, have been confirmed.
They are:
Marion Donaldson – Scottish Labour Party
Mo Hussain – Scottish Liberal Democrats
Tom Laird – Scottish Libertarian Party
Alan Gordon Melville – UK Independence Party (UKIP)
Gordon Murdie – Scottish Conservative and Unionist
Susan Jane Rae – Scottish Green Party
Natalie Reid – Scottish Socialist Party
John Lewis Ritchie – Scottish National Party (SNP)
John Ferguson Scott – Independent
Bruce William Whitehead – Left Unity
Voters in this ward have until Tuesday 25 August to register to vote or apply for a postal vote for the by-election. To register to vote or apply for a postal vote people should contact theElectoral Registration Office or phone 0131 344 2500.
Polling stations will be open from 7am to 10pm. Voters should check their polling cards carefully to find out where to vote.
Polling Places:
- Pilmeny Youth Centre
- Norton Park Conference Centre
- London Road Church Hall
- Holy Cross RC Primary School
- Ebenezer United Free Church Hall
- Royal Navy & Royal Marine Association & Club
- Broughton Nursery
- Pilrig St Paul’s Church Hall
- Lorne Primary School
- McDonald Road Library
- Leith Walk Primary School
The by-election will use the Single Transferable Vote (STV) system where voters can rank candidates in order of preference using numbers rather than a single cross. Voters can choose to vote for as many or as few candidates as they like. The result of the by-election will be announced once the votes are counted after polls close at 10pm on Thursday 10 September.
Unusually, TWO councillors will be elected in this by-election. Former SNP councillor Deidre Brock stood down after being elected as the Member of Parliament for Edinburgh North and Leith in May, and Green councillor Maggie Chapman resigned her Leith Walk seat in June to focus on winning a Green seat in the North East of Scotland in the 2016 Scottish Parliament elections.
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For more information on the Leith Walk by-election, visit the Council website.
Take a walk down Memory Lane … in Leith
A mural art map of Leith has been produced for residents and visitors to take a tour of mural art in the area as part of the LeithLate Festival15.
The map, funded by the City of Edinburgh Council, will feature the following murals and artists:
· Leith History Mural by Tim Chalk & Paul Grime, by Leith Library
· Swanfield Mill Mural by David Wilkinson, Bonnington Road
· Eduardo Paolozzi Mural by Russell Ian Dempster, Henderson Street
· Untitled Mural by Tim Chalk, opposite Links View House, Tollbooth Wynd
· Leith Dockers Club Mural by Tom Ewing, Academy Street
· The Leith Aquatic Mural by Blameless Collective, Halmyre Street
Cllr Frank Ross, Convener of the Economy Committee, said: “This is a great opportunity for residents and visitors to learn about Leith’s mural history, past and present.
“We are supporting this project as part of our work on our ‘Building Stronger Town Centres’ programme and we are committed to the economic growth of Leith which includes nurturing it as a creative hub. I would encourage anyone interested to pick up a map and go on a tour as Leith is steeped in history, has many other hidden gems and is packed full of interesting shops, cafes and restaurants.”
Morvern Cunningham of LeithLate, said: “I’m thrilled to present these tours as part of the LeithLate15 festival, which aims to bring more contemporary art onto the streets of Leith. The tour includes two modern murals facilitated by LeithLate, as well as one not by us, alongside a number of historic murals that were produced in Leith in the 1980s. We’ve researched the background to all the murals involved and hope that participants find the information contained in the guides interesting and useful.”
*Please note that the organised tours with the artists are now sold out.
Musical Director? Choreographer? Join the A-Team!
A-Team Productions are seeking a musical director and choreographer for their 2016 production, Next Stop: Broadway.
Rehearsals span October through February, twice a week on Wednesday and Sunday evenings.
This year we are not in a position to pay our Musical Director therefore this is a voluntary opportunity open to someone who has the time to commit to auditions, rehearsals and production week.
Do you know someone who has got what it takes? Can you please spread the word and let relevant people know.
Candidates should email
with a cover letter and CV.
A-Team productions are a not-for-profit organisation based in North Edinburgh, run by a team of experienced volunteers. Our ethos is simple: to provide a platform for young people ages 11-18 to construct and perform one musical per annum.
Kind Regards
Sean Quinn
Chair, A-Team Productions
