Category: Leith

Spartans benefits from old school ties!

driveway cheque

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

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

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.

Granton Castle Walled Garden exhibition

Save our Secret Garden

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!”

Let there be light …

Council apologises and agrees to ‘up the brightness’

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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.”

Cookery classes at Craigie

MAD cooking

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

Lazarowicz: time for tough action on tax dodgers

‘Paying tax is a basic duty of every citizen to fund the services, the hospitals, schools, we all depend on: tax cheats must not be allowed to escape paying their fair share.’ – Mark Lazarowicz MP

Tax dodging 2 - 17 March 2015

Speaking the day before the Chancellor delivers the Budget Mark Lazarowicz MP has called for tough action against tax dodging and declared his strong support for Oxfam’s campaign for a new Tax Dodging Bill.

The North and Leith MP attacked the Government for failing to take responsibility to tackle the systematic abuse now revealed at HSBC in Switzerland with clients being helped to conceal so-called “black accounts” from tax authorities and collusion with corruption.

Mark Lazarowicz said: “I am calling for tough action and new legislation to tackle tax dodging by individuals or corporations: it can’t just be shrugged off as something everyone does – they don’t, millions of people work hard every day and still pay their fair share.

“The Government has refused to take responsibility for tackling systematic tax fraud of the kind recently revealed at HSBC: simply passing the buck to Revenue and Customs won’t do.

“Tax avoidance by corporations in the world’s poorest countries is shamefully depriving them of vital revenue.

“Here in the UK we will not rebuild trust in politics if tax dodging by the megarich is left unpunished whilst severe benefit sanctions are imposed for often trivial reasons forcing increasing numbers to turn to food banks.

“Paying tax is a basic duty of every citizen to fund the services, the hospitals, schools, we all depend on: tax cheats must not be allowed to escape paying their fair share.”

Mark Lazarowicz spoke in a major debate on tax dodging last month and you can find his speech here. He is pictured at an event outside Parliament today supporting Oxfam’s campaign for an anti—tax dodging Bill. You can find more details of Oxfam’s campaign here.

 

Drugs worth £200,000 seized following local raids

Police act on local intelligence – five to appear in Court

Police at Drylaw Shops (2)

House searches at addresses in Drylaw, Leith and Broomhouse have led to five arrests and the recovery of drugs worth almost £200,000.

Acting on local community-led intelligence, police officers from the Organised Crime Counter and Terrorism Unit seized over 16kg of cannabis. 11kg of amphetamine and 112 diazepam tablets.

Four men – aged 51, 33, 49 and 45 – and a 46-year-old woman are now scheduled to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court.

If you wish to report drug crime or any other ongoing criminal activity your area can contact Police Scotland on 101 or make an anonymous report via the charity CrimeStoppers on 0800 555 111.

North West Carers are on the move!

PrenticeCentre

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

NWCarers logo

Leith’s Kirkgate set for revamp

kirkgate

It’s been looking a bit tired and run-down for quite a while now, but Leith’s Kirkgate is set to be transformed as part of a plan to improve the area.

Changes will see the addition of trees, uplighting and new seating arrangements, as well as the removal of the tusk feature outside the New Kirkgate shopping centre.

Aimed at creating a safer and more attractive space at the bottom of Leith Walk, the proposals have been approved by Leith Neighbourhood Partnership  following feedback from local residents.

More than 1000 Leithers responded online and in person to a survey that sought their views on the proposed changes. 

Councillor Lesley Hinds, Transport Convener, said: “By listening to the views of local people we hope to create a safer, more attractive atmosphere for all those visiting or passing through the area. This work will complement the ongoing programme to improve Leith Walk, which has already received lots of positive feedback from the public.”

The Kirkgate improvements will come alongside ongoing work to upgrade the bottom of Leith Walk, as part of the Leith Programme, in addition to internal development to Kirkgate shopping centre.

Queen Victoria Leith

As well as enhancing the appearance of the area, the new design aims to create a safe, welcoming space for locals, retaining the Queen Victoria statue at the foot of Leith Walk (above) and making the entrance to the shopping centre more open and accessible.

Find out more about the Leith Programme on the Council website.