Red and the Wolf: there’s still time to get involved …
Category: Muirhouse
Free family trip to Scottish National Gallery
Making Faces:
Free Art Activities Trip
Thursday 6 August
10am – 12noon
4-12 years and families
The Scottish National Gallery (SNG) will be hosting free art activities for children and families (aged 4-12years). Inspired by the summer exhibitions at the National Galleries, the theme for the programme is ‘heads and faces’. The free SNG visit will include a guided tour of the exhibition ‘Bailey’s Stardust’ and an exclusive visit to Making Faces.
If you would like to join the North Edinburgh Arts group travelling up to the National Galleries to enjoy the Making Faces activities please book your free space now. We will be going to the galleries by bus (fare not included) leaving and returning to NEA together.
Spaces are limited. To book your free place:
Call: 0131 315 2151
Email: admin@northedinburgharts.co.uk
In person at North Edinburgh Arts
Please note: The cost of transport is not included.
Theatre opportunity for young people at North Edinburgh Arts
Red and the Wolf: An exciting theatre opportunity for North Edinburgh’s young people – and it’s free
Red and the Wolf by Liminal Dance is an immersive theatre performance working with a locally-based community cast of young people aged 8-16 years, in partnership with North Edinburgh Arts.
- Explore movement, dance and storytelling
- Perform with professional artists
- Create your own unique performance
- Open to all, no experience necessary
- @ North Edinburgh Arts
- Places are FREE
Rehearsals on:
- Thursday 30 July
- Saturday 1 August
- Monday 3 August
- Tuesday 4 August
- Wednesday 5 August
Rehearsal times: 10-5pm (except Saturday, 10-1pm)
Performance on Wednesday 5 August, 7pm
To book places and tickets: 0131 315 2151 / admin@northedinburgharts.co.uk
North Edinburgh Arts
15a Pennywell Court
EH4 4TZ
A sporting summer at Spartans
Youth Work Provision at Spartans Community Football Academy over the summer holidays:
Street Football In A Safe Place (SFiSP):
Monday to Friday throughout the holidays from 1 – 5pm
Ages: 7-18
Cost – FREE
Location – The Spartans Community Football Academy, 94 Pilton Drive EH5 2HF, next to Ainslie Park Leisure Centre.
Details – SFiSP offers the opportunity for young people to come and play (for free) in a safe, fun and friendly environment. Our Youth Work Team are on the pitch throughout the afternoon to join in the fun and also to make all participants feel safe.
Our 3G requires that everyone on the pitch must wear football boots while playing, but not to worry if you don’t have any as we have a boot bank for those who don’t have boots but would still like to play -and everyone is welcome to borrow a pair!
FooTEA: Days
Friday Nights
Ages: 7 to 11yrs (5pm to 7:30pm), 12 to 15yrs (6pm to 8:15pm)
Cost – FREE
Location – The Spartans Community Football Academy, 94 Pilton Drive EH5 2HF, next to Ainslie Park Leisure Centre (although on occasion we do hold this elsewhere but parents/guardians will be given plenty of notice)
Details – FooTEA is one of the main youth provisions we run here at the SCFA. FooTEA runs from 5pm to 8:15pm every Friday night here at the Academy. The young people who attend spend the first hour playing football, and then afterwards we have a hot meal together, before they are allowed to take part in various activities such as Baking, Xbox, Pool, Table Tennis, Arts and Crafts, etc.
Coaching: Bend it like Beesley (BILB)
Monday to Friday 10am to 12pm throughout the school holidays
Ages: 3yrs to 12yrs (split into three groups:3 -4, 5-8 and 9 -12)
Cost – £40 for the whole week or £8 per day.
Location – The Spartans Community Football Academy, 94 Pilton Drive EH5 2HF, next to Ainslie Park Leisure Centre
Details – ‘Bend It Like Beesley’ is our fun packed holiday programme aimed at 3-12 year olds, named after Spartans First Team star and SCFA Development Officer, Jack Beesley.
The emphasis is on developing young children’s football skills, whilst providing a thoroughly enjoyable week – all under the watchful eye of our highly-qualified Academy coaches.
For more info visit http://scfacoaching.com/bend-it-like-beesley-2/
Jamie Tomkinson,
Youth and Community Worker, The Spartans Community Football Academy
Twitter: Spartans_CFA
Telephone: 0131-552-7854
MY set to grow with £25,000 grant
Muirhouse based MY Adventure (MYA) has received £25,000 to support plans for a training base at Towford to support their employability programme for young people from North Edinburgh.
The funds come from the £1 million Legacy 2014: Sustainable Sport for Communities Fund which was created with investment from the Scottish Government and The Robertson Trust, and has been delivered by these organisations in partnership with Social Investment Scotland, sportscotland and Senscot.
MYA, a trading arm of Muirhouse Youth Development Group, plan to use the funds to help transform the Towford Outdoor Education Centre residential facility in the Borders (pictured above). The space will be turned into a training base for their MY Academy programme, a unique employability scheme for young people in North Edinburgh.
MYA is one of twelve third sector organisations to receive a total of over £250,000 in the fund’s second round of awards to help develop sports facilities for use by their local communities.
Ja:mes Howell, Director of MYA said: “Support from the Legacy 2014 fund will enable MY Adventure to realise the potential of our Towford Outdoor Centre in the Scottish Borders. The centre will operate as a training centre for our MY Academy programme, helping young people in North Edinburgh.
“It will also provide a wild retreat for children and young people from North Edinburgh and a space for meaningful outdoor learning. The Legacy fund will support a project officer to focus on the development of the project as well as community consultation, including conducting a full feasibility report for the building and its land and business planning to ensure the project’s success.
“MY Adventure is looking forward to this exciting project taking shape and offering increased opportunities for the communities of North Edinburgh.”
Alastair Davis, Chief Executive of Social Investment Scotland which administers the fund, said: “MYA has presented a compelling case outlining the benefits of their plans which will provide an incredible opportunity for local young people, families and marginalised communities in North Edinburgh.
We know that sport has the potential to bring a whole range of benefits to local communities and therefore we look forward to seeing the benefits their outdoor learning programme will have on the community of Muirhouse and surrounding areas.”
Other organisations receiving funding include Active Bellshill who will receive £14,000 for the planning of a new sports hub in Glasgow, the Comrie Development Trust who will receive £15,000 to carry out a study into local sports and recreational needs, and Scottish Athletics who will receive £25,000 to look at how they can increase community engagement through their clubs.
Jamie Hepburn, Minister for Sport, Health Improvement and Mental Health, said: “Small organisations like this are doing tremendous work to encourage more Scots to be more active, more often. Almost a year after Glasgow hosted the best Games ever, it’s important that Scotland continues to benefit from their legacy, and this fund is a key part of those efforts.
“The Sustainable Sport for Communities Fund is there to offer help to social enterprises and to allow them to ensure their long term sustainability. I look forward to seeing the positive impact the Fund will make.”
Kenneth Ferguson, Director of The Robertson Trust, added: “Sport can provide a range of positive benefits for individuals and communities. We are delighted to be able to use this Legacy 2014 programme to support organisations across Scotland which are helping to enhance the lives of the people they work with through sport.”
Mum, I’m bored …
We’re just one week into the school holidays – only SIX weeks to go! See below for a list of what’s available locally to keep your little darlings amused …
Summer Programme 2015 All in One
Stepping Stones are having a Teddy Bear’s Picnic!
Mums from Stepping Stones’ Muirhouse group have received funding from Save the Children to run a Teddy Bears Picnic and they are organising the event themselves.
It’s taking place tomorrow (Wednesday 1 July) between 11.30 and 1.30 at the Haven Project at Craigroyston Primary School and is for families with children under 5.
Places are strictly limited, so if you’d like to join the party get in touch – call 0131 551 6132 before 3pm today to book your place!
Forth’s youth told: think BIG!
Think BIG. Think bold. Be creative. And there’s no such thing as a daft idea! That was the message to participants at an event held at Pilton Youth & Childrens Project last week – and the results of the day’s work will help to guide youth service provision across Forth Neighbourhood.
Organised by Forth Neighbourhood Partnership and Total Craigroyston, YouthTalk brought together young people from across Forth with community representatives and decision makers to discuss three key issues.
‘Positively Engaging Young People’ is one of Forth Neighbourhood Partnership’s main priorities and Convener Cllr Cammy Day explained to delegates: “We want young people’s views and aspirations to influence decisions that are taken locally and to listen to their suggestions about how things can be improved for them. We want them to have a real say in the future of this community and how it develops over the next ten or more years”.
A background report to aid discussion was prepared prior to the Youth Talk event. During the review young people across Forth were approached in schools, libraries, at youth groups, basically anywhere they assembled – and asked their opinions on the area. North Edinburgh Young Peoples Forum organised and conducted a survey in four local High Schools and the local Street Work team also gathered views: all told around 1400 young people gave their opinions on their local community -what they like, what they hate and what Forth needs to make it better for young people.
Assisted by motivational speaker Mike Stevenson from Thinktastic, Wednesday’s YouthTalk event saw young people and ‘seniors’ working together in small groups to discuss three ‘ideas’:
How do we involve more young people in positive activity?
How do we better promote the positive contribution our young people make in their community?
What should an ideal youth-friendly community look like – and how do we get there?
Once participants got into the swing of things, the conversation – and the ideas – began to flow. Some of the ideas generated – for example a common social media address for local youth groups to share information, and an annual celebration of young people’s achievements – proved very popular and could be acted on almost immediately. Others, however, may take longer – you did ask the young people to think BIG, Mike!
All of the ideas generated – big and small – will be recorded and a report of the YouthTalk event will be circulated in due course. It will make interesting reading!
And finally, thanks so much for the warm words and that round of applause for the NEN – it was really touching and much appreciated!
Craigroyston praised at Holyrood!
Education Minister congratulates our local community high school
The fantastic improvement of education standards at Craigroyston Community High School was acknowledged this week by Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning Angela Constance MSP.
Ms Constance made her comments following questions from Edinburgh Western MSP Colin Keir – the school sits within Mr Keir’s constituency.
Craigroyston has seen a dramatic improvement in HMIE results as well as using innovative practices within the curriculum.
Colin Keir said: “The way Craigroyston Community High School has improved is a credit to the pupils, staff and the Headteacher Steve Ross. Partnership working, enthusiastic ideas and the will to get better results for the students is driving this school community forward and should be seen as a source of pride for the whole community”.
The parliamentary exchange:
School Leavers (Positive Destinations)
- Colin Keir (Edinburgh Western) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that school leavers are given the best opportunity to go on to a positive destination. (S4O-04498)
The Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning (Angela Constance): As I said earlier, the proportion of young people who left school and who have sustained a positive destination has reached a record 91.7 per cent. Curriculum for excellence offers young people learning that promotes academic and vocational qualifications that are informed by the needs of our employers. “Developing the Young Workforce—Scotland’s Youth Employment Strategy” sets out our aim to further the links between education and industry.
Our opportunities for all commitment ensures that an offer of further learning or training is in place for all young people until their 20th birthday. Young people are better supported than ever to make the most of the opportunities that are available to them. That includes better career information, advice and guidance so that they can make informed learning and career choices based on labour market demand.
Colin Keir: Does the cabinet secretary agree that the actions that have been taken at Craigroyston Community High School in my constituency, which has had a magnificent improvement in Education Scotland reports through enlightened changes to its curriculum as well as partnership with local businesses, should be seen as an excellent model for preparing students for life beyond school as well as a source of pride for the local community?
Angela Constance: Yes. I have visited Craigroyston Community High School on two occasions, the first of which was for the launch of the report of the commission for developing Scotland’s young workforce.
I congratulate the headteacher, staff and pupils of Craigroyston on the improvements that they have made.
Education Scotland has identified key strengths in the school, such as its co-ordinated and high-quality support for young people and their families and the shared vision that is securing positive destinations for young people. Those are key aspects of raising attainment. I know that the headteacher shared his curriculum model with other secondary headteachers at a national conference on Curriculum for Excellence earlier this year.
Muirhouse Millennium walkers set to hit the streets
The annual sponsored walk to support the biggest Summer Play Scheme in this area – supported and made possible by the parents, other third sector supporters and the Centre itself – gets underway at around 1pm today (writes James McGinty).
. This walk is becoming an ‘annual pilgrimage’ for people who do their best to support their communities. Refreshments will be available at the end of the walk as everyone returns to the Centre.