Category: Muirhouse

Pennywell up for RICS Social Impact Award

  • RICS publishes shortlist of developments which are transforming the everyday lives of residents
  • 35 schemes across nine award categories have been nominated from Shetland to Dumfries
  • Winners to be announced in April

RICS (Royal Institution for Chartered Surveyors) in Scotland are set to vote on a shortlist 35 construction projects to mark their role in transforming communities and the everyday lives of people.

Published this week, the shortlisted construction schemes include ELEVEN from Edinburgh, including Pennywell Phase 2 (residential), Edinburgh Printmakers (heritage, leisure),  King’s Stables Road (commercial) (above) and Ciaran’s House, CLIC Sargent Home from Home (healthcare).

Announcing its support for the Prince’s Trust to help more young people take up careers in property, the awards mark the impact of construction on communities across the country – with voting to take place ahead of the RICS Scotland ceremony on 23 April.

A UK grand final will be held later in September for those successfully nominated from each region – with property expert David Brooks Wilson leading a panel of guest judges to select those projects worthy of the top award.

Matthew Howell, RICS UK Managing Director, said: “The real estate industry plays a vital role in Scotland, and our refreshed awards celebrates the positive impact that our professionals can have on people’s lives and the best of what is built.

“This year’s shortlist features some of the best talent in our profession, and the new Social Impact Awards recognises the significant value these projects have brought to the communities around them.  The judges will have their work cut out deciding on who gets the top award with so many top projects involved.

“I’m also delighted to be supporting The Prince’s Trust in getting young people into construction.  Our shortlists, showcase projects which have been turning people’s lives around, whether that’s through apprenticeships for young people, rehabilitating ex-offenders or regenerating towns and cities to make them more inclusive, and we hope that promoting these will encourage more talent into a profession that can really make a difference.” 

Chair of the award judging panel David Brooks Wilson said: “The real estate sector is an important part of the economy, and this year’s shortlist shows the power of built environment professionals to make a positive impact on society and our communities.

“It features the breadth of work and contributions that our professionals and wider industry make and the difference this profession can make.”  

The awards are divided into nine award categories to include the best examples of development in the commercial, education, healthcare, heritage, infrastructure, land & rural, leisure, residential and student accommodation sectors – with an overall winner also due to be announced.

RICS Social Impact Awards – Scotland Shortlist 2020

Project                                                Region                                      Categories

4 North                                                Edinburgh                                Commercial
Aberdeen Art Gallery                          Aberdeen                                Heritage
Baird’s Close Two                               Edinburgh                                Student Accommodation
Bertha Park High School:  A new
school for a new community               Perth                                       Education
Ciaran’s House – CLIC Sargent
Home from Home                               Edinburgh                                Healthcare
Collective, Caltonhill                           Edinburgh                                Leisure
Cunningham House                            Glasgow                                  Residential
Cupar Burgh Chambers                     Cupar                                      Heritage
Dundee Regional Performance
Centre for Sport                                  Dundee                                   Leisure
Edinburgh Printmakers                       Edinburgh                                Heritage, Leisure
Gairloch Museum                                Gairloch                                   Heritage, Leisure
Glenrothes Energy Network               Glenrothes                              Infrastructure
INTO Academic Centre                      Stirling                                     Education
Kelvinside Academy                           Glasgow                                  Education
Kirn Primary School                            Dunoon                                   Education
King’s Stables Road                           Edinburgh                                Commercial
Mixed-Use Development
National Centre for Children’s Literature
and Storytelling at Moat Brae             Dumfries                                  Heritage, Leisure
North Sighthill Regeneration              Edinburgh                                Residential
NGHA Offices                                     Glasgow                                  Commercial
Ochiltree Community Hub                  Ochiltree                                  Leisure
Panmure House – The Home
of Adam Smith                                    Edinburgh                                Heritage
Pennywell Phase 2                             Edinburgh                                Residential
Perth Transport Futures Project:
Phase 1 Crieff Road                           Perth                                       Infrastructure
Pittodrie Street Student Accommodation:
Getting it right for student living          Aberdeen                                Student Accommodation
Powell Hall & Whitehorn Hall             St Andrews                             Student Accomodaton
Prince & Princess of Wales Hospice Glasgow                                  Healthcare
Robroyston Railway Station               Glasgow                                  Infrastructure
Shawbridge Street                              Glasgow                                  Residential
TECA-creating a world-class
events and leisure complex                Aberdeen                                Commercial, Leisure
The Balfour                                         Orkney                                    Healthcare
The Fraser Centre                              Tranent                                    Leisure
The GRID Building                              Edinburgh                                Education
The Registers                                     Edinburgh                                Commercial
University of Glasgow Campus
Development                                       Glasgow                                  Education
Woodside Health and Care Centre    Glasgow                                  Healthcare

Recruitment Day in Muirhouse

Full time and part time roles available in branches across Lothian

Next Step Edinburgh are teaming up with Semichem and Scotmid for an open morning in Muirhouse this Friday 21 February.

Store Managers will be on hand to talk to prospective candidates about what it is like to work with them. Full time and part time positions are available and the successful applicants will enjoy training, staff benefits and excellent career prospects.

As the event has been organised by Next Step Edinburgh, there is also additional support available including support with CV writing, interview prep and much more.

The event takes place at 9.30 – 11.30am at Pennywell Resource Centre, 31 – 33 Pennywell Road, EH4 4PJ.

If you can’t make that date then there will be another session on Tue 25 February 9:30am – 11:30am at the Recruitment and Skills Centre (RSC) at Fort Kinnaird Shopping Centre.

All welcome – just come along with your CV.

If you have any questions then please contact 

Next Step on 0300 365 0025 info@communityrenewal.org.uk

BEWARE: Dinosaurs in North Edinburgh!

DINOSAUR DISPLAY HATCHES IN PENNYWELL!

Local residents are being encouraged to track down and report any unusual sightings of baby dinosaurs in their neighbourhood. It comes as a dozen lanterns were let loose in Pennywell and Muirhouse after featuring in the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland’s Lost Worlds display at Edinburgh Zoo.

The batch of hatching dinosaur eggs – each symbolising a sign of the zodiac – can be visited in North Edinburgh Arts, Muirhouse Library and North West Locality Council Office until Friday 21 February.

The free event has been made possible through the City of Edinburgh Council’s partnership with the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), Urban Union, Robertson Partnership Homes and support from North Edinburgh Arts and Police Scotland.

Edinburgh’s Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener, Cllr Kate Campbell, said: “Pennywell is a fantastic community which has experienced a great deal of redevelopment in recent years, so I hope the lantern trail will encourage lots of people to explore the area and see how it has evolved.

“Throughout all of this change, our mission and that of the community has always been to create new and exciting opportunities for residents and local businesses. We’ve worked with developers and the Scottish Government to do this, creating the Pennywell All Care Centre for health and wellbeing and of course the incredible North Edinburgh Arts centre, where dinosaurs now roam.

“More than £42 million has been invested in the area which has created 356 affordable homes and more for private sale. With investment of £2.5 billion planned over the next 10 years, we’ll be looking to replicate projects like this under our ambitious plans for council housing.”

The regeneration of Pennywell and Muirhouse is well underway and will deliver around 1,000 new homes for sale and rent, enhanced public services and retail offering and a new public square, alongside new opportunities for learning, arts, culture and employment.

Neil McKay Managing Director of Urban Union added: “Our new collection of homes builds on the success of Phase 2 and 1, by offering an exceptional range of modern, warm and welcoming homes, together with new local amenity.

“We hope the lanterns’ fun pre-historic theme and message of conservation are welcomed by the community and allows everyone to explore the regeneration of Pennywell and Muirhouse.”

James Freel, managing director of Robertson Partnership Homes, said: “We’re really proud to support events that embody the true meaning of community, bringing people together to not only enjoy the lanterns but discover the incredible transformation of the area.

“Regeneration has been at the heart of the whole project and we’re on track to deliver high quality residential units across the town centre. We’re looking forward to literally shining a light on the fantastic progress made so far.”

RZSS events and experiences manager Jonathan Brown said: “Giant Lanterns Lost Worlds gave our visitors the opportunity to discover the amazing creatures that once lived on our planet and helped us raise awareness of the very real threat of extinction faced today by endangered species around the world.

“We were thrilled to see so many people enjoying the event and learning about our wildlife conservation work. It is exciting to have this opportunity to bring it to light again within the local community.”

As a wildlife conservation charity, RZSS is dedicated to connecting people to nature and safeguarding threatened species. This year the theme for the lanterns at the Zoo was Lost Worlds, including hundreds of pre-historic creatures from the beginning of life on earth through to the ice age.

The City of Edinburgh Council and its partners are committed to the conversation of the planet and over the next decade, the Council has committed to planting one million trees and cutting carbon to net zero.

Earlier this week, a new Council report revealed Capital households are more climate aware and generate less waste per resident than those of any other major Scottish city. The city is prioritising plans to tackle climate change with ambitious plans to cut carbon to net zero by 2030 and was recently announced as the second most sustainable city in the UK.

The Pennywell display maximises the time Edinburgh has with these lanterns by reusing elements of the display and spreading the Zoo’s message of conservation.

A Hub for Ideas

First Port is a Scotland wide organisation which supports social enterprises throughout Scotland, from start up to further on in their development. What If…North Edinburgh? is a programme specifically for this area to support the development of social enterprises from idea to action.

I’m Julie Smith,  the programme manager and I’m based in the area in North Edinburgh Arts. I want to work with local people who have ideas about helping themselves and their community through developing businesses which do both!

It could be an idea about anything: a gardening service for older people; teaching people a skill; supporting people to get physically active. Whatever it is I want to hear it. Even if it isn’t a business idea, it might be a good project.

One of the issues we have in the area is a lack of space for people to work in. There has been a growth in co-working spaces in the city, but there’s not a lot between South Queensferry and Leith. A co –working space means someone who just needs a desk and broadband connection can share space with others in a similar situation. Some of the spaces can be quite expensive.

The new North Edinburgh Community Resource Centre, housing Community Renewal and Citizen’s Advice on Pennywell Road has some suitable space available to rent.

There’s room for co-working space, a small training/meeting room and access to a kitchen. It would be a great space for people to work in, meet others and for training and workshops to be delivered in.

I would like to find out if there are people throughout North West Edinburgh who would be interested in such a space and developing a vision for it. The local area has never had a business hub where people can get support, can develop ideas and share with others. I think this is a great opportunity.

There is a viewing on Thursday 6th February at 10am – 11am or 6pm -7pm. Contact me at julie@firstport.org.uk if you’d like more information or to sign up for the tour!

Starts Friday: FREE swimming session for women and girls at Craigie

Starting this Friday: FREE swimming sessions for women & girls at Craigroyston High School!

All swimming abilities & all ages from P6 up welcome. All places MUST be booked in advance – book online here: https://www.joininedinburgh.org/activity/17585/