Category: Muirhouse

Relief for community projects as continued funding confirmed

ONE YEAR EXTENSION TO INVESTING IN COMMUNITIES FUND

The Scottih Government has confirmed that Investing in Communities funding will be continued for a further year.

The announcement comes as a huge relief to community projects facing massive cuts to their funding, with services being slashed and some organisations facing closure.

Scottish Greens raised concerns over the uncertainty faced by many of Edinburgh’s third sector projects at a council meeting last month.

A looming catastrophe has been averted with the announcement of one year’s transition funding while a replacement to the Investing in Communities Fund is developed.

Edinburgh Northern and Leith MP Tracy Gilbert took up the case of local community organisations and yesterday received welcome confirmation that fears have been allayed – at least for now.

She said: “Following budget cuts, I raised concerns with the Scottish Government about the future of the Investing in Communities Fund. Ministers have now confirmed a one-year transition extension for existing projects ending in March.

“This will help in the short term, but it falls short of the long-term certainty our community organisations need. I’ll keep pushing for sustained funding and stability for the services people rely on.”

Local MSP Ben Macpherson has also been on the case. He said: “This morning I visited Dr Bell’s Family Centre to discuss a situation that was of real concern.

“Using my decade of experience – including how to get things done for local organisations – I’d written to The Scottish Government about it on Monday and followed this up today, working actively as their/your local constituency MSP … I was therefore very pleased that shortly after the matter had been resolved.

“I know it’s been a worrying time for the centre and am relieved that immediate worries have been lifted. My team and I will keep working with the centre to explore more funding streams, and support the impactful work they do in our communities.”

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Edinburgh projects who received Investing in Communities funding (2023- 26) are:

  • About Youth, Calder Youth Action Project (part of Wester Hailes Together), City of Edinburgh, £105,822
  • Community Renewal Trust, Our Neighbourhood: A new hyperlocal Community Wealth Building partnership, City of Edinburgh, £300,732
  • Dr. Bell’s Family Centre, Start Well, Live Well: Wellbeing Support for Families in Leith, City of Edinburgh, £348,067
  • Edinburgh Food Social Cic, Changing Craigmillar Food Culture, City of Edinburgh, £325,847
  • Fresh Start, Fresh Connections, City of Edinburgh, £280,201
  • North Edinburgh Arts, North Edinburgh Arts Link Up, City of Edinburgh, £331,400
  • Space @ The Broomhouse Hub, Together We Can, City of Edinburgh, £350,000
  • The Venchie Children And Young People’s Project, Family Support Service, City of Edinburgh, £208,732
  • Transition Edinburgh South (Scotland) Ltd, Investing in Gracemount, City of Edinburgh, £302,196
  • Whale, The Arts Agency, Creativity, Place and Enterprise in Wester Hailes (part of Wester Hailes Together), City of Edinburgh, £332,494.

Irvine Welsh to appear at childhood library as Paper Trails brings literary stars to Muirhouse

Val McDermid, Irvine Welsh and Joseph Coelho lead major free programme for North Edinburgh – including 100 free books for local children 

Trainspotting author Irvine Welsh will return to the Muirhouse library he visited as a child this February, as the Edinburgh International Book Festival brings some of Scotland’s biggest literary names directly into the heart of North Edinburgh. 

The programme – part of Paper Trails, a flagship initiative launched by Her Majesty Queen Camilla in 2025 – will see Val McDermid, Doug Johnstone, Claire Mitchell, Zoe Venditozzi, Maisie Chan and former Children’s Laureate Joseph Coelho OBE appear at North Edinburgh Arts and Muirhouse Library. All events are completely free to attend. 

Welsh’s appearance marks a significant homecoming for the globally renowned author, who will appear digitally to discuss his Edinburgh roots and literary career to young people sat in the same library that helped shape his love of reading decades ago. 

Jenny Niven, Director of Edinburgh International Book Festival, said: “Libraries are where so many of us first fell in love with books, and they remain at the heart of our communities.

“Having Irvine Welsh return to the library that shaped him as a reader shows exactly why Paper Trails matters – these aren’t just buildings, they’re launchpads for imagination and possibility.

“At a time when literacy rates are declining and more than a quarter of older adults experience weekly loneliness, we’re committed to ensuring that world-class literature and creative experiences reach every neighbourhood, not just festival venues.

“This programme is about co-creating with communities, listening to local voices, and supporting libraries as the vital cultural hubs they’ve always been.” 

Irvine Welsh, novelist, short story writer, screenwriter and filmmaker, said: “I’m joining remotely, but it still feels like I’m back in the room that first lit the fuse for me.

“Muirhouse gave me a quiet seat, a friendly word and a shelf full of new worlds—that’s all it takes to set a life on a different course.

“It’s brilliant to see Paper Trails investing in these spaces so every young person here can feel that same jolt of inspiration.”  

Tony Stewart, Librarian at Muirhouse Library, said: “We see every day the impact and benefit for our users and the community, in having access to a safe and welcoming space filled books, activities and a team dedicated to helping in any way we can, and of course, a good book recommendation.

“We are very excited to be able to work with EIBF and Paper Trails to bring top class authors right to our community’s doorstep and provide some inspiration for any budding authors in the Muirhouse area, maybe even the next Irvine Welsh…” 

The February programme will distribute over 500 free books to children attending events with Maisie Chan and Joseph Coelho – part of the festival’s five-year commitment to supporting Edinburgh’s libraries as creative community hubs. 

Programme Highlights – February 2025 

Claire Mitchell & Zoe Venditozzi: How to Kill a Witch

Wed 4 Feb, 6pm — North Edinburgh Arts 
 

A lively, provocative exploration of Scotland’s witch-trial history from the hosts of the popular Witches of Scotland podcast. Mitchell, one of Scotland’s leading lawyers, and Venditozzi uncover the brutal reality behind historical persecution. 

Val McDermid: Winter Crime

Monday 9 Feb, 6pm — North Edinburgh Arts 
 

Scotland’s ‘Queen of Crime’ discusses her latest Karen Pirie thriller Silent Bones and her new memoir Winter. With over 18 million books sold worldwide, McDermid rarely appears in intimate community settings. 

Doug Johnstone: 20 Years in the Making

Wed 11 Feb, 6pm — North Edinburgh Arts 
 

The bestselling crime writer reflects on two decades of literary success ahead of his landmark 20th novel. Johnstone’s Edinburgh-set thrillers have earned international acclaim and multiple award nominations. 

Irvine Welsh: Writing Edinburgh

Thurs 26 Feb, 6pm — Muirhouse Library 
 

A special remote appearance from the Trainspotting author, returning to the library he visited as a child. Welsh will discuss how Muirhouse and Edinburgh shaped his groundbreaking literary voice, followed by audience Q&A. 

Maisie Chan: Family Fun

Wed 18 Feb, 2–3pm — Muirhouse Library 
 

A half-term celebration of stories and creativity for families. Every child attending receives a free book to take home. 

Schools Event: Joseph Coelho OBE — Poetry Alive!

Wed 11 Feb, 10.30–11.15am — Muirhouse Library 
An energising poetry workshop from the former Children’s Laureate (2022-24). Local primary school pupils will receive free books and participate in creative writing activities. 

All events are free with advance booking recommended via https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/muirhouse-library 

Tomorrow: Community Walk & Chat

Join us for our next Community Walk & Chat, this Thursday 22 January at 10am.

Meet local politicians, take a walk around the area, and afterwards share your thoughts over a cuppa! Let’s discuss how to improve our local area together and make change happen.

Your voice matters – so come and join us! Everyone’s welcome. Meet us at North Edinburgh Arts.

For more information: Email: rehan@northedinburgharts.co.uk

Call / Text: 07493 876130

This event is part of the North Edinburgh Active Travel project

Happy 15th Anniversary, NEN blog!

NEN PUBLISHED OUR FIRST BLOG POST ON THIS DAY IN 2011

The very first NEN blog post was published on this day in 2011. The post read:

Hello, and welcome to the brand new NEN blog.

For those of you not already familiar with the newspaper, we are a local community paper serving the North Edinburgh community. We’ve been here for over thirty years.

This blog, along with our new Facebook page and Twitter stream, represents our first foray into the world of social media.  We really want to encourage more participation, more questions and ideas from the North Edinburgh community – both online and offline – and hope that these new tools will help us to do that.

We already have a good website, where you can always find the latest edition of the printed newspaper. The blog won’t be replacing that, but will instead be there to show people the latest news about the area, and also to help us cover the current funding crisis we are facing as an organisation.

Above all, we want to include your input on the blog – be it ideas for stories, comments, pictures and events. So get in touch!

The NEN’s website was sadly deleted when funding ceased but our social media presence continues on both Twitter and Facebook and the blog is still going strong with 10 – 12 posts daily.

2025 was the NEN blog’s busiest ever year with 36,000 visitors. As I write this we’ve published more than 38,000 posts – all of these remain accessible online – and we’re currently on a run of publishing on 2749 consecutive days.

When the NEN office in Crewe Road North closed much of the NEN archive material was lost, but thankfully some of our picture library was salvaged and can now be found at granton:hub (Madelvic House), where the volunteer archive team has also collated all remaining hard copies of the North Edinburgh News newspaper.

Hopefully, between the physical archive and the NEN blog, you can find all you need to know about our community’s rich history – and we’re adding to that history every day!

Jewellery making with Flourish at North Edinburgh Arts

We’re excited to share a fantastic creative opportunity for local adults who would like to develop skills in jewellery making at North Edinburgh Arts.

We have a couple of places available for an extended jewellery programme with Flourish Jewellery Project, open to local adults living in Granton or Pilton.

Workshops will run weekly on Thursday mornings, 10.30am – 12.30pm, from February to August 2026.

As places are limited, participants must be able to commit to attending weekly to ensure they get the most out of this opportunity.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO APPLY:

Places are being offered to adults (aged 18+). The course is funded by City of Edinburgh Council Forth Ward so to be eligible to attend you must live in Granton or Pilton.

If you are interested in taking part but unsure if your address is eligible, please get in touch.

TO APPLY FOR A PLACE:

Email Lisa at hello@flourishjewelleryproject.com and include the following information:

– Your full name

– Your address and postcode

– Contact telephone number

– Tell us why you would like to attend the extended Jewellery programme?

Paper Trails in Muirhouse!

EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL BOOK FESTIVAL EVENTS NEXT MONTH

On a dark winter’s night, what could be more uplifting than hearing from leading Scottish authors? We know… seeing them for FREE! 🤩

Taking place in partnership with Edinburgh Libraries, our flagship communities project Paper Trails is kicking off the year in Muirhouse Library and North Edinburgh Arts for a special series of events this February.

📖 Poetry, fantasy, crime, fiction… we’ve got it all covered with our top-tier line-up of speakers (if we do say so ourselves). And don’t miss the half term workshops for keeping little minds busy on the school break.

Tickets are free but booking is required. These events are going fast so find out dates and book in quick: ticketsource.co.uk/muirhouse-library

#EdBookFest

#EdinburghInternationalBookFestival

Paper Trails is made possible thanks to #NationalLottery players as well as Cruden Foundation and the Ettrick Charitable Trust.

Muirhouse Library Winter Book Festival

Big Event Announcement!

Edinburgh International Book Festival Paper Trails x Muirhouse Library Winter Book Festival

In partnership with EBIF Paper Trails and North Edinburgh Arts we are very happy to announce, what we hope to be our first, Muirhouse library Winter Book Festival!

Throughout February we will be hosting:

Claire Mitchell and Zoe Venditozzi

Campaigners and hosts of the Witches of Scotland podcast and co-authors of How to Kill a Witch. Mitchell and Venditozzi join Vic Murray for a lively discussion about all things Scottish Witch trials and their sinisterly humorous book: How to Kill A Witch: A Guide for the Patriarchy.

Doug Johnstone

Author bestselling works including anarchic rock and roll road trip story The Ossians, the darkly funny seven-book series The Skelfs, and the whip-smart sci-fi Enceladons Trilogy.

Ahead of the publication of his 20th novel later this year, join Doug Johnstone to celebrate his 20-year career as a writer, including sharing reflections and hilarious stories from the last two decades.

Maisie Chan

Author of Danny Chung Does Not Do Maths, Nate Yu’s Blast from the Past and the Tiger Warrior series. Listen to Maisie read from her hilarious, warm-hearted books; hear where she gets the inspiration for her stories from and then get stuck into an interactive drawing activity fuelled by your imagination!

You’ll also receive a free copy of one of Maisie’s books to keep.

This event is suitable all ages – perfect for some half-term family fun.

Val McDermid

Scotland’s undisputed ‘Queen of Crime’, Val McDermid joins Book Festival Director Jenny Niven to talk all things crime, dark nights, and share a few behind the scenes stories of having her books adapted for TV.

Irvine Welsh

Joining us via video link for this special event Welsh returns to Muirhouse Library, where he spent time as a child, to bring his characteristic wit, energetic imagination and unfiltered honesty home to the place that made him.

Details and tickets are available to book online via the link below:

https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/muirhouse-library

There will also be a limited supply of tickets for each event reserved for residents of the local area available to be picked up in the library, pop into the library and ask a member of the team.

Singing for Solidarity: North Edinburgh choir at Modern Two today

TODAY (Thursday 18 December), from 1.30pm to 2.00pm, join us and the Greater Pilton Singers for a performance of their specially penned song Solidarity Wins: A Song for Greater Pilton, surrounded by the Resistance exhibition at National Galleries Scotland: Modern Two!

Written collaboratively by members from North Edinburgh Arts Art For Grown Ups Project and Royston Wardieburn Community Centre’s Arts and Culture Group – also with musician and activist Penny Stone – the choir created a gentle yet mighty protest song, evoking nostalgia and hope.

As well as their own anthem, they will perform a couple of classic soul and activism songs. The song has been developed as part of the Resistance outreach programme, which has culminated in the exhibition Solidarity Wins: Creative Resistance in North Edinburgh at the Portrait Gallery until 30 April 2026.

PICTURES: CRAIG MACLEAN

Lifetime Achievement Award for Edinburgh housing charity champion

The convenor of Edinburgh Tenants Federation (ETF), a local housing charity, has been awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by the organisation at their latest AGM.  

The recipient of the award, Betty Stone (formerly Betty Stevenson) became convenor of the charity in 2005 and has been a volunteer and activist for the organisation for over 30 years.  

Edinburgh Tenants Federation is a tenant-led charity that supports tenants across Edinburgh to understand their housing rights, have their voices heard, and influence decisions about housing and related services locally, city-wide, and nationally.  

In a letter acknowledging the award, Leader of the City of Edinburgh Council Jane Meagher said: “I have known Betty for a very long time, and I have never met anyone who has shown such care, commitment and dedication to her work.

“She has long fought for better housing conditions for people in Edinburgh and tenants across the city have known no stauncher champion of their rights than Betty. This award is most well deserved and I’m sure will be welcomed by the many, many people that Betty has helped over the years.” 

Betty was presented the award by Vice-Convenor Paul Vaughan at the organisation’s AGM.

The evening saw Betty renominated to the organisation’s Executive Committee as Convenor for a further term of three years.  

Following receipt of the award, Betty said: “I am honoured to receive this Lifetime Achievement Award from Edinburgh Tenants Federation, especially this year as we celebrate our 35th anniversary.  

“I have worked as volunteer campaigning for better housing services in Edinburgh for the past 30 years. I have witnessed a lot of change in the housing landscape, yet, reflecting on my journey, I can see similarities between now and the 90s, and how in many cases we are still working to ensure social housing in Edinburgh is safe and accessible.” 

Betty encouraged people to get involved in the local community and join the Federation, saying: “It’s the collective voice of the people that gets the job done. Those interested in setting up a residents’ and tenants’ group, or even just learning more about housing in Edinburgh should reach out to become a part of our network.” 

Founded in 1990 from a merger of tenant networks to collaborate over similar housing issues, ETF has been at the forefront of the housing debate in Edinburgh campaigning for better tenants’ rights in areas such as stock transfer, rent increases and tenant living conditions.

Today, its volunteers work closely with the City of Edinburgh Council to help inform tenant participation strategy across the city.   

Join the Federation – it’s free!

Joining Edinburgh Tenants Federation is simple. Membership is completely free of charge and open to any tenants’ or residents’ organisations in Edinburgh – regardless of who your landlord is.

Equally, if you live in an area without a tenants’ group, you can still join as an individual associate member, and organisations that share our aims and values can also become associate members.  

To find out more about membership, contact the Federation office by email at info@edinburghtenants.org.uk or call 0131 475 2509.