Fare play to Spartans Connections!

Central Taxis to sponsor Spartans Connections

connections

Taxi for Spartans! Edinburgh’s Central Taxis are to sponsor local community club Spartans Connections. The Connections squad are delighted with the sponsorship deal and the new partnership is a great result for the Ainslie Park footballers.  Continue reading Fare play to Spartans Connections!

Help protect your community from bonfire tragedy

Choosing to attend only organised displays is the best way to keep yourself, your family and your community safe. Continue reading Help protect your community from bonfire tragedy

Then play on … City of Edinburgh Music School Open Day

The City of Edinburgh Music School is holding on Open Day at Broughton High School on Saturday 7 November from 11am – 2pm.

music open day

 

Hold Me Dear: Four Cities, [Extra]ordinary Places

It’s Here + Now! Outdoor exhibition, Rodney Street Tunnel

Here + Now launch event: Sunday 27 September, 12 noon – 2pm

HERE NOW_HoldMeDear

An open air photography exhibition, featuring unique pictures and stories of treasured city spaces taken by local people living in Edinburgh, Copenhagen, Hamburg and Istanbul, opens in the Rodney Street railway tunnel in Canonmills this Sunday. 

Curated by HERE + NOW, the exhibition provides a unique and exciting opportunity for people to share the places that matter most to them, building up a very personal insight into a residents’ view of their Edinburgh the places that actually matter personally to local people ­beyond the usual tourist landmarks.

Visit the ‘City Link’ section of www.holdmedear.co.uk to see the submissions.

PUBLIC LAUNCH PARTY- Sunday 27 September 12 noon

the exhibition will formally launch with a picnic event, talks, music performances and art-themed cycle tours around city.

The exhibition is created by HERE + NOW and supported by Sustrans, Edinburgh City Council, Inverleith Neighbourhood Partnership and the Friends of King George V Park. The exhibition is free and runs until 20 October.

Hold Me Dear: Four cities, (Extra)ordinary Places

What’s your favourite place in Edinburgh?

canonmills

Fancy joining in some walking/cycling route mapping or a DIY exhibition-building day?

You may have heard about the upcoming Hold Me Dear: Four Cities, [Extra]Ordinary Places photography exhibition taking place in the Rodney St tunnel next to King George V Park in Canonmills.

This co-created community exhibition will feature photographs of people’s favourite personal places in their city, and has invited submissions from people across Edinburgh until the 17 September deadline.

Send us your photo and place in Edinburgh that means the most to you here! Get involved in one of our volunteer workshops! A great way to meet other people, explore the area and contribute to making this unique exhibition!

WEDNESDAY 2 SEPTEMBER – Join us from 10am-12noon to explore the local area around Rodney St tunnel in Canonmills and record your favourite walking or cycle routes and places along them. We’ll be turning these into a locally-loved community map to explore the local area from the exhibition in September!

FRIDAY 18 SEPTEMBER– Join us from 10am to help us DIY build the exhibition! Come prepared to get your hands dirty assembling exhibition boards and painting. You’ll get the chance to see your finished work at the exhibition launch event 12noon on Sunday 27th!

For more info or to sign up to join us, email hello@thehereandnow.org.uk

It’s Power of Food Festival weekend!

pofood

It’s here! Edinburgh’s community gardeners take centre stage this weekend as The Power of Food Festival takes place at venues and locations across the city.

PoF Programme

 For further info visit https://poweroffoodfestival.wordpress.com/

Edinburgh Guarantee spells success for school leavers

Stephen Ramsay - Edinburgh Guarantee case study.

More school leavers than ever in Edinburgh are moving into work, education, or training, thanks to the strong partnership that has developed between the public and private sectors through the Edinburgh Guarantee.

Figures published by the Scottish Government today show that the success rate of school leavers in Edinburgh achieving and sustaining a positive destination are at the highest rate ever. The figure is up 10 per cent since the Edinburgh Guarantee began four years ago and is now at 93.1 per cent. The Capital is now the best performing city in Scotland and is 12th out of all local authority areas, which puts us well above the national average.

The statistics show that more school leavers in Edinburgh are getting into jobs compared to September 2013 with over one in four of school leavers in employment at the snapshot taken in March. Just over 40% are getting into and sustaining places in Higher Education while over a quarter of school leavers opt for Further Education.

The majority of schools improved their performance since September 2013.

The largest increase was at Craigroyston Community High school up 13.1 per cent (see separate article), Currie performed extremely well with their figure now sitting at 97.9 per cent, and Firrhill and Gracemount were up by 6.8 per cent.

This success has been underpinned by the active support of the city’s employers in recruiting young people into their businesses, with 350 opportunities offered since April 2015.

Sue Bruce, Chief Executive, the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “Today’s figures will be welcomed across the city by young people, employers in the private, voluntary and public sectors and those working in education. Giving young people the best start they can have in life is a key priority and I am delighted that the Edinburgh Guarantee is playing such an important role in securing the future success of our young people in the city.”

Cllr Paul Godzik, Convener of the Education, Children and Families Committee, said: “Whether it’s employment, apprenticeships or training, young people need to move out of school and into a positive destination quickly. It is really encouraging that there has been such an improvement in the figures this year as moving on to make a new start in life is the boost young people really need to raise their self esteem at this critical point in their lives.”

Cllr Frank Ross, Convener of the Economy Committee, said: “Ensuring that Edinburgh’s young people have opportunities is vital for the economic success of our city. These year’s figures demonstrate that initiatives such as the Edinburgh Guarantee are making a real difference to many young lives. I am confident that with sustained investment we’ll continue to drive up this figure and see many more young people taking a positive next step in their lives.”

Stephen Ramsay (pictured top) , panel beater modern apprentice at DSL Motors, said: “When I was at Craigroyston High School I was invovled in a Formula 1 project and I really enjoyed it. My career advisor helped me with an interview for Edinburgh College and I am now a modern apprentice doing a four year course in Automotive Paint Refinishing. As soon as I left school I wanted to get involved in this trade and I want to work in this field until I retire.”

A positive destination is defined as a place in Higher Education, Further Education, a job, paid apprenticeship, or work-focused training.

Click here for a short video featuring Cllrs Burns, Godzik and modern apprentice Stephen Ramsay.

It’s Water of Leith clean up time!

Water of Leith Clean Up

Sunday 28 June 11am – 1.30pm 

wol cleanup

Meet at clock at Canonmills clock (foot of Brandon Terrace) at 10.45. Wear long sleeves and long trousers (nettles!) – and bring a picnic!

Local Community Learning & Development Worker Callum Mcleod said: “It’s normally a fun day and if you can make it along I’m sure you’ll enjoy yourself!”

Water of Leith Poster 2015

Power of Food Festival is fast approaching …

North Edinburgh plays a major part in this month’s Power of Food Festival with events and activities in Blackhall, Drylaw, Granton, Leith, Muirhouse and the Botanics to name just a few …! PF poster
 Hello everyone!
 
It’s an amazing privilege to be in a position today to launch the programme of Edinburgh’s first Power of Food Festival, only five and a half months after we decided to turn the original idea into a reality. It’s been a bit of a mad time getting everything in place, but really exhilarating to see it all coming together thanks to the efforts of a wide range of individuals keen to share their resources, skills, energy and passion. And how appropriate to be launching such an initiative on Volunteers Week! Volunteers are at the heart of community food growing and of the centre of the Festival. 
We look forward to seeing you in one (or several!) of the 15 gardens of the Festival on 20-21 June and hope you enjoy the celebration!
 
Best wishes from

The Power of Food Festival Committee
             Rebecca Crowther
             Christine Giraud
             Marie-Amélie Viatte
Power of Food festival
After months of preparation, The Power of Food Festival is pleased to announce an exciting programme of free events organised by each venue in line with what they do best: connecting people!

From well established award winning gardens, to new grassroot food growing projects, the diversity of the initiatives which feature in the programme will surprise and delight Festival goers. Venues open on the weekend of 20 and 21 June include a library, an office block, a secret garden, and a farmhouse which is undergoing an incredible transformation!

A citywide celebration

From Portobello to Wester Hailes, Granton to Blackhall, Tollcross to Old Dalkeith Road, and many others in between, every corner of Edinburgh will have a garden celebrating the joy of community food growing. There will be a rich menu of events suited for every taste, for children and adults alike, including: children’s poetry writing, bug hunting, storytelling and sharing, choir music, conversations on nature, food and sustainability, wind band, foraging, cooking and eating, as well as practical gardening workshops, and the launch of Edible Edinburgh Food Charter of a Sustainable Food City.

In association with Sustrans, visitors can also join in a guided bike tour of the
gardens (free but ticketed). Bookings can be made online.

Whether on foot or on two wheels, visitors can plan their Festival trip and keep up to date with the latest events and information via The Power of Food Festival website (details below).

Power of Food festival

A Festival for everyone

Why not invite your friends and family to take part in the first Edinburgh Power of Food Festival? The weekend will give everyone a chance to meet people in their local community, to join those who are transforming the city landscape everyday, and to give a deeper meaning to the word ‘community’. Maybe it will be the beginning of a great adventure: who knows where The Power of Food will take you?

The full programme of events can be accessed here: PoF Programme

pofood

Come with family and friends to The Power of Food Festival

Celebrating community food growing and local change makers

summer solstice weekend 20-21 June

W: poweroffoodfestival.wordpress.com E:poweroffoodfestival@outlook.com

Twitter @PoFFest                        FacebookEdinburghPowerofFoodFestival

Power of food poster 2