Labour launch North & Leith general election campaign

Scottish Labour and Co-operative party candidate for Edinburgh North and Leith, Gordon Munro, launched his campaign at The Prentice Centre in Granton Mains Avenue yesterday. 

The launch was attended by members, activists and supporters who then started out on the campaign trail, canvassing and speaking to local people about the issues that matter in this election (see below).   Continue reading Labour launch North & Leith general election campaign

Here we go again: Tram works to start on Constitution Street next month

Work to take trams to Newhaven is to begin on Constitution Street in mid-November, following six months of joint work by the Council and contractors to finalise the construction programme.

Continue reading Here we go again: Tram works to start on Constitution Street next month

Edinburgh School Receives Free Author Residency

Scottish Book Trust has announced ten schools who will receive fully-funded author residencies this school year to inspire a lifelong love of reading and writing – and one of the ten is Leith’s Hermitage Park Primary School. 

The residencies will also give professional writers the opportunity to build relationships with the school and work together on a creative project. Continue reading Edinburgh School Receives Free Author Residency

New housing phase completed at Western Harbour

Housing Minister Kevin Stewart met new residents during a visit to Western Gateway  last week. The Minister’s visit marked the completion of the first phase of mid-rent housing delivery at Western Harbour. Continue reading New housing phase completed at Western Harbour

Lower Granton Road improvements complete

Some of the city’s youngest cyclists pedalled through the rain to officially open a newly-improved active travel route beside Lower Granton Road earlier this week.

Trinity Primary pupils help test out the newly-improved active travel route at Lower Granton Road

Pupils from Trinity Primary, led by MyAdventure guides, helped test out the upgraded shared use path along McKelvie Parade, which forms part of the city’s QuietRoute cycling and walking network on Wednesday. Continue reading Lower Granton Road improvements complete

Tomorrow: Family Fun Day at Starbank Park

Wednesday 31 July from 10am

Women Supporting Women are delighted to be working in partnership with Friends of Starbank Park!

Come along with your children to a fun packed family fun session in this beautiful garden. Refreshments and bus tickets provided.

To Book or for More Details:

Telephone 551 1671 or email hazelloeb@pchp.org.uk 

Shifting Ground: Have your say on Heart of Newhaven’s Victoria Primary School plans

2020 becomes 2021. It was announced a couple of weeks ago that a delay in planning approval for the building of the new school means all timetables are put back – we hope by no more than 20 weeks – from August 2020 to January 2021. How does that affect our 2020 vision?

We circulated this definitive information immediately to those who are already members of The Heart of Newhaven so that instead of picking up a rumour they knew all the details of the revised timetable. Now for the implications:

As far as our funding applications are concerned we have to re-schedule timetables; but The Heart of Newhaven dedicated Steering Group is equal to the consequential issues, with the necessary short-term focus to adjust complicated negotiations, confident of timely delivery in due course. That is its job and its members remain dedicated to what is expected of them.

But the time slippage has produced an unexpected opportunity.

We now have 20 more weeks or so to demonstrate the vibrancy of the Newhaven Community. This must not be time wasted just waiting.

At the last update here I’d just got home from an exciting Stakeholder Event organised on our behalf by Planning Aid Scotland, an organisation working with communities to articulate their vision and develop community-led plans. Presented elsewhere on this website PAS identified from participants new ideas and priorities for a multi-generational centre, especially what is needed in terms of community facilities.

What is a Multi-generational centre?
It is important to get used to this way of thinking – opportunities for people of all ages from the youngest to the oldest to sense that they belong to a big but closely knit family where we learn from each other.

Gone are the days when children were expected to be seen but not heard. Who of the older generation has not learned something about technology from those to whom the very latest innovation is literally child’s play?

That is why it is so exciting that our physical focus is upon acquiring Victoria Primary School so it can continue as a hub of learning and discovery, support and encouragement, not just a nostalgic look back to whatever might be considered was its heyday. Its heyday is always now and its future will be just as important as its past. Our present close-up focus task to ensure that happens means publicising as widely as possible all that is going on now demonstrating our sense of community.

Your chance to have your say, please take our survey and tell us what you think of the emerging ideas

Please fill in our survey – will be open for a fortnight only!  
<https://heartofnewhaven.co.uk/community-consultation-survey…>

Thank you for your support and please share as widely as possible!

Rodney Matthews (Vision Facilitator)