A fantastic evening for our volunteers and members @StarbankPark. Come and help us celebrate our favourite local park vote! Voted by you!!
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Cheese and Wine at Starbank Park
Category: Newhaven
New faces and first events at the Heart of Newhaven
Welcome to your September newsletter
NEW FACES and FIRST EVENTS
We’d like to start off by introducing you to our new members of staff. They all started work at the Heart on 2nd September, so you’ll be meeting them soon.
First of all, there’s our new full time Transition Manager, Roger Walpole. Many of you will already know Roger as he used to be a member of the HONC board.
Of course he’s had to step down as a trustee in order to be able to take on the role of an employee, but there’s no doubt he has already contributed so such to the project and is fully committed to its success.
Roger has been working with the Edinburgh University Student Association’s business development department, for the last 13 years, helping run their annual entertainments programme in many guises, but has also found time to be a treasurer and trustee with Victoria Primary School’s council and PTA.
Some of you may also know him as your local Polling Officer.
Next there’s Kimberley Thomson. Kimberley is starting with us as our part-time Heart Coordinator, so she is the face you will be meeting front of house, as she coordinates volunteers and activities.
Kim comes from a customer service background within the charity sector and will be the first point of call for visitors to our centre.
She is very much looking forward to meeting everyone and becoming a part of our community! She will also work with customers booking at our fantastic venue, giving support through the booking journey and building great lasting relationships.
Finally, there’s our Buildings and Maintenance Officer, Becc Dishon who will be taking up the part-time role of Buildings and Maintenance Officer.
Becc tells us: “My career has seen me involved in the management of the technical facilities and spaces in a number of well known Edinburgh venues for over twenty-four years.
“As well as working on productions my background includes much time spent in education, helping people young and old to see their creative potential. I enjoy being involved in the facilitation of other people’s creativity and seeing their work come alive.
“I create a lot of art myself and also enjoy writing and studying local history and anything weird. I’m part of a group who own chickens on a residential street and have a very understanding wife.”
Now you’ve met the team, look out for them if you’re attending one of our September events, all of which will take place in the Anchor Building (that’s the new one in the playground):
A series of workshops delivered by Jamie Dyer, from Art in Healthcare will be running on Tuesday 6th – Drawing and Map Making; Wednesday 7th – Experimental Film and Photography; Tuesday 13th Community Sculpture; – and Wednesday 14th – Print Making.
The events are free but due to space issues, please register at admin@heartofnewhaven.co.uk if you would like to attend.
Keep an eye on our social media and website for more details to follow of a community event highlighting some of the activities to be on offer this month.
Super Starbank!
STARBANK PARK VOTED ONE OF SCOTLAND’s LOCAL FAVOURITES
Earlier this summer you nominated 364 local parks and green spaces for UK’s Favourite Parks. You then voted in your tens of thousands, demonstrating the immense love that we all have for our local parks, and Fields in Trust is delighted to announce that the UK’s Favourite Park 2022 is Penrhos Coastal Park in Holyhead, Wales.
Over 30,000 votes were cast for parks across the UK which represented the wide diversity of green spaces we all use and enjoy, from large country parks to major city parks to small neighbourhood pockets of green. Penrhos Coastal Park emerged as the overall UK winner having attracted the most votes from the public.
Across the Home Nations, Blackpool’s art deco Stanley Park has been named England’s Favourite Park 2022, attaining prestigious ‘National Treasure’ status having now been named as the public’s favourite park in England three times.
In Scotland the national title went to Seaton Park in Aberdeen, whilst Craigavon City Park in County Armagh took the title in Northern Ireland, the second time it has scooped its national accolade.
Fields in Trust are also delighted to announce the parks to have achieved ‘Local Favourite’ status, having placed in the top 20% of the public vote, demonstrating the love that their local communities have for them.
The full list of local favourite recipients can be found here and each will receive a special certificate to denote its success.
Edinburgh’s STARBANK PARK features proudly on the list of Scotland’s Local Favourite parks. Also commended are Aden Country Park in Mintlaw, Aberdeenshire; Pittencrieff Park, Dunfermline; Wilton Lodge Park in Hawick and Grangemouth’s Zetland Park.
This is the first time that the overall winner of UK’s Favourite Parks has emerged from Wales, with Cyfarthfa Park in Merthyr Tydfil, Roath Park in Cardiff and Pontypool Park in Torfaen having taken the national title in recent years but not the overall honours.
Attracting close to 100,000 visitors each year, Penrhos Coastal Park is near Holyhead on the Isle of Anglesey in north Wales.
The 200-acre park has everything from beaches to woodland walks and is extremely popular with both locals and tourists alike. With a rich history dating back to 1553, the green space is also home to several features of historical interest, including original Tudor-era buildings.
Commenting on the announcement of Penrhos Coastal Park as the UK’s Favourite Park 2022, Fields in Trust Chief Executive, Helen Griffiths, shared: “We’re incredibly excited to announce that Penrhos Coastal Park in Holyhead has been voted as the UK’s Favourite Park 2022 by those who use and love it.
“It is clear that this park is a very special place to a lot of people, and we are thrilled to officially crown it the UK’s favourite. We’ve had a fantastic response to the competition from all across the UK and I’d like to thank everyone who nominated and voted for parks over the past few weeks.
“The UK is home to such a diverse range of green spaces, and we hope that this award has encouraged people to truly appreciate their local parks. Our work to legally protect green spaces for good means we’re well aware of the threats they face and how important it is value and celebrate them.”
The campaign has illustrated how appreciation of our local parks has grown since the pandemic. As concerns mount over the climate crisis, green spaces have been proven to improve air quality and significantly limit the impact of heatwaves, by lowering urban temperatures.
With the annual Green Space Index revealing that 2.8 million people are not living within a ten-minute walk of a local park and that only 6% of green space provision in Britain is legally protected, the campaign has also highlighted the financial and developmental threats to green spaces.
By demonstrating our love for local parks, we can champion what they mean to communities and in turn help make the case for their long-term protection. Without legal protection our local parks can so easily be lost. And once lost, a green space is lost forever.
You can play your part in this protection of treasured local parks by making a donation to support Fields in Trust’s work.
Heart of Newhaven newsletter: It’s Truly Time to Celebrate!
It’s truly time to celebrate
The Heart of Newhaven Community has finally been given the keys to the front door. Current Chair Judy Crabb received the keys from the City of Edinburgh Council on Friday (12/8) so the school site finally belongs to you, the community.
It’s taken a long time. As a reminder, the original Steering Group was set up after public consultation and eventually converted into a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO), registered with OSCR the charity overseer in 2020.
They won the right to purchase the site under the Community Asset Transfer scheme in July 2020 and secured funding for the purchase from the Scottish Land Fund in June 2021.
The school pupils and teachers moved out in December, 2021, but delays originally caused by Covid 19 and then last minute legal hurdles meant that the final transfer could not take place until last week.
Now, it’s all systems go, with volunteers tidying and cleaning and potential users and tenants queuing up to move in and get started.
The History of Education Centre has already moved all its equipment and furniture in and hopes to have the Victorian Schoolroom fully operational by 1st October. Others are keen to follow suit.
First though, there are some necessary health and safety measures to install, IT equipment and communications must be set up and the most urgent repairs to the structure need to be completed.
Once open to the public, the community hub will be offering spaces for intergenerational activities including space for such as theatre groups, choirs and performances of all kinds, rooms for rent for meetings or parties, artists’ studios and small business rooms for rent, a Heritage Suite, much needed early years’ provision in the modern Anchor Building, rooms for the Men’s Shed to carry on their activities and of course a community cafe.
HoNC Chair, Judy Crabb has been involved since even before the first public consultations and is now celebrating with the rest of the Board. “It’s a well known phrase ‘ If it is worth having, it is worth waiting for’ and how true that is as of today,” she says.
“Finally, we are thrilled to announce that HoNC now owns the former Victoria Primary School that from now on will be known as ‘The Heart’.
“A huge thank you to everybody who has helped over the years to bring about this day, volunteers, supporters, members of the community, our funders, Trustees and consultants. Every contribution, big and small, has made a difference.
“Over the next few months we will begin to open up the buildings to all the services and activities that support our themes of culture and heritage, learning and enterprise and improvement in well being.”
Heart of Newhaven: We’re OPEN!
The Heart of Newhaven Community (HoNC) has finally received the keys to the front door!
The charity, formed four years ago to purchase Newhaven’s old Victoria Primary School for use as a community hub, has faced a long battle to get all the legal documentation with the City of Edinburgh Council signed, sealed and delivered but has finally been given legal possession of the site.
The original Steering Group was set up after public consultation and eventually converted into a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO), registered with OSCR the charity overseer in 2020.
They won the right to purchase the site under the Community Asset Transfer scheme in July 2020 and secured funding for the purchase from the Scottish Land Fund in June 2021.
The school pupils and teachers moved out of what was then the oldest working primary school in the city in December 2021, but delays originally caused by Covid 19 and last minute legal hurdles meant that the final transfer could not take place until this week.
Current HoNC Chair Judy Crabb and former, and very first Chair, Rodney Matthews led the way in and now it’s all systems go, with volunteers tidying and cleaning and potential users and tenants queuing up to move in and get started.
First though, there are some necessary health and safety measures to install, IT equipment and communications must be set up and the most urgent repairs to the structure need to be completed.
Once open to the public, the community hub will be offering spaces for intergenerational activities of all kinds, including space for such as theatre groups, choirs and performances, rooms for rent for meetings or parties, artists’ studios and small business rooms for rent, a Heritage Suite including the Victorian Schoolroom run by the History of Education Centre, much needed early years’ provision in the modern Anchor Building, rooms for the Men’s Shed to carry on their activities in the Creel Building and of course a community cafe.
Current Chair, Judy Crabb has been involved since even before the first public consultations and is now celebrating with the rest of the Board.
“It’s a well known phrase ‘ If it is worth having, it is worth waiting for’ and how true that is as of today,” she says. “Finally, we are thrilled to announce that HoNC now owns the former Victoria Primary School that from now on will be known as ‘The Heart’.
“A huge thank you to everybody who has helped over the years to bring about this day, volunteers, supporters, members of the community, our funders, trustees and consultants. Every contribution, big and small, has made a difference.
“Over the next few months we will begin to open up the buildings to all the services and activities that support our themes of culture and heritage, learning and enterprise and improvement in well being.
“Watch this space as we offer opportunities for people of all ages, from all walks of life and interests, to come together in an accessible and welcoming environment and The Heart comes to life.”
Cara Gillespie, Chair of the Scottish Land Fund, said: “The Scottish Land Fund is committed to helping urban and rural communities across the country to unlock assets on their doorstep and to put them to work for local people, so we are delighted that Heart of Newhaven Community has now taken ownership of Victoria Primary School.
“We wish them every success with their plans to turn the school into a thriving community hub.”
Hallelujah! Key section of Leith Walk to reopen on Monday
BUT TRAFFIC CHAOS IS FAR FROM OVER
Leith Walk will reopen to two-way traffic between Pilrig Street and London Road from Monday (18 July), marking a key milestone for the Trams to Newhaven project.
The main construction works between Montgomery Street/Annandale Street and Pilrig Street are now complete and fencing will be removed from outside businesses and homes.
The project remains on schedule for completion by spring 2023 and within the £207.3m budget, with all major construction anticipated to be complete by the end of 2022 ahead of a testing and commissioning period.
Progress to date includes:
- Almost 3,900 metres of track laid, 84% of the total
- Main construction works completed on three out of the eight new tram stops with works progressing well at the Balfour Street, Foot of the Walk and Newhaven stops
- Over 4,000 metres of communications ducting installed (87% of the total) serving the tram and future communication requirements in the area
- More than 4,000 metres of drainage installed (89% of the total)
- Over 60,000 deliveries from the logistic hubs to local businesses
- Almost 24,500 itison vouchers sold, generating over £240,000 potential spend in participating businesses on the route.
- Over £175,000 spend on open for business campaigns
- Main construction works complete on several sections, including Ocean Terminal to Rennie’s Isle and between Tower Street and Constitution Place and Tower Street and Baltic Street
However, the programme for some specific sections of the route has changed due to industry wide challenges with the availability of materials and skilled labour, as well as other issues including complex utility conflicts.
As a result, some stretches are scheduled to take longer than originally planned, including Melrose Drive and outside Ocean Terminal. Full details of the updated programme are available on the Trams to Newhaven website.
Councillor Scott Arthur, Transport and Environment Convener, said: “It’s great news that this key section of Leith Walk will soon reopen and will start its transition to becoming a vibrant multi-modal transport corridor.
“Not only does it mark a major milestone for the Trams to Newhaven project but I’m sure it will be most welcome to businesses and residents along this part of the route. I’d like to thank all those living and working nearby for their patience throughout the programme of work.
“As the project nears completion, the progress made so far is clear to see. Once finished, it will be transformative for the area and beyond. As well as delivering a low-carbon, high capacity and clean mode of transport to this densely populated part of Edinburgh, it will create improved public spaces, active travel links and support future growth and development.
“I do of course recognise that changes to the programme, which are down to issues outwith our control, are likely to affect people and we’ll be working hard to share the latest information and will continue to look at ways in which we can mitigate against some of these delays. To ensure residents are kept safe, I have also asked that parking restrictions are robustly enforced along the route.
“I’d like to thank the Trams to Newhaven project team for all their hard work. Despite the pandemic and global logistics problems, the project is on track to welcome its first passengers in spring 2023 and will be delivered within budget.”
Maria Ortega, SFN Project Director on Edinburgh Trams York Place to Newhaven, said: “We continue to make excellent progress on this project on behalf of our client The City of Edinburgh Council and we are delighted to be reopening this key section of Leith Walk to two-way traffic.
“As contractors we are working hard to ensure that continued progress is made throughout the remaining section of works. Despite the challenges of the pandemic and industry wide issues, we are proud of the progress we have made by working successfully alongside our partners, supply chain and client.
“We look forward to this line being operational in spring 2023.”
Steve Jackson, Project Director, Turner & Townsend said: “As a project we have experienced numerous challenges, as well as industry wide issues, however collaborative working has played a key role to ensure that we have remained on track throughout the life cycle of the project.
“As we enter the final phase of construction works to deliver the Edinburgh Trams to Newhaven line, achievements such as this begin to bring the project together in real life and allow people to see the positive transformational impact this system will have for them.
“I would like to thank all project partners for their efforts to date and we look forward to making continued progress across the route.”
As part of the changes, there is no waiting or stopping between Pilrig Street and Annandale Street, though there is designated loading and parking provision on both the east and west side of Leith Walk.
Logistics hubs to support businesses on Albert Street and Montgomery Street with deliveries and dispatches will also remain on this section of Leith Walk.
MEANWHILE, there’s still no sign of the report into the Edinburgh Trams fiasco. Lord Hardie’s inquiry was set up in 2014 to establish why the Edinburgh Tram project incurred massive delays, cost massively more than originally budgeted and through reductions in scope delivered not a network but a single line, significantly less than promised.
Find out more about Trams to Newhaven, including landscape plans and timelines, online. Further information on bus diversions and timetables is available on the Lothian Buses website.
Heart of Newhaven June Newsletter
Welcome to your June Newsletter
First of all, we hope you enjoyed the Picnic in the Park on Sunday 19th June in collaboration with the Friends of Victoria Park and the Victoria Park Allotment Holders. There seemed to be hundreds of people there, all having a great time. We hope you caught up with some old friends and made some new ones.
Next in the calendar will be our second Annual General Meeting. This will be held on Saturday 2nd July and members will be receiving their own invitation to attend in person this year, now that Covid restrictions have been relaxed. There will be more details in the members’ invitations.
If you think you are already a member, but have not received the AGM invitation by email in the last few days, please do get in touch with us to check your membership status by emailing admin@heartofnewhaven.co.uk .
Just a reminder that receiving this newsletter does not necessarily mean that you are a member. You might just have signed up to receive the newsletter but not joined as a member.
Check out our website for membership conditions, which are purely geographical. If you live in our area of benefit (there’s a map on the website) then you can become a full member with voting rights.
If you live outside the area then you can still become an associate member but will not be able to vote at the AGM.
Joining is free. If you haven’t joined and wish to, then you can find the form under JOIN on the website.
The Trustees look forward to meeting members in person, many of them for the first time, and discussing our exciting plans for the future.
We would also like to use this newsletter to introduce you to a new member of our team. Bryan McCarthy joins us as our new Volunteer Coordinator.
One of our trustees, Christine McDerment has been on the other end of the volunteering email address up until now, but Bryan has stepped up and answered the call for some help.
Bryan is originally from Cork, Ireland, but moved to Edinburgh five years ago and has been living in Leith while working in criminal justice with Edinburgh City Council. “I have always enjoyed volunteering in my spare time and am excited to put my energy into coordinating the volunteering activities of Heart of Newhaven,” he says.
Now, a reminder: we are looking for volunteers to get involved in reminiscence training.
Sharing family stories is therapeutic and instructive, not to mention enjoyable. If you’re interested in helping to record people’s stories and memories, to then share with the community, then please get in touch. We have secured funding for this, so the training would be free for the participants.
Contact: judy.crabb@heartofnewhaven.co.uk
or Christine.mcderment@heartofnewhaven.co.uk
Remember to check the website regularly for blogs.
The month of May saw a visit to the Scottish Fisheries Museum in Anstruther, with whom we hope to collaborate on exhibitions and events in the future. As well as their regular collection they also offer temporary exhibitions and the current one runs until 19th June.
You can find the blogs, including Culture & Heritage and View From The Chair, under BLOGS on the website.
Jubilee Parade of Sail at Wardie Bay
Don’t miss out on this major Royal Forth Yacht Club event this weekend … the Platinum Jubilee Parade of Sail 
On the afternoon of Saturday 4th June, Wardie Bay will be filled with the Royal Forth armada of boats. To those members who haven’t signed up so far, don’t miss out on this unique occasion. To all our neighbours, do join in for what will be a fun afternoon both on the water and shore side.
RFYC seeks to create a colourful spectacle, inviting all boat owners to sail a short downwind course across Wardie Bay flying either a spinnaker or goose winged. For motor boats, the flying of flags is encouraged.
Depending on the wind direction, it involves sailing a short course from near the mouth of the harbour to Newhaven or the opposite direction.
We start from 2.30pm, when the launch commences, and the Parade begins at 4.00pm.
Throughout, within the club, our new BBQ will be fired up and the bar will be open. So, whether taking part or spectating, don’t miss out! We will be capturing the event with drone footage.
Every boat taking part will be entered into a Jubilee prize draw with a chance to win a sought after prize!
Follow the link below for more event info and it would be helpful if members could register your boat to take part:
Picnic in the Park
VICTORIA PARK
Sunday 9 June 12.30 – 3.30pm
Heart of Newhaven: April newsletter
To start off this month, we are pleased to be able to welcome yet another partner, with whom we will be working in the future.
Art in Healthcare is a charity that has been working in Edinburgh and Scotland since 1991. They have a large collection of Scottish art that is placed in community, healthcare and social care settings and they also work with professional artists to provide creative workshops in a wide range of communities.
A spokesperson said: “We are really excited to have the opportunity to work at Heart of Newhaven to consider how art can become an integrated part of the organisation and building as it moves forward.
“We are planning a programme of art workshops for all ages and levels of experience, visits to other interesting venues in Edinburgh and the opportunity to visit our stores and help to select works that could be exhibited at the Heart from September 2022 onwards.”
Of course Art in Healthcare is only the latest organisation to approach the Heart.
Visit our Partners page on the website to find out about others.
If anyone knows of any individual, organisation or charity that would like to contribute to our three themes of culture and heritage, learning and enterprise and well-being, and take space at The Heart to do so, do get in touch.
While we are currently negotiating with various groups over use of space, nothing is yet set in stone. We want to maximise the use of space and the benefits to the community that working in partnership can bring.
We have heard of one local artist who mistakenly thought the place was totally full!
While there is certainly lots of interest, it is also a large site and we will do our best to accommodate you.
Contact our project coordinator Judy Crabb if you are interested: judy.crabb@heartofnewhaven.co.uk
Our next collaborative event will be taking place in June, so make a note in your diaries for The Big Picnic on 19th June. This will happen at Victoria Park and is a joint venture with Friends of Victoria Park.
There will be fun for all in a family-orientated event with loads of activities and loads of fun. Look out your picnic baskets, air your picnic blankets and watch this space for more details in the next newsletter.
Now you must know that local elections are taking place on 5th May and those of you who live in the immediate area may have been used to voting at Victoria Primary School.
Do take a close look at your polling card though. If you live in Western Harbour, you will be voting at The Heart, another confirmation that the City of Edinburgh Council is on board with our plans!
If you live along Main Street or other parts of Newhaven, however, you will be voting at Newhaven Church. Make sure you go to the correct place. You can also check here
Finally, you can’t have helped but notice that we’ve launched another Crowdfunder campaign.
As we get ready to accept the keys to the site (date still not confirmed, but hopefully soon) we are also getting ready to hit the ground running.
For this we need funds to clean, paint, repair, plant and generally get the site up to standard. We’re pleased to report that we have already reached the halfway point for the target sum, and have applied for match-funding from other donors, so please do contribute to the campaign, no matter what the amount. It all adds up!
Make sure you spread the word as well and tell all your friends and social media platforms.
Thank you in advance.
Thank you too to all who have helped so far during our site visits and if you haven’t signed up to help (via our Volunteering page on the website) then do so now.
