Category: North Edinburgh News

First for Scotland as Hanover launches online discussion group?

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Hanover (Scotland) Housing Association has launched a new Facebook group for their residents, their friends and relatives to share news, views and useful tips and to ask any questions they may have about Hanover’s services.

‘Hanover Blether’ went live on Monday 29 August 2016 and was made a reality after a resident suggested it would be beneficial to have an online ‘hub’ to connect with other Hanover residents and to share their experiences, news about the local community, events and group activities as well as allowing their friends and family to easily interact with their loved ones.

The group is thought to be the first of its kind in Scotland and although it is maintained jointly by Hanover staff and Hanover residents, the group is completely independent and residents are encouraged to share their views on the organisation and about life in Hanover properties, good or bad.

The group also provides another, more informal, way for residents to get in touch with Hanover directly and to ask anything about the organisation and their tenancy. Hanover noted that the group was not to be used in emergencies or to report a repair, when the usual channels should be used.

Hanover resident, Patrick O’Shea, the brains behind the group said: “I thought it would be a good idea to give Hanover residents a platform to raise issues that they may have and to find out about the problems and experiences of other residents. I also felt that there are many good reasons for staying in Hanover and we should talk about those as well.”

Helen Murdoch, Hanover (Scotland) Housing Association Chief Executive, said: “I’m absolutely delighted Hanover Blether is up and running and look forward to seeing the tremendous benefits it will bring to both ourselves and to our Facebook users.

“Resident engagement is a key strategic priority for Hanover. More and more of our service users, their carers and their relatives are online, and Facebook is a great way to communicate, which will in turn help us to work closely with those people we engage with to improve our services. It will also provide a great forum for our residents to share tips and get to know each other.”

Scottish Government welcomes hate crime report

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Addressing hate crime should be a priority for the whole of society, according to a new independent report. 

The Independent Advisory Group on Hate Crime, Prejudice and Community Cohesion was set up by the Scottish Government last year to examine the issue and their report sets out a number of recommendations on how to help tackle hate crime and prejudice, and build greater community cohesion. This includes the need for stronger partnership working at a national and local level, better data collection on incidents and an approach that is based on prevention and education.

Speaking following the report’s publication on Friday, Cabinet Secretary for Equalities Angela Constance said: “I welcome the work that the Advisory Group has done in producing this report, which contains important messages that we should all reflect on.

“The Scottish Government is committed to doing all that we can to prevent and eradicate hate crime and prejudice, and build community cohesion.

“Let me be clear – there is absolutely no place for bigotry and prejudice in Scotland.

“As a nation, we have a long history of welcoming people of all nationalities and faiths, and we are committed to supporting their integration into our communities. That has assumed even more importance in the aftermath of the EU referendum, when it is vital that we send a message that Scotland remains a welcoming place for all those who have chosen to make this country their home.

“And we will continue to celebrate the fullness of Scotland’s diversity – everyone in Scotland must be empowered to achieve their potential irrespective of race, faith, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability.

“Since 2012, we have invested over £100 million to promote equality and tackle discrimination and we are continuing to work closely with partner organisations to advance our vision of ‘One Scotland’.

“However, I recognise that there is still progress to be made, and we will be carefully considering the recommendations from the Advisory Group in full.”

Cabinet Secretary for Justice Michael Matheson added: “Everyone has the right to be safe and to feel safe in their communities.

“We already have strong laws to protect against discrimination and I would encourage anyone who believes they have been a victim of hate crime to report it to the police immediately.

“Our justice partners are doing important work to raise awareness, engage with communities, encourage reporting and ensure that perpetrators of these unacceptable acts are held to account.

“We are continuing to work closely with our key partners and community leaders to ensure people feel protected in Scotland, and anyone found to be engaging in hate crime will feel the full force of the law.”

Duncan Morrow, Chair of the Independent Advisory Group: “We are very pleased to present our report to the Scottish Government. The Government’s commitment to exploring this issue with people who experience hate crime and its effects has been a very welcome and important indicator of its leadership in this issue.

“We found that hate crime remains an all too real issue with real effects on individuals, families, communities and social cohesion. Attacks spread fear to all those who know that they too could face the same violence, and isolates the victims from the rest of society. This in turn fuels prejudice.

“We know that this issue is taken very seriously in Scotland but we heard from too many that reported hate crime is only part of the story. Our recommendations include recommendations to the Government and for criminal justice agencies, including the police.

“However, addressing the underlying issue means sharing the responsibility more widely. Schools and teachers are often in the front line. Community services at local level can have an important influence. Youth workers, transport providers and community organisations are often in a position to act more immediately and more effectively. Political and community leadership is important. Identifying ways for people to act without putting themselves at risk is important. And exploring the opportunities for restorative justice may also be important.

“We hope that the report allows the Scottish Government to continue with its work in this area by providing positive avenues for action and opportunities for partnership working to address this vital issue.”

The full report can be viewed at http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2016/09/3565

 

West Pilton West Granton: your community needs YOU!

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Please get your application to be a Community Councillor form in to our Returning Officer, Councillor Vicki Redpath immediately!!
A nomination form is attached (see below)
You have to get it signed by 2 other residents who propose and second your nomination.
Please send the completed form to Vicki. Her email address is below but your form has to be actually signed.
Either give it to her directly or leave your form at the West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre early on Monday where I will pick it up and deliver it to Vicki.
Vicki is on 0131 529 3262 or vicki.redpath@edinburgh.gov.uk
Vicki will leave some blank forms at West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre at about 11 o’ clock this morning. Forms can be filled in and then left at Muirhouse Library for her to collect when she does her surgery on Monday at 6pm.
Please tell anyone else you know would be interested in becoming a Community Councillor. We only have till Monday night to get nominations in!
Please make this a priority, we need you!!
Barbara Robertson

See St Columba’s tomorrow on Doors Open Day

St Columba’s Hospice is pleased to be taking part in Doors Open Day Edinburgh on Saturday 24th September …

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For one day only, buildings across Edinburgh with a fascinating story to tell will be open to the public, so come and join us to see what goes on at St Columba’s Hospice. Our doors will be open from 11am – 4pm.

We’ll be opening our doors to the general public, giving you a chance to meet our staff and volunteers who will be on hand to answer any questions you might have about the Hospice, palliative care, the services we provide and there’s even an opportunity to meet our therapets.

As part of Doors Open Day at St Columba’s Hospice, you can:

  • visit our Day Hospice which is where patients spend one day a week for peer support, nurse-led clinics, appointments with complementary therapists and other health and social care staff
  • spend time in our Information Hub which is part of the original Challenger Lodge building
  • view the original Challenger Lodge building and rooms which are not normally open to the public, which have stunning views over the Firth of Forth
  • tour the Centre for Education & Research where you can visit our lecture and seminar rooms
  • admire a scale model of the Hospice
  • find out about the impact our care has had across Edinburgh and the Lothians
  • visit historical areas of the building and artefacts which have been incorporated into our buildings such as the railings outside the Centre for Education & Research
  • have lunch and refreshments in the Iona Café
  • Spend time in our gardens (if the weather allows!), home to our Tribute Garden which is part of our Tribute Fund initiative.

 

On Doors Open Day, you will be able to learn about the Hospice, the services we provide and the architecture of our building – both the historical Challenger Lodge and also the multi-million pound newly built extension.

Guided tours will be offered by our team of volunteers throughout the day.

Edinburgh riding high among world’s top universities

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The University of Edinburgh is among the leading lights in the world of higher education, featuring 27th on the list of the world’s top learning establishments.

The University of Edinburgh, University of Glasgow, University of St. Andrews, University of Dundee and the University of Aberdeen remained in the top 200 universities for 2016-17 in the world’s most comprehensive global league table of higher education.

The new rankings mean Scotland has more institutions per head of population in the top 200 than any other country except Luxembourg.

The THE rankings examine a university’s strengths including research, knowledge transfer, international outlook and the teaching environment. Oxford University tops the league and both Cambridge and Imperial College London also feature in the top ten.

Minister for Further Education and Higher Education Shirley-Anne Somerville said: ““I welcome these figures which underline our strength in higher education and the value with which the Scottish approach is held globally. Credit is due to the staff and students at all five universities for their hard work to achieve this.

“Scotland continues to punch above its weight, having more institutions per head of population in the top 200 than any other country except Luxembourg. This continued strong performance is against a backdrop of other European universities suffering in the rankings due to the ascent of Asian institutions.

“The Scottish Government is investing over £1 billion in our higher education institutions in 2016-17, ensuring that all of our institutions receive financial support to enable them to deliver high quality teaching, world class research and knowledge exchange and remain internationally competitive.”

The five Scottish universities are ranked:

University of Edinburgh – 27th

University of Glasgow – 88th

University of St. Andrews – 110th

University of Dundee – 180th

University of Aberdeen – 188th

End of summer and time for new faces at Trinity CC

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Here’s your first update of the autumn together with details of how to join Trinity Community Council.  It’s really very simple.  Just get two other residents who haven’t already nominated someone to sign the attached form (below) , fill in your own details, sign the second side of it and return both to Cllr Allan Jackson at Edinburgh City Chambers by 4pm on Monday 26th September.

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Sainsburys cyclists go the extra mile for chosen charity

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Colleagues from Sainsburys Blackhall store recently took part in the BIG BIKE RIDE Challenge, cycling from Nairn to Blackhall and visiting Sainsburys stores on the way. Colleagues from Blackhall were taking part to raise money for our Local Charity of the Year – Health in Mind.

Three local boys from the Davidsons Mains Pipe Band gave their time to pipe the cyclists into store and the 170th Girl Guide company also gave their time to Bag pack for the charity.

Colleagues from Blackhall would like to thank everyone for their support and also the customers who donated.

We have raised a total of £1,700 for our charity, Health in Mind, so far.

Gail, Sainburys Blackhall

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Samba and salsa at Septemberfest this Saturday

Septemberfest 2016

Community Festival at Broughton High School

East Fettes Avenue, Comely Bank

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Saturday 24th September 11am – 4pm

Free Entry and lots of free activities for all ages

Fun for all the family. This years Septemberfest has a Brazilian Olympics feel to it, with lots of sports to try out, and all the usual bouncy castles, inflatable assault course, gladiators, bubble football, sumo suits and climbing tower.

The craft fair has loads of fantastic handcrafted goods. Have a go at drumming and listen to the samba band. There will be magic shows from Gary and Stone the Crow, Mr Puffins fantastic balloons, face painting, samba dance workshops and displays, music, archery,  bikes, hula hoops, judo, fencing, crazy science, Ron Ray street magician and henna tattoos. Come and ring the siren on a heritage and a real fire engine. There will be lots of craft activities to try. Get your bike fixed for free with Edinburgh Cycles. Tea and cakes, BBQ, pizza, Indian food, Paella, Tango Iceblast, smoothies and ice cream.  

Septemberfest 2016 is partly funded by Active Edinburgh and the Inverleith Neighbourhood Partnership and is supported by Active Schools and Community Learning and Development.

Free entry and many activities are free.

Facebook  @septemberfestbhs

Born To Fail? Barnardo’s to launch ‘Believe in Me’ campaign

Wake up call for parents as 87% of young people in Scotland today say they lack confidence and doubt they will succeed in life.

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That’s the stark findings from the UK’s number one children’s charity, Barnardo’s.  

  • 87% of 11-18 year olds lack confidence.
  • Only 20% feel confident about the future
  • 64% say grown-ups are ‘not very good’ at telling them they believe they can succeed.
  • 45% of parents agree there’s more pressure on young people today than when they were young, while 65% admit their expectations of children range from high to too high.

The new research is a wake-up call for parents and adults about the importance of expressing belief in children and young people. The majority of children asked said that a supportive adult – be that a parent or other family member, carer, teacher or employer – is the most important thing to help them pursue their goals and have a bright future.

64% say grown-ups they know are ‘not very good’ at telling them they believe they can succeed.  And almost two thirds of the parents questioned accepted that their expectations of children are high or too high.

The survey on behalf of Barnardo’s shows that British youngsters feel increasing pressure to perform in all aspects of their lives, but don’t necessarily have the support they crave to help them cope.

Martin Crewe, Scotland Director of Barnardo’s, said: “Barnardo’s has been supporting children for 150 years, and today we help 248,000 young people and families every year.  We know how vital it is our young people believe in themselves, and much of our work across our 996 services hopefully gives them the confidence to believe that anything is possible.”

Four thousand secondary school children and parents were surveyed and the results were announced as Barnardo’s unveils its new Ten Year Strategy to help 300,000 more vulnerable children and their families across the country.  At the heart of the strategy is the Barnardo’s founding ethos that no child that needs help is ever turned away.

Barnardo’s is setting out its ambitious ten year strategy to transform the lives of millions of young people from every background across the country in front of an invited audience at the Victoria & Albert Museum of Childhood later today. It will also launch a major new marketing campaign, called ‘Believe in Me’, to support the strategy and stress the importance of believing in children.

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