North Edinburgh News – Page 3556 – The NEN

Street League comes to North Edinburgh

Street League, who use football to work with 16-24 year olds and help progress them into employment, run free employability courses for unemployed young people and a new Certificate Of Work Readiness Course starts in North Edinburgh today.

These courses are for 16-24 year olds, last for 12 weeks and offer:

• An opportunity to gain a recognised SQA qualification

• An 8 week work trial

• 1-1 employability support

• Improve personal development

• Develop fitness and football skills

The local course, which is running from Spartans Football Academy and Royston Wardieburn Community Centre, will be run by Danny Munro & Stuart Inglis. For further info or to make a referral contact Stuart on 07788312856, email stuart.inglis@streetleague.co.uk

The Centipede’s back!

There IS such a thing as a free lunch!

MUIRHOUSE CENTIPEDE PROJECT

Open Lunch Meeting
Tuesday 28 April, 12 noon
North Edinburgh Arts

An informal (free!) lunch to chat about your ideas about how we can make use of the brownfield sites until the houses are built on them. We would love to see you there! Open to all.

Do you remember the wishing tree in 2014?

We asked local residents to tell us what they want to see happen in the area. Now with the endorsement of the City of Edinburgh Council, we are helping to make some of the wishes come true!

This is the start of a wide range of community activity across the brown field sites in Muirhouse. In partnership with the council, we are looking for ideas for temporary activities that brighten up the community until the houses get built.

Community Gardens are a great way to:

Improve health and wellbeing
Grow your own food
Meet new people
Socialise with friends
Learn new skills
Have fun and relax

And now you have the chance to create your own community garden with Centipede Project, then as part of the development of the empty sites by the City of Edinburgh Council. This includes the land near Pennywell Gardens and Muirhouse Avenue until the new houses get built.

How can you be involved?

Attend our free open lunch to share your ideas!

Tuesday 28 April
North Edinburgh Arts
12noon

Get in touch if you’re interested in being involved:

Email: centipedeproject@outlook.com
Telephone: 0131 315 2151 (ask for Joanne)
In Person: We are based in North Edinburgh Arts

Download our leaflets with all upcoming events here and here.

It’s Gavin at the double!

One of The Roxburghe Hotel’s most esteemed team members was recognised at the 12th annual Scottish Hotel Awards last week. Concierge Gavin Stirling picked up the coveted Concierge of the Year crown for the second year running.

The glittering ceremony, held on Sunday 19 April at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Glasgow, was a night of celebrations for staff at the four-star capital hotel, as they congratulated the hospitality star on retaining his much-deserved title.

37-year-old Gavin, who has worked at the Roxburghe for six years and in hospitality for 14 years, has been credited as an ambassador for the hotel and the wider hospitality industry in Scotland. Heading up a dedicated concierge team, Gavin’s welcoming nature and unrivalled desire to go above and beyond for guests has secured his place at the top of the title race for a consecutive year.

The hotel, located on the corner of Edinburgh’s Charlotte Square, was also named regional winner of Business Hotel of the Year for Edinburgh and the Lothians in recognition of its vibrant restaurant, luxurious bedrooms and state-of-the-art resources for modern business travellers.

Marcello Ventisei, general manager of The Roxburghe Hotel, said: “Gavin has done The Roxburghe proud yet again at this year’s Scottish Hotel Awards. His unwavering dedication to our clients and the hotel as a whole is fantastic and I’m delighted to see it duly recognised among the industry yet again.

“We’re lucky to have a fantastic team on board, all of whom work exceptionally hard to ensure the highest standards at the hotel – our regional award for Business Hotel of the Year is testament to that.”

Taxi! Keir calls for tighter legislation

‘Public safety is everything’ – SNP MSP Colin Keir

SNP MSP for Edinburgh Western Colin Keir has called for tighter legislation of taxis and private hire cars during a Holyrood debate on the Air Rifles and Licensing Bill.

Mr Keir is supporting moves to introduce a test for Private Hire Car drivers as well as tightening the legislation on booking offices. He also called on vehicles which are currently exempt from the licensing system to be included on the grounds of public safety.

Mr Keir said: “The legislation which deals with taxis and private hire cars was drawn up as a part of the 1982 Civic Government Scotland Act and needs to be amended. The use of mobile phones and apps were not known years ago and the law and the trade have to adapt to modern circumstances.”

Mr Keir added: “Everyone who uses a taxi or private hire car must know that it is safe to get into a vehicle and must have confidence that there’s a fit and proper person behind the wheel – public safety is everything.”

Powerful Partnership: Circle Scotland and George Heriots short-listed for national award

Local initiative up for Powerful Partnership Award

An innovative collaboration between West Pilton-based family charity Circle Scotland and senior pupils from George Heriot’s School has been shortlisted in the 2015 Scottish Charity Awards.

Nominated in the Perfect Partnership category, Circle’s Inter School Social Education Project (ISSEP) sees George Heriot’s S6 pupils volunteering every week for a year, providing one-to-one mentoring for a primary aged child in the North Edinburgh community.

The children benefit from the consistency and commitment of a caring and enthusiastic role model; the mentors gain increased social awareness and responsibility.

Circle’s ISSEP is one of 31 terrific finalists spread across six categories – Celebrating Communities, Charity Champion, Charity of the Year, Cracking Campaign, Digital Dynamos and Perfect Partnerships – and faces stiff competition in the People’s Choice public vote.

You can take part in the People’s Choice public vote:

go to www.scvo.org.uk/vote

Voting closes on 8 May.

Winners will be announced at a gala event in Edinburgh’s Assembly Rooms on 4 June.

A busy weekend in Trinity

On *Saturday *we have our annual Trinity CC walkabout. Starts at 10 outside Wardie Primary.

What are you doing on Sunday? How about exploring our walkway/cycle paths? Check out https://dub125.mail.live.com/?tid=cmYYVN7FDq5BG9xNidZ1yJrg2&fid=flinbox

What about Monday? So much to choose from ….

If you’re interested in Crime Prevention then you might like to try this:
https://nen.press/2015/04/21/neighbourhood-watch-event-at-trinity-academy/

…but if culture (in aid of a good cause) is more your thing, then check out the attached poster – an annual concert at North Leith Parish Church featuring our very own Trinity Pipers (and others). Its in aid of Help the Heroes.

Of course, if you’re quick off the mark you might just be able to fit both in! Beats Eastenders!

Bill Rodger, Trinity Community Council

Info from EVOC

EVOC Annual Review Survey

Please spare five minutes to complete this short survey to help EVOC review its work over the last year (closes 30th April 2015).

Why Localities?

The city’s Third Sector must both prepare for the shift to localities as well as influence the shift to localities. To engage, inform, and gather views EVOC is hosting a series of thinkSpace events during April and May. We’re keen for as many Third Sector voices as possible to come together. Register to attend via our Eventbrite page.

City Chambers advice event for gala organisers

Councillor Gavin Barrie, Convenor of the Licensing Regulatory Committee would like to extend an invitation to a meeting on Wednesday, 29 April 2015 from 6pm – 7.30pm in the European Room at City Chambers.

There have been many queries from organisers so this evening should provide lots of useful information for those of you who are thinking of organising a Community Event or Gala Day.

Councillor Maureen Child will join us to sit on the panel for the Question & Answer session along with Catherine Scanlin, Licensing Manager and Gordon Hunter, Licensing Policy & Project Officer.

Agenda:
6pm Coffee
6.15pm Introduction from Councillor Barrie
6.25pm Presentation from the Licensing Service
6.45pm Questions and Answer Session
7.15pm Closing remarks

Could you please confirm your attendance by emailing isla.burton@edinburgh.gov.uk

Please let us know if you require any assistance to attend or take part e.g. large print, disabled access requirements, travel arrangements, hearing loop, etc. We look forward to meeting you all!

Fiveways to have a wheely good weekend!

It’s all happening on our local cycle paths on Sunday

Edinburgh & Lothians Greenspace Trust is running an event on the cycle paths in North Edinburgh this coming Sunday (writes ELGT’s Mark Sydenham).

Over the past few months we have been working at Fiveways Junction on some landscaping improvements to make Fiveways a landmark on the cycle paths.

Volunteers from Pilton Equalities Project and MYDG have been hard at work carrying out some woodland management and undergrowth clearance in the surrounding woodlands, opening the area up and cutting back overhanging ivy and branches to make the paths brighter and safer.

Royston Wardieburn Community Centre have been working on a six week project on the cycle paths with one of their groups, which has included learning about the paths and their history, and planting some fruit bushes.

This coming Sunday, we are inviting everyone to come along and take part. We have fruit and other bushes to plant, as well as other activities. We will have prizes and goodies to give away too!.

To win one of the prizes, we have a little quiz/treasure hunt – to get the questions, turn up to either the Crewe Toll bridge (over Ferry Road) or King George V Park (Canonmills) between 1pm and 1.30pm and then search out the answers on your way to Fiveways (make sure you get there by 1.30!).

Or just come along to Fiveways and join in the activities between 1pm and 4pm.

There is more information here:

http://www.innertubemap.com/2015/04/26-april-fiveways-junction-makeover-day/

and we will be putting more things up on our Facebook page too

(https://www.facebook.com/pages/Edinburgh-Lothians-Greenspace-Trust/192106231309?ref=hl)

We hope to see some of you on Sunday!

Mark Sydenham, Edinburgh & Lothians Greenspace Trust

Telephone 445 4025

www.elgt.org.uk

Letter: Capitalism – making millions miserable

Dear Editor

Most people have felt the effects of the latest economic crisis; many people have experienced more than one.

The population needs to work regularly to be able to care for their families; they need good pay, decent conditions of work and security of employment.

We live in a capitalist society where the owners of money wealth control where and when to invest. More important to them is their right, if they find profit too low, to withdraw money from industry and business – even to the extent of closing them down – regardless of the effects on employees. This investment and disinvestment happens every day on a large scale, and the system allows a relatively small number of wealthy people to have power over the lives of many people. This cannot be right and must be changed.

As a first step in changing the sytem, the industries on which all people rely – electricity, gas, water supply and sewerage – should be excluded from private profit making as they are essential to every home. Rail and road passenger transport services are also essential in getting to and from work and for social mobility. Again, these industries are needed by everybody so it is essential they should be operated for the benefit of everyone, not for the private profit of the few.

Other essential universal services could also be ncluded, making furthr changes to the system of capitalism that has caused so much hardship to millions of people: people who are now being forced to pay for the crisis they did not create.

A. Delahoy

Silverknowes Gardens