North Edinburgh News – Page 3749 – The NEN

Minister pledges support for community growing schemes

Scotland’s growing Grow Your Own movement was given extra support by Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead during a visit to Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre this morning. The minister was impressed by the Centre’s Drylaw and Telford Community Gardens project, and after meeting some enthusiastic volunteers Mr Lochhead endorsed the workings of the Grow Your Own Working Group.

Made possible through Climate Challenge Funding, Drylaw’s community gardens project has now been running for three years and – like the healthiest of plants – has continued to thrive. From small beginnings the project has flourished and now encompasses two orchards and vegetable and flower beds at Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre, along with a number of patches of once unused and unwanted across the area which have been transformed. And it’s not only flowers and vegetables that have flourished – the number of volunteers involved in the gardening project has grown too, and the group has supported te development of gardening projects at nearby Ferryhill and Rowanfield schools.

Richard Lochhead met Centre staff and volunteers to talk about the project before going on to plant some tatties with Brendan and Brandon, two green-fingered helpers from Rowanfield School. He also met members of the Centre’s enthusiastic gardening group who proudly displayed their recenty-created willow tunnel.

The Minister said: ” There are so many benefits to projects like this one, and I am really very encouraged and impressed by what I’ve seen in Drylaw today. It’s been great to see the contribution of the staff and the enthusiasm of the volunteers and it would be great to see these ideas replicated all over Scotland. I’ve also learned some posh new recipe ideas from some of the young volunteers, so well done to everyone involved!”

Mr Lochhead’s support for community initiatives like Drylaw Community Gardens follows the launch of a consultation on simplifying and overhauling Scotland’s allotment rules, and there are three meetings taking place for people to air their views – in Inverness, Glasgow and Edinburgh. Twenty seven recommendations were made in a report from the Grow Your Own Working Group (GYOWG) that covered six key themes: planning, legal, skills, community land, guidance and funding. The GYOWG has been working collaboratively with the Scottish Government and other partners to deliver these recommendations.

Mr Lochhead said: “More and more people are looking to get their hands dirty by getting back to nature and growing their own food. Growing your own food allows people to eat the fruits of their own labour and understand where their food comes from – a topic which is high on the agenda at the moment. The work of the Grow Your Own Working Group is making it easier for people to do this by pulling people together to develop best practice and practical advice, and encouraging more people and groups to get involved.”

David Jamieson, Chair of the Grow Your Own Working Group, said: “The wonderful garden in Drylaw is an excellent example of a community making the most of their local space to get active and grow food. We are delighted that Mr Lochhead is able to see for himself the fruits of their labour, and really pleased that the Scottish Government is doing so much to encourage communities across Scotland to do likewise.”

Cammy Day is vice-convener of the city council’s Health and Wellbeing Committee as well as being a member of Drylaw’s management committee. He said: “The health benefits associated with community growing include providing exercise in the open air – exercise which we can take at our own pace and therefore suitable for all ages; it helps to relieve stress and is of proven benefit to mental health and wellbeing. Locally produced food also contributes to healthy eating and helps to combat the risks of obesity and sedentary lifestyles. It also helps to reduce our carbon footprint, so contributes in a small way to the battle against climate change.”

He added: “The Community garden project has been a great success and it’s been a real community initiative that’s gone from strength to strength. I’d like to thank Roy (Douglas) and the staff and management committee at Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre, particularly Elizabeth (Graham) and her team of volunteers for all the hard work and effort they have put in.”

Jason Rust, also a city councillor, is legal adviser to Scottish Land & Estates. He added: “We are keen to see partnership working with public, private and community landowners making further land available for allotment sites and community growing spaces, and for awareness of the range of advantages to be increased. Drylaw is a great example of what can be achieved.”

The Edinburgh allotment consultation meeting will be held on

Thursday 16 May from 2 – 4pm in Saughton House, Broomhouse Drive, EH11 3XD.

For more information about growing your community, contact the Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens on 0131 623 7058, email scotland@farmgarden.org.uk or visit the website www.farmgarden.org.uk

You can also visit Drylaw & Telford Community Gardens on Facebook

Letter: A May Day message

Dear Editor

In the 1920s and 1930s people in the UK were suffering widespread poverty, imposed on them by a Conservative Government and their allies.

Following the end of the 1939 – 1945 war it was the returning servicemen and women, mainly in the age group 20 – 40 – and allied to the older generations – that determined there would be no going back to pre-war conditions, and that radical changes would be made. The war had devastated the UK financially and the main basic structures – railways, coal mines, power stations and gas works – were worn out and failing. A brief reading of those times will give an idea of the colossal tasks faced, but they were backed by serving the interests of all people, taking those main basic industries out of private hands and control, thus introducing a whole series f social welfare services – of which the NHS is the most important.

Starting with the Thatcher government and continued by the Conservative government and it’s allies of today, the process of returning industries and social welfare services to private ownership has been stepped up. Despite their protestations to the contrary their first interest us to make money; why otherwise would they be willing to take over?

With regard to the NHS, the privateers know that people at large recognise it’s importance and are prepared to defend it. So instead of outright privatisation the Government is dismantling it piece by piece, allowing private companies to tender for NHS services amongst other ways.

This, almost the last of the universal public services, must be protected from those whose aim in life is to make a profit. As in the period after World War Two, men and women in their twenties, thirties and forties – again allied to the older generations – must make sure that the wealth produced by the nation is used for the benefit of all, not the few.

A. Delahoy

Silverknowes Gardens

Babies to be offered vaccination against rotavirus – and kids can pick up a passport too

All babies in Scotland born on or after May 1 this year will be offered vaccination against rotavirus, the Scottish Government has announced.

Rotavirus causes severe diarrhoea and vomiting in babies and young children, and can lead to dehydration that requires hospital treatment. The introduction of the rotavirus vaccine follows a recommendation of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation. The vaccine will be part of the routine childhood immunisation programme and mainly given in GP surgeries.

Minister for Public Health Michael Matheson said: “The rotavirus vaccine has already been given safely to millions of babies around the world. Currently in Scotland, around 1,200 babies have to go to hospital every year due to severe diarrhoea and vomiting caused by rotavirus, and in some of the most serious cases that can result in a hospital stay. The vaccine will not only protect tens of thousands of children from the effects of rotavirus every year, it will cut down on costly hospital admissions and the anxiety of hospital stays for parents and children.”

Rotavirus is the first in a number of forthcoming additions to immunisation programmes. Childhood immunisation in Scotland is highly successful and a key contributor to protecting our public health.

A two dose vaccine will be offered routinely to all babies aged two months, and again at three months when they attend for their first and second routine childhood immunisations. The rotavirus vaccine, Rotarix®, is given orally as a liquid and protects against the most common strains of rotavirus. It is not a new vaccine and has been used extensively with millions of doses having been given to babies in other countries. More information can is available from Immunisation Scotland

As with any vaccine or medicine newly introduced in the UK, the Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency will closely monitor the use of the Rotarix® vaccine.

The introduction of the rotavirus programme is part of a wider programme of changes to the routine immunisation programme in Scotland. They are:

– From June 2013, changes to the current schedule for administering the Meningitis C vaccine

– From September 2013, the introduction of a shingles vaccine for people aged 70 and 79 years to protect against shingles

– From autumn 2013, a phased rollout of the new childhood flu programme – the extension of the seasonal flu programme to all children aged two to 17 years. The programme will be phased over the next two to three years.

And in another child health development, an innovative scheme which aims to help children combat their fear of being in hospital is to be rolled out in children’s hospitals across Scotland. The Hospital Passport scheme was developed by psychologists at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Glasgow (Yorkhill) and has been piloted in a number of wards in the hospital.

Children can use the passport around the hospital collecting a variety of stickers and stamps as they go through various treatments, or “travel” to different departments.

It aims to make children feel more at ease, and more involved in their treatment and care.

Health Secretary Alex Neil met some of the children who have benefitted from the passport and said: “Going into hospital can be a scary time for a child, and this passport is a great tool to help put children at ease. It gives them ways to feel more prepared when coming into hospital for appointments, assessments and treatments. I’ve met with some of the children and families who have used the passport to hear their own experiences of how it helped make going into hospital seem less daunting. I am delighted that the passport is now to be rolled out to other children’s hospitals across Scotland, and I hope it can make a difference to the experiences of more children and their families.”

A parent involved in the pilot scheme said: “It definitely helped me and my child talk more and made it easier to approach what is wrong with her and why she has come to hospital.”

One of the children said: “It is good cos it helps the doctors and nurses help me better.”

The passport is jointly funded by Yorkhill Children’s Foundation and NHS Education for Scotland (NES).

There has also been interest from Great Ormond Street Hospital in London and the National Children’s Hospital in Dublin to develop their own passport scheme.

Children or their parents can request a copy of the Hospital Passport Coping Kit from staff when they come into hospital.

It includes an information sheet for parents so they can use the passport to talk through with their child what will happen to them in hospital, discuss anything which is making the child anxious, and choose techniques to make them feel less worried.

It is primarily aimed at primary school aged children but can also be used for older children.

Psychologist Dr Janie Donnan, who co-created the Hospital Passport Coping Kit at Yorkhill, explained: “The passport has proven to be a great success not only among children but also with parents and staff and we are delighted that we’ve had so much interest in developing it further and rolling it out across Scotland. Of the children and parents we surveyed about the impact of the passport, 100 per cent of children said they would recommend it to their friends and more than 90 per cent of parents said they would recommend the Hospital Passport as a useful tool.

“It gives children a simple way to make choices about what would help them with procedures and treatments, and communicates those easily to staff, which helps place them at the heart of decision making around their own healthcare. Staff also found the passport helped them with hints and tips in how to support children during procedures and make hospital visits as positive an experience as possible for them.”

Yorkhill Children’s Foundation Director of Fundraising David Welch added: “The Hospital Passport is a crucial tool in supporting children and families during hospital visits and procedures. It is vital children are given as much help and assistance as quickly as possible to ensure any distress or discomfort is dealt with quickly and appropriately – we are delighted the Hospital Passport it set to reach a national audience around Scotland which is an initiative we hope to continue to support.”

Programme Director for Paediatric Psychology at NHS Education for Scotland, Dr Terri Carney, said: “We are delighted to have supported the pilot for the Hospital Passport and to have financed the training in the use of the Passport for paediatric staff throughout NHSScotland. It links in with other ongoing wider skills based training programmes for paediatric staff designed to improve communication with children and young people and increase psychological knowledge and understanding within paediatric staff across Scotland.”

Still time to register for St Columba’s Water of Leith Walk

Water of Leith Walk

While the countdown is on for the St Columba’s Hospice Water of Leith Walk on 12 May, there’s still time to register – registration is open until 10 May, so why not sign up to walk one of the most beautiful routes in Edinburgh to help build a new St Columba’s Hospice?

Sunday 12 May 2013
Start times between 9.30am and 11am

Walk the Big Yin
Balerno – Leith Links (12.25 miles)

Walk the Wee Yin
Murrayfield – Leith Links (5 miles)

We hope you will join us!

Taking a stroll along the Water of Leith is one of the must do things for any visitor to Edinburgh, yet how many of us have ever walked the whole 12.25 miles of it? Here’s your chance to do just that, and help build a new home for St Columba’s Hospice.

The St Columba’s Hospice Water of Leith Walk will be held on Sunday 12 May. Walkers of all ages are welcome, and participants can walk on their own, or enter as a family or a team with up to six members.

Starting in Balerno, the full 12.25 mile walk (the ‘Big Yin’) will follow the river as it winds its way through Colinton Village and Dell, the Union Canal, Saughton Winter Gardens, Murrayfield Stadium, the Scottish Gallery of Modern Art, Dean Village, Stockbridge, the Royal Botanic Garden and finally, to our new finishing point at Leith Links.

For those that would find a shorter stroll more appealing, there is also the gentler ‘Wee Yin’ – a five mile route from Murrayfield to Leith.

Along the way you’ll get the chance to see stunning natural landscapes, remnants of Edinburgh’s industrial history, and a wide diversity of plants and animals, from orchids to otters.

This will be an unforgettable experience and help build a new home for St Columba’s Hospice.

To register please contact Sìne on 0131 551 7707 or sward@stcolumbashospice.org.uk or download the flyer/entry form on the right and email it to us.

You can also register on the day, the details are as follows:

The ‘Big Yin’

Registration location – Balerno Community Centre
Registration time – 9.30am – 10.30am
Official start time – 10.00am
End point – Leith Links

The ‘Wee Yin’

Registration location – Murrayfield Coach Park
Registration time – 10.30am – 11.30am
Offical start time – 11.00am
End point – Leith Links

£25m housing boost for disadvantaged communities

Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and COSLA President Councillor David O’Neill today announced a £25 million fund which aims to help transform disadvantaged areas across Scotland.

The Regeneration Capital Grant Fund (RCGF), which has been developed in partnership with local authorities, will provide financial support to projects that will help to deliver large scale positive improvements to deprived areas. It will focus on projects that engage and involve local communities and those that can demonstrate the ability to deliver sustainable regeneration outcomes. The fund will be open to local authorities, urban regeneration companies and regeneration special purpose vehicles.

The Deputy First Minister and COSLA President announced the new fund during a visit to Govan Workspace in Glasgow – a project supported by the European Regional Development Fund involving the transformation of the 1670m2 derelict Fairfield Shipyard offices in Govan into 12 new workspaces for SMEs and social enterprises.

Ms Sturgeon said: “Investment in large scale regeneration projects is absolutely key for stimulating economic growth throughout Scotland. The development of this fund is a great example of how Scotland’s public bodies can work in partnership to deliver initiatives that help to create more jobs for Scottish people, while bringing our communities closer together and injecting new life into deprived and run down areas.

“Community involvement is integral to the success of the design and delivery of local economic and social regeneration initiatives. This government is absolutely clear about the contribution that regeneration makes to growing our economy and improving the life chances of Scotland’s people. I am pleased that COSLA have agreed to work with us on this initiative and that local authorities will play a fundamental role in delivery while ensuring local people are at the heart of the projects that will help to transform the spaces around them.”

Councillor David O’Neill, President of COSLA said: “Councils and their partners work at the heart of every local community and are uniquely placed to deliver regeneration outcomes with and for local communities. COSLA and Scottish Government via the creation of the Regeneration Capital Grant Fund are helping to ensure the delivery of Scotland’s regeneration strategy has the biggest economic, social and environment impact possible on local communities.

“Communities want resources focused on delivering large scale regeneration projects which can also deliver wider impacts of job creation, clearing up land as well as regenerating buildings and infrastructure. We believe the fund as envisaged will deliver long term strategic and transformational change. I look forward to seeing the outcomes of this fund at local level throughout Scotland over the next few years. Scotland’s identity is to a large extent local and so are people’s expectations, this fund will enable local authorities to deliver local communities expectations of the places they want to live in and be proud of for years to come.”

‘Many hundreds’ take the Postcode Challenge

Despite distinctly changeable weather ‘many hundreds’ of local cyclists and walkers of all ages and abilities took part in the annual Postcode Challenge on Sunday, embracing the opportunity to explore some of Edinburgh’s 75km of off-road paths and cycleways and pick up some prizes too!

Building on the success of the Postcode Challenge, Edinburgh and Lothians Greeenspace Trust (ELGT) now plans to deliver a programme of activities along the route, designed to raise awareness of this fantastic resource and to help improve the network for all users, including walkers and cyclists, as well as the local wildlife.

Activities will include conservation opportunities, environmental education, and guided walks to explore the local habitats and biodiversity along the routes.

To find out more about the programme and get regular updates, contact the Edinburgh & Lothians Greenspace Trust:

Telephone 0131 445 4025

Email info@elgt.org.uk and sign up for email updates

Or follow ELGT on Twitter @greenspacetrust or @innertubemap

It’s Total Craigroyston Week!

This week, North Edinburgh is going Totally Craigroyston! Read on …

There are loads of opportunities to find out about

TOTAL CRAIGROYSTON

what we’ve been doing over the past 6 months and where we’ve got to since we published our Road Map.

The Total Craigroyston team will be in the community shop in Pennywell Road on

Monday 29 April from 8.30 – 12.00

and Tuesday 30 April from 2.00 – 5.00pm

See the Total Craigroyston exhibition

in Muirhouse Library on

Wednesday 1 May and Thursday 2 May

Come to our feedback and ideas session in

North Edinburgh Arts Centre

on Fri 3May from 10.30 – 12.00 (lunch and crèche provided)

Open to local workers and local residents

Please book a place for the Friday session by emailing info@totalcraigroyston.co.uk

or by phoning the Total Craigroyston Team at 529 3032 or 529 7054

Going Forth Together

Get on your bike for The Postcode Challenge

Explore the North Edinburgh Cycleways with Edinburgh’s favourite treasure hunt on wheels!

What: The Postcode Challenge, organised by The Edinburgh & Lothians Greenspace Trust and The Bike Station. This is a fun, free ‘treasure hunt’ event for cyclists and walkers on the North Edinburgh Path Network, part of the Innertube project and funded by People’s Postcode Trust

Where: The North Edinburgh Cycleways (various entrances to the cycleway including at: Trinity Rd/Lower Granton Road; Ferry Road; Clark Road; Wardie Road; Hawthornvale; Pilton Drive; Scotland St)

When: Sunday 28^th April 2013, 11am – 4pm

This coming Sunday is the third Postcode Challenge on the north Edinburgh paths, a fun, free event for cyclists and walkers, a ‘treasure hunt on wheels’ (and foot), with the chance to explore around 27km of continuous off-road routes and to enter into the prize draw at the same time.

Dotted around the network will be ten stands, run by local organisations. Find your first one (you can start anywhere on the route) and they will give you a card. Get the card stamped at all ten locations (five if you are on foot) and bring it back to the event HQ at Fiveways Junction by 4pm to be entered into the free prize draw. As well as the main prizes, many of the stands may have freebies and presents to give away too and you’ll be able to get your bike fixed and have cycling advice from Hart’s Cyclery, Edinburgh Bicycle Co-op and The Bike Station stands.

The event is totally traffic free and great for all ages and everyone is welcome – you can take part on your own, as a family or as part of a team.

Participants can download further information here and a cyclist route map and stamp card here or if you are on foot, download the walkers’ version. Or just collect one at the first stand you find.

Look out for the following stalls on the route:

The Bike Station – for bike repairs with Dr Bike
Edinburgh & Lothians Greenspace Trust
The Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop – check out their gorgeous new building!
Pedal on Parliament
Spokes
Sustrans
Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre
Harts Cyclery – Bike repairs and advice
My Edinburgh (MYDG)
Edinburgh Bicycle Co-op – Bike repairs and advice

We can’t tell you where each stand will be – but once you’ve found the first one, you’re away. If in doubt, head to Fiveways Junction, where people will point you in the right direction.

And thank you to the following for donating prizes: Spokes, the Bike Station, Harts Cyclery Edinburgh Bicycle Co-op and Green Yonder Tours

This event is part of the Innertube project, funded thanks to players of People’s Postcode Lottery and via the People’s Postcode Trust.

For further information, please contact Liz on 0771 265 1102 or email liz@elgt.org.uk

Download a printable version of the poster to help promote the Challenge.

You're never too young for the Postcode Cycle Challenge! — You’re never too young for the Postcode Cycle Challenge!

Tesco raises £11.85 million for Cancer Research UK

Tesco staff and customers have raised £11.85 million in one year for Cancer Research UK, its charity of the year. The money was raised by staff, customers and suppliers at more than 3,000 stories, offices and distribution centres across the UK, and according to Tesco this is the largest amount ever raised by a business and charity partnership in one year.

Fundraising activities included:

treks by Tesco staff members to Everest base camp and the Sahara, which together raised over £191,000

a festive-themed ‘Cycle to Lapland’ static bike ride in Tesco stores which raised more than £1 million over one weekend

competitions inspired by TV programmes including ‘Tesco Does Strictly’ and ‘Tesco Distribution’s Got Talent’ which raised more than £68,000

In-store fundraising activities by Tesco included a donation of 0.0125p from Tesco Personal Finance PLC every time a cash machine was used at Tesco until 29 February 2013, and promotions that encouraged Clubcard customers to donate their points to the charity.

The store that raised the most money was Tesco Extra in Dundee, which raised £22,000.

The funds raised are being used for 32 early diagnosis and detection research projects helping to ensure more people receive treatment at a time when it is more likely to be successful.

During the partnership Tesco also helped Cancer Research UK raise awareness of the early signs and symptoms of cancer. Eight million health information leaflets were placed at store checkouts.

Richard Taylor, Cancer Research UK Executive Director of Fundraising and Marketing, said: “Tesco staff, customers and suppliers have gone above and beyond to raise a record-breaking amount of money for our lifesaving work over the past year. The dedication they have put into raising vital funds to help improve the early diagnosis and detection of cancer particularly during a time of economic uncertainty has been truly inspiring.”

Since 1988 Tesco has chosen a different charity every year to benefit from staff and customer fundraising. The company’s Charity Trust tops up staff fundrasing by 20% up to a maximum of £500,000.

Last month Tesco announced that Diabetes UK will be it’s next charity of the year.