North Edinburgh News – Page 3775 – The NEN

Summit to address youth unemployment

Young people are discussing youth employment issues with senior Scottish Government Ministers today. Around 120 young people from a broad range of backgrounds are attending Scotland’s Youth Summit at the Hub on the Royal Mile.

The event – organised by Young Scot, the Scottish Youth Parliament and the Scottish Government – gives young people the chance to speak directly to Ministers, including Minister for Youth Employment Angela Constance, about ways in which 16-24 year olds can be supported into work.

Education Secretary Michael Russell, Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop, Minister for Learning, Science and Scotland’s Languages Alasdair Allan, Minister for Children and Young People Aileen Campbell and Minister for Commonwealth Games and Sport, Shona Robison will also attend.

Ms Constance said: “Hearing the experiences of young people directly is vital to our work to support them and their peers into work. I have met many young people in training or education in the last year, as well as a number seeking an opportunity, but the Youth Summit will given dozens of 16-24 years the chance to tell Ministers about their experiences face to face.

“This government is doing more than any other to improve the employability of our young people. We are already committed to 25,000 Modern Apprenticeship opportunities in every year of this parliament and have guaranteed every 16-19 year old a place in education or training. The Employer Recruitment Incentive announced in the draft budget will also help small and medium-sized businesses to recruit unemployed young Scots. Today’s meeting will give key partners, including Ministers, a good sense of progress and ideas on how we can help further.”

Grant Costello MSYP, Chair of the Scottish Youth Parliament, said: “Young people have suffered enormously as a result of the economic downturn. It is crucial that action is taken to prevent a lost generation of young people who are unable to find work. I’m therefore delighted senior Government figures are coming to the Youth Employment Summit to hear from young people on their experiences and on the solutions which can make a difference to the thousands of young people who need a leg-up to get back on the ladder of work.”

Craig Shaw, Young Scot Digital Creative Modern Apprentice added: “When I left school, it look me a long time to find a job that I wanted to make into a career and I know the uncertainly of employment can be a daunting time for any young person. That’s why events such as the Youth Employment Summit are really important because it gives young people the chance to share their views with the Scottish Government and together with them, help design future employment opportunities for young people in Scotland.”

North Edinburgh – weekly managed collections

Councillor Lesley Hinds gives an update on refuse collection issues:

Like all residents in Edinburgh , I am sure those living in North Edinburgh aspire to live in an area with clean streets and open spaces, efficient rubbish uplift and the opportunity to recycle. As the Convener of Transport and Environment Committee and a local Councillor for Inverleith that is exactly what I have been striving for since taking over this role in May 2012.

Following the article in October’s edition of the NEN I would like to clarify a number of important issues about the city’s Refuse Collection Service and dispel a few myths which seem to have arisen about this important issue.

My personal view, and the one shared by the Labour Group on the Council, is that we fully support the in-house refuse collection service. Over the past couple of years we had campaigned to oppose the privatisation of services like cleansing and in November 2011, while in opposition, we voted unanimously as a Group against the proposal to outsource Refuse Collection. Our position on this helped defeat the proposal and led to the Council abandoning the Alternative Business Model programme which would have resulted in a private contractor taking over refuse collection and other services in Edinburgh. Therefore for there to be a suggestion that my group or I would want to privatise the cleansing service could not be further from the truth.

As a Council we are required to meet challenging Scottish Government recycling targets and we have introduced managed weekly collections as well as expanding our recycling services throughout the city. The plan is that these measures will leave us in a good position to reach our 40% recycling target by 2013. All political groups on the Council have supported this policy. Also, all groups put the savings which will result from this service change into their budget proposals. This year and the following years the Council will achieve substantial savings. Instead of paying increasing landfill charges we will be preserving services in our schools, care for the elderly and other important services.

The massive change in the Refuse Collection Service is intended to make sure that we provide a top quality service for residents while also making best use of our vehicles. As everybody is aware there have been some problems with missed collections since the new arrangements were introduced but these have reduced significantly. To allow us to deal with these challenges; Agency staff have been employed as a contingency measures.

I have instructed the Director of Services for Communities to take steps to make sure that all work carried out by Agency staff should be looked at and where it is possible, permanent staff are employed to carry out the duties involved. There will be occasions where Agency staff are used but these should only be in circumstances such as sickness cover or during extreme weather. I have asked for the action described above to be carried out by January 2013 at the latest.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all our staff for their efforts in recent months and can assure them and city residents alike that this Administration is determined that Edinburgh has a modern and efficient refuse collection service which will serve the city well in future years. In order to achieve this, Management, staff and Councillors have to work together and as part of this process I have already had a number of positive meetings with the Trades Unions.

I would also like to thank residents for their forbearance during this massive change and if you have any issues regarding the cleansing service in your area please get in touch at lesley.hinds@edinburgh.gov.uk

Councillor Lesley Hinds

Woman dies in road accident outside Western

An 81-year-old woman has died after being hit by a car as she crossed Porterfield Road outside the Western General Hospital yesterday (Tuesday) afternoon. The woman was treated at the scene, but died from her injuries.

The driver of the vehicle assisted police with their inquiries at the scene, and police are seeking witnesses to the accident, which happened at around 4pm.

A Lothian and Borders Police spokesman said: “We are keen to speak with anyone who witnessed the collision, which happened close to the Anne Ferguson Building.”

If you have any information please call Lothian and Borders Police on 0131 311 3131.

On the Move in Inverleith

You may recall that we paid tribute to talented Broughton High School students in a previous post about the recent Inverleith Neighbourhood Partnership community conference.

Well, on top of everything else the pupils did to ensure the conference was a success, they also took a few photographs of the event – correction, a few hundred photographs! A (very) small sample is included with this conference report by Broughton pupil Robbie Thomson:

It is always refreshing when Edinburgh youths and local residents alike are provided with the opportunity to pose any queries or concerns they may have in regards to their community. Even more encouraging is when people with the power to influence and change take the time out to listen.

Broughton High School was the venue for the Inverleith Neighbourhood Partnership Community Conference on 15 November, with a focus on transport. Presented by North Edinburgh News’ very own Mr. Dave Pickering, around 100 attendees were given an opportunity to engage in open discussion with key figures of transport in Edinburgh.

The set-up consisted of six different tables; parking, winter weather, road safety, road maintenance, walking/cycling and public transport. Attendees at each table rotated throughout the course of the evening, offering everyone the chance to make their voice heard.

Mr. Tony Lear of Edinburgh City Council discussed winter weather issues at length, and with an admirable clarity. He claimed £750,000 has been funded to the local authorities by the Scottish Government to prevent expansion and water retention in potholes throughout the winter, while also confirming that more funds are to be set aside from the revenue budget for off-road cycle paths. This winter will see pre-treatment and gritting on North Edinburgh cycle paths for the first time. Mr. Lear also noted that local care homes, sheltered accommodation and school access routes are to receive priority treatment.

As parents attended in large numbers, road safety was a particular topic of interest. Many parents raised issues over the poor lighting in local streets over the winter months, and the crossing difficulties at the bottom of East Fettes Avenue. Miss Helen Bourquin also addressed concerns over cycling restrictions in the Comely Bank area.

While the cycling infrastructure in the local area was generally praised, Mr. Phil Noble announced that design standards for walking and cycling in Edinburgh are soon to be revised. The Scottish Government have also recently increased the budget for the marketing of walking and cycling. Mr. Noble also stated that in the next year, 5% of the total transport budget (around £16 million) is to be spent on cycling, which would amount to around £1.5-2 million. There was also praise for Mr. Ian Bieniowski in regards to Lothian Buses pricing system, customer service and general consistency.

Certainly worthy of a special thanks are Broughton High senior pupils Fraser Young and Calum Chapman. Voluntarily, they again devoted their time towards helping set up the technical aspects of the evening, an essential aspect in the event’s overall success – particularly the ‘warm-up’ musical performances from Broughton pupils. The pair regularly volunteer their technical knowledge and organisational acumen in all events throughout the school – they couldn’t have done it without them!

The only downside of an otherwise very encouraging evening was the technical issue with the event’s twitter feed. Broughton High School pupils who had volunteered to help out were given I-Pads to regularly update the event’s twitter feed through the hashtag #inverleithconf, but the server became unresponsive midway through the event.

Nevertheless, the evening generated very positive feedback, on the whole. It would appear that the future is bright for the local residents as far as transport is concerned.

Robbie Thomson, Broughton High School

Seasonal sale at Saint Nicholas

Saint Nick’s celebrate Saint Nick!

Port of Leith Housing Association’s (PoLHA) St Nicholas Court sheltered housing complex raised £1500 at its Christmas fayre held last Saturday (1 Dec). All funds raised will go towards supporting activities for residents including day trips, theatre trips, exercise classes and lunch clubs.

The complex, on Leith’s Ferry Road, had an array of stalls including a raffle, tombola, home bakes, bric-a-brac, books and toys. There was also the opportunity to buy gifts hand-made by the residents, including decorations, necklaces, knitting and aprons.

Maureen Tait Senior Sheltered Housing Co-ordinator with PoLHA, manages the complex. She said: “The annual Christmas fayre is always great fun for the staff and residents and a great chance for us to interact and have a good time with the local community. We’re delighted to have raised £1500 and are grateful to the all those people who came along to support us. Many of our residents are young at heart and really enjoy getting out and about on trips and this fundraising event helps make it happen for them.”

Pictured: St. Nicholas resident Frances Veitch displays festive treats

Looking for an NHS dentist in Edinburgh?

The following dental practices are currently accepting new NHS patients:

9 Dean Bank Street, Stockbridge EH3 5BS 0131 332 5510

4 Inverleith Gardens, Inverleith EH3 5PU 0131 552 4024

4 Howard Place, Canon Mills EH3 5JZ 0131 556 7232

4 Great Stuart Street, West End EH3 6AW 0131 225 3911

264 Morrison Street, Haymarket EH3 8DT 0131 229 6633

212 Morrison Street, Haymarket EH3 8EA 0131 229 7899

42 Earl Grey Street, Tollcross EH3 9BN 0131 221 9535

1D Pennywell Gardens, Muirhouse EH4 4UA 0131 315 2666

3 Quality St, Davidson’s Mains EH4 5BP 0131 336 1785

32 Duart Crescent, Clermiston EH4 7JP 0131 339 7446

65 Ferry Road, Leith EH6 4AQ 0131 554 1791

163 Great Junction Street, Leith EH6 5LG 0131 554 8589

116 Ocean Drive, Leith EH6 6JG 0131 208 2222

120 Ocean Drive, Leith EH6 6JG 0131 555 0376

80/1B Commercial Quay EH6 6LX 0131 553 5959

57 Constitution Street Leith EH6 7AF 0131 555 2020

6 East Hermitage Place, Leith EH6 8AA 0131 554 5028

1 Bellevue Place, Newtown EH7 4BS 0131 556 3240

15 Earlston Place, Meadowbank EH7 5SU 0131 659 5670

Boroughloch Med. Cent, 1 Meadow Place EH9 1JZ 0131 656 4525

59 Ratcliffe Terrace, Newington EH9 1ST 0131 667 4433

39 Mayfield Gardens, Newington EH9 2BX 0131 668 1521

125 Mayfield Road, Newington EH9 3AJ 0131 667 5656

147 Bruntsfield Place EH10 4EB 0131 229 7999

1 Millar Crescent, Morningside EH10 5HN 0131 447 0606

27 Comiston Road, Morningside EH10 6AA 0131 447 2722

3C Washington Lane, Dalry EH11 2HA 0131 337 8272

14 Ardmillan Terrace, Gorgie EH11 2JW 0131 337 2771

296 Gorgie Road, Gorgie EH11 2PP 0131 337 3936

176 St. John’s Road, Corstorphine EH12 8BE 0131 334 2704

9 Bughtlin market, East Craigs EH12 8XP 0131 339 2992

302 Oxgangs Road North EH13 9ND 0131 441 3231

132 Colinton Road, Colinton EH14 1BY 0131 443 4050

1 Hailsland Gardens, Wester Hailes EH14 2QN 0131 453 1151

Westside Plaza, Wester Hailes EH14 2SW 0131 442 4084

38 Balerno High Street EH14 7EH 0131 449 5545

274 Portobello High Street EH15 2AT 0131 669 1193

216 Portobello High Street EH15 2AU 0131 669 2995

310 Portobello High Street EH15 2DA 0131 669 3333

23 Duddingston Park South EH15 3NY 0131 669 9977

198 Peffermill Road, Craigmillar EH16 4DT 0131 661 3424

1 Parkside Terrace, Newington EH16 5BN 0131 667 0500

173 Dalkeith Road, Newington EH16 5BY 0844 387 8333

1 Bellstane, South Queensferry EH30 3PU 0131 319 1879

Information correct on 1 December 2012

Edinburgh’s green forever (and that’s nothing to do with Sunday’s Cup result either!)

Edinburgh has been recognised for protecting most parks and green spaces in the UK at a prestigious award ceremony. The City of Edinburgh Council was awarded Landowner of the Year at the inaugural Fields in Trust Awards 2012 ceremony that celebrated the achievements of the charity’s Queen Elizabeth Fields Challenge programme, and the city was also given £10,000 from Fields in Trust to spend on further improving the city’s parks.

The city received the award for dedicating more sites as part of The Queen Elizabeth Fields Challenge than any other UK landowner – a total of 25 sites across Edinburgh. This commits the Council to dedicating the named sites for the purposes of public recreation, in perpetuity, for the use of the residents of Edinburgh.

Councillor Jim Orr, the city’s Environment Vice-Convener, said: “Here in Edinburgh we have no shortage of beautiful outdoor spaces and this Council recognises the important role they play in boosting the well-being of communities. I’m delighted that Fields in Trust have recognised our efforts in dedicating many of our green spaces as part of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Celebrations. This will have a lasting legacy for Edinburgh and reaffirms this city’s commitment to protecting our parks and green spaces for future generations.”

The dedicated sites are (local parks highlighted):

Easter Drylaw Park
Ravelston Park
Ravelston Woods
Starbank Park
Victoria Park
Figgate Park
Lochend Park
Rosefield Park
Portobello Golf Course
Braidburn Valley Park
Hermitage of Braid
Blackford Hill
Morgan Playing Fields
Morningside Park
Seven Acre Park
Colinton Mains Park
Easter Craiglockhart Hill
Hailes Quarry Park
Harrison Park
Saughton Park & Gardens
Ferry Glen
St Margaret’s Park
Union Park
Montgomery Street Park
Pilrig Park

Fields in Trust was founded in 1925 and is the only national charity working to safeguard and improve outdoor recreational spaces. The Queen Elizabeth Fields Challenge aims to protect outdoor recreational spaces as a legacy from HM The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Transition Group to hold capacity building event

North Edinburgh’s BME Transition Group has organised another information event – and this time the focus is on capacity building.

Group coordinator Adil Ibrahim said: “The purpose of this event is to support North Edinburgh-based black and minority ethnic (BME) community groups to access information about funding, setting up and developing local community groups. It should be another exciting event and we’re looking forward to meeting a lot of participants.”

The Transition Group’s Capacity Building Event will be held on Thursday 13 December from 11am – 2pm in the Heritage Lottery Fund, 38 Thistle Street.

To register or for further information please contact Adil or Deborah, email adilabuelseed@hotmail.com or dclark@elrec.org.uk

Capacity Building Event Flyer

Light a light tomorrow night

St Columba’s Hospice has a special way of remembering family and friends who are unable to be with us at Christmas time. Every year, thousands of supporters gather in Edinburgh’s Charlotte Square Gardens to watch as the lights of the Tree of Remembrance are switched on – each light on the tree is dedicated to the memory of a loved one, as St. Columba’s Sister Margaret O’Hara explains:

Dear Friend,

My colleagues and I working on the wards at St Columba’s Hospice have been thinking for a few weeks now about how we can make Christmas this year precious for our patients and their families. Christmas is a time when we all look forward to having our families and friends close, sharing in the joyous Festive Season. But for many of us the season can bring sadness as we remember loved ones no longer with us.

Here at St Columba’s Hospice we always mark the beginning of this special season by Lighting a Light on the Tree of Remembrance in Charlotte Square Gardens. Light a Light allows all of us to celebrate life and the memories of those we are unable to hold close.

On behalf of all the nursing staff and volunteers, I invite you to join us in dedicating a light to your loved one on our Tree of Remembrance this Christmas. And, I also ask you to consider making a donation to help to pay for the costs of care during Christmas and into the New Year.

We really hope that you can join us at 6.30pm on Monday (3 December) in Charlotte Square Gardens, when we Light a Light for all those whose memories we cherish.

With warmest regards,

Margaret O’Hara, Sister, St Columba’s Hospice

NEN – record breaking November stats

November was a record month for North Edinburgh News – there were 10, 496 visits to the NEN blog last month, our best figures yet. The daily average – 350 – is also our highest ever.

The most popular articles in November were the rise of Blackhall Athletic, the BBC DIY SOS refurbishment of The Yard and the Welcome to Muirhouse photo exhibition – three very different stories from different geographical corners of our readership area but with one thing in common: they’re all positive, good news stories!

Makes you think …?