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Category: Pennywell
Living in Harmony to follow up Positively Diverse pledges
Living in Harmony Group meets tomorrow evening
It was fantastic to see so many people at the Positively Diverse event at the beginning of October. There was some great feedback, including how helpful it was to hear from residents themselves about their experiences (writes Hannah Kitchen).
We have been looking through people’s postcards, notes and feedback and are keen to help you follow up on some of the things you were inspired to do at the event.
Living in Harmony Forum, Wednesday 28 October, 5-7pm at Pilton Community Health Project
The Living in Harmony forum is a space for residents and workers in North Edinburgh to work and learn together in order to make services more accessible for people from BME communities, and to put on activities that increase friendship and understanding between people in the area.
On Wednesday we will be meeting to carry on some of the conversations we started at the Positively Diverse event. I’m attaching a draft agenda. Please contact me if there are any items you would like to add.
We would love to see you there. Please reply to this email to tell me if you are able to come. We can arrange free crèche places for anyone who needs them, but need 24 hours’ notice to do this.
Hannah Kitchen
Development Worker, Living in Harmony,
Pilton Community Health Project, 73 Boswall Parkway, Edinburgh, EH5 2PW
Telephone 0131 551 1671
Like us on Facebook for regular updates www.facebook.com/PiltonCommunityHealthProject
Adult education classes at Craigroyston: places available
It’s never too late to learn something new!
Craigroyston Community High School Adult Learning
• Creative Writing Wednesday 6.30-8.30pm
• Woodwork Friday 2-4pm
• Yoga Tuesday / Thursday 10-11.30am
• Pottery Friday 2-4pm
• Genealogy Thursday 2-4pm
• Photography Wednesday 2-4pm
• Guid for a Laugh (Scottish Humour) Tuesdays 2-4pm
• History of Scottish Music Fridays 10am-12 noon
• Computing Monday nights / Tuesday mornings
Book now for classes starting this week – ring 477 7801
or pop in to the school
or book at www.joininedinburgh.org
Six days to go: Collection points for EDA Syria Appeal
A final reminder of the local collection points for donations to the Edinburgh Direct Aid Syria appeal (the container leaves in SIX days):
- Community Shop, Pennywell Road
- Pilton Youth & Childrens Project, West Pilton Place
- Spartans Community Football Academy, Ainslie Park
- Edinburgh Direct Aid warehouse, West Harbour Road
WHAT’S NEEDED by EDA:
NO MORE CLOTHES, SHOES or BEDDING!
Thank you, but we have been overwhelmed by the generosity of response – our container is almost bulked out. If you have already collected goods on our list – padded jackets, welly boots, etc., – do bring them in. If we can’t send them now, we’ll send them later – but please don’t organise any new collections at the moment!
BUT DEFINITELY:
(new!) underwear
toothpaste
toothbrushes
soap
detergent
toilet paper
nappies
sanitary towels
wipes
and for schools and vocational training:
notebooks, A4 paper
pens/pencils, boardwriters
sewing materials, wool
EDA WAREHOUSE OPENING TIMES:
Wednesday and Saturdays until SEPTEMBER 23
11:00am to 3pm
Contact Ann at 0781 494 9468
Helping the helpless: local collection points for humanitarian aid
Edinburgh Direct Aid supporting Syrian refugees
Newhaven -based charity Edinburgh Direct Aid (EDA) is supporting international efforts to give aid to the tens of thousands of desperate people who have been forced to flee their homes, run for their lives and risk the safety of their families.
We can help by providing much-needed supplies – we can all help to make a difference.
The public response has already been tremendous, but the following items are urgently needed:
underwear (new!)
toothpaste
toothbrushes
soap
detergent
toilet paper
nappies
sanitary towels
wipes
And equipment needed for education and vocational training:
notebooks
A4 paper
pens/pencils
boardwriters
sewing materials
wool’
WHERE TO DONATE:
GRANTON MUIRHOUSE and WEST PILTON
The EDA warehouse is located behind a wire-grid gate on the south side of West Harbour Road – just past the TEBA boxing studio and opposite Len Lothian. It’s now open on Tuesdays and Saturdays from 11am – 3pm.
It is usually possible to park in the road outside, or to bring a car inside the gate but manoeuvring inside the yard can be awkward.
For further information contact Ian on 0785 785 5849
If it’s more convenient, you can make your donations in Muirhouse or West Pilton – both Muirhouse Community Shop on Pennywell Road (Monday to Friday 9am -3pm) and Pilton Youth & Childrens Project (PYCP) (telephone 332 9815) are also collection points for the Edinburgh Direct Aid appeal.
Please give what you can
More help for Scottish homebuyers
Housing Minister visits Pennywell
The Scottish Government will spend £195 million over the next three years on a new shared equity scheme to help around 6,500 households buy a new-build home, it was announced yesterday.
The successor to the existing Help to Buy (Scotland) scheme will focus on affordable homes, with eligible buyers receiving an equity loan towards the purchase price of a new-build home.
There will also be on-going support for small developers, building on the success of the Small Developers scheme, launched in January.
With this new funding, and the Help to Buy scheme, the house-building industry will have received around half a billion pounds of support over a six-year period.
The Scottish Government will work with the house-building industry and lenders to agree on how the new scheme will operate. Further details will be announced following the UK Government’s spending review in November.
Social Justice Secretary Alex Neil visited Pennywell yesterday to meet families who have bought homes through the Help to Buy (Scotland) scheme.
Mr Neil said: “Making sure everyone in Scotland has access to good-quality housing is a vital part of the Scottish Government’s drive to secure economic growth, promote social justice, strengthen communities and tackle inequality.
“By targeting resources at affordable homes, the new scheme will widen access by providing a helping hand to individuals and families who wish to buy a new-build home.
“By the end of this new scheme, coupled with support through the current Help to Buy scheme, we will have helped around 14,000 households buy a new-build home.
“We will also reach our five-year plan of 30,000 affordable homes by March 2016 and our planned investment in affordable housing will exceed £1.7 billion.
“Conditions in the housing sector have continually improved under this government. We have seen sustained falls in homelessness and repossessions and a sixth successive annual fall in housing waiting lists.
“We have abolished the Right to Buy, protecting up to 15,500 social homes from sale over the next ten years, and thanks to our funding, councils are building new homes for the first time in 30 years.
“This considerable investment means that through Help to Buy and its successor, the Scottish Government will have invested around half a billion pounds over six years, providing the private sector and construction industry with a huge boost.”
Regeneration firm Urban Union Ltd, a joint venture between construction firms McTaggart Construction and Robertson Group (Holdings), has been appointed by the City of Edinburgh Council to build more than 700 affordable and private homes in Pennywell.
Graeme Nicol, Managing Director, Urban Union Ltd said: “We welcome the news that Help to Buy is continuing through a new shared equity scheme.
“Help to Buy has been incredibly popular – the majority of buyers at our developments at Pennywell in Edinburgh and Laurieston in Glasgow received funding through this scheme.
“Urban Union is committed to delivering affordable homes and the continuation of support, focusing on the affordable housing market, is a much needed and welcome boost for people who need it most.”
City of Edinburgh Council Housing Leader, Councillor Cammy Day (above), said: “I welcome the Scottish Government’s commitment to help more people buy affordable, energy efficient homes.
“Increasing housing costs in Edinburgh have priced many people out of the private ownership market, making it impossible for them to get on the property ladder.
“I hope that today’s announcement means more people in Edinburgh will benefit from the Help to Buy scheme and also means that we will be able to take forward more projects like Pennywell, which has played a vital role in regeneration of the local area.”
A meander through Muirhouse?
Join Pilton Community Health Project’s walkers for a summer stroll through Muirhouse and Silverknowes this Thursday evening. All welcome – walk leaves Muirhouse Community Shop on Pennywell Road at 7pm.
Office space to let in North Edinburgh
Two local projects have office space to let
North Edinburgh Arts (above) has a ‘Big Bright Office’ space available from 1st September:
Ground floor office with large corner window
Can accommodate 4/5 desks
Built in kitchen with sink, cooker, fridge, dishwasher
All utility costs (gas, electricity, water) included
Reception duties, 9am – 5pm, and post handling included
Access to a photocopier/colour printer charged per print
Access to meeting/workshop rooms by arrangement
Free parking
Lively community café on site
Award winning gardens on site
Other agencies operating out of NEA include Tomorrow’s People, Muirhouse Link Up, Licketyspit Theatre Company, Tinderbox Orchestra, North Edinburgh Timebank. Ideal for a creative, community, or third sector organisation.
Cost £600 per calendar month
For more details or to arrange a visit call Sandra on 0131 315 2151 or email admin@northedinburgharts.co.uk
And across in Granton Mains, The Prentice Centre (above) also has office space available to let.
This would be most suitable for small charities, community groups or social enterprises. There is also the opportunity for two or three small organisations to share the premises if you only require office space for one or two days per week.
The Prentice Centre is a modern, purpose built Community Centre serving the communities of West Granton, Pilton, Muirhouse, Royston/Wardieburn and Drylaw.
Office space comprising one main office with a large storage cupboard and small kitchen area has now become available in The Prentice Centre.
The office has space for 3 work stations, with additional space for low level seating. There are adequate power points within each workspace; the tenant would have to install telephone and internet.
The rental includes: heat, lighting, security shutters and alarm, cleaning, reception services and contribution to the performing rights society fees.
The centre is Wi-Fi enabled, there is ample free on street parking nearby.
The Prentice Centre is open Monday to Thursday 8am to 8.30pm, 8am to 3pm on a Friday all year, with the exception of Edinburgh Public Holidays and Christmas through New Year, when we are closed.
The unique aspect of a let in the Prentice Centre is the ability to hire our Board and other meeting rooms at a fraction of their cost: we can supply tea and coffee for meetings at an additional cost. Our Board Room has a ceiling mounted projector with a screen: there is a laptop available for use, making it ideal for formal meetings and for training purposes. We are also on a number of main Lothian Bus routes including numbers: 8, 14, 16, 24 and 32
This space is ideally suited to small to medium sized community groups, charities or social enterprises who must share the ethos of West Granton Community Trust who own the Centre. Sharing the office with another small charity or social enterprise may be possible.
Rental in the region of £5000 per annum
Please contact Janet on 0131 552 0485 for further details and to arrange to view the office.
Our bus is coming back!
Victory for community councils bus campaign
Local residents will be able to get a 42 bus to Craigleith Retail Park again from October. Lothian Buses have agreed to reinstate the service and support the alteration to the 42 route following a joint appeal by local community councils.
Drylaw Telford Community Council chairman Alex Dale, who coordinated the campaign, said local residents will be delighted to hear the news. “The 42 service into the Retail Park has been missed and I’m often being asked: ‘when are we getting our bus back?’ It’s taken a while but it’s great to be able to tell people that the service is to be reinstated from the beginning of October. It’s good news and I hope local people will take the opportunity to use the service.”
Drylaw Telford CC joined forces with Stockbridge Inverleith, Blackhall Craigleith and Muirhouse Salvesen community councils to petition for the return of the service back in March, and Alex received confirmation from Lothian Buses earlier this week that the 42 will return to the local Retail Park this autumn.
The service was withdrawn because traffic problems around the shopping centre caused delays and disruption to the timetable, but it’s hoped that improvements to traffic signalling will reduce excessive delays.
A spokesperson for Lothian Buses confirmed that the 42 bus service will return to Craigleith Shopping Centre from 4 October on Monday – Fridays as a trial.
Theatre opportunity for young people at North Edinburgh Arts
Red and the Wolf: An exciting theatre opportunity for North Edinburgh’s young people – and it’s free
Red and the Wolf by Liminal Dance is an immersive theatre performance working with a locally-based community cast of young people aged 8-16 years, in partnership with North Edinburgh Arts.
- Explore movement, dance and storytelling
- Perform with professional artists
- Create your own unique performance
- Open to all, no experience necessary
- @ North Edinburgh Arts
- Places are FREE
Rehearsals on:
- Thursday 30 July
- Saturday 1 August
- Monday 3 August
- Tuesday 4 August
- Wednesday 5 August
Rehearsal times: 10-5pm (except Saturday, 10-1pm)
Performance on Wednesday 5 August, 7pm
To book places and tickets: 0131 315 2151 / admin@northedinburgharts.co.uk
North Edinburgh Arts
15a Pennywell Court
EH4 4TZ