Summer Playscheme for Primary 5 – Primary 7 at Royston Wardieburn Community Centre
Monday – Thursday between the 1st & 18th July
10am – 12:30pm with Breakfast and Lunch included
Art & crafts, cooking, sports activities and games
Places limited so register at reception
Call 0131 552 5700 for more info
Pet owners in Edinburgh and Midlothian who are struggling to afford to care for their pets are being given the opportunity to attend drop-in Pet Care sessions at four locations across the city.
Providing support, and guidance, the Pet Care Clinics are an in-person service which allows veterinary experts who volunteer for the Edinburgh Dog and Cat to support owners with basic behavioural queries, providing equipment to support training, advice on welfare, wellbeing checks and signposting to available services and support.
The monthly drop in sessions take place at Simon Community Scotland, Food Facts Friends (Penicuik), Craigmillar’s Edinburgh Food Project and the Salvation Army in Granton.
These venues are also supported by the Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home’s food bank service, which works with 87 pet food bank providers across East and Central Scotland, providing meals to pet owners who would otherwise not be able to afford to feed their beloved pets.
The cost of living crisis has impacted the ways in which some pet owners care for their animals with some being forced to surrender their pets due to being unable to afford to care for them. From January to April 2024 the Home received 458 surrender requests from those struggling to keep their pet, they administered 104 vaccinations to animals in their care and provided 181 free pet essential items to owners in need.
Jamie Simpson, Director of People and Services at Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home, said,“ We are seeing a worrying increase in the number of pet owners who are unable to afford vet treatment and don’t know where to go to get advice on training, behaviour, nutrition or general pet care.
“We want to take action to prevent minor issues, behavioural or veterinary, becoming much bigger issues and in doing so prevent a pet owner from potentially having to give up their pet.
“Our Pet Care clinics include a volunteer vet to support with basic pet care advice and are delivered in partnership with local organisations in a hub setting to allow owners to find support and advice under one roof.
“The aim is to support pet owners with advice as well as to signpost them to other support and in doing so, keep pets in loving homes.”
Volunteer vet, Victor Bates said, “For many of the people seen via Pet Care, the impression is that their pets are sometimes the one real emotional support and constant in their lives.
“I think that Pet Care helps to at least reduce some of the worries that people on low or no incomes have about feeding and ensuring the well being of their pets and companions.”
Volunteer vet, Susan Little said, “As a local vet with some spare time, I enjoy being able to help and advise people, whilst sharing in their stories of their pets, with all their adventures and mischief.
“Being part of a regular, small team of friendly faces allows trust to be built up, so that folk feel comfortable to confide in us about the issues they are facing. “We are able to give general support and advice, along with being able to make a bit of fuss of any dogs which they bring along.
“A bit of chat and humour with the people coming along to the sessions makes it an inclusive, welcoming time, which is rewarding for volunteers and owners.”
Hugh Hill from Simon Community Scotland said, “‘Across all our services we support people to stay connected with their dogs.
“We recognise the companionship and care each receives from each and in many cases it isn’t simply the most important relationship in their lives, it can be the only one. Our partnership with Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home has been hugely valuable in supporting owners and their dogs to stay together and have the support to maintain that powerfully healthy relationship.”
Please contact foodbanks@edch.org.uk if you would like to support the Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home by running a pet food drive at your place of work or community group, or if any pet food store/business would like to help with donations.
For more information please visit: www.edch.org.uk/pet-care
TWO CONSULTATION SESSIONS NEXT WEDNESDAY 26 JUNE
The City of Edinburgh Council has appointed AtkinsRéalis to look at potential opportunities for improvements to two areas of open space at Granton Medway.
The first site is the area of land between the two rows of housing blocks to the south of Granton Medway. The second site is the larger area of grassland siting to the north of Granton Medway.
At this early stage we are looking to gather local knowledge from the residents to help us inform both developments and shape the improvements for the communities who use them most. These improvements are looking to address accessibility, safety, biodiversity, flood water management, and general landscape improvements.
To facilitate this, we will be holding 2 separate consultation events on Wednesday 26 June for residents to drop in and talk to the team together with the city council’s Housing team at the following venues and times:
Granton Medway Orchard Garden: 11am – 2pm at The Salvation Army Community Centre, 36 Wardieburn Drive, Edinburgh, EH5 1BZ
Granton Medway Community Park: 4pm – 7pm at the entrance to the park on Granton Medway (Outdoor)
Dear Local Stakeholders,
I am pleased to be getting in touch to inform you about two consultation events for the residents of Granton Medway regarding planned improvements to the Granton Medway Orchard and the Granton Medway Community Park area on Wednesday 26th June.
The City of Edinburgh Council have appointed AtkinsRéalis to look at potential opportunities for improvements to two areas of open space at Granton Medway.
The first site is the area of land between the two rows of housing blocks to the south of Granton Medway. The second site is the larger area of grassland siting to the north of Granton Medway.
At this early stage we are looking to gather local knowledge from the residents to help us inform both developments and shape the improvements for the communities who use them most. These improvements are looking to address accessibility, safety, biodiversity, flood water management, and general landscape improvements.
To facilitate this, we will be holding 2 separate consultation events on Wednesday 26th June for residents to drop in and talk to the team together with The City of Edinburgh Council’s Housing team at the following venues and times:
We would value any help you can provide to raise awareness of these events through your local communication networks to those who live in the area.
Its that time of year again where we roll out our Summer Programme!
Beach Days, Highlands and Islands Trips, A music festival, designing your own trips, climbing up and jumping off waterfalls (safely), and our big families and young people Fridays are just some of the stuff we’ll be getting up to!Full programme starts Monday 1st July!
Whilst we’d love to meet you at our Monday sign ups in the Summer, we give priority to people who regularly attend our youth and families groups for all trips, so why not get along to some clubs before our trips start!
P7/S2 from 5pm to 6:30pm
S3+ from 7pm to 8:30pm!
GY x
North Edinburgh Parents Action Group are inviting everyone who are experiencing housing issues to Royston Wardieburn Community Centre for Housing Advice and Information morning.
Come along for some very needed advice and to connect with others, who are experiencing same issues.
ROYSTON WARDIEBURN COMMUNITY CENTRE – THURSDAY 16 MAY 6.30pm
Edinburgh College EIS-FELA branch are hosting a public meeting this week to discuss the impact that cuts to Further Education are having and will continue to have in Edinburgh.
We are yet again facing more job losses and the cuts to educational provision at our campuses will have a devastating effect for our local communities.
The meeting will take place on Thursday 16th May at Royston Wardieburn Community centre from 6.30pm.
We have invited local community leaders to attend and we are hoping that this meeting will be the first of three meetings in communities in which our campuses are situated.
Where: West Pilton Park
When: 12pm – 5:30pm, Saturday 11 May 2024
Social Media: Instagram – northedinfest, Facebook – northedinburghfest, Twitter – northedinfest
The third North Edinburgh Community Festival will take place on Saturday 1th May 2024 in West Pilton Park. The park sits in the heart of North Edinburgh and draws its audience from Pilton, Muirhouse, Granton, Drylaw, Davidson Mains, Silverknowes and Wardie.
The event which has grown year on year is a fun, free to attend, family day out for new and existing residents to enjoy – promoting opportunities, creativity, enhancing community cohesion, reducing social isolation and celebrating the diversity of the area.
The Festival is going from strength to strength with over 100 local groups, organisations and charities taking part and providing workshops, information and activities – from glitter tattoos to video games, from dodgeball and football to obstacle courses and interactive theatre.
In the open area at the far end of the park we will have the Army, Marines and the Airforce in attendance showing as well as the Scottish Fire Services.
This year and moving forward, one of the key aims of the festival will be to work with young people in North Edinburgh and encouraging young people to take the reigns for future events and festivals.
One of the ways to engage with the young people is through music and over 600 young people from across North Edinburgh have taken part in the Tinderbox Garage Band Challenge, creating their own new music for the event. The winners will perform their original tracks on the main stage at the festival.
The music for the festival has been curated by local organisations Tinderbox Collective and Granton Youth’s Mixtape Music Club.
There will be more than 30 acts playing over the afternoon including over 160 performers, almost all of them from the local neighbourhood. On the outdoor stage, highlights include the incredible Fischy Music, Ama-zing Harmonies Choir, Heritage Of India Through Dance and Edinburgh Ukrainian choir.
On the indoor stage we have an exciting lineup of youth bands who are part of ‘North By North West’ a collaboration project between 5 youth music organisations across North Edinburgh the aim is to get the very best emerging talent out onto the Edinburgh music scene.
From the slick electronic pop of Muirhouse local (and BBC Introducing alumni) Laurent, Granton rapper Leon Highway, or the pop-rock stylings of Drenched in Dreams – we’ve got something to suit all tastes. Look out for amazing youth artists A420, Kieran Crosbie, Mezari, and Trisha Muco finishing out the festival in collaboration with players from Tinderbox Orchestra.
Head into the Sports Hall of West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre to find Tinderbox Games Showcase, an exhibition of playable games made by young game designers of all ages from North Edinburgh.
These will be featured alongside an exciting new escape room made in collaboration with young people from Granton Youth, which draws inspiration from trips to the Granton Hub archives and the area’s rich history, as well as a selection of games made by previous winners of the East Lothian Game Jam.
You’ll discover a mix of digital, physical and table-top games made by the next up-and-coming generation of game designers and creators from the neighbourhood.
Look out for Granton Youth’s stall advertising its youth work provision, which includes work with local schools, detached youth work, counselling for parents and young people, open access youth clubs, family support, and Mixtape – our music club.
This year we are extremely excited to have so many of the Edinburgh Festivals joining us on the day.
Edinburgh Fringe Festival Society will have street performers on the day and will be handing out free tickets to shows at this years Fringe Festival under their new Fringe Days Out Scheme which offers free Fringe vouchers and Lothian bus tickets to people who wouldn’t normally get to experience the Fringe.
The Edinburgh Science Festival are back with bigger and better street performance style science shows as well as their cargo tricycle for their science demonstrations.
And there will be storytelling activities for families from the Edinburgh International Book Festival Citizen Adults Writing Group plus loads of free books for children.
North Edinburgh Arts have a host of activities planned across their two large marquees this year. There will be drop-in arts activities for children and families, carpet bowls, and information on their newly refurbished and extended building opening later this year.
There will be family-friendly performances by commissioned artists, selected by local children from Forthview Primary School and Pilton Youth, as part of the Creative Encounters project, delivered in partnership with Imaginate, the Childrens Festival and North Edinburgh Arts.
And there will be storytelling activities for families from the Edinburgh International Book Festival Citizen Adults Writing Group plus loads of free books for children.
Of course, there cant be a festival without a parade and this year North Edinburgh Childcare have stepped up and organised the parade which will leave from their premises at 1130am and make its way along Ferry Road Drive around West Pilton Park and entering the park for the official start of the festival at 12noon.
The theme is Superheroes and any families looking to join in are most welcome. Pulse of Place will lead the parade and if you are around North Edinburgh on Saturday 11th May, you’ll most certainly hear the parade before you see it!
Other activities on the day include:
Each year the festival provides free food – the amazing RRT (Rapid Relief Team) hand out a few thousand burgers and will return again this year.
There will also be free food from Bangla Kitchen and Multi-Cultural Family Base.
This year we have yet again a larger food presence with some new vendors but as always there is cap on the cost of food at £5.
Lyndon Cane from RRT says “RRT is pleased to support North Edinburgh again by providing the signature burger meal at the North Edinburgh Community Festival.
“Care and Compassion is at the heart of what we do, and this event is important for us to attend so we can widen our support to communities during times of need.”
North Edinburgh Community Festival really does have the community at its very heart and we can’t wait to see everyone on the day.
A NORTH EDINBURGH SUCCESS STORY
Granton Youth has an open access introduction to playing, singing, song-writing and performing for young people aged 11+. Working with youth work staff and music tutors the young people learn a variety of instruments/ vocal coaching/ song-writing as well as learning about the music industry (writes DAVE McNAB).
Beau has been attending since age 16 and fronts the band ‘Low Tide’ – who on Sunday 21st January played to a sell out crowd at Glasgows King Tuts Wah Wah Hut supporting rising star Ben Walker.
Beau said: “Going to mixtape has honestly been the best decision I’ve ever made and I really don’t say that lightly. I have always loved music since I was tiny, but never had enough confidence in my abilities to play it or create it.
“I’ve always been incredibly shy and previously used to refuse to sing in front of people and I’ve just played to a sold out king tuts! This is entirely down to mixtape and the opportunities it has given me to learn music, learn how to record and write, learn how to perform on stage.
“Not only has it improved my skills in music but it’s taught me skills that transfer to other areas of my life specifically confidence. There are so many times I’ve refused music related opportunities due to confidence and little by little mixtape has broken this barrier down.
“In the past year I’ve really struggled with my health and mental health and mixtape has giving me something to strive for and look forward to. It’s a safe haven for creative people to work together and spend their time doing something meaningful and expressive and is such an invaluable resource for so many young people in the community. It pure escapism and is honestly the best thing I’ve ever done.”
Leon has been attending since age 15 and never had the confidence to pursue music but is now recording his own tracks and starting to build towards playing live shows.
“When I first came to mixtape, I was very interested in music but I never had a chance to do anything with my passion. Mixtape gave me opportunities I never knew would ever be available to someone my age.
“They helped to open my eyes as to how free the world of music can be and how rewarding it can feel. It has also helped me in my day-to-day life by helping to improve my confidence.
Another young person has been attending since they were 12 and was quiet, introspective and struggled to socialise with other young people – but has blossomed into a great song writer and performer:
“I have been with mixtape for a while, in all honestly I can’t really remember how I felt about it when I first joined. It was during covid times so having any extracurricular was an excitement.
“That doesn’t mean a lot of things haven’t happened. Mixtape allowed me to go through trial and error as a musician, to slowly but surely figure out its ways with the support of others. It makes me feel proud to tell others that I can song write and feel confident enough to perform.
“The amount of opportunities I was given and still am is so eye-opening. From big festivals to small hubs, from small activities to writing in the studio to record stuff! If I told myself when I first joined this is what I had done and was doing, I know younger me would be happy to hear it, and it wouldn’t of happened without this still growing club.”
We will leave the last word with Alba who has attended since age 14 and is thriving musically and will be playing Sneaky Petes in March with her band formed with other young people she met on the project:
“I was at a school concert when I first heard about mixtape, and learnt that the girl whose singing I’d been admiring for a while had been going there and I decided to join. I’ve always loved to sing but never had much of a chance to, except in the school choir.
“I’ve met my closest friends in mixtape and my confidence performing and in general has spiralled uncontrollably. I assure you I wouldn’t be where I am or who i am today without mixtape”
Granton Youth Mixtape is funded by Children In Need and runs on a Wednesday evening 6-8 at Royston & Wardieburn Community Centre.
If interested or have any questions contact Ryan at Ryan@grantonyouth.com
IT’S nearly time for our annual Burns Night Community Ceilidh!
SATURDAY 27th JANUARY, 5-8.30pm at Royston Wardieburn Community Centre.
Tickets go on sale today from the Community Centre reception.
If you’d like to offer to perform or volunteer to help at the event please contact Tom: tom@grantoncommunitygardeners.org
(performers and volunteers get a free ticket)
We’re limited to 250 people for this event due to building capacity, so make sure you get your tickets if you’d like to come. £3/person, includes food: haggis neeps and tatties. (veggie/vegan option available).
With The Homecoming String Band, Bows & Bridges, Ama-zing Harmonies, Pilton Community Health Project, and many more local performers of all ages!
We’re really looking forward to it!
