Drop-in sessions in Northern and Leith
Saturday 21st November
1pm – 2pm at OOTB, 36 Dalmeny Street, EH6 8RG
Saturday 28th November
12 -1pm Royston/Wardieburn Community Centre,11 Pilton Drive North, EH5 1N
Up, up and away: North Pole here we come – virtually!
St Columba’s Hospice is taking its fundraising to the skies with an environmentally friendly balloon race. The Hospice is organising a race in which balloons will fly all the way to the North Pole! Continue reading The sky’s the limit for St Columba’s Hospice!
WINTER FIRE FESTIVAL
Friday 13 November, 6:15pm at Victoria Park
Victoria Park’s first ever Winter Fire Festival will take place tonight (Friday 13 November) from 6.15pm. Organised by Trinity Primary PSA but open and free to all the local community, the festival will feature the first ever Trinity torchlight procession around Victoria Park. Continue reading Trinity’s first ever Fire Festival tonight
PILTON EQUALITIES PROJECT
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
MONDAY 16 NOVEMBER 11am – 12 noon
Pilton Equalities Project (PEP) welcomes nominations for membership of the Board of Directors from people who live in North Edinburgh and representatives of local organisations who have an interest in the work of the Project.
The maximum number of members of the Board is 11, with a majority of members being elected from groups or activities associated with the Project. If more than 11 nominations are received in time for the Annual General Meeting then there will be a vote at the AGM. A further 4 co-opted places will be available for those who have experience and/or skills which could be of assistance to the directors
Completed nomination forms must returned by Friday 13 November.
If you wish to stand for appointment at the 2014/15 Annual General Meeting of Pilton Equalities Project, please fill in the nomination form (below) and then sign it and return it to Pilton Equalities Project, 3 West Pilton Park, Edinburgh, EH4 4EL
‘I’m fortunate to have a team brimming with talent and enthusiasm, making North Edinburgh a safer place to live, work and visit’ – Chief Inspector Richard Horan Continue reading Room for optimism? Reported crime down in North Edinburgh
Central Taxis to sponsor Spartans Connections
Taxi for Spartans! Edinburgh’s Central Taxis are to sponsor local community club Spartans Connections. The Connections squad are delighted with the sponsorship deal and the new partnership is a great result for the Ainslie Park footballers. Continue reading Fare play to Spartans Connections!
Choosing to attend only organised displays is the best way to keep yourself, your family and your community safe. Continue reading Help protect your community from bonfire tragedy
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
Hanover Scotland secures £40m in first-of-it’s-kind deal
Hanover Scotland has secured a £40m funding facility in an innovative agreement which is the first of its kind in the social housing sector. The transaction, which combines a linked revolving credit facility and private placement, was arranged by Bank of Scotland.
The funding will be used to support the ongoing development plans of Hanover, which manages 5,000 properties on 200 developments across Scotland, with a particular focus on housing for older people. Hanover’s business plan includes a goal of building at least 40 new units each year.
It has secured a new five-year, £20m revolving credit facility (RCF) from Bank of Scotland, with whom it has had a relationship for almost 20 years.
At the same time, the housing association has also agreed a £20m private placement, funded by an institutional investor. This finance, which will be drawn down in 2018 and mature in 2048, will be used to repay the RCF, which will itself be adjusted to £5m in 2018.
The structure of the facility is the first of its kind in the social housing sector as the RCF and private placement are formally linked and share the same security. Meanwhile, the mix of short-term funding from the RCF combined with a longer-dated private placement provides Hanover with a flexible finance package tailored to its ongoing needs.
Helen Murdoch, Chief Executive of Hanover Scotland, (pictured above) said: “The versatility of the structured borrowing fully meets our planning requirements. Hanover has an established history in providing high quality affordable housing for the elderly and this funding will enable us to continue to meet our ambitions to provide much needed new homes.
It is clear that Bank of Scotland fully understand our sector. We believe that our arrangement provides good value for money for our existing and future residents, which is extremely important and is our ultimate goal.”
The RCF was arranged by Bank of Scotland’s dedicated social housing team, while the private placement was handled by the bank’s debt capital markets team.
Marc Ward, relationship manager in the social housing team at Bank of Scotland, said: “This is a tailored, innovative solution which meets the long-term funding needs of Hanover Scotland while also providing short-term liquidity to support its development goals. We believe the structure – combining a conventional revolving credit facility with a private placement – is the first of its kind in the sector.
“Meanwhile, the dual role on this transaction played by our sector-focussed social housing team and our colleagues in debt capital markets demonstrates the breadth of our offering to clients.
“These are transformative times for housing associations as the funding environment continues to shift around them. This deal, which includes securing funding from a blue-chip institutional investor, underlines that the investment community continues to place great value on the social housing sector and the crucial role it plays in the UK.”
Hanover was founded in 1979 and is today Scotland’s leading housing association for older people, with local developments in Stockbridge and Trinity. Its head office is in MacDonald Road and it also has offices in Glasgow and Elgin.