The rebuilding of Trinity Academy is the biggest single investment in Trinity for very many years. It will probably hold that record for many more to come. Importantly, the plan is to redevelop the Academy as a “community school” – an asset for the whole of the community.
So what does a “community school” do? What ought it do? How can the project team determine the needs of the wider community? And how can you play a part in doing that?
On 13th June, Trinity Community Council will host Amanda Hatton, CEC Executive Director of Education and Children’s Services, who will answer these questions and more. Most especially yours.
Amanda’s portfolio includes education, schools, early years, lifelong learning, libraries and community centres as well as social services for adults and children so she is uniquely well placed to discuss the potentials and the needs.
We would love to have your input. Join us on Monday 13th June at 7pm in the Church Hall at Inverleith St Serf’s or from the comfort of your sofa via Zoom using this link:
Police are appealing for information after a 10-year-old boy was approached in the street and robbed next to a park in the Trinity area at around 5.30pm last night (Thursday, 31 March).
The boy was walking in Zetland Place near its junction with Stirling Road at Lomond Park, along with two friends when he was approached by an older male youth.
The youth was walking from the direction of Trinity Road with two others and asked the boy to hand over his bag and when he refused he was threatened. As a result he handed over some coins.
The suspect then ran off towards Trinity Road. He is described as aged 16 to 18-years old, around 5ft 9ins, of medium build with red hair. He was wearing a black puffer-style jacket with the hood up, black tracksuit bottoms, black shoes and was carrying a black bag.
Detective Constable Rich Paton said: “This was a nasty and horrible experience for a school child who was out with friends on the way to a park. He has been left extremely upset by the incident.
“I am asking anyone who saw what happened to get in touch, particularly if you have ring-bell or dash-cam footage. In addition if you know the suspect or anything else that could help with our enquiries then please contact us.”
Anyone with information is asked to call Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident number 2620 of Thursday, 31 March, or contact the charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Officers are appealing for information following an attempted robbery that happened around 7.40pm last night in the Trinity area.
Two boys, both aged 13, had walked along Ferry Road and turned onto South Trinity Road when they were approached by a group of male youths aged between 14 and 16-years-old.
One of the boys was pushed and asked to hand over money. When he tried to run off he was assaulted.
Officers are keen to speak to the group of youths. There were around 12 of them and they were wearing dark-coloured tracksuits, facemasks and balaclavas.
One of them is described as of Asian appearance, around 5ft. He was wearing a distinctive pink headband and black gloves
Detective Constable Will Doughty said: “Fortunately the boy assaulted did not require medical treatment but was left frightened by what happened. We have a description of one of the assailants and we would like to speak to all of those involved as part of our enquiries to establish the full circumstances.
“If you can assist then please contact us on 101, quoting incident number 2640 of Sunday, 2 January, 2022, or make a call anonymously to the charity Crimestoppers on 0800-555-111.”
The Scottish Youth Parliament election results 2021 were announced on Monday 22 November. Eleven new Members of the SYP will now represent young people in Edinburgh.
Ten of those elected are from state schools in the city, seven are young women and three are from a Black and Minority Ethnic background.
One remaining seat, in Northern and Leith, will be contested in the new year.
Edinburgh registered the highest number of expressions of interest in Scotland from potential candidates and fielded the most candidates (26) of any local authority.
We also achieved the highest voter turnout in Edinburgh since 2015, despite many of the usual campaigning activities being curtailed because of the pandemic.
Councillor Ellie Bird, Young People’s Champion, said: “I want to commend the astonishing achievements and contributions of all 26 candidates that stood across Edinburgh in the Scottish Youth Parliament election, and warmly welcome the eleven new MSYPs into our city’s elected member family.
“The success of this year’s election is a testament to the commitment and passion of everyone involved in prioritising the voice of young people, at a time when it’s never been more important.
“Due to the restricted access to schools, youth clubs and community centres, candidates have had to rely on their own ingenuity, creativity and sheer dogged persistence to get their message, and their vote, out.
“The determination that these young people have demonstrated in standing up for what they believe in by putting themselves forward for election and to be accountable to their electorate, especially during such a challenging period for young people, is nothing short of inspirational.
“I know they all have a lot to offer their communities and the causes they care about most, and I can’t wait to see what they do next and look forward to working with Edinburgh’s newest group of elected representatives to place young people at the heart of policy and decision making.”
For more information about the election and the successful candidates, please see @edinburghMSYPs
The community of Newhaven is celebrating this week after the Scottish Land Fund announced that it was awarding an exciting new community-led project the funds to purchase an old Victorian school and turn it into a vibrant new community hub.
The Heart of Newhaven Community, (HoNC) a recently-formed local charity, can now go ahead with the purchase of Victoria Primary School, currently the oldest working primary school in Edinburgh but due to move to new premises in the autumn.
The charity had previously won the right to purchase the building from the City of Edinburgh Council (CEC) under the Community Asset Transfer scheme, on the back of its “robust business plan”, but plans were delayed as Covid hit the construction works at the new school.
The award of £792,000 in the latest round of SLF grants will now enable the purchase to go ahead although the buildings themselves will not be available until the pupils move.
The local community has been the prime mover in the whole project, ever since it was announced that the school would be relocating.
Public meetings and consultations were held to find out what could be done with the site, a Newhaven landmark since 1844, and it was decided that as the area had no central focal point, the buildings could be converted into just such a hub, serving the needs of the community while also saving the iconic building from conversion into flats or even demolition.
Following the first public meetings, a steering group of local volunteers was set up and this eventually converted into the board of HoNC, the Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SC049919) in February 2020. They were responsible for the application to CEC, the business plan, and all the other necessary documents and applications, including that to the SLF.
HoNC Chairman, Rodney Matthews was delighted when the news of the funding was announced.“This news is even better than we hoped at the time of our original application long before the set-backs we have experienced over the past 18 months,” he said.
“We have been granted a total of £792,000 which will cover the purchase price agreed with CEC and help cover some initial developmental costs.
“This will enable us to sign a contract with the City of Edinburgh Councilto give us vacant possession of the site as soon as the children have moved into their new school in Western Harbour. While that date is still unknown we are now able to move confidently forward with plans for what can now safely be called The Heart.
“Watch this space will now really apply to a much loved icon of Newhaven,” he added.
The Gothic style listed building includes a relatively unchanged interior including original dado panelling, cast iron banisters and stone stairs and a double height hall, but the playground contains a modern, purpose-built addition in the form of the Anchor Building which opened in 2014 after the exciting discovery under the playground of the skeleton of someone who may have been a 16th century pirate.
The new community hub will provide much needed pre-school childcare facilities, work spaces for local artists, a heritage suite and various rooms for the use of community groups.
The threefold theme of Culture & Heritage and Learning & Enterprise uniting in contributing to Health & Wellbeing, aims to encourage various local partnership organisations and other charities to collaborate together on projects and activities which will create a safe centre for all generations to enjoy the space together.
During lockdown and while awaiting the SLF decision, the charity has moved forward with various community projects.
“Partnership working and collaboration with other local organisations is a critical element of our approach,” says Project Coordinator Judy Crabb.
“We have already started to build important relationships with like-minded organisations through a series of small intergenerational projects including working with Mens Shed of Leith, Pilmeny Development Project, and local artist Johnathan Elders to create Friendship Benches to go in the grounds of the Heart.
“Other initiatives include Pots of Newhaven kindness – pots sown with seeds to produce edible plants given by children from Victoria Primary School to local, housebound older people.”
As part of their campaign, the charity held a Crowdfunding appeal earlier this year and raised their initial target of £5,000 (match-funding for architect-led community workshops to decide the use of the various spaces within the buildings on the site,) in only three weeks.
“This is a brilliant project that will deliver huge community benefits. It’s well thought-out and is being impressively well-organised,” said one anonymous donor.
(Taken from the school’s centenary pamphlet issued in 1944)
At an unknown date before 1800, a schoolmaster was employed by the Ancient Society of Free Fishermen to educate the boys of Newhaven. They met in a house belonging to this society. There was a weekly fee for each pupil, but orphans could attend for free.
In 1822 the Rev. Dr. Ireland (minister of North Leith Parish Church) formed a committee which became known as the Hillhousefield, Bonnington and Newhaven Local Sabbath Evening School Society. They were keen to promote religious instruction amongst children and made efforts to include girls in this as well as boys.
Not everyone in the area could afford the Free Fishermen’s fee-paying school and the illiteracy of the local children was problematic when it came time to employ them, so the Sabbath Evening School Society decided to open a Day School for boys, located in Newhaven. In 1823, the Free Fishermen handed the management of their school over to them, and the Sabbath Evening School Society changed their name to the Newhaven Education Society.
Within a year they had extended their school to accept girls and then infants. A Ladies’ Committee formed to oversee the running of these schools, but it soon merged with the main society.
In 1844, the Newhaven Education Society (then headed by Rev. Dr. Buchanan of North Leith) secured the feu of the ground where Victoria School was built. The original building was small and could not accommodate all of Newhaven’s children, and so four other schools sprang up in the area. Over the years Victoria School was extended until it could cater for all the children, and these other schools closed.
Victoria School, now known as Victoria Primary School, is Edinburgh’s oldest working school. The original building was built in 1844 and was extended in 1866, 1875, 1884 and 1897. The first headmaster was Alexander Ingram (1844 until 1876).
As well as being a school, it was used as a church for older parishioners who couldn’t walk as far as the North Leith Parish Church every week and was also used as a Sunday School. When its management was taken over by the Leith School Board in 1874 (Newhaven was part of the Burgh of Leith at this point), one of the conditions attached was that it would remain in service as a church.
N.B. (Not in the original pamphlet) – The school was in fact used as a church, as mentioned above, in much more recent times. When Newhaven Church on Craighhall Road was being redeveloped between 2004 and 2006 and the congregation was not able to use the buildings, Sunday morning worship took place regularly in the school.
TWO Edinburgh care homes have invested in new technology to offer potential residents and their families virtual viewings from the comfort of their own homes.
Mansfield Care has produced virtual tour videos for seven of its 11 care homes across Scotland, including Belleville Lodge and Craighall House in the capital, showcasing both the interior and exterior of each to give an accurate representation of the building.
The care provider hopes the videos will allow potential residents or family members looking on their behalf to get a feel for the services without leaving their home, whilst reducing the number of people entering the premise.
Mansfield Care’s founder, Andrew Hume, said: “It is important for us to continue to adapt and innovate our processes and services as the care industry becomes more digital.
“On top of this, virtual viewings are a way to keep our current staff and residents safe, whilst making the process easier for those looking to make the move to one of our homes.
“Virtual viewings will allow potential residents to see the apartment almost in person from the comfort of their own home for convenience, safety and to enable people who cannot travel easily to conduct a viewing.”
Personalised virtual viewings can be arranged for those interested in moving into a care home with one of Mansfield Care’s staff on hand to answer questions, and provide more information about the home and its care services.
Mansfield Care specialise in small, friendly residential care homes in Edinburgh, Borders and west of Scotland; each designed to an exceptional standard with state-of-the-art facilities.
The Mansfield Care ethos is inspired by the kind of care we would wish for ourselves in later life – supportive, friendly, bright, positive, empathetic, respectful and homely.
