Trinity – Page 34 – The NEN – North Edinburgh News

May date set for Spartans’ sports day

Hundreds of local primary school children will be taking part in a major sports event being organised by Spartans Community Football Academy Event at Ainslie Park in May.

SCFA Youth and Community Worker Jamie Tomkinson said: “The Spartans Community Football Academy Sports Day will be held on the 20th of May. Eight local primary schools are involved – we reckon that will be around 350 P7s over the course of the day!”

Twelve different sporting activities will be delivered by local agencies on the day: Kabo boxing, Edinburgh Judo, Edinburgh Leisure, Fet-Lor, Granton Youth Centre and MY Adventure will all be supporting the programme – and Keith Cook, who is a five-time Commonwealth Games medallist, will share his fencing skills. NEN, North Edinburgh’s community newspaper, has been invited to cover the event.

“Lorna Cruikshank, one of our young volunteers, will deliver a hockey station and we have a local samba band coming along to create an atmosphere and do a show for the opening ceremony!” Jamie added. “Many organisations have come on board to support the day – Ainslie Park Leisure Centre are letting us use one lane of their pool for the triathlon and Nike, who were a major part of last year’s success, will be volunteering throughout the event.

“There’s a lot of organising to be done and we are putting the finishing touches to the programme but the Sports Day is going to be a lot of fun – we’re all really looking forward to it and I’m sure the P7s are too!”

Get involved in GYC’s Big Obstacle

I am getting in touch to tell you about ‘The Big Obstacle’, an event being organised by three young people from Granton Youth Centre.

‘The Big Obstacle’ is a 5k fun run with obstacles. It will be held on Sunday 29 March 10am-1.30pm at Cramond Promenade.

This event is being planned and organised by 3 young people from North Edinburgh, who have worked hard to secure funding from Starbucks for their event.

The aim of the fun run is to give local youth organisations a platform to fundraise, raise the profile of the great youth work that goes on in North Edinburgh and also to encourage local young people to participate in physical activity.

There will be two races on the day, one for 11-17 year olds and one for 18+. We will also have a fun day event at the same time, where we would like youth organisations to have a stall to promote their work.

We are looking for young people and adults to enter our fun run and organisations entering the run will get a free stall at the fun day.

All participants signed up to the run will have the opportunity to take part in a 4 week running club in preparation for the event. Places are limited and will be on a first come basis.

If you would like to find out more about the event and how you can get involved please get in touch at thebigobstacle@grantonyouth.com.

I will look forward to hearing from you!

Kerry Shand
Youth Volunteer Coordinator
Granton Youth Centre
3-11 West Granton Road
Edinburgh
EH5 1HG
0131 467 5854

Support your local Fire Fighters!

The national car wash takes place on Saturday 14 March

Firefighters across Scotland are preparing to roll up their sleeves to take part in the National Car Wash this weekend, raising vital funds for The Fire Fighters Charity.

Crewe Toll and McDonald Road are among the dozens of community fire stations where firefighters will be on hand to make your car sparkle – and as you drive away in your gleaming car, your donation to The Fire Fighters Charity will help thousands of serving and retired fire service personnel and their families!

Regional Fundraiser for Scotland Margaret Barnes-Smith said: “Monies raised through national fundraising initiatives provide a real boost to The Fire Fighters Charity and we are delighted that so many of our fire stations are getting involved.

“Firefighting can be dangerous, stressful and traumatic. When fire fighters are injured, they can be in pain and unable to work for months. Dealing with life or death situations every day often takes its toll emotionally too.

“The Fire Fighters Charity is here for every one of the UK’s serving members of fire and rescue staff – and their families. No other organisation provides such a full package of high quality support, exactly tailored to the needs of fire fighters.

“We also give lifetime support to retired fire fighters and their families. They’ve risked so much for us and in return, we provide help and support when they are in real need.

“It costs £9million a year to keep our charity running. With no government funding, we rely completely on donations and goodwill. Please come along to your local fire station and support us.”

Chief Executive of The Fire Fighters Charity, Jill Tolfrey, said: “The National Car Wash provides a vital source of income for the Charity, as well as being a fun and popular event. It costs over £8million a year to keep The Fire Fighters Charity running – and with no regular government funding, we rely completely on your donations and goodwill. You can show your support to our firefighting heroes by visiting your local fire station on Saturday 14 March – and afterwards drive away safely, in a clean car!”

As well as being a fun fundraising event for The Fire Fighters Charity, the firefighters want to share a very serious message about fire safety in the home. Each year fire destroys lives, something firefighters see regularly and by taking some precautions this risk can be minimised.

While your car is being pampered you’ll have the chance book a FREE home fire safety visit with SFRS – as part of the service’s commitment to building a safer Scotland everyone in Scotland can have a free home fire safety visit – smoke alarms can also be fitted free of charge if your home requires them.

You can arrange a free home fire safety visit by calling SFRS on the freephone number 0800 0731 999 or by texting ‘FIRE’ to 80800. You can also fill out a form at www.firescotland.gov.uk or contact your local community fire station.

East area fire stations taking part this Saturday:

Bathgate Fire Station
Crewe Toll Fire Station
Dalkeith Fire Station
Eyemouth Fire Station
Galashiels Fire Station
Hawick Fire Station
Innerleithen Fire Station
Liberton Fire Station
Livingston Fire Station
McDonald Road Fire Station
Newcraighall Fire Station
Peebles Fire Station
Selkirk Fire Station
Sighthill Fire Station
Tollcross Fire Station
West Calder Fire Station
Callander Fire Station
Denny Fire Station
Falkirk Fire Station
Larbert Fire Station
Stirling Fire Station
Auchtermuchty Fire Station
Cupar Fire Station
Dunfermline Fire Station
Glenrothes Fire Station
Kirkcaldy Fire Station
Lochgelly Fire Station
Methil Fire Station
Newburgh Fire Station
St Andrews Fire Station

Goldenacre Fairtrade: helping the third world, helping your neighbours

We make it easy for you to buy fairtrade in north Edinburgh, and we make it easy for you to help low income families in north Edinburgh.

Help the third world, and help your neighbours!

Today (Sunday 8 Mar 2015) marks the end of Fairtrade Fortnight. What can you do, and how can you make a difference year round?

If you live in north Edinburgh, did you know that you have an award-winning fairtrade stall on your doorstep? We won two awards at the Lord Provost awards on Monday.

We’re at 280 Ferry Road, EH5 3NP http://inverleithsaintserfs.org.uk/

We sold £7,000 fairtrade products last year from our stall. We would like to do even more for third world producers, so would love if you visited our stall. We run every second Sunday, year round. Come to the 10.30 church service at Inverleith St Serf’s Church or visit afterwards (11.30-12.30) via the Clark Road entrance.

A major reason that we won the awards however, is that we are more than a fairtrade stall.

We also work with Tenants & Residents In Muirhouse (TRIM), who run a community shop and food bank in a neighbouring community. We accept food donations at every stall, and take these to the shop in Muirhouse. You can bring donations, or buy items from our stall.

So please come along today: stock up, donate, get ready for Easter with eggs and cards. All are welcome!

A sporting chance for Victoria Park?

New basketball court and upgraded tennis courts in Victoria Park could be ready by in time for school summer holidays

Under-used outdoor sports facilities could soon be brought back into play if funding for upgrades to pitch facilities and new courts in Trinity, Sighthill and Queensferry is agreed by councillors next week.

Members will be asked to agree investment of £130,000 into pre-existing rugby and football facilities and new tennis and basketball courts at Tuesday’s Culture & Sport Committee meeting.

The Sport Partnership Projects: capital contributions by Culture and Sport report has outlined a funding package designed to boost participation in outdoor sport in the Capital.

Under the proposals, Councillors will be asked to allocate £50,000 as the Council works in partnership with Scottish Rugby and Edinburgh Napier University to locate the BT Sport Scottish Rugby Academy in Sighthill.

The project will enable a stream of selected young players to follow their performance pathway, alongside hosting rugby skills camps through contacts with local schools. The changing pavilion in Sighthill Park will be upgraded as part of the works being undertaken for the Academy, and Edinburgh Leisure will continue to manage the bookings for the pitches which will remain accessible to local people and clubs.

Councillor Richard Lewis, Culture & Sport Convener for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “We have a range of outdoor courts and pitches in Edinburgh but some sites are being better used than others. By upgrading and adding to the facilities we already have, we will hope to inspire more people to get into outdoor sport and physical activity.

“The BT Sport Scottish Rugby Academy will support young and aspiring rugby players as they develop their skills and aim to reach their full potential, whether at a club or professional level, but we are also conscious of the needs of local pitch users. In Sighthill Park we have five football pitches but they are being under-used. By partnering with the University, we could offer a new home for Napier’s pitch sports teams, while also offering better facilities for local users, schools and community groups.”

The Council will also be asked to provide £10,000 to complete the re-instatement of two tennis courts and creation of a new basketball court in Victoria Park, to be opened in time for the school summer break with free taster sessions. The rest of the cost is being met by the North Edinburgh Partnership and sportscotland.

Under a Section 75 Agreement with developers of the former Agilent site in Queensferry, £70,000 is available to the Council to be reinvested in local sports facilities in the area. Councillors will consider using the funding to convert grass football pitches into all-weather 3G pitches which can accommodate rugby as well as football training.

To find out what Councillors decide, watch the meeting webcast live from 10am on Tuesday (10 March).

Benji’s coming to North Edinburgh!

Benji the PlayTalkRead bus is coming to North Edinburgh next week:

You can catch Benji at

West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre on MONDAY 9 March

Muirhouse Library on TUESDAY 10 March

Pennywell Road Shops THURSDAY 12 March

Don’t miss the bus!

Benji-Edinburgh-March-2015-Poster-Small

General Election 2015: your questions matter!

Come along and ask candidates the questions that matter to you! Pilton Community Health Project will be holding hustings in each of the two constituencies in the area.

Candidates for Edinburgh North and Leith have been invited to attend hustings on Thursday 19 March from 6.30 – 8pm at Royston Wardieburn Community Centre. A light soup supper will be available from 6 with questions starting from 6.30. The event will be Chaired by the very able Harry Woodward.

Candidates for Edinburgh West have been invited to attend hustings on Thursday 26 March from 6.30 -8pm at Muirhouse Millennium Community Centre. A light soup supper will be available from 6 with questions starting from 6.30. The event will be Chaired by the very able Harry Woodward.

Get in touch if you would like some help with childcare or have any questions – contact Anita on 0131 551 1671.

EVOC: ‘Localities’ thinkSpace events dates

More and more local and national governments have come to the view that engaging with citizens and planning, purchasing and delivering services at a ‘sub-local’ or ‘localities’ level is the way to add value.

In Edinburgh the City of Edinburgh Council has agreed a localities way of working, with the city divided into four quadrants, or localities, as described in the Council’s ‘Organise to Deliver’ reports.

Simultaneously, there is a drive within the legislation covering the integration of Adult Health with Social Care that services will be designed and delivered closer to communities.

What does this mean for Edinburgh? What does this mean for the city’s Voluntary Organisations? What are your hopes and your fears? What are your expectations of EVOC?

EVOC intends to bring organisations together to consider current plans, and their implications for our communities, by means of a series of four thinkSpace events spread across the city.

This comes out to you as a request to ‘save the date’ to attend the event within the locality most relevant to your service provision:

SOUTH WEST

Tuesday 21 April 2 – 4.30pm, WHALE Arts

NORTH EAST

Thursday 30 April 10am – 12.30pm, The Halls

SOUTH EAST/CENTRAL

Wednesday 6 May 10am – 12.30pm, Methodist Church

NORTH WEST

Monday 11 May 2 – 4.30pm, Royston/Wardieburn Community Centre.

If you have any comments or queries, please don’t hesitate to contact Dianne Morrison on 0131 555 9100 in the first instance.

EVOC will continue to publish relevant documents on its ‘Organise To Deliver’ page:http://www.evoc.org.uk/information/organise-deliver-bold-initiatives/

Milind Kolhatkar

senior development officer – community planning

Scottish Youth Parliament Elections: just seven days left to cast your vote

You still have seven days to cast your vote in the Scottish Youth Parliament elections …

The Scottish Youth Parliament is a non-party political organisation made up of 150 young people representing every constituency in Scotland. It campaigns to highlight the views of Scotland’s young people on a national and international stage.

Its members meet three times each year at a range of different locations, including in the main chamber at Holyrood’s Scottish Parliament.

There are 12 seats representing Edinburgh open to candidates who receive the most votes at the elections in March. These are in six city areas: Central, Eastern, Northern & Leith, Pentlands, Southern and Western.

Anyone aged between 12 and 25 is eligible to vote – to get involved young people can log onto the Young Scot website and use their Young Scot number to vote (temporary numbers for voting are also available from a selection of schools and community venues across the city).

EDINBURGH NORTHERN & LEITH CANDIDATES

EILIDH MACKAY

SYP_Mani_EilidhMackay_UPDATED

Hello, I’m Eilidh, and I want to be your MSYP for Edinburgh North and Leith. Why Me?

 I am passionate about being a voice for young people in my area and across Scotland
 I think there are important changes that need to be made for the benefit of young people in our country
 I have been a member of the Youth Issues forum for 4 years, proving my enthusiasm and meaning I know what issues are important to young people in Edinburgh
 I have a lot of experience in public speaking so won’t be afraid to speak out about the issues that are important

MAIN ISSUES

 Votes at 16
This is something I feel very strongly about; we have a voice that deserves to be heard

 Sex Education
I feel that there is a serious lack of proper sex ed in schools. This is an issue I’ve heard from a lot of people and one I promise to take forward

 School Dinners
Everyone knows school dinners are awful, so why has nothing changed? There needs to be a proper look taken at the quality and healthiness of what we serve to school students.

Follow Me – @littlenerdyscot – and tweet me with any questions you may have. I Hope I Have Your Vote!

KIERAN REAPE

K__Reape_Manifesto_PDF

Why I’m Standing
I’m standing for Edinburgh Northern and Leith in the upcoming 2015 Scottish Youth Parliament elections to represent the young people in the
Edinburgh Northern and Leith constituency.
What I will support and commit to as a Member of Scottish Youth Parliament:
– Votes at 16 (including all elections; UK and Scottish General Elections;
European Elections and Local Council Elections)
– Equality in Young People.
– Higher minimum wage for under-18’s and Modern Apprentices

I want Votes at 16 to become a reality across every type of election possible. This ties in with equality in young people. Young people should be able to Vote.

I also want Modern Apprentices and Under 18’s to be paid higher. The Modern Apprenticeship minimum wage is £2.73 per hour. Compare
that to the National Minimum of £6.50 per hour and you can see that the
gap is far too big.

A little bit about me
I’m 17 years old and born and raised in Edinburgh. I attended Drummond Community High School. After leaving in 5th year I ended up doing some work with the European Parliament shortly after I left school and eventually started a Certificate of Work Readiness at
the National Records of Scotland in January 2014 to March 2014.
I completed the certificate in March and achieved a Highly Commended SQA Star Award for my efforts there and my destination of work after the placement. After the placement I immediately started a one year modern apprenticeship for a SVQ Level 2 in Business and Administration. I now work for the Scottish Government.

Like me on Facebook: www.facebook.com/KieranReapeMSYP

Follow me on Twitter: @Keezor

Email me: K.L.Reape@gmail.com

Please note that due to the Code of the Civil Service, my influence on anything to do with the portfolio I will work in is extremely limited. It’s fortunate that each constituency actually has two MSYP’s. In the case of a portfolio topic, of where I work was to arise, I would plan to hand it over to the other MSYP of the constituency.

TERRI SMITH

SYP_Manifesto_Terri_Smith_Edinburgh_Northern_and_Leith

Past experience:
 I’ve been a MSYP since 2009
 Current Vice Chair of the Scottish Youth Parliament
 Peer educator/mentor locally & nationally
 Youth Worker with disadvantaged young people
 Involved in 3 successful national campaigns
 Registered over 200 young people to vote in the referendum

Why vote for me?

 I have vast experience

 I’m hard working

 Great at public speaking

 I love working with young people

 I always throw in a bit of banter

 I’m committed to further representing you for another 2 years!

 I have a great working relationship with our politicians.

A vote for #TeamTerri is a vote for …

1. More support for LGBT young people
2. More knowledge and access to local and national opportunities
3. Engage and provide more support to the local youth forum and youth clubs/groups
4. Campaign to improve work experience
5. Tackle bullying In schools and provide further support for bullied young people
6. Continue to work with NUS Scotland to ensure college and university students aren’t facing further cuts to their education.

Framing the art of science

His Excellency Rolando Drago, Chilean Ambassador to the UK, accepts the gift of a painting from award-winning botanical artist Gülnur Ekşi during the Royal Horticultural Society’s London Botanical Art Show last weekend.

Also in the photograph is botanist Paulina Hechenleitner – accompanied by daughter Martha – one of three authors of the forthcoming book Plants from the Woods and Forests of Chile for which Gülnur has prepared 35 paintings.

The book – the first one of its kind in English – will be published by the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh in early October 2015.