NET to celebrate eco project success

North Edinburgh Trust (NET) are holding a celebratory event to toast the success of their ‘NET Your Carbons’ environmental project.  The project, supported by the Climate Challenge Fund, enabled NET to work with local people to help reduce their carbon footprint, reduce household energy bills and to support local food growing initiatives.

The NET Your Carbons event will take place on Saturday 26 March from 9.30am at Craigroyston Community High School on Pennywell Road, giving local people an opportunity to look at progress so far and play a part in what may happen in the future.

To register for the event or for further information on NET Your Carbons, contact Lynda at North Edinburgh Trust on 0131 625 0045 or email LyndaMcEwan@netrust.co.uk

Dave Pickering

Credit where it’s due

North Edinburgh Credit Union (NECU) has been providing financial services like affordable loans and savings opportunities to local residents for many years, and the community-run organisation is appealing to members old and new to show their support at their forthcoming annual general meeting.  NECU’s AGM will be held in their Wardieburn Drive office on Thursday 24 March at 6.30pm.

A NECU spokesperson said:  “The meeting requires a quorum of at leat 15 people before it can proceed to business so please attend to give your support to your Credit Union.  We are also always looking for volunteers so if you think you could spare a couple of hours per week please come to the AGM and put your name forward.  Training can be given, and lots of people who have previously volunteered have gone on to get paid work with the experience they gained from the Credit Union”.

For further information on how the Credit Union can help you – and how you can support your local Credit Union – telephone 0131 466 5006 or email committee@necu.co.uk 

 Dave Pickering

Credit where it's due

North Edinburgh Credit Union (NECU) has been providing financial services like affordable loans and savings opportunities to local residents for many years, and the community-run organisation is appealing to members old and new to show their support at their forthcoming annual general meeting.  NECU’s AGM will be held in their Wardieburn Drive office on Thursday 24 March at 6.30pm.

A NECU spokesperson said:  “The meeting requires a quorum of at leat 15 people before it can proceed to business so please attend to give your support to your Credit Union.  We are also always looking for volunteers so if you think you could spare a couple of hours per week please come to the AGM and put your name forward.  Training can be given, and lots of people who have previously volunteered have gone on to get paid work with the experience they gained from the Credit Union”.

For further information on how the Credit Union can help you – and how you can support your local Credit Union – telephone 0131 466 5006 or email committee@necu.co.uk 

 Dave Pickering

D Day for City Activists

Activists from across the city will meet to thrash out the future of the Edinburgh Community Representatives Network on Saturday (19 March).  ECRN has received financial support from Capital City Partnership since it’s formation, but with Capital City Partnership’s own future in doubt ECRN members must now decide the way forward for the group.

ECRN’s ‘Big Event’ will take place at the SYHA Edinburgh Central Youth Hostel on Haddington Place from 9.30 to 4pm.

ECRN Development Worker Alison Miller said:  “Existing funding comes to an end on 31 March, and while new sources of funding are being investigated it may take some time for this to come to reality.  Reduced resources will undoubtedly be a challenge for the ongoing work of the Network, but with every challenge comes opportunity and members feel that now might also be a good time to reassess what ECRN is or should be about, and whether it’s activities continue to reflect the changing context in which it now operates”.

For further information on the Edinburgh Community Representatives Network (ECRN) or to book your free place at the ‘Big Event’, call Alison at North Edinburgh Trust on 0131 625 0045.

Dave Pickering

March NEN out now!

March NEN

As I write, NEN’s March issue should be dropping through letter boxes all across North Edinburgh – our dogged distributors are battling through rain, hail and snow to deliver your community newspaper!

As you will be aware, this edition is a very special one for us and sincere  thanks to everyone who took the time to contact us and who contributed to the paper this month.  It’s greatly appreciated, and we hope you like the finished product.

If you don’t receive your copy over the next few days, please let us know – email or call us on 467 3972.  There were a few distribution problems last month and we want to put that right.

Finally, two important dates for your dairy.  The Save The NEN campaign is holding a public meeting at Royston Wardieburn Community Centre on March 17 at 7pm, and on 30 March West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre is the venue for NEN’s AGM/EGM.  That meeting starts at 2.30pm.

All local people are welcome to attend both events – hope to see you there!  

Dave Pickering

Support for NEN at Inverleith Neighbourhood Partnership

Inverleith Neighbourhood Partnership is to write to council leaders expressing disappointment at decisions taken on Fairer Scotland Funding at last month’s council budget meeting.  The local neighbourhood partnership will also write to Board of North Edinburgh News to express its ‘strong support’ for the continuation of the community newspaper following a meeting of Inverleith Neighbourhood Partnership on Tuesday (8 March). Continue reading Support for NEN at Inverleith Neighbourhood Partnership

Support for NEN at Inverleith Neighbourhood Partnership

Inverleith Neighbourhood Partnership is to write to council leaders expressing disappointment at decisions taken on Fairer Scotland Funding at last month’s council budget meeting.  The local neighbourhood partnership will also write to Board of North Edinburgh News to express its ‘strong support’ for the continuation of the community newspaper following a meeting of Inverleith Neighbourhood Partnership on Tuesday (8 March). Continue reading Support for NEN at Inverleith Neighbourhood Partnership

Support for NEN at Inverleith Neighbourhood Partnership

Inverleith Neighbourhood Partnership is to write to council leaders expressing disappointment at decisions taken on Fairer Scotland Funding at last month’s council budget meeting.  The local neighbourhood partnership will also write to Board of North Edinburgh News to express its ‘strong support’ for the continuation of the community newspaper following a meeting of Inverleith Neighbourhood Partnership on Tuesday (8 March). Continue reading Support for NEN at Inverleith Neighbourhood Partnership

Western urged to clean up its act

Western General: 'improvements needed'

Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon expects infection control standards at the Western General Hospital to be improved ‘as a matter of urgency’ following a critical report published by the Healthcare Environment Inspectorate this week.  The 23 page report, based on an unannounced inspection carried out on 24 January, highlights a number of areas of infection control where improvements are required.  These include:

– Having a designated healthcare associated infection (HAI) education lead to oversee education and training

– Fully implementing the sharps management policy for disposal of used needles

– Having a robust risk management system in the Acute Receiving Admissions unit (ARU) with appropriate numbers of sinks, bed spacing and isolation practices

– Reviewing the risk assessment for activities in Ward 11 (which is a Dermatology ward). Continue reading Western urged to clean up its act

Trees for Two at Botanic Garden!

DIGGING DEEP: Dana Linnet and Rchard Lochhead do the spadework

The Edinburgh launch of the Trees4TwoNations project took place in the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh on  3 March when two rare trees were planted by Richard Lochhead, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment, and Dana Linnet, the US Consul General in the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.

The trees, an Arran Whitebeam representing Scotland and a Rock Chestnut Oak representing the United States were planted to represent the deep historical and cultural roots, and the friendship between, the people of Scotland and the United States of America.  The initiative aims to bring about positive change in environmental understanding and co-operation through a collaborative process and organisers say that with growing evidence of global climate change, nations must work together to try to tackle the environmental and social challenges facing us for the benefit of future generations. Continue reading Trees for Two at Botanic Garden!