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New homes for Western Harbour

Housing Minister hails nearly 100 new homes for rent in Leith

Nearly 100 new affordable homes are to be built at Western Harbour in Leith through the ground-breaking National Housing Trust initiative (NHT), the Housing Minister has revealed.

Margaret Burgess made the announcement during a visit to Scotland’s largest NHT development in Edinburgh this morning.

The recently completed 145 home development at Salamander Place marks the completion of all 422 homes built under the first round of NHT procurement in the Capital.

Mrs Burgess said: “I am delighted to announce the latest deal under the National Housing Trust initiative, which will deliver 94 brand new and affordable homes to rent in Edinburgh.

“Developments such as the one planned for Western Harbour, and the new 145 home development at Salamander Place, not only provide a boost for our construction sector and wider economy, but also offer people and families the chance to rent a new home at affordable rates.

“I have met NHT tenants all over Scotland and have heard how delighted they are with their new, high quality homes.

“NHT continues to go from strength to strength. The initiative is on track to deliver over 2,000 much needed new homes in communities across the country – all for very little taxpayers’ money.

“Despite Westminster’s cuts to our capital budget the Scottish Government is doing everything possible to stimulate growth, maximise our investment in housing and deliver on our target of 30,000 new, affordable homes over the lifetime of this Parliament.”

The original NHT model allows developers and councils to jointly fund the purchase of new homes, with local authority loans to the initiative being underwritten by the Scottish Government.

Under the original NHT model, homes are available for rent at below market rates for five to 10 years before being sold, with tenants being given priority to buy at the end of the rental period.

Councillor Cammy Day, Housing Leader for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “This new development at Salamander Place is an excellent example of how the Council is supporting housing developers to turn derelict sites into modern new build homes for rent at affordable prices. The Council provided over £15m in loan funding for these homes and is committed to securing more developments like this.”

Stuart Paterson, Chief Financial Officer of Forth Ports Limited, on whose land the new NHT development at Western Harbour would be located, said: “We are pleased to be partnering with the City of Edinburgh Council, the Scottish Futures Trust and the Scottish Government in this NHT initiative at Western Harbour.

“Whilst we are a port operator first and foremost, when this was brought to us by Rettie & Co, who helped co-ordinate the deal, we saw an opportunity to help towards the regeneration of the community by providing more housing in the Leith area. Other areas around the Port of Leith, including Britannia Quay, are and will remain operational land.”

Angela Linton, Chief Executive of Hillcrest Group, the Housing Association that manages the Salamander Place development, said: “The NHT model allows us to market a different tenure of housing to the traditional affordable properties offered by Hillcrest Housing Association.

“Through Northern Housing Company, part of the Hillcrest Group, we have delivered mid-market rent properties, making a much needed injection of housing at this level.

“Many people find themselves not qualifying for affordable housing but at the same time not being able to afford the private market, so we are grateful for the Scottish Government support which helps us to deliver this project at Salamander Place.”

Christa Reekie, Commercial Director at the Scottish Futures Trust, said: “SFT’s work in developing and managing the innovative NHT programme is helping to deliver affordable rented housing in areas where there is a shortage.

“The City of Edinburgh Council has fully embraced the NHT initiative and so far has over 420 NHT homes across five sites in the City, with the construction of an additional 94 homes starting soon. The Salamander Place site is the largest across the whole of Scotland and reflects the huge positive impact the NHT programme is having on people’s lives.”

Lazarowicz: continued concern over Waverley access

Mark Lazarowicz MP has written again to Network Rail to express continued concern over access to Waverley station.

After first raising the issue of access for disabled passengers now that vehicles were barred from the station, Mark has welcomed action taken by Network Rail but stressed that real problems remain more generally affecting all those using the station, especially at busy periods such as Festival time.

In particular, the North & Leith MP is calling for Network Rail to:

· look again at access for people with disabilities

· introduce clearer access for cyclists, and

· quickly improve signage to taxi ranks outside the station as well as bus and tram services in time for peak Festival time.

He said: “I recognise that Network Rail is taking action to meet the concerns that I and others expressed but I remain concerned about access to Waverley for passengers generally.

“People with restricted mobility should be able to access the station as independently as possible rather than having to rely on the passenger assistance service provided by staff however good it is.

“The only access route for cyclists is now along the pedestrian footway from Waverley Bridge which is clearly undesirable for both cyclists and pedestrians.

“There is no longer any taxi access into the station but there also don’t seem to be there any signs to taxi ranks outside. There are signs to buses but not which bus and tram services stop where.

“The number of passengers using Waverley went up to 19 million last year but too many still face problems accessing the station.”

Record pass rate as Scottish students receive results

Higher and new National Qualification results out today

Students across Scotland have achieved a record number of Higher passes in the last school year, it’s been revealed today. Over 140,000 candidates across Scotland received their results this morning, and Schools Minister Dr Alasdair Allan has congratulated pupils and teachers on their hard work and effort.

In addition to Access, Intermediates, Highers and Advanced Highers, this year saw the first students study for the new National Qualifications – part of the ongoing implementation of Curriculum for Excellence.

This year saw a record number of Higher passes, with the overall pass rate remaining virtually unchanged – 77.1 per cent this year compared with 77.4 per cent last year. The number of Highers sat was 191,850 across all subjects – an increase of more than 9,000.

Students also received the first ever results for National 3 and 4 – assessed during the year– and National 5, assessed during the year and through a traditional end-of-year exam. The pass rate was 93.0 per cent for National 4 and 81.1 per cent for National 5.

While direct comparisons between the new National qualifications and Standard Grade pass rates cannot be made, as a broad comparison, National 5 is the same level of challenge as Intermediate 2 and Standard Grade Credit.

Of the tens of thousands of students who received their results today, 37,237 chose to be informed by text message or email. All candidates were also notified by post.

Dr Allan said: “Congratulations to the thousands of young people who have worked so hard, their families who have supported them and the teachers who have worked tirelessly to prepare them. Today sees them well equipped to progress to new challenges, whatever those may be.

“Our education system has taken another significant step forward today. The new National qualifications represent a shift towards deeper learning and a greater emphasis on analysis, engagement and understanding. These are the qualities on which we will continue to strengthen our education system.

“Scotland’s teachers have been key to delivering our new curriculum and new qualifications. They have worked outstandingly hard and I thank them for all they have done. I know it has been a challenging year for them and, once again, I’ve been hugely impressed by their commitment to supporting Scotland’s young people.

“So many pupils have achieved strong grades in their Highers, Advanced Highers, Intermediates, Access and new Nationals – against very rigorous standards – and are now in a position to make exciting decisions about what they do next. My congratulations also go to the thousands of young people across Scotland who have achieved a wide variety of qualifications which meet a wider range of learners’ needs, such as SQA awards, National Progression Awards and Skills for Work and Personal Development.

“The fact that there has been such a marked increase in the number of Highers attained is a real success story. Students are now sitting a greater number of Highers, demonstrating real ambition and aspiration among young learners to achieve the best qualifications they can.

“I am also encouraged to see so many young people attaining National Qualifications, which are an important component within Curriculum for Excellence.

“This is a significant achievement for our learners and our schools, and clear evidence of continued improvement in Scottish education.

“As we celebrate these achievements I also offer my thanks to all of the parents and carers who have risen to the challenge of supporting them through their new qualifications.

“Clearly not everyone will have received the results they had hoped for, while others may simply be unsure of what to do next. Rest assured, help is available through the exam results helpline on 0808 100 8000 for those who may not have got what they needed.”

Larry Flanagan, general secretary of teachers trade union EIS, said: “Scotland’s pupils and teachers deserve high praise for a strong set of exam results which have been achieved during a very significant period of change for Scottish education.

“It is of great credit to the work of our schools, pupils and teachers that the diet has been so successful, at a time when budgets have been declining and workload pressures increasing.

“Pupils, parents and teachers should be extremely proud of this strong set of results and the EIS sends its congratulations to all pupils who have been successful in their exams this year.”

Early indications are that candidates in Edinburgh have once again exceeded expectations and that the city’s overall good performance has been maintained.

A total of 42,780 resulted awards were certificated for 8,402 candidates.

Highlights include:

By the end of S6 61% of all pupils achieved one or more Highers – a four percentage point improvement on last year and a 13 percentage point improvement since 2009.
By the end of S5 54% of all pupils achieved one or more Highers – a two percentage point improvement on last year and a 12 percentage point improvement since 2009.
Overall for S4 pupils who sat the new qualifications for the first time, 13,585 awards were certificated at the new National 5 level, 8,342 awards were certificated at the new National 4 level and 1,846 awards were certificated at the new National 3 level.

Councillor Paul Godzik, Education Convener for the City of Edinburgh Council, welcomed today’s results. He said: ““Recently published figures from Audit Scotland showed Edinburgh is outperforming similar city and neighbouring local authorities and early indications from the SQA exam results show that 2014 has been another really positive year for our pupils, with performance rising yet again.

“This year’s provisional results are very encouraging with 100% of pupils achieving an English qualification by the end of S5. By the end of S6, an impressive 61% achieved one or more Highers which is a 13 percentage point improvement since 2009.

“I want to congratulate all those who sat exams this year, and thanks must also go to all our teaching staff who have been working extremely hard for the introduction of the new National exams.

“Another key aim is to make sure all school leavers enter a positive destination of employment, training or further education. Initiatives such as the Edinburgh Guarantee are going a long way to making this a reality for many of our ex-pupils.

“This year a record 91% of young people achieved and sustained a positive destination. This is something we will continue to build on in the coming years and look forward to seeing many more placements and positive results.”

How did you do? Let us know!

News from EVOC

Forth and Inverleith Voluntary Sector Forum

Forth and Inverleith Voluntary Sector Forum will take place on Wednesday 6 August from 10-12pm at Pilton Community Health Project on Boswall Parkway.

Local Neighbourhood Partnership officers Elaine Lennon and Jim Pattison will attend to discuss community priorities as identified during the recent Local Community Plan consultations. There will also be a presentation by CEC Welfare Manager Alan Sinclair.

Attendees are asked to bring along details of any training available through their organisation to allow the compilation of a list of available training in the area.

For further information (and to confirm your attendance) contact June Dickson on 555 9114 or email june.dickson@evoc.org.uk

Edinburgh Compact – ten years on

Seems hard to believe, but the Edinburgh Compact – the groundbreaking agreement between the voluntary sector and public sector organisations to work in partnership for mutual benefit – is now ten years old, and EVOC wants to know: how’s it been for you?

DURING this Compact 10 year the city’s Third Sector will go through a process of both reflecting on ten years of progress since the Edinburgh Compact Partnership was formed, and looking forward to the next ten years (writes Milind Kolhatkar, Community Planning Officer at EVOC).

This process of reflection and projection will be grounded not only in the experiences of the city’s Third Sector leaders, but also – crucially – on the evidence base that you provide us with.

Compact Voice is the project to gather, assess and share quantitative and qualitative data from across the breadth of Edinburgh’s Third Sector. This bank of information will help shape the futures thinking that sits at the heart of the Compact 10 year.

Through a process of surveys, focus groups, discussion forums and guided projection Third Sector leaders will engage with the rich diversity of Edinburgh’s Third Sector as well as with our Public Sector partners.

The key outputs from this process will include a growing data bank to support futures thinking, a body of evidence to help articulate the value Edinburgh’s Third Sector brings to the city, and increased opportunities for the Third Sector itself to focus on the positive difference it makes each and every day to the lives of people in need in all parts of the city.

The Compact 10 year aims to deliver outcomes including improved understanding and better relationships between the Third Sector and our Public Sector partners, clearer strategic direction to the planning and delivery of Third Sector services, and a shared understanding on the part of all Community Planning Partners that a city with a robust Third Sector is a city where communities have a rich and supportive social fabric.

Complete the online survey (below)

HTTPS://WWW.SURVEYMONKEY.COM/S/COMPACTVOICEONE

LIGHTS OUT tonight

Today is the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War and to mark this we are inviting everyone (from large-scale organisations like Blackpool Illuminations, Tower Bridge and Piccadilly Circus to thousands of people at home) to turn out their lights, leaving on a single light or candle for a shared moment of reflection.

You can also get involved by tweeting a LIGHTS OUT selfie or an image of your moment using the hashtag #LIGHTSOUT. And you can download the free LIGHTS OUT Jeremy Deller app and watch Deller’s short film, available for just one hour from 10pm tonight. At 11pm, the film will disappear.

Jeremy Deller is one of a number of artworks commissioned across the UK as part of LIGHTS OUT.

It’s also your last chance to write your LETTER TO AN UNKNOWN SOLDIER

Almost 20,000 letters have been sent to the Unknown Soldier since the project began in June.

Letters have arrived from all over the United Kingdom and beyond, and many well-known writers and personalities have contributed. Stephen Fry, Malorie Blackman, Andrew Motion, Dawn French, Joanna Lumley and more.

Submissions will close at 11pm tonight. Don’t miss your chance to add your voice to this new war memorial.

For further information visit www.1418now.org.uk

Circle’s storytellers ‘writely’ pleased with new book!

‘No-one really knew what it was. People walking past stopped and stared …’

Children and parents from Circle’s Haven project created their own book, ‘The Sandpit Volcano’, during Haven’s Storytelling Week project, which ran from 28 July – 2 August.

The Sandpit Volcano tells the tale of brave kangaroos, crabbit crustaceans and creepy castles with flags made from used underpants – delightful! Children who were involved in the creation of the story read it in public for the first time on Friday and it really is a fantastic tale!

The Haven Project group was assisted by Edinburgh-based author Mike Nicholson (pictured below with ten-month old ‘helper’ Caleb!), who writes children’s fiction. He has two novels published; mystery adventures packed with past secrets, colourful characters and fiendish plots! Based on his writing experience, Mike runs events for all ages in schools and at book festivals, often based on encouraging children to create their own story ideas. Mike worked with the Circle project on a similar project last year – a swashbuckling tale of pirates on the seven seas – and he was delighted to return for what it’s hoped may become an annual event.

It was an intensive week for all involved – from a day of ideas and discussions following a trip to Cramond, working with Mike to develop story ideas and then producing artwork and storyboards – but it was both interesting and fun for all involved.

One mum said: “It really was good fun and we’re all looking forward to seeing the book when it’s printed – oh, and the bairns enjoyed it all too!”

North Edinburgh Arts Angela Austin worked on the artwork with the group. “This was a great group to work with – everyone was really enthusiastic and there was lots of energy and ideas”, she said. “Lots of people are really good at art and being creative without realizing the talent they have, and I think this project has shown that”.

The artwork is now off to the printers and it’s hoped the Circle storytellers will see the The Sandpit Volcano in book form within the next 2-3 weeks.

From Muirhouse to Gaza

Muirhouse Community Shop is collecting toys for children in the Middle East as part of Edinburgh’s Toy Drive to Gaza initiative.

The events of the last few weeks have shocked the world, and it seems world leaders can do nothing to halt the killing and suffering. Now ordinary people are being urged to do what they can to support the population of Gaza in practical ways – and the Toys to Gaza initiative is one way in which the lives of Palestinian children can be made at least wee bit brighter.

Muirhouse Community Shop is looking for donations of toys which will be placed in a container and sent to Gaza at the end of August. In particular, they need:

Soft Toys
Balls of all kinds and sizes.
Skipping ropes, hula hoops.
Dolls clothes
Board Games
Building Blocks (Lego etc)
Toy animals
Drawing books
All art materials
Craft Material

Please don’t hand in other types of toy – the above items are easily packed, take up limited space, require no batteries and can be used for years.

Can you help? Please bring your donations to:

Muirhouse Community Shop
57 Pennywell Road
Open: Monday to Friday 9am till 3pm

www.worldbulletin.net

Female only swim sessions at Craigroyston

I would like to introduce a new female only swim session at Craigroyston High School on Sundays from 2 – 2.50pm. We have female only lifeguards on the poolside and the pool is closed to any other participants.

The cost of the session is £1.00 per adult. Children aged 8 years and under are welcome to come along to the session for free as long as they are with a female adult.

I have attached the flier with all the information for the female only swim session (below).

NOTE: Sessions will not be held on Sundays 3 and 10 August due to maintenance to the pool – sessions will start up again on Sunday 17 August.

Marie Kneeshaw

Aquatics Development Officer, Edinburgh Lesiure
mariekneeshaw@edinburghleisure.co.uk
www.edinburghleisure.co.uk
Direct: 0131 458 2195

STV to celebrate Scotland’s community heroes

Fet-Lor, Scotland’s oldest youth club, and Leith-based MS Therapy Centre will both feature on the forthcoming series of RBS – Finding Scotland’s Real Heroes, which starts on STV on Friday 15 August.

Presented by Carol Smillie (pictured above) and sponsored by the Royal Bank of Scotland, the STV series celebrates people whose tireless effort, resourcefulness, and kindness has improved local communities across Scotland.

The nominees were selected by a special jury and will feature in a series of programmes to be aired from 15 August with each episode on every Friday evening thereafter. Across the five episodes, ‘star reporters’ will visit each of the nominees to interview them about their work in the community and their thoughts on the nomination for a Real Hero award. The star reporters this year include The X Factor runner-up Nicholas McDonald, actress Clare Grogan, Taggart star Alex Norton and actor Bill Paterson.

The year’s shortlist includes deserving Scots from Wick to West Lothian, and Skye to South Lanarkshire, recognising the amazing work local people are undertaking in their communities across the country. The categories include Carer of the Year, Young Real Hero of the Year, and a new award for Hero Animal of the Year.

At the end of each programme viewers are invited to vote for the nominees they believe most deserve to win a Scotland’s Real Heroes Award, with the overall winners being celebrated at a glittering televised awards ceremony later in the year.

Elizabeth Partyka, deputy director of channels at STV, said: “The time has come to highlight the outstanding work modestly carried out by the finalists of the series RBS – Finding Scotland’s Real Heroes. We look forward to celebrating the enormous achievement of all of the nominees. Each story tells of a remarkable accomplishment and is very moving – all the finalists are considered to be most deserving however it is the STV viewers that decide who will pick up an award.”

Chris Wilson, Royal Bank of Scotland’s Managing Director of Branch and Private Banking in Scotland, said: “Everyone at Royal Bank of Scotland is looking forward to finding out more about this year’s incredible finalists. We think it’s important to celebrate those people who go that extra mile for their community. Each one of the finalists is deserving of recognition and we are all looking forward to seeing who the public choose.”

Fet-Lor, based on Crewe Road South, is Scotland’s oldest youth club and is a finalist in the RBS – Community Project of the Year category, while MS Therapy Centre champion Dean Reilly features among the finalists for the Scotland’s Real Heroes Courage Award.

Good luck to them both – the series first screens on STV on Friday 15 August at 8pm.

Craigroyston’s adult education programme launched

Craigroyston Community High School Adult Education Programme September 2014

Term starts w/c 22 September 2014 for 10-week term and enrolments will start from 6 August (see below for programme).

People can enrol in person at the school, by phone or online – it is the launch of City of Edinburgh online enrolments, where people will be able to enrol for any class in the adult education programme – with the main prohramme and all the community high school programmes: Craigroyston, Castlebrae, Balerno, Leith Academy, Currie, Drummond, Wester Hailes Education Centre and South Queensferry all in one place together!

Online enrolments can all be made through www.joininedinburgh.org where a comprehensive list of classes can be found and online bookings can be made from home or a library, anytime after 6 August.

CR_A5PROGRAMME_FIN_LR

Fiona Henderson / Monica Nall
Community Education Team
0131 477 7801