A record number of 59 Scottish parks will fly a Green Flag this year after receiving the environmental award, eight more than last year. Edinburgh topped the list with 26 flags – two up on last year.
Entrants are assessed on eight criteria, including whether the park or green space is welcoming, healthy, safe, clean and well-maintained. Parks and green spaces must also be sustainable, manage conservation and heritage, have community involvement, market themselves and have good management.
The Award scheme is administered by Keep Scotland Beautiful. Derek Robertson, chief executive of the charity, said: “Scotland’s parks are going from strength to strength. We’re very proud of all of our award winners and particularly of the army of local volunteers who work all year round in rain or shine to make Scottish parks beautiful.”
Environment minister Paul Wheelhouse said: “The availability of high-quality green space and parks is very important for the health and well-being of the people of Scotland. Long may these commendable efforts continue.”
The announcement comes during Love Parks Week (26 July – 3 August), a celebration of our beautiful parks and green spaces across the UK. This annual campaign is managed by Keep Britain Tidy and supported, in Scotland, by Keep Scotland Beautiful.
The city council’s Environment Convener, Councillor Lesley Hinds, said: “We have a beautiful array of parks here in Edinburgh, ranging from small residential spots like Montgomery Street Park to world famous landmarks, such as Calton Hill.
“With the invaluable support of dedicated community and Friends of Parks groups, our parks team work tirelessly to ensure the green spaces across the city, many of them Green Flag Award-winners, are of a national standard.
“But we can’t do this without the support of the public. Our parks provide a haven for people around Edinburgh, particularly during the warmer weather, and I ask those who use them to keep them that way by behaving responsibly and disposing of litter.”
Edinburgh is currently gearing up to represent the UK in the Entente Florale, Europe’s largest environmental competition – judges visit the city’s parks and open spaces next month.
Born before the outbreak of the First World War, Drylaw woman Nan Macdonald celebrated her 100th birthday with family and friends at Drylaw Parish Church yesterday. Guests were entertained with jazz and traditional Scottish music and shared lots and lots of stories and happy memories.
Nan is quite fragile these days and she is currently in an Inverleith nursing home, but as ever Nan’s husband of 73 years Harry was never far from his wife’s side – looking particular dapper in his maroon jacket and proudly sporting his Foundation of Hearts tie!
The pair met in the late 1930s when Harry was a butcher boy and Nan was helping to look after her father’s house. They shared many interests, particularly cycling and spent many happy weekends together on bike rides up to the north of Scotland.
The Second World War intervened but didn’t end the couple’s courtship – Harry got leave during naval service and he and Nan were married in Stockbridge Church on February 22 1941.
After the war the couple set up home in Drylaw where the Macdonalds had three children – George, Henry and Evelyn. Since then clan has continued to grow and grow, and grandchildren and great-grandchildren came from near and far to join yesterday’s celebrations.
Harry, incidentally, has a wee while to wait for his telegram from the Queen – he claims he’s Nan’s ‘toy boy’ – he’s only 98!
SIZZLING SUMMER FAYRE AT SHELTERED HOUSING COMPLEX
Port of Leith Housing Association’s (PoLHA) St Nicholas Court sheltered housing complex is hosting its annual summer fayre next Saturday (2 August).
The complex, on Ferry Road, will have stalls including a raffle, tombola, home bakes, bric-a-brac, books, DVDS and toys. There will also be a BBQ and face painting for children.
Admission is 50p and all funds raised will support activities for residents including day trips, theatre trips, exercise classes and lunch clubs.
Maureen Tait, Sheltered Housing Services Manager manages the complex. She said: “This is our 17th summer fayre and it’s one of the highlights on our social calendar. Many of the residents really enjoy it as they get to interact with the local community and we’re hoping this great weather we’ve been experiencing continues.
“We normally raise over £1000 at our summer fayres and we’ll be looking to achieve the same, if not more, this time as the money goes towards enjoyable and interactive social activities for the residents.”
The summer fayre will run from 12pm to 2pm at St Nicholas Court on 74 Ferry Road.
North West Partnership Centre planning application submitted
Plans for two new health and social care hubs in Edinburgh are ‘progressing well’, according to city leaders.
The new £12-million North West Edinburgh Partnership Centre submitted a planning application to the City of Edinburgh Council last month, while plans for the £7-million Firrhill Partnership Centre have now been approved.
The development of the new centres is being carried out in partnership between NHS Lothian and the City of Edinburgh Council and once completed will bring increased health and social care services to Muirhouse, Firrhill and their surrounding communities.
Peter Gabbitas, Joint Director, Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership said: “The plans for the North West Edinburgh Partnership centre and Firrhill Partnership Centre are progressing well.
“These are excellent examples of the benefits of bringing health and social care services together on one site and in so doing putting children’s health and welfare at the forefront of our services.”
Cllr Ricky Henderson, Health, Social Care and Housing Convener, said: “We are committed to providing high quality health and social care within communities, and working in partnership with organisations such as NHS Lothian on projects like the North West Partnership Centre is a great way to ensure this happens.”
Hub South East Scotland Ltd, the Council and NHS Lothian’s development partner, is delivering the projects, having appointed GRAHAM Construction as the contractor to build the new centres.
Paul McGirk, Chief Executive, Hub South East Scotland Ltd said: “These key planning milestones mark an exciting step forward in the development of the Partnership Centres, which will make a real difference to local communities. We look forward to continuing our successful partnership with NHS Lothian and the City of Edinburgh, to make these plans a reality.”
The NHS Lothian-led Partnership Centre will bring Council and NHS services into one location on Pennywell Gardens, behind the Pennywell shopping centre. It is anticipated that the following new services will be available within the new centre:
General Practice
District Nursing and Health Visitor
Dentistry
Dietetics
Podiatry
Physiotherapy
Child and Adolescense Mental Health Services (CAMHS)
Speech and Language
Community Paediatrics
Edinburgh Council, Children and Families
North West Carers and other Voluntary Sector
There are also plans to situate a mental health and substance misuse recovery hub in Craigroyston Health Clinic following completion of the new partnership centre.
It is anticipated that the Scottish Government will approve the Outline Business Case for both projects in the next few months. If that happens, construction of the new Centres is scheduled to start by next summer and they will open to the public in autumn 2016.
West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre have added more activities to their summer programme:
Tuesday 29 July and 5 August
Sports Leadership Course 10-16 year olds
10.00am-1.00pm 50p per child
Gain a certificate to be able to assist in delivering playground games and sessions with younger children in various settings.
Limited spaces and attendance is required on both days.
Friday 8 August
The Generator at the Scottish National Gallery
10.00am-12.00 5-12 year olds £1.40 per child
A crazy Art Lab—What happens when you mix art with music? How do you ‘un-paint’ a picture? What could a sculpture be made of? Simply pick up your artist’s I.D card and begin your journey of discovery!
Limited spaces available
A Consent form is required to be completed and returned to the Centre before the day. Meet at the Centre to leave prompt at 9.30am to catch the bus.
Spaces on all courses must be booked and paid for before the date. For further information contact West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre, telephone 551 3194
Foodies Festival, the UK’s largest celebration of food & drink, returns to Inverleith Park all weekend from Friday 8th – Sunday 10th August.
Each year the ever-growing festival sees visitors flock to feast on a delightful choice of culinary activities, making Foodies Festival one of the big social events of the summer.
This year we’re promised top chefs cooking in the Chef’s Theatre; wine, beer, and cocktails in the Drinks Theatre; you can join top pastry chefs in the brand new Chocolate, Cake, Bake and Preserves Theatre, and kids can learn to cook too in the Children’s Cookery Theatre.
A new Feasting Tent at the heart of the festival will become the social hub, where visitors will enjoy eating with chefs, friends and family at long banqueting tables.
Another fun addition this year is the Vintage Tea Tent that will hold daily tea dances, alongside a Vintage Kitchen Market allowing visitors to pick up beautiful pieces to add to their own kitchens at home.
The new Real Ale and Cider Farm offers an area for visitors to chill out on hay bales and strike up a conversation with beer and cider expert Melissa Cole and fellow beer lovers. There’s a guitar behind the bar for those in the mood to get a sing-along started! Who knows, maybe The Wurzels will make a surprise guest appearance!
A new Chilli Food Market will excite those with a love for spicy foods with a range of chilli growers and artisan producers of sauces, sweets and jams. For those who can handle the heat a Chilli Eating Challenge takes place at 5pm daily!
Foodies Festival tickets are on sale now – for tickets or more information visit www.foodiesfestival.com
The Edinburgh Mela Festival 2014 is looking for volunteers
Friday 29 – Sunday 31 August
A carnival atmosphere with a vibrant and exciting mix of dance, music, street art and theatre, The Edinburgh Mela Festival is a lively, colourful event for all the family.
We are looking for enthusiastic and friendly volunteers to join the Festival team, so if you are looking for a fun, summer experience then this is the opportunity for you…
We are looking for volunteers in the following areas:
Artist Liaison, Audience Services, Market Stalls, Kids and family area, Green Recycling Team and Marketing.
We provide:
Ø A volunteer training session, which will give you a chance to meet your volunteer colleagues
Ø Travel expenses to and from the Festival
Ø A meal per shift plus refreshments from our hospitality area
Ø 2 complimentary day tickets
Ø A limited edition Mela t-shirt
Ø You will be able to ask for a reference on successful completion of your volunteer post
You will be asked to attend a short, informal interview and training session.
To find out more, please contact Antonia Dickson on 07870621086 or email volunteer@edinburgh-mela.co.uk; alternatively write to The Edinburgh Mela, Unit 14, Abbeymount Techbase, 2 Easter Road, Edinburgh, EH7 5AN
The deadline for all opportunities is Sunday 10 August.
The Commonwealth Games kick off tomorrow, and what better way to celebrate this sporting extravaganza than with a local sports quiz?
If you think you know your archery from your athletics, backstroke from your badminton or your cricket from your croquet (I could go on!) this 30 July event at The Grange Sports Club is for you …
With the tax credits renewal deadline of 31 July just ten days away, HMRC has revealed the top 10 excuses for not renewing tax credits claims.
Excuses given by claimants to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) for missing the deadline include:
I didn’t need the money because I’d met a rich bloke, but he dumped me
My mum usually does this for me
The form was locked in the boot of my car, and then my car caught fire
My baby used the paperwork as a colouring book
My dog ate the form
I got confused with the 31 January Self Assessment deadline
I booked the last two weeks of July for a holiday and forgot all about it
I’ve been in hospital but am feeling much better now
I was unable to get income details from my employers in time
I thought I’d already renewed
Claimants have until the 31 July deadline to renew, or their payments might end – last year more than 650,000 failed to renew on time. This year, for the first time, claimants can renew online, at GOV.UK, as well as being able to renew by post and phone.
Nick Lodge, Director General of Benefits and Credits, HMRC, said: “By 15 July over 203,000 claimants have renewed online. It’s a quick and easy way to do it. Renewing tax credits on time is important. People who don’t renew by the deadline can, and do, lose their payments.”
HMRC asks all claimants to check the accuracy of the information in their renewals pack, and to tell the department about any changes to their circumstances that they haven’t already reported, such as to their working hours, childcare costs or pay.
Granton Information Centre’s Caroline Pickering said: “There has been quite a big media campaign to remind people that they must renew their claims, and it really is important that they do so by 31 July. Many of our clients first approach us with money problems, and any loss of income can have really serious consequences for families who are often living on the tightest of budgets”.
Lazarowicz calls for ceasefire and an end to Israeli military action
GAZA: Thousands took to the Glasgow streets to protest on Saturday
As the fighting in Gaza has continued with reports of an Israeli attack hitting a Gaza hospital with the loss of four lives, North and Leith MP Mark Lazarowicz has condemned the conduct of military action by Israel in Gaza and called for an immediate ceasefire in a letter to the Foreign Secretary.
The conflict has so far seen the death toll rise to well over 500, the vast majority of whom are Palestinian civilians including more than one hundred children.
In his letter to the Foreign Secretary, Mark Lazarowicz called for an immediate ceasefire to be monitored by the international community and humanitarian relief to be allowed to reach Palestinians in Gaza.
After the conflict saw its worst day yet on Sunday with the death of 100 more Palestinians and 13 Israeli soldiers, the local MP said: “I have written to the Foreign Secretary to urge the Government to exert pressure on Israel to end military action in Gaza and redouble efforts to bring about an immediate ceasefire.
“Like people around the world, I have been shocked by the present conflict and scenes such the bodies on a beach. I completely condemn the violence on all sides, including the rocket attacks on Israel.
“Nevertheless, the scale and conduct of the Israeli military operation is unacceptable, unjustified and illegal: in practice it is the civilian population of Gaza which is suffering its consequences.
“I am calling for an immediate internationally verified ceasefire and humanitarian relief to be allowed into Gaza to be followed by a renewed peace initiative which would see the lifting of the blockade of Gaza.”
According to OCHA (the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) the number of displaced persons now totals 84,000.
The North and Leith Labour MP went on: “I am concerned that with electricity and water supplies being affected we could face a humanitarian emergency if the fighting continues. Political engagement by the international community is vital to bring about a ceasefire with so many being forced to flee their homes.”
The Scottish Government has confirmed that the country ‘stands ready’ to accept Palestinian refugees.
Speaking on Saturday, External Affairs Minister Humza Yousaf said: “The start of a ground offensive is a serious and worrying development. The lives lost in this conflict are individual human tragedies and the killing of innocent civilians, be they Palestinian or Israeli, is to be utterly condemned. The rocket attacks on Israel are unacceptable and should stop, as should the Israeli offensive in Gaza, which is heavily disproportionate, as demonstrated by the mounting civilian death toll.
“As a Government we continue to call for a complete cessation to all violence and add our voice to those in the international community for an immediate, longer term ceasefire, and that both sides in this conflict put an end to the violence that is causing so many civilian deaths and injuries.
“The worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza has been well documented and the UN now estimates that over 18,000 people have been internally displaced. I have today written to the Home Secretary and told her that Scotland would be willing to accept Palestinian refugees and urged the UK to also play a part in easing the refugee crisis in Gaza and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
“It is essential that the UN should be allowed to independently investigate all civilian deaths to determine whether there has been any violation of international law.
“Our offer of medical assistance to help the humanitarian situation still stands and we are currently in dialogue with the appropriate Governments and agencies to assess whether Scotland can give specialist medical help to civilians caught up in the conflict should should this prove possible.
“The Scottish Government also believes that the continuation of the blockade in Gaza is exacerbating the suffering experienced by the people there and tantamount to collective punishment. For that reason I recently wrote to the UK Government to exert further pressure on the Israeli Government to bring that blockade to an end.”
The UK government yesterday announced the UK will provide more than £5 million in emergency support to help tens of thousands of people affected by the violence in Gaza.
This includes £2 million in new funding announced by Prime Minister David Cameron for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency’s (UNRWA) Flash Appeal, which will provide emergency assistance to more than 84,000 people who have been driven out of their homes.
A further £3 million in funding will be brought forward to help the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) respond to the worsening situation and funding will also be reallocated to help rebuild UNRWA schools that are being used as shelters.
International Development Secretary Justine Greening said: “The escalation in violence has had a devastating impact on civilians. More than 500 Palestinians are now reported to have been killed with at least 83 children among the dead and more than 100,000 people have had to flee their homes.
“This new support from the UK will provide lifesaving food, shelter and clean water to those in desperate need as a result of the fighting. We must see an immediate de-escalation and ceasefire to prevent further civilian loss of life, followed by a return to peaceful negotiations.”
The UK Government has said that all sides must adhere to International Humanitarian Law and humanitarian supplies must be allowed to reach people in need. The security of both Israelis and Palestinians remains paramount, but restrictions that damage the economy and prospects for ordinary people in Gaza must be eased. A prosperous and stable Gaza is firmly in Israel’s security interests.
