Category: West Granton

R2: Pedal and Paint community event

FRIDAY 20 JUNE 2 – 4pm at GYPSY BRAE

Come along to this special Community Cycling & Walking event on Friday 20 June!

Free Community Lunch at Empty Kitchens, Full Hearts tomorrow

Menu for Friday 9th May 🥣

Excited to share a delicious community meal with you tomorrow. We do our best to have a variety of options, including vegetarian and often a delicious pudding.

What’s on the menu tomorrow:

– Root vegetable and herb medley soup

– Beef brisket with roast potatoes, carrots and parsnips

– Cauliflower cheese (V) with roast potatoes, carrots and parsnips

– Raspberry and almond slice with custard

Please check the board or ask our lovely volunteers about allergens. And just a heads-up – our food is served until it runs out! Do come along and enjoy.

North Edinburgh Community Festival Set to Shine!

West Pilton Park will come alive on Saturday, 17th May, from 12:00 to 5:30 PM, as the much-anticipated and award-winning North Edinburgh Community Festival enters its fourth year.

Known for its vibrancy, inclusivity, and celebration of local talent, this year’s festival promises to be bigger, brighter, and more colourful than ever before. With over 10,000 attendees expected, it’s an unmissable event for the entire community.

Festival Highlights

This year, the festival will host over 160 local organisations, charities, and community groups, offering a kaleidoscope of activities—from hair braiding and glitter tattoos to boxing and dodgeball, from live music programmed by Granton Youth and Tinderbox to dance performances and pop-up dance mobs from Edinburgh College, and from Edinburgh Fringe Festival street performers to North Edinburgh Arts for all things arts and crafts. 

North Edinburgh Arts and Imaginate have once again collaborated creating commissioned performances that will be performed by local children and young people from the North Edinburgh Youth Arts Collective.

As well as running their jam packed arts and crafts tent for families; their Art for Grown Ups, Arts & Dance and CREATE groups are all planning to join the festival parade en route as it passes by the Macmillan Hub. 

We’ll be hosting North Edinburgh’s very own ‘Crufts’ with our first ever ‘Scruffs’ Dog Show – with 6 categories to enter and prizes up for grabs including North Edinburgh’s waggiest tail!

This is hosted by Audrey Coltart of Branniffmhor Cockers, a seasoned professional in dog competitions, and a respected judge!

Whatever your interest, we’ve got it all!

The festival remains free to attend, with 90% of activities free of charge, ensuring accessibility for everyone. While food vans and items will be available for purchase, the festival aims to keep costs low for attendees.

Key Projects Spotlight

The North Edinburgh Community Festival will feature three major projects that celebrate local food, culture, diversity and artistic expression:

THE TATTIE PROJECT

  • Celebrating the humble potato, this collaborative initiative includes over 10 local organisations such as Lauriston Farm and R2. Residents will engage in activities like growing, harvesting, cooking, and distributing potatoes.
  • In the food demonstration tent, six local home cooks will share potato recipes from their cultures, highlighting the diversity of local cuisine.
  • Scran Academy and Empty Kitchens, Full Hearts will serve up 2,000 free hot baked potatoes with toppings, ensuring everyone gets a delicious taste of this staple food.
  • While we regret the absence of RRT this year due to budget cuts, we remain grateful for the 5,000 free meals they’ve provided at past festivals.

THE NORTH EDINBURGH COMMUNITY CHOIR

A festival legacy project, the choir unites over 100 young people from Pirniehall, St. David’s, Forthview and Craigroyston Primary Schools and Craigroyston High School as well as Tinderbox Music Club to perform at the festival.

Earlier this year, these students had the opportunity to perform with international megastar Ed Sheeran alongside Tinderbox Orchestra at the West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre. Their performance will include his hit song, Bad Habits!

THE FESTIVAL PARADE

Pulse of the Place, Edinburgh Carnival and Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival leads the way with the festival’s largest and most colourful parade yet.

Featuring vibrant costumes, masks, and performances, the parade will embody the theme of rainbows.

Starting at North Edinburgh Childcare, it’s a 1-mile journey into West Pilton Park. The parade departs NEC at 1030am and will reach the park at 12noon to kick off the festivities.

Expect up to 12 dance groups to bring the vibe.

Over 200 families and groups will participate including Oaklands School, LACAE and North Edinburgh Childcare.

Parade participants are welcome to join at the start or en route.

Entertainment Across Three Stages

This year, the festival will feature three unique stages:

  • Main Stage: Showcasing local community music groups and organisations such as Fischy Music, Ama-zing Harmonies, Tinderbox Tuesday Hub, Rhythms of India and Edinburgh Ukrainian Choir
  • Indoor Stage – North by North West: A platform for emerging young singers and bands including All the Wrong People, The Clamz, Bows and Bridges and Abigail Kerner
  • Carnival Stage: Hosting parade participants’ dazzling live performances including Passion 4 Fusion, Street Mash, Sol de Peru and Angie Disney’s Silent Disco!

The North Edinburgh Community Festival is a celebration of collaboration, creativity, and community spirit. Whether you’re attending for the music, activities, food, or simply to soak in the vibrant atmosphere, this event has something for everyone.

Join Us

When: Saturday, 17th May, 12:00 PM – 5:30 PM
Where: West Pilton Park, Edinburgh
Cost: Free entry

Mark your calendars, bring your friends and family, and experience the magic of the North Edinburgh Community Festival! We can’t wait to see you there!

Last Call for Community Councillors

Nominations close at 4pm on Thursday 17 April

Community Council Elections 2025 : 2nd call for nominations update

A second call for nominations for the following 8 community councils opened on 27 March 2025. 

Nominations close at 4pm on Thursday 17 April 2025.

If you work with networks, groups, or community organisations in any of these areas we would be most grateful if could pass on this information.

Anyone who wishes to stand should complete a nomination form signed in ink, and return it to the Governance Team at Waverley Court, 4 East Market Street, Edinburgh, EH8 8BG by the closing date at 4pm on Thursday 17 April 2025. Alternatively, a mobile phone picture or scan of the nomination form can be returned by email tocommunity.councils@edinburgh.gov.uk by the same deadline.

Candidates can download a nomination form by clicking on the community council name above (download an example completed nomination form)

Local Interest Groups can download the Local Interest Group Nomination Form (download an example completed Local Interest Group nomination form)

Please visit our community council election webpages for more information.

Community Council Elections 2025 – 2nd call for nominations

Community Council Elections 2025 – 2nd call for nominations

Nomination forms can be downloaded by clicking on the community council name above (an example completed nomination form is available here)

Local Interest Group Nomination Form are also available here (an example completed Local Interest Group nomination form is available here)

Completed nomination forms can be returned by:

  • email to community.councils@edinburgh.gov.uk (see tips below).
  • post to the Governance Team, The City of Edinburgh Council, Waverley Court, 4 East Market Street, Edinburgh, EH8 8BG.
  • hand in to Waverley Court reception.

The quickest method to return completed nomination forms is by email to the Governance Team at community.councils@edinburgh.gov.uk 

If candidates choose to return by hand or by post please ensure sufficient time is allowed for the nomination form to be received before the deadline at 4pm on Thursday 17 April 2025.  

Nominations close at 4pm on Thursday 17 April 2025.

Our webpages have been updated with the Notice of Community Council Election 2025.

Please share with your networks to encourage nominations for the above 8 Community Councils.

Completing a nomination form

Please review the example Nomination Paper for Community Council Elected Representative and the example Local Interest Group Registration and Nomination Form.  All sections in yellow must be completed.

Declaration of Acceptance

If successful, candidates will be required to sign a Declaration of Acceptance at the first community council meeting declaring that, having been elected to the office of Community Councillor they

A copy of the Declaration of Acceptance can be viewed on our website.

Community Council election timescales (for the above 8 Community Councils)

Here is a breakdown of the important dates:

  • nomination period runs from 27 March 2025 until 17 April 2025. This is when candidates can nominate themselves to stand for election as a community councillor for one of the 8 community councils detailed above.
  • Poll date (if needed) will be 15 May 2025. A poll will only be held in a community council area if there are more people nominated than places on the community council.
  • new community council term will start on 28 March 2025. It will last four years.

Nominations are for the 8 community councils agreed in the new Scheme for Community Councils and new boundaries which were approved by Council on 26 September 2024. The Scheme and Boundaries agreed on 26 September 2024 took effect on 28 March 2025.

The other 39 community councils in Edinburgh received sufficient nominations to form during the previous nomination period and have had their election results published and will establish once the new terms starts on 28 March 2025.

CEC Governance Team

ECCAN: Heating North Edinburgh

ONLINE MEETING – MONDAY 31 MARCH 2 – 3.30pm

Calling all community activists in Newhaven / Trinity / Granton / West Pilton – can you share your ideas about how decisions should be made on heating system changes coming within 5-15 years?

– How to tackle fuel poverty? Stop energy leaking out of homes!

– After gas … what? Heat pumps or heat networks?

These are big technical options being discussed right now by the Scottish Government and the City Council.

– Do you want a say in the new arrangements the infrastructure needed?

– Share your views on what will happen when gas no longer heats homes / workplaces.

– Could a Local Place Plan / a Local Energy Plan help?

This online workshop is for community organisers and residents interested in the issues. It will inform future funding applications and support for community organisations looking to take control of their journey to a low carbon future.

Book you place: https://tinyurl.com/2vfp5kv8

#community

#newhaven

#trinity

#granton

#westpilton

#heating

#localenergyplan

Have you seen Taylor?

TEENAGER MISSING FROM GRANTON AREA

POLICE are appealing for information to help trace a missing teenager from the Granton area.

Taylor Russell, 18, was last seen around 4.15pm on Thursday, 13 March, 2025, in the West Granton Road area.

He is described as white, 5ft 3in tall, of slim build, with short brown hair. He usually wears a baseball cap and hooded sweatshirts. Taylor has connections in the Edinburgh and Dumfries areas and could have travelled there.

Inspector Kris Harvey, of Drylaw Police Station said: “We are becoming increasingly concerned for Taylor’s welfare and want to ensure he is safe and well.

“We are asking anyone who may have seen him since last Thursday, or who has any information on his whereabouts, to get in touch.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident number1268 of 15 March.

Granton Information Centre: Accessibility Survey

GIC aim to be as accessible to our service users as possible.

To help us to ensure high standards of accessibility, we would be grateful if you could complete our short survey:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HRRG9QG

We also have paper copies of this survey available in our reception, or if you would like a copy to be sent to you please let us know:

telephone 0131 552 0458 / 0131 551 2459

or email info@gic.org.uk

Pianodrome celebrate funding boost

WEST SHORE ROAD PROJECT THANKS CREATIVE SCOTLAND

We’re over the moon to announce that we have been awarded multi-year funding from @creativescots !!!

This will help us to plan for the future in ways we have never managed to before, to build on recent successes like our Adopt a Piano scheme and to help us one day find a permanent home for the Pianodrome Amphitheatre in Edinburgh.

Huge credit must go to Creative Scotland for recognising the potential of small cultural organisations to make huge positive impacts.

Creative Scotland have done great work advocating on behalf of artists and culture and we’re chuffed to bits to have this core funding secured for the next three years.

Over the last 7 years we have developed from project to project; articulating new ideas, saving over 600 pianos from landfill, working with hundreds of artists and welcoming tens of thousands of participants into to our community-focused interactive spaces.

Thank you to the local and international communities who have supported and believed in the Pianodrome thus far.

We’ll continue to strive towards our conviction that no piano is junk, and no person is unmusical! 🎹🍾

#creativescotland

#edinburgh

#pianodrome

#progress

#edinburghculture

#piano

#scottishmusic

#edinburghcommunity