Category: West Pilton

Too grand! STV Appeal support for PYCP

STV Appeal_Pilton_Youth_Jan_2015_IMG_20150120_161038 (1)

Pilton Youth and Children’s Project (PYCP) has received £2000 from the STV Appeal 2014. The funding is welcome news for the local project and will support PY’s clubs and groups throughout the year. 

The STV Appeal team’s Natalie Wright called in at The Greenhouse last week to present the cheque and met children from PY’s P5 – P7 Club.

PYCP provides a wide range of services and activities – from open clubs and groups to community and school-based individual support in North Edinburgh. Each provision is designed to meet the needs of a particular age and peer group, and activities are tailored to meet these needs in consultation with the children and young people involved.

PYCP carry out open access youth work plus promotion of good health and well being.  The project offers targeted and referred support work to children and young people in need.  There is also a Preventative Opportunities Programme which supports young people by engaging their whole family in activities, outings and workshops together.

The STV Appeal is committed to making a difference in the lives of children and young people living in poverty in Scotland.  Across the country, 220,000 children live in poverty and figures from the Campaign to End Child Poverty show that in Edinburgh it’s actually 21.1% of children.  Pilton Youth and Children’s Project is one of the projects the STV Appeal is supporting in Edinburgh.

Since launch in 2011, the STV Appeal has raised over £8.2 million with 297 big and small grants distributed to projects across all 32 local authority areas in Scotland, providing much needed support to over 37,000 children. The money raised is distributed to provide practical help like food and warm clothes; create opportunities for training and employability; and enable social and emotional support for those who need it most.

PYCP youth and children’s worker Mark Hunter said: “As someone who has been part of PYCP for the past ten years, I have witnessed firsthand the positive impact that the project has made in the lives of so many young people, their families and the community around them.

“I think PYCP is unique in the way that it is there for children when they start their school career aged five and continues to be there for them until they are 18 and beyond. It is really important that we can provide opportunities for all children and young people in Pilton to have fun with their friends and take part in organised activities, all free of charge.

“Because of that we are ideally placed to offer additional support to those who want it and support all young people to reach their potential. Being part of PYCP has been immensely rewarding for me and I’m excited to see how the next ten years pans out too.”

Rob Woodward, STV CEO and trustee of the STV Appeal, said: “The money donated to the STV Appeal remains in Scotland and will help bring about a positive change to the lives of vulnerable children and young people on our doorstep.  With the help of the extraordinary fundraising efforts taking place in communities across the country we have raised an incredible £2.6m in 2014 allowing us to make grants to 297 projects.  We are extremely grateful to everyone who supported this year’s Appeal.”

Sir Tom Hunter, trustee of the STV Appeal, said: “Yet again the people of Scotland have cast their vote – end child poverty.  Through the STV Appeal we are attempting to deliver sustainable solutions to do just that.  It is simply unacceptable in modern Scotland to still have young people debilitated by poverty, through this project and many more the people of Scotland are doing their level best to combat poverty.”

Sir Ian Wood, trustee of the STV Appeal, said: “The generosity of the people in Scotland who provide such great support to the STV Appeal is incredibly encouraging and heart-warming. However, it is deeply concerning that there continues to be a significant requirement across Scotland for financial support for child poverty.

“Developing Scotland’s Young Workforce, a commission I chaired recently, has the overarching aim to enable Scotland’s young people to move into sustainable employment upon leaving education. But how can they achieve positive destinations if they have a less than adequate start in life?

“I sincerely believe that the grants donated by the STV Appeal can have a significant impact on the lives of Scotland’s young people and make a real contribution to eradicating child poverty in Scotland.”

The STV Appeal 2015 is now well underway with an exciting line-up of fundraising activities planned. Watch this space!

Burns ceilidh: celebrating community at Royston Wardieburn

That Man to Man, the world o’er,

Shall brothers (and sisters!) be for a’ that

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A Burns Night is about many things. Good food, shared with friends, family or neighbours – and sometimes all three! Burns is about love, about comradeship and about community but if there’s just one word that captures the spirit of Scotland’s national Bard it’s ‘celebration’ – and all those elements were there in abundance at Royston Wardieburn Community Centre last night.

Yes, last night’s Community Celeidh celebrated the memory of Burns but it was more than that – it was a vibrant, living tribute to all the good things Burns work extolls: a warm, friendly gathering of friends and neighbours of all ages, interests and ethnicities joining together to have fun in each others’ company.

Organised by Royston Wardieburn Community Centre, Granton Community Gardeners and Pilton Community Health Project’s Living in Harmony group the evening built on last year’s event and proved to be a huge success.

Around 150 people – aged from three months up to … well, a good bit older! – enjoyed a traditional Burns Supper and were entertained by the excellent Homecoming String Band and a succession of local performers, all made poosible and supported by a team of enthusiastic volunteers who were always on hand to make sure the evening went smoothly.

Congratulations to the organisers, the band, the excellent team of volunteers and the local performers who entertained us so regally on the night: the poets, the musicians, the singers and the wee dancer – you were all brilliant!

And thanks, too, the the local community who came along to support the event and whose enthusiasm made the evening such a success.

Rabbie would be proud of you all – here’s to next year!  

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West Pilton stair fire prompts safety warning: keep it clear

Six rescued from West Pilton Rise stair fire

Keep it ClearFire chiefs have urged residents not to leave rubbish or bins in common stairwells in tenement blocks. The appeal follows a fire in a stair in West Pilton Rise on Monday morning.

Sixteen firefighters from Crewe Toll, Tollcross and McDonald Road fire stations attended the fire, which was also attended by Scottish Ambulance Service and Police Scotland personnel.  Police Scotland also set up a Casualty Care Centre in West Pilton Park during the incident.

Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus quickly extinguished the fire using a high pressure hosereel. Six people were rescued from the building by firefighters, two of whom were taken to hospital for a precautionary examination suffering from smoke inhalation. Both were later released.

Group Manager Steve Gourlay, the City of Edinburgh Prevention and Protection Manager, said: “We would urge people not to leave rubbish or bins in the common stairwells of tenement blocks. This can be very attractive to fire setters and increases the risk of a fire.

“Discarded items of furniture and rubbish can produce large amounts of toxic smoke and also impede access for emergency responders. In Edinburgh, roughly 100 deliberate property fires occur every year with many of these involving combustibles in stairwells and the casualties and damage caused are preventable and we need to reduce them.

fire engine

“This fire could have had far worse consequences and the impact for the families affected is likely to be significant. Any incident like this, where we have to rescue children and adults from windows, using ladders due to thick black smoke, always has the potential to have a tragic ending. Fortunately, on this occasion, those taken to hospital were for precautionary checks only but again this is not always the case.

“You can reduce the risk of fire for yourself and your neighbours by keeping common stairs clear and free from obstruction and making sure main doors are kept locked.  Steps should be taken to ensure the door entry/intercom system is working.

“Local firecrews revisited the location yesterday to provide vital advice, reassurance and a home fire safety visit for those who need it.”

He added: “I would like to stress the importance of having a working smoke alarm. Every household should have working smoke alarm and test them every week.  We provide free home fire safety visits and fit smoke alarms where required.

“If you know someone who can benefit from our service, why not get them to give us a call? It is important that you know what to do if a fire does occur in the stairwell and how to keep safe. We can advise on this as part of the visit.

“If you or someone you know could benefit from a visit, please  join Scotland’s fight against fire and request a visit by calling the SFRS freephone number 0800 0731 999, or by contacting their local fire station.”

A wide range of tips on how to keep yourself and your home safe from fire are available on the SFRS website: www.firescotland.gov.uk