Category: West Pilton

Ben Macpherson: ‘Delivering on our commitment to ensure every child has the best start in life’

Best Start Foods payments are increasing this month marking the achievement of another commitment for the first 100 days of the Scottish Government.

Social Security Minister (and local MSP for Edinburgh Northern and Leith) Ben Macpherson paid a visit to Fresh Start’s Pantry on Ferry Road Drive at lunchtime to meet staff and customers who are benefitting from the payments.

The payment supports low income families to buy healthy food for children under the age of three, and forms part of the Scottish Government’s national mission of eradicating child poverty.

Best Start Foods is part of a package of five family payments administered by Social Security Scotland. It is made every four weeks on a pre-paid card to buy healthy food including eggs, milk, fruit, vegetables and pulses. The payment is increasing to £18 from £17 during pregnancy and for any children between one and three years old. It’s also increasing to £36 from £34 for children under one.

Between December 2018 when the first payment started and 31 May 2021, £60.8 million has been paid to 179,575 families for Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods -£16.7 million of these payments were for Best Start Foods.

Social Security Minister Ben Macpherson said: “Unwarranted welfare cuts by the UK Government and the impacts of the pandemic are putting even greater pressure on family budgets.

“It’s our priority to do everything within our power to eradicate child poverty across Scotland. We committed to increasing Best Start Foods within the first 100 days of this Government and we have swiftly delivered. 

“We have also delivered on our 100 day commitment to pay £100 as part of Scottish Child Payment Bridging Payments worth £520 in both 2020 and 2021. Families will now have received £200 for each eligible child this year, almost two years ahead of the planned full roll-out of Scottish Child Payment for older children.

“We are set to invest £77 million both this year and next through this measure which is expected to benefit around 145,000 children and young people in receipt of Free School Meals on the basis of low income.

“Families in Scotland now have a unique package of payments that will help them as their child grows and I encourage all families on low incomes to check what they are entitled to. There are many forms of support available to ensure every child in Scotland has the best start in life.”

Further information on all five family payment can be found by visiting:  

mygov.scot/beststart

Scran Academy shortlisted for industry award

Scran Academy is celebrating after being shortlisted for a leading UK industry Award. This week, Scran was announced as a Finalist in the Apprenticeship and Skills category of the Public Sector Catering Awards and the recognition will see the youth-led organisation appear at the Ceremony in London later this year.

Scran Academy’s initial focus was to use the innovative food social enterprise to help young people from North Edinburgh to overcome their learning and life barriers and lead more meaningful lives.

Scran’s community-based school uses food to support learners disengaged from mainstream school to access qualifications and work. Despite being less than four years old, they have grown and scaled their impact to support thousands of people throughout the pandemic and city wide.

This includes the creation of the youth-led Scran Café based at the Comely Bank NHS Centre, which creates a welcoming, relaxing and safe haven for as many as 100 frontline NHS workers and clinical trainees on a daily basis.

Last year Scran also launched the Scran Van, a food truck that provides free healthy food to children and families across the city to combat hunger and increase positive youth activities.

All of these food initiatives puts employability skills, job opportunities and personal development for youth at the heart of what they do.

This award nomination comes as this ground-breaking social venture seeks to empower hundreds more young people with the skills and confidence to lead in the hospitality industry.

At the same time the programme will take a significant bite out of the poverty-related barriers, life challenges and injustices the young people face on a daily basis – being care-experienced, disengaged from mainstream school, at risk of homelessness, unemployed or suffering from poor mental health.

Nominee and Founder of Scran Academy and social entrepreneur, John Loughton BEM, said: “This nomination is a real vote of confidence in our community work and a recognition in the power of food to change lives.

“Will Bain and his team work magic at Scran to ensure food is positive for all people, not just those that can afford it. At Scran we do hand-ups, not just hand-outs and young people go on to change their own lives once they realise people believe in them.

“Scran’s story shows is that if we support local community organisations that are run with passion and authenticity, we can develop creative solutions to social inequality. It also shows that unlike the stereotypes so often in the media, young people make a real and positive contribution to society and your postcode does not have to be your destiny.”

Voluntary Sector Forum to meet next week

Forth and Inverleith Voluntary Sector Forum will meet on Tuesday 20 July at 1pm via Zoom

Join Zoom Meeting:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84802007045?pwd=WmU3REQrL2ZNa3NEVDg4Zlp3TkVGdz09

Meeting ID: 848 0200 7045

Passcode: 991758

We will use this following agenda to guide our discussion:

1 Welcome and Introductions

2 Pilton Community Health Project and ASH Scotland present on new work addressing smoking rates in areas of deprivation (see below)

3 Evaluating Third Sector contribution to LIP priority 3 – tackling poverty and inequality

4 LOG Update

5 Training Opportunities for third sector (EVOC)

6 Member update

Smoking-Information-DocumentDownload

Hope to see you there,

KATE BARRETT

EVOC Development Worker – Community Planning

Support for Circle from Farmers Foundation

Red heart

We are so pleased and extremely grateful, that the Farmer’s Foundation has offered to fund our School’s Mentoring Project for the next three years.

This involves a generous gift of £105,000 to Circle and to vulnerable children in the North of Edinburgh.

Thank you!

Have you seen Skye?

UPDATE: SKYE HAS BEEN TRACED SAFE AND WELL

Original Story:

Police are appealing for information to help trace Skye Fraser, a 13 year old girl ale missing from the Ferry Road Avenue area.

Skye was last seen around 4pm yesterday (Thursday 8th July) and her family are concerned as they have not heard from her since then.

She is described as 4’0, slim build with blonde hair, usually in a ponytail. She has blue eyes and was wearing a black jumper when she was last seen.

Inspector Forrester, Drylaw Police Station, said, “We are concerned for Skye’s welfare, therefore if anyone has information that could help us find her, please call us on ‘101’, quoting reference 0078 of 9th July 2021.

“Likewise, if Skye sees this appeal, please call your family or police on ‘101’ to let us know you are safe, thank you.”

Attempted murder in West Pilton: police renew appeal

A renewed appeal has been made to trace the movements of a vehicle believed to be linked to an attempted murder in West Pilton.

Detectives in Edinburgh have renewed an appeal for information as enquiries continue into the attempted murder of a man in North Edinburgh.

The 34-year-old man was found seriously injured in a common stairwell at West Pilton Grove around 5pm on Friday, 18 June.

He was taken to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh for treatment.

Extensive enquiries are ongoing and officers are particularly keen to identify the movements of a dark blue Volkswagen Golf GTI which is believed to be linked to the incident and was later found on fire in the city later on the Friday evening.

Detective Inspector Alison MacDonald said: “We would be particularly keen to speak to anyone who may have seen the vehicle in the Granton, Newhaven or Drylaw areas leading up to Friday, 18 June.

“Enquiries have established the car was driven in those areas leading up to that date, as well as in Gorgie and Sheriffhall, before it was later found burnt out near Shawfair Railway Station.

A dark blue Volkswagen Golf GTI was seen driving at speed in the Drylaw area before the incident and a similar vehicle was then seen being driven erratically Sheriffhall Roundabout around 5.30pm on Friday 18 June.

“It is possible that the vehicle may have been parked up in one of those areas prior to the incident. If you believe you may have seen the car in the lead-up to Friday, 18 June but have not seen it since then please get in touch.

“Extensive enquiries are ongoing to establish the circumstances surrounding this incident and anyone with any information can call 101, quoting incident 2690 of 18 June or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”

Attempted murder in West Pilton: Police renew appeal

Detectives have renewed an appeal for information as enquiries continue into the attempted murder of a man in north Edinburgh.

A 34-year-old man was found seriously injured in a common stairwell at West Pilton Grove around 5pm last Friday (18 June). He was taken to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh for treatment.

Officers investigating the incident are now appealing for sighting of a car believed to be linked to the incident.

A dark blue Volkswagen Golf GTI was seen driving at speed in the Drylaw area before the incident and a similar vehicle was then seen being driven erratically Sheriffhall Roundabout around 5.30pm on Friday.

A similar vehicle was later found set alight later that evening.

Detective Inspector Alison MacDonald said: “We are keen to speak to anyone who saw the vehicle or who may have dashcam or private CCTV footage showing this vehicle.

“We would also be keen to hear from anyone with information about a similar car which was set alight near Shawfair railway station later during the evening on Friday, 18 June.

“Extensive enquiries are ongoing to establish the circumstances surrounding this incident and anyone with any information can call 101, quoting incident 2690 of 18 June or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”