The NEN – North Edinburgh News

ALMOST 6,000 Edinburgh and Lothians residents can now receive advance flood warnings straight to their phone.  Launched last week, the free service will benefit 100,000 at-risk properties across Scotland. 

The new service will provide the earliest possible warning for residents living in communities threatened by river or coastal flooding in Edinburgh and the Lothians.   The new Scotland-wide Floodline direct warning service aims to give the 5,959 at-risk residents living in Edinburgh, and the Lothians valuable time to take action and protect their families, homes and businesses.

 Speaking at the launch event, Environment and Climate Change Minister Roseanna Cunningham MSP described it as an “essential tool” and urged people to sign up for the free warnings, which will be sent to registered mobile phones and landlines.

Funding from the Scottish Government has enabled SEPA to develop and run the new direct warning service, which is a significant improvement to the existing Floodline recorded telephone and website facility.

Previously the Scottish public relied on hearing about flooding through the media, by word of mouth, through local services or by contacting SEPA’s 24-hour recorded telephone service.  Now anyone living in Edinburgh and the Lothians – including those who live in, work or travel through areas at risk of flooding – can sign up to the new service and receive details on the likelihood and timing of any potential flooding threat. This ensures everyone can get the benefit of SEPA’s extensive flood forecasting expertise and monitoring networks.

Service improvements include:

• New easy-to-understand flood warning symbols which make it clear what action people should take, and when.
• The creation of more than 200 smaller, local flood warning areas to provide more meaningful and targeted information.
• New Floodline quick dial codes allow users to quickly access the information relevant to them.

Roseanna Cunningham MSP, Minister for the Environment and Climate Change, said: “The Floodline direct warning service is a quick and up to date way of making sure that communities know about the risk of flooding in their area as soon as possible, giving them more time to prepare and protect themselves.  I want as many people as possible to sign up to this free service and improve their resilience to flooding. This is not just about homes as the benefits apply equally to businesses and we have recently seen that they can be disrupted by flooding too.  Coupled with the new Scottish Flood Forecasting Service, which gives emergency responders better and earlier information, Floodline means that the people of Scotland will benefit directly from the £9 million we’ve invested in these innovative approaches.”

Professor James Curran, SEPA’s Director of Science and Strategy, said: “The improvements we have made to Floodline are a huge step forward in terms of flood warning for Scotland. Making it easier for people to help themselves is a key part to this, and signing-up to Floodline’s direct warning service can be done online, by phone or by filling-in a registration form. In fact we’re sending thousands of these directly to properties in flood warning areas, so look out for these valuable envelopes, use their contents and if you receive a flood warning message – take action!”

A highly visible radio, newspaper and roadshow campaign has also been launched, based on the theme ‘Life doesn’t always give you advance warnings, but Floodline can’, to encourage Scots to sign up to receive free advance warnings from Floodline.

The table below contains a breakdown of the number of properties in Edinburgh and the Lothians that are in Flood Warning Areas – people in these properties should definitely sign up for the alerts!  Some local areas have a particularly high number of properties affected:

Bonnington	219	Total: 5,959
Cameron Toll	53
Colinton Mains	570
Cramond	27
Dean Village	143
Haddington (Green)	212
Haddington (Orange)	180
Haddington (Red)	544
Longstone/Stenhouse	392
Mid Liberton	49
Musselburgh	331
Portobello	249
Roseburn	1046
Stockbridge	629
The Inch Park	218
The Inch Park (Island)	46
Warriston	1051

People can sign up now by visiting www.floodlinescotland.org.uk/signup  

Dave Pickering 

He said:  “To say the least, this has been a very difficult year!  At its Budget meeting on Thursday 10 February this year, the Council took a final decision to “disinvest” in a number of community organisations, one of which was The NEN. This decision had been anticipated for some time, but was hard to bear all the same. It means that we shall get no further funding from that quarter and effectively has forced the closure of the paper in its current form.

The Board has been very diligent over the past year in trying to persuade the Council to continue investing in the NEN. Delegations of Board members have met with local Councillors to press our case. We have also been trying to find alternative ways of funding the project and have had some success with advertising and sponsorship. For the past year we have been able to continue with support from the Fairer Scotland Fund and through the good will of the staff, who agreed a cut in hours and pay. The community reps on the two local Neighbourhood Partnerships have also been very supportive, recommending continued funding for the paper. Unfortunately, elected members, apart from two, have shown either no, or very little, support.

However, all this effort has been in vain, as you know, and we were forced to issue staff with redundancy notices and, finally, to sell off the office in order to provide the redundancy money. This is now in-hand. The result is that after over 30 years your community newspaper, the voice of your community, will no longer be dropping through your letterbox each month for the foreseeable future.

During the past year we have also been looking at possible partnerships with other organisations, such as Telford College, in order to keep the NEN going. This looked at one time like a good fit, as we already work with the journalism students to give them work experience. The College would have provided us with valuable support in terms of work space, IT and administrative support, access to design etc. However, these discussions are at a very early stage and may come to nothing. So, we are now looking at alternative homes, and to see if we can start up again in the future on a different, perhaps more modest, basis.

We have applied to the two Neighbourhood Partnerships for community grants, one for assistance with fundraising and the other for capacity building within the local community. The aim will be to harness the immense amount of support within the community and to develop the capacity of anyone interested in becoming “stringers” – people who can provide their own reports and articles. If we are successful, the grants, together with the surplus from the sale of the office, should go a long way to help us become sustainable in time. In a sense this is a return to the NEN’s beginnings, by becoming once again a community project, run by volunteers.

To end on a more positive note – the Board are committed to ensuring that this isn’t the end of the NEN. We will work with the community to try to identify practical ways of raising income to put the paper on a sustainable footing. We will have some money from the sale of the office and we will be looking to find a new ‘home’ and will be exploring ways of reducing costs even more, while trying to maintain a quality product. This will take some time, but we are hopeful of getting there.

We are extremely grateful for the invaluable support we have received from the local community and we will continue to follow up opportunities to re-launch your newspaper.

We have developed an online presence for The NEN with a new blog, Facebook and twitter profiles, so we can at least keep the name of NEN going. The success of any new venture, however, will depend on the willingness of local people to get involved, so keep in touch.

Finally, I would like to thank all my fellow Board members, both those who have resigned during the year, and those who are willing to continue, for all their support. I would also like to thank the three members of staff, without whose hard work we would not have been able to produce a newspaper at all and I am sure we all wish them well in whatever they do from now on.”

 NEN’s annual report will be presented at the project’s EGM/AGM this Wednesday (30 March) and board member Ann Confrey has appealed for public support.  She said:  “NEN needs Board members. Show your support at our AGM/EGM at 2.30pm on Wednesday 30th March at West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre”.

Dave Pickering

He said:  “To say the least, this has been a very difficult year!  At its Budget meeting on Thursday 10 February this year, the Council took a final decision to “disinvest” in a number of community organisations, one of which was The NEN. This decision had been anticipated for some time, but was hard to bear all the same. It means that we shall get no further funding from that quarter and effectively has forced the closure of the paper in its current form.

The Board has been very diligent over the past year in trying to persuade the Council to continue investing in the NEN. Delegations of Board members have met with local Councillors to press our case. We have also been trying to find alternative ways of funding the project and have had some success with advertising and sponsorship. For the past year we have been able to continue with support from the Fairer Scotland Fund and through the good will of the staff, who agreed a cut in hours and pay. The community reps on the two local Neighbourhood Partnerships have also been very supportive, recommending continued funding for the paper. Unfortunately, elected members, apart from two, have shown either no, or very little, support.

However, all this effort has been in vain, as you know, and we were forced to issue staff with redundancy notices and, finally, to sell off the office in order to provide the redundancy money. This is now in-hand. The result is that after over 30 years your community newspaper, the voice of your community, will no longer be dropping through your letterbox each month for the foreseeable future.

During the past year we have also been looking at possible partnerships with other organisations, such as Telford College, in order to keep the NEN going. This looked at one time like a good fit, as we already work with the journalism students to give them work experience. The College would have provided us with valuable support in terms of work space, IT and administrative support, access to design etc. However, these discussions are at a very early stage and may come to nothing. So, we are now looking at alternative homes, and to see if we can start up again in the future on a different, perhaps more modest, basis.

We have applied to the two Neighbourhood Partnerships for community grants, one for assistance with fundraising and the other for capacity building within the local community. The aim will be to harness the immense amount of support within the community and to develop the capacity of anyone interested in becoming “stringers” – people who can provide their own reports and articles. If we are successful, the grants, together with the surplus from the sale of the office, should go a long way to help us become sustainable in time. In a sense this is a return to the NEN’s beginnings, by becoming once again a community project, run by volunteers.

To end on a more positive note – the Board are committed to ensuring that this isn’t the end of the NEN. We will work with the community to try to identify practical ways of raising income to put the paper on a sustainable footing. We will have some money from the sale of the office and we will be looking to find a new ‘home’ and will be exploring ways of reducing costs even more, while trying to maintain a quality product. This will take some time, but we are hopeful of getting there.

We are extremely grateful for the invaluable support we have received from the local community and we will continue to follow up opportunities to re-launch your newspaper.

We have developed an online presence for The NEN with a new blog, Facebook and twitter profiles, so we can at least keep the name of NEN going. The success of any new venture, however, will depend on the willingness of local people to get involved, so keep in touch.

Finally, I would like to thank all my fellow Board members, both those who have resigned during the year, and those who are willing to continue, for all their support. I would also like to thank the three members of staff, without whose hard work we would not have been able to produce a newspaper at all and I am sure we all wish them well in whatever they do from now on.”

 NEN’s annual report will be presented at the project’s EGM/AGM this Wednesday (30 March) and board member Ann Confrey has appealed for public support.  She said:  “NEN needs Board members. Show your support at our AGM/EGM at 2.30pm on Wednesday 30th March at West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre”.

Dave Pickering

Lothian and Borders Police are appealing for witnesses after a young boy was assaulted in the Muirhouse area of Edinburgh on Monday afternoon (21 March).

The 11-year-old and his sister were playing in the grounds of St Paul’s Church on Muirhouse Avenue, near Pennywell Road, about 4.15pm when a man approached them. He grabbed the boy by the neck, pinned him against the fence, then threw him to the ground before running off and getting on a bus (possibly a 37) on Pennywell Road.

The suspect is described as being white, in his early 20s, 5ft 8ins tall, of slim build with a full moustache. He was wearing black tracksuit bottoms, a red hooded Nike jumper, with the hood pulled up over a Nike baseball cap.

A police spokesperson said: “Although he wasn’t injured, this has been a terrifying experience for the young boy.  We are appealing for anyone who may have been in the area at the time, and who may have seen what happened, to get in touch.”

Anyone with information should contact Lothian and Borders Police on 0131 311 3131, or the charity Crimestoppers in confidence and complete anonymity on 0800 555 111.

Dave Pickering

Scotland’s Census takes place every ten years, and Census 2011 questionnaire forms should be completed by householders on or around Sunday 27 March.

The Census gathers information that is needed to help plan and provide future public services – for example knowing how many young people there are or how many residents are approaching retirement helps to plan future health service provision.

Householders have a legal duty to fill in and return the questionnaire, which asks for details about everyone who usually lives at that address.  There is also a section requesting basic information about anyone else living in the property on the night of 27 March.  Failure to return the questionnaire could lead to a fine of £1000, but personal information contained in the document is protected by law – your personal details are kept confidential for 100 years by the General Register Office for Scotland.

The Census questionnaire is quite straightforward to complete but help and support is available.  For more information go to www.scotlandcensus.gov.uk or call the helpline on 0300 123 1702 – lines are now open from 8am – 8pm. 

Dave Pickering

Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service is urging householders to regularly check their smoke alarms following a spate of house fires over the last week.

There were house fires in Craigmillar and Broxburn last weekend and on Tuesday evening emergency services were called to a house in Easter Drylaw Place after neighbours reported hearing an activated smoke alarm.   Three appliances attended the Drylaw incident, and firefighters broke into the property which was unoccupied at the time to tackle the fire.  Fire chiefs said that the incidents all highlight the importance of having working fire alarms.

A spokesperson for Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service said:  “Whether cooking chips or through an electrical fault a house fire can start in seconds and deadly smoke can overcome in minutes. Having a working smoke alarm in your property gives vital early warning to you and often neighbours that a fire has started.  This gives people time to call the emergency services and get out of the property.  If you don’t have an alarm and live in Lothian and Borders we can fit one free as part of a home safety visit. To book call 0800 169 0320. Check your smoke alarm every week. It could save your life one day!”.

Dave Pickering

It was a long, hard winter but Spring has arrived and this weekend sees the start of British Summer Time – remember the clocks go FORWARD on Sunday morning!

Dave Pickering

Scottish Gas employees supported Comic Relief by volunteering to take pledge calls last Friday evening (18th March).  No less than 155 willing volunteers answered phones from  7pm to midnight to raise as much money as possible for the charity, and the Granton team’s efforts were richly rewarded – staff took 2545 pledge calls, raising £10,000!

To boost morale throughout the evening entertainment was provided by Edinburgh based choir Sing in the City and children’s entertainer Gladys Chucklebutty.

The Waterfront site also raised laughs and funds throughout the week by sponging and waxing colleagues; learning and performing dance routines; bake sales; pyjama parties; and climbing the equivalent to Mount Everest on the office stairs – all with a Red Nose theme!

Speaking before the Friday evening marathon Kevin Roxburgh, Managing Director of Scottish Gas, said:  “We support Comic Relief every year and always do our best to raise even more money than the year before. I’ve been really impressed with all the fundraising efforts so far and its great to see our people getting so involved. I look forward to the buzz continuing into this evening to help us do our bit for such a great charity.”

The Scottish Gas team’s efforts helped to build the total raised so far for Comic Relief 2011 to over £75.5 million – and they’re still counting!

Dave Pickering

Drylaw Parish Church is holding a Trash and ‘Treasure Sale on Saturday (26 March) from 11am – 1pm.  All proceeds go to St Columba’s Hospice so get there early to bag those bargains!

Granton Information Centre received the prestigious Scottish National Standards certificate for the quality of their information and advice provision at a reception at the City Chambers on Thursday (17 March).  GIC is the first Edinburgh organisation – and one of only a few advice agencies in Scotland – to achieve the award at this level, and their certificate was presented by Sheriff Principal Edward T Bowen QC.

The certificate presentation was the centrepiece of an event organised to celebrate the success of EHAP (Edinburgh Housing Advice Partnership), a consortium set up to provide housing advice services across the city in a contract with the city council.  The consortium partners – Granton Information Centre, Community Health and Information (CHAI), Move On and FourSquare – offer a comprehensive range of housing advice services to the people of Edinburgh.  EHAP provides a prison outreach project, a schools peer education service for S4 and S5 school leavers, housing advice in local neighbourhood settings and also provides representation at court – both for pre-prepared cases and also through an ‘emergency first aid’ service for people who turn up at court without representation.  Midway through the three year agreement, the EHAP event offered an opportunity to reflect on what has been achieved so far and to look ahead to future challenges. Continue reading GIC Homes In On National Advice Award