Sunday 31 July 10.30am – 1.30 pm
WATER OF LEITH CLEAN UP & Family Picnic
Why not come along to the ANNUAL RIVER CLEAN-UP (trousers and long sleeves to avoid the nettles recommended!) And so why not bring along a packed lunch and/or picnic stuff and sit and enjoy some friendly company after the clean up?
Meet at Canonmills Clock (Next to the bridge at the bottom of Brandon Terrace) at 10.15am
ALL WELCOME
Lothian Green MSP Alison Johnstone is calling on constituents to make their feelings known on the future of Edinburgh’s Old and New Towns before a council survey closes on 25 July.
Council chiefs are seeking people’s views to help create policies to preserve and enhance the World Heritage Site and Johnstone wants guarantees that the city’s large tourism numbers won’t mean that prospective hotel developers are given carte blanche.
Alison Johnstone MSP said: “People from the capital are all too aware of planning issues in the city and now we have an opportunity to give our views on Edinburgh as a place to live, work and visit in this survey before it closes at the end of the month.
“Given our World Heritage status, our growing population and increasing development pressures it’s important that people make clear their opposition to developments that may not be the most optimal or necessary use of precious city centre sites.
“We need to have an honest conversation about how many luxury hotels the city needs and where they should be situated. Tourism is vital to Edinburgh, but we need to ensure that Edinburgh caters for travellers on all budgets, and essentially, for those who live and work in the city.”
Access the consultation below:
Edinburgh’s world-famous floral clock is ticking once again, this year in honour of The Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland’s (RIAS) centenary. Continue reading Floral clock honours Scotland’s architects
Sunday 24 July 10.30 -12.30 Inverleith Park
No, it’s not an incitement to violence – Friends of Inverleith Park are delighted to announce their new fitness equipment, specially designed for use by older people! Why not pop along and have a look or have a go? It’s beside the playpark.
The official launch party takes place this Sunday (24 July). Kids, ‘seize a senior’ – bring along a bus pass carrier and get a free gift!
Looking for something to do during the holidays? The Inverleith Coordinated Summer Programme of activities for children and young people runs until Monday 15 August.
Leonardo-Finmeccanica invited local children in for lunch on Friday … and Forth 1 popped in too!
It happened in a flash. Marie Cooper, an employee at Leonardo-Finmeccanica, the electronic engineering company based at Crewe Toll, was walking through the restaurant. She had just left a meeting with Forth One’s Cash for Kids team discussing their fundraising drive, Holiday Hunger, raising money to feed children from the local area who often go hungry during the summer school holidays.
She suddenly thought perhaps we could use our facility and get Cash for Kids to contact local organisations to invite some of the children they support in for lunch one day during the holidays.
Marie approached the business and ISS, who are responsible for our catering, and was given their full support to open the doors on Friday 15 July to feed over 150 young people from the local Edinburgh community who often have to struggle during the summer school holidays with little food at home.
Marie said: “To think that many of these children not only go hungry but can’t invite their friends over during the holidays because the expense is too great is quite heart breaking and hopefully this activity we are planning will give them a bit of a boost.”
But the inspiration didn’t end there. When Marie heard that the machine shop needed to dispose of obsolete machinery, she suggested that perhaps the proceeds of the sale of the equipment to Lapmaster, amounting to £,5,500, could be donated to this very worthwhile Cash for Kids campaign.
Marie said: “The guys were fantastic and they couldn’t do enough to support and thanks to their cooperation we have been able to add this to the £661 which employees have already generously donated and which has now been handed over to Cash for Kids.”
Forth One attended the event on Friday to show their support for the local children and the Leonardo’s fundraising efforts.
Emma Kemp, Charity Manager, Forth One said: “When I learned that the employees at Leonardo had managed to raise over £6,000 it just blew me away. The money is going to make such a difference to improving the quality of life of so many young people who are really struggling right now. The event on its own was going to be an amazing morale booster for them, but to find out that the extra funds have been gathered too is absolutely fantastic.”
Pictured: Fat Brestovca (DJ Forth One), Emma Kemp (Charity Manager – Radio Forth Cash for Kids), Ruaridh Tait (Radio Borders) and Marie Cooper, PA, Leonardo.
Leonardo Finmeccanica
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon held ‘constructive talks’ with the Prime Minister Theresa May at Bute House on Friday. The First Minister welcomed the Prime Minister to Edinburgh on what was her first official visit since coming into office.
Following the meeting, the First Minister said: “It was a constructive and very good discussion.
“The Prime Minister and I have big political disagreements but we are both women who approach business in a similar way, so I think we can have a good working relationship not withstanding those political differences.
“I was very pleased that Theresa May said that she was absolutely willing to consider any options that the Scottish Government now brings forward to secure Scotland’s relationship with the European Union. The process that is now taken forward by the UK Government will be open and flexible and the Scottish Government will be fully involved in that.
“These negotiations have yet to take shape and the UK Government don’t yet know exactly how they will proceed from here, but there is an agreement that Scottish Government officials will be very closely involved in discussions to give shape to this process and will be involved in that process. Crucially, and this is the most important point from my point of view, is that that process will be open to considering options that the Scottish Government brings forward.”
The First Minister reiterated to the Prime Minister that she will make sure Scotland’s interests are protected and she will continue to examine every option possible, including a second independence referendum. She added:
“I’ve said previously that if we want to protect our relationship with the European Union then Scotland may have to consider becoming an independent member. If it proves not to be possible to fully protect Scotland’s interests through the UK process then the Prime Minister knows that a second independence referendum is of course on the table.
“However, I’ve also been consistently clear that I want to examine all options for protecting Scotland’s position, protecting our interests, protecting our relationship with the EU. That’s why I’ve assembled a team of experts that will advise me on the options that might exist, and it was very important today to get a commitment from the Prime Minister to listen to options that the Scottish Government will bring forward.”
The Prime Ministers’s visit, coming less than 48 hours after being invited by Her Majesty The Queen to form a government, emphasised Mrs May’s ‘strong personal support’ for the Union in talks with the First Minister at Bute House.
The Prime Minister also affirmed the government’s commitment to fully engaging with the Scottish Government in the forthcoming negotiations about the UK’s exit from the European Union.
Speaking ahead of the visit, the Prime Minister said: “I believe with all my heart in the United Kingdom – the precious bond between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. This visit to Scotland is my first as Prime Minister and I’m coming here to show my commitment to preserving this special union that has endured for centuries.
“And I want to say something else to the people of Scotland too: the government I lead will always be on your side. Every decision we take, every policy we take forward, we will stand up for you and your family – not the rich, the mighty or the powerful.
“That’s because I believe in a union, not just between the nations of the United Kingdom, but between all of our citizens. Whether it’s reforming the economy or strengthening our society, we are going to build a better Britain and a nation that works for everyone – not just the privileged few.”
Royston/Wardieburn Adult summer programme kicked off on Tuesday with a visit to the Scottish Parliament. After viewing the World Press Photo exhibition by the world’s leading photo journalists*, participants had a meeting with Ben MacPherson, the new MSP for the Forth Ward. Continue reading Free Summer Programme for adults at Royston Wardieburn Community Centre
The independent Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) is calling for a renewed drive to solve poverty, as new research reveals the extent people feel disconnected from the UK’s economic growth and how their concerns are ignored by the political establishment.
Following last month’s Brexit vote, which revealed deep divisions in British society, a poll of over 2,000 people conducted by Populus for JRF has revealed that those who voted for Brexit feel left behind by economic growth and ignored by politicians.
In one of the first polls after Brexit, it presents a clear instruction for the next government to ensure things do not return to ‘business as usual’ for people and places who feel left behind. The new Prime Minister, Theresa May, has said her premiership will focus on uniting the country and carrying out a programme of social and economic reform.
The findings show:
This comes as separate polling for JRF shows poverty is a rising concern among the public as social mobility is perceived to be moving backwards. The poll, conducted a week before the Brexit vote and released yesterday, revealed:
JRF is calling for urgent action to tackle poverty and prevent further economic and social division. In September JRF will be launching a comprehensive strategy to solve poverty, outlining how national and local government, businesses and citizens can each play their part.
Julia Unwin, Chief Executive of JRF, said: “The reasons for people’s vote in the referendum are complex, but this clearly shows that millions of people up and down the country feel left behind by economic growth and ignored by those elected to serve them.
“We believe Britain will be stronger if we solve poverty, giving everyone regardless of their background the chance to live a decent and secure life. Yet instead we’re seeing a real sense that it’s harder to get on than it used to be and poverty is on the rise.
“The result of the EU referendum shows we cannot afford to return to business as usual for the poorest people and places across the UK. It is vital that politicians seize this opportunity to show that they are listening, and work not only across party lines but in collaboration with business, individuals and local communities to solve poverty once and for all.”
