West Pilton Gardeners seek community support

West Pilton Community Gardeners are seeking public support for a funding application that will see their West Pilton Brae project completed and enable the startup of a new afterschool club. The group has launched a petition to show that West Pilton residents support the gardeners’ plans.

The community garden at West Pilton Brae was begun in the spring of 2012 by a handful of local women and children with some guidance from a local gardener. The garden design and construction work which took place over the summer involved over 40 children and 20 adults from the local area, and the group is now seeking funding from the city council’s local Forth Neighbourhood Partnership to finish the garden’s construction and to support a weekly after-schools club at the request of the kids.

Local gardener Kirsty Sutherland has been taking the lead in compiling everyone’s ideas into the garden design and teaching adults and children how to grow and harvest a great variety of fruits, vegetables and flowers.  She said: “We have made a list of materials we need to finish the garden and run the club for the children. This includes a secure shed, a water tap, children’s gardening tools, and a sessional worker to undertake the garden construction and plan weekly activities for the kids.”

The group’s first bid for funding was unsuccessful, but Kirsty is hopeful that the group will have better luck this time round. “This is our second application to Forth’s Neighbourhood Environment Programme (NEP) fund for the West Pilton Community Garden – it was refused by the Neighbourhood Partnership back in March on the grounds that they could not fund similar  projects until the Wardie Backgreen Food Growing Initiative was proven a  success. Our own garden has proven a success on very minimal  funding but with plenty of community involvement. Documenting the progress with  photographs has made me realise what a long way we have come since the spring – the garden’s now a wee oasis of calm and community involvement!”

Kirsty believes she knows the reason why the West Pilton project has been a success while others have struggled. “Community involvement in the design and  construction of the garden so far appears to have been the secret to avoiding  common problems with other community garden projects, like vandalism and dog  fouling. This flexible and creative community led approach,  facilitated by regular sessional work is working well.”

Kirsty will be making a short presentation on the West Pilton Community Garden at the Pilton Youth and Children’s Project  (PYCP) annual general meeting on 28 September. “It will mainly be photographs of folk working and a bit of detail on the future  development and use of the community garden – this presentation was supposed to be shown at the  Forth Clean Green and Safe Action Group meeting scheduled for 4 Sept, but  the meeting was cancelled at short notice.”
The local RTO (registered tenants organisation) Tenants and Residents in Pilton (TRIP) fully supports the funding application and Kirsty hopes local people will also show their support for the gardeners by signing the petition. “It is your garden, free for you and your children to use and share the fruits of your labour. Please sign this petition if you are in support of a funding application to allow us to complete the vegetable and herb  garden, buy the necessary tools and a secure shed and an after-school club being created for local children to work and learn in the garden.”

Local out for the petition at all local venues.

For further information, contact Kirsty Sutherland on 07778732171 or email kirsty@piltonresidents.org.uk

You can also check out he group’s Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/WestPiltonCommunityGarden

PS: Feel free to get in touch if you want to join in with the garden group whatever your age or gardening experience!

Hearts lift cup at Ainslie Park

Brave Spartans were left heartbroken as they lost out on the Ronnie Swan Cup 8-7 on penalties to Heart of Midlothian on Friday night (writes ALAN CLARK).

The East of Scotland league side had been leading throughout the game and were 4-2 to the good with just a couple of minutes remaining, however Hearts scored a quick-fire double to take the friendly match to a shoot-out.

Jack Beesley gave Spartans the lead with a deft chip before Mark Whatley doubled the home side’s lead after 20 minutes with a scissor-kick from the edge of the area.

Scottish Premier League side Hearts responded just before half-time through Gordon Smith, however Spartans restored their two-goal advantage through Andy Martin early in the second half.  Returning Jambo Ryan Stevenson made things interesting at 3-2, as Sean Wringe then looked to have made the cup safe for Spartans.

There was more drama to come however as substitute Mehdi Taouil unleashed a 30-yard rocket into the top corner with minutes to go, which was followed by a last-minute leveller from fellow sub Sam Nicholson. After both sides scored their five penalties, the shoot-out entered sudden-death where Nicolson scored the cup-winning penalty.

Due to the international break, Hearts boss John McGlynn agreed to take part in the memorial match for Ronnie Swan and the Scottish Cup holders brought a strong squad along to Ainslie Park, including first-team regulars Andrew Driver, Jamie MacDonald and Ryan Stevenson.

The game started evenly with both sides attempting to find their feet but the hosts made the breakthrough after ten minutes. Jordan Finnie spotted Jack Beesley’s run and fed him the ball, with the Spartans midfielder using his first touch to chip Jambos keeper Jamie MacDonald beautifully – much to the delight of the home crowd.

The Tynecastle outfit looked for a quick reply as they won a free-kick on the edge of the area. Ukrainian defender Denis Prychyenko let fly but his effort went wide of the post by three yards.

The non-league side put themselves even further in front just ten minutes after the opener, Neil McCuish’s scissor-kick every bit as impressive as Beesley’s chip. The ball bounced on the left side of ‘the D’ and McCuish took a gamble by launching his whole body at the ball, which looped over MacDonald and into the inside of the side-netting. Spartans were in dreamland.

Dale Carrick attempted a copy-cat of McCuish’s wonder strike but the Hearts forward watched as his effort went narrowly wide of the post. McGlynn’s side were looking more interested in the game after 35 minutes and almost got a goal back, Ryan Stevenson’s cross almost being turned in by Spartans no. 2 Danny O’Donnell.

Jason Holt was next up to go close for Hearts as he made some space for himself in the box before sending his low drive into Ross Gilpin, who did well to use his legs save to his right.  Just as Dougie Samuel thought Spartans would have a 2-0 half-time lead, striker Gordon Smith pulled a goal back for Hearts, poking the ball home from six yards after a ping-pong event in the box.

Samuel didn’t have long to wait to see his side’s two-goal league restored however, the 54th minute seeing Spartans make it 3-1. Chris Anderson weighed his through ball perfectly for Andy Martin, who hit his shot across Macdonald’s goal and into the far corner.

After 70 minutes, Spartans were believing it could be their night after all, as they smacked the bar with a ferocious drive from the edge of the area. MacDonald did well to palm it onto the bar, as it looked like it was heading for the top corner.

With less than ten minutes to go, ex-Ipswich Town forward Stevenson got his name on the score sheet with a powerful shot from inside the area, however Spartans delighted their punters further by making it 4-2 a matter of seconds later. It was Anderson who was the supplier again as a great move culminated in the midfielder going past MacDonald, leaving him helpless as Sean Wringe beat a defender to squeeze home the fourth into an empty net.

You could be forgiven for thinking that was that, but Hearts had other things in mind. Substitute and former Kilmarnock winger Mehdi Taouil took matters into his own feet as it were, as he picked the ball up 30 yards from goal and thumped home high into the keeper’s left-hand corner. With less than two minutes to play, this goal made Spartans sweat but rejuvenated Hearts and resulted in Sam Nicolson bundling home in the last kick of the game to make it an astonishing 4-4.

The game was to be decided by penalties and after both sides scored their five penalties, the shoot-out entered sudden-death where Nicholson scored the cup-winning penalty. Hearts were presented with the Ronnie Swan trophy in front of the main stand at the end of an enthralling friendly bout in front of 1,200 fans.

SPARTANS: Ross Gilpin, Danny O’Donnell, Gary Cenerrazzo, Kevin Sivewright, Neil McCuish, Robbie Manson ©, Jack Beesley, Mark Whatley, Jordan Finnie, Chris Anderson, Donal Henretty. Subs: Sean Wringe, Keith McLeod, John Grant, Andy Martin, Willie Bremner, Peter Mair, Chris Flockhart.

HEARTS: Jamie MacDonald, Dylan McGowan ©, Kevin McHattie, Denis Prychyenko, Brad McKay, Ryan Stevenson, Jamie Walker, Jason Holt, Gordon Smith, Dale Carrick, Andrew Driver. Subs: Mehdi Taouil, Jack Hamilton, Callum Paterson, Callum Tappin, Scott Robinson, Billy King, Adam King, Sam Nicholson.

Council seeks to bridge flood funding gap

The city council is to continue talks with the Government and local government umbrella body COSLA over a funding shortfall for the second and third phases of flood prevention works on the Water of Leith. The Council made an unsuccesful bid for goverment support last December but a decision is expected later this year on funding for flooding projects.

Transport convener Councillor Lesley Hinds (pictured above) said: “The total cost of building existing and future flood defences for Edinburgh  is at least £144m, which is well beyond our own means. While the completed scheme on Braidburn and the finished parts of the Water of Leith are providing protection, other parts of the city continue to be at risk. Recent events have shown again how important it is that we have these defences in place and I very much hope COSLA and the Scottish Government can be persuaded of the capital’s case.”

The current funding arrangements are detailed in a report to the Transport, Infrastructure and Environment committee next week. The report also describes the lessons learned from recent flooding, especially on 7 July 2012 at the Stockbridge Colonies and in Warriston. As a result, various improvements are to be made in how the Council works with other organisations to plan for and respond to major flooding incidents.

Councillor Hinds added: “Flooding can be a devastating experience for those who are affected. While our staff worked very hard to deal with the consequences of the exceptionally heavy rainfall there are always lessons to be learned for the Council, our contractors and our partners I’d also urge every household tosign-up for alerts from SEPA and follow their guidance on being prepared for flooding.”

Hearts lift trophy after titanic struggle

Hearts beat The Spartans on penalties to win the Ronnie Swan Memorial Trophy in front of 1800 spectators at Ainslie Park  last night. It was an almighty struggle for the SPL side, who came back from being two goals behind THREE times to force the game to penalties after it finished all square at 4-4.

Full match report to follow from Alan Clark

Six hundred sign up to keep LEAP in Stockbridge

Campaigners hoping to save Malta House for Lothian and Edinburgh Abstinence Programme (LEAP) handed in petitions containing over six hundred signatures to the Church of Scotland this morning. The move comes as talks over the future of the building continue between the Church of Scotland and NHS Lothian, and campaigners could know the fate of Malta House as early as next week.

In a statement issued earlier today, the Save Malta House for LEAP camapign group said: ‘Copies of the Save Malta House for LEAP petition were handed to the Church of Scotland this morning.  More than 600 signatures and heartfelt comments were gathered in less that a fortnight, on-line and on paper in the Stockbridge area.  Copies were addressed to the Moderator, the Secretary to the Council of Assembly (the Church’s Chief Executive), the Chief Executive Officer of CrossReach (the Social Care Council of the Church) and the Church’s Solicitor. Mary Macleod, Depute Solicitor of the Church, received the petition.  She said that a decision on the future of Malta House and the lease to LEAP would not be made today, but probably early next week.

‘The aim of the petition is to secure the future of LEAP at Malta House.  By 7 September, the petition and campaign had encouraged the Church not to commit to immediate sale to a developer, but to enter into discussions about potential purchase by the NHS.  This in itself is a great achievement, for which we commend the Church, but we are clearly not yet out of the woods.  Should such discussions be successful, it would be a ‘win-win’ situation: the Church would raise money from a sale, and LEAP would continue to lease the property.

‘If these discussions do not lead to this ‘win-win’ outcome, the Save Malta House for LEAP campaign will want to know what on earth has gone wrong.  It is not clear why the Church is having difficulty resolving matters.  Initially the Church seemed to have found itself in an uncomfortable and stark choice between financial gain and its social responsibilities.  The current prospect of purchase by the NHS Lothian (potentially through the Edinburgh and Lothian Health Foundation) looks to offer a solution which delivers both: a way forward to the credit of all concerned.

We remain very aware of the efforts and concern of so many people on this issue of such importance.  The outcome has an impact far beyond a local community, on the reputation of the Church, and on all those recognising the importance of LEAP remaining at Malta House and continuing as a beacon of hope for those facing the challenge of dependency on drink and drugs.  The on-line petition is being kept open until the objective of keeping Malta House for LEAP is achieved.’

There are indications that the group and LEAP supportersmay indeed achieve their aim. In a statement on Thursday (6 September), Peter Bailey, Chief Executive Officer and Secretary of the Church of Scotland’s Social Care Council (Crossreach), told the campaigners: “In relation to the NHS LEAP project in Malta House The Social Care Council wishes to reiterate the earlier statement that they wish to be as helpful and as flexible as possible in the current situation relating to LEAP.  To this end they are now able to confirm that representatives of the organisation are in active discussions with NHS Lothian to explore a positive way forward on this matter within the constraints faced by both NHS Lothian and CrossReach.  It would be premature to comment further while these discussions continue.”

New Edinburgh College seeks talent for Board

Influential and inspirational individuals are being invited to help the new Edinburgh College play a key role in defining the future of further education in Edinburgh and the Lothians. Edinburgh College, the product of a merger of Edinburgh’s Telford College, Jewel & Esk College and Stevenson College Edinburgh, is looking to attract the best talent possible to join its Board of Management.

The College,a £60m business and the biggest FE college in Scotland, will accommodate more than 35,000 students – the biggest student body in Edinburgh – when it opens on October 1.

Ian McKay, Chair (Elect) of Edinburgh College, said Board members will contribute to the leadership and control of the new College, driving forward improved learning opportunities that will benefit Edinburgh and Lothians specifically, and Scotland, in general.

He said: “The new Edinburgh College is set on a course to change the face of further education in Edinburgh and the Lothians. We want to deliver better opportunities and outcomes for learners, which will support economic growth both locally and nationally by providing industry with the right people for real jobs. We know Edinburgh and the Lothians boasts some of Scotland’s most skilled and talented people – captains of industry, innovators, community champions and such like. How great it would be, therefore, to have some of this incredible talent pool join us as we start this exciting journey with Edinburgh College.”

The new College welcomes applicants from all walks of life and is particularly keen to hear from candidates with skills and expertise in: community and educational leadership, industry and commerce, finance, marketing, international education and IT.

Edinburgh College will consist of four main campuses employing more than 1,500 staff; Granton (formerly Edinburgh’s Telford College), Sighthill (formerly Stevenson College Edinburgh) and Milton Road and Midlothian (both formerly Jewel & Esk College).

The selection  process for Board members is being launched this week with a view to  appointments being made within the next 6-8 weeks.

Requests for further information and applications should be made to amanda.hood@edinburghcollege.ac.uk.

Hearts bring full strength squad to Spartans

Hearts are bringing a full strength squad to Ainslie Park for tonight’s clash with The Spartans for the Ronnie Swan Cup. As expected, none of the Tynecastle club’s international players have been considered for selection but Spartans will still face a formidable Hearts team tonight.

The Hearts squad is McDonald, Stevenson, Taouil, Driver, Smith, Walker, Holt, Prychynenko, D McGowan, Tapping, McKay, McHattie, Hamilton, King, Paterson, Carrick, King and Nicholson.

The Spartans choose from Flockhart, Gilpin, O’Donnell, Sivewright, Mair, McCuish, Cenezzarro, Manson, McLeod, Beesley, Anderson, Grant, Martin, Finnie, Wringe, Bremner, Whatley and Henretty.

The match kicks off at 7.30pm. Tickets are still available and can be bought at the stadium until 6pm. Adult prices from £8 and a family ticket (one adult and one concession) is only £10.

Premiership trophy comes to Craigroyston

It’s been raised aloft by the greatest names in world football, and it’s never crossed the border before – but yesterday, the Barclays Premiership Trophy arrived in North Edinburgh for a flying visit!

The Spartans Community Football Academy held their inaugural fund raising dinner at the Prestonfield House Hotel last night, and as part of the celebrations SCFA obtained the Barclays Premiership Trophy for the day.  In the afternoon S1 and S2 Craigroyston High School pupils and School of Football participants – and a few adults too! – got the once in a lifetime chance to get their picture  taken with the famous trophy.

Potty Planter Winners

The Muirhouse Centipede Project is pleased to announce that the winners of the recent Potty Planters competition at West Pilton and Muirhouse Gala were:

1. Pre school:  Abbi Smith (aged 4).  

Planter was an Irn Bru Glass with a colourful flower in it.

Story:  ‘Abbi thought these were pretty!’

2. Lower primary: Amelia and Julia Dorozynska (aged 8 & 3)

Planter was a welly boot with a colourful flower in it.

Story: “This planter used to be Amelia’s welly which she really liked but it got some holes so it doesn’t work well, but makes a very nice planter. Now we can all enjoy it”

3. Upper primary: Chelsea Diamond (aged 10).

Planter was a pair of welly boots, with strawberries growing in them.

Story: “My favourite Welles that grow my favourite fruit – strawberries!”

4. Adult: Pearl Dunbar (aged 73).

Planter was a child’s push along wooden block trolley.

Story: “Porta-garden: everywhere you go, your garden goes with you!”

The Champion was Pre school.

Winner 1 got box of sand toys, modelling clay, and a money bank. Winners 2 and 3 got a game and a money box and winner 4 received a £10 Asda voucher. The Judge was Colin Douglas, assistant minister at Cramond, who is a Wes Piltont resident.

 

Muirhouse St Andrews Parish Church is holding a Table Sale on Saturday 15 September from 10am to 1pm. To book a table (price £10) telephone 07914 538 189, 07714 958 987 or email: lindsayatmuirhouse@virginmedia.com