Please give us half an hour of your time!
The Trustees are organising an event to highlight our wish to acquire the land and Granton’s Walled Garden under new powers from the Community Empowerment Bill.
WILD FLOWER PLANTING
Thursday 25 June 1.30pm
Derelict land adjacent to the Walled Garden, West Shore Road.
So come along and support us!
Ross McEwan,
Administrator, Granton Improvement Society
Drylaw’s Rainbow Club Day Centre celebrated their thirtieth anniversary with a Las Vegas-themed party last week – and you can bet everyone had a great time!
When it was first established in Drylaw Church in 1985 the Rainbow Club offered lunchtime sessions and companionship to older people. Since then, the organisation grown and developed – overcoming many challenges along the way – and remains an important part of community life in Drylaw and the wider North Edinburgh community.
Manager Jackie Brown has been at the helm throughout, and as ever Jackie, the staff and volunteers put on a great party for guests and members on 17 June.
As The King himself might have said: Viva, Las Rainbow!
Pictures courtesy Jackie Brown at Drylaw Rainbow Club Day Centre
Green MSP Alison Johnstone has called for improved hygiene in Lothians’ hospitals following a critical report by public health inspectors. She said trust in our health service is vital and public patience is ‘starting to run out’.
The Healthcare Environment Inspectorate (HEI), which is part of Healthcare Improvement Scotland, published its report relating to an unannounced inspection visit to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh (RIE) in April on Monday.
HEI has been set up to help reduce healthcare associated infection risk to patients through a rigorous inspection framework. The HEI inspection team examined NHS Lothian’s self-assessment information and then inspected the hospital to validate this information, meet patients and staff, and visit wards and departments to assess how clean the hospital was and if it was meeting national standards.
Inspectors made four requirements and one recommendation following the inspection.
Head of Quality & Care Jacqui Macrae said: “Overall this was a good inspection and we found evidence that NHS Lothian is complying with the majority of standards to protect patients, staff and visitors from acquiring an infection. In particular, we saw staff following the majority of standard infection control precautions. We also found hand hygiene practice among staff groups was generally good in most wards we inspected. The exception was the emergency department where we found poor hand hygiene practice from staff. We expect NHS Lothian to address our requirements and recommendations at the earliest opportunity.”
Inspectors found birthing balls and a mattress in a labour ward were contaminated with blood and also found half the cot mattresses were contaminated. Eight of the 29 mattresses checked were contaminated, and in the labour ward three out of six cot mattresses checked were also found to be dirty. Three birthing balls, mattress covers, a mattress and patient bed frames and stirrups were all contaminated with blood and hand cleansing hygiene also came in for criticism in the report.
NHS Lothian has been urged to make sure that ‘all patient equipment is clean and ready for use at all times’.
Responding to the inspectors’ report, Alison Johnstone, Scottish Green MSP for Lothian, said: “Hospital hygiene is a big challenge but it’s incredibly important and public patience is starting to run out. It’s therefore disappointing to hear of contamination during an inspection of the emergency department and the labour ward at ERI. Trust in our health service is vital, and I want to hear from NHS Lothian how they plan to improve procedures for good hygiene in our hospitals.”
Melanie Johnson, nurse director at NHS Lothian, said: “We welcome the report from the Healthcare Environment Inspectorate and we are pleased that some areas were singled out for individual praise, including good infection control management, combined with patient care and the general cleanliness of the hospital.
“A total of 67 of the 70 patients interviewed by the inspection team also said they were pleased with the levels of cleaning in their wards.
“We recognise there are things that can be improved and they have been addressed as a matter of urgency, including the cleaning of patient equipment and ensuring that hand hygiene is improved by all staff in the emergency department.”
The full HEI inspection report is available to view at:
Drylaw Telford Community Council meets on Wednesday 24 June at 7pm in Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre – the final meeting before the summer break. All welcome.
Edible Edinburgh launched their new Charter for good food for all at Milton Road Community Garden as part of the Power of Food Festival on Saturday. The Charter and new Edible Edinburgh website aim to engage the city’s residents, visitors and businesses much more in shaping our city’s food systems.
Edible Edinburgh (EE) is an initiative which seeks to transform Edinburgh into a sustainable food city.’ EE is a network of organisations and businesses, including Edinburgh City Council and Edinburgh is part of the UK Sustainable Food Cities network. EE is working towards the following vision to improve the city’s food:
“Edinburgh is a city where good food is available and accessible for all, making for healthy people, thriving communities and a sustainable environment.”
The Power of Food Festival was a fantastic celebration of Edinburgh communities and their relationships with food and growing, so was the perfect occasion to launch the EE Charter. EE engages closely with and supports the community growing sector in the city, and held launch of the Sustainable Food City charter at the Community Garden at Edinburgh College’s Milton Road Campus.
The Charter and website was launched by Councillor Lesley Hinds, Chair of Edible Edinburgh and Emma Witney (EE Project Officer) coordinated the signing of the Charter on the day. Alo in attendance were Garden Manager Severine Monvoisin and Power of Food Festival coordinator Marie-Amélie Viatte.
There are two Charters, one for residents and visitors, and one for organisations and businesses (click on link below). Both can also be viewed by clicking the links on the homepage new EE website: http://www.edible-edinburgh.org
We still have a few places available on our Emergency First Aid at Work: Adults and Children course on Wednesday 1 July.
If you would like to book a place, please complete the attached booking form. See poster for further details
Poster EFAW Adults and Children 1.7.15
SHORT COURSE BOOKING FORM – New
Audrey O’Neill
Training Administrator, North Edinburgh Childcare
Tel: 311 6931
Friday 26 June, leaves from the Centre to Cramond at 1pm
As if doing one residential and running the Play Scheme at the same time would be enough, we are not going to stop there: one of the biggest Residentials we have ever planned will be to take more than 30 children aged 5 years to 12 years away for an experience of their young lives – to Towford Bothy in the Scottish borders for a week of activities delivered by MY Adventure!
Congratulations to North Edinburgh’s very own Timebank Temptations, who have been Highly Commended in the Scotland Sings Chorus Awards!
A new online directory, Edinburgh Trusted Trader, has been launched to help residents choose contractors with confidence.
Thirty-six traders and businesses have already signed up to Trusted Trader, creating a new ‘go-to list’ for people looking for services such as home repairs. After being checked by the Council’s Trading Standards team to ensure that they are compatible with the principles of the scheme, contractors are then accepted as members and their details added to the website. Customers can use the directory to find local contractors’ details with the reassurance that they are reliable and have been fully vetted.
Community Safety Leader, Councillor Cammy Day, was joined at the launch by representatives from Trusted Directory Services, who will manage the scheme along with Trading Standards, Police Scotland and trade members to mark the new site going live.
Cllr Day said: “Edinburgh Trusted Trader is an excellent resource for people who need work carried out on their home or communal area but want to make sure they are hiring reputable, reliable contractors. It’s not only good news for residents but also the businesses and traders listed who can promote themselves as members of the scheme and receive expert advice from our Trading Standards team.
“I am confident that this scheme will help build on consumer confidence in trades across the city and look forward to seeing more businesses and individuals signing up to be a Trusted Trader.”
Edinburgh Trusted Trader could reach more than 225,000 households and all members will be able to use the scheme’s logo on materials and vehicles. Residents who use the services can rate them afterwards and leave comments on the site for other users to read. The scheme also includes a dispute resolution process should there be any disagreements between customers and member businesses.
Similar directories have been successfully introduced in Dundee, West Lothian, East Lothian and Fife.
Edinburgh’s scheme was created after a public consultation found that many home owners are hesitant about organising shared repairs in common areas as that they don’t know how to find a trustworthy trader.
Any businesses or individuals interested in being listed with Edinburgh Trusted Trader can sign up online.
Can you handle twelve hours of cake?
Cake lover? The Botanics is the place to be from 10am today as Cake Fest Edinburgh comes to town!
Lots of food-related fun, entertainment and activities for all the family from 10am all the way through to 10pm tonight – including the building, unveiling (and ultimately the demolishing and eating) of the unique Edinburgh cake map!
For further info visit: http://edinburgh.cakefest.org.uk/
