The NEN – North Edinburgh News

Roberta Blaikie 1945 – 2015

I’m very sad to to convey the news that Roberta Blaikie passed away at St Columba’s Hospice yesterday.

Roberta was an incredibly dedicated activist who spent decades campaigning for her community and fighting for the causes she held dear to her heart.

Roberta was at the heart of community activities and a hugely influential figure in Greater Pilton and North Edinburgh. To highlight just a few achievements, Roberta was a founding figure of Pilton’s ground-breaking Health Hut (now the much-respected Pilton Community Health Project) and a mainstay and driving force of Royston Wardieburn Community Centre from the outset.

Many local activists benefitted from Roberta’s experience and wisdom and in recent years she has dedicated her drive and enthusiasm to North Edinburgh Fights Back, North Edinburgh Social History Group and Women’s International Groups based at Royston Wardieburn. She also loved the arts and was a member of arts and culture groups including Mama Rag.

But this is only scratching the surface: there is so much more to say, so many stories to be told – Roberta was a warm, funny, thoughtful and caring person who gave so much to her community. She enriched community life. She made a difference – and those of us who were lucky enough to have known Roberta and have worked alongside her on campaigns will know that she is simply irreplaceable. They just don’t make many people like Roberta any more and communities are all the poorer for it.

Roberta sat at the top table during a recent event staged by the Women’s International Group. The event was organised to celebrate the achievements of women in our community – and Roberta, who was by then suffering from the illness that ultimately took her life, was presented with a bouquet of flowers as a special recognition of her tremendous contribution over many years. The warmth in the room as the flowers were presented – the appreciation, the respect, the love – was almost tangible and is something I will never forget. I hope will be of at least some comfort to Donna and her family in the difficult days ahead.

Others will say more about this remarkable woman in the days to come. For now I will simply say: Roberta, I feel privileged to have shared some time with you and I wish it had been more. I will miss you – and your community will miss you even more.

We will share details of the funeral arrangements when we have them