Influencing your Parliament

Scottish Parliament Community Conference this month

Holyrood ParliamentLocal people keen to have their voice heard by their MSP and the Scottish Parliament can discover how to run a social media campaign, secure media stories on the issues that affect them, petition the Parliament and even hold their own Holyrood event, by attending a conference at Dumfries’ Easterbrook Hall on Saturday 21 February.

At the Scottish Parliament Communities Conference, local MSPs Elaine Murray and Alex Fergusson will share expert advice on how to help your MSP help you, with interactive workshops run throughout the day, led by MSPs and the Scottish Parliament’s expert staff.

Engagement can result in a wide range of actions, including parliamentary debate, changes to law and policy direction.

Alex Fergusson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries said: “When an issue matters, and when it is within Holyrood’s power to help, engaging with MSPs and the Scottish Parliament can be a direct way for individuals, community groups and organisations to be heard.”

He went on: “We want to make sure that people from across Dumfries and Galloway know how to engage with us, their local MSPs, and to know that the Scottish Parliament belongs to them. The conference is all about helping make sure their voice is heard. I hope to meet many people from across the South West who feel strongly about an issue, so I can  share a range of ways the Scottish Parliament can help make a positive difference to people’s lives in their local community, or even throughout Scotland.”

Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfriesshire said: ““We’re looking forward to meeting as many local community organisations, charities, social enterprises, tenants and residents groups, local campaign organisations, volunteers and youth groups as possible. But we also want to hear from individuals with an important issue to share. Only by hearing from people who have perhaps never been involved with the Parliament or politics before can we continue to raise the profile of a wide variety of important issues and give the people of Dumfries and Galloway a voice.”

In addition to Ms Murray and Mr Ferguson, other MSPs leading workshops on the day include Chic Brodie, MSP for South Scotland; John Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland; Graeme Pearson, MSP for South Scotland and Aileen McLeod,  Minister for Environment, Climate Change & Land Reform.

Joyce Harkness is a campaigner and social enterprise manager from Hightae near Lochmaben. She said: “It’s great news that the Communities Conference is coming to Dumfries.  I would encourage anyone who wants to kick-start getting their voice heard at the Scottish Parliament to come to Easterbrook Hall on the 21st.

“I’ve attended Scottish Parliament community workshops in the past and they’ve been invaluable. When I was campaigning for better rural transport for older people across Dumfries and Galloway, working with the Parliament really helped get our issues raised in a positive way. The MSPs and Parliamentary staff really listen and have great ideas and practical advice that’s specially tailored to your campaign. The sheer range of ways you can engage with Parliament can be a real eye-opener.”

 

Total Craigroyston update

STV Appeal_Total Craigroyston_Jan_2015_aa_01_MG_4823 (1)

We are continuing to work towards improving outcomes for children and families in the Craigroyston cluster area (writes Total Craigroyston manager Christine Mackay).

Achievements in education

North Edinburgh News has covered the great reports that Craigroyston Community High School and the Community Learning provision in the area have achieved. As well as those, Craigroyston Early Years Centre has achieved the measure of excellent across all five areas that the Care Commission look at – for the second year in a row! This is a brilliant achievement!

Working with local landlords

We have been doing some work with private landlords. We are hoping to strengthen their role in the regeneration of the area by sharing information and to encourage them listen to residents views about the condition of area. So far, the landlords we have spoken to have been very keen to become involved.

Community Leadership College

One of the most exciting things we’ve been developing over recent months is the Community Leadership College. This is an idea that has been put together by Total Craigroyston, Muirhouse Linkup and Circle Scotland. The STV foundation has funded our idea, which will us to help build on the biggest asset the community has – it’s people.

Many local people have become involved in community activities and volunteering through Linkup, The North Edinburgh Time Bank and many other community projects. The Community Leadership College will give us the opportunity take that involvement to the next level by providing training, support and other types of activities so that more leaders are created within the community.

The development of the college will be directed by local residents themselves, initially through a series of ‘Conversation Cafes’ , so that we can gather their ideas and develop the programme.

We expect that the impact will be that local people have a bigger influence on the development of services, gain skills to take up jobs, develop their ideas about making improvements to the area and the skills to turn those ideas into reality.

A cheque was presented at the Community Shop on Thursday 29 January (pictured above).

Coming up

In the next few months we will be working with North Edinburgh Young People’s Form to involve the areas young people in assessing the quality of services that they use, using the Youth Talk approach first developed in South Edinburgh. Watch this space for information about how that is going!

Print

Third Sector: talk BOLD today

Just in case you missed this …

CityChambers

The City of Edinburgh Council is planning major changes to the way that it delivers services at a local level and how it collaborates with partners. TODAY (3 February), the Council is holding an engagement session to brief the third sector on the proposed changes and provide an opportunity to influence them.  There are still some places available, but spaces are limited so please contact Tasha on email below as soon as possible.

A summary of the Council proposals can be found in the Better Outcomes Leaner Delivery (BOLD) Business Cases paper and the Organise to Deliver paper.

The meeting will take place at 2pm in the European Room at the City Chambers. If you would like to book one of the places, please email Tasha MacKenzie who works in the BOLD team in the Council: Tasha.MacKenzie@edinburgh.gov.uk.

Voluntary Sector Forum dates set

calendar

Get your diaries out … Forth and Inverleith Voluntary Sector Forum meetings have been set for the rest of the year … and the first one of 2016 has been scheduled in too!

22 APRIL

22 JULY

21 OCTOBER

20 JANUARY 2016

The meetings will be held on Wednesday mornings from 10am – 12 noon at venues to be confirmed.

june

Let’s talk about Dementia

DementiaSTARTING this month, Alzheimer Scotland – Action on Dementia is launching a Let’s Talk about Dementia campaign. The campaign aims to open up more discussion on the subject of dementia and to raise awareness of the importance of early diagnosis.

Stigma, negative perceptions of people with dementia and perceptions that there is little or no help available are some of the reasons which prevent people from seeking help sooner rather than later. The negative perceptions also create fear and worry meaning that many families avoid talking about dementia.

The worry that you or someone close to you may have dementia is one of the most difficult conversations we may have. The Let’s Talk about Dementia campaign hopes to raise awareness and get families talking to each other and medical professionals so that more people living with dementia can get the help and support they need in place to ensure they have the best quality of life possible.

Alzheimer Scotland’s Let’s Talk about Dementia campaign will offer detailed information, support on the organisation’s website (www.alzscot.org/conversation) and via the Dementia Helpline (0808 808 3000) which is free to call and available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Alzheimer Scotland will be promoting the campaign on radio, in print and through social media (Facebook and Twitter). Social media is particularly important, as these difficult conversations are often intergenerational; involving partners, adult children, grandchildren, other family members and beyond. We want people to share their own experiences of these often difficult conversations and if, in hindsight, they would have handled things differently. Alzheimer Scotland will also be sharing real life case studies, information and advice via its Facebook page and Twitter feed.

www.facebook.com/AlzheimerScotland

www.twitter.com/alzscot

“I wish I’d trusted my instincts about dad earlier. Got us to sit down as a family and discuss it. If I had the chance again, that’s what I’d do.” Ian

“I knew there was something wrong with me and I kept asking questions until I found out what it was. My family and friends have been wonderful – they support me in so many ways and I’m glad I can talk openly to them. Nobody should have to face dementia alone. Never be afraid to ask: ask people, ask questions and ask for help.” Anne

“Nobody’s happy to get a diagnosis of dementia, but it was so much better than the not-knowing. It gave mum, and me, a way of dealing with the changes that were happening in her life.” Donna

#StrongerNorth: Action Update

Steady progress on tackling community concerns

StrongerNorthHow has the #StrongerNorth initiative been performing?The latest figures, compiled at the end of January, are very encouraging: 

Housing

•           17 housing enforcement actions taken against residents in response to behaviour

Including  13 warnings, 1 Final Warning, 1 Notice to Quit, 1 Notice of Proceedings for Recovery of Possession, 1 ASBO under consideration.

Offending  

·          7 Young people identified and targeted due to offending (Police, Council, Social work etc)

·         3 charged as adults, 2 in Children’s Hearing system and 2 in court system (last four all reducing offending)

·         4 young people subject to Movement Restriction Condition

·         4 young people placed in secure accommodation in last 12 months (2 twice)

·         Calls to Police have really reduced between October and December 2014 (209 to 119 calls)

·         Reduction in offences committed by the most problematic young people – including a significant drop by one prolific housebreaker.

Youth Work

•           Positive engagement over a number of weeks with group working on bothy at Towford

•           Conversation cafe with Positive Prison organised for 30 January.

Employment and Training

•           Employment experience and training programme developed by Council, Urban Union and Edinburgh College. First group ready to benefit.

Pre-School and School

•           Respect programme expanded to Craigroyston and Forthview Primary Schools

•           Youth Engagement Programme at Crewe Road Fire station – participants selected from Craigroyston Community High School.

 Physical Improvements

•           Community clean ups in backgreen at West Pilton Gardens/Crossway and roadside verge along Granton Mill well-attended.

West Pilton/West Granton Community Council

•           Community payback team cut back bushes in West Pilton Park where motorbikes were being hidden.

 Communications

•           Regular daily tweets and 1,343 followers

•           Over 230 Facebook likes.

Community activity

•           Community survey planned to track community views about local action

•           Tenants and Residents in Muirhouse #StrongerNorth campaign – Community Shop window display

•           Weekly lunch time drop in sessions at Muirhouse Community Shop and Pilton Community Association flat – six week programme started 19 January

•           Community feedback event 4 February.

image001 (1)

Righting a wrong? Poll Tax debt to end today

Councils to stop collecting the debt from 1 February

polltax

From February 1, 2015 the liability to pay ‘Poll Tax’ arrears in Scotland will end, subject to final approval of the Scottish Parliament later this month. John Swinney says Holyrood has acted ‘to right a historic wrong’. 

The Scottish Government brought forward the bill to bring an end to collection of debts under the Community Charge, the discredited tax which was abolished in 1993 after four years in operation in Scotland.

The issue was brought to the fore following the independence referendum, amid reports that the expanded electoral registers could be used to identify and pursue Poll Tax debts at a time of record democratic engagement.

The amount of Poll Tax arrears collected by local authorities across Scotland has fallen in recent years to less than £350,000 in 2013-14, and some local authorities have ceased recovery of debts altogether. Nonetheless, the Scottish Government will cover the cost to local authorities of the Poll Tax debt that they would have expected to recover under existing arrangements.

This week parliament agreed to the general principles of the Bill and also approved a timescale that will see the Bill complete its parliamentary passage by 19 February.

Deputy First Minister John Swinney said: “The Scottish Government has acted act expeditiously to address the use of information gathered from voter registration to pursue historical debts from a tax that is discredited and which has not been operational in Scotland for more than 20 years.

“The amount of Poll Tax arrears which have been collected by councils across Scotland has fallen to near negligible levels in recent years, from around £1.3 million in 2009-10 to less than £350,000 in the most recent financial year.

“We will ensure that local authorities are properly compensated in line with current collection rates in respect of outstanding amounts and ensure that they are not out of pocket.

“The poll tax is a defunct tax, but it has left a bitter legacy in Scotland – the Scottish Parliament has acted to right a historic wrong.”

EVOC thinkSpace event: Pensions

EVOC is holding a Breakfast thinkSpace on

Pension Auto Enrolment  

on Friday 20 February 8:30am – 10am

at EVOC, 14 Ashley Place, EdinburghEH6 5PX

The session will be delivered by Deborah Adam from the Pensions Team at Burness Paull  LLP, as well as a speaker from Hymans Robertson (to be confirmed). 

There will be more information to follow on our dedicated ThinkSpace pages, as well as on our social media channels.

In the meantime, please save the date and reserve your place by booking through eventbrite: 

https://eventbrite.co.uk/event/15498270745/

EVOClogo

Total-ly delighted!

£84,000 will establish a Community Leadership College

STV Appeal_Total Craigroyston_Jan_2015_aa_01_MG_4823 (1)

The STV Appeal is the fund that just keeps on giving to projects in North Edinburgh – Total Craigroyston became the latest local beneficiary when it received almost £84,000 from the charity programme.

STV CEO and trustee of the STV Appeal Rob Woodward and Chris Wilson managing director, Retail and Private Banking, RBS, presented the cheque for £83, 980 to Total Craigroyston manager Christine Mackay yesterday.

The STV Appeal raised £2.6million in 2014 – £305,689 of this was raised by RBS branches.

Total Craigroyston is an initiative set up by the Edinburgh Partnership to improve outcomes for children and families in the neighbourhood around Craigroyston Community High School. The project is doing this by taking a three pronged approach –

  • strengthening services that are open to all like health, early years and schools;
  • strengthening support for families;
  • supporting local people to organise their own activities.

Now, working in partnership with charities Circle Scotland and the Link-up Muirhouse project, an idea has been developed to establish a Community Leadership College. This will help Total Craigroyston expand leadership capability amongst local residents.

Julie Crawford, Muirhouse Link Up development worker, said: “We are really excited about the opportunity that the STV Appeal has given us to turn our idea into reality. This project will help us work with local people to build on the excellent local leadership that exists at the moment and take it to the next level.”

Chris Wilson, managing director, Retail and Private Banking, RBS, said: “It’s fantastic to see first-hand the work of projects like Total Craigroyston and understand the real impact that the money from the STV Appeal will have on them. RBS is proud to support the STV Appeal and help change the lives of vulnerable children and young people in Scotland.”

The STV Appeal is committed to making a difference in the lives of children and young people living in poverty in Scotland. Across the country, 220,000 children live in poverty and figures from the Campaign to End Child Poverty show that in the city of Edinburgh it’s actually 21.1% of children – more than one in five.

Total Craigroyston is just one of the projects the STV Appeal is supporting in North Edinburgh – Pilton Youth & Childrens Project, Changeworks and Fresh Start have all received grants from the funder.

Since launch in 2011, the STV Appeal has raised over £8.2 million with 297 big and small grants distributed to projects across all 32 local authority areas in Scotland, providing much needed support to over 37,000 children. The money raised is distributed to provide practical help like food and warm clothes; create opportunities for training and employability; and enable social and emotional support for those who need it most.

Rob Woodward, STV CEO and trustee of the STV Appeal, said: “The money donated to the STV Appeal remains in Scotland and will help bring about a positive change to the lives of vulnerable children and young people on our doorstep.  With the help of the extraordinary fundraising efforts taking place in communities across the country we have raised an incredible £2.6m in 2014 allowing us to make grants to 297 projects.  We are extremely grateful to everyone who supported the Appeal.”

Print