The NEN – North Edinburgh News – Page 3866 – The community media resource for north Edinburgh

Still time to register for St Columba’s Water of Leith Walk

Water of Leith Walk

While the countdown is on for the St Columba’s Hospice Water of Leith Walk on 12 May, there’s still time to register – registration is open until 10 May, so why not sign up to walk one of the most beautiful routes in Edinburgh to help build a new St Columba’s Hospice?

Sunday 12 May 2013
Start times between 9.30am and 11am

Walk the Big Yin
Balerno – Leith Links (12.25 miles)

Walk the Wee Yin
Murrayfield – Leith Links (5 miles)

We hope you will join us!

Taking a stroll along the Water of Leith is one of the must do things for any visitor to Edinburgh, yet how many of us have ever walked the whole 12.25 miles of it? Here’s your chance to do just that, and help build a new home for St Columba’s Hospice.

The St Columba’s Hospice Water of Leith Walk will be held on Sunday 12 May. Walkers of all ages are welcome, and participants can walk on their own, or enter as a family or a team with up to six members.

Starting in Balerno, the full 12.25 mile walk (the ‘Big Yin’) will follow the river as it winds its way through Colinton Village and Dell, the Union Canal, Saughton Winter Gardens, Murrayfield Stadium, the Scottish Gallery of Modern Art, Dean Village, Stockbridge, the Royal Botanic Garden and finally, to our new finishing point at Leith Links.

For those that would find a shorter stroll more appealing, there is also the gentler ‘Wee Yin’ – a five mile route from Murrayfield to Leith.

Along the way you’ll get the chance to see stunning natural landscapes, remnants of Edinburgh’s industrial history, and a wide diversity of plants and animals, from orchids to otters.

This will be an unforgettable experience and help build a new home for St Columba’s Hospice.

To register please contact Sìne on 0131 551 7707 or sward@stcolumbashospice.org.uk or download the flyer/entry form on the right and email it to us.

You can also register on the day, the details are as follows:

The ‘Big Yin’

Registration location – Balerno Community Centre
Registration time – 9.30am – 10.30am
Official start time – 10.00am
End point – Leith Links

The ‘Wee Yin’

Registration location – Murrayfield Coach Park
Registration time – 10.30am – 11.30am
Offical start time – 11.00am
End point – Leith Links

£25m housing boost for disadvantaged communities

Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and COSLA President Councillor David O’Neill today announced a £25 million fund which aims to help transform disadvantaged areas across Scotland.

The Regeneration Capital Grant Fund (RCGF), which has been developed in partnership with local authorities, will provide financial support to projects that will help to deliver large scale positive improvements to deprived areas. It will focus on projects that engage and involve local communities and those that can demonstrate the ability to deliver sustainable regeneration outcomes. The fund will be open to local authorities, urban regeneration companies and regeneration special purpose vehicles.

The Deputy First Minister and COSLA President announced the new fund during a visit to Govan Workspace in Glasgow – a project supported by the European Regional Development Fund involving the transformation of the 1670m2 derelict Fairfield Shipyard offices in Govan into 12 new workspaces for SMEs and social enterprises.

Ms Sturgeon said: “Investment in large scale regeneration projects is absolutely key for stimulating economic growth throughout Scotland. The development of this fund is a great example of how Scotland’s public bodies can work in partnership to deliver initiatives that help to create more jobs for Scottish people, while bringing our communities closer together and injecting new life into deprived and run down areas.

“Community involvement is integral to the success of the design and delivery of local economic and social regeneration initiatives. This government is absolutely clear about the contribution that regeneration makes to growing our economy and improving the life chances of Scotland’s people. I am pleased that COSLA have agreed to work with us on this initiative and that local authorities will play a fundamental role in delivery while ensuring local people are at the heart of the projects that will help to transform the spaces around them.”

Councillor David O’Neill, President of COSLA said: “Councils and their partners work at the heart of every local community and are uniquely placed to deliver regeneration outcomes with and for local communities. COSLA and Scottish Government via the creation of the Regeneration Capital Grant Fund are helping to ensure the delivery of Scotland’s regeneration strategy has the biggest economic, social and environment impact possible on local communities.

“Communities want resources focused on delivering large scale regeneration projects which can also deliver wider impacts of job creation, clearing up land as well as regenerating buildings and infrastructure. We believe the fund as envisaged will deliver long term strategic and transformational change. I look forward to seeing the outcomes of this fund at local level throughout Scotland over the next few years. Scotland’s identity is to a large extent local and so are people’s expectations, this fund will enable local authorities to deliver local communities expectations of the places they want to live in and be proud of for years to come.”

‘Many hundreds’ take the Postcode Challenge

Despite distinctly changeable weather ‘many hundreds’ of local cyclists and walkers of all ages and abilities took part in the annual Postcode Challenge on Sunday, embracing the opportunity to explore some of Edinburgh’s 75km of off-road paths and cycleways and pick up some prizes too!

Building on the success of the Postcode Challenge, Edinburgh and Lothians Greeenspace Trust (ELGT) now plans to deliver a programme of activities along the route, designed to raise awareness of this fantastic resource and to help improve the network for all users, including walkers and cyclists, as well as the local wildlife.

Activities will include conservation opportunities, environmental education, and guided walks to explore the local habitats and biodiversity along the routes.

To find out more about the programme and get regular updates, contact the Edinburgh & Lothians Greenspace Trust:

Telephone 0131 445 4025

Email info@elgt.org.uk and sign up for email updates

Or follow ELGT on Twitter @greenspacetrust or @innertubemap

It’s Total Craigroyston Week!

This week, North Edinburgh is going Totally Craigroyston! Read on …

There are loads of opportunities to find out about

TOTAL CRAIGROYSTON

what we’ve been doing over the past 6 months and where we’ve got to since we published our Road Map.

The Total Craigroyston team will be in the community shop in Pennywell Road on

Monday 29 April from 8.30 – 12.00

and Tuesday 30 April from 2.00 – 5.00pm

See the Total Craigroyston exhibition

in Muirhouse Library on

Wednesday 1 May and Thursday 2 May

Come to our feedback and ideas session in

North Edinburgh Arts Centre

on Fri 3May from 10.30 – 12.00 (lunch and crèche provided)

Open to local workers and local residents

Please book a place for the Friday session by emailing info@totalcraigroyston.co.uk

or by phoning the Total Craigroyston Team at 529 3032 or 529 7054

Going Forth Together

Get on your bike for The Postcode Challenge

Explore the North Edinburgh Cycleways with Edinburgh’s favourite treasure hunt on wheels!

What: The Postcode Challenge, organised by The Edinburgh & Lothians Greenspace Trust and The Bike Station. This is a fun, free ‘treasure hunt’ event for cyclists and walkers on the North Edinburgh Path Network, part of the Innertube project and funded by People’s Postcode Trust

Where: The North Edinburgh Cycleways (various entrances to the cycleway including at: Trinity Rd/Lower Granton Road; Ferry Road; Clark Road; Wardie Road; Hawthornvale; Pilton Drive; Scotland St)

When: Sunday 28^th April 2013, 11am – 4pm

This coming Sunday is the third Postcode Challenge on the north Edinburgh paths, a fun, free event for cyclists and walkers, a ‘treasure hunt on wheels’ (and foot), with the chance to explore around 27km of continuous off-road routes and to enter into the prize draw at the same time.

Dotted around the network will be ten stands, run by local organisations. Find your first one (you can start anywhere on the route) and they will give you a card. Get the card stamped at all ten locations (five if you are on foot) and bring it back to the event HQ at Fiveways Junction by 4pm to be entered into the free prize draw. As well as the main prizes, many of the stands may have freebies and presents to give away too and you’ll be able to get your bike fixed and have cycling advice from Hart’s Cyclery, Edinburgh Bicycle Co-op and The Bike Station stands.

The event is totally traffic free and great for all ages and everyone is welcome – you can take part on your own, as a family or as part of a team.

Participants can download further information here and a cyclist route map and stamp card here or if you are on foot, download the walkers’ version. Or just collect one at the first stand you find.

Look out for the following stalls on the route:

The Bike Station – for bike repairs with Dr Bike
Edinburgh & Lothians Greenspace Trust
The Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop – check out their gorgeous new building!
Pedal on Parliament
Spokes
Sustrans
Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre
Harts Cyclery – Bike repairs and advice
My Edinburgh (MYDG)
Edinburgh Bicycle Co-op – Bike repairs and advice

We can’t tell you where each stand will be – but once you’ve found the first one, you’re away. If in doubt, head to Fiveways Junction, where people will point you in the right direction.

And thank you to the following for donating prizes: Spokes, the Bike Station, Harts Cyclery Edinburgh Bicycle Co-op and Green Yonder Tours

This event is part of the Innertube project, funded thanks to players of People’s Postcode Lottery and via the People’s Postcode Trust.

For further information, please contact Liz on 0771 265 1102 or email liz@elgt.org.uk

Download a printable version of the poster to help promote the Challenge.

You're never too young for the Postcode Cycle Challenge! — You’re never too young for the Postcode Cycle Challenge!

Tesco raises £11.85 million for Cancer Research UK

Tesco staff and customers have raised £11.85 million in one year for Cancer Research UK, its charity of the year. The money was raised by staff, customers and suppliers at more than 3,000 stories, offices and distribution centres across the UK, and according to Tesco this is the largest amount ever raised by a business and charity partnership in one year.

Fundraising activities included:

treks by Tesco staff members to Everest base camp and the Sahara, which together raised over £191,000

a festive-themed ‘Cycle to Lapland’ static bike ride in Tesco stores which raised more than £1 million over one weekend

competitions inspired by TV programmes including ‘Tesco Does Strictly’ and ‘Tesco Distribution’s Got Talent’ which raised more than £68,000

In-store fundraising activities by Tesco included a donation of 0.0125p from Tesco Personal Finance PLC every time a cash machine was used at Tesco until 29 February 2013, and promotions that encouraged Clubcard customers to donate their points to the charity.

The store that raised the most money was Tesco Extra in Dundee, which raised £22,000.

The funds raised are being used for 32 early diagnosis and detection research projects helping to ensure more people receive treatment at a time when it is more likely to be successful.

During the partnership Tesco also helped Cancer Research UK raise awareness of the early signs and symptoms of cancer. Eight million health information leaflets were placed at store checkouts.

Richard Taylor, Cancer Research UK Executive Director of Fundraising and Marketing, said: “Tesco staff, customers and suppliers have gone above and beyond to raise a record-breaking amount of money for our lifesaving work over the past year. The dedication they have put into raising vital funds to help improve the early diagnosis and detection of cancer particularly during a time of economic uncertainty has been truly inspiring.”

Since 1988 Tesco has chosen a different charity every year to benefit from staff and customer fundraising. The company’s Charity Trust tops up staff fundrasing by 20% up to a maximum of £500,000.

Last month Tesco announced that Diabetes UK will be it’s next charity of the year.

Bin the Bedroom Tax: public meeting in Muirhouse tonight

Bin the Bedroom Tax!

All welcome to an open meeting to start a local fight-back group in Muirhouse to resist the bedroom tax and the cuts.

7pm Thursday 25 April

Millennium Centre, 7 Muirhouse Medway

We want to create a strong independent local group to:

· stop any evictions for rent arrears due to the cuts : if needbe by defending homes against the sheriff officers

· battle for the complete abolition of the bedroom tax

· fight for all the rent arrears from the bedroom tax to be written off – and for all who have paid the rent increase to be paid back

· support all local people affected in making an appeal against the cut to their Housing Benefit and/or in applying for a Discretionary Housing Payment

· be a way for local people to organise grass-roots resistance: we do not support any political party

· link-up with other groups in North Edinburgh, round the city, Scotland and Britain to co-ordinate our fight-back

· oppose all the cuts – why should we pay for the greed of the rich and for the crisis of their unfair system?

Don’t give up your tenancy – join us to fight back!

CAN’T PAY – WON’T MOVE!

More info 0776 3204906 (Virgin) muirhouseresidents@hotmail.com

www.muirhouseresidents.co.uk/bedroom-tax

www.northedinburghfightsback.org.uk www.edinburghagainstcuts.org.uk

A helping hand at North West Foodbank

With little sign of the recession ending any time soon families are finding it increasingly hard to make ends meet. Wages, for those who do have a job, are not keeping up with rising prices and for those on benefits – well, it’s never been tougher and with more reforms in the pipeline it’s going to get tougher still.

One sign of this is the growing dependency on foodbanks – for some families it’s become the only way to put food on the table. Figures released by The Trussell Trust show that the current economic climate is seeing many more people struggle to put food on the table, including families who are in work. Over 45,000 children were fed by foodbanks in 2011-12, while the numbers of adults and children fed nationwide increased from 61,468 in 2010-11 to 128,697 in 2011-12.

For many foodbank clients, the rising cost of food and fuel combined with static incomes, high unemployment and changes to benefits have forced them into a crisis where they cannot afford to eat.

The latest addition to the growing number of foodbanks opened recently – in Edinburgh North West.

How do foodbanks work? Foodbanks operate through food donated at ‘Supermarket Collections’. Foodbank volunteers engage shoppers at supermarkets and give them a ‘foodbank shopping list’, asking them to buy an extra item with their regular shop, which is then donated to the foodbank. Schools, churches, businesses and individuals also donate non-perishable, in-date food to the foodbank – all food given out by foodbanks is donated.

Once collected, the food is sorted by volunteers who check it’s in date and pack it into boxes ready to be given to people in need. Care professionals – doctors, health visitors, social workers, Citizens Advice Bureau staff, welfare officers, the police and probation officers, amongst others – identify people in crisis and issue them with a foodbank voucher.

Foodbank clients bring their voucher to a foodbank centre where it can be exchanged for three days supply of emergency food. Volunteers meet clients over a cup of tea or free hot meal and are able to signpost people to agencies able to solve the longer-term problem.

Like many organisations in this cash-straitened times, foodbanks rely on the generosity of volunteers. How you can help? Your gifts of time, funds or food could help stop local people going hungry – and there are lots of ways you can help. For further information see the Edinburgh North West Foodbank website at:

http://edinburghnw.foodbank.org.uk

The Edinburgh NW Foodbank is now open.

Crisis food packs with a referral from frontline care agencies and charities only.

For enquiries, please telephone 0131 202 9130

Email: info@edinburghnw.foodbank.org.uk

The PostCode Challenge is back this Sunday!

We’re delighted to announce that we’re running the Innertubemap Postcode Challenge for the third year

on Sunday (28 April) from 11am-4pm.

The Challenge is a treasure hunt on wheels, where participants have to check in at 10 points on the North Edinburgh cycleway, for the chance to win some great prizes and to have lots of fun. We’re now also welcoming walkers (and runners), who can take part by checking in to a reduced number of stops along the route.

We have a couple of spaces for stall holders for the day – it’s a great opportunity to promote your organisation, not only to the participants (approx 500 took part last year) but also to the many people walking and cycling along the routes.

If you’d like to take part, or donate a prize for the Challenge, please get in touch with Ruth Wyatt at ELGT on 0131 445 4025 or email ruth@elgt.org.uk

This event is part of the Innertube project, funded thanks to players of People’s Postcode Lottery and to the People’s Postcode Trust.

Edinburgh & Lothians Greenspace Trust