Listen up … local radio for North Edinburgh?

A Local Radio Station?

Various people have suggested that a local radio station for Muirhouse/West Pilton/Drylaw and the surrounding area might be a positive development. Some of the positive aspects of this proposal might be:

  • Training opportunities for local people in radio and media (with possible links between local high school and Edinburgh College)
  • Opportunities for local bands and individuals to gain experience produce demos and be given air time
  • Opportunities for local projects to get their information across to the local communities
  • Slots throughout the week with different types of themes ie music, younger and older audiences, new migrant communities etc
  • An overall increase in artistic and creative activity in the area

Interestd? An initial meeting has been organised to discuss the possibility of creating a local radio station, and will take place on

Wednesday 12 June at 5pm 

in North Edinburgh Arts Centre

15A Pennywell Court, Edinburgh, EH4 4TZ.

All welcome

Location: http://www.northedinburgharts.co.uk/locate.php

 

Allan Hosey

Community Learning & Development Worker, West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre

Phone 0131-551-3194

Allan.Hosey@ea.edin.sch.uk

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Salmond praises Scotland’s volunteers during Western General visit

WRVSsalmondFirst Minister Alex Salmond worked alongside longstanding Royal Voluntary Service volunteers at the Western General Hospital yesterday. As part of Volunteers’ Week, the First Minister spent an hour meeting volunteers and staff of the Royal Voluntary Service (formerly known as the WRVS), serving tea at the hospital café and chatting to staff, patients and visitors. The First Minister said that the nation’s volunteers are ‘a true credit to Scotland’.

During the visit Mr Salmond met a number of older volunteers including Margaret Collinson, age 83, Eleanor Taylor, age 79, and Agnes McFarlane, age 88, who between them have given more than 100 years of voluntary service.

The First Minister also encouraged people to nominate volunteers for a Diamond Champion award which recognises and highlights the fantastic, selfless volunteering that is being done by older volunteers across the country.

Mr Salmond said:

“Scotland has a rich tradition of volunteering and community involvement is part of the core fabric of Scottish social and community life. Volunteering represents a huge investment of time, energy and commitment by individuals who want to improve the lives of those around them, give something back and help make their communities better places to live.

“The Royal Voluntary Service volunteers who have given so much of their lives in voluntary service have been inspirational to meet. Not only are these individuals doing a wonderful job in serving those who come to their café, they also get so much out of it for themselves.

“A service like this is not just crucial for those who visit hospital, for patients and their families, nurses, doctors and hospital staff but also for the older volunteers as it provides an opportunity to work together, to socialise and to remain active.

“I am overwhelmed by the commitment and dedication of the volunteers here at the Western General and touched by the care and compassion with which they deliver their roles. Volunteers are a true credit to Scotland and I sincerely thank them for all that they do.”

david_mcculloch_ceo[1]David McCullough, Royal Voluntary Service chief executive, (pictured above) said:

“We are delighted to welcome the First Minister to our cafe at the Western General Hospital and introduce him to some of our dedicated volunteers. Volunteers’ Week is a wonderful opportunity to highlight the fantastic work of our army of 7,000 volunteers across Scotland who, without making a fuss or asking for reward, give their time selflessly to others, which is why this week we are launching Diamond Champions our search for volunteers over the age of 60; the hidden gems in our community.

“So if you know an older volunteer who deserves some recognition then please nominate them for this prestigious award. We know that our volunteers make a huge difference to the lives of older people and they themselves also get great satisfaction from the work they do; so it’s win-win!”

Carol Crowther, NHS Lothian’s Assistant Nurse Director Person Centred Care, Quality, Patient Experience & Professional Standards, said:

“The presence of the Royal Voluntary Service volunteers in our hospitals is very welcome and contributes to the overall positive experience for users of our services through the warm and welcoming atmosphere in their cafes and shops and their cheerful attitude toward staff and patients.

“The Royal Voluntary Service outlets on our sites give back proceeds to the hospital from income generated from these outlets.  This means that these volunteers not only give their time but their support enables this financial gifting through which we are able to provide additional patient comforts at the Western General Hospital.

“We are very proud of the contribution all our hospital volunteers make. They bring a range of skills and life experiences and are extremely beneficial in the delivery of all our services.”

About Royal Voluntary Service Formerly known as WRVS, Royal Voluntary Service has been helping people in Britain for 75 years.  Originally set up as the Women’s Voluntary Service in 1938, the charity played a crucial role during the Second World War. Whilst keeping the same values of community service, Royal Voluntary Service has now focused its work on helping older people to remain independent and get more out of life.

Royal Voluntary Service supports over 100,000 older people to stay independent in their own homes for longer with tailor made solutions. Through its army of 40,000 volunteers, the charity runs services such as Good Neighbours (companionship), Meals-on-Wheels and Books-on-Wheels that alleviate loneliness and help older people. Royal Voluntary Service also provides practical support for older people who have been in hospital through its On Ward Befriending and Home from Hospital services. For further information please go to: www.royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk

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Communities to benefit from social housing reforms

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Social tenants and landlords are set to benefit from a number of reforms announced yesterday  by Housing Minister Margaret Burgess. The reforms will  change the way social landlords allocate and manage their housing. They will allow social landlords to address the specific needs of the local community, ensuring best use of available social housing, tackling antisocial behaviour  and providing further protection for tenants.

Speaking at the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations’ Annual Conference, the Housing Minister outlined the measures, which are likely to form part of a forthcoming Housing Bill.

This includes:

  • Replacing prescriptive and outdated priority groups with a broader framework that gives landlords and their communities more local flexibility
  • Allowing landlords to consider any property that a social housing applicant already owns when allocating housing
  • Introducing a qualifying period before succession to a tenancy following the death of a tenant
  • Allowing a minimum period to be put in place before antisocial tenants are eligible for the allocation of social housing
  • Introducing a new right for tenants to appeal a landlord’s decision to suspend them from being allocated a property
  • Allowing landlords to give Short Scottish Secure Tenancies to applicants and tenants with a history of antisocial behaviour
  • Simplifying eviction procedures for tenants convicted of a serious offence

During the SFHA Conference Mrs Burgess also announced that initial or probationary tenancies will not be included in the Housing Bill.

She said:

“The changes I am announcing today will ensure that we deliver first-rate homes and services to tenants, residents and homeless people – the most vulnerable in our society. By giving landlords greater flexibility at a local level they will be able to respond to the needs of their local community.

“In order to provide affordable warm homes for people in Scotland it is vital that we continue to find ways to increase supply and quality across all tenures. Despite Westminster’s cuts to our capital budget, we have taken every opportunity to increase our investment in housing. By the end of April we had allocated £200m additional funding for housing supply, bringing total investment to almost £860m in the three years to March 2015.”

Home to Stay

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HOME TO STAY PUBLIC MEETING

Thursday 13 June

We want private tenants to feel secure in their homes, and not be forced out of their houses without due cause. Currently, tenants can be asked to leave without reason, even if they have been good tenants. This leaves many unable to plan for the future, or generally feel secure in their homes. And many tenants won’t report repairs or bad practices for fear of being kicked out. ‘Home to stay’ is a grass-roots campaign to abolish the insecure ‘short assured tenancies’ in Scotland.
Join us for a public meeting:
Thursday 13th June, 7-9pm
Augustine United Church
George 4th Bridge
Speakers:
Tenants telling their stories about the lack of security in the private rented sector; Shelter Scotland; National Union of Students Scotland;  Edinburgh Private Tenants Action Group.
Read about first hand accounts of how insecurity affects private tenants, and submit your own stories here:
Twitter: @eptag
Edinburgh Private Tenants Action Group

Broughton High School thanks community partners

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Broughton High School staged a showcase event yesterday to thank agencies, organisations and businesses that have supported Broughton pupils over the last year. 

Broughton’s Partnership Group was only established last year but the group has already built a considerable support network among voluntary sector community organisations, public bodies and private sector companies – many of whom were represented at the showcase event alongside Broughton staff and membes of the school’s Parent Council.

These included – and this is far from an exhaustive list – Ernst and Young, Pilton Community Health Project’s counselling service, Community Learning and Development, Active Schools, Police Scotland, Red Cross, Screen Education Edinburgh, Lyceum Theatre Company, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Out of the Blue, Western General Hospital, Science Festival, Standard Life, Scottish Business in the Community, Co-operation Education Trust Scotland, Catherine Wheels Theatre Company … you’ll get the picture!

The event was held to show how pupils benefit from the many business and support partnerships that Broughton are already involved with, and also to highlight how this has positive benefits for both the partners themselves, school pupils and the wider community.

In a short film, pupils told how the support of external partners has had a positive impact on their lives – whether through increasing self-esteem and self-confidence or by offering new and different opportunities and learning new skills.

Broughton’s Head Teacher John Wilson summed up: “We’re now seeing a variety of services centred around the school – far more than used to be the case. School and education is no longer just about the basics, teaching pupils to read and write – there are now so many other elements to be considered.

“Because of that huge diversity, where once we could look at education as a triangle – with the school, the parents and the pupil as the three sides – the triangle has had to develop a fourth side. It’s become a rectangle; partnerships have become that fourth side. As the inspiration film has shown, your support and encouragement has made such a huge difference to these young people. Thank you”.

And thank you, too, to the Health and Food Technology pupils who provided the freshly baked scones, shortbread and cakes for the showcase event!

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City primary schools on their marks for sports event

ActiveMore than 1,000 primary school pupils will compete in one of the biggest ever school sports events in Edinburgh next week. The P6 pupils are taking part in the Games @ THE HUB event at Forrester High School Community Sports Hub next Wednesday (12 June).

Clyde, the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games mascot, will also be making an appearance at the start of the event to welcome all the pupils.

This is the first event of its kind delivered by Active Schools and its purpose is to promote participation in sport in the build-up to Glasgow 2014. Pupils will compete in ten different sports: hockey, football, rugby, basketball, netball, gymnastics, cricket, volleyball, boccia and  tennis.

As well as the pupils taking part over fifty volunteers from the Young Ambassador programme – which is delivered by sportscotland in partnership with the Youth Sport Trust – and school sports leaders from across the city will be lending a hand to ensure everything runs smoothly on the day.

Jodi McGinty, a platinum Young Ambassador and torch bearer at the Olympics, will be presenting the shields to the winning teams. Jodi is also on the Young People’s Sport Panel, which is led by sportscotland in partnership with Young Scot.

One of the events is the Paralympic Sport Boccia which 10 of the teams will be trying out. Boccia is related to bowls and was originally designed to be played by people with cerebral palsy but now includes athletes with other disabilities.

Primary schools will send teams of 10 P6 pupils, both boys and girls, to take part in a competitive session in the morning and then a participative event in the afternoon. These sessions will be run by Children & Families’ Sports Development Officers, National Governing Bodies and local community clubs.

Active Schools hope this will be the start of an annual event. Each year, primary schools across the city will be able to take part in the competitive session of each sport where the winner will be presented with a shield.

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Councillor Cathy Fullerton, Vice Convener for Education (pictured above), said: “Glasgow 2014 presents us with a fantastic opportunity to promote a variety of sports across the Capital and this event is a great way of promoting this. I’m going along on the day to see everyone taking part and am delighted that so many primary school pupils are getting the opportunity to experience Games @ THE HUB.

“The facilities at Forrester/St Augustine’s are second to none and I know everyone will have a great time. Hopefully many of the children will be inspired to take up some of the sports outside of school and I want to thank everyone involved especially all the volunteers.”

Jacqueline Lynn, sportscotland’s Head of School and Community Sport, said: “The Games @ THE HUB event is sure to be an action-packed day of sport and physical activity and it will by wonderful to see so many pupils taking part.

“We are committed at sportscotland to increasing the opportunities for children and young people to participate in school sport, and significant progress is being made through our Active Schools Network and Community Sport Hub initiative. The Active Schools team in Edinburgh has done an excellent job in organising this event and we commend them for their efforts.”

 

Women city councillors unite to walk the Moonwalk

Lesley Hinds Ward 5 Inverleith Ward

This Saturday I will be participating in the MoonWalk. There is a cross party group of women Councillors walking as a team and we have created an online Fundraising Page for The MoonWalk Edinburgh Scotland 2013.

To show your support for this effort and raise funding for breast cancer in Scotland, please donate at

http://www.walkthewalkfundraising.org/strident

This Team Web Page will be active until 29 Oct 13.

Thank you for uniting against breast cancer

With good wishes and good health,

Lesley Hinds

Sing out with The Piltones!

Listen to this!!   ‘take a look‘

This song was written by a group of local women who sing at the PCHP project.  It is performed by them and a group of P7 girls from Granton Primary School.

They have formed a group ‘The Piltones’ that anyone can join.  They meet on a Tuesday morning from 9.30 – 11 to sing their favourite songs and have a chat.  Anyone can jon – get in touch on 0131 551 1671

http://www.pchp.org.uk/the-piltones/

Info:  Ann Confrey

Volunteers’ Week: Saluting the unsung heroes

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Drylaw Telford Community Council chairman Alex Dale was presented with the Thomas Tierney Award for Good Citizenship at Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre last week. Alex was joined by friends and family, members of the Tierney family and community councillors at a short reception to celebrate the event. 

Tam Tierney was a celebrated community activist from Wester Drylaw who was heavily involved in many of the positive things that were happening in the Greater Pilton area in the eighties and nineties. Goodness, we are talking about the last century here …

To mention just a few of Tam’s many community activities, he was a mainstay of Pilton Sporting Club, chaired Craigroyston Community Centre, was an active member of Drylaw Telford Community Council and was also part of the steering group – and then a member of the management committee – of Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre which opened in 1995.

Tam’s death came as a real blow; of course to his family, but also to Drylaw and the wider community. After all, Tam was involved in so much: he had huge experience and a legion of useful contacts he’d built up over the years. No-one’s irreplaceable, but Tam’s passing left a considerable void.

Drylaw Telford Community Council wanted to mark Tam’s contribution to community life in Greater Pilton, not only celebrating his achievements but also to try to encourage others to become active within their community. We came up with the idea of the annual Thomas (note the ‘posh’ use of the Sunday name!) Tierney Award for Good Citizenship.

Every year since 2000, the community council has chosen a new recipient of the Award. They are all very different, and each was nominated for a wide variety of reasons. The one thing they have in common, however – indeed the one thing they must have in common – is that they do something that makes the Drylaw Telford neighbourhood a better place to live. Individuals do that in so many ways – helping out as a volunteer with local projects, doing their neighbours’ shopping, supporting local groups by serving on management committees … there are lots of ways to do things for your community.

Last week, Alex Dale became the latest recipient of the award. Alex’s nomination was well-deserved. He first got involved in community activities shortly after his retirement from the Forestry Commission – and I don’t think he’s put his feet up since!

Alex got involved when he opposed a proposal to build houses on designated green spaces in Drylaw, and it was a natural progression that he went on to get involved in the community council’s fledgling Open Space sub-group in 2006.

In the Open Space sub group the community council worked in partnership with other organisations including the Pilton Partnership and Edinburgh and Lothians Greenspace Trust to map all of Drylaw Telford’s green spaces, then consulted with local residents to find out what we should try to do with these spaces. It was no small task – indeed, it was the biggest initiative the community council had ever undertaken, by far – but it proved worthwhile, with open spaces in both Easter and Wester Drylaw upgraded with the ongoing support of the city council.

Volunteers like Alex helped to make that Open Space initiative a success, and all that legwork clearly didn’t put him off – he joined the community council at the last elections and became Chair last May. He’s also an active and enthusiastic member of North Edinburgh News’ board of directors.

I’ve never known anyone to have a greater appetite for meetings than Alex. I think he lives by the philosophy: ‘a day without meetings is like a day without sunshine!’ But the key to successful participation at meetings is to understand what is being discussed, make a contribution and then report back in a way that your colleagues can understand – and Alex is excellent at this. Whether it’s Neighbourhood Partnerships, NEP group or Transport Forum, Alex will attend, comprehend and then explain what transpired there. Our community council is now possibly the best informed in Edinburgh!

Diligent, reliable and conscientious may not be exciting adjectives, but activists who possess these qualities are worth their weight in gold; every community needs one and Drylaw Telford is very lucky to have one in Alex.

Dedicated activists are thin on the ground – North Edinburgh has lost two leading lights this year in Billy Anderson and, more recently, Brian Robertson – and it makes you appreciate all the more those unsung heroes who quietly go about their business to make their neighbourhood a better place to live – not for personal gain or reward, but because they care for and about their communities. Commitment like that is needed just as much now as it ever was.

All types of people do still give up their time, joining together to campaign for improvements – often uniting over threats or unwelcome intrusions into their communities, but sometimes coming together to campaign for positive things too: like the upgrading of green spaces or a new Neighbourhood Centre in Drylaw – or the reopening of a community asset like Leith Waterworld. In Drylaw, we can identify with and feel the pain of the Splashback campaigners – we’ve tasted that bitter taste of defeat on occasion too. Community activism can sometimes feel like one step forward, two steps back – but it does mean that, when you do win a small victory, it tastes even sweeter. You remember the ones you win because they don’t come around too often.

So many thanks and congratulations to Alex, indeed to volunteers everywhere – and with community council elections looming let’s hope a few like him can be encouraged to step forward: your community needs you!

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