College ploughs ahead with support for community farm

Edinburgh College - Whitmuir Farm

Edinburgh College has shown its support for a community-owned farm in the Borders by becoming the first College to become a shareholder. As part of Edinburgh College’s commitment to sustainability, the College has invested in Whitmuir Farm’s new share scheme, which allows local people and organisations to get actively involved in the running of a modern day farm in Scotland. 

Whitmuir Farm, one of Scotland’s most innovative organic farms, will use the support from the College and other shareholders to help to establish the farm as a national resource on sustainable food and farming, which will include a “green classroom” for students to learn about local and ethical food.

The farm also hopes to establish discovery trails, exhibitions, educational opportunities and citizen science projects, whilst also looking out for the next generation of farmers to train and nurture.

Harriet Cross, Sustainability Projects Co-ordinator at Edinburgh College, said: “We are delighted to be supporting such a fantastic farming initiative. The College really supports the values of Whitmuir Farm and believe in its vision for local, ethical and sustainable food. We have a strong relationship with Whitmuir Farm through our veggie bag scheme. Each week, a group of our Bridging Course students visit the farm to sort, weigh and bag organic vegetables which they then deliver to staff and student customers at the College. The students not only gain practical work experience at the farm and improve their enterprise and numeracy skills but they also gain an understanding of where their food comes from.”

Harriet added:“We are constantly looking for innovative ways to engage students and staff with sustainability across the College, and we arereally pleased to continue to strengthen our relationship with Whitmuir Farm through the farm share initiative.”

Heather Anderson, member of the Steering Group for the Community Farm said: “We are so delighted to receive this kind of support.  It’s good to know we are selling the farm to people who really care about the land and what we do here.  This ensures we continue to enjoy a real, long term relationship with the College and the young people who go there into the future.”

The farm has also launched a ground breaking bio-char project, which Edinburgh College students will be undertaking as an offshoot project at the Milton Road Community Garden. By carrying out a growing trial, the students will be able to monitor the effects of burnt woody waste on plant life in the garden, which may have a significant bearing on how the organic food is grown.

edioncoll

Say YEA! to Roshni

RoshniLogo

Roshni is running two exciting new projects for the minority ethnic community in Scotland

The Young Ethnic Awards (YEA!) are the perfect celebration of Scotland’s minority ethnic youth and will recognise their achievements in 6 different categories recognising work from volunteering to exceptional sporting and educational achievements, we want to acknowledge the young ethnic minority people who are doing something special. Individuals have the opportunity to nominate ME young people aged 14 and 25 between now and 31 August, with winners announced at the Young Ethnic Awards (YEA!) on 24 October. For more info go to http://www.roshni.org.uk/yea/

Alongside YEA! we are running the Scottish Ethnic Communities 100k fund, which aims to inspire more of the excellent grassroots work in ME communities. The fund offers up to £10,000 for a community based project, allowing people to take their ideas for their community and bring them to life. The application process is simple; and our multi-lingual Community Outreach team ensure that groups can apply in any language. This will allow us to help those often considered hard to reach, who are generally those most in need of help. The shortlisted community groups will then be invited to attend the award ceremony on the 24th October where we will reveal who has been successful in their application and watch their dream become a reality. For more info go to

http://www.roshni.org.uk/the-scottish-ethnic-communities-100k-fund/

Nasim Azad

 

Warm welcome awaits at Community Circle

My name is Gillian and I help to facilitate a Community Circle in North Edinburgh, which meets in North Edinburgh Arts on the second Tuesday of every month from 5.30 – 8pm.

The aim of the circle is to meet, get to know each other and share our resources in an environment which values everyone’s gifts. Basically we eat together (food is provided), we chat and have a forum for sharing our thoughts, gifts and skills (although there is absolutely no pressure to do this if you don’t want to).

We come form all kinds of backgrounds and are a very welcoming group!

I have attached our poster which has a bit more information on it. If you’re interested or would like to find out more, please email circle@edg-sco.org or telephone 476 0522.

Gillian

North Edinburgh Community Circle

 

 

 

Thanks to YOU, NEN’s set for June print run

The NEN will appear in newspaper form again later this month thanks to the generosity of local organisations and individuals who have shown their support by advertising in the forthcoming edition.

NEN would like to thank the following for their commitment to North Edinburgh’s community newspaper:

MALCOLM CHISHOLM MSP

CRAIGROYSTON COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL

FORTH & INVERLEITH LABOUR COUNCILLORS

GRANTON INFORMATION CENTRE

LIFECARE

NORTH EDINBURGH ALCOHOL INITIATIVE COLLABORATIVE

NORTH EDINBURGH ARTS

NORTH EDINBURGH CHILDCARE

NORTH EDINBURGH CREDIT UNION

NORTH EDINBURGH REFORMED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

THE PRENTICE CENTRE

ROYSTON WARDIEBURN COMMUNITY CENTRE

THE SPARTANS COMMUNITY FOOTBALL ACADEMY

THE STAND COMEDY CLUB

STEPPING STONES NORTH EDINBURGH

TOTAL CRAIGROYSTON

WEST PILTON NEIGHBOURHOOD CENTRE

We’d also like to thank the organisations who got back in touch to say that, while they are not in a position to advertise at this time, they will consider doing so in future editions.

So thank you all for your support. 

Without it, NEN just couldn’t continue.

PS:

If your name’s not down, you’re not gettin’ in! Is your name missing from the above list? Should it be there? Do you want it to be there? If so, get in touch at northedinnews@gmail.com  but you’ll have to be quick!

Fire at Craigroyston High School

CCHSfire

Craigroyston High School will open as normal this morning despite a fire at the school last night.

The fire was reported at 9pm last night and 35 firefighters, with six pumping appliances and various special appliances, tackled the blaze.

No casualties were reported but there is some external damage to the building, which first opened in May 2010.

The old Craigroyston High School building was demolished following a major fire in July 2010 (pictured below).

Emergency services personnel are still at the scene and the cause of the fire is being investigated.

cchs2010

ECA’s Degree Show opens today

ECA1Edinburgh University’s Edinburgh College of Art Degree Show opens this morning and runs until 9 June.

Extra-large kitchen utensils, woodland explorations and exorcisms are just some of the things to experience at this year’s early summer ECA Degree Show. The College of Art in Lauriston Place has been transformed into the capital’s biggest gallery space as it celebrates the work of more than 500 graduating artists, film makers, designers and architects.

This year’s graduates have assembled a wonderfully diverse and imaginative  exhibition which covers  the whole arts and design spectrum. Creative, challenging, entertaining and thought-provoking, there’s something here for everyone in an exhibition that’s not to be missed.

For opening times and further information visit www.ed.ac.uk/eca/degreeshow

Four to appear in court following Waterfront drugs raid

Four men have been arrested and charged after police recovered Class A drugs on Edinburgh’s Waterfront yesterday. Officers discovered £2500 worth of crack cocaine when they carried out a search of the Waterfront property yesterday (Thursday).

The men, aged 28,28,25 and 20, are all scheduled to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Monday 3 June.

DI Stuart Harkness said: “Drugs can have a devastating impact on our communities and as a result of police enquiries, we were able to recover this crack cocaine before it could be distributed on our streets. Police Scotland is committed to keeping people safe and removing drugs from our communities.

“Anyone with information relating to drug crime in their area can contact their local policing team or alternatively, make an anonymous report via the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”

Police

Letter:Reality

Dear Editor
From and including the times of Thatcher there has  been a steady campaign to depict the ‘working class’, 90% of the population, as uneducated, fairly lazy  and undeserving. What is behind this campaign – such a sustained attack must have motives?
The 1other 10% of the population, the wealthy class, have always feared a united people striving for and getting major improvements to their lives and gaining control over decision-making; this, they had to stop. This unity had to be broken,
First they had to break any resistance by people’s organisations, launching a
vicious attack on the trade unions, following this  by wholesale closing of industries, from shipbuilding, ports, coal mines, printing, car & aircraft  production, steelworks etc, destroying scores of thousands of people’s  lives.
What better method could there be to break this unity, by pitting one against another in a scramble for a job while at the same time propagating the possibility of  individuals climbing up the ‘social ladder’ and becoming ‘middle class’!!
The 90%, if opportunities are available, have  differing levels of skill, giving differing levels in quality of life, but nevertheless are still of the working class in  which everyone depends on everyone else to maintain their quality of life. The 90%, have the values of decency and thoughtful  caring in wanting society to be organised and run for the benefit of all.
The same cannot be said of the remaining 10%, their  campaign of vilification of the working class goes on; the recent  past and present times are  witnesses of their intentions.
Tony Delahoy (by email)
thatcher

Broughton event to showcase partnerships

Partnership Showcase 2013

Thank you to everyone who has confirmed their attendance at Broughton High School Showcase Event on 5 June 2013 at 2pm.  For those who may have missed their initial invitation there’s still time to confirm your attendance.

The event is a celebration of all the excellent partnership opportunities BroughtonHigh School has had with our diverse partners.  We hope this event will stimulate even more opportunities for our students and staff to work with external partners on a variety of projects.

Refreshments will be provided and there is an opportunity to view a short film showing our students promoting the benefits of working with our external partners.

We look forward to seeing you there.

Best regards,

Partnerships School Improvement Group

Broughton High School

BHS