Muirhouse is … well, what?
See the poster below and find out how you can win cinema tickets!
Learn about collective switching to cut your energy bills
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Are you paying too much for gas and electricity? Like to find out what you can do to change that? Then read on …
Scots Together offers householders and their communities the chance to save hundreds of pounds on energy bills as part of a collective buying initiative. Scots Together is currently the only Scottish pilot to be funded by the Department of Energy and Climate Change.
Representatives from the Scots Together initative will be at Community Renewal’s office in Pennywell Court (i.e. the shops!) tomorrow (Tuesday) from 2 – 5pm to talk about collective switching.
Organisers explained: ‘Collective switching involves getting people together to sign up to reviewing their electricity and gas tariffs, making sure they are on the best deal that they can get. Many people continue paying expensive tariffs simply because they don’t realise they can switch their supplier for gas and electricity. Reviewing your energy tariffs should be something you do as simply and regularly as reviewing your home or car insurance.
There will be options provided to each customer including, the price obtained through the collective switch auction, a comparison of the whole market and a greener tariff.
There will be no obligation to switch suppliers and we’ll let you know if you are already on the best tariff for you’.
Interested? Call in at Community Renewal tomorrow afternoon or you can get more info online – check out www.ScotsTogether.com
Rotary Club tees off support for new Fresh Start service
Previously homeless households in Edinburgh will be able to access a new food pack service later this year thanks to the generosity of the Rotary Club of Edinburgh. A donation of £28,840 will enable Edinburgh’s re-homelessness charity Fresh Start to produce the packs for the next three years, helping an estimated 2,500 households as they move into a new tenancy after a period of homelessness.
The money was raised at a special Golf Day at Muirfield, organised as part of the Rotarian’s centenary year celebrations.
The contents of the food packs are still to be finalised, but will contain store cupboard essentials to make sure people can make a basic meal when they first move into their new home.
The new packs will be given out to homeless households referred to the Fresh Start project and will be part of its wider Starter Pack service, which already sees it providing recently resettled families and individuals with much needed items, like bedding, small electrical items and kitchen items.
Edinburgh’s Lord Provost, Rt Hon Cllr Donald Wilson, called in at Fresh Start’s Pilton offices recently to inspect the packs and hear more about the new service. He also presented Fresh Start’s Managing Director Keith Robertson with the money raised from the Golf Day, enabling the charity to start work on getting the new service up and running.
The Lord Provost said: “Rotary International is admired the world over for its selfless support of individuals, families and communities and the Rotary Club of Edinburgh has been at the forefront of this for the past 100 years. Fresh Start is the latest in a very long line of wonderful and worthwhile causes they have chosen to help and my congratulations go to those who have put in so much time and effort towards raising this fantastic sum of money. I have no doubt that it will be put to good use, allowing the charity to continue their valuable work in helping people who have been homeless to get established in their new home.”
President of the Rotary Club of Edinburgh Bob Hislop added: “The amount raised is a significant sum in these challenging economic times and is not only a considerable achievement but a worthy legacy for the Rotary Club of Edinburgh’s Centenary Year. Edinburgh is a beautiful city but behind it hides poverty and it was for this reason we decided to choose Fresh Start as our Centenary Charity. We are delighted the Golf Day was such a success and that we are able to tee off a service that will help many families put a hot meal on the table.”
Fresh Start exists to help people make a home for themselves. Managing Director Keith Robertson said: “We are delighted to be chosen as the Rotary Club of Edinburgh’s Centenary charity and even more so that the money has allowed us to put in place plans for a new service. Very often people move into not a new home but an empty shell. We already provide a range of Starter Packs to help people have essential goods like bedding and crockery when they first move into a new house. Our new Food Pack service will help them to have a hot meal too – for some it might be the only thing they have to eat.”
The new service will operate from new premises and will be part of a larger food venture – details of which will be revealed soon.
Countdown to Yummy Food Festival
Just six days now until the big event …
Please find attached the flyer for this year’s food festival. Organised by a group of local women from West Pilton and Muirhouse this food festival aims to inspire and encourage healthy eating. The afternoon will be full of food demonstration and workshops by local people and organisation as well as food-related arts workshops, face painting, singing from North Edinburgh Sings Together, balloons, baking competition, and our local celebrity chef Neil Forbes (pictred below) , Mrs Mash the foodie story teller, The Edible Garden, Kitchen Canny, the Seed Truck, goody bags, tastes of the food, recipe cards and a whole lot more!
So if you can, share this with your local networks, groups and organisations. Hope to see you on the day!
Best Wishes From
The Yummy Food Festival Steering Group 2013
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Additional recycling sites in Pilton and Muirhouse
The following additional recycling facilities have been sited in West Pilton and Muirhouse:
West Pilton Crossway top of street on pavement at the dead end ( between 1 and 2) – 2 x packaging, 1 x paper, 1 x glass
West Pilton Gardens outside number 26 on pavement – 1 x packaging, 1 x paper, 1 x glass
West Pilton Drive outside number 35 at bollards- 2 x packaging , 1 x paper
Ferry Road Gardens at the seating area, 1 x packaging bank, 1 x paper bank
Ferry Road Drive outside number 36 – 2 x packaging, 1 x paper
West Pilton Green on carpark outside number 35 – 2 x packaging, 1 x paper
West Pilton Steet outside number 9 on pavement- 2 x packaging, 1 x paper
Muirhouse Park Left hand side of number 31 ( on road) – 2 x packaging, 1 x paper
Muirhouse Drive outside park entrance – 2 x packaging, 1 x paper
Pennywell gardens outside number 49 on pavement- 1 x paper, 1 x packaging
Muirhouse Drive on pavement across from number 11 – 2 x packaging, 1 x paper
Muirhouse Park across from number 49 at at park entrance at side of litter bin – 2x packaging, 1 x paper
Where’s Wally? He’s in Craigroyston’s library!
Yes, Wally – along with Harry Potter, Spiderman, Buzz Lightyear and a host of other storybook characters – was at the opening of Craigroyston Primary School’s beautifully revamped library yesterday.
The school marked World Book Day in style. Children – and teachers! – dressed as their favourite storybook characters and there were two DEAR (drop everything and read) moments too.
Highlight of the day, however, was the official opening of the bright new library. P5 teacher Sheila Borys was ‘wizard in chief’ as designer of the library, and she’s pictured with representatives from every Craigroyston class in their colourful costumes.
Climate no challenge to Leith initiative
An initiative to transform the former Dr Bell’s School into a community arts centre has been given the green light and awarded over a quarter of a million pounds Climate Challenge funding. Himalayan Centre Edinburgh will receive £255, 837 to support a community initiative to establish a low-carbon, sustainable centre for arts and culture in the disused B-listed building in Great Junction Street which closed as a swimming pool in June 2009.
Energy efficient measures will be installed as the building is renovated, while the second year of the project will see a Community Engagement Officer and five Climate Champions focusing on a community climate initiative, which will work with local people to reduce their daily carbon footprint.
The Leith initiative and a project to grow and sell produce in Ormiston are the first ever revenue-generating Climate Challenge Fund (CCF) projects.
The Ormiston Grows Green project has been awarded a £281,290 grant to help residents grow and sell their own vegetables, raise awareness of food waste and cut their carbon footprint.
By generating an income from their activity, it is hoped both projects will not only become self-sustaining – the Leith initiative includes plans for a café/restaurant – but can also reinvest in further low-carbon action.
Climate Change Minister Paul Wheelhouse announced the latest round of CCF awards during the Scottish launch of Climate Week on Monday. In total 13 projects from the Scottish Borders, South Lanarkshire, Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Highland, Perth & Kinross, Stirling and Fife will share £2.1 million funding.
Mr Wheelhouse said: “Climate change remains one of the most serious threats we face as a global community and we must all take action if we are to play our part in tackling the problem. Climate Week is the ideal platform to showcase the positive and practical efforts being made across Scotland to reduce emissions – and that’s exactly what our Climate Challenge Fund is doing.
“Today’s announcement marks new milestones for the CCF. For the first time we have projects that have the potential to become self-sustaining thanks to being able to generate an income from their activities. And we also welcome the 400th community to the CCF family which is a strong signal of the level of support and commitment from our local communities.
“We know that the Climate Challenge Fund has captured the imagination of people across Scotland. By widening the scope of the fund, we have empowered and inspired even more communities to develop exciting projects that cut their carbon footprint and embed significant changes into community life. This will bring wider social and economic benefits to improve the quality of lives in their communities.
“No single individual, group or even nation can solve the problem of climate change. But, by working together and with everyone playing their part, we can make a real and lasting difference to ensure a low-carbon, more sustainable Scotland becomes a reality. With over 436 events taking place across Scotland for Climate Week, there will be lots of opportunities for people to come together and share ideas on the best ways to tackle climate change, and I’d encourage everyone to get involved if they can.”
Volunteer Training begins at Fast Forward!
Top cameraman visits Broughton High School
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Top TV cameraman Doug Allan visited Broughton High School last week. Doug has worked on some of the most enthralling documentaries of recent years including David Attenborough’s award-winning Blue Planet, Life and Frozen Planet, and he gave a fascinating presentation about working in some of the world’s wildest places.
The visit was arranged by the school’s deputy head girl Maddy Bourne, who said: “It is really great to get Doug, as lots of people at the school are interested in the media. Doug is so big in that scene. The pupils are excited to see him.”
Headteacher John Wilson added, “Doug is so renowned as a documentary photographer and cameraman. I am delighted, as the inspiration for Doug coming here did not come from me or other teachers, but a senior student at the school.”
Gemma’s the little star of 121212!
Seven year old Gemma Pearson’s photograph of her family Christmas tree is the winner of Muirhouse Centipede Project’s 121212 photography competition.
Muirhouse folk were encouraged to take lots of pictures on 12.12.12 on the themes of love, peace, joy and hope and submit them for exhibition. There was a good response and the wide variety of excellent entries is now on display in North Edinburgh Arts.
Judges loved Gemma’s picture, submitted under the theme of ‘Joy’; the photo captured their hearts. Gemma’s caption reads: ‘I took a photo of my mummy’s Christmas tree it is very beautiful. My mum took hours to put everything on the tree it has 360 white lights. Everyone loves my mummy’s tree but I love it the most. My Auntie Nicola says it looks like a tree out of the Christmas movies. This makes me very happy and excited for Santa coming’.
Winner of the adult competition was some bloke who may have overindulged in mulled wine before submitting his entry, a fantastic ramble about Santa and a helper donkey visiting Muirhouse. Too much Christmas spirit!?
See for yourselves – the 121212 exhibition moves to Muirhouse Millennium Centre today before moving on to Muirhouse Library from 11 – 17 March.
