active communities – The NEN – North Edinburgh News

Walk the talk and get active in 2023 with Ageing Well

Ageing Well, run by Edinburgh Leisure in partnership with NHS Lothian is seeking new participants to join various city-wide activities which support people to become, and remain, active in later life.

Available to join are Buddy Swim sessions, a 19-week cycle skills course and a two-week technical skills Nordic Walking course, which is followed by four weeks of walking around Edinburgh.

Cat Wilson, Active Communities Project Officer at Edinburgh Leisure said: “Ageing Well activities have been developed to cater for a wide range of tastes and abilities. All activities are either led by or supported by fully trained volunteers, who are all older adults themselves.

“The emphasis is on meeting new people whilst making physical activity accessible and enjoyable. For anyone who has made a promise to themselves, or their family, to improve their fitness in the new year, now is the time to walk the talk and to register their interest in any of our Ageing Well programmes.

“I can guarantee it will be a lot of fun, will improve their wellbeing and fitness, and all our activities are sociable, with plenty of opportunities to make new friends.”

Buddy Swimming is aimed at older adults, who perhaps lack confidence, to get back in the water. Participants are met and greeted by Edinburgh Leisure’s volunteers and ensure they have the support they require in the water, followed by that all-important chat and cup of tea afterwards.

Ageing Well’s Buddy Swimming takes place in three Edinburgh Leisure venues across the city, moving to four, when Warrender Swim Centre, reopens in early 2023.

Tuesday – Glenogle Swim Centre – 10.00 – 10.45am
Wednesday – Warrender Swim Centre – 10.00am – 11.00am (date of Warrender reopening is still to be announced)
Thursday – Drumbrae Swim Centre – 10.30am – 11.15am
Thursday – Royal Commonwealth Pool – 12.05pm – 12.45pm

The 19-week Cycle Skills course will start at the beginning of March 2023 and takes place on a Monday at 10am.

The initial level 1 course, based on Cycling Scotland’s Bikeability material is an 11-week course, which will get participants comfortable again on a bike, developing skills, at a pace that suits them, in a dedicated area at Saughton.

Level 2 lasts 8-weeks and gives participants the opportunity to explore Edinburgh’s extensive cycle path network, from the leisure centres at Ainslie Park and Meggetland.

Suitable for anyone who hasn’t been on a bike for ages or for those that don’t currently own one, Edinburgh Leisure can provide bikes, helmets, and hi-viz vests, but people are welcome to bring their own.

Ageing Well’s six-week Nordic Walking course launched in March 2022 and will start again in Spring 2023, day and date to be decided.

Nordic Walking is for everyone. Its origins are Finnish and it provides a total-body version of fitness walking with specially designed poles, not to be confused with trekking poles. It can be enjoyed at many levels, at low, medium, or high intensity. The poles mean that effort is shared between the upper and lower body, so it feels easier than normal walking, particularly uphill. More than 10 million people globally enjoy this outdoor activity all year round.

Participants will meet at Brighton Park in Portobello and would be expected to attend the first two technical sessions to graduate. Each session will last 1-hour, and poles will be provided, if people do not already have their own.

Once group members have graduated from the 2-week introductory course, they will be eligible to join the Nordic Walking 4-week course, visiting various locations. These walks would take between 1.5 – 2 hours.

The Nordic Walking course complements Ageing Well’s already popular regular walks which take place in different locations around the city each week.

Ageing Well relies on external funding and donations to deliver its programmes across Edinburgh. A contribution of £3 per week for each activity is appreciated. This can be paid in one go or each week. People’s generous support means Edinburgh Leisure can provide a range of activities to reach more older adults in need of their support, protecting their health and wellbeing and improving their quality of life.

In 2018 the Ageing Well programme was awarded the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service (QAVS), which is the highest award given to UK volunteer groups and is the equivalent of an MBE. The award reflects the tremendous contribution of Edinburgh Leisure’s Ageing Well volunteers and the positive difference they make to the lives of participants.

To find out more about any Ageing Well activities, visit:

https://www.edinburghleisure.co.uk/activities/active-communities/ageing-well

Don’t delay registering your interest in any of the Ageing Well activities: active@edinburghleisure.co.uk or call 0131 458 2260.

Tackling dementia, depression and loneliness through the power of sport

Sporting Memories Foundation Scotland in partnership with Edinburgh Leisure will be running a weekly club, supporting older adults to stay active, connected within their local community, and build amazing friendships through their common love of sport.

Starting on Tuesday, 16^th August 2022, the weekly, free drop-in sessions will take place every Tuesday, from 10.30am to 12.00 at the Royal Commonwealth Pool. The sessions are the perfect forum to reminisce about local sporting heroes, share stories about past playing days and show off your knowledge over a quiz or fun game. Everyone is welcome and a cuppa will be available too.

Donna Mackey, Partnership Manager, SMFS, “We are really excited to launch our newest Sporting Memories partnership at the Royal Commonwealth Pool, a venue at the real heart of Edinburgh’s sporting heritage.

“We believe there are lots of older adults in the area who have a passion for talking about sport and who will benefit from attending a weekly group with like-minded people. The clubs are a great opportunity to build new friendships and become more active by taking part in some of our indoor games. We can’t wait to get started.”

Sam Scott, Health Development Officer (Dementia) at Edinburgh Leisure said: “These sessions were originally due to start in April 2020 but for obvious reasons, they had to be put on hold.

“However, Edinburgh Leisure’s partnership with Sporting Memories Foundation Scotland makes perfect sense, as does hosting these clubs at the Royal Commonwealth Pool, a building steeped in its own sporting history. These clubs will support the work we are already doing working with people living with dementia through our Movement for Memories programme.

“Using the rich history and heritage of sport, the Sporting Memories clubs are open to older adults who enjoy reminiscing about their experiences of watching or playing it. We just want anyone, with a love of sport, to come along and refreshments are provided.”

The clubs are run by trained by Sporting Memories volunteers who use a wide range of Sporting Memories reminiscence resources developed specifically to help prompt conversation and discussion. There is always great fun and laughter, friendships are forged, and some remarkable sporting stories often emerge.

Sporting Memories has developed an innovative and engaging approach to tackling the challenges of our ageing society. Their work focuses on: reducing loneliness and isolation; getting older people physically active; and helping people to live well with dementia.

Edinburgh Leisure’s Active Communities team launched Movement for Memories in September 2018. This programme supports people living with dementia and their carers to become or remain physically active in Edinburgh.

This work is supported with funding from the Life Changes Trust. The Trust is funded by the Big Lottery.

For further information, contact Donna Mackey donna@thesmf.co.uk

Climbing Arena to reopen on Monday

Following the reopening of six of its leisure venues on Monday (14 September), Edinburgh Leisure will be reopening its Edinburgh International Climbing Arena at Ratho next Monday, 21^st September 2020.

A climbers’ paradise and Europe’s largest indoor climbing arena, booking goes live for climbing members at 9pm on Thursday, 17 September, and to non-members on Friday, 18 September. Members will be able to book climbing sessions eight days in advance, while for non-members, it’s seven days.

Customers wishing to book the gym facilities at EICA: Ratho, will be able to book three days in advance for members, and two days in advance for non-members – which is the same terms as at the other six Edinburgh Leisure venues, which recently opened.

Emma Ogilvie-Hall, Manager at EICA: Ratho said: “We know our climbers have missed the fantastic facilities at Ratho, and we’ve missed them and can’t wait to welcome them back.

“Like our other venues, things will be different but our climbers will still be guaranteed the warm Edinburgh Leisure welcome. Everyone is having to adapt to very different circumstances but the feedback from customers to the reopening of our six other venues has been very positive to the changes that we have put in place, which after all, are here for the health and safety of our staff and customers.”

The main changes that customers will see are:

Only climbing on the walls and bouldering in the main arena will be available, as will the gym. However, the bouldering room will remain closed.
Other services remaining closed for the time being include Clip ‘n Climb: the two cafés and Scrambles soft-play. Edinburgh Leisure will be following Government guidelines when considering the reopening these services.
No coaching will be available but an experienced climber can bring in two guests. These can be signed in and paid for on arrival but payment will be cashless.
Safety signage guidance will be on display throughout the venues.
Additional sanitisation stations have been installed throughout the venue for use before and after each visit.
Customers will need to book all climbing sessions in advance.
- Sessions have been changed to reduce congestion in the building. Customers will be able to book in for either a morning or afternoon session.
- The climbing sessions will run from 10:00 – 15:30 and 16:00 – 21:00 (Monday to Friday), and 9:00 – 12:30 and 13:00 to 17:00 (Saturday and Sunday)
Equipment can be hired online at the time of booking or in person on site but payment will be cashless.
Climbers will need to arrive ‘climb-ready’. Change facilities will not be available for use. There will also be reduced number of customer toilets.

An Edinburgh Leisure spokesperson explained: “We’re delighted to be re-opening EICA: Ratho and have been busy preparing for our customers return.

“As you can imagine, bringing Edinburgh Leisure’s diverse range of venues and services ‘back to life’ in a COVID-19 environment is a big and complex task. Our number one goal is to provide our customers with a clean, safe and enjoyable Edinburgh Leisure experience.”

Edinburgh Leisure, like every leisure trust in Scotland, is facing huge financial challenges. They continue to lobby the Government for financial support for the sector to ensure the sector survives and can continue to contribute to the country’s health and wellbeing.

June Peebles, CEO of Edinburgh Leisure said: “Edinburgh Leisure is committed to ‘building back better’ to a sustainable Edinburgh Leisure and to continue making a positive impact to the citizens of Edinburgh’s health and wellbeing – as we have done for the last 22 years.

“Never before has health and wellbeing been so important. And Edinburgh Leisure remain committed to supporting the people of Edinburgh to be active and enjoy good health.”

Edinburgh Leisure is a charity dedicated to creating opportunities for everyone to lead more active, healthy lives. They do this by running over 30+ sports and leisure facilities across the city and deliver their Active Communities programme, which helps improve the lives of people affected by health conditions, poverty, inequalities and disabilities.

For more information: https://www.edinburghleisure.co.uk/venues/edinburgh-international-climbing-arena

Drylaw Telford CC AGM this Wednesday

Drylaw Telford Community Council’s annual general meeting will take place in Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre on Wednesday 27 May at 6.30pm. All welcome.

See below for meeting papers:

Agenda DTCC AGM + Monthly mtg 27th May 2015

DTCC Minutes AGM May 2014

DTCC Minutes April 2015

DTCC A5 FLYER for New members & AGM

STV to celebrate Scotland’s community heroes

Fet-Lor, Scotland’s oldest youth club, and Leith-based MS Therapy Centre will both feature on the forthcoming series of RBS – Finding Scotland’s Real Heroes, which starts on STV on Friday 15 August.

Presented by Carol Smillie (pictured above) and sponsored by the Royal Bank of Scotland, the STV series celebrates people whose tireless effort, resourcefulness, and kindness has improved local communities across Scotland.

The nominees were selected by a special jury and will feature in a series of programmes to be aired from 15 August with each episode on every Friday evening thereafter. Across the five episodes, ‘star reporters’ will visit each of the nominees to interview them about their work in the community and their thoughts on the nomination for a Real Hero award. The star reporters this year include The X Factor runner-up Nicholas McDonald, actress Clare Grogan, Taggart star Alex Norton and actor Bill Paterson.

The year’s shortlist includes deserving Scots from Wick to West Lothian, and Skye to South Lanarkshire, recognising the amazing work local people are undertaking in their communities across the country. The categories include Carer of the Year, Young Real Hero of the Year, and a new award for Hero Animal of the Year.

At the end of each programme viewers are invited to vote for the nominees they believe most deserve to win a Scotland’s Real Heroes Award, with the overall winners being celebrated at a glittering televised awards ceremony later in the year.

Elizabeth Partyka, deputy director of channels at STV, said: “The time has come to highlight the outstanding work modestly carried out by the finalists of the series RBS – Finding Scotland’s Real Heroes. We look forward to celebrating the enormous achievement of all of the nominees. Each story tells of a remarkable accomplishment and is very moving – all the finalists are considered to be most deserving however it is the STV viewers that decide who will pick up an award.”

Chris Wilson, Royal Bank of Scotland’s Managing Director of Branch and Private Banking in Scotland, said: “Everyone at Royal Bank of Scotland is looking forward to finding out more about this year’s incredible finalists. We think it’s important to celebrate those people who go that extra mile for their community. Each one of the finalists is deserving of recognition and we are all looking forward to seeing who the public choose.”

Fet-Lor, based on Crewe Road South, is Scotland’s oldest youth club and is a finalist in the RBS – Community Project of the Year category, while MS Therapy Centre champion Dean Reilly features among the finalists for the Scotland’s Real Heroes Courage Award.

Good luck to them both – the series first screens on STV on Friday 15 August at 8pm.

Swinney scores with Social Growth Fund at Spartans

John Swinney launches new £16 million fund at Spartans

Cabinet Secretary John Swinney and Social Investment Scotland (SIS) visited The Spartans Community Football Academy on Thursday to formally announce the launch of a new £16m Social Growth Fund.

The Social Growth Fund, run by Social Investment Scotland (SIS), brings together an investment of £8m from the Scottish Government and a further £8m from Big Society Capital, the independent financial institution set up to develop social investment in the UK.

SIS is using the fund to expand existing investment activity within Scotland’s third sector, and to launch a new risk capital product for the Scottish social investment marketplace. This will provide long-term finance from £10,000 to £1m with repayments tailored to each organisation’s needs.

Alastair Davis, chief executive of SIS, said the new fund will enable it to provide considerably more support to social enterprises and community businesses across Scotland.

He said: “This funding support will in turn help these local organisations improve the lives of people within their communities by making them much more self-sufficient and sustainable.”

John Swinney said Spartans, which currently receives SIS support, is a good example of how this kind of funding works to better communities.

The Cabinet Secretary said: “I am delighted that the new Social Growth Fund for Scotland is now open for applications. This is an exciting opportunity for third sector organisations in Scotland, allowing them to continue their vital work within our local communities.

“Today I have seen the great work that has been achieved by the Spartans Community Football Academy in the local area, with police and youth groups noting a huge reduction in call outs and antisocial behaviour. The facilities here at Spartans show what can be done with the type of funding the Social Growth Fund will provide.

“Through schemes such as this, social enterprises will be able to have a greater role going forward, bringing more benefits to the communities they serve.”

In tandem with this new funding, SIS has also launched a Great Social Enterprise Tour – visiting five cities in five days next week – to raise awareness of the Social Growth Fund amongst local social enterprises across Scotland. The events will provide social enterprises with a chance to speak directly to an investment manager about how social investment can support the sustainability of their business.

Monday 12 May – Glasgow: The Lighthouse, 10am till 12pm

Tuesday 13 May – Edinburgh: Out Of The Blue, 10.30am till 12.30pm

Wednesday 14 May – Inverness: The Spectrum Centre, 1 – 3pm

Thursday 15 May – Aberdeen: Transition Extreme, 12.30 – 2.30pm

Friday 16 May – Dundee: The Factory Skatepark – 12.30pm till 2.30pm.

Alastair Davis, Chief Executive of Social Investment Scotland, added: “The Social Growth Fund will enable us to provide considerably more support to social enterprises and community businesses across Scotland. This funding support will in turn help these local organisations improve the lives of people within their communities by making them much more self-sufficient and sustainable.

“However, we also recognise that applying for funding can be a daunting prospect for many organisations, as it frequently represents a change in the way they do business, moving from grant dependency to a mix of income streams. Our Great Social Enterprise Tour is aimed at addressing this uncertainty by providing social enterprises with the answers they need to start moving their organisations on to the next level to create longer lasting social impacts.”

Nick O’Donohoe, Chief Executive of Big Society Capital, added: “Social Investment Scotland is a leading example of how regional social finance managers can play an important role in helping charities and social enterprises to access social investment, through their deep knowledge of the needs and challenges of a local area. They have an exceptional track record of delivering social investment support to organisations in Scotland, and we are pleased to have been able to help them to continue doing this.”

Big Society Capital’s investment in Social Investment Scotland is the first of its kind in Scotland since its formation last year, and will increase Social Investment Scotland’s funds under management by a third. It is the largest investment in SIS for twelve years and the largest ever investment by an external organisation.

Organisations who are looking for investment should call a member of SIS’ investment team on 0131 558 7706 to discuss possible funding or support.

Case Study: Spartans Community Football Academy

The Spartans Community Football Academy is a social enterprise and charity located at Ainslie Park in North Edinburgh which uses sport to deliver social change. Their local community includes some of the most deprived post codes in Scotland. With support from Social Investment Scotland, the Spartans have invested £4.5m in the last 5 years to build first class facilities and services which generate commercial income, the profits from which are re-invested to deliver their charitable objectives.

In the past 15 months, Spartans business has continued to grow, enabling them to increase their social impact. Some recent highlights are:

Delivery of 1000+ hours of youth work based provision in 2013, including the Friday FooTEA club, where young people can enjoy a ‘hot meal’, take part in various activities and develop/grow at their own pace (a model which has been rolled-out & replicated elsewhere across the country)
Delivery of 850+ physical activity and coaching sessions in local schools in 2013, helping them to meet their 2 hours of PE target per week
Creation of 4 x Homework Clubs – using a ‘Game of 2 Halves’ model – in local primary schools, helping local schools to increase academic attainment levels
Over 1200 sign-ups for our community coaching programmes in 2013, catering for recreational -> elite players
Over 100,000 users of our range of Academy facilities in 2013
Runner up in the Scottish Social Enterprise of the Year 2013 awards

Twitter discussion on Neighbourhood Partnerships? It’s Child’s play!

Want to know how your Neighbourhood Partnership is making a difference in your community? Or do you have thoughts and ideas that can help improve the way your local Neighbourhood Partnership works?

Then join today’s lunchtime discussion on Twitter with Councillor Maureen Child (pictured below) and @Edin_NPs from midday to 1pm.

Questions/suggestions can be submitted in advance by email to neighbourhood.partnerships@edinburgh.gov.uk or tweet to @Edin_NPs with #askNPs

New Year, new powers for communities?

Plans for greater local decision making

Have your say by 24 January

Communities across Scotland will enjoy greater decision making powers over the use of public sector land and buildings following the introduction of a new bill to Holyrood this year.

A consultation is currently taking place on The Community Empowerment (Scotland) Bill, which will allow communities to identify and ask for any public sector land or buildings they feel they could make better use of than its current owner.

And decisions over whether such assets should be transferred will be based on which proposed use would provide the greatest community benefit.

A consultation on the bill was launched by Local Government and Planning Minister Derek Mackay in November, and interested parties are being urged to submit their views before the consultation closes on January 24.

In addition to the proposed measures to improve decision making powers for communities, legislation will also be updated and simplified to support local authorities’ provision and management of allotments.

Local authorities will have a duty to provide allotments linked to and triggered by actual demand, and to protect permanent allotment sites from closure.

While current allotment provision is not sufficient to satisfy demand, the local authority will be under a duty to keep waiting lists below a specified target whether by acquiring land or otherwise.

There will be new duties to strengthen Community Planning, so that public sector agencies work as one to deliver better outcomes for communities.

Views will also be invited on how communities might benefit from legislation to improve the national and local focus on improving outcomes, currently implemented through Scotland Performs.

The bill also proposes:

Streamlining and extending the existing community right to buy to cover urban and rural communities as part of our ambition to have 1 million acres in community ownership by 2020
Providing new powers to help councils deal with defective and dangerous buildings, and to provide local relief schemes on business rates
Increasing transparency about the management and use of Common Good assets.

Local Government and Planning Minister Derek Mackay said: “Scotland’s people are its greatest asset, and it is only with the confidence that comes with independence that people will be able to fully determine their own futures.

“The Community Empowerment (Scotland) Bill is about people and communities taking their own decisions about their future, and its introduction will build on the support of the Scottish Government, set out by the First Minister in the Lerwick Declaration, for subsidiarity and local decision making.

“The Bill will help community groups to take over public land and buildings where they think they can make better use of them than their current public sector owners.

“This Bill will also reform the community right to buy, giving urban communities in Scotland the same rights as rural communities, where it is in the public interest.

“Rules on Scotland’s allotments will also be simplified. Allotments foster a community spirit and provide a range of benefits such as a cheap source of fruit and vegetables, and therefore a healthy diet.

“The consultation on the bill comes to an end on January 24th, so there is still time left for interested parties to submit their views on this important piece of legislation.”

The Community Empowerment (Scotland) Bill Consultation document can be found at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Consultations/Current