Tag: city council

Council support for young people at home

Advice and support for young people and their families in Edinburgh who may be struggling at home during the pandemic is available from thr city council’s team of educational psychologists.

We understand that this is a worrying time for everyone and that with the current school closures, children and young people may feel particularly unsettled.

Although we’ve all had a few weeks to make some adjustments and try to cope with the changes in our lives there will be young people and families who are struggling.

Our team from Psychological Services are offering advice and support to:

  • parents and carers
  • school staff and other professionals who would like support or advice in supporting the learning and wellbeing of our children and young people
  • older children and young people who would like advice on how they manage their home learning and wellbeing

They have produced a guide which provides key messages and recommended resources which you might find helpful.

Some of the key ways to help you cope with the situation include: talk to each other, create routines, keep learning, keep active and plan regular movement time, stay connected virtually with friends and families and take care of yourself the best you can.

The advice from Psychological Services is part of a package of support measures for families in lockdown that we have published on our website. Other online resources focus on parents/carers, early learning and childcare, school age children, digital learning and our own set of handy activities for families to do at home.

In addition the Council – along with third sector partners, wider community and voluntary sector – has been supporting vulnerable families across the city with deliveries of emergency food parcels, overnight respite care for children with special needs, specialist day services and opening two special school hubs for key worker children.

Council Leader Adam McVey said: “These are very unusual and uncertain times for everyone especially for our young people whose regular daily routines that they are so familiar with have changed dramatically.

“There might be times when they are feeling safe and happy, or other times when they feel overwhelmed, anxious or low. For many of us feelings can change from day to day, hour to hour, or minute to minute. So it’s important we do all we can to support young people and their families when they are staying safe at home so they can cope with this unprecedented situation.

Depute Leader Cammy Day said: “There’s lots of information out there just now so it can all feel a bit overwhelming knowing what’s the best advice for you to follow. The most important thing is to look after yourself, and those around you, and support each other through these uncertain times.

“Whether you’re a young person, or an adult providing support, our team of educational psychologists are happy to speak to you if you want support or advice – please don’t hesitate to contact them if you need help.”

There are a range of ways you can contact our Psychological Services team:

  • Call 0131 469 2800 (Monday to Friday 9am-5pm) and leave a message with your name, number and child’s school and one of our educational psychologists will call you back as soon as they can
  • Email us at psychologicalservices@ea.edin.sch.uk and include your name and child’s school. One of the team will email you back as soon as they can
  • Follow us on Twitter @CEC_EPS where we are sharing advice and resources that you may find helpful
  • Visit our website where you can access guides to help young people and parents/carers cope with home learning and being at home

Silverknowes Road closed as council introduces emergency measures

The City of Edinburgh Council is set to introduce emergency measures to help pedestrians and cyclists to travel safely while observing physical distancing guidance.

The council has been working closely with Transport Scotland and Sustrans to develop an approach to re-designating road space. This will benefit from support from a £10m fund to help local authorities introduce temporary active travel solutions, announced by the Cabinet Secretary Michael Matheson on Tuesday.

Over the coming weeks Edinburgh will be implementing several changes to help prioritise walking and cycling. Immediate actions will tackle areas highlighted as pinch points for pedestrians and cyclists and will include some road lane closures and the implementation of temporary cycle lanes.

There has been significant, understandable public demand for action to help facilitate safe daily exercise and the movement of essential workers.

In the medium term, as lockdown measures continue and are eventually eased, the council will develop a citywide approach to more significant changes, such as expanded cycle lanes and the creation of bus gates.

Longer term, it is proposed that progress on more permanent schemes under the Active Travel Programme is brought forward.

Council Leader Adam McVey said: The way we move around the city has changed significantly over recent weeks and it’s clear that we need to respond to this.

“We’ve been working closely with the Scottish Government to develop measures to help pedestrians and cyclists travel safely while remaining socially distant, so we’re delighted that Transport Scotland has confirmed funding to support local authorities to meet this challenge.

“Our commitment to encouraging and facilitating safer, more convenient walking and cycling in Edinburgh remains as strong as ever. We want to ensure that our city can support essential journeys and let local people access their local open spaces by creating safe, accessible routes to do so.”

Depute Leader Cammy Day said: “As we plan for the city’s recovery, we must consider ways in which we can help people make daily journeys while limiting the potential impact of coronavirus, and maintaining physical distancing is essential to this.

“We’re going to be making changes around the city over the coming weeks to achieve this, as well as progressing plans to further improve infrastructure as we emerge from the crisis.”

Immediate measures will include the closure of the following roads:

  • Silverknowes Road (implemented by today – Thursday, 30 April)
  • Braid Road (implemented by Sunday, 3 May)
  • Links Gardens (implemented by Sunday, 3 May)

These locations have been identified in close dialogue with relevant Council services and Police Scotland who have expressed concerns in each area.

Further emergency measures are being investigated for implementation in the weeks beginning 4 May and 11 May and these will be communicated as soon as possible.

The council will continue to address other ‘pinch points’ and local issues, making use of Temporary Traffic Regulation Orders where necessary, which allow urgent amendments to be made to road layouts to help create more space for people on foot or bike.

The next steps will see a report brought to the Policy and Sustainability Committee in May outlining a citywide plan for more significant changes to the road network to create additional space for walking and cycling.

Alongside this, council officers will be investigating early delivery of some of our more ambitious active travel projects which will help people to make essential journeys safely and quickly as we move towards a new normal.

Further information on the Council’s response to the coronavirus outbreak is available online.

Brown bin collections back next month

Garden waste (brown bin) collections will resume in Edinburgh from week commencing 11 May.

The service was suspended in April as part of the city’s response to the coronavirus crisis, allowing us to divert resources to other, essential waste collections and helping crews observe social distancing measures.

The return of team members from absence, as well as the bedding in of new collection arrangements, means we will be able to reintroduce garden waste collections.

Anyone with a garden waste permit will be compensated for the break in service with an extension to their permit to cover this time. We will contact customers in due course with further information.

Council Leader Adam McVey said: “We’ve made every effort to continue to run core services, including waste collections, and I’m grateful to residents for their understanding of why we’ve had to make some temporary changes under these extraordinary circumstances.

“Its thanks to the enormous hard work of the Council’s waste team that we’re beginning to see those services returning to normal.

“I know many residents will be keen to get out and tend to their gardens and I’d like to thank them for their patience while brown bin collections were temporarily suspended to help us respond to the coronavirus outbreak.

“We will be extending the time period that the current payments cover to make sure residents get the number of collections they paid for and we’ll be writing to households with further details later in the year.

Depute Leader Cammy Day said: “Recent changes have helped to protect the safety of workers and I’m pleased to see that the service has adjusted to these. The crews who pick up our bins play a crucial role, and it’s thanks to their hard work that we can reintroduce brown bin collections.

“I hope residents help us to keep protecting crews’ safety by storing any excess garden waste for their next collection, as otherwise bins may become too heavy to lift.”

Residents should check their collection calendars to find out when their brown bins will next be picked up.

We’re encouraging people to store any excess garden waste that won’t fit in the bin until their next collection dates – overflowing bins, heavy bins or waste placed at the side of bins won’t be collected.

We are writing to and emailing all those who have signed up for the garden waste service with details of its reintroduction, as well as plans for compensation for the collections that have been missed.

From today, (Tuesday, 28 April), the council has also reintroduced kerbside glass recycling collections, which were suspended in March.

During the first weeks, residents are asked to put out only one blue box and to store any excess glass for the next collection, as boxes may become too heavy to lift, posing a health risk to crews.

Special uplifts are currently suspended while Household Waste and Recycling Centres remain closed but efforts are being made to reintroduce these services as soon as it is safe to do so.

Anyone with symptoms of coronavirus is encouraged to follow the guidance on how to dispose of waste correctly to help protect the safety of bin collection crews.

Further information on changes to bin collections and other services can be found on the Council website.

Planning adapts to aid Edinburgh’s recovery

The city council has been establishing new ways of working and adapting the Planning Service as the coronavirus pandemic continues.

This includes making sure that citizens can still comment on planning applications and making and issuing decisions which will both help with a swift recovery and a positive future for the city.
The Development Management Sub Committee will start to meet again virtually to consider significant planning applications with the same membership and regularity, and the first Committee to convene since lockdown began, is planned for 20 May.
Work on planning applications has been continuing with all of the council’s planning team working from home and over 360 applications have been decided since lockdown began. Building Warrant applications are also being progressed and over 320 building warrants have been granted during the same period.

Cllr Neil Gardiner, Planning Convener, said: “I would like to reassure citizens and the business community that our planning and building standards service is rising to the challenges that physical distancing due to the ongoing pandemic presents.

“Since lockdown started the council has continued to progress hundreds of planning and building warrant applications. I’m also delighted that we have the green light to reconvene the Development Management Sub Committee electronically next month as elected member oversight is an important part of the planning process.

“I’m reassured that the public can still comment on applications and that we will issue decisions on applications to everyone as soon as we possibly can. It’s important that when we come out of lockdown the construction industry is not held up and can hit the ground running with the right planning and building warrant approvals in place.

“There’s also still almost a week left to comment on ‘Choices for City Plan 2030’, as the council extended the period of acceptance for comments to 30 April. The actual plan when developed will shape future development in the city and so if you haven’t already done so I would encourage you to comment on it.”

In response to the pandemic and following government guidance and legislation the council has introduced new ways for people to stay informed and comment on planning proposals despite the lockdown.

These include:

  • Starting our publication of applications that we have received since the lockdown commenced in March. Site notices will be published online, and adverts will be published in the press.
  • Issuing neighbour notification letters by post, with the planning portal open for comments to be made on applications.
  • The weekly list will publicise all applications received, decisions made, and site notices published.
  • Due to the closure of our offices we are still unable to receive any paper letters of representation or paper applications.  Online representations and applications are being accepted/validated and, where appropriate, delegated decisions are being issued.

The Citizen Network: A Revitalised City is Possible

There is no better time for the citizens of Edinburgh to pitch in and contribute to a Manifesto for the City Creating Our Manifesto for the City ⋆ The Citizen Network

Calls for no return to unequal and unjust normalcy following Covid-19 have come from many quarters, some of them quite unexpected, and there’s no doubt that many of the persistent problems of city life will be reassessed by those who govern us, whether that be Westminster, Holyrood or Edinburgh City Chambers.

But let’s not fool ourselves, what’s promised by politicians now may never transpire. Real change will not happen without direct action by citizens; for Edinburgh, Citizen’s Manifesto is the first step.

 

The need for citizens to hold politicians to account is already evident from reports of ‘stakeholder’ discussions pertaining to post-pandemic Edinburgh.

Consider first what Council leader Adam McVey had to say about the city’s Summer festivals: “By working together we can make sure that when our festivals return, they do so with even more of a focus on our people, place and environment.” So far so good but one is tempted to question the ‘even more’ – there has been scant attention to people place and environment in festival planning in recent years.

[“Edinburgh festivals face calls for overhaul before they return in 2021”]

In the same Scotsman article note that the city’s residents are absent when our cherished heritage is flagged up as needing not just preservation but enhancement by the festivals. Clearly, this pipe-dream does not extend to those who live in this ‘remarkable backdrop’.

But it’s the reaction of Essential Edinburgh that confirms that not all stakeholders are thinking about anything other than business as usual post Covid-19.

Roddy Smith, the Chief Executive, says “We need to reactivate the city, promote it strongly and widely and seek over the next couple of years to return to our numbers pre the virus.”

The same message can be deduced from the report from the meeting last week of the new tourism ‘oversight group’ for Edinburgh.

The group includes Edinburgh Tourism Action Group (ETAG), Edinburgh Airport, Festivals Edinburgh, Visit Scotland, Essential Edinburgh and the Chamber of Commerce – again not one resident has a seat at the table. Adam McVey reported that the group had reaffirmed the aims of Edinburgh’s new Tourism Strategy which was agreed pre-pandemic.

How can this be? Have we learned nothing these last few weeks?

So, the coronavirus will not miraculously change our world for the better. The citizens will have to insist on it, and the Manifesto for the City is an excellent starting place.

Let’s face it, change is difficult – most of us are stuck with at least one foot in the past and are in some way resigned to the way things are. To paraphrase a French philosopher, we are all ‘half accomplices’, demanding radical change while at the same time clinging to what we have become accustomed to.

But the city will change whether we like it or not, and citizens need to rise to the challenge and drive that change – now is the time to articulate our values and our aspirations; now is the time to really get beyond ourselves.

SEAN BRADLEY

Image credit: Astrid Jaekel

Kerbside glass recycling collections resume next week

Kerbside glass recycling collections will resume next week after being suspended under changes to help the city respond to the coronavirus outbreak.

We’ll begin collecting blue boxes for glass recycling from Tuesday, 28 April, returning to usual fortnightly collection schedules.

The service was stopped in March to help prioritise resources for other essential bin collections while enabling waste collection crews to observe social distancing guidelines.

Following the return of several team members from absence, as well as the bedding in of new collection arrangements, we will be able to reintroduce kerbside glass recycling collections.

Council Leader Adam McVey said: “We’ve been working extremely hard to deliver essential services with as little disruption as possible during this challenging time, so I’m pleased that we’ll be able to reintroduce these collections after a short break.

“It’s with thanks to the hard work and dedication of crews that we can do this, as well as continuing normal collections for most bins, so I’d like to recognise their efforts over recent weeks. This contribution has been crucial to keeping the city moving and helping residents to adjust to this unprecedented situation.

Depute Leader Cammy Day said: “This is a particularly unsettling time and I’d like to thank residents for their patience during the changes we’ve had to make.

“It’s been heartening to see so many people looking out for one another and I hope they’ll be able to continue checking on neighbours and family and offering to put bins out for anyone who is unable or might be self-isolating.

“We’d also urge residents to only put out one box at a time, with boxes only filled to the top, and store any excess glass for their next collection, to help us protect the health of our crews by reducing the need to lift heavy boxes.”

In March the number of operatives in refuse lorry cabs was reduced in order to give crew members the space to stay two metres apart, meaning we needed increased resources to carry out the collection of kerbside and communal general waste, food recycling and dry mixed recycling.

While the glass recycling service will recommence on Tuesday, 28 April residents should check collection calendars for their next blue box collection date. We’re encouraging people to put out only one blue box and to store any excess glass for the next collection, as boxes may become too heavy to lift, posing a health risk to crews.

Garden waste collections and special uplifts are currently suspended while Household Waste and Recycling Centres remain closed though we’re working hard to reintroduce these services as soon as it is safe to do so.

Anyone with symptoms of coronavirus is encouraged to follow the guidance on how to dispose of waste correctly to help protect the safety of bin collection crews.

Additional measures taken to safeguard waste and cleansing workers’ health have included the increased provision of hand sanitiser supplies, in addition to hot water handwashing points in a number of vehicles, the washing down of lorries at the end of shifts and efforts to encourage social distancing in depots.

Further information on changes to bin collections and other services can be found on the Council website.

Latest Info from North Edinburgh’s COVID-19 FoodShare Group

North Edinburgh’s COVID-19 Foodshare Group has updated their information factsheet to include more useful teleohone numbers.

The network of community groups expects hear to about funding to help meet demand in the local area later today.  The fund is being administered locally by the city council and EVOC.

Final, Final! North Edinburgh Food Network Info UPDATED 17 APRIL 2020

Road to Recovery? Council Leader chairs tourism roundtable

Experts from across Edinburgh’s tourism and hospitality industries have been brought together by the Council to discuss the impact of the coronavirus on the city’s visitor economy.

In what is the first in a series of meetings with key sectors, members of ETAG, Edinburgh Airport, Festivals Edinburgh, Visit Scotland, Essential Edinburgh and the Chamber of Commerce joined a virtual roundtable this week (Thursday 16 April) chaired by Council Leader Adam McVey to kickstart work on a city recovery plan.

During the tourism oversight group’s first meeting, the sector:

  • Reaffirmed its commitment to the aims of Edinburgh’s new Tourism Strategy – a 10 year plan which focuses on managing tourism and balancing the needs of local residents, businesses and visitors.
  • Discussed initial ideas for economic recovery in the sector, including options for recovering local footfall and business tourism once lockdown measures have been eased.
  • Agreed to carry out urgent work in a number of priority areas, which will be reviewed when the group meets again in three weeks’ time.

Council Leader, Adam McVey, said: “There is a real willingness from all sides and sectors to use our city’s strengths as a platform for working together over the coming months so that we can recover from this global emergency.

“It is so important to the future of our Capital that we remain committed to sustainable and responsible tourism when businesses open again and keep our focus on the priorities we agreed last November – to put our people, place and environment at the heart of our plans.

“We entered this outbreak with Edinburgh’s key sectors and local businesses in good health. I believe this will stand us in good stead as our City and economy recovers. Our contribution to the world, whether it’s the arts or academia, has been enormous and we know it’s left a strong impression on so many people’s experience of our Capital.

“The road to recovery may be long, but tourism is an important engine for Edinburgh’s economy. We’ll need to work together to share the benefits of tourism across Edinburgh, and our new tourism strategy is central to achieving this.”

Donald Emslie, Chair of the Edinburgh Tourism Action Group (ETAG), said: “This week’s meeting was extremely welcome, as it demonstrated the Council’s recognition of the huge challenges that the tourism sector is facing and the need for a positive and proactive response.

“ETAG will be playing a leading role in this and engaging with the tourism industry and key stakeholders to ensure that we work together as “Team Edinburgh” to support the development and delivery of the recovery plan.”

Depute Leader Cammy Day added: “Tourism has been an important topic of conversation in our city for a long time and residents’ feedback over the last 12 months helped us to shape Edinburgh’s new Tourism Strategy.

“This feedback and the ambitions of this 10 year plan need to remain central to our efforts and those of everyone in the sector, as we seek to help Edinburgh recover economically.

“We’ve always been proud to be a small city which made it big on the world stage – a place which is recognised as an enviable city to live in and visit. When these difficult times are behind us, we look forward to being able to come together once again to sample all that makes Edinburgh the inspiring place it is.

“Managing this will involve a range of measures to support the sector and workers, and we’re committed to working together to put a strong recovery plan in place.”

The group’s findings will inform a citywide recovery plan, which will involve senior Councillors and Council officers seeking feedback from industry leaders across various sectors.

Earlier this month, the Convener of Housing, Homelessness and Economy Chaired a meeting of Edinburgh’s Economic Advisory Panel featuring business leaders and major employers, to gather views on the impacts to Edinburgh business of coronavirus.

Such work will continue as we coordinate findings and next steps for Edinburgh’s recovery strategy.

 

Old Waverley Hotel becomes a haven for city’s homeless

The city council has partnered with the national homelessness charity, Bethany Christian Trust, in providing further hotel accommodation and specialised support for people who would otherwise be sleeping rough.

Working together on a range of services, this latest initiative ensures single occupancy en-suite bedroom accommodation as an alternative venue for Bethany’s Care Shelter and provides additional temporary accommodation for the local authority.

Bethany is relocating its Care Shelter team of 14 professional support staff to the Old Waverley Hotel on the capital’s iconic Princes Street and our Council staff are working flexibly at short-notice to join the team during daytime hours to provide advice, support and positive move on options for guests in this new environment.

The project is dependent on the tremendous good will of hundreds of volunteers who also provide the fresh ingredients for the two course hot meals prepared in advance to serve at the hotel with current safe distancing measures. Providing a safe place to sleep, three meals a day and a range of support from experienced staff and multiple partner agencies including health, housing and advocacy support, the service will be a lifeline for many over the next three months.

Alasdair Bennett, Chief Executive of Bethany Christian Trust, said: “The Care Shelter has provided 10,000 bed spaces to 730 unique individuals over the last 200 nights, and we are relieved to now also be able to offer self-contained en-suite accommodation to men and women who have already suffered so much without having to be on the streets any longer.
“I am very grateful to the support of an anonymous trust who are providing the resources to extend the staffing into the Summer, the Council for their proactivity in procuring the hotel beds, the Scottish Government for supporting the initiative with significant additional bed purchases, and the Old Waverley Hotel team for stepping forward to make such a positive difference in saving lives.
“This means an amazing amount to the people we support and the next step is to turn this moment into permanently improved solutions for rough sleeping predicaments in our shared national homelessness response.
Leader of the City of Edinburgh Council, Councillor Adam McVey, said:  “We’ve been working with a number of hotels to provide us with suitable and safe accommodation to help us house anyone without a home. The response has been encouraging and we’ve now secured more than 200 bed spaces in hotels across the city and 66 additional private flats. 
“The shelter operated by Bethany Christian Trust is an important refuge for people who might otherwise find themselves rough sleeping, for any number of reasons. These are some of our most vulnerable people and with the outbreak continuing, we’ve been partnering with Bethany to find an alternative place for the shelter they run.
“The Old Waverley Hotel is the ideal city centre spot and I’m grateful that they’ve partnered with us on this. Edinburgh is a city that pulls together in times of need and this is a perfect example of that attitude. Our thanks go to Bethany’s staff and volunteers, who will be on hand day and night at the new shelter to provide meals and a relaxed space for those in need during this challenging time.”
Bethany’s Care Shelter began as a two-week pilot over Christmas in Edinburgh in 1996. It has since grown to operate 32 weeks a year in response to need and is a lifeline for hundreds of people who would otherwise be sleeping outside.
To date, the Care Shelter has provided over 114,000 bed spaces in total, and since re-opening in September 2019 has supported over 680 people in moving on from needing to access the service again.
Ruth Longmuir, Bethany’s Care Shelter Manager said: “The partnership approach combined with the professional Care Shelter support staff, who work tirelessly and compassionately on behalf of others, results in a positive move on journey for our guests.
“Being able to offer a hotel facility at this time is a fantastic enhancement. We are indebted to all our church partners including Diadem our existing venue for being so adaptable in rising to the challenges of a new environment.”
One delighted new guest said:  “What everyone’s done for us here is just a different world. The kindness in here is amazing. There is so much appreciation for this amongst us all tonight.”
The Old Waverley Hotel is a vibrant merger of Victorian charm and modern comfort providing traditional elegance and cosy, comfortable accommodation.  Built in 1848 it is a familiar name on the Capital’s most famous street.
Leon Kiteley, General Manager, said: “We are very pleased to be able to work together in opening up this wonderful hotel as a short term initiative during the Covid-19 Pandemic to serve people in difficult circumstances.
“We hope that it will be a springboard for new opportunities and positive next steps for all our guests.”
Established in 1983, Bethany Christian Trust supports almost 7,000 people each year across Scotland. The charity’s services focus on Homelessness Prevention, Crisis Intervention and Housing with Support, alleviating the suffering and meeting the long term needs of homeless and vulnerable people in Scotland.

New food distribution network will ‘complement’ community efforts

A food distribution network to support Edinburgh’s most vulnerable citizens is set to be rolled out thanks to a partnership between the City of Edinburgh Council, third sector organisation EVOC and the wider community and voluntary sector.

The news comes fully four weeks after community projects in North Edinburgh first joined together to get food and essential supplies out to neighbourhood’s most vulnerable residents.

The latest plans will see over 3,000 emergency food parcels delivered across the first fortnight to people who are having difficulty accessing food as a result of the Coronavirus outbreak. Further roll out will take place following this, based on demand.

The partnership, created from the Capital’s £1.65m share of the Scottish Government Food Fund, will see the Council identify those most in need for the food and essential items with EVOC responsible for the distribution.

The network will follow Scottish Government guidelines on eligibility which includes:

  • low income households
  • families with children eligible for free school meals
  • older people
  • those with long-term health conditions

The supplies will be stored at four school hubs acting as depots for the packing and distribution. Demand will be regularly reviewed to make sure the parcels are being targeted to those most in need. Hot meals will also be provided to those in greatest need, who for a variety of reasons, may be unable to prepare their own meals.

This funding is in addition to the ongoing support for the wider third sector through the Scotland-wide £350m charity support fund made available last month.

The partnership will also provide support for voluntary organisations who want assistance with applying for funds from the Scottish Government’s Wellbeing Fund and an initial £50k will be available from the Council to provide targeted support to smaller scale community groups in their efforts to help vulnerable residents.

In addition, the partnership has signed a strategic agreement with Volunteer Edinburgh on matching volunteering capacity to citizen and service demand as it emerges. This puts us in a strong position to ensure that there is close collaboration and coordination to meet the needs of vulnerable groups in the city.

The city council, EVOC and Volunteer Edinburgh already work together as part of the city’s strategic Edinburgh Partnership.

Council Leader Adam McVey said: “This food distribution network is going to tackle the very real and emerging demand from those vulnerable people who find themselves without enough food because they’re self-isolating. 

“We’re committed to supporting them through these unprecedented challenges and we’ll do everything in our power to help them thanks to this £1.65m boost from the Scottish Government.

“We’ve already been delivering thousands of food parcels across the city to those in our care and families who are struggling to cope. These supplies are not a short-term fix – we will make sure they continue for as long as they are needed.”

Depute Leader Cammy Day said: “Everyone has seen the amazing response from communities coming together to reduce the risk of food poverty and EVOC with the wider community projects are ideally placed to be our partners for this new network.

“In addition to this citywide support system help with access to the Wellbeing Fund and targeted support will benefit community organisations working in local areas. Joining with third sector organisations is so important as they are working in the heart of our communities and are best-placed to provide that essential support to reach those families who need it most.

“This food network will supplement the many other measures we have taken to help families such as Free School Meal payments, our own emergency food parcels and crisis grants.”

Ella Simpson, Chief Executive of EVOC, said: “For the last four weeks the third and community sector have been absolutely outstanding in their response to the needs of their community.

“This partnership complements and reinforces that incredible work and brings together the capacity, skills, knowledge, experience and trust within our communities to respond to this international crisis.

“By working together, we will be able to coordinate the delivery of food to vulnerable people across Edinburgh. This support to our colleagues and volunteers who are preparing and delivering the food to people will ensure we can sustain this heroic effort for as long as it is needed.

“If you know someone who is in need please use the national helpline 0800 028 2816 and I can assure you support is there for you. If you are a local community organisation delivering food not already part of this amazing network, please contact EVOC on info@evoc.org.uk.”

News that the funding is to be made available at last will come as a huge relief to community organisations whose resources have been stretched to the limit as they have battled to get aid to vulnerable and isolated people during the coronavirus pandemic.

North Edinburgh’s COVID-19 Food Group has been urging local politicians to get funding through to the grassroots for weeks now. On Monday, they hope to hear what funds will be made available to support their efforts.