Free family event at West Pilton Park
Friday 2nd November 12.30 – 2.00pm
Tag: clean green and safe
#StrongerNorth – the movie!
Click on the link below to see a short film about last weekend’s West Pilton cleanup:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYQPlJ4y9oQ (Preview)
And for more information about the #StrongerNorth initiative, follow:
https://www.facebook.com/edinburghcouncil?ref=hl
https://twitter.com/Edinburgh_CC
A (very) special uplift on Wednesday #StrongerNorth
Do Not Adjust Your Set
Drylaw sees the big picture
Drylaw now has it’s own public big TV screen. The high-tech equipment was installed last night and community leaders believe the big screen will attract new visitors to the area.
A spokesman for Drylaw Telford Community Council said: “Although it’s not as large as we were promised we accept that money is tight and are delighted that the council has agreed to locate a big screen in Drylaw. Drylaw has really needed this for a long time – we don’t think it’s right that the city centre gets everything, Edinburgh is more than Princes Street, the Bridges and Lothian Road. Now local people will be able to gather together in their own community to watch major sporting events and Strictly Come Dancing – it will help generate a new community spirit and will become a talking point, a bit like the Angel of the North. I’m convinced tourists will flock to Drylaw.”
A council spokesperson said: “The City of Edinburgh Council is often accused of wasting council tax payers money on expensive vanity projects like education and roads. This exciting initiative clearly demonstrates that this council is listening to communities.”
Sainsbury’s are Trolleywise!
WE’RE TROLLEYWISE!
Did you know that over 1.5 million shopping trolleys are abandoned each year in the UK?
To help to reduce this number, Sainsbury’s are delighted to announce that we are working with Trolleywise, a national trolley retrieval service.
Trolleywise has produced a free smartphone app, which you can use to photograph abandoned trolleys and tag their location via GPS. A team of drivers can then collect the rogue trolleys and put them back into service and cleaning up what can often be an eye sore.
Store Manager George Paton commented: “Abandoned trolleys can be a blight on our local areas as they often find their way into gardens, communal areas or even into ponds and rivers. These trolleys sometimes end up miles away from where they were taken and it can be difficult to get them back to where they belong, this will certainly make a difference.”
Sainsbury’s
Double date in Drylaw
Drylaw Telford community councillors will be busy on Wednesday 28 August.
As well as the regular monthly meeting in Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre at 7pm, community councillors are conducting a walkabout and discussion about 20mph zones that same morning – meet at Ferryhill School entrance on Groathill Road at 10am.
All welcome at both activities!
![images[7]](https://i0.wp.com/nen.press/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/images7.jpg?ssl=1)
Week of action to tackle road litter
A call to clean up and clamp down on litter on Scotland’s roads has been issued for Scotland’s first Litter Week of Action.
Organised by Zero Waste Scotland on behalf of the Transport Litter Group, the annual day of action has been extended to a week of dedicated action to tackle litter on our roads and railways.
Commuters, employers, and transport providers and support agencies are all being encouraged to get involved from 19– 25 August.
A recent litter audit has revealed that an average of seven bottles and cans can be found on every 100 metres of Scotland’s roads, creating a hazard to road users and wildlife, and costs millions to remove.
Supporters of the Week can help to raise awareness of the negative impact and cost of transport litter. Actions available range from something simple such as adding a web banner to your website or displaying a poster in your workplace; to organising activities such as a day of awareness raising activities or targeted enforcement.
Organisations including BEAR Scotland, Scotland TranServ, Transport Scotland, McDonald’s and various local authorities have already committed to taking part in the Week.
The week of action follows the launch of a new consultation from the Scottish Government which intends to bring forward a final National Litter Strategy – the first since devolution – early in 2014. The “Towards a Litter Free Scotland” consultation will run until 27 September.
Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead said: “It is shocking that on average there are four plastic bottles and three drinks cans littered on every 100 metres of our major roads in Scotland. It’s a blight, contributes to punctures and can cause accidents not to mention the fact that clearing it from our road and rail sides is a hazardous task.
“Littering is unacceptable – and in the Year of Natural Scotland and as we approach 2014 when we welcome the world to Scotland, it’s important that we show our country at its best. We have set out action to tackle Scotland’s litter problem in our National Litter Strategy consultation and are asking people to have their say on this during the summer.
“This Litter Week of Action is a great opportunity to highlight this issue and I’d encourage people to work together by taking action during the week so that we can show that littering is not tolerated here.”
Iain Gulland, Director, Zero Waste Scotland said: “2014 is set to be an important year for Scotland, with events including the Ryder Cup, Commonwealth Games and Homecoming, and as such it’s vital that we take steps to rid the country of its litter problem and show it off at its absolute best.
“Litter on the road and in transport hubs doesn’t just look bad, it’s also a waste of valuable resources. Commonly littered items like drinks bottles and cans could be recycled and help to boost the economy.
“I would urge everyone to get involved in this great week of planned activity and help to spread the message that throwing litter from vehicles or public transport is not acceptable.”
To get involved, visit
http://www.zerowastescotland.org.uk/content/Transport-Litter-Week-of-Action.
Complaint over LACK of council cuts in ‘forgotten estate’
Usually, community groups and voluntary organisations are up in arms over council cuts to services in their area. However one Muirhouse man is on the warpath over a lack of cuts!
TRIM (Tenants and Residents in Muirhouse) member Robert Pearson has written to the local council team to demand action over the state of local green spaces – weeds, long grass and the general state of the area.
He said: “Yet again I feel it necessary to email you regarding Muirhouse, I am absolutely fed up with the way Muirhouse is being left to rot by you, Edinburgh City Council. It was you who caused the area to fall apart in the first place and now you are leaving us in a mess.”
He goes on: “Back in March this year local children join the Centipede project and planted over 2000 bulbs which spelt Muirhouse Is Home (pictured below). It looked fantastic, the children loved it and it was never vandalised. Unfortunately we are not able to see it anymore as the grass and weeds have taking over the place. Walking around the estate the green areas are all overgrown and basically in a mess; why is this happening again? Does this happen elsewhere in the city? Or does it just happen in the forgotten estate?”
North Neighbourhood Team Business Manager Mandy Rudden said she has requested information from her Regeneration and Task Force colleagues and will update Robert when this has been received.
PCHP: think about health in a different way
Pilton Community Health Project has been speaking to people in North Edinburgh about issues affecting their lives – especially about physical activity and what they think is important in this area. Many of the same themes come up again and again such as safety, dog mess and underuse of greenspaces.
We want to look at things in a different way and work together to come up with inspiring solutions.
Are you someone
- · Who thinks differently?
- · Who likes to get involved in their local area, with local people.
- · Who likes solving problems?
- · Who has energy and enthusiasm!
- Who is interested in physical activity?
We invite you to join us in some inspiring and thought provoking sessions thinking in a different way
What it will be
Fun, interesting, thought provoking, possibly it may even transform your life!
We will provide
Food, drink, childcare and fun
On
Wednesday 29 May & Wed 5 June
times and venue to be confirmed
Interested? Please contact Clare or Lianne on 0131 551 1671
Move It, Pilton Community Health Project
73 Boswall Parkway
Edinburgh EH5 2PW
Council seeks support to spruce up city
The city council is calling on local green groups to back Edinburgh’s 2013 Britain in Bloom bid by helping to spruce up their local neighbourhood.
It’s Your Neighbourhood, run by Keep Scotland Beautiful, is a scheme that aims to bring members of the community together to make a positive change to the place they live, work or spend their leisure time. It is open to groups of all sizes who are interested in cleaning up and greening up their local area.
The initiative forms part of the Royal Horticultural Society’s Britain in Bloom competition, in which Edinburgh is competing against Bristol and the London Borough of Hillingdon in the City category.
Local community groups or businesses who enter the It’s Your Neighbourhood scheme will be mentored by assessors in an effort to improve and progress local green projects. This could be help with identifying funding sources, gardening and maintenance advice or providing access to tools.
Successful participants are presented with a certificate of achievement of either Establishing, Improving, Developing, Thriving, or Outstanding.
Councillor Lesley Hinds, the city’s Environment Convener, (pictured above) said: “Edinburgh will be representing Scotland later this year in the prestigious Britain in Bloom competition and so we’re calling in all green-fingered city residents to back our bid and do their bit to spruce up their local neighbourhood.”
Derek Robertson, Chief Executive of Keep Scotland Beautiful – the independent charity which campaigns, acts and educates on a range of local, national and global environmental issues which affect people’s quality of life, said: “We would welcome any community group who is working to clean up and green up their local area in Edinburgh to register for this years’ It’s Your Neighbourhood campaign. It’s Your Neighbourhood is about giving community groups who work tirelessly year round, national recognition and support for their efforts, and currently we have over 70 groups registered from across Scotland.”
Registration for It’s Your Neighbourhood closes at the end of April. Further information can be found on the Beautiful Scotland website.
