Citizens’ Panel views on Public Participation to be heard by MSPs

TODAY (Wednesday 14th December), MSPs on the Citizens Participation and Public Petitions Committee (CPPPC) will hear recommendations on how the Scottish Parliament can better engage with the people of Scotland.

Earlier this year, the CPPPC launched an inquiry into public participation, looking at how people’s voices are heard in the work of the Parliament. A Citizens’ Panel, comprised of 19 people broadly reflecting the demographic make-up of Scotland, met in Holyrood throughout October and November to deliberate how the Scottish Parliament can best work with people and communities to ensure their needs are reflected in its work.

Throughout the sittings, the Citizen’s Panel heard from MSPs, Scottish Parliament officials, third-sector organisations and leading academics about democracy and public participation to help facilitate discussion and inform their findings.

The Citizens’ Panel made 17 recommendations on improving how Holyrood’s work involves, reflects, and meets the needs of the full range of communities it represents, focusing on improving engagement for those currently under-represented.

Recommendations from the panel include improving community engagement, how the Parliament uses deliberative democracy, public involvement in Parliamentary business and the way Parliament communicates and educates the public on its work, specifically:

  • Removing barriers to participation so that everyone has an equal opportunity to be involved in the work of the Parliament
  • Legislating to embed deliberative democracy within the Parliamentary process
  • Scheduling specific time in the debating Chamber for individual public questions to be asked
  • Giving the Presiding Officer the power to compel MSPs to give a direct answer to all questions asked.

Five of the panellists, Gillian Ruane, Paul MacDonald, John Sultman, Maria Schwarz and Ronnie Paterson will present their findings to the CPPPC this week.

Following the evidence session, the Committee’s interim report will be published, and the Citizens’ Panel recommendations will go out to public consultation on 16th December for 8 weeks on the Scottish Parliament’s Your Priorities platform.

Commenting ahead of the Committee meeting, Convener Jackson Carlaw MSP said: “The work of the Citizens’ Panel on public participation has been invaluable to our inquiry, bringing fresh perspectives and bold ideas to the table around how Parliament can better engage with individuals, groups and communities from every part of Scotland.

“Ensuring the Scottish Parliament is accessible to a diverse range of people, particularly when developing new laws or policies that affect them, is essential and the recommendations made by the Citizens’ Panel have certainly given the Committee food for thought.

“The Committee will look forward to hearing from panel members this week and learning more about their experiences of the deliberative democracy process and how MSPs and the Parliament can best deliver on their recommendations.”  

Edinburgh Association of Community Councils AGM tonight

EACC: EVOC Presentation and AGM: 24 November 2022, at 19.00

This will now be a TEAMS screen meeting (with doors open at 18.50). 

We are going to use a facility hosted by CEC Governance Division, with the provision of a Council Returning Officer for the Members’ Board election.  

Please note the Meeting ID and Passcode.

Microsoft Teams meeting

Join on your computer, mobile app or room device

Click here to join the meeting (or copy and paste the link to your browser).

https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_YWYyMzI5ZWMtNTYzOC00MjdjLTg3M2ItZGRhNTU4MTczNGMw%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%22482a4ef9-66e4-4e76-9f24-6da09a713ed4%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22e5b58711-a7ee-4fcd-8fda-65a7424cbc8f%22%7d

Meeting ID: 387 653 264 326
Passcode: P7p2hD

Where asked to sign-in with a screen display name, please adopt the following procedure: 

If you are carrying your council’s vote, please sign in to the Teams screen meeting with a clear CC identifier, preceded by two asterisks and followed by your surname, along the lines of:

**GRANGE – ROBERTSON

**CORST – KERR

**LTHLNK – MILLAR

If you are not carrying a vote, just sign in as FIRST NAME LAST NAME.

If you have any queries, contact me at: 

Secretary@edinburghcommunitycouncils.org.uk  or sillertonhill@gmail.com 

or call me on 078 1615 2994. 

The event will be recorded.

In attending, you will be giving your permission for the recording to take place.

AGM Agenda:

1. Record of attendance;

2. Minutes of November 2021 AGM submitted for adoption;

3. Record of February 2022 EGM submitted for adoption;

4. Standing Orders (November 2022 revision) submitted for adoption;

5. Chair’s Annual Report;

6. Secretary’s Annual Report;

7. Treasurer’s submission of Annual Accounts to March 2022 for adoption;

8. Any other relevant Office Bearer reports;

9. Consideration of any Motions to be put to the meeting;

10. Demit of current Office Bearers;

11. Election of Community Council members to EACC Office Bearer posts and to panel seats on the EACC Members’ Board;

12. Appointment of an Independent Examiner of the Accounts;

13. Any other competent business, as determined by the Chair;

14. Set date of next AGM and close the meeting.

Ken Robertson

Acting-Secretary, EACC

Drylaw Telford CC meets tonight

Drylaw Telford Community Council meets tonight (Wednesday 23 November) in Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre at 7pm. All Welcome!

Agenda

  1. Welcome & Apologies
  2. Declarations of Interest
  3. Minutes of Last Meeting
  4. Police Report
  5. Chair Report
  6. Secretary Report
  7. Treasurer Report
  8. Councillors Report
  9. Telford Road works
  10. Drylaw Park & other greenspaces(Amenities and grass cutting)
  11. DNC Update
  12. AOB
  13. Date of next meeting 25th January 2023

CleanupUK launches litter-picking hubs as climate emergency continues

A new initiative from UK-based charity CleanupUK has launched, offering communities access to free litter-picking equipment to protect their local environment from the impact of litter and to connect communities.

CleanupUK has established litter-picking hubs to mitigate the effects of litter on neighbourhoods and local wildlife in the UK whilst tackling loneliness and isolation that can take place during the winter months.

The Cleanup Hubs have been developed in partnership with local community groups such as youth centres, Councils for Voluntary Services (CVS), city farms, and a local mental health charity. Through collaboration and collective action, these organisations are coming together to serve the local community and to help foster a sense of pride in otherwise challenging times.

CleanupUK will offer litter-picking equipment including high-vis jackets, litter-picking hoops, and litter-picking sticks to local hubs which can be borrowed free of charge by the local community.

CleanupUK and partnering organisations believe that this will:

  • Support communities to look after their natural environment in a way that suits them
  • Give communities a place where they can come together and take practical action for the environment
  • Allow communities to make an immediate positive impact on their local neighbourhoods
  • Encourage people to connect with those they may otherwise not engage with and help foster a sense of community and local pride

The development of Cleanup Hubs comes against the backdrop of 27th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP27) which will see leaders from across the world gather to discuss the impact of climate change on our planet.

CleanupUK Chief Executive George Monck says, “We know that all of us can make an extraordinary impact on society and litter-picking is a great example of that.

“By coming together, local people can prevent harmful litter infiltrating parks and entering our rivers and waterways, all whilst building a stronger sense of community and having fun.”

A full list of current CleanupUK Hubs is below:

  1. The Wharton Annexe, TS24 8NS
  2.  Kilmarnock Children’s Centre, TS25 3NU
  3. Jellystone Park, TS4 2SL
    Belle Vue Community Sports & Youth Centre, TS25 1QU
  4. Primrose Hill Community Centre, TS19 0HL
  5. Mind, TN34 1HG
  6. Stepney City Farm, E1 3DG
  7. St-George-in-the-East, E1 0BH
  8. Women’s Inclusive Team, E2 9LJ
  9. Love Bethnal Green, E2 OTB
  10. Jaywick Sands Community Forum, CO15 2LU
  11. Baggator, BS5 0HH
  12. West End Refugee Service, NE4 5JE
  13. CVST Harwich, CO12 3AJ
  14. CVST Clacton, CO15 1NZ
  15. Eastbourne Sports Complex

Royston Wardieburn AGM

TUESDAY 25th OCTOBER from 2 – 3pm

We would like to invite you on our Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Royston Wardieburn Community Education Centre Management Committee on Tuesday, 25 October 2022, 2 pm – 3 pm

Venue: Royston Wardieburn Community Centre, 11 Pilton Drive North, Edinburgh EH5 1NF

We would like to extend this invitation to the centre users, local community groups and organisation who use this community facilities on regular basis at the centre.

We are looking for people to join the Management Committee who can bring new skills and expertise; therefore, all North Edinburgh residents are welcome.

Tea coffee and refreshment will be provided.

This is a public event, no registration is required to attend. For any further information, please contact us via email: rwccmc@yahoo.com

Please find attached the agenda and minutes of last year AGM.

Looking forward to see you at the AGM on 25th October,

Kind regards

MIZAN RAHMAN

Chair, RWCC Management Committee

Chair, RWCC Management Committee