North Edinburgh community group Living in Harmony has been working with Forth Neighbourhood Partnership to produce a new print and online community map. That work is now complete and a fun family event is being held to launch the new resource.
The Hidden Gems Community Treasure Hunt takes place on Friday 21 March (1 – 3pm)when local families can use the new map to find venues around the area, answer clues and take part in fun activities in each participating venue. The thinking behind this is that once you’ve visited a place and met someone friendly it’s much easier to go back again!
Royston Wardieburn Community Centre is hosting an event to celebrate International Women’s Day tomorrow (Tuesday 11 March) from 5.30 -8pm. Tickets (£1) are available from the Centre – children and childcare free.
See the attached poster for more info or telephone 552 5700.
North Edinburgh Young People’s Forum would like to invite you to the launch of the second edition of their version of The Matter: Matters2Us, and this issue will focus on Anti-Bullying.
In July 2013, the Young People’s Forum were successful in their application to the Respectme Anti-Bullying fund to produce a second edition of their newspaper, this time asking the question:
How would you like to be supported if you were being bullied or see someone else being bullied?’
The group then consulted with over 100 pupils across two primary schools in North Edinburgh, going into classrooms over two days, spending time with the young people and finding out their thoughts on bullying.
The Young People’s Forum would now like to share what the young people who they met with said and would like to invite you to attend the launch of this second edition.
This will take place on Wednesday 20 November at Craigroyston Community High School at 5.30pm.
There will also be an opportunity to hear from a local parents group on how they have made a user friendly guide to their schools Anti-Bullying Policy to support parents, young people and the community to understand it.
We would be delighted if you could attend.
Clare Gibson (Youth Work Organiser, CEC Community Learning & Development) on behalf of North Edinburgh Young People’s Forum
The impact of the Bedroom Tax, general poverty and the rise of Food Banks in the area is a clear indication that many in our community will be facing a bleak and possibly health destroying time.
The comments made by the Trussell Trust, who organise the Food Banks, that they are limited to crisis response – ie 3 or 4 food packs per year per family – shows that we require a much bigger response. Community Centres in every area should be at the heart of the response. The question is how do we do this?
We wish to join together with all Community Centres, the City of Edinburgh Council and organisations like the Red Cross and similar bodies to work out a common strategy of how we as Community Centres could find ways of providing assistance to this section of our community.
We would like to invite all Management Committees of Community Centres and other interested bodies to a meeting to discuss this at:
West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre on Thursday 14 November
from 12.30 –3pm
RSVP to:
Gwen Campbell
Pilton Central Association, West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre
The North Edinburgh News has had some good news in the run-up to tomorrow’s annual general meeting. Last week, the city council’s Policy & Strategy Committee agreed that North Edinburgh is one of three neighbourhoods selected to pilot ‘community-based information initiatives’.
Since the decision was taken to scrap ‘Outlook’, the city council has been looking for new ways of improving communications and getting information out into communities, and the £50,000 ‘Contact in the Capital’ pilots will now run for twelve months in the North Edinburgh, Gorgie/Dalry and Craigmillar communities.
The council support for NEN, which it describes in background papers as ‘a locally well-regarded newspaper and blog’, is both welcome and timely. NEN last appeared in print form back in June and since then has remained alive through this online blog until decisions on the paper’s future could be made.
It’s now thought that the council support can help support a NEN relaunch, although the NEN’s voluntary board members have still to discuss the detail of what is being proposed – NEN remains an independent community organisation managed by local people.
It’s hoped that more information about how the scheme could work will be forthcoming at NEN’s annual general meeting (it’s on the Agenda, attached), which takes place tomorrow (Tuesday 12 November) at Spartans Community Football Academy at Ainslie Park. All welcome.
Local people wishing to vote in three city Community Council elections will be able to do so online for the first time.
Following the closure of the nomination period, there were more prospective community councillors than there were places available in three areas – Craigmillar, Liberton & District and Portobello – so elections are now taking place, and for the first time an online option has been introduced making it easier for more people to take part. Votes can now be registered securely over a special website until the voting period closes at 8pm on 24 October.
All voters on the electoral roll in the three areas are being given the opportunity to vote over the internet, or they can attend a polling place on the 24 October to vote in person if they would prefer. Postal votes are also available for residents who prefer this option.
Councillor Maureen Child, Convener of the Communities and Neighbourhood Committee, said: “Our aim is to deliver democratic processes that people can take part in and trust. To offer a range of options for voting, including online voting, we hope to make it easier for people to have a say and that can only be a good thing for local communities. We hope that by offering flexible ways to vote that it will attract even more interest in these elections.
“Community Councils are an ideal way to support communities to thrive, to allow people from all backgrounds to meet and share ideas and to make change happen. They are a fantastic way of making public sector agencies aware of the needs of local areas, and can really help to make changes for the better.”
Community Councils each receive a grant to cover running costs and training is available for the members. They are represented on each of the city’s 12 Neighbourhood Partnerships and work alongside elected members, representatives from NHS Lothian, Police Scotland, the voluntary sector and Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.
Community councils were first established in Edinburgh in 1980 and now more than 500 people are members of 41 community councils across the city. While elections are needed in three neighbourhoods, however, other areas are still looking for local people to make up their full complement of community councillors. Nominations are currently being sought for new members of the Gilmerton/Inch Community Council, and Drylaw Telford – one of the city’s original community councils – is one of a number of community councils with vacant positions.
“Following the nomination period we have five vacancies so we are very keen to encourage residents – old and new – to get involved”, said Alex Dale, chairman of Drylaw Telford. “Anyone interested in find out a bit about what we do should check out our website, or better still come along to our next regular monthly meeting on Wednesday 30 October at 7pm in Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre. Our meetings are always open to the public and It would be great to sign up some enthusiastic new members.”
Alex Dale (left) with former DTCC chair Mike Clark
