Community councillors: get your nomination papers in NOW!

The deadline is fast approaching for local people taking part in this year’s community council elections in Edinburgh – nominations close on Monday (26 September).

This year, nominations are being sought for 44 community councils. By becoming a member, local residents are given the opportunity to influence what happens in their area. Members can get involved in a wide range of activities, comment on planning and licensing applications, take part in community campaigns and work with others to improve the local area.

Community councils are made up of local residents and community groups such as youth forums, parent councils and student bodies. Each one is represented on the Neighbourhood Partnership for their area, where they work with local elected members, Police Scotland, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, NHS Lothian and the voluntary sector to identify and deliver local priorities.

The first community councils were established in Edinburgh in 1980 in Merchiston and Longstone, and there are more than 500 community councillors across the city.

Cllr Maureen Child, Communities and Neighbourhoods Committee Convener, said: “Community councils are an ideal way to support communities to thrive. They allow people of all ages and 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.

“With only three days left until nominations close, I’d like to encourage anyone who’s interested in local democracy to get involved – be part of something great.”

People aged 16 years or older who are registered to vote can join. The nomination period for the community council elections runs until 4pm on Monday 26 September 2016. Elections, where required, will take place on Thursday 27 October 2016. Residents can apply as an individual or as a local interest group, such as a Parent Council, Friends of Parks or sports club.

Nomination forms are available on the City of Edinburgh Council’s website.

You can find information on each individual community council, including maps, on the Neighbourhood Partnership website, telephone 0131 469 3838 or email community.councils@edinburgh.gov.uk

Karen Lloyd
0131 469 357

Your community needs YOU! – be part of something great!

Community Council nominations open on Monday

Nominations for Edinburgh’s community councils open on Monday (5 September) and the city council is calling on people passionate about their area to play an active role and be part of something great! Continue reading Your community needs YOU! – be part of something great!

Forth Neighbourhood Partnership meets on Wednesday

Forth Neighbourhood Partnership Public Meeting is on Wednesday 31 August at 7pm in The Church Hall, Granton Baptist Church, 99 Crewe Road North. Please see below for further details: Continue reading Forth Neighbourhood Partnership meets on Wednesday

Forth Neighbourhood Partnership public meeting

The next Forth Neighbourhood Partnership Public Meeting is on Wednesday 31 August 2016 at 7pm in The Church Hall, Granton Baptist Church, 99 Crewe Road North. See below for further details.

Forth Neighbourhood Partnership

Public Meeting

At 7pm on Wednesday 31^stAugust 2016

Granton Baptist Church, 99 Crewe Road North

Come along and hear about:

Progress on the move to Locality Working by City of Edinburgh Council and Partners – and what this means for residents of North Edinburgh
Potential changes to flight paths at Edinburgh Airport
Improvements at West Pilton Park
Progress on the Regeneration of North Edinburgh

There will also be a short period during the meeting for Neighbourhood Partnership business.

An agenda and papers will be available nearer to the meeting. For further information contact Jim Pattison, 529 5082 – jim.pattison@edinburgh.gov.uk

Planning and Design: It’s YOUR community

Communities to have their say in the design of their area

Communities across Scotland will have the chance to map out the future of their towns with design experts. The Scottish Government is launching two funds to allow people to have a direct role in making their towns and villages better places to live.

Funding of £300,000 is available across two grant schemes – the Design Charrettes programme and the Activating Ideas Fund.

Charrettes bring together the public, stakeholders and designers over a number of days to draw up viable proposals, while the Activating Ideas fund will support participation and empowerment initiatives in disadvantaged areas.

Minister for Local Government Kevin Stewart said: “The quality of our places has an important influence on our lives. This Government is committed to empowering communities and involving them in the planning process.

“We have already seen really good examples of this in the few years since the charrettes programme has been running. In Maybole the Community Association and Community Council sourced additional funding to modernise and improve access to the Town Hall gardens. And in Girvan there is a successful plan for a new swimming facility which is due to open in 2017 following the closure of the local pool.

“Local communities have a wealth of knowledge about their local area. Bringing communities together with design expertise will enable ideas and proposals to be developed to deliver positive change. This initiative provides a way of enabling people across Scotland to have their say on the long- term future of their community.”

Continue reading Planning and Design: It’s YOUR community

Voluntary Sector Forum next Tuesday

Please note the next Forth and Inverleith Voluntary Sector Forum will be held 28th June from 1 – 3pm at North Edinburgh Arts. Continue reading Voluntary Sector Forum next Tuesday

Edinburgh Compact: last chance to book your space

Compact Third Sector Forum 2016

TWO DAYS TO GO!

10 June 9.15am-3.30pm
Edinburgh City Chambers

The Edinburgh Compact Partnership brings together key Public Sector partners and a range of Third Sector partners under the overarching principle: In Equal Respect.

Many third sector organisations working across the City will be aware of substantial changes taking place across our communities. Key demographic and financial pressures mean that both public and third sector organisations are now required to think differently about the way services are delivered.

This year’s Forum is based upon the twin themes of transformation and maximising assets. The forum will provide an opportunity to consider the issues affecting the City and how we, in partnership, can respond to and effectively deal with these challenges in a sustainable balanced way while continuing to provide good quality and valued services to our citizens.

The Forum will be highly interactive and will take the form of a ‘conversation-cafe’ to consider:

Session 1: Citizens at the Centre – Transforming public services in the City;
Session 2: Citizens at the Centre – Maximising assets for community benefit.

Product from the event will be included within the annual report to the Council’s Communities and Neighbourhoods Committee on the social and economic contribution to the city. The Forum will also launch the Compact Voice 2015/16 Report based on the most recent Compact Voice Survey.

For those that can attend, I look forward to seeing you at the Forum. A draft programme for the Forum has been developed and is available using the following link.

Cllr Maureen Child, Convenor of the Communities and Neighbourhoods Committee and Political Third Sector Champion

Booking your place – LIMITED SPACES LEFT!

For each session, there are 100 spaces available for third sector leaders and board members and these will be allocated on a first-come basis and limited to two attendees per organisation (one senior staff and one board member) only. While there is no charge for attending the event, organisations will need to directly consider any related costs for sending representatives to the Forum.

For organisations that wish to send representatives, please complete the following:

Organisation Name
	Attender 1 (staff)	Attender 2 (board)
Session 1
	Attender 1 (staff)	Attender 2 (board)
Session 2

Please send details of your nominated representatives to Korstiaan Allan at Korstiaan.Allan@edinburgh.gov.uk or call 0131 469 3847.

Agenda DTCC Mtg. May 2016

Tag: community planning