CORE to close

The Pilton-based Community Organisation for Racial Equality (CORE) is to close. Formerly the BCDP (Black Community Development Project), the project which grew out of the Muirhouse Anti-Racism campaign of the early 1990s will be formally wound up at an extraordinary general meeting in Royston Wardieburn Community Centre on 29 August.

At it’s height CORE was one of the most influential community-led equality organisations in the country – growing from humble beginnings in a room in Craigroyston HIgh School to staging prestigious conferences in Edinburgh’s International Conference Centre – but funding issues and financial struggles over recent years has forced directors to seek closure of the organisation.

Chairperson Dr Fernando Almeira Diniz confirmed that CORE has been experiencing financial problems for some months, but said that the Board will not be making any statements at this stage. “I am sure that you will see that we cannot do anything which could be regarded as pre-empting what might happen at the EGM”, he said.

CORE’s EGM will be held at Royston Wardieburn Community Centre on Wednesday 29 August at 6pm. Following the formal business procedures it’s planned to have a general discussion – ‘an opportunity to reflect on the achievements of CORE /BCDP, followed by a Community-led discussion about ways of engaging BME Communities in developing future provision of public services in North Edinburgh.’

For further information, or if you plan to attend, please contact Adil Ibrahim at CORE, email adil@coregb.org.uk by 25 August.

COREold — Happier times: Director Tesfu Gessesse addresses CORE’s 2007 AGM

Craigroyston Community High School Summer Programme

There’s absolutely no reason to be bored this July with a full programme of local activities at Craigroyston Community High School on Pennywell Road. Whether it’s art, fitness or cookery there’s something for you at Craigie this summer!

MONDAYS

2, 9, 16 and 23 July

Art: Painting and Drawing 10.30 – 12.30pm

£10 for four weeks or £3 per session

9, 16, 23 July

Family swim session 2 – 3pm

Adult £1, child 50p.

9, 16, 23 July

Adult Swim Session 3 – 4pm

Adult £1.50

2, 9, 16, 23 July

Fitness Gym 5.30 – 7.30pm

£3 per session

TUESDAYS

Gallery visits with Steven Hood

10 July 10.30

Drawing from the Landscape

Meet outside the RSA on the Mound for 10.30am

£3 – no entrance fee

24 July 10.30

Expanding Horizons – Giovanni Battista Lusieri (1754 – 1821)

Stunningly beautiful landscapes in watercolour

Meet outside The National Gallery on The Mound at 10.30

Entrance fee £7.50/£5 concessions

Home Cookery: Soups, salads and bakes!

3, 10 & 17 July

Never be stuck for a quick, healthy and tasty meal again!

£3 (to cover cost of ingredients). Bring a container to take your food home – or you can eat it here!

Family Swim Sessions 5.30 – 6.30pm

3, 10, 17 and 24 July. Adult £1, child 50p

Adult Open Swim Session 6.30 – 7.30pm

3, 10, 17 and 24 July. Adult £1.50

Fitness Gym 5.30 – 7.30pm

3, 10, 17 and 24 July. £3 per session.

WEDNESDAYS

Fitness Gym 5.30 – 7.30pm

4, 11, 18 and 25 July. £3 per session.

THURSDAYS

5, 12, 19 & 26 July

Family Swim Session 2 – 3pm Adult £1, child 50p.

Adult Open Swim Session 3 – 4pm £1.50p

Fitness Gym 5.30 – 7.30pm £3 per session.

FRIDAYS

July 13, 20, 27 & 3 August

Feet Foxes 10 – 11am

Feet Foxes is a class for parents and children (age 18 months – 5 years) who are looking for some FUN and enjoy dancing, movement, singing and playing games together! Each class has a mix of structured and free play, which encourages creativity whilst working and having fun together. Classes run as drop-in sessions, so pop along whenever suits! We dance in our bare feet and it’s best to wear comfy clothes!

£1.50 – One adult and up to three children; additional children 50p.

Aquafit and Adult Swim Session 11.30 – 12.30pm

July 6,13, 20 & 27 £1.50 per session.

For more information, to book a place on the Art or Cookery classes or to book a place on one of the gallery visits please call in at the school, telephone 538 7285 or 477 7801 or email admin@craigroyston.edin.sch.uk

Total Craigroyston – improving outcomes for children and families

Total Craigroyston is the latest ‘early intervention’ strategy to support families with children in North Edinburgh. Total Craigroyston Manager CHRISTINE MACKAY explains what it’s all about …

Total Craigroyston has been set up to encourage all the various organisation which work with Children and Families to work together to improve outcomes for children and families in the neighbourhood around Craigroyston Community High School.

Our initial focus will be on children who are looked after by the Council to ensure that they have all the support they need to give them the best opportunity to succeed in their lives. We will also be working to reduce the need for children to go into care, and that means finding ways to support families at an earlier stage and in a variety of ways.

The idea is to take a holistic approach – ensuring that all of the local resources in both the statutory and the voluntary sectors are on the same page, facing the same direction and contributing to the agreed outcomes. It may be that we need to change how some of our services are delivered so that we can offer support at an earlier stage and we want to involve local people as well as local staff in helping us think what changes might be necessary.

We held a meeting in mid-March, bringing together the local Neighbourhood Partnership, the Edinburgh Partnership and the Total Craigroyston steering group (pictured below) to start the discussion and what everyone agreed on was the need to ensure that local residents, service users and local staff are completely involved in shaping the direction of Total Craigroyston.

To help us do this we have been working with an organisation called SNOOK, and over the month of June we will be running a series of events and workshops aimed at local residents, service users and local staff so that we can come up with a set of ideas and proposals, based on local knowledge and expertise, that we can take forward.

A Design Workshop will be held on Monday 28 May from 9.30 – 12.30 in Craigroyston Community High School. Come along and give your ideas for changing the way we do things. A crèche is available but places must be booked. Please contact Stephen Straiton on 469 3375 or email Stephen.straiton@edinburgh.gov.uk

On Saturday 2 June, the SNOOK team will be out and about at Muirhouse Shopping Centre, North Edinburgh Arts and Muirhouse Library speaking to local people and hearing views.

A Young People Speak Out session will be held in Pilton Youth and Children’s Project on Wed 6 June from 7 – 9pm to help us gather young people’s views.

A Prototyping Lab (don’t be put off by the title!!) will be held on Monday 18 June from 10 – 4pm in West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre. This will give the SNOOK team an opportunity to present the ideas that have been gathered and to have a think about the ones we want to take forward. A crèche is available but places must be booked. Please contact Stephen Straiton on 469 3375 or email Stephen.straiton@edinburgh.gov.uk

If you are interested in being involved in any way or you have ideas or a story to tell about your involvement with local services please get in touch. We are based at the Local Neighbourhood Office in West Pilton Gardens. Tel no 529 5050. email Christine.mackay@edinburgh.gov.uk. Please contact us if you’d like more information.

Christine Mackay

Manager, Total Craigroyston