Green award for Drylaw gardeners

Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre is being celebrated by national environmental volunteering charity, The Conservation Volunteers. As part of the charity’s regional Green Heroes Awards, Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre is being recognised for the positive environmental impact it has made in Edinburgh. 

Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre was presented with the Community Award and was chosen for their outstanding commitment to volunteering and inspiring positive environmental change in Edinburgh with The Conservation Volunteers.

Elizabeth Graham, Community Engagement Coordinator at Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre (picured above, left) said: “Our volunteers put a lot of hard work and enthusiasm into the gardening project so it is great for this to be recognised by TCV. Everyone is welcome to come and help in the garden so we are a diverse group of people and everyone plays their part. Our main focus this year, thanks to funding from Scottish Natural Heritage, has been recording the species we have and building on this to increase the biodiversity of the area.”

Through their involvement in local conservation projects, Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre has created a wildflower meadow, planted a wildlife hedge, worked with two local schools to help them grow their own, and planted two community-managed orchards.

The Conservation Volunteers’ Green Heroes Awards recognise winners from six categories: Partnership, Volunteer of the Year, Project Leader, Community, Green Skills and European awards.

Chris Peach, TCV Scotland who nominated Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre said: “We’re delighted to be acknowledging Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre who has given such an enormous amount of time and energy to conservation in Edinburgh. Without Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre providing their unwavering support and commitment we would not be able to enjoy the green spaces in Edinburgh we love and use every day. We hope that by highlighting the work of Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre, it will inspire others to get involved in protecting the green spaces in Edinburgh and ensure that they remain here for future generations to enjoy.”

For more information about the Conservation Volunteers’ Green Heroes Awards visit: www.tcv.org.uk

Drylaw Telford Community Council meets this Wednesday

Drylaw Telford Community Council will meet on Wednesday 31 October at 7pm in Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre off Groathill Road North.

Among the items of business under discussion is Drylaw Skate Park, which was given the green light by city planners last week.

For more information on this – or to raise an issue you think the local community council should address – come along to the meeting. All welcome!

Drylaw planters defy deluge!

Bet you thought Drylaw’s meadow planting would be cancelled yesterday? Oh ye of little faith – they’re made of tougher stuff up Drylaw way! The Neighbourhood Centre’s gardening group was joined by colleagues from Royal Botanical Garden Edinburgh and together they braved the weather to start work on the paddy field and ornamental lake new meadow at the rear of the Centre!

Inside, meanwhile, altogether more sensible people from the Margarot Forrest Care Management team and clients enjoyed a nice warm cup of coffee and raised some money for Macmillan Cancer Support.

Two jobs in one!

Drylaw Telford Community Council meets next week

The summer break’s over and Drylaw Telford Community Council’s regular monthly meeting will be held next Wednesday 29 August at 7pm in Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre.

The Agenda:

1. Welcome (Chair)

2. Attendee’s

3. Apologies for Absence.

4. Minutes of the last meeting & Matters arising, (27th June)

5. Zero Waste Scotland, Application for Fly-tipping Grant – Ian Greenhalgh

6. Groathill Roundabout – Update.

7. Reports.

  • Police Report
  • Councillors Report
  • Inverleith Partnership Management Board Report

    7a  Action Groups

  • Clean, Green & Safe
  • Neighbourhood Environment Group
  • Health & Leisure
  • Children and Young People
  • EDRA (Easter Drylaw Residents Association)
  • Telford Report
  • Skate Park

8. Correspondance. Mark Borthwick (Mr & Mrs J Lamb, Lease of Land EDP).

9. Any other New Business.

10. Date of Next Meeting.

All welcome

Inverleith Neighbourhood Partnership to meet in Drylaw

The next meeting of the Inverleith Neighbourhood Partnership will be on Monday 13 August 2012 at Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre, Groathill Road North. The meeting is from 7-9pm, with refreshments and displays from 6pm. 

Come and see presentations on changes to household waste services in your area plus proposed new pedestrian crossings. 

Papers will be available in advance of the meeting at http://www.edinburghnp.org.uk/neighbourhood-partnerships/inverleith/downloads/links-to-inverleith-np-papers/and paper copies will be available on the evening.

For further information please contact Neighbourhood Partnership Development Officer Elaine Lennon on 529 5270 or email elaine.lennon@edinburgh.gov.uk

North West Carers move south!

North West Carers Centre has moved from it’s Muirhouse Crescent base to a new home in Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre. Their Muirhouse offices were bigger than the project needed, so when an opportunity to cross the great Ferry Road divide into Drylaw came up, it was ideal. Manager Sarah Mavor and her team moved in on 9 July.

Sarah (pictured above left) said: “We were happy in Muirhouse but the office was really too big for us, so the move to Drylaw was a sensible one. Many of the people we work with come from the Inverleith Neighbourhood Partnership area too. It’s been a good move and we’re all enjoying the change of scene. Things are going well.”

While North West Carers Centre address has changed – it’s now Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre, 67b Groathill Road North, EH4 2SA – the telephone number and email addresses remain the same – that’s 315 3130 and email resource@nwcarers.org.uk

Services provided are unaffected too – North West Carers provide information, advice and respite and run support groups for young and adult carers, and  also runs a Dementia Support Group, a Carers Afternoon Together and a Young Carers Group.

The North West Carers team are pictured just after the organisation’s annual general meeting on 25 July.

 

Drylaw’s Family Fun Day

Great fun between the showers at Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre yesterday, where firefighters from Crewe Toll station and Drylaw Police joined the local community at the Family Fun event.  The pony rides, face painting and bouncy castle were as popular as ever, but it seems the kids just can’t get enough of those sumo suits!