Tag: Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre

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!

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!

Centre hit by vandals – but Fun Day goes ahead

Vandals have caused damage estimated at £2500 at Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre. Up to three young people slashed the Centre’s polytunnel and destroyed young plants between Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning. The attack comes just a week after a scarecrow was set ablaze at the Centre.  

Staff turned up at work on Wednesday morning to find a polytunnel used by the Centre’s gardening groups slashed open, and their worst fears were realised upon closer inspection – the tunnel’s contents had been scattered and destroyed.

Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre’s Elizabeth Graham, who supports the gardening groups, said: ‘I must admit I shed a tear when I saw the damage that had been done. Our gardeners had been growing on some young plants and these have been destroyed – it’s too late in the season now to start this process again – it’s so very sad. I hoped we could maybe repair the polytunnel using a strong tape but the damage is too severe. This is such a pointless act and I do worry that this may have been carried out by some young people who use the Centre – or who certainly know people who use the Centre. It’s very upsetting and such a waste”.

Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre is covered by CCTV cameras and police are now studying tapes. It’s understood that the culprits have been captured on camera.

And despite the vandalism episode, today’s Family Fun Day goes ahead at Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre. The fun starts at 11am – all welcome.

Park life gets Inverleith Summer Programme under way

A whole host of agencies have got together to organise and support Inverleith’s Youth and Children’s Summer Park Events, and the programme kicks off at Ravleston Park on Monday (2 July) from 1 – 3pm with a portable football pitch, games, music, sports activities and more.

Further park events are planned at Ravelston again (Monday 16 July,1 -3pm), King George V (Monday 30 July 1- 4pm) and Inverleith Park (Friday 10 August 1- 4pm).

For more information contact Anne Brown at Inverleith CLD at Broughton High School, telephone 332 6316 or email anne.brown@ea.edin.sch.uk or check out the website www.joininedinburgh.org/holidayprogramme

And the agencies who have made the Summer Programme possible? In no particular order: Edinburgh Leisure, Glenogle Swim Centre, Fet Lor Youth Centre, Scotmid Co-operative, Inverleith Neighbourhood Partnership, CLD Inverleith, Library2go, Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre, sportscotland active schools Edinburgh & Lothian and Borders Police.

Ian Moore guest speaker at Drylaw Telford AGM

The history of Drylaw in fifteen minutes! Local historian Ian Moore is making a quick return to Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre as guest speaker at Drylaw Telford Community Council’s annual general meeting tomorrow evening.

An enthusiastic member of North Edinburgh Social History Group, Ian was presented with DTCC’s annual Thomas Tierney Award just last month. He’s a real character and his contribution should make a refreshing change from the usual old balance sheets and dull reports!

The annual general meeting starts at 7pm – all welcome.

Drylaw cooks to launch blog

Drylaw Cooking Group’s new blog will be launched tomorrow (Wednesday 18th April) from  7-8.30pm at Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre. Baking stall, recipe ideas, cooking tombola, cookery demonstrations. Be creative and you could be a winner in the Best Apron Competition – one junior prize and one adult prize to be won!

All welcome – call 0131 315 4989 for more details.

Council official sees the light!

Council official John McFarlane has responsibility for street lighting, and last month he attended a Drylaw Telford Community Council meeting to hear concerns over inadequate street lighting in the area. As well as just listening, however, Mr McFarlane decided to see the problems for himself and left the meeting with a small group of local residents to visit some of the problem areas. Last night’s community council meeting heard that Mr McFarlane has been in touch and is now relooking at lighting in Drylaw.

In an email to community council Chairman Mike Clark, Mr McFarlane said: ‘I can confirm that the residents’ concerns were noted at the walkabout and my design team are currently working on a few change scenarios which will hopefully address these concerns. It is our intention to install alternative solutions in separate areas in Drylaw after which we will liaise with adjacent residents to determine the effectiveness of these solutions. Once a preferred solution is agreed through consultation with the residents we will implement these changes”.

Mr McFarlane added that he would be delighted to attend a future community council meeting and will contact the community council again ‘once we have progressed things at our end’.

Speaking after the meeting at Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre, Mike Clark said: “This is a positive development. Our February meeting was one of the best attended for some time as local residents wanted to make their concerns known. With the new lighting, some people feel that parts of the neighbourhood are just far too dark. It’s encouraging that the council is listening to those concerns and, more importantly, appears willing to act to address them”.

Street lighting has dominated Drylaw Telford agendas for some months now, but among other issues also discussed at last night’s meeting were the proposed skate park for Easter Drylaw Park, the cost of upgrading and maintaining Drylaw Field in Wester Drylaw and two forthcoming special meetings – the annual Thomas Tierney Award presentation and, with the council elections coming up, a hustings event.

The community council also discussed the curious case of the missing goal-posts – this long-running mystery may yet be solved at a future meeting. Watch this space, all may be revealed!

Drylaw Telford Community Council meets on the last Wednesday of the month at 7pm in Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre. All welcome.