The discussion will focus on helping us see our true selves.
When you take away the body and the mind that comes with it, you are left with the soul which is pure energy. That energy glows like a shining light within ourselves.
During the ups and downs of living a life with constant distractions at our doorsteps, we disconnect ourselves from our true nature which is full of love, compassion, positivity, honesty, kindness, euphoria, and peace.
We need to take time out daily to connect to that self of ours where we can find ‘home’ and find the peace we all long for in our lives.
Join us by clicking on the link below on Wednesday 14th, April 2021, at 5.30pm:
As the Chair of an equality organisation, I have personally witnessed the struggles, concerns and issues within my local communities.
We all know that 2020 was difficult and challenging for many due to Covid and the lockdown. It has been truly remarkable how people have come together during this time and I do not see these as problems but more so as opportunities for us to help one another.
During Covid lockdown it became very apparent that there are many levels of poverty within our BAME communities and this was the reason why the food parcel project was started by Edinburgh and Lothians Regional Equality Council (ELREC).
Since June 2020 ELREC has supported 35 families each week with a substantial food box catering for bigger families. Many lost their jobs due to the pandemic; others could not live on benefits alone and with children at home full time, more support was needed.
Since this work started, we have found out that many BAME communities miss out on many services and support due to language, cultural and literacy barriers. Many of the families supported would never access standard food banks as they do not cater for their needs.
The pandemic also highlighted the disproportionate effect it had on various ethnicities due to many being front line workers, hospital staff, taxi drivers, supermarket staff etc as well as poorer living conditions at home and or crowdedness. Also, BAME communities have different health issues and illnesses which may also have impacted on their resistance to Covid.
ELREC also did some work funded by Foundation Scotland on a small project aimed at providing translated information about Covid and the lockdown in various languages. This was done by phone, online groups, and posters.
The aim of this work was to ensure the disadvantaged groups got this vital information so they can protect themselves and their families as well as follow the rules effectively and not rely on misinformation circulated online and via speakers.
This work shows us we still have a lot to do for many communities to ensure they have fair access to services and information like everyone else.
Other issues come to light have been housing, and the increase in hate incidents and crimes since Covid and the lockdown started. Many BAME families and disadvantaged groups live in poor standards of housing, have bigger families, less space and health concerns as well as poor literacy.
We need to ensure all our citizens have the same access to housing and other services. The lockdown also highlighted the digital poverty amongst BAME communities, not only with lack of devices but the need for training and support getting online.
I have also come to know that hate incidents have increased within local communities, specifically against our Chinese communities. There has also been a rise in racism complaints coming forward from both parents and students in schools.
Other issues I have been told of by communities include a rise in anti-social behaviour in many areas of Edinburgh, an increase in poor mental health amongst BAME people and poor physical health due to the lockdown and isolation.
Different communities face different challenges and pressures and Covid has only highlighted what we already knew but maybe didn’t do enough to investigate further. However we must strive to ensure all our citizens receive the best care, access to services and fair and equal treatment in all aspects of life.
Foysol Choudhury MBE
Chair, Edinburgh & Lothian Regional Equality Council
As the Chair of Edinburgh and Lothians Regional Equality Council, I want to make it very clear that we do not agree with the article in the Edinburgh Evening News which states that the Council found that, “there is no culture of racism in the city schools”.
We get many complaints from parents telling us about incidents in schools all the time and reports of racism has increased since the Black Lives Movement. This is not just the case in schools but many other institutions.
There has been a culture of racism in many schools both public and private for a long time.
We promoted and assisted with some work dealing with racism in schools, however some schools have dealt with it better than others by acknowledging that there is a problem and then making sure something is done about it quickly.
We have always said that no child should be facing or dealing with racism and educational institutions should be protecting our young people and Councils should be doing more to alleviate racism in schools and this starts with the curriculum and with external help.
Racism will not disappear until we all work together, from government level to schools. However, some schools need to acknowledge there is a problem, and seek help. If this truth is not accepted, racism will continue to damage our children. This is totally unacceptable.
Foysol Choudhury MBE
Chair, Edinburgh & Lothians Regional Equality Council
19 February 2-3pm 24 February 10-11am 25 February 3-4pm
In Winter we have time to reflect on our successes and failures from last year’s growing season. Come and join the Botanic Garden’s Edible Gardening project for a session on ‘how to plan your plot’ to maximize your production while looking after your soil’s health.
Please select 1 session only as each is repeated 3 times.
Based on the IPCC report, it explains the climate functioning and the consequences of its disruption. It gives the opportunity to learn a lot in a very short period of time and addresses both novices and experts.
If the workshop is too expensive for you, contact us : contact@climatecollage.org
How the game works:
The workshop is based on a 42-card game. Each card represents an element, a cause or a consequence of climate change.
As a team, guided by your facilitator, you are to find the cause-effect relationship between the different components of climate change. Collective intelligence will get you from one deck of card to the next!
This step-by-step reconstruction provides keys to understand the complexity and develop an overview of climate change.
The workshop’s program:
A Brief History Of “The Climate Collage “ Icebreaker Reconstruction of the Climate Collage guided by your facilitator A little pause in between if needed Creative phase Debrief + time to share, express thoughts and feelings
REMEMBER: The workshop takes place online, a good internet connection is necessary.
Practical information:Make sure to have installed the zoom.us software, which will be the workshop’s communication platform.
You will receive an email with all the technical information you need, including the link to join the meeting two days and one minute before the workshop starts.
Please take your ticket only if you are sure that you can make it !
About our partner organisations
The Communities for Conservation project is run by Edinburgh & Lothians Regional Equality Council and is funded by the Climate Challenge Fund.
It aims to inspire Ethnic Minority communities in Edinburgh and Livingston to save carbon.
Edinburgh & Lothians Regional Equality Council (ELREC) is made up of individual members and representatives from a wide range of organisations and has a remit to work across the areas of City of Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian & West Lothian Councils.
Please contact event organiser Claire with any specific questions: mrn.claire@gmail.com
As the Chair of ELREC, an equality organisation, I want to share some of our concerns in regards to Covid and the roll out of the vaccine, especially amongst BAME groups.
Since the start of this pandemic, it’s been obvious that information has not always been disseminated properly specifically amongst our local ethnic minority communities.
There hasn’t been official translated information made available to minority groups, specifically to those with language and literacy issues which is quite prevalent amongst the older BAME generations.
People not being able to understand something is daunting as it is but if it relates to their health and wellbeing then it’s an actual risk to them. Many older south Asians living in Edinburgh and Lothians rely on friends and family to relay information to them, and this doesn’t always happen so they are left to rely on foreign messages which may not always be correct.
During the Covid-19 pandemic the information hasn’t always been executed the best or in a responsible manner which has led to many relying on other sources.
Misinformation in these circumstances can be just as deadly as the virus. People need to know factual information about every aspect of the pandemic. As the vaccine is being rolled out, we need to know the facts, in order to ensure all individuals are vaccinated.
We need facts, such as the ingredients and side effects. Many BAME people have underlying health issues and illnesses specific to their groups so how will the vaccine affect them, has it been tested vastly and diversely enough.
Everyone has the right to correct information, in a manner they understand and can apply to their lives and this is the responsibility of every government. I call on the Scottish Government to ensure the facts regarding the vaccine are communicated to the BAME community in a way that reassures them.
Foysol Choudhury MBE
Chair. Edinburgh and Lothian Regional Equality Council
Communities across the country are to benefit from fast-tracked funding to help tackle climate change and deliver Scotland’s green recovery from the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
A total of 279 projects will be funded through the Community Climate Asset Fund, helping to deliver electric bikes, food growing equipment and glazing to improve energy efficiency.
Successful recipients of the Fund based in the capital include Freh Start, Stockbridge Parish Church, ELREC and Granton Parish Church.
Climate Change Secretary Roseanna Cunningham said: “Communities across the country are playing a vital role in responding to the pandemic crisis and in maintaining our resilience, our sense of spirit and our local support network.
“In what remains an exceptionally difficult time for us all, this funding is providing fast, tangible support to deliver long-lasting benefits to community based organisations while also helping them tackle climate change as we accelerate our just transition to a net zero society.
“I am particularly pleased that the successful recipients of the Community Climate Asset Fund come from right across the country, meaning many thousands of people will benefit from the projects and help play their part in ending Scotland’s contribution to climate change.”
Chief Executive Officer of Keep Scotland Beautiful Barry Fisher said: “We congratulate all the community-based organisations across Scotland awarded Community Climate Asset Fund grants.
“Keep Scotland Beautiful are committed to making Scotland clean, green and sustainable, and through the Community Climate Asset Fund, we are delighted to support communities to tackle climate change and contribute to a green and just recovery from COVID-19.”
A total of 279 organisations are being funded through the Community Climate Asset Fund. Edinburgh projects to receive funding are:
Action Porty. For community building energy efficiency improvements. £3,777.60.
Blood Bikes Scotland. For an electric motorcycle and charging station to help to reduce carbon emissions within the Lothian region by transporting urgent items for the NHS more sustainably. £24,896.70
Craigmillar Now. For community building energy efficiency improvements. £9,770.00.
Edinburgh and Lothians Regional Equality Council. For an electric vehicle to help the BAME communities of Edinburgh to reduce local carbon emissions by empowering their club users to drive more sustainably. £12,150.00
Edinburgh Community Food. For an electric van and charging point to help reduce carbon emissions in Edinburgh by delivering food parcels to families and local community organisations more sustainably. £28,607.16
Edinburgh Hindu Mandir and Cultural Centre. For insulation and low-energy lighting to help the Hindu community of Edinburgh to reduce local carbon emissions by making the community hall more energy efficient. £24,660.00
Edinburgh Napier Students’ Association. For food growing equipment. £2,660.00.
Fresh Start. For an electric van to help reduce carbon emissions in Edinburgh by distributing donations and running their PAT testing service more sustainably. £13,986.00
Friends of Seaview. For food growing and food waste equipment. £2,036.32.
Inverleith Allotments Association. For garden waste reduction equipment. £3,474.00.
Stockbridge Parish Church. For community building energy efficiency improvements. £3,790.80.
Swap and Re-use Hub Co-operative (Edinburgh) Ltd. For an electric cargo bike, fridge and freezer to help the Food Sharing Edinburgh Network to reduce local carbon emissions by reducing emissions for collections and deliveries and diverting more surplus food from landfill. £7,703.00.
The Broomhouse Centre. For an electric van to help communities in South West Edinburgh to reduce carbon emissions by distributing food donations, other deliveries, and activities more sustainably. £18,601.92
The Edinburgh Remakery Ltd. For textile repair equipment as part of the Covid-19 response. £1,000.00.
The Friends of Duddingston Charitable Trust. For food growing equipment. £2,956.83.
The Welcoming Association. For food growing and food waste equipment. £3,100.00.
Water of Leith Conservation Trust. For an electric cargo bike and community building energy efficiency improvements. £4,496.78.
Another quarter in lockdown but I am very hopeful that it will be over soon enough. I think most of us have learnt and adapted to the situation well, but I also know it has been even hard for many. But I want to just remind us all that we are in this together and will get through it together and end up better and even more resilient than before.
As you already know many organisations, businesses and our usual way of life is still on hold in some ways however that does not mean we stop altogether. Online has become the new ‘norm’ although we can still video chat and see family online, its not the same as meeting them face to face.
ELREC has been very busy during this time with the current projects, Communities for Conservation, True Colours, Open Arms and Equalities Engagement. We have been doing much of our work online however our services continue to be open and operating in a socially distanced way.
Our Covid projects, equally informed and Food support has been very busy and well established in the communities. The first provides translated information to various communities on Covid and the lockdown to ensure everyone has equal access to the information we all need to follow. We also offer food support every Friday to around 25-30 families who are in need during these difficult times.
Finally, I want to thank the staff and all the ELREC team and volunteers for their work and efforts especially with organising our online events and delivering the food support service.
Wishing you a happy festive season and best wishes for 2021.
