I am pleased to be getting in touch to inform you about a Community Pop Up event regarding improvements to Arboretum Place and the area in front of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and Inverleith Park.
With thanks to the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, we welcome you to join us to see the proposals on Saturday 7th March from 10:30 – 2:00 pm on the Ground Floor of the John Hope Visitor Centre, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Arboretum Place, EH3 5NZ. The venue is fully accessible.
Stop by to hear more about the project, see the proposals, meet the design team and share your feedback.
We are working with the City of Edinburgh Council to develop concept designs for improvements to the site, looking at the introduction of sustainable drainage measures along the length of Arboretum Place and around the entrances to Inverleith Park and the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, including placemaking opportunities between the two.
This work forms part of Climate Ready Craigleith looking at flood management interventions and improvements across the catchment and sits under the cities overarching Climate Ready Edinburgh strategy.
Community projects have been given the green light after another successful public vote at the annual Leith Chooses event.
Thanks to the decisions of people in the Leith (ward 13) and Leith Walk (ward 12) areas of the city, the following organisations have received Community Grant Funding to progress projects that seek to improve wellbeing in Leith:
Dr Bell’s Family Centre – ‘Wellbeing in Leith’
Milan Senior Welfare Organisation – ‘Leith Connections’
Leith Community Growers – ‘Dùthchas – Growing an Orchard for the People’
Edinburgh Community Food – ‘Tasty Tales of Leith’
Water of Leith Conservation Trust – ‘Coalie Coalition Resources’
Edinburgh & Lothians Regional Equality Council – ‘Efficient and Healthy Cooking’
Pilmeny Development Project – ‘Wellbeing in Leith: Supporting Older People Out of Isolation’
Living Memory Association – ‘The Wee Hub’
Mustard Seed Edinburgh – ‘Roots and Routes: Conversations on Easter Road’
Kin Collective Family Wellbeing – ‘Kin Begins: Community Wellbeing Pregnancy Support’
From a community orchard to activity programmes tackling social isolation, this year will see the start of a variety of exciting new experiences in the area.
Culture and Communities Convener Margaret Graham said:“It’s great to see so many fantastic local projects benefitting through the Leith Chooses scheme. I look forward to seeing the difference this investment will make over the coming months.
“Participatory budgeting gives residents a genuine voice and real influence over how public funds are allocated, and it has been delivering meaningful results in Leith for more than a decade.
“I’m delighted that nearly £2million of income generated from the visitor levy is now going to use participatory budgeting to support activity that makes a difference for communities right across Edinburgh.”
Steering Group Chair Councillor Susan Rae said:“Thank you to everyone who took part in another successful Leith Chooses. I’m really looking forward to seeing these new projects develop.
“There’s a big push for Participatory Budgeting across the city of Edinburgh, and I’m just delighted to see it continue in Leith, well over a decade since it was first conceived.”
Steering group volunteer member and Harbour Homes’ Placemaking & Employability Officer Rachel Hutton said:“I was truly impressed and inspired to be part of my first Leith Chooses event.
“The passion of local people and the commitment shown by fund applicants are remarkable — qualities that would make anyone who lives, works or volunteers in Leith proud. This is what community involvement looks like in action.”
Steering Group Member Councillor Jack Caldwell said:“Once again, hundreds of people turned out to support wellbeing in Leith.
“Community Grant Funding continues to be vitally important for residents of all ages, and it’s great to see so many people across our neighbourhoods share so much enthusiasm for community wellbeing, and we’ll no doubt see some great projects take shape.”
SUPPORT YOUR COMMUNITY FESTIVAL – REGISTRATION NOW OPEN!!!
As many of you know, we run this event on passion, community spirit, and a shoestring but this year the funding challenges have been extreme. So much so that, for the first time, we’re facing the very real possibility that the festival might not be able to go ahead.
To give us the best chance of keeping it alive, we’ve introduced a tiered cost for stalls, ranging from a heavily discounted £80 up to £250 depending on the size of your organisation.
This structure lets smaller groups stay involved while asking those with more resources to chip in a little extra to support the wider community.
If you’re taking a trading or community stall, we’re encouraging everyone who can to select the £150 payment. That contribution genuinely makes a difference to whether the festival can run. But if £80 is what’s manageable for you, please know that it’s still hugely appreciated, your presence matters just as much.
We’re doing everything we can to protect this festival and the space it creates for local makers, groups, and neighbours.
Your support, in whatever form you can offer it, means the world.
Thank you for sticking with us and for being part of what makes this festival special.
Community Councils, have you signed up for our next free webinar yet?
On 25th February at 6pm we welcome Scottish Government Local Governance Review team who will be providing an update on Democracy Matters policy development.
There will be an opportunity to ask questions on the process and next steps.
Community Councils can register for this free event using the link below:
We should decide what happens in West Pilton/West Granton come along to learn more.
This event is being put on by myself (Jessica Fenn) and Chris Cullen – we live here, we aren’t an outside organisation, and we want other locals to join us
FM: Scots should make choices that best serve Scotland’s interests
Independence would give the people of Scotland new opportunities to improve their standards of living, according to a new paper published by First Minister John Swinney.
‘A Fresh Start with Independence’ examines how an independent Scotland would be able to improve the economy and the NHS, and tackle issues such as household finances, pensions, social security, migration, energy and defence.
The paper states that the Scottish Government has worked hard to improve the lives of people living in Scotland using devolved powers but it would only be able to fully capitalise on the nation’s potential with independence.
The First Minister said: “I firmly believe that the people who live in Scotland are best placed to make decisions about Scotland. That is the fundamental democratic and practical argument underpinning the case that we make.
“Too many people in Scotland today do not have a decent standard of living and are finding it difficult to make ends meet. That is because standards of living in the UK have improved little in over 10 years, due to a failing economic system and Westminster decisions such as austerity and the disastrous decision to leave the European Union. Scotland did not support austerity and it did not support Brexit. The reality is Westminster is not working for Scotland.
“The Scottish Government works tirelessly to use the powers of devolution to deliver the very best for Scotland. Much good has been achieved through the expansion of early learning and childcare, the introduction of free university tuition, the expansion of the rail network, the introduction of Minimum Unit Pricing of alcohol, the creation of the Scottish Child Payment and many other measures.
“But Scotland needs to be able to improve the opportunities available to our people, our communities and our businesses. Scotland needs to build a stronger, more inclusive economy that works for all. Those possibilities would only be available to Scotland with the fresh start of independence.
“We have shown that when we have the power to decide for ourselves, we find solutions and make choices that best serve Scotland’s interests. I believe Scotland can and will become a successful independent country, with a more dynamic economy and a fairer society.”
The Scottish Conservatives don’t agree, oddly enough:
Ian Murray, MP for Edinburgh South, has called on the City of Edinburgh Council in a formal open letter today to take urgent steps to secure the future of Edinburgh South Community Football Club (ESCFC), one of Scotland’s biggest and most successful community clubs.
ESCFC, has over 1,000 players across 75 teams and more than 200 volunteers, collectively contributing over 40,000 hours of unpaid time, is facing severe challenges due to a shortage of pitches and lack of long-term security over its facilities. Every week, 5–10 children are being turned away, while six full teams, around 120 young people, risk having nowhere to train from September.
Despite more than seven years of talks with the Council, the club still does not have the land security or access to facilities it needs. Edinburgh Leisure has not responded since March regarding long-term Astro pitch availability, and without action the club has missed out on major investment opportunities, such as the £8.6m Scottish FA Pitching In fund.
The club’s impact stretches far beyond football, with initiatives including:
Free after school club and holiday camps (averaging 600 free places weekly across the year)
Free mental health counselling and physiotherapy
Racism and disability awareness training
Free use of club facilities for local schools
Fee waivers and discounts for families in need
Completely free Soccer School every Saturday for up to 120 children aged 5-8
ESCFC is a Platinum-level accredited club, the highest recognition awarded by the SFA, and has been nominated for National Community Club of the Year.
Ian Murray MP said: ““Edinburgh South CFC is a shining example of everything that is good about grassroots football. The scale of the club’s impact from free school holiday places to counselling, mentoring, and a boot exchange programme is extraordinary.
“But that success is now under threat. It is simply unsustainable for children to be turned away week after week because of a lack of facilities and security, and miss out on repeated funding rounds.
“This has gone on far too long. The Council must now step up, work with the club, and deliver the long-term security and pitches it desperately needs.”
Joe Sneddon, Chair of Edinburgh South CFC, said: “Our ethos has always been simple: if you want to play, you play.Thanks to our incredible volunteers we’ve been able to make that a reality for decades, but the lack of facilities and long-term backing is now putting that at risk. We don’t want to turn children away, yet that’s exactly what is happening.
“The Council cannot allow a club of this standing, delivering this scale of community benefit, to be held back by lack of facilities and short-term agreements. The time for warm words is over, we need action to allow us to continue delivering for our communities.”
Ian Murray has written formally to the Council setting out a series of practical steps, including a new Astroturf pitch at Inch Park, guaranteed access to the new Liberton High School Astro, and long-term leases at key facilities across South Edinburgh.
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