More power to the people

Government beefs up Community Empowerment Bill to encourage community participation in decision-making

More community involvement in the decisions of public bodies will strengthen democracy, according to Community Empowerment Minister Marco Biagi .

A change to the Community Empowerment Bill, agreed by the Local Government and Regeneration Committee last week, encourages public bodies to promote and facilitate participation with people and communities in decision making and budget setting.

The move follows huge participation in last year’s independence referendum.
Ministers will also have powers to require public bodies to engage if they fail to do so.

Speaking at the Community Development Alliance Scotland conference in Glasgow earlier this week, Mr Biagi said: “Involving people and communities in decision-making unquestionably makes for better decisions.

“As the referendum demonstrated, people will get involved when they understand the issues at stake and know that they can make a difference. It’s my job to ensure that enthusiasm continues and make it clear that people know their voice matters.

“Participation is about more than consulting, it is about empowering communities to shape decisions and have a say on how ideas are delivered.

“18 Scottish councils have taken up the Government’s offer of training and support for participatory budgeting projects, giving communities the chance to have their say on local budgets. That helps build community capacity while ensuring the public sector understands local needs and priorities and can target budgets more effectively to improve services.

“More participation brings fresh perspectives, strengthens democracy and will help build a fairer Scotland.”

Fiona Garven, Chair of Community Development Alliance Scotland said: “CDAS welcomes the changes to the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Bill which will pave the way for communities to be involved in meaningful decisions about how public money is spent.

“We are encouraged that the legislation will also require processes to be put in place to support communities and community organisations to engage with public bodies to raise awareness of local issues and to contribute to more effective shaping and delivery of local services.

“Such support will be important to encourage the involvement of a diverse range of communities in local democratic processes and achieve a rebalance of power across all sections of Scottish society.”

Scotland will eventually leave UK, research suggests

Political engagement is highest in Scotland – but few people believe they can make a difference

Most people in the UK now believe Scotland will become an independent country and eventually leave the UK, according to new research from the University of Edinburgh.

The findings are taken from a survey of more than 7000 voters across Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland which asked people about a range of constitutional issues.

The majority of people surveyed across the four nations believe that Scotland will eventually leave the UK – 69 per cent in Scotland; 59 per cent in England; 54 per cent in Wales; and 59 per cent in Northern Ireland.

The survey found that 15 per cent of Scots think the country will become independent within five years and 32 per cent believe it will happen within ten. Overall, more than two-thirds of Scots believe the country will eventually vote for independence.

Deputy First Minister John Swinney said: “The Scottish Government continues to believe independence is the best option for Scotland, and the survey finds most Scots think this is where the constitutional journey will take us.

“We also believe strongly that Scotland being taken out of the EU in a referendum in circumstances, where a majority of Scots had voted to stay in, would be massively damaging economically and have major constitutional implications.

“The referendum on independence was a wonderful experience of democratic engagement, bringing people into politics who in some cases had not been involved in decades, if at all.

“I therefore welcome the findings that political engagement in Scotland is higher than in the rest of the UK, particularly among young people and that there remains a strong appetite for debate over the constitution. Scots are significantly more likely to say that they will vote in the 2015 Westminster election.”

Despite the views on constitutional issues, those surveyed do not believe ‘ordinary people’ have a big influence on how the UK is run – politicians, political parties, businesses, trade unions and local councils are seen to hold greater influence on the running of the country.

Dr Jan Eichhorn, of the University of Edinburgh’s School of Social and Political Science, said: “People across the UK show an appetite for discussions about how the country should be governed. However, it is worrying to see how little people think they can actually make a difference.”

Dr Daniel Kenealy said: “Despite Nicola Sturgeon’s call for an EU referendum veto by the four nations of the UK, and First Minister of Wales Carwyn Jones’s support for the idea, it remains unpopular with people across the UK.”

A Labour spokesman said: “This poll shows that people are frustrated with the way that politics works, and they want to have a bigger say in how our country is run. Making our country work for working people is the best way to bring all parts of it together again.

“That is why Labour has committed to a constitutional convention, made up of people from all parts of the country and all walks of life, to change the way our country works.”

A spokesman for the Scottish Conservatives said fears about the end of the Union were being heightened by the prospect of a pact at Westminster between Labour and the SNP in the event of a hung parliament.

The spokesman said: “With Labour flirting with the SNP in the hope it gets them into government, and the Lib Dems dead in the water it’s no surprise people fear the constitutional question isn’t yet over.”

Voluntary Sector Forum dates set

Get your diaries out … Forth and Inverleith Voluntary Sector Forum meetings have been set for the rest of the year … and the first one of 2016 has been scheduled in too!

22 APRIL

22 JULY

21 OCTOBER

20 JANUARY 2016

The meetings will be held on Wednesday mornings from 10am – 12 noon at venues to be confirmed.

Give it a try? Game On with Edinburgh Rugby

Edinburgh Rugby’s Game On project has now been running for two years and the project is now beginning to expand and seeks new partners to work alongside.

Game On aims to help young people aged 16 to 19 who are not currently in employment, education or training to find their way in life, to get into a training programme, find a job or apprenticeship or return to education.

The participants will learn new skills both on and off the field; on the field participants will take part in introductory rugby sessions at BT Murrayfield Stadium, the home of Edinburgh Rugby and the Scotland team. Throughout the rugby sessions the core values of Scottish Rugby will form the backbone of the content, aiming to instil the values of Respect, Leadership, Achievement, Engagement & Enjoyment.

Our expertise are the values of the sport, both on and off the field. Encouraging teamwork, confidence, increased activity and the benefits of living a healthy lifestyle (both physically and mentally).

Some of the topics cover throughout our sessions are:

Goal Setting
Drugs and Alcohol awareness,
Nutrition and Hydration,
Interview Practise(s)
Rugby’s core values
Learning to coach and the different principles of fitness along with the basics of how to train them.

Meeting the professional players who play for the team is also a very inspiring experience for the young people.

If you feel that working with Edinburgh Rugby would benefit your programme, in any way from one off sessions to weekly sessions please get in touch, we can come to you or use our magnificent home at BT Murrayfield stadium.

Mark Coull (Edinburgh Rugby – Game On Project Development Officer)

Telephone 0131 346 5076 | Mob: 079 682 505 30 | Mark.Coull@edinburghrugby.org |

www.edinburghrugby.org

Setting the agenda: North Edinburgh's Physical Activity Forum

How can we improve access to open spaces in North Edinburgh?

Looking forward to seeing you at next weeks’ NEPAF meeting where the theme will be ‘How can we improve access to open spaces in North Edinburgh?’ Response to this months’ forum meeting has been really positive; here is the agenda so far:

Presentation, sharing good practice- ‘Friends of Dalmeny Park’- Tom Hoon/Out of the Blue
West Pilton Park- Lianne Pipskyj/Clare Symonds PCHP
Community Growing- Kate Wimpress/NEAC
Informal/structured play on local green/brown sites- Kate Wimpress/NEAC
Forth Neighbourhood Partnership Community plan (physical activity priority)- Jim Pattison/FNP
Edinburgh Physical Activity and Sports Strategy- Active Lives- Sean Webster/ECC

The meeting takes place on Wednesday 10 December from 2 – 4pm

at Pilton Community Health Project, Boswall Parkway

It looks like it’s going to be a good one, can’t wait! It would be very helpful if we have an idea on numbers so if you could confirm attendance and add any agenda items by this Friday ( 5 December) that would be great!

Lianne Pipskyj (on behalf of NEPAF)

Development Worker- Physical Activity, Pilton Community Health Project

0131 551 1671

liannepipskyj@pchp.org.uk

www.pchp.org.uk

#StrongerNorth – the movie!

Click on the link below to see a short film about last weekend’s West Pilton cleanup:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYQPlJ4y9oQ (Preview)

And for more information about the #StrongerNorth initiative, follow:

https://www.facebook.com/edinburghcouncil?ref=hl

https://twitter.com/Edinburgh_CC

Scoop! Roving reporters session with NEYPF

We held a training day with North Edinburgh Young People’s Forum (NEYPF) at PCA’s Ferry Road Drive office on Monday.

Four local young people took part in a range of activities over the course of the day – analysing news, preparing for and conducting interviews, some photography and selecting images to accompany stories, research and then writing their own articles. We covered quite a lot during the session, and if the young folk weren’t exhausted by the end of the day I certainly was!

The results of their hard work will be seen here soon, and NEYFP will also be producing an article for a Youth NEN section of our next newspaper. Well done, guys!

Referendum Day North Edinburgh

Some local images capturing a momentous day. If you’d like to add some more to the collection please send them to northedinnews@gmail.com

French film crew covers the referendum at Muirhouse

Scotland’s young people: the future’s in your hands

First Minister Alex Salmond published a youth version of Scotland’s Future at a youth engagement event in Glasgow yesterday.

The young person’s guide to Scottish independence (see below) was made available as the Scottish Government hosted the first ever ‘Youth Cabinet’ – an opportunity for over 100 young Scots from across the country to quiz Scottish Ministers directly on independence plans.

In the first event of its kind event at Glasgow’s SECC, the young people quizzed the politicians who were seated at portfolio-themed tables. Then, after a rapid-fire 15 minutes a ‘gong’ was sounded and the young people moved on to ‘grill’ the next Minister!

Young people were involved in all aspects of the event, including hosting duties and the filming and live streaming of the session.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCQeB_6iNxE

Speaking at the youth cabinet First Minister Alex Salmond said: “I am proud that for the first time ever we have ensured 16 and 17 year-olds will get the vote.

“The case for independence rests on the talent and ability of our people. It will be better for all our futures if decisions about Scotland are taken by the people who care most about Scotland – the people who live and work here.

“No-one else will do a better job and no-one else has a bigger stake in our success and that fundamental truth applies to young people more than anyone else. In an independent Scotland your future – Scotland’s future – will be in the hands of our young people.

“Today we are also publishing a version of Scotland’s Future which focusses, in particular, on issues of interest to young people. It’s a plan to demonstrate how, working together, we can build a better, more prosperous and fairer country.

“For young people the prospect of an independent Scotland really is the opportunity of a lifetime and my message to them is let’s ensure Scotland’s future is in Scotland’s hands.”

Scotland’s Future