‘Scotland is crying out for some big, transformative ideas’ – Common Weal’s Robin McAlpine
Common Weal Director Robin McAlpine will join over 100 Common Weal supporters from across Edinburgh and The Lothians to launch the Common Weal ‘A Book of Ideas’ at City of Edinburgh Methodist Church on Friday evening. Continue reading A Book of Ideas for Scotland
An invitation to a community Open Space discussion event for Northern Edinburgh and Leith
Tuesday 1 December McDonald Road Library 6 – 9pm
I would like to draw your attention to a community-focused event coming up shortly which I think will be of interest to you and to your contacts living and working in Northern Edinburgh & Leith. Continue reading Change is coming …
Consultation period extended until 17 December
New proposals to help save the Council money over the next four years have been published for public comment. Edinburgh’s citizens can submit their views on measures, which add to a series of existing proposals on how the Council is to make an annual saving of at least £126m by 2020.
There will now also be an extra week for feedback, with the engagement period now running until 17 December.
Continue reading Council budget: have your say on ‘Transformation Programme’
Blackhall Library 6.30pm
Do you want to hear how things are going in North? Come hear what you told us in the Edinburgh People’s Survey, how the North team and other INP Partners are performing and what’s been happening towards key priorities in the Local Community Plan 2014-2017. Come to Blackhall Library tonight at 6.30pm!
Papers for Inverleith Neighbourhood Partnership meeting on Monday.
Granton Community Gardeners to share their bumper harvest 
Weather’s turning wintry, time to gather inside and have some hot food!
YOU’RE ALL INVITED!
Friday 20 November, 6pm Royston Wardieburn Community Centre
No need to bring anything, but message us if you’d like to help organise, set up or bring food. (and RSVPs are helpful for numbers)
Granton Community Gardeners committee member Tom Kirby reports:
Most things have grown really well in the gardens this year, and there’s been a great regular team of local residents, we’ve all learned a lot from each other! We still meet up every Tuesday and Saturday at 11am (unless weather is really bad!) at the community garden on the corner of Boswall Parkway and Wardieburn Road. Anyone is very welcome to join us, no prior gardening experience needed!
This Saturday (weather permitting) we’ll be sowing the first of our trial plots of winter wheat! We are participating in a project organised by Bread Matters, to try growing small scale plots of varieties of wheat that used to be grown in Scotland before cereal production became so industrialised (and before issues like gluten intolerances were such a problem).
We’re already making plans for next year, but it’s good to take some time to relax and celebrate what’s been achieved.
Hope you’re well and keeping warm,
Tenants & Residents in Muirhouse (TRIM) meets tomorrow (Tuesday 10 November) at 6.30pm in Muirhouse Millennium Community Centre. All welcome. Continue reading TRIM meeting tomorrow
PILTON EQUALITIES PROJECT
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
MONDAY 16 NOVEMBER 11am – 12 noon
Pilton Equalities Project (PEP) welcomes nominations for membership of the Board of Directors from people who live in North Edinburgh and representatives of local organisations who have an interest in the work of the Project.
The maximum number of members of the Board is 11, with a majority of members being elected from groups or activities associated with the Project. If more than 11 nominations are received in time for the Annual General Meeting then there will be a vote at the AGM. A further 4 co-opted places will be available for those who have experience and/or skills which could be of assistance to the directors
Completed nomination forms must returned by Friday 13 November.
If you wish to stand for appointment at the 2014/15 Annual General Meeting of Pilton Equalities Project, please fill in the nomination form (below) and then sign it and return it to Pilton Equalities Project, 3 West Pilton Park, Edinburgh, EH4 4EL
ARCADEUM: art project looking for unusual collections 
Whether it’s an interest, an obsession, a hobby or a habit; from animal ornaments to ankle bracelets, from zulu masks to zoo souvenirs, intentionally or by chance – lots of us collect things.
As part of ARCADEUM, a new art project based at North Edinburgh Arts, artist Hans Clausen is looking for residents in North Edinburgh who have collections. Hans plans to create an exhibition around local residents collections accompanied by a book and/or website featuring people’s collections and the stories attached to them.
He would like to hear from anyone of any age who has a collection they’d like to share … the more unusual the better! Over the coming year the ARCADEUM project will be exploring the purpose, potential and possibilities of public art, specifically in and around the new Community Partnership Centre to be built in Pennywell in 2016.
There will be public art events, exhibitions and opportunities for participation, collaboration and discussion. Bringing people together to talk about the things they collect is a way of finding common interests and starting conversations about why we like what we like, the value and worth of things and how we relate and respond to the stuff that surrounds us.
If you’re a collector, a happy hoarder or just happen to have a curious collection of things Hans would like to hear from you. Please get in touch, leave us your contact details and Hans will be happy to meet with you to hear about your collection!
You can contact Hans by:
www.arcadeum.org
Muirhouse Millennium Community Centre
Thursday 15 October 7 – 9pm
Free soup and sandwiches!
Local women get together again to make a difference
Royston Wardieburn Community Centre-based Womens International Group (WIG) held a successful follow-up to their June ‘Getting Together, Making A Difference‘ event last month. Here’s the conference report:
Background
The first Getting Together Making a Difference event took place on 18 June 2015. A new exhibition created by the Women’s International Group was launched at the event. The exhibition celebrated the achievements of local women through the decades who individually and collectively have made a huge contribution to the community of North Edinburgh.
The event also included the screening of 2 short films on the theme of home created by a local women’s group from North Edinburgh and a group of women from Maryhill who were refugees and asylum seekers. Below is an extract of the comments made by participants during the discussion after the film:
The following decisions came out the meeting:
Aims of second Getting Together Making a Difference event
GETTING TOGETHER MAKING A DIFFERENCE
(SECOND EVENT)
Session 1: Home
Following the screening of the Making It Home films, participants were asked to pair up with another person to discuss what home meant to them. The following comments were made during the feedback session:
Home is:
It was pointed out by a number of participants that a lot of homes and communities aren’t safe and supportive and that this situation has a huge impact on people’s everyday lives.
We took time to reflect on the fact that ‘home’ is not a safe place for many people around the world at the moment. In Syria, for example, 11 million people have had to leave their homes and their communities over the last 4 years to escape war and persecution. Over 4 million of those displaced by the conflict have been forced to leave their homeland in search of a safer future in a different country. Sadly, many thousands of those seeking refuge have died on those treacherous journeys hundreds of miles from home.
Siobhan Glean, an inspirational black woman, who has made North Edinburgh her home, recited an extract from a powerful poem by Maya Angelou. The words were chosen because they resonate with the experience of refugees and asylum seekers facing hostility, racism and inhumane treatment in many parts of Europe today:
Still I Rise
You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may tread me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I’ll rise.
Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I’ll rise.
Did you want to see me broken?
Bowed head and lowered eyes?
Shoulders falling down like teardrops.
Weakened by my soulful cries.
You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I’ll rise.
Out of the huts of history’s shame
I rise
Up from a past that’s rooted in pain
I rise
I’m a black ocean, leaping and wide,
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.
Leaving behind nights of terror and fear
I rise
Into a daybreak that’s wondrously clear
I rise
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
I rise
I rise
I rise.
We were then led by the Timebank Temptations in a song which reflected support and compassion for our fellow humans caught up in the worst humanitarian crisis since the Second World War:
What is peace to you
We are calling compassion for all
Everybody has the right to a safe home.
Part 2: Getting Together. Making a Difference
We were inspired by a film made in 1993 by Muirhouse Anti-Racism Campaign. The film and the testimonies of those involved in the campaign highlighted the importance of showing solidarity with people who are being discriminated against and how much can be achieved when a few committed people join together.
We are reminded about the dangers of racism by the following quote by Willie Adams, one of the founder members of MARC:
“Most white people don’t understand that racism of this sort affects them as well. Quite apart from the fact that racism is wrong, they don’t see how easy it is for prejudice to divide the community. Racism is not a solution, it’s a way of distracting people’s attention from the real issues.”
Part 3: Where do we go from here?
Those present expressed their wish to build a stronger and more supportive community. The following suggestions were put forward with regard to how this might be achieved:
Action Points:
Conclusion
It was agreed to organise a meeting in the next few weeks for people who are interested in forming a group to take forward these ideas.
Anna Hutchison who chaired the event then recited the following poem which she wrote in response to the plight of refugees around the world.
Hands Across the Water
Hands across the water
Hands beyond the seas
People living together
In perfect harmony
People helping others
Joining hands together
Sisters and brothers sharing, caring for you and me.
The event concluded on a high note with a song. The lyrics remind of us of our moral responsibility to stand up not only for our own rights but also for the rights of others.
‘Something Inside So Strong’ – Labi Siffre
The higher you build your barriers
The taller I become
The farther you take my rights away
The faster I will run
You can deny me
You can decide to turn your face away
No matter, cos there’s….
Something inside so strong
I know that I can make it
Tho’ you’re doing me wrong, so wrong
You thought that my pride was gone
Oh no, something inside so strong
Oh oh oh oh oh something inside so strong
The more you refuse to hear my voice
The louder I will sing
You hide behind walls of Jericho
Your lies will come tumbling
Deny my place in time
You squander wealth that’s mine
My light will shine so brightly
It will blind you
Cos there’s …
Something inside so strong
I know that I can make it
Tho’ you’re doing me wrong, so wrong
You thought that my pride was gone
Oh no, something inside so strong
Oh oh oh oh oh something inside so strong
Brothers and sisters
When they insist we’re just not good enough
When we know better
Just look ’em in the eyes and say
I’m gonna do it anyway
I’m gonna do it anyway
Something inside so strong
And I know that I can make it
Tho’ you’re doing me wrong, so wrong
You thought that my pride was gone
Oh no, something inside so strong
Oh oh oh oh oh something inside so strong
Brothers and sisters
When they insist we’re just good not enough
When we know better
Just look ’em in the eyes and say
I’m gonna do it anyway
I’m gonna do it anyway
I’m gonna do it anyway
I’m gonna do it anyway
Because there’s something inside so strong
And I know that I can make it
Tho’ you’re doing me, so wrong
You thought that my pride was gone
Oh no, something inside so strong
Oh oh oh oh oh something inside so strong
