Tag: food

Community engagement takes centre stage at North Edinburgh Community Festival

Where: West Pilton Park
When: 12pm – 5:30pm, Saturday 11 May 2024
Social Media: Instagram – northedinfest, Facebook – northedinburghfest, Twitter – northedinfest

The third North Edinburgh Community Festival will take place on Saturday 1th May 2024 in West Pilton Park. The park sits in the heart of North Edinburgh and draws its audience from Pilton, Muirhouse, Granton, Drylaw, Davidson Mains, Silverknowes and Wardie.  

The event which has grown year on year is a fun, free to attend, family day out for new and existing residents to enjoy – promoting opportunities, creativity, enhancing community cohesion, reducing social isolation and celebrating the diversity of the area. 

The Festival is going from strength to strength with over 100 local groups, organisations and charities taking part and providing workshops, information and activities – from glitter tattoos to video games, from dodgeball and football to obstacle courses and interactive theatre.

In the open area at the far end of the park we will have the Army, Marines and the Airforce in attendance showing as well as the Scottish Fire Services. 

This year and moving forward, one of the key aims of the festival will be to work with young people in North Edinburgh and encouraging young people to take the reigns for future events and festivals.

One of the ways to engage with the young people is through music and over 600 young people from across North Edinburgh have taken part in the Tinderbox Garage Band Challenge, creating their own new music for the event. The winners will perform their original tracks on the main stage at the festival. 

The music for the festival has been curated by local organisations Tinderbox Collective and Granton Youth’s Mixtape Music Club.

There will be more than 30 acts playing over the afternoon including over 160 performers, almost all of them from the local neighbourhood. On the outdoor stage, highlights include the incredible Fischy Music, Ama-zing Harmonies Choir, Heritage Of India Through Dance and Edinburgh Ukrainian choir. 

On the indoor stage we have an exciting lineup of youth bands who are part of ‘North By North West’ a collaboration project between 5 youth music organisations across North Edinburgh the aim is to get the very best emerging talent out onto the Edinburgh music scene.

From the slick electronic pop of Muirhouse local (and BBC Introducing alumni) Laurent, Granton rapper Leon Highway, or the pop-rock stylings of Drenched in Dreams – we’ve got something to suit all tastes.  Look out for amazing youth artists A420, Kieran Crosbie, Mezari, and Trisha Muco finishing out the festival in collaboration with players from Tinderbox Orchestra.

Head into the Sports Hall of West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre to find Tinderbox Games Showcase, an exhibition of playable games made by young game designers of all ages from North Edinburgh.

These will be featured alongside an exciting new escape room made in collaboration with young people from Granton Youth, which draws inspiration from trips to the Granton Hub archives and the area’s rich history, as well as a selection of games made by previous winners of the East Lothian Game Jam.

You’ll discover a mix of digital, physical and table-top games made by the next up-and-coming generation of game designers and creators from the neighbourhood.

Look out for Granton Youth’s stall advertising its youth work provision, which includes work with local schools, detached youth work, counselling for parents and young people, open access youth clubs, family support, and Mixtape – our music club.

This year we are extremely excited to have so many of the Edinburgh Festivals joining us on the day.

Edinburgh Fringe Festival Society will have street performers on the day and will be handing out free tickets to shows at this years Fringe Festival under their new Fringe Days Out Scheme which offers free Fringe vouchers and Lothian bus tickets to people who wouldn’t normally get to experience the Fringe.

The Edinburgh Science Festival are back with bigger and better street performance style science shows as well as their cargo tricycle for their science demonstrations. 

And there will be storytelling activities for families from the Edinburgh International Book Festival Citizen Adults Writing Group plus loads of free books for children. 

North Edinburgh Arts have a host of activities planned across their two large marquees this year. There will be drop-in arts activities for children and families, carpet bowls, and information on their newly refurbished and extended building opening later this year.

There will be family-friendly performances by commissioned artists, selected by local children from Forthview Primary School and Pilton Youth, as part of the Creative Encounters project, delivered in partnership with Imaginate, the Childrens Festival and North Edinburgh Arts.

And there will be storytelling activities for families from the Edinburgh International Book Festival Citizen Adults Writing Group plus loads of free books for children. 

Of course, there cant be a festival without a parade and this year North Edinburgh Childcare have stepped up and organised the parade which will leave from their premises at 1130am and make its way along Ferry Road Drive around West Pilton Park and entering the park for the official start of the festival at 12noon.

The theme is Superheroes and any families looking to join in are most welcome. Pulse of Place will lead the parade and if you are around North Edinburgh on Saturday 11th May, you’ll most certainly hear the parade before you see it!

Other activities on the day include: 

  • Important information from around 80 third sector organisations
  • Badge making with Pilton Community Health Project
  • National Galleries of Scotland’s Art in the Open electric cargo-bike for a sustainable art making workshop
  • Storytelling with Muirhouse and Granton Libraries
  • Human tower building with Colla Castellera d’Edinburgh
  • Horses from Edinburgh Equilearn

Each year the festival provides free food – the amazing RRT (Rapid Relief Team) hand out a few thousand burgers and will return again this year.

There will also be free food from Bangla Kitchen and Multi-Cultural Family Base.

This year we have yet again a larger food presence with some new vendors but as always there is cap on the cost of food at £5. 

Lyndon Cane from RRT says “RRT is pleased to support North Edinburgh again by providing the signature burger meal at the North Edinburgh Community Festival.

“Care and Compassion is at the heart of what we do, and this event is important for us to attend so we can widen our support to communities during times of need.”

North Edinburgh Community Festival really does have the community at its very heart and we can’t wait to see everyone on the day.

 

Community Event: How Are You, Leith?

Dear Friends, We invite you to join us for our upcoming event on Sunday 22nd of October.

Як Ти, Leith? (How are you, Leith?) is sponsored by £eith Chooses.

We would like to bring together the Ukrainian and Leith communities.

The programme will include:

📌 A selection of traditional Ukrainian art workshops for both children and adults

📌Traditional food and refreshments would also be offered during the event.

📌Some live performances by Ukrainian singers,

Edinburgh Ukrainian choir “Oberih”

Dance ensemble “Kvity Ukrainy”,

Ukrainian children choir “Harmony” and more

Please, come, bring your family and friends 🇺🇦🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Sunshine guaranteed at North Edinburgh Community Festival!

LAUNCH PROMISES MORE STALLS, MORE MUSIC, MORE FOOD and.. SUNSHINE!

Next month’s North Edinburgh’s Community Festival will be even bigger than last years event, organisers announced at Tuesdays launch at West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre.

Around 6000 people attended last year’s gala event, and with at least SEVENTY marquees (up from 50 last year) and and not one but TWO music stages there promises to be even more for the local community to do, see and enjoy on 13 May.

Highlights include:

Disney-themed LIFT Parade from Muirhouse Millennium Centre to West Pilton Park to launch the Festival.

More than 70 local organisations and charities with Community Stalls

Two music stages: the open air Park Stage and the Green Room stage in West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre

The music line-up features a wealth of local talent. Performers include local youth orchestra Tinderbox, Granton Youth’s Mixtape Music Club and a session from ever-popular Fischy Music.

There’s a musical medley from the Edinburgh College Musical Theatre Group, performances from local choirs including Ama-zing Harmonies, AUGB Ukranian choir, Craigroyston High School Choir and a high-energy performance is guaranteed from local punk rockers Yer Local Bams. Low Tide, Rai Williams, Laurent and Abigail Kerner will also be performing live on the day in a musical feast.

Family events and activities will include Bookbug with Muirhouse Library and a Storytelling session with Edinburgh International Book Festival’s Citizen writers.

Fancy some sport? You’ll be spoilt for choice as Access Parkour, Spartans Community Football Academy and Inverleith Rugby Club will all be there. And there will be children’s Zumba classes.

North Edinburgh Arts will be organising arts and craft activities and Screen Education Edinburgh will offer film workshops. There’s an Army obstacle course, too.

There will also be learning and upskilling opportunities provided by local organisations including Edinburgh College will be offering course taster sessions.

All in all, there really should be something for everyone. And with sunshine (almost) guaranteed, it promises to be a great day.

Local activist Willie Black, a member of the Festival planning committee, introduced Tuesday’s launch. “We are very excited about this year’s Festival and it promises to be a really great event, a community celebration for everyone to enjoy.

“We have a wealth of diverse talent in this community and we want to share that talent far and wide. We’re looking forward to offering a warm North Edinburgh welcome to thousands of visitors next month, and the hope is that the Festival will be a great success and that it can become an annual event.”

North Edinburgh Community Festival is on Saturday 13 May from 12 – 5.30pm. Free event. All welcome.

IMAGES FROM LAUNCH EVENT:

Worried about your pet’s pounds?

PDSA and Royal Canin invite pet owners in Scotland to join in and ‘Weigh Up’ their pets

PDSA and Royal Canin are calling on pet owners in Scotland to take advantage of a free weight check for their four-legged friend by signing up to the new ‘Big Weigh In’ initiative.

The partnership launched their Weigh Up campaign in 2021, offering pet owners free online resources to assess and understand their pets’ weight throughout the pandemic.  The new PDSA Big Weigh In initiative will take place during February and March 2023 in conjunction with veterinary practices across the UK to help tackle the pet obesity crisis the UK pet population faces.

In 2022, the charity’s annual PAW (PDSA Animal Wellbeing) Report revealed 60% of owners regularly give their pet human food in some form, such as leftovers (26%), cheese (22%) and bread or toast (10%).

Human food is often high in fats and sugar, and can contribute to obesity and weight problems as well as potentially leading to an unbalanced diet for our pets. As per PDSA calculations, feeding a dog a slice of toast with butter, is the equivalent of a human eating two portions of fries. Similarly, feeding a cat three small cubes of cheese, is the equivalent of a human eating two quarter pounders!

One weight loss success story is Roscoe, who initially came into PDSA’s care weighing 75kg and after a tremendous effort from his owner, Roscoe managed to shed 23kg and he is very nearly at his ideal weight!

The excess weight was affecting Roscoe’s daily life through his breathing and energy levels, so losing the weight was vital for his health and happiness.

The main aim for PDSA Big Weigh In is to help other pets like Roscoe live a better and hopefully longer life, by maintaining a healthy weight.

For dog and cat owners in Scotland; you are able to find which vet practices are taking part and inviting pets to come in and get weighed on the veterinary practice map.  

PDSA Veterinary Surgeon, Lynne James said: “Our Weigh Up campaign was popular amongst pet owners who were keen to understand more about their pet’s weight, in order to keep them fit and healthy.

“Now we are taking the next step and launching PDSA Big Weigh In – where we are inviting owners to join in and visit a participating practice for a free weight check.

“We have also launched the PDSA #WeighUp Pet Weight Loss Support Group, for fellow pet owners to join, share their progress and access exclusive tips and content, including weekly Q&A’s with PDSA vets and vet nurses, all to help each pet owner with their pet’s weight loss journey.”

If you would like to find out more before visiting your local participating practice, please visit PDSA’s website.

Lauriston Farm Harvest Festival this Saturday

It’s nearly time… our Harvest Festival with @DandelionScot and @northedinarts is next weekend.

Details of the lineup on are our blog https://lauristonfarm.scot/posts/175

See you down on the farm!

#DandelionHarvest

#AnythingGrows

#Dandelion2022

#DandelionScot

#Edinburgh

#NorthEdinburgh

More than one million chickens die in misery every week for cheap meat

A new report from Open Cages has found that in order to meet demand for the UK’s favourite meat, 61 million chickens died before slaughter last year as a result of major welfare issues.

The authors blame supermarkets like Morrisons for continuing to source meat from genetically engineered “Frankenchickens” whilst M&S, Waitrose, KFC and retailers all over Europe move rapidly towards the Better Chicken Commitment.

Today – animal welfare charity Open Cages has published a scathing report:

The Price of British Chicken: How Supermarkets Are Failing on Animal Welfare

  • Chicken is Britain’s most popular meat, with consumption far outstripping beef, lamb or pork. Nearly 1.2 billion chickens were killed last year to meet demand, with most meat coming from ultra fast-growing Frankenchickens raised in conditions so crowded that in their last weeks an individual bird would have more room in the oven.
     
  • Citing figures from DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs), the authors claim 61 million chickens died before reaching the slaughterhouse last year as a result of these practices. Around 1.2 million chickens are dying every week.
  • The intensive conditions routinely cause debilitating welfare issues. The authors estimate that last year nearly 5 million chickens may have suffered heart attacks, 15 million may have had their necks broken by farmers due to severe lameness and over 24 million may have died from infection.
  • The authors argue that shoppers are manipulated by supermarkets dishing out “deceptive” labels and marketing campaigns which give the false impression that chickens are well cared for. Another recent report accused supermarkets of bombarding consumers with deals and offers on “unsustainable” meat from intensive farms.
     
  • Supermarkets like Tesco, Morrisons and Co-op are blamed for “refusing” to sign the RSPCA & Defra-backed Better Chicken Commitment (BCC) – a policy of improved welfare standards that prohibits the use of ultra fast-growing Frankenchickens and overcrowded conditions. Currently, the vast majority of supermarket chicken comes from the fastest growing breeds available which suffer the highest rates of premature death.
     
  • 300 companies across the UK and Europe have signed the BCC, including KFC, Nestle and Subway. It is estimated that 27% of the UK’s chickens are covered by the commitment, along with large supermarkets in France, Germany, Denmark, Spain and Poland. M&S and Waitrose are so far the only UK supermarkets to pledge.

Open Cages CEO & Co-Founder Connor Jackson comments: “The scale of suffering behind cheap chicken may be shocking to consumers, but to our major supermarkets it’s business as usual.

“They know full well that 1 in 3 Frankenchickens can barely walk, that millions die of heart attack, and that millions more die of horrendous diseases. And still, not only do even the self proclaimed “high welfare” and “ethical” retailers like Morrisons and Co-op continue to sell Frankenchickens, to package their meat as “welfare assured”, and to tell us Brits that they care deeply about animal welfare … they do all this knowing that alternatives are available.

“Hundreds of companies like M&S, Waitrose and even KFC have signed the Better Chicken Commitment, taking the lead in improving animal welfare. Instead of following, supermarkets like Morrisons ignore and bury the issue behind feel good marketing campaigns and PR spin. But these findings prove once and for all that it is all just a story to keep us coming back to the checkout: animals pay the ultimate price for cheap chicken.”

Chris Packham’s petition calling on UK supermarkets to sign the BCC has gained nearly a quarter of a million signatures. A recent YouGov poll found that a majority of Brits strongly oppose these types of farming practices even when taking cost savings to themselves into account.

The BBC’s Chris Packham comments: “I think consumers would be utterly disgusted to know that a million of these intelligent, sensitive birds are dying every week to get cheap chicken onto their plates.

“The misery these animals face on a daily basis is unnecessary and would outrage even the most ardent meat eaters, because it serves no purpose but to satisfy the profits of our major supermarkets who refuse to help them.

“Fortunately there are many things shoppers can do to help.

“As well as eating less meat to reduce demand, we can dramatically improve their lives in a matter of years simply by showing these large supermarkets that we want them to sign the Better Chicken Commitment.

“There must be a shift towards a middle ground of better, but affordable choices that will help us all take part in improving animal welfare without breaking the bank. It’s not fair for that opportunity to be reserved for only the well off.”

REPORT-_-The-Price-of-British-Chicken_-How-Supermarkets-Are-Failing-on-Animal-Welfare-Open-CagesDownload