A visual legacy celebrating a project aimed at restoring seagrass and oysters to the Firth of Forth has been unveiled.
The mural in the grounds of the Heart of Newhaven Community Centre celebrates the innovative Restoration Forth initiative which aims to bring back seagrass meadows and European flat oysters to the waterway.
Edinburgh based mural artist and illustrator Natasha Russell was commissioned by the Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh to bring to life the restoration activities across the Forth.
Local residents, alongside pupils from Victoria Primary School, attended workshops to explore what the themes and design of the artwork would be.
Artist Natasha Russell said: “It’s been an absolute pleasure to work with the local community and Restoration Forth, RBGE and Heart of Newhaven in order to design this mural.
“Through creating the artwork we wanted to celebrate and help to spark interest in the return of oysters to the Firth of Forth and the ways that they can benefit local communities once again by enhancing water quality and supporting biodiversity. The mural also looks to capture the story of how the oysters in the Forth used to support fishing communities in Newhaven and highlights how our relationship with this species has changed over time.
“Through painting the mural at the Heart of Newhaven we hope to support the lively environment of this community space and to make an artwork that is accessible to the wide range of people who pass this wall.”
Workshop participant Beth Cockerline said: “It was so lovely to come together to discuss the mural , the local community and learn about the beauty and importance of the oysters.
“I’ve been telling everyone how cool and vital they are.”
Workshop participant Lucy Neville said: “I have loved the opportunity to be involved in the mural workshops. The Forth was once such a biodiverse estuary filled with life that supported us communities.
“Volunteering with Restoration Forth has given me the faith that it can be that way again. And the mural will be a daily reminder of our history, present and potential future, as a community that is part of the river and sea.”
Heart of Newhaven is a community hub for the Restoration Forth project, aiming to engage local people with efforts to restore and enhance the Firth of Forth.
Judy Crabb, Chair of Heart of Newhaven said: “It is a great privilege for us to be the location for a beautiful mural that represents such an important part of the heritage of this area. We can’t wait to share it with everyone that visits the Heart for years to come.”
The oyster beds around the Firth of Forth were some of the most famous in Scotland over the 17th and 18th centuries. Oysters were significant for jobs, the economy and diet in the local Newhaven and Leith areas.
The ‘Newhaven Fishwives’ would sell oysters around Edinburgh and were a prominent part of the community. Some records show that nearly 30 million oysters were fished from the Firth of Forth annually. Unfortunately, overfishing and industrial development led to the local extinction of oysters in the area.
We now understand a lot more about the benefits of oysters within an ecosystem. Where there are oyster reefs, you can also find juvenile fish, crabs, sea snails, sponges and more! By reintroducing European flat oysters to the Firth of Forth, we’re creating a sanctuary for a vast array of marine life. Recent research suggests that by restoring healthy oyster beds, biodiversity could potentially double over a 10-year period.
Restoration Forth was recently announced as a finalist at the Nature of Scotland Awards.
The aim of Restoration Forth, a partnership with communities and organisations, is to restore 4 hectares of seagrass meadows and European flat oyster beds in the Firth of Forth. Partners delivering Restoration Forth include WWF, Edinburgh Shoreline, Fife Coast & Countryside Trust, Heriot Watt University, Marine Conservation Society, Project Seagrass, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Scottish Seabird Centre, The Ecology Centre, and The Heart of Newhaven Community.
This three-year programme has been made possible by funding from Aviva, the Moondance Foundation, the ScottishPower Foundation, and Sky; this project is also supported by the Scottish Government’s Nature Restoration Fund, facilitated by the Scottish Marine Environmental Enhancement Fund, and managed by NatureScot.
PICTURE: ANDREW PERRY
Victoria Primary School Head Teacher Rhian Chapman cuts the ribbon with some of the pupils that were involved in the mural design workshops
We are excited to invite you to our Doors Open Day
on Saturday 28th September & Sunday 29th September 10am – 4pm
Join us for a day filled with fun activities, delicious food and music. Explore our vibrant community, tour the building and grounds and dabble in some of the workshops on offer.
Don’t miss out on this exciting opportunity to celebrate with us and be sure to arrive in time for the Unveiling of our new Oyster Mural at 11:00 on Saturday !
We will be open from 10am – 4pm on both Saturday 28th September and Sunday 29th September 2024.
You can find our more details about the event and sign up to workshops here :
First of all, a little boasting. We are proud to let you know that we have achieved an “Advancing” report from It’s Your Neighbourhood, part of Keeping Scotland Beautiful, for our achievements over the year (that’s level three out of five).
Our efforts were scored at the beginning of August and we were praised for community participation and environmental responsibility.
In particular, the work done by the Men’s Shed, on various planters and raised beds, the planting of particular ingredients for dyeing and wood treatment by our partners and the creation of free Little Libraries, one with a green roof, came in for special mention, all providing opportunities for a wide variety of activities for local residents.
The report also included a few suggestions for going forward, which we will certainly work hard to bring to fruition.
Hear About …
September means that our Hear About talks are starting soon, on Friday 20th to be precise. We’ll be kicking off with a return visit from Kenneth Williamson who this time will be telling us about Old Edinburgh Trams that served Edinburgh from 1876 until 1956.
Talks will take place at 3pm and will be followed by the chance for a cup of tea and an informal chat. Talks are currently free but we would appreciate a donation towards the refreshments.
See our website, notice boards and social media for details of the other autumn talks which will be on most Fridays until 6th December.
Join us for a celebration of the Heart of Newhaven’s garden and to eat a lot of potatoes.
Expect – Food – from the garden, the Scran Van and groups who are based at The Heart of Newhaven; Herbal tea from the garden (and tea and coffee from the supermarket if that’s not your thing); Creative activities – potato printing, screen printing, potato crocheting and knitting; Garden tours and a chance to meet other people from our community
There will also be Tattie Contests, including a beauty contest – if you’ve been growing your own in your garden or on your balcony, and have some unusual looking potatoes, bring them along to be entered!
And as we drift into autumn, the gardening drop-in days have changed and are now weekly on Thursdays from 10.30 till 12.30 and monthly on the first Saturday of the month, 10.30 till 12.30.
Reminiscence
Remember, remember that our regular volunteer-led Reminiscence sessions are taking place on the last Thursday of every month (except December). Everyone is welcome to come along and share memories in the Anchor building. September’s gathering will take place on Thursday 26th.
Doors Open
The last weekend of the month will see the Heart open for Doors Open Days, on Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th.
We’ll be open from 10am till 4pm both days and there will be a chance to take a tour round the thriving building, talking to some of our artistic and creative partners including Ink on Mesh and Robert Furze, violin maker, or take part in a short Victorian lesson in the Schoolroom. The latter will only be on twice each day, (11.30 and 1.30) so sign up on arrival to be sure of the experience.
There will be not one, but two art exhibitions on display to enjoy: The Joy of Painting and Art in Healthcare and the day will also see the unveiling of the Oyster Mural on the outside of the Anchor building, at 11am. Come along and see the result of co-operation and consultation between Restoration Forth and the local community.
That will be followed by a performance by the Newhaven Community Choir while there will also be music from the Men’s Shed Splinter Band. The Shed will be open to visitors both Saturday and Sunday from 10am, with a “Repair Shed” and a “Guitar Clinic” from 10am-1pm on Saturday.
In addition, our Ukranian Spiders will be providing some wonderful refreshments between 10 and 3 on both days.
The Tallest Christmas Tree
September also means that there are barely three months to go before our Tallest Tree goes on display. The knitters are busy getting everything ready by fireproofing the squares and decorations, continuing to sew squares and trim pom-poms for garlands. Everyone is welcome to come along and help at the various sessions.
Sewing will continue fortnightly at the Heart in September but with a revised time of 1-3 pm which means that everyone will be travelling home in daylight and those who are interested in our Friday afternoon talks will also be able to attend.
The trunk and branches are in the capable hands of Derek from Men’s Shed and Eain is building a stable for our knitted nativity scene while the Heart knitters are busy with baby Jesus, Mary, Joseph and all things nativity. The Heart of Newhaven Fishwife has not arrived yet but we are certain she will look lovely on top of the Tree. We are running a competition to guess her name and we shall have forms available for you to make your guess at the Tattie Fest on 21st September and Doors Open Days on 28th and 29th September or call in and make your guess. Only 50p a name!
We would appreciate anyone who could donate a raffle prize, as we are raising funds to make the Heart as accessible as possible for everyone and for Home-Start our chosen partner. This is an organisation which supports parents to give children the best start in life. We are also looking for sponsors in our Sponsor a Branch appeal. We shall, of course, acknowledge everyone who helps in this way in the Heart and also on our our social media channels.
We need any remaining squares or decorations to be brought in to the Heart for fireproofing and will also be delighted to receive more decorations as any extras left over will be sold at the craft fair on opening day, November 30th to help raise funds for our good causes.
Leith Folk Club
Leith Folk Club is presenting an evening with the extraordinary Scottish-Canadian artist, Evangeline Gentle, on Tuesday, 24 September, 7.45 for 8pm start. With a sound that seamlessly blends folk, pop, and Americana, Evangeline’s music is a heartfelt celebration of queerness, identity, and the shared human experience.
Their songs are marked by lush melodies, powerful storytelling, and a voice that resonates with warmth and authenticity, while their performances are known for their emotional intensity and inclusivity, so whether you’re a dedicated folk fan or simply looking for a night of beautiful, thought-provoking music, this is an opportunity to witness a truly gifted artist up-close and personal.
– Tickets: £12 (cash only, at the door) Remember, the venue is not licenced but you are welcome to bring along whatever you’d like to drink.
Calling all seamstresses
Finally, an appeal from our History of Education Centre partners who run the Victorian Schoolroom on the first floor of the Heart.
The schoolroom is in dire need of some new children’s costumes for visiting school pupils, in particular boys’ shirts.
Our top floor tailor partner Poppy has very kindly made some shirt patterns but if anyone feels able to donate some suitably Victorian-looking materials, or feels able to sew up a few shirts from the patterns once we have the material, then please get in touch either with histedcentre@gmail.com or with christine.mcderment@heartofnewhaven.co.uk.
Please have a look at our regular sessions – we are have amazing new workshops and classes.
We’re very pleased to be able to announce our new series of Autumn Talks. Those of you who enjoyed our Spring series of Hear About, will be pleased to hear that we have listened, and more of your requests have been followed up.
We will be hearing about everything from the famous Hill and Adamson portraits of fishwives straight from an expert at the National Portrait Gallery, to mythical Scottish sea creatures.
Talks will take place on Friday afternoons as before and will run from 20th September to the beginning of December. There are still a very few slots to be confirmed, so if you have any more requests, please get in touch with either Gillian or Christine.
Could you help guide visitors round the Heart? We’ll be open for Doors Open Days at the end of September and would really appreciate it if more volunteers could come forward and help on the day.
We’ll be open both Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th, from 10am till 4pm, so if you could help for either or both of those days, for just a few hours or even all day, please get in touch. We’ll make sure you know what’s what before you venture forth.
And if you’re thinking of popping in for Doors Open Days to see what’s happening, remember that there will be two classroom sessions in the Victorian Schoolroom, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, run by the costumed role-play teachers of the History of Education Centre.
Sign up when you arrive but remember to be on your best behaviour!
Look out for other partner activities and an exciting reveal on the DOD weekend (28th / 29th September) keep an eye on our socials and of course the September News.
The Ukrainian Spiders are back
Our Spiders are back and setting up their camouflage net looms again. They’ll be netting in the Anchor building on Friday afternoons from 2 – 9 pm, and everyone interested is invited to stop by and try their hand at weaving or simply watch the process.
Join us on 21 September for a celebration of potatoes and the garden at The Heart of Newhaven! Tattie Fest is going to be a day of making, learning and of course eating, here at The Heart of Newhaven’s garden. If you’ve got your own homegrowns in your garden or on the balcony, make sure you save your most interesting looking tatties for the potato beauty contest…
Before then, you can of course come on down and get involved in the garden, either to help out or to see what’s growing – you’ll find us just past the Men’s Shed at our drop-in on Thursday mornings, 10.30am-12.30pm,
If that time doesn’t work for you but you’re still interested in getting involved, get in touch and we can arrange a time to meet up.
We’re also looking for potato enthusiasts to help organise and help out at Tattie Fest! If you’re keen, send an email to Hayley. We’d love to hear from you.
Who would have believed we could come so far in such a short time? Well, we did for a start. We’ve now reached the time for our third AGM, which this year will be held on 9th October at 6pm Remember to check whether you’re a member and so allowed to vote at the meeting.
A few words from our Chair in the meantime:
A recap on what we have done since becoming constituted in 2019
● August 2022 We completed the Community Asset Transfer of Victoria Primary School by purchasing the school with funding from The Scottish Land Fund
● January 2023 We opened the buildings, now known as The Heart, for community uses in support of our vision,
● Year 1 of operation, 2023, we focused on the buildings and their spaces, to ensure that even with our meanwhile use approach they functioned safely and as efficiently as possible to meet the needs of partners and users
2024 we completed emergency repairs to the fabric of The Victoria Building, The Grade B listed, heart of The Heart, and we have increased our footfall threefold.
Please come to our AGM to find out so much more – and what we aim to do next
It’s officially summer, even if it may not always feel like it. That means that not only are schools now on holiday, but many of our supporters, staff and partners are as well.
That doesn’t mean the there’s nothing happening around the Heart though. Read on for some of the various events that you can come along and take part in and enjoy.
Don’t forget to check the website and social media platforms for up to date news.
The Knitted Christmas Tree update
The Knitted Christmas Tree is five months from opening day and is well on schedule. We are receiving green squares daily from West Sussex, London, Luton as well as every area of Edinburgh and the Lothians. Thank you for every single square and not forgetting the many beautiful tree decorations. We have 5000+ squares and 1000+ decorations.
We are having a series of sewing parties on Friday afternoons from 2-4pm. The dates are 5th July, 19th July and 2nd August. Everyone is welcome to come along. We are sewing the squares into triangles ready to go onto the branches and of course there is coffee, tea and cake!
The fantastic experts of Men’s Shed are busy constructing the trunk but it’s under wraps and no one but the men have seen it.
We had a great day at Leith Market describing what the project is about and thanks to Sara for generously giving us a stall. We met people from all over the world who were fascinated by what is happening and they took away our posting bags.
We are confidently expecting knitting from Texas, New York, New Zealand, Finland and Denmark to name but a few countries. Our Tree is going international and if anyone has a contact on the space station let us know.
More news next month
Save the Date – Tattie Fest 21 September 2024
Join us for our very first Tattie Fest at the Heart of Newhaven. We’ll be celebrating the garden and all thing potato-related at this free, community event.
Expect potato printing, potato fancy dress, a home grown tattie beauty contest and of course lots of potato eating!
If you’d like to get involved in organising, just get in touch with Hayley at bloomyogaedinburgh@gmail.com, and start growing your own now if you’d like to enter the beauty contest…
What’s on your bucket list?
Whilst developing the Crowdfunder with members of our Heart Dementia Meeting Centre we were able to identify some interesting activities; from indoor rock climbing to canoeing down the canal.
If you would like to help us with our blue-sky ambitions or simply support a member by ‘paying their membership forward’, please go to our crowdfunder and check out the rich array of ‘rewarding ideas’.
Don’t forget we have lovely rooms here at the Heart – perfect for meetings but also family gatherings over the summer.
We have a number of spaces available for booking, including meeting rooms, classrooms and workshop spaces.
We can cater to different types of events and meetings, whether for children’s parties, creative workshops, performance classes and rehearsals, board meetings or networking events.
Spaces can be booked for a single occasion as well as for regular sessions on a mid/long term basis.
More more information or to arrange a viewing of our spaces, please get in touch and we will be happy to help.
Teas and coffees can be provided for an additional charge and external catering arranged on request.
The tallest knitted Christmas tree in Scotland project has reached the halfway mark. The knitters are aiming for an ambitious height of between five and six metres for the tree, about the height of a giraffe, but are more than happy with progress so far.
The veritable army of knitters in Edinburgh and beyond has been busy knitting multi-toned green squares and colourful Christmas baubles and decorations for several months now, and are celebrating having reached the halfway stage. They now have 5,000 squares and need another 2,500 while the pile of decorations has reached the 1,000 mark, about half of what is needed.
The community project, based at the Heart of Newhaven Community (the old Victoria Primary School), has given people across Edinburgh a purpose for their knitting and is creating a real sense of community.
The squares are also coming from across the UK, sent by people who are happy to contribute to the imaginative project.
The tree is being supported by knitters in Edinburgh and the surrounding area as well as from as far afield as Liverpool, Southport, Luton, Norwich, Fife and Inverness.
Children at local primary schools have been learning to knit with the help of the Tree@ The Heart supporters and in return have been handing in their green squares. Local care homes have also been getting involved.
It is hoped the ambitious project will encourage donations which will go towards improved disabled access at the Heart while Homestart is the chosen local charity that will also benefit.
The Heart is now beginning to get ready for the official reveal on 30th November when the Tree will be the star of the show, but centred around the growing tree, there will also be a Christmas craft market and live music.
The team knows that there are many squares still out there but the Heart is open and ready to receive them all.
Apart from the current knit and natter sessions at the Heart (see the website Heart of Newhaven) there will now be new Friday afternoon sewing sessions to get the final branches ready.
They’ll be held on the following dates from 2 – 4pm: 5th July, 19th July and 2nd August.
The sewing sessions will concentrate on sewing the squares into leafy triangles ready to go on the Tree, while the trunk is being created by the craftsmen at the Men of Leith’s Men Shed, who are based at the Heart.
Everyone is invited to go along and join in at one of the knit and natter or sewing sessions. There’s always a warm welcome!
After all the recent rain, we were thankfully blessed with calm seas and brilliant sunshine for Gala Day last weekend.
The Queen was crowned, the bands played, hundreds of visitors enjoyed the festivities and activities outside and a good time appeared to be had by all.
Many took advantage of the occasion to venture inside the Heart where they were greeted by tours, teas and interesting table displays.
Thank you to you all for coming and enjoying yourselves and a huge thank you to the volunteers who helped make it all happen.
See you next year.
Art in healthcare – The Landscape has changed.
Come in and visit our new exhibition which features artworks from the Art in Healthcare collection.
It’s a selection of works that celebrate people and place and in particular draws on themes of communities that grew from fishing villages, living by the sea and coasts.
Some of the works have been selected by local people through a series of workshops, and artworks have been added and expanded. This began with identifying local artists and works that came from the Newhaven, Leith and then expanding to wider Edinburgh areas.
You’ll find it all the way up the red stairs in the Heart if the stairs are difficult there is a qr code at the bottom which allows you to see a virtual version. Come in and enjoy.
Grow
Gentle reader, after all the stimulation and hearts beating in expectation, it’s official and we can now tell you more about the recent filming in the Heart.
Sky has confirmed that GROW will air on the Sky Cinema channel next year. Bridgerton star Golda Rosheuvel leads in the family comedy about pumpkin-growing, neglected youngster Charlie (played by Priya-Rose Brookwell) and well-known British actors Nick Frost, Tim McInnery, Jane Horrocks and Alan Carr will also appear.
Golda Rosheuvel’s character, Dinah, finds Charlie, her lost niece, at an orphanage, aka the Heart, and takes her to her farm where she, and a field of pumpkins blossom.
Director John McPhail says “Grow is a joyous comedy about growth, nurturing and family, set in a world of pumpkin-obsessed, madcap characters but grounded in real relationships.”
We can’t wait!
Little Free Library
Our very own bookbinder, Cass (aka Bookbinding with Cass), has recently led an initiative to install two Little Free Libraries at The Heart of Newhaven, one for youngsters and one for adults. She had plenty of help from our other creatives so this has been a project with real, creative collaboration at its heart!
Leith Men’s Shed built and installed the library box structures, Susan Thomson, member of The Edinburgh Book Arts Group (which meets monthly at The Heart), worked with Cass to decorate the children’s book box and a mix of residents and members of the local community helped paint the black and white mural backdrop.
The community garden volunteers got involved with the design and Lorna Brown (Ik on Mesh) printed the design onto the box. The final step will be establishing a growing roof using donated plant cuttings inspired by the Sir Patrick Geddes quote – ‘By leaves we live’.
Cass would like to thank all those involved and give a special shout out to local resident Shona Littlejohn for her generous donation which covered the materials for this project.
Both Little Free Libraries have been created for you to use so we encourage you to take a book, read a book, exchange a book and/or donate a book – you can find out more about the Little Free Library network here, which currently includes over 175,000 Little Free Libraries in 121 countries!
If you’d like to get involved at the garden you’re very welcome to drop in on Mondays from 4-6pm or Thursdays 10.30am – 12.30pm. You can either dig in with the rest of the volunteers or you might just fancy finding out a bit more about what we have growing.
If you’d like to find out more please contact Hayley at :
The potatoes were sown in the community garden last month so mark your diary and come along on the 21st September for Tattie Fest. Expect creative activities, family friendly fun and lots of tatties!
Volunteers needed for a new project at The Heart
Our schooldays – memories and legacies Heritage tales from Newhaven, Trinity and Leith Harbour
The project will use the theme of ‘school days’ to connect via a series of workshops and events, people of different ages, ethnicities, and backgrounds to learn more about each other, and the changing local area by sharing their learning experiences.
A programme of activities will explore and creatively share these experiences. Participants will include pupils from our local schools and other community groups based around or within The Heart.
We will be working with highly experienced resident artists within The Heart, to deliver and develop these workshops, community events and a touring exhibition.
We are looking for volunteers for this project over the coming 18 months who would be interested in supporting this project specifically through:
Helping to evaluate the project through information gathering from project participants and through your observation of workshops and events. This could include using recording equipment and interviewing participants. Full training and support would be given throughout the project.
If you are interested in this voluntary role and would like more information, please leave your contact details if you visit The Heart or email the school days Project Co-ordinator, Simone via email: simone.kenyon@heartofnewhaven.co.uk
Heart Dementia Meeting Centre Update
The Heart Dementia Meeting Centre enjoyed a delicious bread making session recently, led by a member who is a keen and experienced baker. We are also excited to play host to the exhibition, now up in the lounge, from a collaboration betweenEdinburgh University and QMU celebrating five years of being bold: Bringing Out Leaders in Dementia. The nine panels on display show a range of poetry and images created in response to each creative session.
If you are awaiting a diagnosis, have recently been diagnosed with dementia or are living with mild to moderate dementia then the Heart Meeting Centre is for you!
June is Dementia Awareness Month and Meeting Centre manager Jan Brown will be hosting a Curiosity Café every Tuesday Morning from 11-12 noon in the Lounge for carers and families of people living with dementia and for folk who are curious about brain health in general and how to top up their cognitive reserves.
Finally, we’re celebrating the one-year anniversary of the Edinburgh Local Heritage Network (ELHN). The network was launched on the May 10, 2023 and was attended by HONC along with 16 representatives from a variety of other local community groups and now has 30 members.
The Lord Provost Robert Aldridge is Honorary President and the purpose is to develop and maintain partnerships between local heritage groups and with Council services, chiefly Archives, Libraries, and Museums and Galleries. Currently, the key focus of the ELHN is collaboration on the Edinburgh 900 programme with a focus on supporting local communities to celebrate this anniversary.
In connection with ELHN, the Heart was represented at the recent royal visit of the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Edward, and his wife, Sophie. They were treated to a grand reception in the City Chambers and we were able to chat about our plans for celebrating Edinburgh 900.
We’re finalising these ambitious plans, centred on the history of Newhaven now, and will update everyone after the summer, when the real work will begin in earnest. Watch this space.
In the meantime, here’s a photo of the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh in the City Chambers, listening to Shionka Kamikaji-Inkster, who played the clarsach at the end of the event and another of some of the ELHN members at the event.
We hope the recent filming did not inconvenience you too much. We were excited to see what went on and can’t wait to see the finished result.
The production crew had to set up beforehand of course, replacing the ground floor window grilles that we had taken down and reintroducing grime and dirt that we had cleaned away, not to mention covering up umpteen things that were not in keeping with their vision of a run-down children’s home.
Then of course everything had to be reinstated when they had finished with the actual filming. We were quite exhausted!
We’ll keep you informed once the film is released and we can all see the results.
Building Works Updates
Final Handover
Findlay Wallace and Tommy Bell from Ashwood’s have finally completed the recent renovation works, and have handed the building back to Judy Crabb (Chair HONC) and Hugo Target (HONC Architect with John Gilberts) as pictured below.
It will be good to be free of scaffolding and hard hats but it was worth it!
Update on the Heart’s record-breaking Christmas Tree
Hello to the Heart’s army of knitters. The Christmas Tree Project is making great progress and we are one third of the way there, with lots of squares and decorations being delivered by hand and by post, but we still need you to keep knitting even when the sun tempts you outside.
We are planning to fireproof the squares and decorations that we already have, towards the end of May. Then in June we need volunteers to come to the Heart and stitch the squares ready to hang on the branches and of course there will be cake and tea for all those involved.
More about this next month.
On May 11th there is a craft fair at the Eric Liddell centre and we shall be advertising our Christmas Tree.
Please come along with your squares and decorations and support the Eric Liddell 100 celebration. We have been very fortunate to receive a donation from Bailie Gifford to help with our project, so many thanks to that organisation.Happy knitting and crocheting.
Open for Coffee
The recent Open For Coffee morning on Saturday 13th April, proved a great hit, with some hundred people coming along to enjoy the free food and entertainment.
The Scran Van rolled up to provide free lunches and the food was accompanied by musical performances from the Men’s Shed.
The free bicycle maintenance provided by EZ Bike Tours was also in great demand.
Role-Play teachers wanted
Our Partner, the History of Education Centre is keen to recruit some new role-play teacher volunteers for their Victorian Schoolroom.
The facility on the first floor of the Heart has been proving so popular for visits that new volunteers are needed to help cope.
Volunteers always work in pairs and the most common time to be needed is on weekday mornings.
Gala Day is fast approaching, when the Gala Queen and Fisher King arrive in the harbour and are met by a parade of fishwives and pirates to be escorted up to the grounds of the Heart for an afternoon of family fun.
This is the biggest local community event of the year, and we need your support to make it the success we all enjoy.
Can you help us serve refreshments on the day? Can you help steward and keep people safe? Can you help us to promote activities that go on at The Heart? i.e give out leaflets, talk to people and get sign-ups to our newsletter?
The Dreadnought Shanty Crew was originally started in January 2020 at The Dreadnought Pub and shortly after ran into heavy weather.
They navigated Covid by singing weekly online and then went into dry dock for repairs when their skipper absconded to The Northern Isles!
Now back by popular demand with the barnacles scrubbed off and seeking new recruits, The Dreadnought Shanty Crew can be found singing on Wednesday lunchtimes from 1-2pm in the Anchor Building.
There are no auditions; apparently all you need is a broad mind and a sense of humour!
The first session is free and then by donation to cover the cost of room hire.
Jan B Brown, leader of the Dementia Meeting Place and the Dreadnought Shanty Crew
Jan B Brown, leader of the Dementia Meeting Place and the Dreadnought Shanty Crew
Staff Update
You can now meet our caretakers – come and say hello when you come into the Heart .
Mike Gourlay – JohnRobert Townsley – Emmanuel Alor
Coming up soon
Saturday 18th May – Join us at the Heart for a day of free events being organised by the National Film and Television School – 10.30 till 4pm – a day of insight into some of the many creative careers available in film and television.
Three sessions will be delivered by film and TV professionals, including award-winning documentary filmmaker Miranda Stern, animator Ana Songel and sound designer Anya Przygoda.
Last month we told you about a ministerial visit by Baron Cameron of Lochiel. Only a few weeks after that visit, we hosted another, this time from MSP Mairi Gougeon. Ms Gougeon, who is Holyrood’s Cabinet Minister for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands, was visiting us in part to find out how smoothly or otherwise the process of acquiring the Heart for the community had been and also to announce that there would be a review into the Community Right To Buy process which will begin this summer.
During her visit she spoke to several of the Heart partners, including Chair of HEC (History of Education Centre), Alice Bacciarelli and potter Borja Moronta.
“It was wonderful to meet so many of the team and visitors at Heart of Newhaven and hear how they are offering a hub for the community,” said Ms Gougeon. “To see how much they have achieved is remarkable, especially when so much of it had to be done in the face of all the additional difficulties caused by the pandemic.
“Their dedication to offering space to artists and looking at so many different ways to bring people together is really impressive and I look forward to hearing about their future plans.”
Staffing changes
We have recently welcomed a new caretaking team of three to the Heart; Mike, Johnrobert and Emmanuel. They can be found beavering busily round and about the buildings at all hours.
Please make them welcome.
By having three members in the team, we hope to be able to eventually enable full access to the site as well as ensure added security.
Thanks to further funding, from Age Scotland and the Heritage Lottery Fund, we have also been able to appoint two new project staff, both of whom started in March.
A new Dementia Meeting Centre Manager, Jan Bee Brown, started working three days per week from March 6. Jan is a well known local story teller and was with us at the start of our Heart journey and so we are pleased to welcome her back after three years working in Shetland. She has plenty of relevant experience resulting from her role as a part-time Dementia Advisor with Alzheimer Scotland.
Alongside this new team, we are happy to announce that our staff members Roger Walpole and Kim Thomson have been confirmed in their positions as Centre Manager and Centre Administrator respectively following the initial transition period of the Heart. We hope they will both be with us for some time to come.
Meeting Centre activities
The Meeting Centre at Heart of Newhaven is excited to be partnering with Healing Arts Scotland to take part in their ITAC Healing Arts Week Relay. Meeting Centre Artist in Residence, Willy Gilder, will be hosting three playful creative workshops together with Fenella Kerr and Jan Brown on: Wednesday 10th, 17th & 24th April at Heart of Newhaven 1.30pm – 3.30 pm.
Come along and get creative with like minds, all materials will be provided plus tea and cake to help get the creative juices flowing.
Session 1. Wednesday 10th April – ‘Mapping the Mind’ with Fenella Kerr
Session 2. Wednesday 17th April – ‘Creating with Clay’ with Jan Brown
Session 3. Wednesday 21st April – ‘Drawn to the Dance’ with Jan Brown
All sessions are free and dementia inclusive. If you would more information contact Jan Brown at jan.brown@heartofnewhaven.co.uk
Our response will be part of Scottish Ballet’s partnership with Healing Arts Week in partnership with The Edinburgh International Festival this summer.
Our ‘Schooldays’ Heritage Lottery Fund coordinator, Simone Kenyon also started two days per week from the end of March.
Simone will be leading the community team’s latest project, which will bring together pupils from the local schools in the area, together with older residents and Heart partners, to share memories of their schooldays and leave a lasting legacy for generations to come. More details in the weeks to come.
Gardening group update
Funding has arrived in our bank account for the Community Garden project which began in March and Hayley, our sessional worker, is organising a number of intergenerational sessions on Monday afternoons and Thursday mornings. Do come and admire the continuing developments in the garden.
These include: new high, easily accessed planters and new compost bins, all kindly built by Leith Mens Shed; a beautifully woven willow screen to hide the road, created and donated by Judy Gray, seen at work in the photo; a “dead hedge”, also part of the screening process; lots of seedlings sprouting and potatoes chitting by the Anchor Building windows.
With the Lottery funding we have bought lots of new tools for volunteers and visiting groups to use, and other immediate plans include raising the height of the existing beds, surrounding them with wood chip paths, siting and filling the high planters and acquiring more shrubs and climbers to grow along the north fence.
New volunteers, experienced gardeners or those keen to learn, are always very welcome at Hayley’s sessions. Ask for details in The Heart or contact her directly to learn more: bloomyogaedinburgh@gmail.com.
Our Christmas Tree project has really taken off and we now have an army of knitters handing in squares as well as those people who have joined our knit and natter sessions.
Primary school children, church groups, line dancers, knitting circles, knitters from London, Inverness, Sleaford and Lancashire are just some of the knitters who are contributing to our growing bundles of squares.
We are approaching our first 1,000 and 150 decorations but we need many more and it will be you, who by knitting and spreading the word, will keep the momentum going.
Knit and natter groups meet in the Heart on Tuesdays at 7.15 till 8.30 and on Wednesday and Saturday mornings from 10 till 12.
Happy knitting!
13th April – Scran and a Song
As well as our Open For Coffee morning on Saturday 13th April, the Scran Van will be rolling up to provide some free lunches from 12.30. There will be a limited number, so get there early.
The food will be accompanied by performances from the Mens’ Shed and there will also be bicycle maintenance from Euan from EZ Bike Tours.
Bring your bike along for a wee tune up and advice. More details online or on our social media.
Remember to check our website and social media regularly.
For example have you seen the latest addition to the Culture & Heritage blog page? It features an interview with Cassandra Baron, one of the Heart’s resident creative Partners. (We featured Borja Moronta a few months ago: all you need to do is scroll down till you find it.)
All our Partners produce a lot of wonderful work and we don’t have space to feature them all in our regular newsletters, but we hope to include more about them on the website. So remember, check it out regularly.
Congratulations
Talking of Partners, we’d like to congratulate Neil Smith our Partner and resident composer, who had a piece of his work premiered recently in the Reid Concert Hall. We didn’t know about it in time for the March newsletter’ belated congratulations, Neil.
He shared a stage with three other premiered pieces of music, with his contribution – Regular Music, a piece for piano and nine-piece ensemble. He’s pictured with the ensemble along with conductor Oliver Cope.
Ssh!
Finally, don’t tell anyone, but the Heart has been chosen as the setting for some scenes in a new film currently under production. We are thrilled to be part of something so exciting but we can’t tell you too many details yet.
All we can say is that someone famous will be on set! You’ll have to watch this space. Meanwhile, we have to apologise in advance to anyone using the building on Monday 15th April when filming will be happening on the ground floor of the Victoria Building and in the playground.
There will also be preparatory work and then reinstating afterwards so be prepared!
Help us to restore native oysters to the Firth of Forth for the first time in 100 years!! 
