Welcome to your (slightly early) August Newsletter
And it’s good news all the way.
As some of you may already have heard or read, the Scottish Land Fund (SLF) decision has been announced and we are happy to report that we have secured even more than we had hoped for.
We have been awarded the full cost of the agreed purchase price of the site from the City of Edinburgh Council (CEC), £700,000, and on top of that, we have also been given a further sum to help with some of the start-up costs.
The total amount awarded is £792,000.
First of all, the Board of Trustees would like to convey their thanks to all the volunteers and supporters who have helped us come this far. The community has led this project from the start and will continue to do so. However the hard work is really just beginning. Your support and help will be even more necessary as we move forward.
Here’s what our chairman Rodney Matthews has to say:
“The site of Victoria Primary School IS going to be the Heart of Newhaven Community.
“This time last year the City of Edinburgh Councilapproved our request to take over the school and reduced the valuation price by £85,000 because of what we’ve promised to do, especially for the very young, the elderly, isolated and most vulnerable. Provided we could pay them£700,000, they would sell the site to the community.
“The Scottish Land Fund (SLF) has just given us that whole amount – and more!
“This SLF was set up by the Scottish Governmentto help charities just like ours working to improve local communities in the ways we have set out for the site, in order for it to become a vibrant hub of activity of people of all generations working and playing together; as we have often said, ‘the beating Heart of Newhaven’.
“All approved. We are now poised to sign two contracts: one with the SLFand the other with the Councilfor vacant possession of the site on a date yet to be announced, dependent on the completion of building works across the road. When we do get the keys, there will be much work to be done to get the building safe and ready for use, so bear with us. We will go as fast as we safely can.
“There will be plenty of exciting things to share to take us on through the challenge of the months ahead right through the inevitably unknown autumn and winter to come and into the spring of 2022 – when you will really begin to see things happen.”
Get more involved
The Board is looking for three new trustees to bring some new blood into the mix. If you live in the area and would like to become more involved, please check our new web page – Trustees
In the meantime …
Friendship Benches
Men’s Shed have finalised the design and size of the benches and are now completing jigs to help with the construction. As covid restrictions are slowly being relaxed more men are attending and therefore the work rate will increase. They are hoping that all will be ready by early September. Then the fun part will begin as local youngsters are called on to help decorate them.
So come with us into the future … it’s looking bright!
£792,000 for Victoria Primary School community project
A primary school in Newhaven, which was about to fall empty, is set for a new role at the centre of the community following an award £792,000 from the Scottish Land Fund.
On hearing news of its successful application, Rodney Matthews, Chair, Heart of Newhaven Community, said: “This grant will cover the purchase price of the property and help with initial development costs.
“While the date when the children will move into their new school in Western Harbour is not yet known, we are now able to move forward confidently with our plans for what is a much-loved icon of Newhaven.”
In the project’s latest newletter, released this morning, The Chair told Heart of Newhaven supporters: “The site of Victoria Primary School IS going to be the Heart of Newhaven Community!
“This time last year the City of Edinburgh Council approved our request to take over the school and reduced the valuation price by £85,000 because of what we’ve promised to do, especially for the very young, the elderly, isolated and most vulnerable. Provided we could pay them£700,000, they would sell the site to the community.
“The Scottish Land Fund (SLF) has just given us that whole amount – and more!
“This SLF was set up by the Scottish Governmentto help charities just like ours working to improve local communities in the ways we have set out for the site, in order for it to become a vibrant hub of activity of people of all generations working and playing together; as we have often said, ‘the beating Heart of Newhaven’.
“All approved. We are now poised to sign two contracts: one with the SLFand the other with the Councilfor vacant possession of the site on a date yet to be announced, dependent on the completion of building works across the road. When we do get the keys, there will be much work to be done to get the building safe and ready for use, so bear with us. We will go as fast as we safely can.
“There will be plenty of exciting things to share to take us on through the challenge of the months ahead right through the inevitably unknown autumn and winter to come and into the spring of 2022 – when you will really begin to see things happen.”
The Heart of Newhaven funding announcement – and welcome news for three further community projects – was made yesterday (29 July) by Environment and Land Reform Minister, Mairi McAllan (below), while visiting EATS Rosyth.
Last November EATS Rosyth received £284,500 from the Scottish Land Fund in order to purchase a disused Clydesdale Bank Building in order to relocate and expand its community activities around cooking and food.
Ms McAllan said: “Communities across Scotland are achieving great things with support from the Scottish Land Fund. These awards will be a boost to the four communities who’ve worked so hard to keep their projects going through all the challenges of the last year.
“Visiting the Rosyth Community Garden and Orchard has shown the value of placing ownership and decision-making in the hands of local communities.
“By relocating the community hub to the new premises acquired through the Scottish Land Fund, EATS Rosyth aim to expand their existing services and offer a suite of new activities aimed at growing and sharing food, reducing waste, helping the environment, and improving food education.
“These projects will make a big contribution to their communities, to local resilience and recovery.”
Stephen Lynas, Chairman of EATS Rosythsaid:“We’re grateful to the Scottish Land Fund for their assistance in helping us purchase the building. Following a successful round of fundraising and getting in place the various consents required, we will be starting the renovation works for our new hub premises in the very near future.
“We’re looking forward to providing a brand-new community facility that will give us with a fantastic platform to grow our services and support our local community in Rosyth and Southwest Fife.”
Other projects benefiting during the current round of funding include Forgan Art Centre, which has been given £292,800 to buy the Leng Home, a disused care home in Newport on Tay and turn it into a space for social and economic activities and to increase social interaction.
Forgan Art Centre Chairperson, Gillian Burch, said: “The management team at Forgan are really delighted that we have secured the funding to buy the Leng Home and take the Forgan Arts Centre forwards onto the next phase of its journey.
“The continued support from our local community, who want to see the Leng Home kept for community use, has encouraged us to keep going and we now look forward to expanding the Forgan Arts Centre in its new home.”
Carluke Development Trust has been awarded £112,000 to buy a two-storey house adjacent to Carluke High Mill, which the Trust already owns. This will allow it to continue its project to reduce dereliction and promote regeneration in the town.
Bill Anderson, Carluke Development Trust, said: “We are delighted to receive support from the Scottish Land Fund for the acquisition of the former Millers House that sits within the Carluke High Mill and ONECarluke Community Growing & Learning Garden site.
“The acquisition of the house will complete the community ownership of the whole site and allow the project to create a larger Community HUB and move into an even more exciting period of delivery and further development.”
And Edinbane Community Company on Skye has been given £135,000 with which to buy three serviced building plots on which it plans to erect six affordable homes that will be rented to the community.
Alistair Danter, Chair, Edinbane Community Company,said: “This is great news for the community who have been working for over three years to tackle the lack of affordable housing in Edinbane.
“We are immensely grateful to the Scottish Land Fund for its support of our community initiative, and we look forward to working with the private developer SLL to deliver six new affordable homes in 2023.”
The new Chair of the Scottish Land Fund, Cara Gillespie, said: “We are delighted to make these awards, the first for our new Committee.
“It is a privilege to support communities with their efforts to improve where they live. These awards will make a positive difference, strengthening communities and empowering local people.”
The Scottish Land Fund is funded by the Scottish Government and delivered in partnership by The National Lottery Community Fund and Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE).
Sandra Holmes, Head of Community Assets at HIE, said: “It’s great to see more dynamic communities taking control of resources for the long-term benefit of their local areas and people.
Having greater control over such assets will help ensure their long-term future. I am delighted we have been able to provide Scottish Land Fund support and wish all the groups the very best in their new ventures.”
Welcome to your July Newsletter. This is a newsletter about past, present and future.
First: the past.
We have been receiving plenty of positive feedback from the Pots of Kindness project. If you remember, this involved pupils from Victoria Primary School potting up edible flowers, herbs and vegetables and distributing them to some of the isolated or elderly members of the community, whose details were supplied by the Pilmeny Development Project (PDP). Recipients have been responding.
“What a lovely idea. It is so nice to be part of this initiative. As you know I am housebound, so it is great that I can still be part of the community while being at home. I loved the beautiful letter I received from the pupil – what a fantastic idea. Thank you,” said one.
Mary from PDP received a phone call once one pack was delivered
“Thank you so much for the plant and letter – I absolutely love it. I am delighted with the wee package and the letter from the pupil was adorable. And the man who delivered the package was really friendly – thank you”.
A few weeks later, the same recipient rang Mary to say “My plant has started sprouting – I have it on my window sill and I check it everyday. It was great getting the instructions on how to help the plant grow. I really am delighted to be part of this project – thank you”.
“My spinach has started to grow – I love Spinach and I think I might be like Popeye after this. The letter from the pupil was so sweet – thank you,” said another.
We’re glad it has proved so welcome.
The Present
Our partners at the PDP are organising more volunteer induction sessions so if you would like to get involved, make a note of this date: Saturday 7th August at 11am on Zoom, when you can find out about the different volunteering opportunities available within PDP. Expectations, boundaries and confidentiality will be among the topics for discussion.
Similarly, you can join in the HoNC/ PDP Newhaven Virtual Coffee Group for those living in or around Newhaven on either Mon 19th July at 4pm or Mon 16th Aug at 4pm, both on Zoom.
If you are interested in these events then please contact Norma by Email
Still in the present:
We’re thrilled to tell you that the University of Edinburgh student social media team has included HoNC in the most recent episode of their popular podcast’s third series
The Broadcast is The Broad Online’s podcast and aims to bring local community initiatives to its listeners’ attention. HoNC trustee Judy Crabb and Head of Victoria Primary School Laura Thomson were engaged in discussion on the creation of our intergenerational community centre in the old school in the latest recording.
Lauren Galligan and Jack Liddall were the co-hosts and interviewers. She is the Deputy Editor-in-Chief of The Broad Online. Jack is the Secretary of The Broad and a volunteer with HoNC.
The podcast will shortly be available to listen to on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Podbean. We will share a link to the podcast on the Heart’s social media and website as soon as it is available.
Future
Now on to the future. The Men’s Shed members have been busy at work on our Friendship Benches, which we aim to have ready for Mental Health Day in October. We will be organising painting and decorating days with local artist Johnathan Elders over the summer holidays, so watch this space.
In the immediate future, we await the decision from the Scottish Land Fund on our application for the funds required to make good our promise to buy the school site.
Welcome to your June Newsletter, which seems to be mostly about money.
While we wait for the decision on our Scottish Land Fund application for the necessary funds to buy the Victoria School site, expected now in July, the board has been busy organising and collaborating on various projects, all of which have secured much-needed funding.
Architect-led community workshops
Top of the list comes the £8,000 grant from the Lottery Fund’s Awards for All. This is contributing to the architect-led community workshops which we hope to announce later in the summer. These aim to bring community users together with our chosen architects to discuss how to use the building flexibly for the benefit of all. Planning Aid Scotland will be facilitating the workshops to ensure that this helps create a truly effective, multi-generational and age-friendly environment that meets the needs of the community.
It is heartening to know that the National Lottery looks favourably on our project, as shown by the comment from the National Lottery Community Fund, Scotland Chair, Kate Still.
“In these unprecedented times,” she says, “it’s heartening to see the way Scottish communities are coming together to provide each other with support. I would like to congratulate the Heart of Newhaven Community on their award which is testament to the incredible efforts of their staff and volunteers. National Lottery players can be proud to know that the money they raise is making such a difference.”
Pots of Newhaven Kindness
Another project to benefit from funding, this time £150 from Food for Life, is the Pots of Newhaven Kindness, run in collaboration with Victoria Primary school and Pilmeny Development Project.
Once again, it is all about bringing the generations together, with children sowing and decorating pots with edible plants and flowers and then gifting them to the elderly. The project aims not only to teach youngsters where food comes from but also to create lasting relationships between them and the elderly or isolated within the community.
30 pots were created with the children paired up with the recipients, half going out to elderly residents within the Newhaven community and the other half remaining with the children at Victoria Primary School. Once the Heart is established, it is hoped to arrange regular, celebratory get-togethers between the children and the recipients, all around the theme of food.
Mental Health Awareness Day
Finally, there has been another award, this time for £500 from Edinburgh’s Thrive Arts Programme, to go towards the Heart’s contribution to Mental Health awareness. This once again will be an inter-generational project, in collaboration with Men of Leith’s Shed, Pilmeny Development Project and local artist Johnathan Elders.
Friendship benches will be designed and created with help from the Men’s Shed while Johnathan will help local children draw up designs to decorate them. The finished products will be ready by World Mental Health Day in October and placed in the school playground.
Men’s shed find actively working in the local community improves men’s mental health. Older people have lost confidence in going out of their homes. Younger people have also struggled with isolation from friends and those of all ages outside restricted ‘bubbles’.
The benches will be safe places to talk to each other and they will remain as a lasting legacy to be enjoyed over the years to come by people of all generations visiting The Heart.
Does money make the world go round? Well it certainly helps!
Remember to keep updated between newsletters by visiting our website and various social media platforms and remember you can aways get in touch with the board if you have ideas to suggest or help you can offer.
First of all, another plea for volunteers willing to help and advise tech newcomers on how to get online and communicate with the outside world in this digital age. This is the current focus of the partnership between Heart of Newhaven and Pilmeny Development Project (PDP).
PDP now has sufficient equipment but is still looking for additional volunteers who are willing to be matched with individuals needing on-going digital support. We urge more volunteers to come forward who could offer such support to those older people who are feeling particularly lonely and isolated by the pandemic and lockdown restrictions.
Training is provided by PDP and the next induction dates are May 12th or May 18th.
Of course the big news this month is the holding of our first ever AGM as a SCIO. This took place on Thursday 29th April and was attended, either online or in person, by 38 members.
The Chair, Rodney Matthews presented his personal “View from the Chair”, a summary of the charity’s journey so far accompanied by visuals prepared by fellow trustee David Scott and volunteer Sara Kliczka.
Treasurer Alan Hartley took everyone through the annual financial statement and trustees’ report which will be submitted to OSCR.
Secretary Colin MacNeill supervised the voting on three resolutions: the re-election of two of the trustees, (as the constitution states that one-third of the trustees must step down each year) These were randomly selected. Christine McDerment and David Scott (Grant Laing decided not to stand again) were re-elected.
There was also an amendment to the constitution passed, to allow digital meetings as well as physical ones, or a mixture of the two.
Business Plan
One matter that was raised at the AGM was that of how HoNC will support itself after the purchase of the site. The Business Plan which was submitted and assessed by CEC last year, is available through a link on the HoNC website.
If you would like to read it, you can find the link on the Our Journey So Far webpage.
School Delay
Unfortunately there has been a further delay to the building of the new Victoria Primary School.
The school was informed last week that Covid restrictions on the number of workers who can be on site at the same time, as well as the delay in some building supplies arriving from Europe, have meant that it will not now be possible for the school to move in over the summer holidays.
It is still hoped to get everything finished by the autumn but there is no fixed date yet. We will keep you informed.
Finally, there are always new HoNC features being posted online.
Check out our YouTube channel for recent videos of support from the Living Memory Association and one of our volunteers, along with the earlier ones from the History of Education Centre and some of our trustees.
Remember there are also monthly blogs going up on the website.
We are abandoning our usual monthly newsletter schedule to send you this advice that there is little time remaining if you wish to become a member of HoNC before our first AGM.
The AGM has now been set for Thursday 29th April and because of the admin work required, you must apply for membership before the 1st April.
New member applications will then be verified and confirmed by the board at their next meeting on 7th April and official notice of the AGM and all that entails will be sent out by the 13th.
Do consider becoming a member. It costs nothing and if you live in our area of benefit it ensures you have a say in who runs the charity and what they do. There is a simple form to fill in on the website under JOIN US.
The AGM may well be rather strange this year because of Covid. Only a small number of people constituting the required quorum will be allowed to be present in person. Everyone else will be invited to an online meeting. It also means that those voting members not present in person will have to send in a proxy voting form, but all that will be explained in the notice of meeting which will be sent by email to members only.
In other news, we are so pleased to report that there was a tremendous response to our initial Crowdfunding appeal which has helped us pay for professional fees. The many supportive comments have also provided welcome proof that we are not working in vain.
Here are some of the things supporters said:
This is a brilliant project that will deliver huge community benefits. It’s well thought-out and is being impressively well-organised.
Amazing project to support the community and get everyone of all ages together!
Great to see this project making progress – all strength to your elbows for what will be a tremendous asset for the community.
Fantastic work, well done to all involved.
Meanwhile our volunteers are working away in the background on greening projects, lending a neighbourly hand in the community and spreading the word, while we deal with preparing for our very first AGM, a momentous stage in our progress.
The trustees are looking forward to seeing you there.
Don’t forget to keep checking the website. There’s always something new. April will see the addition of the first of a two-part blog by Bill Hall about fishing in the Forth.
There will be no April newsletter and the next communication will be with members only, by the 13th April. The next newsletter will be in May, after the AGM.
First of all, sincere thanks to all of you who have contributed to our first Crowdfunding campaign.
We have almost achieved our initial target which will enable us to pay legal and design fees and allow us to move forward with our ambitious community plans. If you have contributed, thank you.
If you have not, then please consider doing so. No matter how small, the donation will be appreciated.
The campaign ends on 13th March. Let’s make one final push and remember that any excess over the original target will be spent on costs pertaining to other parts of the project such as accessibility plans. It will not be wasted.
https://youtu.be/GOasoH0SrW4
Now, following the success of our digital appeal earlier in the year, which helped so many families with children at Victoria Primary School access online learning, we are preparing to launch a new digital campaign.
This time it’s to help the more elderly in the community who are feeling cut-off and isolated because they cannot keep up with the online communications necessary in these difficult times. They may have no digital access or no knowledge of how to use it if they have.
We will be working once again with the Pilmeny Development Programme (PDP) this time recruiting both older and younger members of the community and helping organise digital learning and support sessions in line with COVID-19 regulations.
Can you help us to develop a sustainable, community-based, skills-sharing network? Bringing generations together is what we’re all about! Get in touch through the volunteering page on the website.
If you haven’t already done so, please fill out our membership application form and send it in as soon as possible. Once your membership status has been verified, this will ensure you have a say at our forthcoming AGM, which must be held before 4th May. The date and details will be given out shortly.
Meanwhile, good news on the environmental partnership initiatives some of our volunteers have been helping with.
There’s been no public fanfare because of Covid, but the Little Birdhaven at Western Harbour, a collaboration with The Shoreline Project and a mini orchard for Victoria Park in collaboration with Friends of Victoria Park, have both received funding and support because of the hard work put in by the volunteers.
You can inspect the new information banner (illustrations courtesy of pupils from VPS) at Western Harbour (between the wilded plot and the John Lloyd Centre) and watch the currently tiny trees growing steadily.
Over in Victoria Park, funding has been secured from the Alpkit Foundation to expand the mini orchard by the beech hedge with suitable fruit trees which will be planted by pupils from Trinity Academy and Trinity primary School in the autumn. You can read more about all this on our social media pages.
Special thanks to volunteer Lucy Metcalfe for leading the way on this.
If you would like to join in with any of our projects, sign up on the volunteering page of the website and watch out for further news of yet more greening projects coming up soon.
Finally, as always, a reminder to watch the website for news and blogs and don’t forget our social media platforms.
Check out Instagram for example, where there’s a “new” picture of “old” Newhaven posted every week.
Heart of Newhaven Community’s Crowdfunding campaign goes live today, St Valentine’s day. What better day to launch what we hope will help us all fulfil our ambition of creating a vibrant Heart, full of life and vitality and shared and used by the wide, ever-growing community?
You can help us bring the Heart to life as soon as possible, by making a donation.
You can find out all about it on our website and following the link, or by going direct to the Crowdfunding website. You’ll find FAQs and get some idea of what the first funds are needed for.
You can remain anonymous or choose one of our rewards depending on the amount you give, but remember that it doesn’t matter how small or how large it is. It all adds up.
You know all about the ambition, now help fund the reality as we move closer and closer to creating the living, beating heart of the community.
Please look at the poster button at the bottom of this newsletter. They are the posters that will soon be appearing in the area. If you can possibly print out one or two of your favourites, and put them in your windows or send them to friends or colleagues that would be wonderful.
The better the coverage, the better the response and the quicker we can get the Heart beating.
First of all, we have had a magnificent response to our digital appeal which we launched so recently on 25th January.
Thanks to all who have very kindly donated old laptops or tablets to help families in the community who needed help to access online learning. We have already dealt with around a dozen such items, some of which are being wiped and processed while others are awaiting collection and soon they will all be winging their way to Victoria Primary School. Please continue to get in touch.
We understand that others have been delivered directly to the school following our appeal and if you would still like to help but have no old machines you no longer need, you can also donate funds to enable the school to buy more.
An average laptop or tablet suitable for home-schooling could cost around £200 but any smaller contributions that could go towards that would be most welcome. You can contact the school directly below:
This is such an encouraging example of the community helping each other, just what Heart of Newhaven proposes to expand on once we’re fully operational.
The main news for you this month however is about the launch of our CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGN.
This will go live on 14th February. It’s all about the Heart of course – it seemed a very suitable date for obvious reasons.
While we have applied to the Scottish Land Fund for the purchase cost of the site, we still need immediate funds to pay our legal advisers, currently working on the contract with CEC. Then there are the essential repairs to such things as windows and the roof, as well as fire and safety features.
There is also the preparatory work we have to do in the way of design costs to enable us to move into the buildings and get them going with our “meanwhile use” plans to bring the centre “online” stage by stage.
The campaign will go live on Crowdfund Scotland and there will also be links from our website and social media channels.
Please consider donating something, no matter how small, to enable this ambitious project to go ahead – and don’t forget to spread the word among neighbours and friends!
Finally, may we remind you to visit our website regularly. There’s always something new, including several blogs being posted on the different pages, that you might enjoy.
This month for example, the Culture & Heritage page is hosting a contribution from one of our many volunteers, who talks about the Hispanic community in Newhaven and how they’ve adapted and settled in to the local community.
On our new Intergenerational page, there’s not only an explanation of what intergenerational means, but a blog from trustee Judy Crabb.
Of course our regular blog from the chairman will be along soon as well.
Here’s a hand, my trusty fiere and gie’s a hand o’ thine …
What would Rabbie Burns have made of our digital age? He would probably have loved it. He was a philosopher and a rebel and as a man of humble origins living during the Enlightenment, he would surely have dived right in.
So as we celebrate the birth of our national poet let’s celebrate our digital age as well. We’d like to ask you to “gie’s a hand” in our digital appeal.
Home learning can be an issue for those who do not have access to technology, especially during the unprecedented times we are all living through.
Can you help make significant change in your community?
If you have a laptop, mobile, tablet or any other device that could help us in our mission to help people, we would love to hear from you!
Many local schools are struggling to support families with home learning and children within our community are the future and our hope. They are our next generation of essential workers: doctors, teachers, politicians, engineers, and retail workers.
Victoria Primary School would be grateful for at least ten additional devices to help tackle these issues and to make sure those in disadvantaged situations are not punished long-term for a situation that is not their fault.
We will arrange safe collection of devices and have them cleaned and refurbished if necessary. After which, the school will distribute accordingly.
As you will understand, due to the current situation, we need to act as soon as possible.
If you can assist, we wholeheartedly appreciate any help you can provide at this time.
So “gies’ a hand”, and as you celebrate Rabbie Burns’ birthday, remember to play and watch our online Heart of Newhaven choir sing Auld Lang Syne.
