“When are you opening?” we hear you ask. We can only repeat that the keys are on their way. We are still working towards a handover on 31st March, but legal processes can be lengthy as well as tiresome and frustrating and have to be gone through, whether we like it or not.
Even if the date does slip into April and the next financial year for some reason, we have been assured by the Scottish Land Fund that the allocated funds will be held for us and handed over as soon as the legal requirements are completed.
The Heart will spring to life soon.
Look out for the Heart of Newhaven Community banners which are now on the old school railings!
The City of Edinburgh Council has given us permission to display them on what is technically still its property, as its commitment to the handover process and hopefully the sight will reassure the whole community that plans for our collaborative, intergenerational community services and activities will start as soon as possible.
As we prepare to take over and operate the site, we are pleased to soon welcome three new trustees to the board. Mike Douglas, Emma Hendon and Layla Robinson have already been working hard with our current trustees and volunteers in our various working groups and have much to contribute. Between them, they bring years of experience in the world of business and finance, as well as the care sector and other charity work.
You can read more about them on the About Us page on the website soon.
Have you visited the Restoration Forth exhibition currently on at the Botanic Gardens until 24th April? The Heart is one of five chosen local community hubs supporting the project and our information board is right at the heart of the exhibition.
On view are many of the wonderful squares that people have created, including Ian Marshall’s vision of Newhaven made with liner pen and watercolours.
We look forward to curating our own exhibitions and science-based projects once we are installed in the Heart.
In our last newsletter, we warned you that we may not be in the building until well into March, but we’re into February now and we’re full of optimism: after all, that’s only a few weeks away!
You may have wondered about the apparent abandonment of the now vacant school and we had hoped to put some publicity up on the railings to bring the local community up to date with what is really happening in case they are not connected digitally or have been confused by erroneous publicity elsewhere.
This, for various reasons has not happened yet, but rest assured we are moving in soon and we’re raring to go and keen to welcome you all inside as soon as we can.
Meanwhile, while we wait for the keys, we’ve had successful site visits to check on what’s been left behind from the school move, our architects are busy on our “meanwhile use” plans and checks have been carried out on the state of the building and a list of necessary repairs and works, has been drawn up.
Now for some updates.
Restoration Forth –
An exhibition is to be held at the John Hope Gateway at the Botanic Gardens February 12 – April 24th. All the community hubs, of which we are one of six, are or will be exhibiting boards promoting what we are each offering.
We are excited to be participating in the project, as it supports each of our three themes, culture and heritage, learning and enterprise and an improvement in wellbeing, linked together by generations working together.
Once we are open, we will be hosting citizen science sessions and exhibitions to raise environmental awareness along the Forth Coastline, including wall hangings, craft creations, pop up banners and printed material plus musical events to compliment the exhibition – something for all ages!
Work on our friendship benches has resumed, with youngsters from the Citadel project beginning work on the decoration next weekend with help from local artist Johnathan Elders.
Watch out for the benches: they might be among the first things we move onto the site!
Our collaboration with the Pilmeny Development Project goes from strength to strength with our Friendship Group increasing in numbers and eliciting some wonderful feedback.
“I have been virtually housebound for the last two years. It is wonderful to get out of the house and just chat to so many people,” says one participant.
If you’d like to get involved, you can email Norma Johnson, our HoNC trustee liaison for this at norma_johnston@hotmail.com.
We wouldn’t have got this far without help and support from the community so do check out our Partners page on the website.
That will give you an idea of all the wonderful partners, individuals and organisations who have generously given their money and their time to support the project as well as acknowledging the many and various grants we have been awarded by different funding bodies.
It’s a new year and we hope you’re all raring to go. If you’ve made resolutions, we hope you stick to them!
HoNC certainly intends to. We won the right to purchase the building. We’ve been awarded enough funds from the Scottish Land Fund to pay for it. We have a business plan. We have architects. We have lawyers. We have volunteers at the ready. What we need now are the keys and then it’s all hands on deck.
“So when will that be?” you ask.
Many of you have no doubt seen that the pupils and staff of Victoria Primary School have now moved into their new building and may be wondering when HoNC will be moving in to the old one.
Well the fact is that it probably won’t be until well into March. There are still formalities to be completed and final contracts to be signed, but the HoNC board is on the case and we’re hoping that there will be no hiccups before we can get started on the real work on the ground.
With the onset of Omicron some of our interim projects about which you might have been expecting news, had to be postponed, but they’re waiting in the wings for the right moment to get going again.
We’ll bring you news about them as soon as we have it.
In the meantime, sign up for free membership if you haven’t already done so, which will give you the right to have your say at the next AGM, (if you live in the area of benefit). Or sign up as a volunteer and offer your skills to the community.
Once we have the keys, we will need all sorts of practical help to get the Heart fit for purpose and operating the way the community would like to see.
We’ll need helping hands to clear any old school “rubbish” left behind, more to clean and paint, and repair and all sorts of things, so get ready.
Time to reflect on what we have achieved this year with all your help, and to look forward to the next stage of our journey.
The BIG news – We secured the funding from The Scottish Land Fund to buy the school, amazing!
But that was hugely helped by the support we could show from you – the community, not least through our crowdfunder ‘Kick Start the Heart’ in February. Showing such support was and is essential.
Victoria Primary School is moving to their new site over the Christmas period in what will be an exciting step in their long history.
The next step for HoNC is to take vacant possession of the current site and buildings although the actual sale process is in the hands of Edinburgh Council. We anticipate by the end of March but as soon as possible we hope the Heart will begin to beat.
We are working with our architects and Planning Aid Scotland (PAS) to bring all potential tenants and users together to try and ensure that the spaces work to mutual benefit.
In the meantime watch this space for news of initial programmes of community activities and for ways in which you can help us to raise further funds to now keep The Heart beating.
Please continue to spread the word– and if you think you can help us to do that and have skills and experience to offer in communications and marketing, please get in touch!
Don’t forget to follow us on our social media or get in touch via the website and to the read the various blogs!
Finally, have a safe, healthy and happy Christmas and all best wishes for the New Year.
18 Edinburgh community groups recognised for commitment to keeping Scotland beautiful
Today, 11 November, over 200 community groups from across Scotland have been recognised by environmental charity, Keep Scotland Beautiful, for their efforts to support and enhance their local communities, for the climate and for nature.
At a virtual 2021 Beautiful Scotland and It’s Your Neighbourhood Seminar and celebration event, 18 It’s Your Neighbourhood entrants from Edinburgh were congratulated for their efforts with a certificate of achievement (see table below), with four also receiving a Certificate of Distinction for continuous improvement.
In addition, Friends of Starbank Park also won second place in the NatureScot It’s Your Neighbourhood Pollinator Friendly Awards.
Catherine Gee, Deputy CEO of Keep Scotland Beautifulsaid: “With the world’s biggest and most important climate change conference to date taking place in Glasgow this week, it is brilliant to be celebrating the work of these communities in Edinburgh who are taking action now.
“We know that across Scotland people are committed to improving and enhancing the places that they care about. And, through the It’s Your Neighbourhood entrants we hear of people doing their bit to understand their own greenhouse emissions and to support nature in the places they care about. These people are making a real difference and I would like to thank them for inspiring us every day.”
This year, three NatureScot It’s Your Neighbourhood Pollinator Friends Awards were presented at the seminar and Friends of Starbank Park, scooped second place, winning £150.
Jim Jeffrey, Pollinator Strategy Manager with NatureScot, who announced the award said: “Once again the Keep Scotland Beautiful Pollinator Friendly Award has attracted a host of interesting entries. The standard just gets better each year.
“Making space for nature, as we face up to the twin threat of climate change and biodiversity loss, has never been more important, and each of the community groups in this category have impressed with the range of actions they are taking.
“The winning projects were among a of number of great examples showing how working together we can help pollinators, whilst making our communities and green spaces more appealing, and fantastic places to spend time in.”
The annual seminar celebrated everything that the entrants, from 30 local authority areas, have achieved in their communities to combat climate change and support biodiversity.
Entrants have also worked to enhance their neighbourhoods, involve the community, and improve areas through gardening and horticulture while tackling litter and other environmental quality challenges.
Speakers included representatives from various entrants from across Scotland, sharing their inspiring stories and delegates also heard about the exciting opportunity to get involved with Scotland’s Climate Festival.
It’s Your Neighbourhood entrants were visited by one of 23 trained volunteer assessors who provide their support, expertise and guidance through the It’s Your Neighbourhood framework which is a part of the UK-wide RHS Britain in Bloom campaign.
RHS Community Development Manager Kay Clark said: “Community gardening groups are showing that, through their work, they can bring communities together, transform outdoor spaces and work in support of wildlife and the local environment.
“They are showing that gardening has a role to play in addressing the challenges that we collectively face and that is every reason to celebrate.”
If you would like to join the #OurBloom family, gain access to support and advice, and help us to keep Scotland beautiful, online registration for 2022 will open in mid-January on the Keep Scotland Beautiful website.
The Edinburgh entrants and their results can be found in the table below:
Group Name
Local authority area
IYN Certificate 2021
Level 2021
Certificate of Distinction 2021
Balerno Village Gardeners
City of Edinburgh
Outstanding
5
Y
Craigentinny Community Gardening Project
City of Edinburgh
Improving
2
Ferry Road Allotments
City of Edinburgh
Outstanding
5
Friends of Granton Castle Walled Garden
City of Edinburgh
Thriving
4
Y
Friends of Lauriston Castle Estate
City of Edinburgh
Advancing
3
Friends of Morningside Cemetery
City of Edinburgh
Thriving
4
Friends of Saughton Park
City of Edinburgh
Outstanding
5
Friends of Starbank Park (NatureScot IYN Pollinator Friendly Award – second place)
For those of you expecting to hear more about the Friendship Benches project, and perhaps even see some of the finished benches, prepare to be disappointed. Bad weather on the chosen weekend meant the decorating work could not go ahead outside as planned and has had to be postponed.
We’ll keep you updated on a revised timetable and let you know when the results can be seen.
Talking of delays, yet more problems with getting the new Victoria Primary School building ready for pupils, has meant that the earliest the Heart can expect to be in possession of the keys to the old site is now January 2022. We will of course update you when we have a more concrete timeline to share.
In the meantime however, time does not stand still. There is always work going on behind the scenes with the Trustees and volunteers, and new Working Groups are being formed to help make the transition from community vision to community reality.
These groups will be dealing with practical working arrangements for the site, community projects, and communications and marketing. If you would like to help out in any way, please use the Volunteering page on the website to get in touch.
Projects of course are always underway, despite Covid, especially as we ease out of full lockdown.
We recently collaborated with an exhibition entitled Forth Reflections, which was held in Ocean Terminal. Collaborators were Edinburgh Wellbeing PACT and the Forth/Edinburgh Shoreline Project.
This was an exhibition of crafted calico squares made by local residents, who used the squares to highlight a particular stretch of the Forth coast that meant something special to them.
They were used creatively to highlight concerns about pollution but also to illustrate the importance of living near water and how it helps individual well-being. On hand to talk to visitors were some of the Heart’s Trustees and collaborators, who discussed what well-being, one of the Heart’s main community objectives, means and how it can be improved.
Here’s what some of the visitors said:
“Living near the sea, walking, wandering with that Scottish sea breeze, gives me life and energy and reminds me to breathe.”
“I love to look at the ocean because you can lose yourself there.”
“Such pleasure taken in lockdown walking by the sparkling sea, such sadness at the pollution.”
There was more support also, for the Heart of Newhaven Community project as a whole:
“I think the Heart of Newhaven is a very good idea for people to have somewhere to go after we have all been in isolation for so long and it will be very positive to move on.”
“There is a great need of places to go that are suitable for people with disabilities. During lockdown there was nowhere to go and it’s taking time for people to feel comfortable about going out again.”
“The Newhaven area needs a community centre – there is nothing like that here.”
It is exciting to be able to report that the Heart is one of six designated community hubs along the banks of the Forth chosen to host exhibitions and activities associated with the wider Restoration Forth programme.
Restoration Forth has obtained a substantial grant for the many facets it involves, including the restoration of seagrass beds which provide the right habitat for, among other things, the oysters that used to be so plentiful in the Firth.
You can read more about the project and the new funding here:
Heart of Newhaven Community is happy to be actively collaborating with such exciting initiatives and even more will be taking place once we’re in our new home.
Remember as ever, to check the Heart of Newhaven Community website and social media for any updates or news.
Curious about plans for a new multi generational community hub (The Heart) in Newhaven?
Join The Heart of Newhaven at Ocean Terminal on Friday 22 October 2-4pm for a chat and an exhibition called ‘Forth Reflections and Expressions of Wellbeing.’
The art work, produced as part of the Edinburgh Shoreline project, is created from the passionate responses of over a hundred people to a 1km stretch of the Forth coastline that is special to them.
A storyline of memories and visions of the Forth has emerged, linking the Fife, Edinburgh and East Lothian coasts, biodiversity, people and communities.
On October 8th, a group of older and younger people from the New Spin intergenerational project at the Citadel will decorate the first of our six friendship benches, all of which have been made by Mens Shed.
The New Spin group will be working with local artist Johnathan Elders to create patterns for the backs of the bench. Further benches will be decorated in further sessions, so each will be unique. The project is being run with the help of Thrive, to celebrate World Mental Health Day on 10th October.
Fruit tree planting in Victoria Park
Our Greening Team have been busy with plans for the area and pupils from Trinity High and Trinity Primary Schools will be helping to plant some young fruit trees in Victoria Park this winter to enhance the area, by adding beauty, interest and biodiversity.
There are already a couple of small trees in situ, so those will be added to, to create a mini orchard. The trees will be Scottish heritage fruit trees, specially chosen for the site, and will include apple, pear and plum.
Each one will have its own protective cage, provided by Edinburgh City Council, and the pupils will learn from a Royal Botanic Gardens representative how best to plant and care for them.
We hope to work on more tree-planting and wilding projects in the future, not just in the parks but in the more built-up parts of our neighbourhood, where urban nature needs some encouragement.
Keep abreast of the latest news on our Greening Page
The Heart of Newhaven Community was assessed by It’s Your Neighbourhood, part of the Keep Scotland Beautiful charity recently, and despite it only being the first year of our association with them, we have scored a Level 3, (out of five) which means we are “advancing”.
The score was helped by having achieved our goal of funding from the Scottish Land Fund to acquire the site, as well as successfully engaging with a variety of local communities and groups. Well done everyone involved. The next level is “thriving” and the top level is “outstanding”. How long will it be?
Forth Reflections
On October 22nd from 2pm – 4 pm we are collaborating with an exhibition in the main entrance to Ocean Terminal called ‘Forth Reflections and Expressions of Wellbeing’. The event is being organised in conjunction with the Edinburgh Wellbeing PACT and the Forth/Edinburgh Shoreline Project.
Conceived during the dark days of winter lockdown this project is the passionate responses of well over a hundred different people to a part of the Forth coast that is special to them.
A long storyline of enmeshed crafted memories and visions of the Forth has emerged, linking the Fife, Edinburgh and East Lothian coasts, biodiversity, people and communities.
Each participant expressed their response to their chosen 1km of coast on a calico square and many people have focused on the coast’s local history and wildlife, its beauty and diversity and the many species and memories that have been and are still being lost. While frustration and anger can be seen in many pieces about marine and intertidal pollution, there is also heartfelt hope for the future.
We hope that as many people as possible will call in and have a chat. Not only will it be an opportunity to talk to us about our plans for the Heart in general but we also want to have conversations about wellbeing and what it means to each of us in our community. As inspiration we will be displaying a selection of the calico squares created by local people.
Call in to see the display and have a chat.
Keep watching our website and social media platforms for the latest news, as we await the move of Victoria Primary School pupils to their new home and the handover of the keys for the site from Edinburgh City Council to the Heart.
Welcome to your September Newsletter (And this is mostly a pictorial one)
As you must know by now, the Heart will be all about “inter-generational” activities and what better way to explain this than by this photo: 99 year old David Flucker a former pupil at Victoria Primary School, and two current pupils Uma and Aubrée, chatting about what school was or is like for them.
The meeting took place in front of STV cameras as the news team filmed a piece on what we’re all about.
Two of our trustees and one of our volunteers also spoke to camera and while we don’t yet know when it will be aired, we’re hopeful it will be soon.
The next photo comes from our Thank-You event, held outdoors in the school playground.
The aim was for volunteers who have contributed to our journey so far, to meet each other and the trustees, given that most communication for them has been online up until now. Volunteers Lesley, Anna, and Simon provided the food and drink and a good time was had by all.
Most really appreciated the opportunity to finally meet face to face and enjoy a blether in the sunshine.
Pictured is Lesley with her magnificent thank-you cake.
Now,check out a new page of the website, It will be all about the environment and especially what we can do to improve it.
Take a look at this example: an unloved carpark area which could be transformed by the addition of a few plants and a bench, where people could meet and chat together in pleasant surroundings instead of hurrying away as fast as possible.
So head to the new page and then you can contact our “environment champion” with your own ideas.
A final photo:
Join Victoria Primary School and celebrate an inclusive community art initiative. It is planned to highlight the school’s important link to the cultural heritage of Newhaven as a fishing village and is to mark the move to the new building.
The school is seeking help in the form of cutting out wooden fish that are to be decorated before they are returned to school to be placed on permanent display.
Please contact Mrs Hilary Gorrie, Depute Head Teacher, at hilary.gorrie@victoria.sch.uk if you are able to offer carpentry support.
Finally, The Heart of Newhaven Community Board was thrilled to receive a letter of congratulations from local MP Deirdre Brock, expressing her pleasure at the Scottish Land Fund news and wishing the project every success. It’s nice to be appreciated!
Coming up next month: decoration and placement of the Friendship Benches and an exciting new collaborative event to be held in Ocean Terminal
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!
