Leith – Page 14 – The NEN – North Edinburgh News

Leith residents to allocate community cash

People in Leith will soon be asked by Leith Neighbourhood Partnership to decide how a pot of more than £20,000 in funding should be spent on projects that benefit their local community.

Now in its fourth year, £eith Decides, allows community groups to apply for grants of up to £1,000 each. Once the applications are in, local people are invited to vote on which projects they would most like to see receive the money. A special public event will take place in February, at which members of the public will get the chance to learn about applicants and their projects.

Previous successful applicants include Prospect Bank School Parents’ Association for an outdoor climbing frame, the Goosander Resident’s Association for a living garden, the Citadel Youth Centre for a young mums’ parenting course, and the North Edinburgh Dementia Care group, which ran podiatry sessions for older clients.

This year’s application period is now open and runs until November 8, when a Steering Group made up of local people will consider all applications to make sure that they meet the criteria – Advice is available on how to meet the criteria.

Councillor Maureen Child, Convener of the Communities and Neighbourhoods Committee at the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “£eith Decides has proven to be extremely popular, and many new applicants came forward last year. It was fantastic that so many worthwhile projects, all of which have made a difference to people, were given help in this way.
“The public event held as part of the process gave community groups the opportunity to raise awareness about their work too. Neighbourhood Partnership events like this are valued by people who welcome the opportunity to make decisions about the area in which they live.”

For up-to-date information about £eith Decides please visit its Facebook page – www.facebook.com/voteforleithdecides

and the £eith decides page at www.edinburghnp.org.uk/leith.

LEIPing for joy! Community funding for Leith youth project

LEITH COMMUNITY PROJECT AWARDED FUNDING

A Leith community project has been awarded nearly £72,000. Port of Leith Housing Association (PoLHA) secured funds for Leith Early Intervention Project (LEIP) from the Scottish Government’s People and Communities Fund.

The partnership project – between Pilmeny Development Project, YMCA Edinburgh, Lothian and Borders Police, PoLHA and local schools – will receive £71,258 over the next two years.

The funds will provide early intervention and capacity building to give support to at least 190 young people excluded from generic youth work provision, and who are at risk of offending or are already offending.

Anne Munro, Project Manager for Pilmeny Development Project, said: “We are delighted to have received this funding as it will go towards providing effective intervention for young people via a tailored programme of street work, weekly drop in youth work, a mentoring service and opportunities to use and develop skills and experience through volunteering.”

Keith Anderson, Chief Executive at PoLHA, said: “LEIP is a fantastic initiative and I am delighted we have been able to support them through access to the Scottish Government’s People and Communities Fund.”

Leap into Leith’s Health and Fitness Festival!

Leith’s first health & fitness festival takes place at Victoria Park tomorrow, hosted by local carity Looking After Our Elderly. It aims to bring back community spirit and unite all generations of the community with the aim of getting healthy, active and having fun.

Demonstrations & entertainment highlights:

Tai Chi, 10.00, Thistle Foundation, Lambs House Circle

The Thistle Foundation are a Scottish Charity that supports people with disabilities and health conditions to lead full lives. Thistle Gym is a bit different. With a friendly and relaxed environment, Thistle Gym helps members to improve their health and fitness levels, regardless of their disability or health condition.

5k fun run, 11.00, demonstration drive

Fitness Soul, Booiaka, 11.00, Lambs House Circle

Booiaka is an intense cardio dance workout that feels like a fun night spent dancing with friends at a party or a favorite club, to music you love. It incorporates elements of many different dance styles, such as Latin, Brazilian, Jamaican, hip-hop and Reggaeton – but the emphasis is on having fun, releasing your spirit and feeling the beat.

Canongate Cadjers (ceilidh band), 13.00, Lambs House Circle

Space hopper race for adults, 14.00 – 15.00

Organised by Tracy Griffen, of Griffen fitness, competitors will race in heats and go on to a final hop off! Hop at your own risk!

Hula Honeys demos, 10.00 –16.00, demonstration drive

Kim Sibbald, personal trainer and hula hoop teacher based in Edinburgh, is on a mission to spread the love and share the joys of hooping. Hula Honeys hooping classes are fun, friendly and addictive. Don’t worry if you have never been able to hoop before, the hoops provided make the skill much easier to pick up. The great thing about hooping is you are training your mind as well as your body. It is progressive and you can always learn new skills. But remember the focus is on having fun!

Kuk Sool Won workshop, 12.00– 15.00, demonstration drive

A comprehensive, modern, traditional Korean Martial Art. Kuk Sool Won™ is a systematic study of all of the traditional fighting arts, which together comprise the martial arts history of Korea. As a martial arts system, Kuk Sool Won™ is exteremely well-organized; and seeks to integrate and explore the entire spectrum of established Asian fighting arts and body conditioning techniques, as well as mental development and traditional weapons training. The following list includes some, but by no means all, of the elements of Kuk Sool Won™. For a history of Kuk Sool Won™ click HERE

Links Fitness Bootcamp 12.30– 14.00, demonstration drive

Women’s only bootcamp classes held at Leith Links on Saturday mornings and Tuesday evenings. Bootcamp is suitable for all levels of fitness with classes including sandbags, medicine balls, bodyweight circuits, cardio drills, fun games, battling ropes, boxing. Varying activities keeps the classes interesting and challenging.

SwishandHips, bellydancing demos by Elspeth, 12.30, entertainment area & 13.00 demonstration drive

Belly dancing is the name given to many different styles of dance which originated in the Middle East, but which dancers all over the world have taken to their hearts and made their own.

Belly dance is known in arabic as Raks Sharki, and comes in many different forms – oriental style, cabaret style, American Tribal style, tribal fusion, and many other sub-strata. Elspeth studies and dances in the Egyptian Oriental Style, as performed by dancers in Cairo today.

Strictly Fitsteps demos, 12.30 – 16.00, demonstration drive & 15.30 main stage

FitSteps^® came to life in 2013 as the result of a collaboration between two of the UK’s most famous ballroom dancers and Britain’s most successful swimmer! During the long, arduous dance training sessions that are an integral part of Britain’s most decided to mix the graceful steps of Ballroom and the up tempo steps of the Latin dances together to create a really fun, energetic and effective way to stay fit and keep trim that would appeal to everyone, even if they couldn’t dance. The programme is based around twelve of the most popular Latin and Ballroom dances and the first class that we’ve launched has elements of six of these dances – Jive, Cha Cha, Samba, Tango, Waltz and Quickstep.

Edinburgh Lau Gar Self Defence demos, 14.30 – 17.00, demonstration drive

Lau Gar is the most popular form of Kung Fu in the UK and was brought here by Master Jeremy Yau in 1961. Lau Gar Kung Fu is derived from the form of boxing that was practised in Kuei Ling Temple, situated on Bac Pye Saan (the Bac Pye mountain), in Hong Kong in Western China. It was first learned by a monk fleeing from Kuei Ling Temple by the Master, “Three Eyed Lau”, a tiger hunter, who is honoured as the founder of Lau Gar Kung Fu.

Metamadness, 13.00, main stage

The MetaMadness class is an all over body work out based on the sport of boxing.

Fire Safety demos, 11.15, 12.30, 13.45, 15.00, Lambs House Circle

Chip Pan Fire and Fire extinguisher demos

It promises to be quite a day – don’t miss it!

Police appeal after Leith assault

A thirty year old man was treated in hospital after being followed from a Leith bar and attacked by a group of men last week. The man was subjected to a ‘serious assault’ in Arthur Street on Thursday at around 9pm and police are urging witnesses to come forward.

The victim had been drinking with friends in the Harp and Castle on Leith Walk but before leaving the bar he was involved in a “minor altercation” with three men, who are believed to be Polish.

It is thought that the assailants followed him from the bar into Arthur street where, follwoing a confrontation, two of the men attacked the local man before the third intervened. The three men then returned to Leith Walk.

The victim was able to make his way home and was later treated for his injuries at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.

All three men are described as white and around 5ft 7in to 5ft 8in tall.

The first man is thought to be in his early to mid 30s, with dark brown hair and was wearing a baseball cap, light blue jeans, white trainers and a yellow and black stripy shirt.

The second is believed to be in his early 20s with short blond hair and was wearing a grey Nike tracksuit, white trainers and a black Adidas baseball cap.

The third man is thought to be in his late 30s with short, dark hair and was wearing a dark suit and smart shoes.

Anyone with any information relating to this incident should get in contact with Police Scotland on 101, or Crimestoppers in confidence on 0800 555 111.

Have your say on Leith Walk proposals

Local people, businesses and other groups are being invited to a drop-in event to view proposed designs and street layout for the Leith Walk programme tomorrow (Tuesday).

The event follows a June meeting where local people and organisations strongly supported an enhanced design for Leith Walk as part of the Leith Programme to make the thoroughfare more pedestrian and cycle friendly.

Tomorrow’s event, at Nelson Hall in McDonald Road Library, from 2-8pm, will give local people and organisations the opportunity to view the proposed designs and discuss with officers the street layout for the Foot of the Walk to Pilrig Street and the Pilrig Street to Picardy Place sections of Leith Walk.

Councillor Lesley Hinds, Transport and Environment Convener, said: “The session follows a very productive meeting in June when the local community pledged their support for the project. I am delighted that these plans are close to being finalised and to complete our detailed consultation and design process we are now keen to talk to local people and businesses about the proposals.”

“As the construction work is being phased, with the Foot of the Walk to Pilrig Street section commencing first, we are aiming to have a finalised draft design for this section ready by the beginning of August. This will allow us to proceed with the required Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) process prior to the work starting. We will also be displaying the Pilrig Street to Picardy Place section at the same time to allow local stakeholders the opportunity to comment on the emerging design for this section.”

“I am hoping a wide range of people attend and provide their views on all aspects of the project, in particular, parking provision and domestic waste bins, so please let other local people and businesses know about the event.”

Young people map out youth provision

Young Persons Map

The Junction, a health and wellbeing project for young people aged 12-21, has developed and delivered a young person’s mapping project which is based on the principles and features of the Asset Based Approach.

The key feature of asset based working is valuing the potential, skills, knowledge and connections present in individuals and their communities.

During creation of the map staff spoke with young people in their community during streetwork; each map shows where young people hang out, places they feel safe and where they go for support as well as what they saw as the best thing about their area.

The maps were made during May and June at The Junction in Leith, Granton Youth Centre (GYC), Pilton Youth & Community Project (PYCP) and Muirhouse Youth Development Group (MYDG).

Young people attending their regular drop-in at each organisation were given the chance to get involved and those that took part were aged from 12 to 17.

There are 4 maps in total – each is 9ft x 6ft and is made of tie dye material, each map is unique and made up from photos, young people’s comments and opinions about their area.

This is just the beginning; each organisation will be given the map to use as a resource to use with the young people of that area.

Feel free to email any comments you may have about the maps.

Ian@the-junction.org

With special thanks to NEAIC (North Edinburgh Alcohol Initiative Collaborative)

New business workspace facility opens in Leith tonight

New workspaces for creative businesses opens formally in Leith tonight

Creative Exchange Leith provides 80 workspaces for individuals, groups or businesses, and aims to create a new hub for creative talent in the city.

Based in the former Corn Exchange building, a local landmark located close to some of Edinburgh’s leading creative agencies, the hub has been renovated to Grade A standard with an award-winning design.

All members can access a wide range of facilities and support including super-fast broadband, space for meetings, networking and exhibitions. Plus there are business support services ranging from start-up advice through to mentoring and help securing investment.

Councillor Frank Ross, Economy Convener for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “What Creative Exchange offers is flexible and affordable workspace combined with the support that both new starts and existing businesses need. This is another major milestone in our strategy for jobs and I’m delighted that the Council has been able to work with others to make this happen – not just those who have funded it directly but many other private and public organisations that have given their very welcome backing.”

Iain Munro, Director of Creative Development at Creative Scotland, said: “Edinburgh needs affordable flexible creative spaces, with super-fast broadband, to support emerging and established creative entrepreneurs. This development is a welcome new opportunity to create a vibrant hub for networking, collaboration and showcasing of the Creative Industries in the capital city.”

Mandy Exley, Principal of Edinburgh College, said: “Edinburgh College is committed to excellence and innovation and the Creative Exchange provides an exciting opportunity for new and emerging talent to develop their businesses in a supported environment. We are delighted to have the opportunity to work with the City of Edinburgh and partners to support new business start-ups which contribute to the economic development of the region.”

Francois Roshdy, user experience Director, Border Crossing Media, said: “Facilities like this are absolutely vital to start ups and small businesses, allowing us to concentrate on developing new services and products without the worry or hassle of trying to find somewhere affordable to work. It’s also an ideal set-up for collaboration, and that’s so important to what we do.”

Costs range from just £80 a month for a weekend member, through to £320 a month for a ‘super member’ with full access. Users can also opt for a day rate. Rent, rates, heating and lighting are all included.

Funding for the project has come from the City of Edinburgh Council, Creative Scotland and Edinburgh College.

Edinburgh College has also agreed to fund around six students every year to take entrepreneurial residency at Creative Exchange Leith, receiving guidance and mentoring to start a new business.

The Creative Exchange’s first tenants moved in on 10 June 2013 and five businesses are now operating from there including Iglu Studio, Border Crossing Media, Voluntary Arts Scotland, SME Professional and Designers on the Run.

Potential tenants and others interested in Creative Exchange Leith can get more information and follow its progress via:

· Website http://www.creativeexchangeleith.com/

· Twitter @CExchange

· Facebook Creative Exchange Leith

· Google+

· Linked In

Demo at Leith job Centre today

DEMO DENOUNCES “SANCTIONS TARGETS” AT LEITH JOB CENTRE

Claimants and anti cuts campaigners are set to demonstrate at Leith Job Centre today (Thursday 11th July) in a protest against “sanctions targets” set by a Job Centre manager.

“A new manager at Leith Jobcentre has told staff that 30% of claimants are not meeting the conditions for receiving benefits – the clear implication is that these claimants should be anctioned, that is have their benefits stopped. In reality this is a return to the supposedly outlawed practice of setting sanctions targets, and is totally unfair and unjust,” said Ethel MacDonald of Edinburgh Coalition Against Poverty.

The demonstration is part of the Boycott Workfare Week of Action against the government’s controversial “work-for-your-benefits” schemes and is in opposition to the whole government austerity programme.

“People are really suffering because of sanctions. Right now we are opposing sanctions imposed on a disabled claimant who is having to live on £26.05p per week because he was too ill to go to an
appointment with the Ingeus workfare provider. What’s more, most claimants who are sanctioned have their money stopped completely, for from one month to three years.”

The protestors state that they will challenge sanctions, and issue a call to direct action. “You have the right to challenge sanctions. Ask for the decision to be reviewed and appeal against it. If need be, we can alert our Edinburgh Coalition Against Poverty solidarity network to have a peaceful demo INSIDE the Job Centre.”

The demonstrators point to a government press release stating that they have set up “hit squads” in all Job Centres to presurise claimants returning from workfare providers. “The government have
openly declared war on the unemployed”, say ECAP. “We know that in Leith Job Centre they have set up such a “hit squad” and some officials are misinforming claimants that they have to allow the DWP to monitor their online job search. This is a lie and we urge claimants to stand up for their right to protect their privacy.”

Edinburgh Coalition Against Poverty have also been leafleting the Leith Job Centre workers, appealing for workers to join claimants in opposing cuts, sanctions and workfare. “Some Job Centre workers are themselves facing unemployment, as now they only get temporary contracts, and could easily find themselves on the other side of the counter,” explained ECAP’s Ethel MacDonald.

“If we are not to be condemned to years of austerity we need to take a stand,” she went on. “Enough is enough! Why should the vast majority suffer because of the greed of a minority of speculators, bankers and super-rich, and the chaotic nature of their profit-driven system? It’s time for action to assert that people’s needs must be the priority, not money. We can’t rely on any of the political parties, we must organise at the grass-roots, through people power.”

The protest takes place from 10am till 12 noon today at the Commercial Street Job Centre, Leith.

Edinburgh Coalition Against Poverty (ECAP)

Get set for Leith Health and Fitness Festival

Looking after our elderly:

In the winter of 2012 a new Charity campaign emerged in Leith called Give a Gift this Christmas. This was an opportunity for organisations and members of the public to donate gifts which were distributed to elderly people across Leith and North East Edinburgh. This was a tremendous success and has led to the development of a Health and Fitness Festival, which will not only raise funds to help the Charity, but will also provide the opportunity for sharing information about keeping fit and healthy whatever your age.

To raise the profile of the Festival there will be a number of key events happening across Leith and wider. Subsequently there will be a range of raffles and smaller events to ensure that the word is out and that people are excited about the festival.

Leith Health & Fitness Festival – Saturday 10 August, Victoria Park, Leith

Our inspiration is to help bring back community spirit! Working together will offer a way to pull all generations together, to mend the cracks and try to give support and care to our local elderly residents.

There will be a range of stalls and events designed specifically for the older community, this will include a marquee set aside for entertainment, amusement and a free raffle, bowling on the green and lots of complimentary events / treatments on the day.

For the wider community there will be:

Stall spaces for therapists and personal trainers (small fee)
Stall spaces for local businesses (Small fee)
Advice on optimum & sports nutrition
Career advice
Youth and Community information
5k fun run (application form below)
Hula Honeys
Fitness demos
Activities for all the family.

If you feel you could support this exciting venture by having a stall, promoting your services, donating prizes for our competitions or raffle, (we have two raffles, a main raffle for everyone and another one for our elderly people). Or volunteering on the day then we would love to hear from you.

Please email me if you are interested in being part of our first Festival.

Email: lookingafterourelderly@virginmedia.com

All proceeds will go the Looking After Our Elderly and our second Give a Gift This Christmas campaign.

Thank you!

Kirsty Smith

Charity Director

5k run app

festival stall email application form