A Public Meeting will take place next Monday (17th July) in Muirhouse Millennium Centre to address mould/dampness problems in council and housing association properties in the area.
All welcome.
Public Meeting: Damp housing disgrace in Muirhouse
Tag: Lifting Neighbourhoods Together
Bingham artist Elle joined by local councillors for launch of new community cookbook
A student from Bingham has been supported by a local project to create a cookbook for her community
Earlier this year, Elle Slow-Clayton (19) was considering her future when a knock at the door would lead her to start a project that would use her creative skills and links with the local community as a force for good.
At that door was Erin, a member of the team from Community Renewal: Lifting Neighbourhoods Together – a local project being delivered in the Bingham, Magdalene and the Hays neighbourhoods. After speaking with Elle for 5 minutes, Erin discovered she was an aspiring artist with lots of love for her neighbours. After a few more chats, Elle decided to create a cookbook with, and for the community.
Elle describes why she wanted to create the cookbook: “I was studying art and design at the time and wanted to channel my energies into something. When Erin knocked on my door – it was like fate.
“I have lived round here my whole life and I know and love this community so much. People round here are so friendly, but some are isolated and there are families who are struggling right now. So, I wanted to create something that was fun, accessible and affordable, and that led me to the cookbook idea.
“I issued a callout and people came forward and shared their recipes. I was keen that the recipes were affordable and that they were easy to make for elderly residents or residents with disabilities who love to cook but have been impaired in some way.
“I also wanted to get the kids involved, so I have included pages which they can add recipes or drawings or whatever they want. Plus, I wanted to use my creative skills, so I have illustrated the book throughout.”
Erin Smith from Community Renewal: Lifting Neighbourhoods Together adds why this is the type of project they are keen to support: ““Our role is to bring residents and people who work with and for the community together to improve quality of life for everyone.
“When we met Elle, her enthusiasm, talent, and love for the area was obvious, and we are proud to have empowered her to realise her vision for the area.
“This is a community-driven project with support from us and other funders like City of Edinburgh Council and Places for People. Now the book is complete, we are giving it out in the Hays Community Pantry, which we co-run with Places for People. The pantry provides affordable or free ingredients that can be used to make the recipes in this book.”
Elle was joined by two local councillors at yesterday’s launch. Cllr Jane Meagher was full of praise for the project: “It’s wonderful that someone so young is doing something so positive for her local community.
“I am delighted to support her in any way I can.”
Cllr. Kate Campbell SNP added: “During these extremely challenging times, to see a project created by the community, for the community is truly inspirational.
“I hope to be trying out a few recipes myself.”
The cookbook will be given out to most residents via the Pantry and by the Community Renewal team. As for Elle, she is now studying a HND in illustration, but says she will continue to collaborate with Community Renewal:
“I love my community, so I want to continue to be part of this project. I have already helped at events such as a community BBQ and I’m excited to talk to locals about what they want to see happen next.”
Poverty-free by 2024?
Lottery funding sees Community Renewal go to work in Bingham and Magdalene
Community Renewal: Lifting Neighbourhoods Together, which is being launched this month in Bingham, Magdalene and The Hays by charity Community Renewal, has received funding from The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest funder of community activity in the UK.
The initiative has already been strongly endorsed by the Edinburgh Poverty Commission* who described that it “exemplifies many of the features we are challenging the city to implement across all publicly funded services in Edinburgh.”*
With an estimated 15% of the Edinburgh population and 1 in 5 children living in relative poverty, there is growing recognition that the support currently available to people in poverty is disjointed and it is difficult for them to know where to start to get help.
Building on 20 years placing transformative power into the hands of deprived communities, Community Renewal’s approach looks at the whole person and their whole family. Community Renewal: Lifting Neighbourhoods Together is a radically simple concept, as CEO Paul McColgan explains:
“We want see if we can re-organise current resources to wrap around the needs and aspirations of people and stick with them for as long as it takes to lift them completely out of poverty.”
“We are partnering with an ever-growing number of public and third sector services, as well as private companies, to join forces as together we can provide the coordinated, multi-faceted and practical support people need.
“What is different about this is that we will work street by street and door by door to engage everyone in every household. We are, thanks to the National Lottery funding, putting the whole community in the driving seat.
“We will listen to every person and decipher how to increase their income by helping them access better work and maximise their benefits and pension entitlements.
“We will reduce their costs, by obtaining better deals for households on their monthly bills and help them access fresh food that is locally available and cheaper. We will support people in securing more affordable housing, adequate to their needs.
“We hope to close the attainment gap for young people in this neighbourhood and build a bridge to the best job opportunities the city has to offer.
“After months feeling isolated in lockdown, we will be tackling loneliness and bringing the community together.”
As soon as 2024, Community Renewal hope that by everyone working together, they will have permanently lifted the neighbourhood out of the 15% most deprived category in the Scottish Government’s Index of Multiple Deprivation.
By making use of existing resources, the project will also be delivered without any extra cost to the taxpayer.
Paul McColgan adds: “The project is a culmination of 20 years working in 17 Scottish neighbourhoods. We have conducted over 40,000 community conversations and helped lift them out of the 15% of most deprived index.
“Lifting Neighbourhoods Together will place transformative power into the hands of the residents to address key issues in their community, such as mental health and wellbeing, housing, education and training, as well as isolation and loneliness.”
Kate Still, Scotland Chair of the National Lottery Community Fund, added: “Thanks to National Lottery players, Lifting Neighbourhoods Together will put the aspirations of local people front and centre and will build upon these to bring about positive change in their lives.
“We understand that when people are in the lead, communities thrive and so we are delighted to be able to support this person-centred approach to tackling poverty and inequality.”
The project launches this month and Paul invites anyone interested in collaborating or discussing the project to get in touch. Details can be found on the Lifting Neighbourhoods website.
Read Community Renewal’s Towards a Britain Without Poverty brochure here
*From A Just Capital Actions to End Poverty in Edinburgh – Edinburgh Poverty Commission Report, September 2020