Tag: local democracy

Edinburgh Partnership launches community planning review

Your chance to influence how community planning works for Edinburgh

Do you feel involved in decision-making? Are community voices being heard? What can be done to improve local democracy and community engagement? Where does the community fit into community planning?

In the snappily-titled ‘Edinburgh Partnership Review & Consultation on Governance and Community Planning Arrangements (the name alone should be enough scare a few people off!) The Edinburgh Partnership is consulting community councils, community groups and individuals on community planing in the capital.

Community planning brings together public agencies, the third sector and communities to work together to plan and deliver services which make a real difference to people’s lives.  The Edinburgh Partnership involves these partners in overseeing this work for the city.

The Edinburgh Partnership recognises that community planning processes can be improved.  In this consultation, the Edinburgh Partnership would like to hear people’s views on:

  • how communities and community groups can more effectively influence decisions about their community.
  • how the governance arrangements can be improved to:
    • make it clear how decisions are made, and who is making them, by improving the groups and structures involved
    • make partnership working stronger
    • make better connections between the different levels of partnership working in the city.

Why is The Edinburgh Partnership consulting?

In Scotland, the law says a range of public bodies must take part in community planning. This is set out in the Scottish Government’s Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015. The act was designed to strengthen the influence communities have in making decisions about their area – this is known as community planning.

Below is the current governance structure in Edinburgh, which forms the basis of the consultation. It shows many partnership and advisory groups feed into and from the Edinburgh Partnership.

There are other bodies in the city which link to and/or have a role in these arrangements but they are not part of the governance structure. These include community councils, Council committees, the Edinburgh Association of Community Councils and the Equality and Rights Network. They provide the city-wide perspective for community and interest groups. These are not included in the consultation.

To help develop the consultation the Edinburgh Partnership carried out a review with the people involved in the current partnerships and groups shown in the governance structure (as above).  Their views on what is working well and what could be better have shaped the proposals and questions in this consultation.

The Edinburgh Partnership would now like to hear YOUR views as it’s recognised that this consultation is relevant in different ways to a wide range of organisations.

Timescales

Deadline for submissions is Sunday 9th September 2018.

Your chance to influence how community planning works for Edinburgh: Take part here:

 

£eith has chosen!

Leith projects share £118,000 in local Participatory Budgeting initiative 

The following projects have received a funding award following the £eith Chooses 2018 participatory budgeting initiative run by Leith’s community councils with the support of the city council:

SMALL GRANTS (up to £500) The sum awarded is what the project group applied for

Leithers Don’t Litter – Good Clean Fun – £500
CLASP Seniors Tea Party – £500
Cleaning Up Restalrig Road – £500
Help Scouts go Camping – £500
Art Outside the Police Box – £500
The Big Brunch – towards a shared vision of Childcare – £500
Family Fun Street Games and Dance – £500
See Me Portrait Project – £485
Taobh Na Pairce Film Making Workshop – £500
Choose Happiness – £475
Leith Fort Residents Community Group – £500

MEDIUM GRANTS (up to £5,000) 

Hidden Door Festival – involving the local community – £4,515
Tailor Ed Foundation – £1,959
Leith Primary Parent Council – Trim Trail – £5,000
All Together Charity Shop – Skills Training – £4,450
Leith Community Cinema – accessible screenings – £3,000
Invisible Cities – Street Barber project – £1,255
Mustard Seed – Soul Food Easter Road – £4,475
Leith Late – A Wall is a Screen – £3,500
Dr. Bells Family Centre – Summer Programme – £5,000
St. Mary’s Primary – Bike Shelter & Scooter Rack – £2,152
Leith FAB Cricket Club – all weather artificial pitch – £4,656
Beyond Gender – LGBT+ Creative Writing  – £4,038 (partial funding)

LARGE GRANTS (up to £10,000)

Leith DIY Skateparks – extending skateboarding facilities for all – £9,000
Leith Theatre Trust – Thomas Morton Hall equipment – £10,000
The Edinburgh Tool Library – accessible Leith – £9,690
Creative Electric – art and performance with various groups – £10,000
Projekt 42 – yoga, youth fitness, summer bootcamp – £9,994
Citadel Youth Centre – Citadel Connect – £8,980
Out of the Blue – Meanwhile…in Leith Hub – £9,613
Scottish Historic Buildings / Leith Heritage Trail Group – £1,223 (partial funding)

In-person card voting took place at Leith Community Centre on 3 March, and local people could also vote online voting from 3-17 March.

A face to face feedback discussion session is now being planned to facilitate interaction between participants, identify issues, share suggestions for improvement, and generate new ideas.

Community Choices Fund success for local Community Council

The Scottish Government has announced the successful applicants for the latest Community Choices Fund. Sixteen community organisations and 17 local councils will share the £1.5 million fund, with more than 90 applications submitted for 2017/18. Among the successful applicants are Leith Links Community Council, who receive £82,800 for their Local Democracy at Work initiative, while the City of Edinburgh Council receives £44,000 to support it’s participatory budgeting programme. Continue reading Community Choices Fund success for local Community Council

Last meeting before elections for West Pilton West Granton

WPNC
Dear All,
Please find attached the agenda for the next meeting which will be on Tuesday 6th September in the Neighbourhood Centre. At this meeting you will be able to pick up  nomination papers for election for the Community Council for the next cycle.
See you there,
Barbara

Your community needs YOU!

Muirhouse Salvesen Community Council needs new members

MMC-1 Nominations are now open for seven vacancies on Muirhouse Salvesen Community Council. This is a great opportunity to make a difference in your community and represent the views of local people. Continue reading Your community needs YOU!

Last call for community councillors

Elected Representative CC Application Form 2013

Do you care about your community? Would you like to make your neighbourhood a better place to live? Well, there’s still time to put your name forward to become a community councillor – but nominations close at 4pm TODAY!

Indications are that nomination forms have not exactly been flooding in to Returning Officers in some neighbourhoods so far so it’s hoped that there will be a last-minute rush today!

Community councils are groups of people who care about their community and want to make their area a better place to live. Community councils give residents a say in how their communities are run by representing the views of local people on Neighbourhood Partnerships and convey these views to the Council and other organisations and agencies.

In North Edinburgh, Drylaw Telford was one of the city’s original community councils while Muirhouse Salvesen (pictured below), West Pilton/West Granton and Granton and District were formed to give communities a voice in new community planning arrangements when Neighbourhood Partnerships were introduced in 2007.

Community councils are always keen to hear from local people, and want more people to get involved in their work. They usually meet once a month, and in between meetings many organise and support local projects and initiatives that help the community or improve the area.

Get involved – get that nomination form completed and handed in today! 

The inaugural meeting of Muirhouse Salvesen Community Council in March 2007
The inaugural meeting of Muirhouse Salvesen Community Council in March 2007