Tag: Muirhouse Millennium Community Centre

Getting crafty in Muirhouse

Muirhouse Community Centre Social Crafting Club

Craft Club 2

It can be said that crafters can never have enough crafting stash or time – that is a true statement for many crafters. It can also be said that crafting can be an isolating hobby because it is easy to start a project and completely lose hours at a time in the blink of an eye. Again something that crafters will recognise as true (writes club organiser Eileen Carr).

Here at Muirhouse Community Centre’s Social Crafting Club we aim to bring crafters together in an informal way to socialise with other crafters, to craft, learn new skills, discuss crafting (amongst other things), and build our confidence in trying new craft ideas and equipment.

The Craft Club is open from 11am-3pm on a Friday in the Youth Wing – you can stay for the 4 hours or even just pop in for ½ hour. We ask that people donate £1 a week towards the tea (biscuit/cake) fund and any extra money raised is used for craft equipment and ‘stash’ for communal use.

Although we do have a supply of craft ‘stash’ and equipment it is usual for people to bring their own craft projects and work on them whilst chatting to the other crafters, enjoying a cup of tea and demonstrating their skills. There is always something new to learn whether it’s a technique or how to use a piece of equipment.

Between us we are confident (in varying degrees) in card making, scrap booking, stamping, die-cutting, iris folding, colouring (using aqua markers/alcohol pens/spectrum noir pens and pencils), plaque decorating, general paper-crafting, book folding, knitting, crochet, jewellery making, beading, scented crafts, sewing and cross stitch and we are happy to help out where we can – as well as learning new things ourselves.

Come and join us – all welcome!

Muirhouse Community Centre’s on a roll!

MCCOur website may have been down for the last three months but we have not been forgotten by our public as the centre is inundated by new requests by groups and yes, even more birthday parties! (writes James McGinty).

The volunteers have had to step up the already huge hours they commit their time and talents to facilitate the additional activities, and the Centre remains open and staffed for even more late nights. This is a step forward in the effort to achieve our business plan as submitted to the City of Edinburgh Council.

This Month Bookings include :

  • 5 Birthday Parties
  • 3 days Fully booked with language students
  • Bingo
  • Improving Muirhouse and Pennywell Meeting (I.M.P.)
  • Job Club

Meeting bookings and birthday Parties up until March 2016:

Bookings in advance for meetings from Sacro – Carr Gomm – Tenants and Residents in Muirhouse –Family Support Unit – Muirhouse Housing Association –Community Council – Pilton Community Health Project – Muirhouse Youth development Group – North Edinburgh Community College –I.M.P. – Fresh Start –Community Renewal – Family decision Making – Glasgow Rented Housing Group.

Circuit Class is fitting replacement for Metafit

mmc

Thursday night’s first session of the Circuit Class attracted seven people with a further 5 older people turning up and putting themselves forward for next week’s session.

The Metafit formula was changed to allow older users to take part and, with more elder people joining the group, we are sure that the decision to ‘re-shape’ Metafit – as reported as reported in the NEN, our own website & and North Community Newsletter and Facebook – was the correct journey to make.

As word of mouth goes round we think we’ll get even busier so thanks to all who supported our news and to the participants – see you all next Thursday!!

James McGinty

 

Muirhouse young team JASS it up at Ratho

Ratho residential for JASS groups

DSCF8241Muirhouse Community Centre and the Junior Award Scheme Scotland (JASS) which is based in the Centre held a joint residential during the October break.

The residential was at the ever popular Pilton Retreat at Ratho. The first group (girls) went on the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and when they arrived back at 4 pm it was a quick change over with the boys jumping onto the minibus for the Wednesday afternoon and all day Thursday and Friday!

The young people had a brilliant time as did the staff and the volunteers (apart from the age old residential problem of trying to get ten hyper children to settle down at bedtime! The children took masses of photos and the best ones will be copied to a CD as a memento of their trip (a wee selection of the photos are pasted below).

jass girls 1572A special thanks to Donna (Youth Worker) and Tyler Sherriff (our new local volunteer with the girls) and Chris and Paul (our boys group volunteers). Also thanks to Ken and Paul at Ratho for all their help and their local knowledge when planning our activities.

Peter Airlie(Muirhouse Community Centre Manager) and Allan Hosey(CLD) were there for all five days and by the boys group’s return on Friday night the workers were moving like zombies … this was due to sleep deprivation rather than the approach of Halloween!

It was the first time for several years that the Centre has been able to organise a residential for primary school aged children and the initial evaluation from all involved was very positive.

James McGinty

Keir surgery at Millennium Centre tonight

colin Keir MSP 2MSP Colin Keir holds his next surgery here at Muirhouse Millennium (Community) Centre TONIGHT (3 November) from 4pm. If you are a constituent and have a problem, enquiry or complaint, you are more than welcome to come to one of Colin’s surgeries, which take place on the first Monday of each month. No appointment necessary.

James McGinty

Good news from Muirhouse Community Centre

Muirhouse Community Centre goes from strength to strength

MMC-1

Once again it has been a busy time for this popular Centre and I have to congratulate the Board, staff and the many volunteers who make the Centre the popular and friendly place it is. 

With record numbers using the facilities for meetings, clubs, keep fit and socialising in the café not to mention all the parties, organised events and being used as a polling station for the Independence Referendum it is thanks to the staff and volunteers that the Centre is able to offer the variety of events and programmes.

So far, from October last year to the end of August, the total number of people who have used the Centre is 17,235 and we are on course for another record breaking year!

This shows that this Centre is the busiest in North Edinburgh and the numbers will only increase with the additional new housing coming online (both now and in the future) from Muirhouse Housing Association and the Council.

With more and more people using the Centre on a daily basis the Board, staff and volunteers are committed to providing the best service possible for our community and beyond.   To do this we have produced an Autumn Programme of activities, continuing to build on the Centre’s many successful achievements and working to complete the aims of the Business Plan within the planned timescales.

We continue to work in close partnership with other groups and organisations (and entering into new partnerships) that will ensure the sustainability of the services and the maintenance of the building for future generations and they continue to look forward and strive to plan future activities, programming and events which take into account the needs and aspirations of the community they serve.

So I would like to thank publicly the staff and volunteers who put so much of their time, loyalty and commitment into making Muirhouse Community Centre a great place to be part of.

000_0023

John Davidson (Chairperson)

For more information check the website:

muirhousecommunitycentre.co.uk

Muirhouse tenants talk housing

mha1As part of the Scottish Social Housing Charter, all Councils and Housing Associations have to report how well they are performing to their tenants every year (writes James McGinty). They also have to ask their tenants how they would like to receive this information.

Muirhouse Housing Association held a tenants’ panel meeting to discuss this at Muirhouse Community Centre last night. The session was facilitated by Senior Housing Officer Ainan Groat.

There was a lively discussion and the panel gave their views on the type of information they would like to see and how they would like it to be presented.

mha2All Muirhouse Housing Association tenants are welcome to join the Tenants’ Panel.

The Tenant Panel is made up of tenants who are interested in looking at MHA’s policies and services in a bit more detail – they are not an established group, but give advice based on their experiences of being an MHA tenant.

People on the Tenant Panel can give their views by coming to meetings, replying to questionnaires or by email – MHA uses this feedback to improve services and to influence policies.

For more information please contact Ainan on 336 5282.

James McGinty

Millennium Community Centre lowe-down: happy and fit

David Lowe’s Zumba & Fitsteps: “Together or Not” on Tuesday nights

David-fitstepsDavid has introduced a new format of his popular forms of exercise by starting on Tuesdays with Zumba Class for 1 hour. Participants can, if they want to (after a short break) participate in the Fitsteps activity for a further hour.

Costs are as follows: 1 hour of Zumba (on its own) 6.30 – 7.30pm £ 4.50 1 Hour of Fitsteps (on its own) 7.30 – 8.30pm £ 4.00 Zumba & Fitsteps (the full programme (6.30 – 8.30pm.) £7.00

This is proving to be successful in its first weeks with all of the participants taking part in both activities. We will soon be able to claim our area as having the fittest and happiest people in Edinburgh !!

So come along to the biggest fitness party in North Edinburgh and join in the fun for whatever, and whenever, you want !!

See more at:

http://muirhousecommunitycentre.co.uk/new-concept-from-david-lowe/#sthash.MEksE07z.dpuf

James McGinty, Muirhouse Millennium Community Centre