Tag: NEN

NEN: Top posts of 2018

It’s been a busy old year for your North Edinburgh News blog. National (Brexit) and international (Donald Trump) stories may have been making the headlines around the globe, but here in North Edinburgh it was a story about yet another closed local pub that was the most-read post of the year! The news comes as The Telford Arms has announced that it’s to close at the end of this month for a major refurbishment – and will re-open in March as The Scottish Engineer. Continue reading NEN: Top posts of 2018

NEN: we don’t often blow our own trumpet, but …

NEN hits vast majority of targets set by city council

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North Edinburgh News (NEN) exceeded eleven and partially met six of 18 targets set as part of the Contact in the Capital communications project, councillors heard last week.

North Edinburgh’s long-established newspaper and media resource managed to hit targets set for 12 months, despite only embarking on the project in August –  fully FOUR MONTHS LATE – and through no fault of our own, I should add!

The NEN failed to meet just one of 18 targets: it failed to hold two ‘open door’ type events during the duration of the project.

In mitigation, it should be said that the NEN’s Board was busy dealing with other things: in particular, persistent attempts to undermine and ultimately derail the project almost from the day it started.

Malicious insinuations and allegations made by local individuals were subsequently fully investigated by the city council and found to be totally without foundation. However the allegations did damage to the project in terms of time – many hours were spent gathering evidence and information to rebut spiteful allegations; time that could have been spent working on positive aspects of the project – things like ‘open door’ days!

However, that’s behind us now and there is a lot to be satisfied with in the report (see below). Yes, it’s a pity we couldn’t have got started sooner, and it’s also a real shame that so much time was wasted on negative things, but we got there – despite the detractors. And imagine what we could have achieved in a full twelve months!

What’s next? We’re looking to recruit new Board members. Our present board has shown admirable commitment to the community newspaper but there’s a need for new blood to help share the load and take the organisation forward.

Would you be interested in joining the NEN Board? Do you have skills and experience that would strengthen our team? If you’d like to be involved, please send us an email telling us what you could bring to the NEN and why you’d like to be part of the NEN team. Keep it short and simple – say a maximum of ten bullet points, around 200 words – and send it to northedinnews@gmail.com

We look forward to hearing from you!

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May date set for Spartans’ sports day

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Hundreds of local primary school children will be taking part in a major sports event being organised by Spartans Community Football Academy Event at Ainslie Park in May.

SCFA Youth and Community Worker Jamie Tomkinson said: “The Spartans Community Football Academy Sports Day will be held on the 20th of May. Eight local primary schools are involved – we reckon that will be around 350 P7s over the course of the day!”

Twelve different sporting activities will be delivered by local agencies on the day: Kabo boxing, Edinburgh Judo, Edinburgh Leisure, Fet-Lor, Granton Youth Centre and MY Adventure will all be supporting the programme – and Keith Cook, who is a five-time Commonwealth Games medallist, will share his fencing skills. NEN, North Edinburgh’s community newspaper, has been invited to cover the event.

“Lorna Cruikshank, one of our young volunteers, will deliver a hockey station and we have a local samba band coming along to create an atmosphere and do a show for the opening ceremony!” Jamie added. “Many organisations have come on board to support the day – Ainslie Park Leisure Centre are letting us use one lane of their pool for the triathlon and Nike, who were a major part of last year’s success, will be volunteering throughout the event.

“There’s a lot of organising to be done and we are putting the finishing touches to the programme but the Sports Day is going to be a lot of fun – we’re all really looking forward to it and I’m sure the P7s are too!”

 

 

February NEN’s out now!

NEN Feb front pageThe February NEN is with our distributor now and will be delivered over the coming week.

If you just can’t wait to see a copy of your community newspaper, click on the link below for the electronic edition … hope you enjoy it!

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February NEN deadline

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A gentle reminder that February is fast approaching and it’s nearly time for another NEN newspaper. The deadline is THIS FRIDAY (23 January)!

So if you have any articles for the next edition – or you would like to advertise with us (see ad rate card below) – please get in touch: email

northedinnews@gmail.com

We look forward to hearing from you!

2pp A5 Rate Card NEN

 

Letter: Muirhouse & Salvesen CC supports the NEN

Dear Dave,

Members of the Muirhouse Salvesen Community Council wish to convey a vote of thanks on behalf of members of the community on the latest issue of the NEN.

The local people’s newspaper has been much missed over the past few years in keeping people in touch with happening in their local community, especially for older people of the community and those who find it hard to get out. Great to see it coming through our letter boxes once again.

We look forward to your December issue which is sure to be filled with local happenings and interesting articles.

We wish the team all the best and are looking forward to more regular issues into the New Year.

Our Community Council support the NEN in its venture and would be happy to assist in any way it can.

Roy Douglas

Chairperson, Muirhouse & Salvesen Community Council

NEN annual general meeting

‘Local folk know and trust the NEN’

NEN_LogoDespite the alternative attraction of a Scotland v England international football match live on TV fourteen people attended North Edinburgh News’ annual general meeting at Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre on Tuesday evening.

Chairman Martin Hinds reported on what has been an ‘interesting and challenging’ year for the project and the meeting went on to discuss NEN’s role in Contact in the Capital, the city council’s community communication pilot project.

The pilot project ends next March, and there was further discussion on what happens to NEN at the end of Contact in the Capital. The NEN Board reaffirmed a reluctance to introduce a cover price for the community newspaper and treasurer Eddie Thorn said that plans to relaunch NEN as a social enterprise, first discussed last year, had been put on hold due to ongoing funding uncertainty and the volume of paperwork that a change to the  company status would entail – the NEN’s board of directors are all volunteers who live in the community.

NEN board member Willie Black said recent events in North Edinburgh had shown that the community newspaper remains as important as ever. “Our community has faced  serious challenges over recent months and one thing that has been very clear is that there is a desperate need for communication. Local folk want to know what’s happening and they know and trust the NEN”.

Willie Black, who is also secretary of West Pilton West Granton Community Council, went on: “Our role is to support the community and serve it well – we must keep a free community newspaper as long as we have poverty in this area, and we’ve got to campaign to make sure that happens.

“As for funding, support from community projects is important but the big players in this area’s regeneration should also be playing their part and supporting NEN. I know from many meetings I’ve attended that NEN is necessary, so I’m optimistic that we won’t see the end of the NEN in three months time – but we must keep up the pressure, step up the campaign and argue NEN’s case.”

Minutes of the meeting are attached (below)

Minutes NEN AGM mtg. 18th November 2014

 

NEN news: meetings and deadlines

News from your community newspaper:

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North Edinburgh News – Annual General Meeting

NEN’s AGM will be held in Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre next Tuesday (18 November) at 7pm. All welcome – come along and find out what’s happening at your community newspaper.

North Edinburgh News – December edition

NENoct14The next NEN print edition is fast approaching – we’ll be printing again in December (look on it as an early Christmas gift!) If you have news you’d like to share with the wider community, email your article and pictures to northedinnews@gmail.com

Or what about taking out an advert? Rates are very reasonable (see below) and your’e supporting your community too!

2pp A5 Rate Card NEN

And for this edition only (true, there’s no much point in running Festive ads in June!) you can say ‘Merry Christmas’ to friends, colleagues, members, family, users and clients in a business card-sized ad for only £25! Just send your words and logo and we’ll add a seasonal graphic. Ho, ho, ho indeed!

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DEADLINE for all copy – articles and advertising – is

FRIDAY 21 NOVEMBER  so don’t put it off for too long!

 

NEN Blog upgrade

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As you may know we are currently modernising NEN’s online presence. Part of that process is to upgrade to this WordPress blog, and today some essential work will be taking place to make that happen.

This will mean that no updates will be posted on the NEN blog for the next 24 hours or so: do keep checking back, though – we don’t plan to be away for too long!

Thanks for supporting your NEN.

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