I hope you had a great Christmas and a fantastic Hogmanay. Here’s your first update of the year from TCC which includes a glance forward to events over the next 12 months. Get your diaries out!
Also a couple of supplementary attachments on the Local Improvement Plan and the ArtRoots funding for anyone who is looking for more detail on these.
Best Wishes for 2017,
Bill Rodger
ArtRoots Fund info
LIP engagement events
Nominations for three of Edinburgh’s community councils is still open – but you have just two weeks left to submit your papers. Residents of the Craigmillar, Drylaw/Telford and Old Town community council areas who are passionate about their area are invited to play an active role and have their say on local issues.
Community councils give local residents and community groups such as youth forums, parent councils and student bodies a chance to influence what happens in their area. Members get involved in a wide range of activities, comment on planning and licensing applications, take part in community campaigns and work with others to improve the local area.
Community Councils are represented on each of the 12 Neighbourhood Partnerships where they work with local elected members, Police Scotland, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, NHS Lothian and the voluntary sector to identify and deliver local priorities.
Meetings are usually held once a month and members can get involved in a variety of issues. Recent activities include: successfully lobbying to increase the frequency of a bus service, setting up a book festival and delivering an annual health fair.
Councillor Maureen Child, Communities and Neighbourhoods Committee Convener, said: “Democracy is a powerful force at all levels. By joining your local community council you can make a real difference to your neighbourhood, meet new people, learn new skills and take action on issues raised by local residents.
“We are looking for people of all ages and from all walks of life to get involved. Ideas, energy and enthusiasm are welcomed and the Council will provide support to get the best from being a community council member. I’d like to encourage anyone who’s interested in local democracy to get involved – be part of something great.”
People aged 16 years or older and are registered to vote can join. The nomination period for the community council elections runs from Monday 9 January to Monday 30 January 2017. Elections, where required, will take place on Thursday 23 February 2017. You can apply as an individual or as a local interest group, such as a Parent Council, a Friends of Parks group or sports club.
See below for nomination forms:
Attempt to re-establish local community council
Edinburgh held the triennial community council elections last autumn, but Drylaw Telford was one of the neighbourhoods that failed to receive the minimum number of nominations required to be established. An attempt is now being made to rectify this and to re-establish Drylaw Telford Community Council once again. Continue reading Drylaw Telford to try again
Thank you for supporting our work so far. From 2017 we’re going to improve how we engage with our members and we’d love others to sign up to be new members. Please forward this onto any interested individuals, see below for more details and click on this link to complete the application process:
http://www.dadsrock.org.uk/component/content/article/2-uncategorised/13-join-us
Communities across Scotland have the opportunity to map out the future of their areas alongside design experts following the awarding of Charrette grants from the Scottish Government. Among the beneficiaries is Citizen Curator and Leith Creative, who will receive £19,400 to support an initiative to look at planning and social issues. Continue reading Better by design: Charrette cash for Leith project
Please find attached this month’s update. Hope you enjoy it. As ever, we’d be delighted to hear your comments on anything in it – or anything else for that matter.
Bill Rodger, Trinity CC
All change at TCC with several new faces. We welcome those and hope that they find the role as fulfilling as it will be challenging (writes Bill Rodger). Continue reading Trinity Community Council news
An election is to be held for membership of Leith Links Community Council due to the volume of nominations submitted, but it’s a different story for two local community councils: both Drylaw Telford and Muirhouse Salvesen CCs failed to attract sufficient nominations to reform.
The nomination process closed on 26 September and membership has now been confirmed for the city’s other community councils.
DNC – still the place to be!
Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre celebrated a very special birthday at the weekend – the community hub off Groathill Road North is 21! Former staff, board members old and new and local politicians Edinburgh West MP Michelle Thomson and Inverleith councillors Nigel Bagshaw, Gavin Barrie and Lesley Hinds joined current community members and volunteers for a Friday night of memories and celebration.
Drylaw Community Association chair Alex Dale welcomed guests and said: “It’s hard to believe we have been here for 21 years and I’d like to think that, despite the funding difficulties we’ve experienced this year, going forward we will be here for the community for another 21 years.”
Inverleith councillor Lesley Hinds has lived in Drylaw for nearly forty years and remembers the local campaign to get a dedicated community centre for the area. She told guests: “This Centre has been a great asset for both the young and old in our community and it’s great to see so many old friends here who were involved in the campaign here tonight.
“However as you will all know it’s been a difficult year financially and next year will be just as challenging for the council. If you don’t use it you lose it, so it’s up to you to keep pressure on us as councillors to try to get other resources in to keep the centre here at the heart of the community. Thanks to all the staff past and present and all the people who have supported and used the centre over the years and have made it such a success.”
more pictures to follow
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