Fresh Start are looking to create a community Hub in North Edinburgh. Working with other community organisations, we have been looking at ways in which we can work with the whole community ensuring that people new to the area have access to a space where they can meet with local people, develop skills and make a contribution to the community. Continue reading Fresh Start seeks your views on new Community Hub
Pilton Central Association (PCA)’s annual general meeting, due to be held on Thursday 28th June at the West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre, has had to be postponed. A new date will be advertised in due course.
West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre and Pilton Central Association are holding a joint Annual General Meeting on Wednesday 24 May at 5:30pm. Continue reading AGM at West Pilton next Wednesday
We held a training day with North Edinburgh Young People’s Forum (NEYPF) at PCA’s Ferry Road Drive office on Monday.
Four local young people took part in a range of activities over the course of the day – analysing news, preparing for and conducting interviews, some photography and selecting images to accompany stories, research and then writing their own articles. We covered quite a lot during the session, and if the young folk weren’t exhausted by the end of the day I certainly was!
The results of their hard work will be seen here soon, and NEYFP will also be producing an article for a Youth NEN section of our next newspaper. Well done, guys!
Pilton Central Association will be holding their annual general meeting this Friday (21 February) at 5.30pm in West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre.
An informal social evening will follow the routine AGM business – all welcome!
Wednesday follow up meeting to tackle local food poverty
Pilton Central Association recently held a very successful community meeting to discuss our response to the horrific figures on food poverty released by the Scottish Government, church groups, the Trussel Trust and the Red Cross.
The initiative of creating what has become known as the Big Kitchen restaurant/ cafe and the distribution system of food on sufficient scale to local people was endorsed. Over 40 representatives of local people, community gardeners, food banks, community centre representatives, Councillors and others agreed to pursue and make this a reality.
An open follow up meeting will take place
tomorrow at 1pm West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre
to discuss the location of such a kitchen, it’s funding and the building of a community garden that would supply the Big Kitchen with fresh produce. All welcome.
Willie Black
Reminders of some local meetings taking place this week:
Tonight (Wednesday 29 August):
CORE
Extraordinary general meeting to wind up the organisation takes place at 6pm in Royston Wardieburn Community Centre, Pilton Drive North. All welcome.
DRYLAW TELFORD COMMUNITY COUNCIL
Regular monthly business meeting at 7pm in Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre off Groathill Road North. All welcome.
Tomorrow (Thursday 30 August):
TENANTS and RESIDENTS IN MUIRHOUSE
Monthly meeting at North Edinburgh Arts Centre 6pm. All welcome.
PILTON CENTRAL ASSOCIATION
Annual general meeting in West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre at 6.30pm. All welcome.
Keep us posted about any meetings you think our readers should know about!
Established in 1958, Pilton Central Association (PCA) is North Edinburgh’s oldest community-managed organisation and the group is looking for community support at their forthcoming AGM. PCA was set up to maximise community influence, address poverty and bring real economic and community benefits to the area, and those aims remain the driving force behind the organisation today.
Based at West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre (which it manages), PCA supports community involvement and participation within North Edinburgh and works closely with other agencies and stakeholders to help tackle poverty and to improve the appeal and wealth of the local area. Through innovative initiatives and creative approaches, PCA aims to work together with others to ensure that the community is at the heart of local decision-making.
West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre (pictured above) is North Edinburgh’s longest established community centre and the building in West Pilton Grove remains the hub for community learning and activity in the area. The Centre’s varied programme of activities is tailored to meet the needs of the whole local community – young and old, educational and recreational. Earlier this year the Neighbourhood Centre became the home of North Edinburgh’s newest food co-op, the Fabby Food Store.
Pilton Central Association also provides the building and supports the Thrift Shop on 26 Ferry Road Drive. The Thrift Shop sells second-hand clothes and household goods, providing an invaluable service for local families. Run by friendly volunteers, donations of clothes, household goods and children’s toys are always wecome – and the Thrift Shop would also welcome new volunteers to join their happy band, so get in touch if you would like to volunteer for this community resource!
The PCA also supported the local Community Employability service by providing a home for the project at 28 Ferry Road Drive, just next door to the Thrift Shop. Community Employability, (formerly Working Links), a local one stop shop committed to helping North Edinburgh residents into education, training and employment, closed earlier this year after failing to secure a new contract. PCA is hoping that the building will now be used by other community organisations.
PCA’s Betty McVay, who received an MBE for services to the Pilton community in 2000, said: “The PCA does have a remarkable history and we are very proud of what the organisation has achieved. What is more important, however, is the future and for communities to flourish we need active organisations and active, committed local people to make that happen. Many of the challenges facing our area today are just the same as those the community faced all those years ago – and when there are improvements, we’ve got to be vigilant to make sure things aren’t allowed to slide back. The PCA, like all community organisations, needs committed activists to make sure that the community’s voice is heard – that’s one thing that’s never changed over the years and it’s as important now as it ever was. There’s still work to be done.”
PCA’s AGM will be held in West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre on Thursday 30 August at 6.30pm. All welcome
For further information telephone 551 3194
