Circuit Class is fitting replacement for Metafit

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

NEPAF: How is it for you?

Hello all,

The North Edinburgh Physical Activity Forum (NEPAF) is nearly two years old already! PCHP has been leading NEPAF since it began in June 2013 and we are really keen to evaluate its usefulness.

It would be very helpful if you could take 10 minutes to answer the following questions and get them back to me by Wednesday 18 March. We will bring the responses together to discuss at the next NEPAF meeting in April.

1. Is NEPAF helpful, and if so how?

2. What has the impact of the forum been for you and/or your group/organisation?

3. Who have made connections with?

4. Have you done anything differently?

5. Have you started any new pieces of work as a result?

6. Do you have more information, access to more resources?

7. How often would you like to attend?

8. When is the best times/days for you to attend?

9. Do you think NEPAF should (Please tick as appropriate)

– Respond to consultations from local or national government

– Hold networking meetings

– Have meetings with speakers

– Influence decision makers (have a collective voice locally and nationally)

– Plan and deliver events together

Thank you very much for your time – we look forward to seeing you at the next meeting,

Lianne Pipskyj

Development Worker – Physical Activity, Pilton Community Health Project

Telephone: 0131 551 1671

liannepipskyj@pchp.org.uk

www.pchp.org.uk

Setting the agenda: North Edinburgh's Physical Activity Forum

How can we improve access to open spaces in North Edinburgh?

Looking forward to seeing you at next weeks’ NEPAF meeting where the theme will be ‘How can we improve access to open spaces in North Edinburgh?’ Response to this months’ forum meeting has been really positive; here is the agenda so far:

Presentation, sharing good practice- ‘Friends of Dalmeny Park’- Tom Hoon/Out of the Blue
West Pilton Park- Lianne Pipskyj/Clare Symonds PCHP
Community Growing- Kate Wimpress/NEAC
Informal/structured play on local green/brown sites- Kate Wimpress/NEAC
Forth Neighbourhood Partnership Community plan (physical activity priority)- Jim Pattison/FNP
Edinburgh Physical Activity and Sports Strategy- Active Lives- Sean Webster/ECC

The meeting takes place on Wednesday 10 December from 2 – 4pm

at Pilton Community Health Project, Boswall Parkway

It looks like it’s going to be a good one, can’t wait! It would be very helpful if we have an idea on numbers so if you could confirm attendance and add any agenda items by this Friday ( 5 December) that would be great!

Lianne Pipskyj (on behalf of NEPAF)

Development Worker- Physical Activity, Pilton Community Health Project

0131 551 1671

liannepipskyj@pchp.org.uk

www.pchp.org.uk

Local Health Project looking for leaders

We are looking for

VOLUNTEERS WITH ATTITUDE …

THE RIGHT ATTITUDE !

Are you the kind of person that sees a problem and wants to fix it?

Is your glass always half full? Do you have a skill that you can share with others or would you like to develop new skills?

If you can answer yes to any of these questions then read on…

Pilton Community Health Project is currently looking for Physical Activity LEADERS!

Would you like to lead a group of your own? Would you like to GET MORE INVOLVED in your community? Do you think you have what it takes to encourage others to get moving? If so, then we may have the perfect opportunity for you!

We have been encouraging and supporting local people to start up their own activities. So far we have a Bollywood dancing group and a weekly Walk/Jog Group. We would also welcome IDEAS and SUGGESTIONS for BRAND NEW ACTIVITIES.

Our walk/jog group is expanding fast and there is room for people to get involved in this activity. Here’s what some of our existing volunteers have to say about being an activity leader:

‘Becoming a walk/jog leader has given me something to focus on when not working and chance to contribute to society. It has also given me structure to my day so I have something to do.’

Phil (walk/jog leader)

‘I’ve been dancing Bollywood my whole life and I’ve always dreamt about teaching others to dance too. Volunteering as a dance leader with PCHP has given me the chance to share my love of Bollywood. Leading my own session each week has made me believe I have the skills to be a good teacher. I have met lots of new people from my community, people of all ages and backgrounds. I am proud to live in North Edinburgh.’

Savita Purran

Volunteering can be a highly beneficial and rewarding experience. It can increase confidence and self-esteem. It can also open the door to training and employment and there are great social benefits too!

Over the last year, our fabulous team of physical activity volunteers has grown from strength to strength. In fact, some of them are even award winning!

Pilton Community Health Project’s walking volunteers have just won the ‘Paths for All volunteer group of the year award’. The award recognised their dedication and team spirit that has been key to the success and expansion of the walking programme.

The ‘walking with us’ volunteers are passionate about walking and how being active can address health inequalities. Without volunteers, the project wouldn’t be able to offer an increasingly wide range of opportunities for local people. Together they effectively manage the walking groups and help others ‘take steps’ toward improving their health and wellbeing.

“I don’t volunteer to get awards, but I felt honoured that we were given our award in the Parliament – it felt that our work was really acknowledged even at the highest level,” said volunteer Liz.

If you are interested in finding out more about physical activity volunteer opportunities on offer you can:

telephone 0131 551 1671

email liannepipskyj@pchp.org

or claresymonds@pchp.org.uk

or visit www.pchp.org.uk for more information

New walk jog club hits the ground running!

Whilst many of you were possibly sitting enjoying the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games last night …

Dave and Phil’s Walk/Jog Club started here in North Edinburgh at East Pilton Park and had a great turn out for the first night! This brand new exciting activity is led by amazing and enthusiastic and experienced local volunteers and is accessible to anyone who would like to try out jogging for the first time; or second, or third….

It’s also great to see so many people getting out and using some of the fantastic local green spaces we have here in Greater Pilton too! Please feel free to spread the word about this great activity to anyone and everyone you think needs to know.

Healthy Regards

Lianne Pipskyj
Development Worker- Physical Activity
Pilton Community Health Project

North Edinburgh’s going Bollywood!

We are delighted to announce that our NEW community-led physical activity programme has officially begun! It kicks off next Tuesday (25 February, 10-11am) at North Edinburgh Arts Centre with brand new weekly Bollywood Dance Sessions!!!

These will be led by Savita, an energetic and enthusiastic local lady who has been dancing Bollywood as a hobby for years. Savita is looking forward to sharing some of her moves and lots of the joy she gets from doing this fabulous dance with others from the local community!

The sessions are suitable for everyone, you don’t need experience or special equipment to take part. Just come along to the Arts Centre or contact Savita for more information. (see poster)

Please share the attached publicity around your networks and if you know of other local people who have what it takes to inspire others and lead their own activity sessions then please let us know!!!

Lianne Pipskyj

Physical Activity Project Coordinator
Pilton Community Health Project
73 Boswall Parkway
Edinburgh, EH5 2PW
0131 551 1671
liannepipskyj@pchp.org.uk
www.pchp.org.uk

City makes a splash with affordable swimming

A £125,000 investment by the City of Edinburgh Council is to make swimming more accessible and more affordable for hundreds of young children and families across the Capital. A range of measures will be introduced over the next two years that will increase swimming provision and access to pools and schools for those who need it most – with free swimming for primary school children during the October school holidays!

The programme involves a ‘raft’ of measures including:

· free swimming during school holidays,

· top up swimming classes for P2-3 pupils,

· free family splash time sessions

· swimming classes for women and children from BME communities.

Councillor Richard Lewis, the city’s Culture and Sport Convener, said: “Swimming is a fantastic activity that is not only fun but keeps you fit and healthy too. The purpose behind providing a free programme of swimming is to open up our pool facilities to those that may never have tried swimming before or to encourage parents to take their children along for a fun family swim.

“We’ve worked closely with our partners in Edinburgh Leisure and sportscotland to produce a programme that specifically targets children and adults who need support the most and also benefits the most number of people for the money available. It builds on what was proposed by Splashback and, I believe, goes even further to ensure that children from all over the city have the opportunity both to learn to swim and enjoy it at the same time.”

Between Saturday 12 October and Monday 21 October, free swimming for primary school children will be available between 12-4pm in four city pools every day during the school holidays (with some exceptions – see Edinburgh Leisure website and Wester Hailes Education Centre websitefor details). The pools are Leith Victoria Swim Centre, Gracemount Leisure Centre, Dalry Swim Centre and Wester Hailes Education Centre.

These free swim session for juniors will be repeated during school holidays until April 2015 and will also include the pool at Ainslie Park Leisure Centre when it reopens after rfurbishment and upgrading later this month.

Further to this, from January, the Council will also provide additional swimming lessons for P2/3 pupils in eighteen schools designated as ‘positive action’ schools (where over 40% of pupils are entitled to free school meals). These will be run with Edinburgh Leisure who will provide additional teaching support to help these children develop early aquatic skills, knowledge of pool safety, and in many cases, introduce them to swimming for the first time.

Also early next year the Council will launch a ‘Family Splash Time’ programme which will provide parents and their children with eight weeks of fun, two-hour, swim sessions funded as part of this investment.

The Council also proposes to extend the successful ‘Female Only Swim’ sessions held at Leith Victoria to other parts of the Capital next year. These sessions are targeted specifically at the BME community where cultural and religious barriers may prevent women from participating in swimming.

The £125,000 funding for accessible and affordable swimming was agreed by the Capital Coalition earlier this year in recognition of Splashback’s commitment to increasing swimming opportunities for young people.

Graeme Gardiner, Director of Operations at Edinburgh Leisure said: ‘We are delighted to be supporting this swimming initiative. We passionately believe in the positive impact that sport and physical activity can have on individuals and communities and we want to inspire everyone in the city to be more active and healthy. This swimming initiative provides a great way of encouraging people to get active and try out swimming.”

Date set for Active Lives Forum

As some of you know we are planning to develop an Active Lives Forum.

The forum will enable better link working between organisations in the local area, help us to avoid duplication and enable us to support each other in terms of developing physical activity in Greater Pilton.

The first meeting is due to take place on

Wednesday 19 June 2-4pm at Pilton Community Health Project

It would be great to see you or someone from your organisation there. The aim of the first meeting is to explore what people think the forum should look like, identify its primary aims/objectives and to start the process of building relationships.

Some local people who took part in our project review would also like to take the opportunity to present the findings; these include some very novel and interesting ideas!

Please get back to us by Tuesday 18 June to confirm your attendance at the meeting if possible and please circulate to anyone else you think might have an interest or would benefit from being involved in the forum.

Lianne Pipskyj

Physical Activity Project Coordinator, Pilton Community Health Project

0131 551 1671

liannepipskyj@pchp.org.uk