PIlton walkers step out for better health

Pilton Walking Project has been going for 10 years and has been based at Pilton Community Health Project for the past seven. We felt it was time to celebrate and thank some of our long standing volunteers for their contribution. Les Simpson, Allan Hawke and Fred Downie collectively have volunteered for 21 years!

Les (pictured above, right) started walking in the 1950’s when he did his military service. He completed his mountain leadership in 1975. He loves walking and has inspired his grandsons with his walking zeal, although he says he still has his two great grandsons still to work on! “I have made a lot of friends through the walking project he says, I really enjoy the social side and seeing the change in people as they get used to walking more”. The Pilton Walking Project provides people with a social, fun and safe environment to go out and enjoy the fresh air and exercise.

Allan (above) is a former teacher and school inspector and really enjoys hill walking. He recently climbed all 30 of the Scottish mainland county summits – the highest point in every traditional Scottish county. But he also likes gentler walks and helping others enjoy them too. “Walking is good for physical, mental and social health – a good leg stretch and a good chat make the day. I like introducing folk to new areas of Edinburgh that they might not otherwise get to know from the Cammo Estate to the wonderful Water of Leith”.Fred (above, driving the bus!) started with the walking group when he retired. He said “We only had 5-people on the first walk; that included my wife, the organiser and two others! After a few months more people came along and the walks became a bit of a social occasion. Some of the group went for a wee cuppa after the walk and we really got to know each other. The walks filled up and although a few people came and went, we always had a group whatever the weather!”

“I kept on volunteering because it was clear folk were enjoying themselves, in some cases the walk was the only trip outside they made that week. Ten years has just flown past that just goes to show how much we all enjoyed it”.

A New and Exciting Programme of Walks

PCHP runs local walks on a Monday from the project based at 73 Boswall Parkway. Walkers leave with Christine and Liz at 1.30pm, catch a bus and take a walk in and around Edinburgh, perhaps to the Meadows, Holyrood Park or Forth Quarter Park in Granton. Once a month walks will include a visit to a local place of interest, such as Drylaw House or Blackhall Mosque.

PCHP will be partnering up with Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre for the next few weeks on Fridays at 9am a minibus will leave from the Neighbourhood Centre and take you further afield for example to the Pentland Hills or over to Fife. The trips last around 2-3 hours, back in time for lunch!

If you are interested in coming along to any walk call Clare Symonds on 0131 551 1671.

We also welcome new walk leaders to join our group of volunteers. We offer walk leader and other training and welcome anyone who is interested in encouraging local people to get out and about a little more. If you have good personal and social skills and enjoy walking you are the right person to volunteer for us!

Clare Symonds

Food for Thought …

Pilton Community Health Project’s ANITA AGGARWAL tells us about North Edinburgh’s new food forum … and rhubarb!

‘Food for thought’ – Pilton’s community food forum

It’s a winner of a name and an idea that is starting to bear fruit. The newly established community food forum is now called ‘food for thought’. John Muir, who works at West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre, won the competition to name the group and a shiny new recipe book. We had plenty of other good entries, we thought this one summed up our ideas best.

Lots of people have told us they are interested in food and either want the chance to get involved with food projects or are already involved. The food forum aims to link up work which is already going on and work together to make more ‘foody’ things happen in the area.

At the next meeting we will be planning food events in the summer. Come along if you are interested in getting involved. It will take place on Thursday 24 May at 10am at Pilton Community Health Project. Call Anita on 0131 551 1671 for more information or to book a crèche space.

Watch out for more information from the food for thought forum.

Food things for you to get involved with:

Mondays for 6 weeks from 1 May 7 – 9pm Mexican Cooking course Craigroyston High School 538 7285

Every Tuesday, 10 -12 Barri Grubb’s cooking club Pilton Community Health Project 551 1671

Every Tuesday, 10.30 Granton Community Gardeners Meet at Salvation Army. gardengranton@gmail.com

Every Tuesday, 10 – 12 Food co-op West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre 551 3194

Everyday:

Food blog Drylaw cooking group http://drylawcookinggroup.wordpress.com/

Community Cafes – North Edinburgh Arts, Royston Wardieburn and Muirhouse Millennium Centre.

Rhubarb Recipe

We have still got a way to go before there are lots of good fruit and vegetables growing in Scotland, but I have a friend who lives in Granton who is eating rhubarb from his garden already, so here is a lovely rhubarb recipe from the Love food, hate waste Scotland website http://scotland.lovefoodhatewaste.com

Rhubarb, Apple and Orange Compote

Serve this compote for a delicious breakfast with yoghurt and a bowl of muesli. This recipe also works well with pears instead of apples. Recipe author: Caroline Marson, Banbury.

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

250g rhubarb, sliced
1-2 apples peeled , cored and bruises cut away, cut into cubes
50ml orange juice
25g caster sugar
Yoghurt

Method:

Combine the rhubarb, apples, orange juice and sugar in a pan. Bring to the boil over a medium heat. Reduce heat, and simmer for 3 minutes or until fruit is tender.
Remove from heat and cool. Serve spooned over muesli with fruit juice and yogurt.

Gardening tips – Rhubarb grows like a weed in Scotland; you don’t even need to look after it and it is happy in a shady corner.

Healthy fact – It’s a great source of fibre, but don’t eat too much as it acts as a laxative!

Strange but true Rhubarb is the only vegetable used as a fruit.

Source – a healthy appetite for info at PCHP!

It’s been a hectic time at Pilton Community Heath Project (PCHP). Over the last few months the project has recruited a new coordinator, organised a successful Food Festival and then launched Source, an exciting new information room at their Boswall Parkway office, during an Open Day!

New coordinator Jen Richards (pictured below) took up her new post in March – one of her first tasks was handing out Yummy Food Festival flyers in the pouring rain in Pennywell Road, and it’s been full on ever since!

“There’s nothing like throwing yourself in at the deep end!” she said. “The weather was awful that day but we were really delighted to see so many people attending the Food Festival – it really was a great success.”

Jen had previous experience at PCHP when she worked with the Barri Grubb project, so she knew what to expect when she returned to Pilton.

“It’s a small but very motivated team, and it’s sometimes a case of all hands to the pumps! Like everyone else we’d like to have more resources but we make sure that we make the most of what we have. PCHP has a proud history, a very good reputation and is well known in the local area and beyond. It’s great to be back in North Edinburgh, meeting up with former colleagues again and I’ll be making contact with a wide range of community groups and organisations in the weeks ahead. Yes, we’ll continue to face challenges but we have a dedicated and very committed team and I’m very excited about our future”.

Since the Yummy Food Festival, PCHP has gone on to open Source, a new community health information resource, during their Open Day on 29 March (the highlight of which was a cookery demonstration and tasting sessions with North Edinburgh’s own Yummy Mummies!)

PCHP senior project worker Anita Aggarwal said that the Source idea had come from local people themselves. She explained: “People who live locally told us that they want access to clear, accurate, information about health issues, and Source is our answer to this request. Source is our new health information resource, where our friendly volunteers can help you find information about health and community issues. We have a wide range of leaflets and books, as well as internet access to make sure you can get the information you need, and if we don’t have it ourselves, we know someone who does! We want local people to come in and check us out. It’s a great opportunity to get clued up and become confident about dealing with health issues.”

The new Source room is a really welcoming and comfortable space, much appreciated by staff, volunteers and visitors. The room was created with the help and hard work of Edinburgh’s Telford College students (pictured). Emma Castle, Learner Development Tutor of Woodwork and Masonry Trades, said: “Our students thoroughly enjoyed their work at Pilton Community Health Project and got a lot out of it. We’d like to thank Mark Smith Glazing, who kindly donated the glass for the project, and we are all delighted that the resource is being enjoyed by the local community”.

Source is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 10am to midday.

Yummy Food Festival serves up a treat

Last Friday’s first ever Yummy Food Festival proved to be a huge success despite the weather. More than 470 people of all ages attended the event at North Edinburgh Arts Centre, and with a recipe of demonstrations, competitions, arts workshops, drama performances and food tasting everybody went home happy!

As well as that feast of indoor activities there was more on the menu outside – two marquees offered face painting, information stalls, home baking and arts and crafts tables.

The event was organised by local women, assisted by Pilton Community Health Project and the local Community Learning and Development team. Healthy Lifestyles Coordinator Lisa Arnott said: “We were all very worried when we saw the rain coming down but fortunately that didn’t put too many people off – we are absolutely delighted that so many local people came along to support the event. The feedback has been great and we would like to thank everyone who played their part in making the day such a success”.

Feel good at Pilton Community Health Project

Staff and volunteers at Pilton Community Health Project are looking forward to welcoming you to come in and find out more about what we do on Thursday March 29th from 11am – 2pm. There will be plenty to make you feel good:

– Cooking demonstrations and a chance to taste recipes from our Its Yummy Mummy cook book

– Zumba and other fitness class demonstrations

– Kids activities and competitions

– Meet the new manager

– Healthy snack café

And the launch of ‘Source’ our new health information library! With interactive quiz and prizes. Its all free and staff from all parts of the project will be available to answer questions and tell you more about what we do. Watch out for more information on our website www.pchp.org.uk and facebook page, or give us a call on 0131 551 1671.’

Anita Aggarwal – Senior Development Worker (Health Inequalities), Pilton Community Health Project

Counting down to Yummy Food Festival

North Edinburgh Arts Centre will be the venue for North Edinburgh’s first ever Yummy Food Festival next month, and it promises to be very tasty event indeed! With demonstrations, workshops, cookery competitions and theatre performances organisers are hoping the festival will attract a healthy attendance too!

Pilton Community Health Project’s Community Healthy Lifestyles Coordinator Lisa Arnott (pictured above) is a member of the steering group organising the big event and she’s looking forward to seeing as many local people attend as possible.

She said: “The festival has been developed by local women from Muirhouse and West Pilton in partnership with Pilton Community Health Project and Forth Community Learning and Development team. This festival is full of exciting cooking workshops and food demonstrations, theatre performance, home baking, arts workshops, Zumba and a whole host of healthy food activities.”

She added: “Free goody bags, recipe cards and tasters will also be given out on the day but numbers are limited at the demonstrations and workshop so these will be on a ‘first come first served’ basis. Step into Spring 2012 and come along to the healthiest festival in North Edinburgh, the Yummy Food Festival!’

Forth CLD worker Sara Low is also a member of the steering group and she’s equally enthusiastic about the event. “This will be a great day out for local people but also a great opportunity for community groups, campaigns and organisations to give out information. It’s a really good programme and we’re really looking forward to what we hope will be a very exciting Festival”.

North Edinburgh’s Yummy Food Festival takes place on Friday 16 March from noon until 5pm. For further information call Lisa at Pilton Community Health Project on 551 1671 or email admin@pchp.org.uk

Yummy food festival comes to North Edinburgh

On Friday 16^th March 2012 North Edinburgh will be hosting ‘The Yummy Food Festival’. The Yummy Food Festival is currently being developed and organised by a group of local women from West Pilton and Muirhouse who developed the ‘Its Yummy Mummy Cook Book’. They are now developing this unique food festival to celebrate healthy eating, cooking, local talented cooks and culinary delights found in North Edinburgh.

Pilton Community Health project

The festival will be held at North Edinburgh Art Centre and will be full of cooking demonstrations, food workshops, healthy eating information, a craft market, gardening tent, food story telling and art making, healthy eating workshops and so much more yummy and tasty delights.

There are various ways you can get involved.

Be come part of the planning group
Have a food stall or cake stall to raise funds for your community group or organisation
Are you a crafts group who wish to sell the jewellery, cards or other crafts that you make
Are you part of a cooking group? Would you like to do a cooking demonstration?
Do you run a gardening group? Would you like to show people how to grow their own pot of soup!

For more information or to get involved contact Lisa at Pilton Community Health Project on 551 1671