Dear Editor
In future elections politicians both local and national must change their approach and attitude to the electors: from one of ‘what we will do for you, if elected’ to one of ‘we will carry out your decisions, if elected’.
This is how a democracy should and could work in the people’s interests.
A. Delahoy
Silverknowes Gardens
Drop-in sessions in Northern and Leith
Saturday 21st November
1pm – 2pm at OOTB, 36 Dalmeny Street, EH6 8RG
Saturday 28th November
12 -1pm Royston/Wardieburn Community Centre,11 Pilton Drive North, EH5 1N
You wait ages for a politician to come along and then two come along at once … I jest: here’s a wee reminder from JAMES McGINTY at Muirhouse Millennium Community Centre …
Reminder for Friday 4 September 10.30- 11.30am
(Michelle’s first surgery at the Centre:)
Thereafter 1st Friday of each Month
The opportunity to meet 1 M.S.P. and 1 M.P. within four days is a mouth-watering opportunity to discuss anything that is important to you and your neighbourhood with Michelle Thomson MP on Friday (as above) and Colin Keir MSP on Monday!
Edinburgh West SNP MP Michelle Thomson now holds a surgery at Muirhouse Millennium Community Centre (writes JAMES McGINTY)
FRIDAY 4 SEPTEMBER 10.30 – 11.30am
Our newly elected MP in Westminster is back in Scotland after an extensive introduction to Westminster parliamentary procedure, whilst juggling her duties here in Scotland in her constituency.
Many of us have followed Michelle’s exploits via her reports in the Evening News. and Michelle now starts her promised General Surgery here in the Centre (see above).
Come along, no appointment necessary (open door). The surgery will take place in the cafeteria area but will have private space available if required.
Deirdie Brock MP visits Sainsbury’s Blackhall
Deidre Brock, local MP for Edinburgh North and Leith, visited Sainsbury’s Blackhall on Monday where she met staff and local customers (writes GAIL WILSON).
The MP was welcomed by store manager, George Paton and taken on a tour of the 71,000 sq ft store on Craigleith Road.
Ms Brock learned about the store’s new Local Charity Partner, Meningitis Research Foundation. The charity has a vision of a world free from meningitis and septicaemia and was chosen by customers in July.
She also had a chance to hear about the store’s Food Donation Partner, Fareshare, who Sainsbury’s are teamed up with to make use of surplus food and Granton Baptist Church food bank, who they support with in-store collections.
Ms Brock, who was elected to represent Edinburgh North and Leith May’s general election, said: “I was delighted to hear about the work that Sainsbury’s staff do to reach out into the community, the support they and the store’s customers give to a local foodbank and to Crisis Fareshare. That’s a business trying to be a good citizen.
“The store is also a zero waste store recycling all of its packaging as well as providing recycling facilities for customers in the car park. It’s the first time I’ve seen an oil recycling bank in a supermarket car park and I’m looking forward to coming back soon to see how it works out.”
Store Manager George Paton said: “It has been great having Ms Brock in to our store, and introduce her to our customers and colleagues. I’m incredibly proud of our team, our store and the impact we have on the community. ”
Deirdie Brock MP is pictured with Sainsbury Blackhall PR Ambassador Gail Wilson
Muirhouse man and award-winning film maker Garry Fraser gives his take on his community’s current problems …
It’s kinda ironic that the police put out their chopper every night and day, costing some were like £400 grand per month. The aim of this chopper is to catch the young team in their stolen cars and bikes. A’m sure the figures are out but North Edinburgh has the highest crime rate in Scotland. They have evicted folk, jailed folk, issued community sentence orders and then cut off another generation to jail as they are too old.
None of their policies work, which leaves the System scratching its head wondering ‘what are we doing wrong?’ You have a massive college in North Edinburgh where folk from around the world come to study – but only two streets away it’s another world. They shipped everybody out of Muirhouse when knocking down the Pennywell flats. Over the years they took away most forms of economic growth: i.e. the pipes and the gas works even Granton’s fishing boats.
Every local MP & MSP & councillor get in to their comfy seats and forget about this and do nothing, apart from sit over an HIV & smack epidemic that of course lasted through the 80’s & 90’s – now comes weed & legal highs.
Its like south central Edinburgh.. How many police stay in the area were they enforce the morals? How many of those wee guys, if trained in whatever, would probably take a job or go and study but only if they were helped and supported through the college system. Every brickie or trades guy who makes it from Muirhouse, Pilton, Royston or Drylaw ends up being one of the best on the site – that’s a fact …
Most folk down there who get a real chance and opportunity in work or education grab it with both hands as they know what the alternative is … that’s robbing, stealing, dealing and living within the chains of masculinity. That is now, because there are no real opportunities.
Ye need to empower a community and let them come up wi’ their own solutions. You need to invest in education to reduce the gap in equality.
You need to have a rehab or treatment centre bang in the community to get three generations of methadone and other daft prescription drugs clean: ye can’t sell green to addicts through drugs policies then jail folk for selling weed to pay for food, power and for some their own smoke.
Ye can’t put shops with pubs chippy’s and bookies then wonder why folk get addicted to putting bets on! Fatty foods, drink then say ‘Oh, why are they dying of preventable illnesses well before their time?’
When I went to college they say I saved them £1.6 million over three years in the social return on investment – imagine what these wee guys now are costing?
See whoever gets elected for the North Edinburgh do you think they will do anything about these injustices while they say they wish to cut austerity?
I taught maself to read, taught maself to write, love ma people and these rich folk take take take & give nothing back apart from academic reports done by their pals.
The system is rigged …
The streets of Edinburgh will be transported back to the Swinging Sixties this Saturday night! After months of training, thousands of women and men wearing brightly decorated psychedelic bras will Power Walk through the streets of the capital at midnight …
Organised by grant-making breast cancer charity Walk the Walk, The MoonWalk has raised in excess of £15.5 million since 2006, with most of the money being granted in Scotland, to help improve the lives of people with cancer.
This year’s theme is “Psychedelic Extravaganza”, where anything groovy goes, as long as it’s bright and bold – a Magical Mystery Tour from the Swinging Sixties, full of Flower Power!
The walkers will start their amazing challenges from Walk the Walk’s huge Pink Tent at its new venue of Leith Links. Uniting against breast cancer, many iconic buildings across the city will be lit pink on the night, giving the walkers a huge collective hug. Amongst others, Edinburgh Castle, The Royal Yacht Britannia and Lloyds on The Mound will all be basking in a pink glow!
The charity’s fantastic walkers will be taking on two new Power Walking challenges this year. Anyone aged ten and over can do the quarter marathon New Moon (6.55 miles). For those seeking an extreme challenge, Walk the Walk has introduced the double marathon Over the Moon (52.4 miles). The famous Half Moon (13.1 miles) and Full Moon (26.2 miles) challenges are both still available.
STV Entertainment correspondent Laura Boyd will be taking on the Full Moon – Laura was diagnosed with leukaemia in 2009 and uses Maggie’s Cancer Care Centre at Gartnavel Hospital in Glasgow, which is funded by Walk the Walk. Also walking are singer/songwriter Carrie Mac, as well as the editor of Good Housekeeping Magazine Lindsay Nicholson, on the second leg of her 3 Land Challenge, which also includes MoonWalks in London and Iceland.
Five MSP’s have signed up for The New Moon – Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton), Sarah Boyack (Lothian), Siobhan McMahon (Central Scotland), Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) and Drew Smith (Glasgow).
Entries for all the walking challenges are now closed, but Walk the Walk still wants more volunteers to sign up – a thousand are needed to help the event run smoothly.
There’s a variety of roles available, including route marshall, cycle marshall, water crew, clean and recycle team, and directional team (helping direct walkers, and other jobs on The MoonWalk City site).
To sign up as a volunteer for The MoonWalk Edinburgh Scotland please click here
MP for Edinburgh East Sheila Gilmore visited The Prince’s Trust Centre on Ferry Road last Friday to meet young people and discuss the impact of youth unemployment.
The meeting provided an opportunity for the MP to meet a group of under-16’s participating on The Trust’s Fairbridge programme, which focuses on developing key employability skills, as well as participating in a round-table discussion with Prince’s Trust Job Ambassadors who provided an in-depth insight into the challenges they faced whilst unemployed.
The effect unemployment has on young people is significant, according to recent research by The Prince’s Trust. The Youth Index, which gauges young people’s wellbeing across a range of areas from family life to physical health, found that around 33% of those surveyed claimed to feel down or depressed ‘always’ or ‘often’, and that one in five unemployed young people across the UK believe their confidence would never recover from their spell out of work.
Ms Gilmore also got an insight into the range of programmes offered by The Prince’s Trust as a means of engaging with unemployed young people or those struggling at school and at a risk of exclusion.
Sheila Gilmore MP said: “We know that periods of unemployment at a young age can have an adverse impact on people for the rest of their lives. The work that The Prince’s Trust does with young people to help them build up their skills and confidence is crucial in preventing this.”
Speaking after the MP’s visit, Heather Gray, Director of The Prince’s Trust, Scotland, said: “We were delighted to welcome Sheila Gilmore to our Edinburgh Centre. It provided a positive opportunity for Ms Gilmore to meet with young people and hear about the challenges they face in finding employment as well as to discuss what can be done to help young people into employment and training and towards a positive future.”
Heather Johnston, a Job Ambassador for The Prince’s Trust Scotland, was one of the young people who met the MP. She said: “I was unemployed for five years – it is demoralising and can impact heavily on self-esteem. As a Job Ambassador for The Prince’s Trust, it is important we get as much support to ensure young people, like me, get an opportunity to achieve a positive future.”
