Summer Playscheme for Primary 5 – Primary 7 at Royston Wardieburn Community Centre
Monday – Thursday between the 1st & 18th July
10am – 12:30pm with Breakfast and Lunch included
Art & crafts, cooking, sports activities and games
Places limited so register at reception
Call 0131 552 5700 for more info
North Edinburgh Parents Action Group are inviting everyone who are experiencing housing issues to Royston Wardieburn Community Centre for Housing Advice and Information morning.
Come along for some very needed advice and to connect with others, who are experiencing same issues.
ROYSTON WARDIEBURN COMMUNITY CENTRE – THURSDAY 16 MAY 6.30pm
Edinburgh College EIS-FELA branch are hosting a public meeting this week to discuss the impact that cuts to Further Education are having and will continue to have in Edinburgh.
We are yet again facing more job losses and the cuts to educational provision at our campuses will have a devastating effect for our local communities.
The meeting will take place on Thursday 16th May at Royston Wardieburn Community centre from 6.30pm.
We have invited local community leaders to attend and we are hoping that this meeting will be the first of three meetings in communities in which our campuses are situated.
LOCAL PARENTS LAUNCH DAMNING REPORT ON HOUSING CRISIS
North Edinburgh Parents Action Group has launched an exhibition and publication highlighting the horrific housing conditions local people are being forced to live in.
The group also screened a new film about the lived experience of a local woman’s heart-breaking attempts to secure a decent home for her children.
North Edinburgh Parents Group hope that the event held at Royston Wardieburn Community Centre yesterday will draw attention to the significant impact that poor housing is having on local families’ physical and mental health and will send a clear message to politicians at all levels of government that urgent action is required to tackle North Edinburgh’s housing crisis.
Guests were welcomed by Royston Wardieburn Community Centre chairperson Billy Fitzpatrick and the event was launched by Forth SNP councillor Stuart Dobbin, who has been taking a particular interest and holding surgeries on the issue:
“Living in a home safe from Damp and Mould should be a basic right that all Council and Private tenants should enjoy.
“This important event was made all the more powerful and moving by hearing the testimony of women who, with their families, have to live with Damp and Mould and the exhibition showing pictures from inside their homes.
“Dampness creates a risk to our physical health and our mental health. It impacts on the future life chances of our children. And if not addressed, it places additional burdens on our doctors and the wider NHS services.
“This is the issue that I am most passionate about addressing as a Councillor. By my estimate about one quarter of all Council dampness cases in Edinburgh are in North Edinburgh.
“I have been raising cases and campaigning within the Council for faster action to be taken to eradicate damp from tenants homes, and as a result, the Council has now set up a dedicated, skilled team to do just that. Early days and a lot to do.
“I want to hear from residents who have damp and mould, or are having difficulty getting the problems addressed.
“I will be at Pilton Community Health Project tomorrow morning (Friday) from 09.15-11.00 if anyone needs to discuss this or any other matter that I can help with. Or you can email me – cllr.stuart.dobbin@edinburgh.gov.uk”
Few who attended the event could fail to have been moved by the heart-rending stories of local woman struggling to be heard. The women, for many of whom English is not their first language, bravely shared their dreadful experiences to a packed room.
As one said after the event: “Speaking to a big crowd made me very nervous and I wasn’t sure that I would be able to do it.
“But we all did do it – we had to do it. We want people to hear how we are living.”
A spokesperson for the group said: “We understand that there are no simple solutions or easy fixes to Edinburgh’s current housing emergency.
“However, Edinburgh is one of the richest cities in the country and it is time that all levels of government – Edinburgh Council, the Scottish Government and the UK government – come together and prioritise spending on improving housing conditions in this city.
“We are serious about our demands and we are prepared to do whatever it takes to secure a decent place to live. We hope that we do not have to resort to a class action which is the route that over 50 tenants from various local authorities have taken in order to secure a warm, safe home.
“However, nothing is off the table. Enough is enough!”
Sara, who spoke at the event, said: “We welcomed the opportunity to tell our stories and have our voices heard.
“We’re fed up of nobody listening to us and being blamed for causing the problem. It’s not our fault. It’s well documented that people have been having problems with dampness and mould down here for decades and its time that something was done about it for once and for all”.
Susan, another member of the group, added: “We are really disappointed that the ‘high heid yins’ didn’t come to our event to hear our stories and see for themselves the conditions that people are having to put up with.
“We will be making sure that they all get a copy of our report and we will be expecting to hear from them soon about how they are going to respond to our demands. They need to understand that we’re not going away.”
Dr Olivia Swann, Clinical Lecturer in Paediatric Infectious Disease at Edinburgh University, also spoke at the event.
Thanking the women for their moving testimonies, Olivia’s presentation explained how homes are much more than just physical structures and made clear that “strong scientific evidence has shown that poor housing can affect someone’s physical and mental health throughout their life”.
Sara says this is an extremely worrying fact for those of us with young children who have been living in mouldy homes for most of their young lives.
Dawn Anderson, Director of Pilton Community Health Project (PCHP), who attended the event along with members of her Board, including former Leith MP/MSP and Holyrood Health Secretary Malcolm Chisholm, said: “We are very concerned about the problems the parents group has raised.
“PCHP has been supporting people to get help for some time. One parent has been working with Media Education on a new film featuring the nine year battle of Anita, a local women, desperately trying to escape her damp house”.
Dawn explained how it was fitting that the parents action group had called their exhibition ‘Home Sweet Home’: “It’s 40 years since PCHP was established in North Edinburgh and dampness and ill-health was one of the first issues the campaigners worked on. Meetings with local parents led to a womens’ group forming.
“They produced a slide show called “Home Sweet Home” and presented it to health professionals in the area. This resulted in The Scottish Executive backing a research project conducted by the University of Edinburgh who established a direct link between dampness and ill-health all those years ago.
“There have been countless studies on this issue over the years which have drawn the same conclusions. Sadly, we can see from Anita’s film and from the parents stories and photographs, little has changed and family’s in the area are still faced with health threatening living conditions.”
The Group is already planning a follow-up event to build on the momentum created by yesterday’s launch.
The perfect home is
dry and warm
and doesn’t have mould or furniture on clothes.
It doesn’t
smell of dampness or chemicals or bleach
and there’s even
a drying area to dry your wet stuff.
It’s comfortable and safe and
doesn’t make you ill.
It isn’t overcrowded and
there’s plenty of room
for the kids to study and play
or just be alone.
In the perfect home
we’ve all got a bedroom
and there’s even a separate living room.
The perfect home doesn’t need lots of repairs
everything has been fixed and
is shiny and new.
But the best thing about it
and this we agree
our home is permanent
and is perfect for you and me.
The report:
Record levels of residents are feeling positive and say they’re satisfied with life in Edinburgh, according to a new survey produced for the city council.
According to the city’s 17th annual Edinburgh by Numbers – a statistical snapshot of the Capital collated by the Council – feelings of ‘worthwhile’ are the highest they have been for a decade.
Echoing the findings of an Edinburgh Partnership survey last year, which revealed 93% of residents are happy with life in the Capital, improved levels of resident happiness and life satisfaction have been recorded by Edinburgh by Numbers despite a small increase in anxiety levels.
Alongside personal wellness scores, the health of Edinburgh’s environment and economy is also on the up – with the data confirming Scotland’s Capital has the highest percentage of residents who consider the climate emergency to be ‘urgent’.
It comes as greenhouse emissions drop by 37.9% in Edinburgh as part of concerted efforts towards net zero by 2030, with more than half of city journeys under two miles now being made by walking or cycling, according to the findings. Public transport satisfaction rates have also hit 86%, which is significantly above the Scottish average.
Pointing to the resilience and growth of the Capital’s economy, Edinburgh by Numbers data suggests job opportunities in the city remain some of the best in the UK and that unemployment rates have more than halved from 6.3% to 2.6% in less than 10 years.
In continued signs of Edinburgh’s post-covid rebound, Edinburgh’s economy is listed in the data as the UK’s most productive economy outside of London, at 32.7% higher regional GVA per person than Glasgow.
Visitor numbers are also starting to return to pre-covid levels with a noticeable increase in visits from October to December, making Edinburgh second in the UK for overnight visits after London.
This complements the aims of Edinburgh’s sustainable tourism management plan which involves targeted Forever Edinburgh activity to promote the spread of tourism across the seasons.
The data suggests there are over 170,000 students across all education levels but overall, Edinburgh’s population is aging. And while poverty levels are lower than national averages, tackling poverty and reducing inequality remains a key Council priority and a slight increase in relative poverty has been recorded following the cost-of-living crisis.
Council Leader Cammy Day said: “This year’s Edinburgh by Numbers paints a feel-good picture of a successful, growing Capital city where people really enjoy living and working.
“It’s great to see so much evidence of people living well, feeling happy and caring about climate change here in Edinburgh. The data points to good news for business, for jobs and for tourism and I think it’s fair to say that Edinburgh’s economic – and environmental – outlook is healthy.
“There has been a joint effort in recent years to work together as one city on everything from poverty to climate change, supporting the Festivals and our parks, ensuring Edinburgh remains a special, welcoming and unique place to live.
“Of course, with this good news comes the other side of the same coin: the pressure of complex population changes on our core services and on the people who live and work here.
“The recovery of tourism provides a welcome boost to our economy, but this means greater use and upkeep of facilities and isn’t always accessible for everyone. Likewise, a thriving economy does not mean that every resident is able to benefit equally, and we face a growing housing emergency and pressure supporting our people and our planet.
“That’s why we’re set on becoming the first city to introduce a visitor levy when the legislation comes into force. It’s also why the Council budget we set in February prioritises poverty, climate, and key services for residents. I’m pleased to see the Edinburgh by Numbers findings demonstrate just how vital this is.
“We’ve still got work to do, but we’ll continue to do everything in our power to reach our ambitious goals to eradicate poverty and become net-zero by 2030. We need the city with us though, and the success depends on everyone’s participation and will be the result of collective efforts.”
Sarah Boyd, Managing Director of Lothian Buses, said: “It’s really encouraging to read that satisfaction with public transport in Edinburgh sits at an average of 86%, which is significantly above the Scottish average of 58%.
“Our teams work incredibly hard to deliver sustainable, affordable, and reliable bus services for all, so it’s particularly heartening to read that overall satisfaction is so high.
“We are continuing to grow our network following a strong performance throughout 2023 which saw Lothian deliver for more than 110 million customers – an increase of 17% on the previous year.”
AN INVITATION FROM NORTH EDINBURGH PARENTS ACTION GROUP
On behalf of the North Edinburgh Parents’ Action Group
You are invited to their launch of their photographic exhibition and publication with local stories and medical experts discussing the impact of poor housing on mental health and wellbeing.
Home Sweet Home?
10am to 12.30pm on Wednesday 1 May
Refreshments and lunch included at Royston Wardieburn Community Centre
11 Pilton Drive North Edinburgh EH5 1NF
PLAQUE UNVEILED AT ROYSTON WARDIEBURN COMMUNITY CENTRE
ROYSTON Wardieburn Community Centre’s management committee organised the unveiling of a plaque to mark North Edinburgh’s proud record of community activism on the eve of International Women’s Day.
RWCC Chair Billy Fitzpatrick, Willie Black and Cathie Ahmed were among the local people who spoke movingly and contributed poems on a special day.
The new plaque is situated alongside the cherry blossom tree planted to commemorate local activist Roberta Blaikie, and it was fitting that members of Roberta’s family attended to perform the unveiling just as the tree begins to bud once again.
A NORTH EDINBURGH SUCCESS STORY
Granton Youth has an open access introduction to playing, singing, song-writing and performing for young people aged 11+. Working with youth work staff and music tutors the young people learn a variety of instruments/ vocal coaching/ song-writing as well as learning about the music industry (writes DAVE McNAB).
Beau has been attending since age 16 and fronts the band ‘Low Tide’ – who on Sunday 21st January played to a sell out crowd at Glasgows King Tuts Wah Wah Hut supporting rising star Ben Walker.
Beau said: “Going to mixtape has honestly been the best decision I’ve ever made and I really don’t say that lightly. I have always loved music since I was tiny, but never had enough confidence in my abilities to play it or create it.
“I’ve always been incredibly shy and previously used to refuse to sing in front of people and I’ve just played to a sold out king tuts! This is entirely down to mixtape and the opportunities it has given me to learn music, learn how to record and write, learn how to perform on stage.
“Not only has it improved my skills in music but it’s taught me skills that transfer to other areas of my life specifically confidence. There are so many times I’ve refused music related opportunities due to confidence and little by little mixtape has broken this barrier down.
“In the past year I’ve really struggled with my health and mental health and mixtape has giving me something to strive for and look forward to. It’s a safe haven for creative people to work together and spend their time doing something meaningful and expressive and is such an invaluable resource for so many young people in the community. It pure escapism and is honestly the best thing I’ve ever done.”
Leon has been attending since age 15 and never had the confidence to pursue music but is now recording his own tracks and starting to build towards playing live shows.
“When I first came to mixtape, I was very interested in music but I never had a chance to do anything with my passion. Mixtape gave me opportunities I never knew would ever be available to someone my age.
“They helped to open my eyes as to how free the world of music can be and how rewarding it can feel. It has also helped me in my day-to-day life by helping to improve my confidence.
Another young person has been attending since they were 12 and was quiet, introspective and struggled to socialise with other young people – but has blossomed into a great song writer and performer:
“I have been with mixtape for a while, in all honestly I can’t really remember how I felt about it when I first joined. It was during covid times so having any extracurricular was an excitement.
“That doesn’t mean a lot of things haven’t happened. Mixtape allowed me to go through trial and error as a musician, to slowly but surely figure out its ways with the support of others. It makes me feel proud to tell others that I can song write and feel confident enough to perform.
“The amount of opportunities I was given and still am is so eye-opening. From big festivals to small hubs, from small activities to writing in the studio to record stuff! If I told myself when I first joined this is what I had done and was doing, I know younger me would be happy to hear it, and it wouldn’t of happened without this still growing club.”
We will leave the last word with Alba who has attended since age 14 and is thriving musically and will be playing Sneaky Petes in March with her band formed with other young people she met on the project:
“I was at a school concert when I first heard about mixtape, and learnt that the girl whose singing I’d been admiring for a while had been going there and I decided to join. I’ve always loved to sing but never had much of a chance to, except in the school choir.
“I’ve met my closest friends in mixtape and my confidence performing and in general has spiralled uncontrollably. I assure you I wouldn’t be where I am or who i am today without mixtape”
Granton Youth Mixtape is funded by Children In Need and runs on a Wednesday evening 6-8 at Royston & Wardieburn Community Centre.
If interested or have any questions contact Ryan at Ryan@grantonyouth.com
IT’S nearly time for our annual Burns Night Community Ceilidh!
SATURDAY 27th JANUARY, 5-8.30pm at Royston Wardieburn Community Centre.
Tickets go on sale today from the Community Centre reception.
If you’d like to offer to perform or volunteer to help at the event please contact Tom: tom@grantoncommunitygardeners.org
(performers and volunteers get a free ticket)
We’re limited to 250 people for this event due to building capacity, so make sure you get your tickets if you’d like to come. £3/person, includes food: haggis neeps and tatties. (veggie/vegan option available).
With The Homecoming String Band, Bows & Bridges, Ama-zing Harmonies, Pilton Community Health Project, and many more local performers of all ages!
We’re really looking forward to it!
COMMUNITY EVENT – WEDNESDAY 29 NOVEMBER from 9.30am
WEDNESDAY 29th NOVEMBER from 9.30am
ALL WELCOME!
