Victoria Park needs Friends!

FRIENDS OF VICTORIA PARK – PUBLIC MEETING

Tuesday 8 December at 7.30pm in Trinity Academy

Coffee And Mince Pies!

victoria park

Aim: to set up a Friends Group for Victoria Park

Victoria Park is a fine park – it could be great with an active Friends Group.

Friends Groups
• directly involve the community in park events and changes
• increase access to funding – crucial during Council cuts
• make parks better

There are almost 50 friends of park groups in Edinburgh. Each is dedicated to improving their Park and increasing community involvement.

Come along and help us get a Victoria Park Friends Group off the ground!

Trinity Community Council

Trinity’s first ever Fire Festival tonight

WINTER FIRE FESTIVAL

Friday 13 November, 6:15pm at Victoria Park

fire festival

Victoria Park’s first ever Winter Fire Festival will take place tonight (Friday 13 November) from 6.15pm. Organised by Trinity Primary PSA but open and free to all the local community, the festival will feature the first ever Trinity torchlight procession around Victoria Park. Continue reading Trinity’s first ever Fire Festival tonight

Anyone for tennis in Trinity?

Partnership serves up new free sports facilities

Victoria Park 1T

Councillor Lesley Hinds opened new tennis courts and a basketball court in Victoria Park yesterday. The Environment Convener was joined by Minister for Sport, Health Improvement and Mental Health, Jamie Hepburn and Culture & Sport Convener Councillor Richard Lewis to open the new sports facilities, which came about following a consultation organised by Trinity Community Council.

Cllr Lesley Hinds said: “We have many wonderful parks and green spaces throughout the city and Victoria Park is a fantastic example of an excellent outdoor space that is enjoyed by the whole community.

“The consultation showed us that there is demand for free local sports facilities so the opening of these new tennis and basketball courts is great news. I hope it will encourage even more people to make the most of this beautiful park.”

The new courts are thanks to a £95,000 investment jointly funded by the City of Edinburgh Council and Sportscotland via the Legacy 2014 Active Places Fund.

A community consultation found that some local residents were discouraged from using local sports facilities due to financial barriers and that there was a lack of quality free sports provision in the area. The results of the consultation led to the development of the courts, which will also benefit the three schools located nearby, Trinity Academy, Trinity Primary and Holy Cross Primary.

Culture and Sport Convener, Cllr Richard Lewis, said: “I am delighted that these new facilities are now open and the fact that they are free and accessible to everyone makes them an excellent resource for the community.

“A key priority for the Council is to provide more opportunities for people to get active and encourage greater participation in sports as part of healthy lifestyle. The new courts will help us to achieve this and will be a real asset for local people of all ages.”

Victoria Park was first awarded a Green Flag in 2011 and forms part of the North Edinburgh Cycle Network, National Cycle Network and North Sea Route.

Reminder: Two local consultations this week

You wait for ages on a consultation then two come along at once! Trinity Community Councillor Bill Rodger has sent a timely reminder of two community consultations taking place this week:

Victoria Park allotments

There is to be a Drop in Session tomorrow Thursday 4 December between 4pm and 7pm in the Victoria Park Bowlhouse adjacent to Newhaven Road where Council Officials will be present to explain the proposals for using the third bowling green for small allotments and to answer any questions which you might have.

There are notices in the Park and on the Council’s website but if you think that any of your neighbours might be interested in this please do pass the message on.

Granton Harbour Regeneration

Also on the subject of drop-in sessions, and for anyone who missed the North Edinburgh News ad, there is one planned for TODAY Wednesday 3 December in Granton Youth Centre, 3-11 West Granton Road, between 3pm and 7pm on proposals for the Granton Harbour area.

These include new homes, retail and leisure. Representatives of Granton Central Developments will be present at that one to talk through their plans for the area and listen to any view that the community have before submitting their plans to the Council for planning approval.

Bill Rodger, Trinity Community Council

Victoria Park allotments? Drop-in and have your say

Edinburgh and Lothian Greenspace Trust (ELGT) and the City of Edinburgh Council propose to turn the bowling green furthest away from the club house in Victoria Park  into allotments.

A community consultation drop-in event will take place on Thursday (4 December) from 4 – 7pm in the Bowling Green Clubhouse. Go along to see what’s being proposed and air your views.

See below for details:

Victoria Park Allotments consultation Victoria Park

 VictoriaPark

Leap into Leith’s Health and Fitness Festival!

Programme as at 09.08.13

Leith’s first health & fitness festival takes place at Victoria Park tomorrow, hosted by local carity Looking After Our Elderly.  It aims to bring back community spirit and unite all generations of the community with the aim of getting healthy, active and having fun.

Demonstrations & entertainment highlights: 

Tai Chi, 10.00, Thistle Foundation, Lambs House Circle

The Thistle Foundation are a Scottish Charity that supports people with disabilities and health conditions to lead full lives.  Thistle Gym is a bit different. With a friendly and relaxed environment, Thistle Gym helps members to improve their health and fitness levels, regardless of their disability or health condition.

5k fun run, 11.00, demonstration drive

Fitness Soul, Booiaka, 11.00, Lambs House Circle

Booiaka is an intense cardio dance workout that feels like a fun night spent dancing with friends at a party or a favorite club, to music you love.  It incorporates elements of many different dance styles, such as Latin, Brazilian, Jamaican, hip-hop and Reggaeton – but the emphasis is on having fun, releasing your spirit and feeling the beat.

Canongate Cadjers (ceilidh band), 13.00, Lambs House Circle

Space hopper race for adults, 14.00 – 15.00

Organised by Tracy Griffen, of Griffen fitness, competitors will race in heats and go on to a final hop off!  Hop at your own risk!

Hula Honeys demos, 10.00 –16.00, demonstration drive

Kim Sibbald, personal trainer and hula hoop teacher based in Edinburgh, is on a mission to spread the love and share the joys of hooping. Hula Honeys hooping classes are fun, friendly and addictive. Don’t worry if you have never been able to hoop before, the hoops provided make the skill much easier to pick up. The great thing about hooping is you are training your mind as well as your body. It is progressive and you can always learn new skills. But remember the focus is on having fun!

Kuk Sool Won workshop, 12.00– 15.00, demonstration drive

A comprehensive, modern, traditional Korean Martial Art. Kuk Sool Won™ is a systematic study of all of the traditional fighting arts, which together comprise the martial arts history of Korea. As a martial arts system, Kuk Sool Won™ is exteremely well-organized; and seeks to integrate and explore the entire spectrum of established Asian fighting arts and body conditioning techniques, as well as mental development and traditional weapons training. The following list includes some, but by no means all, of the elements of Kuk Sool Won™. For a history of Kuk Sool Won™ click HERE

Links Fitness Bootcamp 12.30– 14.00, demonstration drive

Women’s only bootcamp classes held at Leith Links on Saturday mornings and Tuesday evenings.   Bootcamp is suitable for all levels of fitness with classes including sandbags, medicine balls, bodyweight circuits, cardio drills, fun games, battling ropes, boxing.  Varying activities keeps the classes interesting and challenging.

SwishandHips, bellydancing demos by Elspeth, 12.30, entertainment area & 13.00 demonstration drive

Belly dancing is the name given to many different styles of dance which originated in the Middle East, but which dancers all over the world have taken to their hearts and made their own.

Belly dance is known in arabic as Raks Sharki, and comes in many different forms – oriental style, cabaret style, American Tribal style, tribal fusion, and many other sub-strata. Elspeth studies and dances in the Egyptian Oriental Style, as performed by dancers in Cairo today.

Strictly Fitsteps demos, 12.30 – 16.00, demonstration drive & 15.30 main stage

FitSteps® came to life in 2013 as the result of a collaboration between two of the UK’s most famous ballroom dancers and Britain’s most successful swimmer! During the long, arduous dance training sessions that are an integral part of Britain’s most decided to mix the graceful steps of Ballroom and the up tempo steps of the Latin dances together to create a really fun, energetic and effective way to stay fit and keep trim that would appeal to everyone, even if they couldn’t dance. The programme is based around twelve of the most popular Latin and Ballroom dances and the first class that we’ve launched has elements of six of these dances – Jive, Cha Cha, Samba, Tango, Waltz and Quickstep.

Edinburgh Lau Gar Self Defence demos, 14.30 – 17.00, demonstration drive

Lau Gar is the most popular form of Kung Fu in the UK and was brought here by Master Jeremy Yau in 1961.  Lau Gar Kung Fu is derived from the form of boxing that was practised in Kuei Ling Temple, situated on Bac Pye Saan (the Bac Pye mountain), in Hong Kong in Western China. It was first learned by a monk fleeing from Kuei Ling Temple by the Master, “Three Eyed Lau”, a tiger hunter, who is honoured as the founder of Lau Gar Kung Fu.

Metamadness, 13.00, main stage

The MetaMadness class is an all over body work out based on the sport of boxing.

Fire Safety demos, 11.15, 12.30, 13.45, 15.00, Lambs House Circle

Chip Pan Fire and Fire extinguisher demos

 

Site map

It promises to be quite a day – don’t miss it!

 

Health and Fitness Festival heading to Victoria Park

576785_202640053220402_34998290_n[1]

The words ‘health’ and ‘fitness’ are not part of my usual festival vocabulary, but a festival with a difference is coming to Victoria Park soon …  

Zombies, space hoppers, hula hoops and health& fitness practitioners are among some of the activities, demonstrations and information stalls included in the official programme for the Leith Health & Fitness Festival taking place at Victoria Park, Leith on 10 August 2013 from 10am to 5pm.

Organised by local Edinburgh charity, Looking After Our Elderly, this new Festival is free to enter and aims to bring all generations of the local community together with the aim of getting active, healthy and having fun.

The programme contains a wide range of family friendly events and activities including:

  • 5k charity run, adult space hopper race and fitness demos for the wider community from hula hooping and fencing to  bodycombat and bootcamps
  • Range of health, fitness and nutritional information stalls including
  • Therapists offering taster treatment sessions
  • Entertainment marquee hosting a ceilidh band, comedian, dancers and afternoon tea
  • Complimentary bowling on the green
  • Range of local business and community information stalls

Kirsty Smith, Charity Director, said: “The countdown is now well and truly on to our first ever health & fitness festival and I’m excited about the programme that we’re launching today.

“The festival is all about bringing people together and reigniting community spirit.Whether you’re looking to find out more about getting active and healthy or just want to simply enjoy a day out with friends and family, there is something for everyone. We’re looking forward to welcoming everyone along. ”

Kirsty set up Looking After our Elderly in November 2012 as a Christmas Gift Giving Campaign to ensure older people who were house-bound, in care, on their own or in need, did not feel alone at Christmas.

The Festival will help to raise proceeds for the Charity and for the 2013 Christmas Gift Giving Campaign.Entry to the festival is free for everyone to come along.There will be a small joining fee to participate in the 5k run.

Kirsty added: “We’re still on the lookout for people to get involved and support the festival in other ways, by racing, volunteering, hosting an event or demonstration or setting up a business or information stall.”

For more information on how to get involved, the latest programme updates and application forms for the race, stalls and volunteering visit:

www.lookingafterourelderly.co.uk.

programme-outside

Get set for Leith Health and Fitness Festival

Looking after our elderly:

In the winter of 2012 a new Charity campaign emerged in Leith called Give a Gift this Christmas. This was an opportunity for organisations and members of the public to donate gifts which were distributed to elderly people across Leith and North East Edinburgh. This was a tremendous success and has led to the development of a Health and Fitness Festival, which will not only raise funds to help the Charity, but will also provide the opportunity for sharing information about keeping fit and healthy whatever your age.

To raise the profile of the Festival there will be a number of key events happening across Leith and wider.  Subsequently there will be a range of raffles and smaller events to ensure that the word is out and that people are excited about the festival.

Leith Health & Fitness Festival – Saturday 10 August,  Victoria Park, Leith 

Our inspiration is to help bring back community spirit! Working together will offer a way to pull all generations together, to mend the cracks and try to give support and care to our local elderly residents.

There will be a range of stalls and events designed specifically for the older community, this will include a marquee set aside for entertainment, amusement and a free raffle, bowling on the green and lots of complimentary events / treatments on the day.

For the wider community there will be:

  • Stall spaces for therapists and personal trainers (small fee)
  • Stall spaces for local businesses (Small fee)
  • Advice on optimum & sports nutrition
  • Career advice
  • Youth and Community information
  • 5k fun run (application form below)
  • Hula Honeys
  • Fitness demos
  • Activities for all the family.

If you feel you could support this exciting venture by having a stall, promoting your services, donating prizes for our competitions or raffle, (we have two raffles, a main raffle for everyone and another one for our elderly people). Or volunteering on the day then we would love to hear from you.

Please email me if you are interested in being part of our first Festival.

Email: lookingafterourelderly@virginmedia.com

All proceeds will go the Looking After Our Elderly and our second Give a Gift This Christmas campaign.

Thank you!

Kirsty Smith

Charity Director

5k run app

festival stall email application form

postcard front