Big Kitchen food idea grows in Pilton

Wednesday follow up meeting to tackle local food poverty

Pilton Central Association recently held a very successful community meeting to discuss our response to the horrific figures on food poverty released by the Scottish Government, church groups, the Trussel Trust and the Red Cross.

The initiative of creating what has become known as the Big Kitchen restaurant/ cafe and the distribution system of food on sufficient scale to local people was endorsed. Over 40 representatives of local people, community gardeners, food banks, community centre representatives, Councillors and others agreed to pursue and make this a reality.

An open follow up meeting will take place

tomorrow at 1pm West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre

to discuss the location of such a kitchen, it’s funding and the building of a community garden that would supply the Big Kitchen with fresh produce. All welcome.
Willie Black

Forthcoming attractions at West Pilton

Table Top Sale A4 December 2013

Tea Dance 20 dec 2013

Come on down to West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre to take part in two special events this month:

Thursday 19 December 11 – 3pm

TABLE TOP SALE

Do you have items in your cupboards you don’t want any more?

Then book a table at West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre’s Table Sale!

If you are looking for something extra for Christmas then come along and browse the stalls

Soup, tea and coffee will also be on sale

Tables are £2 and can be booked by calling into the Centre or phone Linda on 0131 551 3194

Friday 20 December 1 – 3.30pm

CHRISTMAS TEA DANCE

Come and join in the festive fun with live music, dancing, singing, tea, coffee and mince pies

Tickets only £1

West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre

19 West Pilton Grove, Edinburgh

Tel: 0131 551 3194

In the bleak midwinter: meeting called to co-ordinate community-centred response to poverty challenge

The impact of the Bedroom Tax, general poverty and the rise of Food Banks in the area is a clear indication that many in our community will be facing a bleak and possibly health destroying time.

The comments made by the Trussell Trust, who organise the Food Banks, that they are limited to crisis response – ie 3 or 4 food packs per year per family – shows that we require a much bigger response. Community Centres in every area should be at the heart of the response. The question is how do we do this?

We wish to join together with all Community Centres, the City of Edinburgh Council and organisations like the Red Cross and similar bodies to work out a common strategy of how we as Community Centres could find ways of providing assistance to this section of our community.

We would like to invite all Management Committees of Community Centres and other interested bodies to a meeting to discuss this at:

West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre on Thursday 14 November

from 12.30 –3pm

RSVP to:

Gwen Campbell

Pilton Central Association, West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre

Telephone 0131 551 3194

Happy birthday Betty – at last!

Betty McVay’s belated eightieth birthday celebration finally took place at West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre last Friday, and the party proved to be well worth the wait.

Most readers will know that Betty has not been well, and she was forced to put her original party plans on hold when she was taken into hospital last month. However regular readers will also know that Betty is a wee battler and there was no way that the milestone party was not going to happen as soon as she was well enough again!

it was almost a ‘This Is Your Life’ event as friends and colleagues from across the years joined Betty and her family at West Pilton – as someone remarked, there were hundreds of years of community activism together in the Neighbourhood Centre that night and it was a great opportunity to share stories and memories.

In a year that’s seen old Greater Pilton lose activists and community characters like Billy Anderson, Brian Robertson, Stevey Hay and Gwen Chrystal, Betty’s party gave the community something to smile about – even if the raffle prizes were among the worst in history!

Belated happy birthday then, Betty – and keep battling!

Nutmegs at West Pilton

Nutmegs, an exciting new weekly programme for parents, carers and pre-school children, is starting at West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre next week.

Run in association with The Spartans Community Football Academy, Nutmegs starts on Monday (3 June) from 9.30 – 10.30 and will run for four weeks until 24 June. Activities on offer include teamwork, coordination, balance, communication and fun games – and it’s all free!

To find out more or to bbok your place telephone West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre on 551 3194.

Digging deep to resolve Pilton’s problems

Final workshop pitch

Pilton Community Health Project has been speaking to people in North Edinburgh about issues affecting their lives and what they think is important in the local area.

Many of the same themes come up again and again – safety, dog mess, no motivation, no sense of community.

Lets look at things in a different way; get underneath the issues and work together to come up with inspiring solutions that really change things!

We invite you to join us in some inspiring and thought provoking sessions thinking in a different way to resolve problems and issues and make Pilton a more active community!

What it will be:

Fun, interesting, thought provoking, possibly it may even transform your life.

We will provide:

Food, drink, prizes, childcare and fun for 2 x 5hr sessions on:

Wednesday 29 May

Wednesday 5 June

from 10am-3pm

at West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre

For more info call Lianne or Clare on 551 1671, email: moveit@pchp.org.uk

News from West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre

More free mone advice at West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre this Friday (12 April) from 10am – 2pm, courtesy of Money Advice Scotland and CAB. Sessions are free, but by appointment only – to make yours call 551 3194.

LOOKING FOR LOCAL OFFICE/MEETING SPACE?

Are you a small business or community organisation looking to rent affordable office/meeting space?

Pilton Central Association has space available in the West Pilton area and would be open to discuss possible full or shared use of the space on a temporary basis.

Conditions of Let and rent are negotiable.

If you are interested or would like further information plese contact Willie Black on 0751 568 6421.

Money advice for free in West Pilton

Looking for free independent money advice? Then West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre is the place to be on Friday 12 April, when you can meet advisors from the Money Advice Service between 10am – 2pm.

This is an appointment-only service, so to book yours call 0131 551 3194 now!

Free Money Health Check Money Advice Poster

Have your say on West Granton/West Pilton tonight

PosterWestPiltonCC2013

How could your local neighbourhood be improved? You can express your views on priorities for West Pilton and West Granton at an informal event organised by Forth Neighbourhood Partnership this evening.

West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre is the venue and the event runs from 6 – 8pm.

MY CHILD consultation at West Pilton

Are you a parent or a carer of children aged from birth to seven years? West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre is designing My Child, a new programme that will benefit you and your family

You can find out more about My Child at a consultation event in the Neighbourhood Centre in West Pilton Grove next Tuesday (15 January) from 11am – 1pm; buffet lunch and creche are provided.

For further information call Gina Ahmed on 551 3194 or Alan Addison on 332 6316.