Tenants & Residents in Pilton (TRIP) meet next week on Wednesday 29 August at 7pm in West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre.
The Agenda so far:
– Stair cleaning complaints
– Neighbourhood partnership
– Edinburgh Tenants Federation fuel poverty meeting
– Muirhouse tenants group update
– Fortnightly bin collections
Open to all West Pilton and West Granton residents.
For further information see TRIP’s blog at http://piltonresidents.org.uk/
The West Pilton and Muirhouse Community Gala is almost upon us and organisers are keeping their fingers crossed for some Sunday sunshine – the current forecast is for sunshine with showers later in the day, so if the showers are after 4pm that should be just perfect for everyone!
The event opens at midday and Forth One’s Grant Stott (below) will officially get the party started at 12.30pm – then there will be loads of fun activities for all the family throughout the afternoon.
One of the daftest of them all is Muirhouse Centipede Project’s Peculiar Planter Competition. The challenge is to take a plant in a planter along to the Gala – the dafter container the better – along with a postcard telling your container’s story. Your planter will be judged on its creativity, its ingenuity and its ridiculousness for the purpose! You will also gain points for the “story” you tell on your postcard about why you chose this particular planter.
The winner will be judged at the Gala, but you can get some pre-Gala help potting up your potty planter at Muirhouse St Andrew’s Church Fayre on Saturday morning from 10am – 12 noon.
Other Gala highlights and fun events include dancers, races, live music, inflatables, beat the goalie, refreshments, tug of war, award-winning baton twirlers, face painting, information stalls and bouncy castles – and much more too!
And the Gala has produced one lucky winner already! The Gala Committee organised a special prize to be drawn from the people who signed up to ‘Like’ their Facebook page, and a delighted Karen Hogg was the winner of a family pass for Sunday!
Forthview Primary School’s P5A class is collecting stamps to raise money for charity – and they could use your help.
New teacher Ian Holden explained: “Since the holidays we’ve carried out some learning about stamps and the Olympics and on Tuesday we were visited by Roberto Catto, the General Secretary of the Edinburgh Philatelic Society. Roberto brought in his collection of London 2012 stamps, including all the stamps issued by Royal Mail following on from Team GB Gold medals.”
Ian went on: “The class will also be collecting used stamps which we will then sell to an auctioneer and give the raised funds to a charity of the children’s choice (not yet decided). If NEN readers would donate any used stamps to Forthview Primary School – for care of Mr Holden and P5a – we would be very much obliged.”
So don’t throw away those used stamps – drop them off at Forthview Primary in West Pilton Place – and remember, philately will get you everywhere!
Go on – play out in the street! Following last weekend’s inaugural Play Out in Muirhouse on Saturday, the Total Craigroyston team has organised another fun day this Friday – and this time it’s in West Pilton.
This Friday, from 11 – 3pm, part of Ferry Road Drive will be blocked off to traffic and will become a fun family playground!
Among the activities planned are water balloons, traditional street games, water slides and puppet theatre with Licketyspit.
Last weekend’s event was a great, make Friday’s even better. Go on – play out in the street!
For further information about Play Out contact Sarah Low on 552 5700, and to find out more about the Total Craigroyston initiative check out the blog at http://totalcraigroyston.wordpress.com
It wasn’t a scorcher, but at least it stayed dry and that meant the Fabby Food shop’s Fun Family Barbecue could go ahead in the fresh air at West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre.
It’s just a pity a photograph can’t capture an aroma …!
It wasn’t a scorcher, but at least it stayed dry and that meant the Fabby Food shop’s Fun Family Barbecue could go ahead in the fresh air at West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre.
It’s just a pity a photograph can’t capture an aroma …!
The local community gardeners are as keen as mustard and they’re cracking on in West Pilton despite the weather. You’ll find them by PYCP’s Greenhouse building off West Pilton Place; join them if you have some free ‘thyme’ (geddit?)!
West Pilton and Muirhouse Gala organisers have announced that Forth One’s Grant Stott will be opening the event at West Pilton Park on Sunday 26 August.
In a statement on their website, the committee said: ‘We have just had confirmation that Forth One’s Grant Stott is going to come and officially open the first West Pilton & Muirhouse Community Gala Day. The committee are very excited at having the “puss on a bus” main man come down and charm all the locals with some punchy one liners and give out some prizes!’
All stall spaces have now been booked for the big day; as the organisers say: ‘All we need now is some sunshine and some people!’
To keep up to date with how Gala planning is progressing, visit the group’s website at www.westpiltonandmuirhousegala.co.uk
Scottish Gas staff came to the aid of a local food bank recently when they collected tins and packets of food for the Basics Bank based at The Christian Centre in West Pilton. In these tough economic times more and more people need a helping hand and the Scottish Gas team’s efforts have ensured that the local food bank – which relies on charitable donations – remains well stocked.
Angie Lumsden of Scottish Gas explained: “Over recent years we have had a big campaign to support Edinburgh Womens Aid with our Easter Egg appeal – this year we collected over 300 eggs, many of which were distributed through local projects here in North Edinburgh. We decided we would build on that and, after speaking to Forth councillor Cammy Day, we decided to collect foodstuffs for the local food bank run by Edinburgh City Mission in West Pilton.”
The response from Waterfront Avenue staff was overwhelming, donations rolled in and when Tom and Mark from the Basics Bank called in to uplift the collection they were overwhelmed!
“A donation like this will feed 25 families for a month. It’s incredible and very much appreciated”, said Tom. Mark added: “Scottish Gas staff have been so generous and this will make a big difference to people’s lives. It’s a great help.”
Angie added: “We couldn’t have done this without the help and support of our Wellbeing Team, who have been great. I’d like to think we could do something like this maybe twice a year”.
Tom and Mark are flanked in the photograph by Scottish Gas staff Steve and Ross.
Plans for the West Granton and Muirhouse Gala are progressing nicely, organisers told a meeting of interested parties on Tuesday. Permission to use West Pilton Park was finally granted last week – fortunately! – and with insurance, entertainers, security, caterers, rides, PA system, performers, a stage, marquees, shows and stalls all seemingly now in place all that’s needed on 26 August are punters and hopefully a little sunshine!
More than twenty local groups and organisations were represented at the planning meeting held at Muirhouse St Andrew’s Church, and gala organiser Sean Gardiner told the meeting: “Everything has fallen into place relatively easily – the biggest challenge for fellow organiser Alex and I has been time. We both work full-time and there seems to have been a thousands and one things to be done, but we’re getting there. The aim of this year’s gala is really to try to provide something for everyone – from the smallest kids right up to their grandparents – a real community event that everyone can enjoy and feel part of. We’ll learn from this year’s event when we go on to plan next years’ Gala!”
The list of attractions is very impressive – see the group’s website for details – and the West Pilton Park Gala on 26 August should indeed be a lot of fun. It takes a lot of work to create fun events, though, and organisers would be delighted to hear from any volunteers who would be willing to spend an hour or so helping out on the big day.
If you can lend a hand, contact the gala organisers at www.westpiltonandmuirhousegala.co.uk, where you’ll also find Facebook and Twitter contact details.
PS: Stalls and tables are still available for comunity groups and organisations – more info and booking forms are available through the website.
