Tag: workshops

Help your workmates save money and stay warm this winter

Many of us have been working from home since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Research from June 2020 (PDF) showed most Scots felt their energy use increased during lockdown, and almost 60% of households were worried about their bills going up as a result.

As lockdown measures continue and cold weather means the heating is on for longer, you and your workmates might need some help to manage your energy costs while keeping warm at home.

Learn simple ways to stay warm at home

The good news is, we can help. As well as impartial advice to householders, we also offer fun and interactive online workshops for employers across Scotland.

Workshops are completely free and can be tailored to suit your workplace. And they’re a great way to connect with and support your colleagues, especially when many may be concerned about rising bills.

You and your workmates will pick up practical tips to reduce your bills and keep your home warm, like:

  • Getting to know your heating controls, so you can get the best out of your heating system and make your home more comfortable
  • Keeping the heat in by draught-proofing your home
  • Making sure you’re not wasting energy – just turning your appliances off instead of leaving them on standby could save you £30 a year
  • Finding out what support is available to help you make your home warmer and more energy efficient through energy saving home improvements

We’d love to help you and your colleagues stay warm this winter – email us to book your workshop. We also offer workshops on travelling sustainably (for essential journeys of course!), and saving water in partnership with Scottish Water. If getting everyone together for an online workshop will be tricky, our home energy e-learning is also full of useful advice on saving energy and money at home

Pick up tips to make the food shop go further

While we’re all cutting down on supermarket trips and many household budgets are getting tighter, it helps to make the food shop go further. Love Food Hate Waste workshops, delivered by Energy Saving Trust on behalf of Zero Waste Scotland, can help attendees save up to £437 a year by reducing food waste, through simple tips like: 

  • Menu planning, to make sure you don’t buy more than you use and don’t have to dash out for missing ingredients
  • Storing food correctly so it lasts longer
  • Using up leftovers and kitchen cupboard ingredients with crafty recipes

Interested? Get in touch to book a workshop.

Support for communities as well as workplaces

We also offer free online workshops for community groups on saving energy and water at home, travelling sustainably, and cutting food waste.

These are a great way to get your community group together remotely.

Find out more about our support for communities, and drop us an email if you’d like to book a workshop.

‘So, What Now?’

A new course to support locals who want to make North Edinburgh stronger launches next month

‘So, What Now?’ a new course to support locals who want to make North Edinburgh stronger launches in November.

Firstport, Scotland’s support agency for start-up social enterprises, has launched a new workshop series ‘So, What Now?’  as part of their What If… North Edinburgh Programme.

COVID-19 has had a significant impact on communities big and small, and this course is designed to tackle those concerns arising out of the pandemic, as well as existing ones, and provide an opportunity for people to plan for the future.

The six-week workshop series will help individuals identify actions to take to help their local community and develop the skills to get these ideas up and running.

Starting on the 2nd November 2020, the ‘So, What Now?’ group will meet weekly to discuss concerns, take part in upskilling sessions, and access tailored training to support their ideas. Participants will finish the course with the skills and knowledge to get their ideas off to the best possible start.

The course will be run by the What If… North Edinburgh manager, Julie Smith, who already lives and works locally to the North Edinburgh Area to support individuals and groups starting community focused projects and businesses.

Julie Smith, workshop lead, said: “It can be difficult to talk about hope when we are in the middle of a pandemic – but throughout this time we have seen how people power makes a difference.

“The course we’re running – So, What Now? – is designed to provide space and opportunity for people to meet, share their experiences with each other and explore the possibilities for creating new ways of solving old problems in the community. It is about travelling hopefully towards the future, embracing opportunities to develop as a person, a group, and a community.

“The course is really for anyone who wants to get involved in their community, people who have ideas about developing projects or businesses but are not sure what to do, and those who would like space and time to think about what they want to do in the future.”

The workshop series is open to anyone living or working in North Edinburgh, particularly individuals passionate about social concerns in the area, with insight into what needs to be changed, and looking for inspiration and support to make a positive difference in the community. 

An information session will take place between 10.00am-11.30am on Wednesday 28th October for anyone interested in finding out more.

This course will be held digitally; however, it will be as interactive as possible.  Anyone requiring assistance to take part in the course is encouraged to get in touch with What if North Edinburgh so they can support their request.

More Information:  

Register for the course here: https://www.firstport.org.uk/business-support/what-if-edinburgh/wine-registration/  

Sign-up for an informal coffee/tea chat with Julie: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/so-what-now-what-ifnorth-edinburgh-course-info-event-tickets-126041903727  

More information about the What if North Edinburgh programme as a whole: https://www.firstport.org.uk/business-support/what-if-edinburgh/   

What can you use the internet for? A digital survey

What If…North Edinburgh? (WINE) is a programme run by First Port to support local people to develop social enterprises to create jobs and do something worthwhile in the community. Run by the manager, Julie Smith, it has assisted people over the last year to start up businesses doing sewing and tailoring, running markets and making crafts.

WINE offers workshops, training and discussions on various topics from ‘what is a social enterprise’ to managing your finances. It started a digital training course for local people just before lockdown, to include things like using social media, creating your own posters, how to sell online. That had to stop, but Julie is keen to offer training, this time online. She wants to know what would be useful for people.

“I got a really good tutor in from an organisation called Mhor Collective”, Julie explained. “They do a lot of work around what people want to learn, their motivation etc and don’t just have a set course they deliver. It’s tailored to people’s needs.

“Since lockdown, we’ve all seen how important having access to the internet it. But it’s hard if you can’t afford broadband or data – and if you have to share one tablet or phone between a whole family. I know a lot of people will have been doing home schooling too online, a very new thing for everybody!

“I’m doing a survey of people in north Edinburgh to find out what they’d like to learn to do, or do better using technology. We can then put on a course based on those needs. It’ll be great to build on the skills people already have and maybe identify some digital champions locally who can then go on to support others.”

The survey is straightforward and shouldn’t take too long.

“It’s important we get as many views from as many people as possible. If you need a paper copy of the survey, let me know. And pass it on to others!’’

The survey can be found online here WINE digital survey

If you have any questions about the survey or the other work WINE is doing, please contact Julie Smith: julie@firstport.org.uk or phone 07763 869 556.

Christmas wreath making workshops at North Edinburgh Arts

Want to get into the festive spirit and make something special for your home?

Come along to one of our free wreath making workshops and create your own beautiful festive wreath using evergreen, foraged and recycled materials. The workshops will be led by artist Natalie Taylor, and all materials will be provided. Continue reading Christmas wreath making workshops at North Edinburgh Arts

Kick off the new Bake Off season with free workshops from Home Store + More

As Channel 4’s Great British Bake Off gears up for another tense ten weeks in the tent, Home Store + More’s Craigleith store is hosting a series of FREE family friendly Bake Off-style workshops on Saturday 31st August. Continue reading Kick off the new Bake Off season with free workshops from Home Store + More

Rock’n’Roll the Dock in Leith

This Saturday at Ocean Terminal

 Marine Parade graffiti wall in Newhaven

Following the success of Rock the Dock, the launch event for the UK’s longest legal graffiti wall, artists from across Europe are set to return to Leith for a another community-led graffiti jam – this time with a skating twist.  Continue reading Rock’n’Roll the Dock in Leith

Talking SH*TE at the old Co-op

EPOCH8 creating something very different at the former Co-op store on Pennywell Road …

SH*TE ZINES exhibition opens on Friday 26th January from 6-8pm, and this event also includes a free zine making workshop, also on Friday 26th from 1 – 4pm
Sign up via our Facebook event and Eventbrite page (below)
EPOCH 8 Committee