Influencing your Parliament

Scottish Parliament Community Conference this month

Local people keen to have their voice heard by their MSP and the Scottish Parliament can discover how to run a social media campaign, secure media stories on the issues that affect them, petition the Parliament and even hold their own Holyrood event, by attending a conference at Dumfries’ Easterbrook Hall on Saturday 21 February.

At the Scottish Parliament Communities Conference, local MSPs Elaine Murray and Alex Fergusson will share expert advice on how to help your MSP help you, with interactive workshops run throughout the day, led by MSPs and the Scottish Parliament’s expert staff.

Engagement can result in a wide range of actions, including parliamentary debate, changes to law and policy direction.

Alex Fergusson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries said: “When an issue matters, and when it is within Holyrood’s power to help, engaging with MSPs and the Scottish Parliament can be a direct way for individuals, community groups and organisations to be heard.”

He went on: “We want to make sure that people from across Dumfries and Galloway know how to engage with us, their local MSPs, and to know that the Scottish Parliament belongs to them. The conference is all about helping make sure their voice is heard. I hope to meet many people from across the South West who feel strongly about an issue, so I can share a range of ways the Scottish Parliament can help make a positive difference to people’s lives in their local community, or even throughout Scotland.”

Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfriesshire said: ““We’re looking forward to meeting as many local community organisations, charities, social enterprises, tenants and residents groups, local campaign organisations, volunteers and youth groups as possible. But we also want to hear from individuals with an important issue to share. Only by hearing from people who have perhaps never been involved with the Parliament or politics before can we continue to raise the profile of a wide variety of important issues and give the people of Dumfries and Galloway a voice.”

In addition to Ms Murray and Mr Ferguson, other MSPs leading workshops on the day include Chic Brodie, MSP for South Scotland; John Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland; Graeme Pearson, MSP for South Scotland and Aileen McLeod, Minister for Environment, Climate Change & Land Reform.

Joyce Harkness is a campaigner and social enterprise manager from Hightae near Lochmaben. She said: “It’s great news that the Communities Conference is coming to Dumfries. I would encourage anyone who wants to kick-start getting their voice heard at the Scottish Parliament to come to Easterbrook Hall on the 21st.

“I’ve attended Scottish Parliament community workshops in the past and they’ve been invaluable. When I was campaigning for better rural transport for older people across Dumfries and Galloway, working with the Parliament really helped get our issues raised in a positive way. The MSPs and Parliamentary staff really listen and have great ideas and practical advice that’s specially tailored to your campaign. The sheer range of ways you can engage with Parliament can be a real eye-opener.”

Too grand! STV Appeal support for PYCP

Pilton Youth and Children’s Project (PYCP) has received £2000 from the STV Appeal 2014. The funding is welcome news for the local project and will support PY’s clubs and groups throughout the year.

The STV Appeal team’s Natalie Wright called in at The Greenhouse last week to present the cheque and met children from PY’s P5 – P7 Club.

PYCP provides a wide range of services and activities – from open clubs and groups to community and school-based individual support in North Edinburgh. Each provision is designed to meet the needs of a particular age and peer group, and activities are tailored to meet these needs in consultation with the children and young people involved.

PYCP carry out open access youth work plus promotion of good health and well being. The project offers targeted and referred support work to children and young people in need. There is also a Preventative Opportunities Programme which supports young people by engaging their whole family in activities, outings and workshops together.

The STV Appeal is committed to making a difference in the lives of children and young people living in poverty in Scotland. Across the country, 220,000 children live in poverty and figures from the Campaign to End Child Poverty show that in Edinburgh it’s actually 21.1% of children. Pilton Youth and Children’s Project is one of the projects the STV Appeal is supporting in Edinburgh.

Since launch in 2011, the STV Appeal has raised over £8.2 million with 297 big and small grants distributed to projects across all 32 local authority areas in Scotland, providing much needed support to over 37,000 children. The money raised is distributed to provide practical help like food and warm clothes; create opportunities for training and employability; and enable social and emotional support for those who need it most.

PYCP youth and children’s worker Mark Hunter said: “As someone who has been part of PYCP for the past ten years, I have witnessed firsthand the positive impact that the project has made in the lives of so many young people, their families and the community around them.

“I think PYCP is unique in the way that it is there for children when they start their school career aged five and continues to be there for them until they are 18 and beyond. It is really important that we can provide opportunities for all children and young people in Pilton to have fun with their friends and take part in organised activities, all free of charge.

“Because of that we are ideally placed to offer additional support to those who want it and support all young people to reach their potential. Being part of PYCP has been immensely rewarding for me and I’m excited to see how the next ten years pans out too.”

Rob Woodward, STV CEO and trustee of the STV Appeal, said: “The money donated to the STV Appeal remains in Scotland and will help bring about a positive change to the lives of vulnerable children and young people on our doorstep. With the help of the extraordinary fundraising efforts taking place in communities across the country we have raised an incredible £2.6m in 2014 allowing us to make grants to 297 projects. We are extremely grateful to everyone who supported this year’s Appeal.”

Sir Tom Hunter, trustee of the STV Appeal, said: “Yet again the people of Scotland have cast their vote – end child poverty. Through the STV Appeal we are attempting to deliver sustainable solutions to do just that. It is simply unacceptable in modern Scotland to still have young people debilitated by poverty, through this project and many more the people of Scotland are doing their level best to combat poverty.”

Sir Ian Wood, trustee of the STV Appeal, said: “The generosity of the people in Scotland who provide such great support to the STV Appeal is incredibly encouraging and heart-warming. However, it is deeply concerning that there continues to be a significant requirement across Scotland for financial support for child poverty.

“Developing Scotland’s Young Workforce, a commission I chaired recently, has the overarching aim to enable Scotland’s young people to move into sustainable employment upon leaving education. But how can they achieve positive destinations if they have a less than adequate start in life?

“I sincerely believe that the grants donated by the STV Appeal can have a significant impact on the lives of Scotland’s young people and make a real contribution to eradicating child poverty in Scotland.”

The STV Appeal 2015 is now well underway with an exciting line-up of fundraising activities planned. Watch this space!

Weekend Hub: the movie!

North Edinburgh Alcohol Initiative Collaborative (NEAIC) will present their film ‘The Weekend Hub‘ at Pilton Youth & Childrens Project this Saturday evening at 7pm.

North Edinburgh Alcohol Initiative Collaborative (NEAIC) is a partnership project involving the areas’s main youth groups: Granton Youth Centre, the Junction in Leith, Muirhouse Youth Development Group & Pilton Youth & Children’s Project.

NEAIC”s Streetbreak initiative offers diversionary activities for young people aged from 12 -21. The main clubs are the weekend hubs based in PYCP on Friday and Saturday evenings, sessions where North Edinburgh’s young people can enjoy a safe space and take part in fun activities.

What did they get up to? The Weekend Hub will tell you all – and also showing are ‘Ruffin’ it in Muirhouse‘ and ‘Just a Girl?’

Dare you enter … The Twilight Zone?

I’m writing to tell you about a programme at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery for after-school clubs and family groups called The Twilight Zone.

Get the gallery to yourselves after-hours or come at the weekends and enjoy fun, interactive tours or creative workshops. Visits are free of charge to community groups.

Read all about it here:

www.nationalgalleries.org/TwilightZone

Meg Faragher

Families and Communities Learning Co-ordinator

National Galleries of Scotland

Scottish National Portrait Gallery

1 Queen Street, Edinburgh EH2 1JD

Tel: 0131 624 6428

M: 07814751087

mfaragher@nationalgalleries.org