2015_03_22 Edinburgh Views 21

Fancy some Tai Chi?

Balerno Village Screen

Collective Gallery Open Days

Another award for Old Town Chambers

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Two Edinburgh women who tackled depression with the help of Tai Chi and now teach classes in their community are launching a new wellbeing Centre for people living with long-term conditions and disabilities.

Liz Deeming and Margaret Hendry will do Tai Chi training outside on the site of the new Thistle Foundation Centre for Wellbeing today, to announce the opening of the Centre in Craigmillar.

The Centre will benefit people living with chronic health problems and disabilities and will also be open to the wider community.

The new Thistle Foundation Centre on the site of the former Tudsbery Centre, a disused clinic at the heart of the old Thistle estate, will be the first of its kind in the Capital and will open its doors in early 2016.

At the Centre people will have access to activities like Tai Chi, Pilates and gym facilities as well as free mindfulness and lifestyle management courses that focus on exercise and nutrition as ways to improve wellbeing.

Every year the Thistle Foundation supports over 1500 people with chronic conditions from depression to diabetes through their lifestyle management courses, their gym and activities like Mindfulness courses and a walking group.

The charity has found many people who live with long term conditions spend up to 10 years before accessing the support they need to manage life better with their condition. And that people who struggle to cope with physical problems also suffer from anxiety and depression.

Liz, from Leith, is one of four volunteers who lead the Tai Chi classes after coming to the Thistle classes because she was struggling with health problems.

A year and a half ago, Liz was feeling isolated and down. This week Liz, 35, will be a qualified Tai Chi leader and since she started coming to the classes she has also started a University course part time.

When she first came to Thistle Liz was suffering from depression. The former support worker has generalised anxiety disorder and was struggling with a stressful job.

Liz said, “Tai Chi really helps with anxiety and depression. It chills me out, even when I am teaching. Before I came to the classes at Thistle I had no confidence. I was really low. It has helped me make friends and that’s a big thing for me. I was so isolated before. It has given me confidence to do other things like going to University.”

Liz and the Tai Chi volunteer leaders have started sessions in other venues in the community to help give others free access to the sessions, including a popular class for over 60s. They picked up an excellent achievement award for the classes.

Margaret, 59, lives with chronic back pain. She was also dealing with alcoholism and suffered from depression. Margaret, from Edinburgh has been a volunteer in Thistle’s gym at their Craigmillar base for two years and now she teaches a class twice a week.

Since doing a lifestyle management course at Thistle Margaret has turned her life around.  Her healthier lifestyle and new outlook also helped her stop smoking.

Margaret said, My back pain has eased as a result of being more active. Training as a tai chi teacher has helped a lot and it feels good to be helping others.

It will be great to see lots of new people getting access to the classes and all the other Thistle courses and activities at the new Centre!”

Over 70 years after the original Thistle estate was built to help veterans, their new Wellbeing Centre will be a fully accessible community hub and the official headquarters for the pioneering charity to continue its work locally and nationally.

Diana Noel Paton, Chief Executive at Thistle Foundation said, “As a health and wellbeing charity, we support people to rebuild their self confidence, to take control over their lives and their conditions, cope better and be able to contribute to society more – reversing a downward spiral of ill health, improving wellbeing and cutting the costs of acute health care.”

“Building a new facility on the site of the old Tudsbery Centre will help us continue to support people to live the life they want. It is hugely important to us to keep our historical links and connections with the estate and the community – and the new Centre will ensure we can support the regeneration and growth of the wider area as well.”

Tai Chi classes at Thistle are on Monday and Wednesday lunchtime.  Check out the website for class times or call 0131 661 3366.

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Screening Friday 24th April – We are the Best! Three young misfits growing up in early 80s Stockholm put all their…

Posted by Balerno Village Screen on Monday, 30 March 2015

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Collective Gallery on Calton Hill are holding two Open Days on 17 & 18 April 2015.
“As the designs for the City Observatory complex go to planning, Collective will be hosting two open days in the City Dome on the 17 and 18 April, from 12-4pm. You are welcome to come along to talk to staff and view the plans for this exciting project.
The full plans will be available to view through the City of Edinburgh Council Planning Portal and more information will be available on Collective’s website from 17 April.”
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Old Town Chambers, a collection of five star serviced apartments that forms part of a £46m redevelopment of three medieval closes off Edinburgh’s Royal Mile, has been named as the Scottish Hotel Awards Serviced Apartments Regional Winner Edinburgh Hotel of the Year 2015.

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After three months of mystery visits across Scotland by the Scottish Hotel Awards judging panel, the Regional Winners will be in the running for the National Winners which will culminate in one Hotel of the Year being announced this month (19 Apr) at the Crowne Plaza, Glasgow.

Julie Grieve, CEO of Lateral City, operator of Old Town Chambers, said:

“We’re delighted to have been named as a Regional Winner and hope we can go all the way to become a National Winner and ultimately be named as Hotel of the Year.

“Our offering at Old Town Chambers is, above all, about style and amazing spaces – from 15th century vaulted rooms to suites with stunning views across Princes Street – which means we can offer a unique experience for visitors.”

Comprising 50 apartments, including a 15th century townhouse and three penthouses, the apartments blend state-of the-art facilities with centuries old architectural features, such as solid stone walls, original fireplaces and painted wall panels and beams, contrasting against double smoked French oak wooden flooring and Italian tiling, alongside the latest home entertainment system and a 24 hour concierge service.

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Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.