Edinburgh councillor blogs – Councillor Maureen Child

September 29, 2016 2:10 pm

Maureen_Child_17_200x200 Councillor Maureen Child is the councillor for Portobello/Craigmillar. She writes about all the news she has gathered from her Ward.

Dear All

It’s just 10 days to go until the new Portobello High School gets handed over to prepare for the school community to come back to after their October break. Two young people from Porty High, Pippa Watson and Alexander Fraser, did us all proud in presenting their vision for the future of their city. Read all about it here in the Evening News piece about the event:http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/politics/teenagers-set-out-their-2050-vision-for-the-capital-1-4242529

And this is what our young people were helping to launch – ‘2050 Edinburgh City Vision’http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/news/article/2157/edinburgh2050_developing_a_city_vision Now it’s your turn to have your say, and help all our youngsters – especially – to do the same, right across the City. We want to encompass the diverse needs of the city, ensuring it continues to thrive as a great place to live, work and visit over the next 30 years. A city-wide engagement campaign will run until December, inviting all other interested parties to share their vision for the future and unlock creative potential for collaboration across all sectors. A draft document will be produced based on the responses received before being refined, agreed and published next summer. Anyone who lives, works or studies in the city can join the conversation by answering the following three questions at the Edinburgh 2050 webpage and on social media (@edinburgh) using #Edinburgh2050.

What’s great about Edinburgh?
What could be better?
What would you like Edinburgh to be like in 2050?

A reminder that tomorrow Friday 30 September from 10.30am to 1.30pm is Home Instead’s Macmillan Coffee Morning, with focus on addressing social isolation amongst older people in Edinburgh. All taking place in their lovely refurbished offices at Castlebrae Business Centre, Peffer Place, Edinburgh, EH16 4BB. Treat it as another Doors Open Day! Just come along, or register here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/macmillan-coffee-morning-focusing-on-companionship-for-older-people-tickets-26806579200. If you can’t attend we would all still love to have your views on how to address social isolation amongst older people in Edinburgh. Just complete the attached and email it back to Andrew Senew at andrew.senew@homeinstead.co.uk. Home Instead will collate everyone’s ideas and share them along with some suggestions for what next.

As Returning Officer for the Portobello Community Council Elections, I am delighted that 12 people – 7 new members and 5 more established members – have been nominated to serve on Portobello Community Council for the next 3 years. Thanks to them, and those who nominated those great people. I look forward to working with them all. Five local groups have registered to be a part of it too, including three parent Councils. No poll is required, but they are all duly elected and I am convening their first meeting will be on 10 October at 7.30pm in Portobello Baptist Church Hall to elect the office bearers.

Sadly, Craigmillar Community Council has folded – this time around – as only 5 people were nominated and they needed a minimum of 8. Other Community Councils have been through similar dips and come back again with renewed enthusiasm, as will others. And I am sure Craigmillar will be no exception! More on how and why here: http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/downloads/download/429/community_councils_-_information_for_community_council_members

Two church communities in Craigmillar, Links and Bristo Churches, have co-operated in opening a foodbank. It will be open in Bristo Church on Tuesdays and Thursdays 12-3pm and Saturdays 11-2pm. This is a fantastic way to serve the community and they are looking for volunteers to help. Contact is Freddi Wilson, Links Team Leader, 165/6 Craigmillar Castle Avenue, Craigmillar, Edinburgh, EH16 4DR. Mobile: 07772884899

Portobello Market is on Saturday 1st October. Gates open at 9.30am in Brighton Park, just off Brighton Place, and the market runs until 1.30pm. Lots of our traders who missed the September market are back this coming month, plus a couple of newcomers, and you can see a full list on the website http://www.pedal-porty.org.uk/food/portobello-market/traders-for-the-1st-october-portobello-market/ BG Cycles can’t be there on Saturday, but the Caleerie Buskers are back to provide a little entertainment with a selection of traditional tunes and reels to enjoy whilst shopping.

Some events might already be fully for Portobello Book Festival next week, so get your tickets from Portobello Library as soon as possible or take your slim chances at the door on the day. More detail here:https://portobellobookfestival.wordpress.com/2016/09/27/ticket-update-and-full-programme/

National Poetry Day is next Tuesday 4 October and I can thoroughly recommend you discover this young poet Agnes Török who is performing at Craigmillar Library. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/writing-wellbeing-with-agnes-torok-an-event-for-national-poetry-day-tickets-28044913090?platform=hootsuite Craigmillar Library is also a great place for young people of all ages. More here: http://scottishbooktrust.com/blog/reading/2016/09/five-favourite-story-based-games

There are some great events at the nearby National Trust’s Newhailes House. More here: http://www.nts.org.uk/Property/Mobile/Newhailes/events

If you don’t feel too confident about cycling, you might fancy going out as part of a friendly group and build up your confidence Local cycling club Portovelo is doing some additional leisure rides in October to make it easier for newcomers to try out their rides. As well as the normal combined fitness and leisure ride on the first Sunday of the month – happening this Sunday (2 October) – they’re doing something similar also on the 9th and 23rd October. On each day, the two groups will start together at a moderate pace before separating. Leisure rides usually last about 3 hours, plus cafe stop, and distance is around 35-45 miles. More here: https://porto-velo.com/

Great coverage of our community bid to be allowed buy Bellfield Church and Halls in the Evening News:http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/our-region/edinburgh/portobello/portobello-church-set-to-become-first-urban-buy-out-1-4239846 On behalf of the campaign and bid, Mary Campbell and Kyrsta MacDonald-Scott presented Save Belfield at the Communities and Neighbourhoods (C&N) Committee in the Council Chambers this week. Mary and Kyrsta did a great job of raising the profile of what can be done in an active community – especially now, with the powers we have gained through the Community Empowerment Act. The sale of the Church on the open market has been halted, while the community prepare their business plan and bid. And please do the quick community survey for them if you haven’t done so already: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/7QF6JVQ

Our Council C&N Committee also had a fantastic presentation this week from the Men’s Shed movement, with one coming together in Leith Walk. And we know of a couple of Men’s Shed initiatives in Craigmillar and maybe one in Corstorphine? More about them here: http://scottishmsa.org.uk/ Lots of food for thought!

Dads are hugely important in young people’s lives and it is not always easy for them to get involved and stay involved. That’s why ‘The Year of the Dad’ was started and why we have Dad’s Rock setting up playgroups – I visited the new one in The Venchie in Craigmillar last Saturday. I talked about the Year of the Dad and put a link in a previous Update and Trevor MacDonald got back to me to say that had inspired the speech he was to make at his daughter’s wedding. He shared his own story on the Year of the Dad website and said I could give you the link here, which I recommend you all read: http://www.yearofthedad.org/latest and here’s some more thoughts on the importance of Dads (young and old Dads, of course!) in early years of children’s development: https://www.home-start.org.uk/blog/hands-on-early-years-parenting-what-stands-in-the-way-of-dads-being-more-involved

That’s all for now. Maybe see you at that Macmillan Coffee Morning?! There shall be cake this weekend. Have a good one, whatever you do!

Best wishes

Maureen