Edinburgh councillor blogs – Councillor Maureen Child

Councillor Maureen Child represents the Portobello/Craigmillar ward in the city. Here she blogs for us with all sorts of information from her inbox

Dear All

Our local Voluntary Sector Forum is meeting on Monday 28 August, 12 noon – 2pm at The White House, 70 Niddrie Mains Road. All voluntary groups are welcome from across Portobello and Craigmillar to discuss taking forward a plan of what we can all do together to better meet the needs of people living here. We have such a fantastic range and diversity of voluntary groups and volunteers locally, many of which I talk about and celebrate in these regular Updates. It would be great to meet up regularly, network and keep working on our common causes.

Our voluntary sector forum is one of eight sub-groups that report to the Portobello/Craigmillar Neighbourhood Partnership(NP) for our area over the last 10 years of working together in community planning. The next meeting of the NP for our Ward area is on Wednesday 23 August at 6.30pm in the East Room at Craigmillar Hub, 101 Niddrie Mains Road. More on NPs here: http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/info/20133/community_planning/917/neighbourhood_partnerships.

I thoroughly enjoyed visiting Caring in Craigmillar this week and met some new and old faces, finding out how things are going at their base in 63 Niddrie Mains Terrace in providing a great day care service for older people and a vital Phonelink service city-wide. More about CiC here: http://www.caringincraigmillar-daysupport.co.uk/

Portobello Running Club raised a fantastic £1050 at the annual race for Richmond’s Hope children’s bereavement charity, founded and based in Craigmillar. More about this vital project here: http://www.richmondshope.org.uk/

Nick Barley Director of Edinburgh International Book Festival — Launch of the 2017 Edinburgh International Book Festival

The Edinburgh Book Festival is on right now, but we have even more to look forward to as the programme for the 2017 Portobello Book Festival, running from 6-8 October, will be revealed on Friday, 1 September. More here:https://portobellobookfestival.wordpress.com/

Art Walk Porty also starts that weekend with 27 artists taking part this year. More here: http://mailchi.mp/0584fee40f39/were-getting-ready

Want to take part in an archaeological dig for a lost garden at Newhailes? See more here: https://nts.cloudvenue.co.uk/digitthewondersofwhitehillsearchingfornewhaileslostgarden

Friends of Bellfield are always looking for more members and friends to get involved in their project. They’re aiming to raise funds to get the essential works going to get the building open for January 2018. If you can help, and want to do your bit, please email friendsofbellfield@gmail.com and join the team! They will be giving out leaflets at the BIg Beach Busk coming up next week, Saturday 16 August, starting 12 noon..

Good news for Castlebrae Community High School that there is now Council agreement to start the consultation process for a move to a new build in the Town Centre agreed at Committee on this week. Also agreed that the consultation should be spread as wide as possible. We are awaiting the Scottish Government announcement of a new round of school building funding, in the hope and expectation that the criteria fit well with providing funding for a new Castlebrae. Perhaps the First Minister’s visit to the school this week will give even more impetus.

Richmond Craigmillar Church has one of the city’s Community Cook Clubs, where everyone enjoys the opportunity to have something to eat and someone to eat with. These provide nutritious meals and help build community at the same time. These initiatives create new friendships, build self esteem and reduce loneliness. More here:

http://cyrenians.scot/community-and-food/community-cook-clubs/

There’s always lots going on at Portobello Library, including Book Launch on Tuesday 22 August at 6.30pm by Grahame C W Howard whose book is ‘Marble Corridor and Other Medical Tales’.

Tribe Porty in Windsor Place are doing a survey that they would like you to fill in:https://tribeconversations.typeform.com/to/ggqKrY. More about Tribe Porty here: http://tribeporty.org/

Summer news is out about the favulous Bridgend Farmhouse, 41 Old Dalkeith Road, EH16 4TE. Website www.bridgendfarmhouse.org.uk. For news updates contact them on bridgendbuild@gmail.com

The new Craigmillar Boccia Group is now meeting weekly on Thursdays after a successful launch last Monday at the Thistle. Try it out, meet new people and have fun. Boccia is like bowls, but without all that bending down. For more information, contact Dani Waddell on 07909 237 415 or email dani.waddell@thistle.org.uk

If you are a keen gardener, don’t forget the Musselburgh Show this weekend. You’re bound to meet people you know there!http://www.musselburghhorticulture.org.uk/?page_id=144

Portobello Rugby Club had huge national success last year and is keen to grow more grass roots talent and develop as a great Community rugby club all the way through to senior level. they welcome all ages and stages to play for the local club. Any child who would like to give rugby a try please do get in touch with Fraser McCowan, Convenor, Portobello Mini Rugby 07549 994584. To know more, check out their website: https://portobellorugby.com/

It’s not long until Leith Street is closed to traffic of the utilities works required for the new St. James development. This requires bus diversions which will affect some of our services to and from Portobello and Craigmillar. In some cases, I think our journeys might even be shorter, in other cases longer. Here’s the detail:

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Some of you have emailed me about the prospect and possibility of extending the tram from York Place to Newhaven within the next five years and how that might be funded. The outline business case for extending the tram, as part of an increasingly integrated public transport network, has yet to be scrutinised in detail, with lots of questions asked and answered, and discussed at Committee and Full Council. I will be looking at the detail before leaping to any conclusions.

Have a great weekend and enjoy the Festivals, if you can!

Maureen