Edinburgh councillor blogs – Councillor Maureen Child

May 25, 2018 8:59 pm

Councillor Maureen Child represents Portobello/Craigentinny Ward for the Labour Party. Here she shares the content of her inbox with us.

Dear All

As anyone who tried to email me in the last week will know, I was away on a break. Now I am back in touch, but not for long if you haven’t opted in to receiving these here Updates! I know, I have a lot of emails and phone calls to catch up on too!

David Calder’s latest Porty Podcast is all about the Edinburgh Shoreline Project. The Promenade – from Seafield to Joppa – is one just focus of the year-long led by the Royal Botanic Gardens and designed to engage local communities to take a greater interest in the wildlife along our shores. For more information, listen to this episode https://tinyurl.com/y7cq8ffg and contact Charlotte Johnson at cjohnson@rbge.org.uk

Or find out more about the shoreline project as the Eden Project’s Big Walk this weekend from 10.30am at Seafield. The community hub is at Pipe Street with stalls and activities – part of a Great Get Together. Meet new people and celebrate our community and all the good things we do together! it goes on until 2pm tomorrow, Saturday 26 May.

Those of us who love the White House Kitchen have been invited to feed back what we think of it and what would make it even better! I had lunch there today and met some lovely people, as I always do there. It’s a great place to network as well as to eat! And if you haven’t tried it yet, then do!

Click: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/88PNFPG.

The Power of Food Festival is now just under 4 weeks away, and has the full 2018 Programme of events that will be on offer in 23 community gardens across Edinburgh, including some local ones. Seehttps://poweroffoodfestival.wordpress.com/festival-2018/

We four Councillors had the most inspiring experience at Castlebrae Community High School over a great breakfast which the youngsters made and served beautifully. We heard from those amazing young people and partners about their fantastic experiences and learning with Columba 1400 and Foxlake Outdoor Centre. I met Marie Clare Tully of Columba 1400 later in The White House and she said what a truly exceptional school and community we have here in Craigmillar. No parent should have any doubt whatever that the opportunites these young people have are – Marie Clare’s word “truly exceptional” and a quality found in no other school she knows of – and they work with a lot of schools, right across the country. Truly fabulous educational opportunities for each and every young person at Castlebrae through many creative partnerships!

Another exceptional school in the Craigmillar community is St Francis RC Primary School, just awarded a prestigious award for their fantastic nurture work. Some amazing dancing from the P3s, all embedded in the curriculum. And the sun shone on their Garden Party event to celebrate their Marjory Boxall Quality Mark Award. We adults loved every minute!

Action Porty announced recently that Bellfield will reopen to the community on 23 June with a big celebration event. More here: http://www.portobellocc.org/pccpn/2018/05/15/bellfield-re-opens-23rd-june/

Just before I went off for the week, I was at the opening of our fantastic new Castle Community Bank head office and branch in Leith. This started as three community credit unions coming together and working in partnership – Water of Leith Study Group, Craigmillar (aka Castle) Credit Union and North Edinburgh Credit Union working together. Hollywood star Michael Sheen was there to do the honours and made a very powerful speech. The Craigmillar contingent were the first to be introduced to our star guest who spoke passionately about the work we need to do to tackle problem debt.

https://stv.tv/news/east-central/1415017-hollywood-star-michael-sheen-to-open-new-credit-union/

Last year, Bellfield Street shut for a day to allow the kids to play and now the opportunity is there for others to make their street a play area for the day. More here: https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/radical-plan-sees-streets-close-so-kids-can-play-safe-1-4738973/amp?__twitter_impression=true

Ideas and practical help is needed to improve Porty Promenade, working with the Friends of Porty Prom Group. More here including a survey:

http://www.portobellocc.org/pccpn/2018/05/23/can-you-help-improve-porty-prom/

There is a Beach Games multi-sport event on Wednesday 6 June. S1-3 girls and boys from all 23 high schools in Edinburgh will be competing in athletics, cricket, lacrosse, netball, rugby, tennis and volleyball, and it all takes place on Portobello Beach. This is the 3rd year of the event, run by Communities and Families Sport and Outdoor Learning Unit, in partnership with National Governing Bodies, local clubs, and supported by Edinburgh Leisure. The action takes place between 10.00am and 2.00pm. Come along and cheer them on if you can!

The 358th meeting of Portobello Community Council will be held on Monday 28th May, 2018 at 7:30 pm in Portobello Baptist Church Hall, 185 Portobello High Street. All are welcome. Agenda here:http://www.portobellocc.org/pccpn/category/agenda/. The business includes a presentation and Q&A on the planned reconstruction of Brighton Place and the bus diversions from Council and Lothian Buses representatives.

Have a good weekend!

Kind regards

Maureen