Five things you need to know today
Bin hubs – rules to be relaxed
Edinburgh Council has relented to pressure from residents and also opposition councillors in relaxing the rules as to the positioning of communal bins. One of the rules was that people should not have to cross the road to dump their rubbish. This had led to bins being placed outside doors or windows when there were other places for the bins on open land or against gables but which were across the other side of a road.
Yarn bombing – you’re having a giraffe!
Edinburgh’s giraffe sculptures at OMNi Edinburgh, Martha and Gilbert, have been lovingly yarn bombed just in time for the festive season in a bid to raise awareness of a special charity fundraising prize draw.
Throughout November and December, OMNi Edinburgh is inviting the public to enter its online charity prize draw for a chance to win an Edinburgh City Experience worth more than £1,500. Tickets are £5 each and funds raised will be donated to charity partner, Children’s Hospices Across Scotland (CHAS).
Funds raised will help the charity provide unwavering care to children who may die young and their families during every stage of their journey.
One lucky prize draw winner will walk away with a terrific prize bundle which includes a 2-night stay at The Glasshouse, a tasty £200 to spend at Edinburgh Street Food, 2-day bus and tram passes courtesy of Lothian and Edinburgh Trams, a £400 shopping voucher, a £100 Vue cinema gift card and The Edinburgh Dungeon attraction passes.
The majority of the prizes have been donated by local businesses who were thrilled to take part in supporting CHAS and OMNI’s fundraising efforts.
Local knitter Marjorie McCreadie of Teviotdale Arans in Hawick Scottish Borders teamed up with Allan Godfrey and Kevin Barrie of Teviot Knitwear, a small artisan manufacturer in Hawick, to deliver the knitted hats and scarves in time for Christmas. The fantastic trio have kindly donated their time and materials to help support OMNi’s fundraising efforts.
Martin Botha, OMNi Edinburgh Centre Manager, said: “Christmas is always an important time of year for us at OMNi, but this year feels extra special due to so many local businesses joining forces to try and make a real difference for such an important charity. A special thanks to the wonderful knitters, our Christmas decorations installation team Blachere Illumination, and prize donors The Glasshouse, Lothian, Edinburgh Street Food, Vue, Royal Yacht Britannia and The Edinburgh Dungeon. You have all been imperative to making our Christmas plans possible, and we’re thrilled to have you involved.”
Well done to North Edinburgh Community Festival
The Festival won the Creative Edinburgh award for Best Festival.
Willie Black who is Chair and Festival Director, Adele Conn attended the awards ceremony with some young people from Granton Youth and representatives from Tinderbox Collective.
Willie told The Edinburgh Reporter: “What a night for North Edinburgh Community Festival. This award presented to us by Creative Edinburgh was met with huge cheers and many of the young people from North Edinburgh went on the stage with pride. This was the recognition for the hard work , dedication and lots of pride in the area we live in , well done everyone and looking forward to next year’s festival.”
Reminder about SPOKES meeting on Thursday
Spokes the Lothian cycle campaign group are holding a meeting on Thursday evening at Augustine United Church at 7.30pm. If you can’t make it the likelihood is that it will be live-streamed on YouTube.
Spokes say: “Local initiatives for better cycling infrastructure and to encourage getting about by bike are flourishing … along with wider demands for car-reduced living, walking, wheeling, local public transport and places no longer dominated by the demands of the car. Why is this happening? How is it happening? What can you do?
“Our meeting will hear from four diverse local Edinburgh bike initiatives, together with an overview from a transport and accessibility expert with a strong interest in community action. What is the spark to get started? the challenges, successes and failures? and what happens next?”
Speakers
… followed by the one-hour panel Q&A – a chance to interrogate and challenge the speakers, hosted by Helen Todd, chair of Planning Democracy and former Ramblers Scotland policy manager
Derek Halden – expert in developing collaborative approaches for better accessibility; participant in the Roadshare campaign for presumed liability; currently involved in the EU DUT project ‘Driving Urban Transitions to a Sustainable Future.’ Derek also has a fascinating personal website, explaining his motivations, as well as his professional site.
Ben Seven – editor of the excellent new(ish) Edi.Bike weekly newsletter
Julie Clarke – from Infrasisters
Jarlath Flynn – promoter of school bike buses
Vicky Hawkins – from Edinburgh Critical Mass
Edinburgh’s Radical Book Fair
Edinburgh’s Radical Book Fair is on from tomorrow at Assembly Roxy. The fair runs until 24 November promising a flea market of ideas both on stage and off. Publisher stalls share the space with community groups, cosy nooks to read and sofas for comfy conversations with pals.
Tables will be stacked with books for all ages across all genres, as well as zines, badges, patches, prints and bags by indie makers. There are second hand and discounted book sections and a pay-it-forward board so everyone can go home with the books they want or need.
Five things to know about the Fair itself:
- it’s free to drop in & browse (no tickets, no booking)
- it’s open 12-6 on Thurs 21st and 10-6 Friday 22nd-Sunday 24th
- it’s wheelchair accessible, with wheelchair accessible loos
- all sales go to the bookshop helping us fund everything from speaker fees for events, live streaming and free refreshments to staffing & outreach
- over 70 publishers will be featured to offer a truly glorious selection
Lighthouse say: “Come for the books, stay for the community.”
