Five things you need to know today
This week at the City Chambers
This is a big week when the tourist tax – which has been a focus of council administrations for so long inches nearer to reality. The special meeting on Friday will give councillors the first chance to debate the final draft before another special meeting the following week. The council is trying hard to be ready with their plans so that they can introduce the tax at the earliest opportunity.
Read about the final draft of the council’s plan to charge a 5% tourist tax here.
Monday, 13th January, 2025 – no meetings
Tuesday, 14th January, 2025
- 9.30 am Additional Meeting, Licensing Sub-Committee – Dean of Guild Court Room – City Chambers
Wednesday, 15th January, 2025
- 9.30 am Planning Local Review Body (Panel 2) – Dean of Guild Court Room – City Chambers
Thursday, 16th January, 2025
- 10.00 am Finance and Resources Committee – Dean of Guild Court Room – City Chambers
Friday, 17th January, 2025
- 10.00 am Special Meeting – Visitor Levy, Policy and Sustainability Committee – Dean of Guild Court Room – City Chambers
£eith Chooses
Voting Day is on Saturday 18 January 2025. People eligible to vote are invited along to the Leith Community Centre in the Kirkgate, meet all the project applicants in person and learn about the projects, and then cast their votes on the day.
It is a fun and sociable event. All are welcome with free refreshments available. For children there is free face painting and a ‘smoothie bike’.
Go along at 11am if you need / prefer a crowd-free ‘quiet’ voting experience. Otherwise, public voting opens at noon until 3 pm.
Online Voting
After the live voting day, there will be a further 2 weeks of online voting from 20 January – 3 February. For anyone who does not manage to get to the in-person day at the Community Centre, it is possible to vote online. And for those who do vote at the Community Centre, they can ALSO vote once online.
Everyone 8 years or older who lives, works, volunteers or attends school or college in Leith is eligible to vote.
Who to vote for?
You can find the list of 23 projects here, if you have time to browse through them and learn more before voting.
One of last year’s successful applicants is having an exhibition of their work later this week. See more below about ELREC’s weaving workshops.
Edinburgh Food Social
Both today and next Monday there are Essential Skills courses run by the Edinburgh Food Social for people living in Craigmillar and Niddrie to learn about cooking – and then enjoy eating together. Learn how to prepare simple nutritious recipes using local ingredients.
Sign up at www.edinburghfoodsocial.org
Job at Filmhouse Edinburgh
The Filmhouse is getting ready to reopen and there are some jobs already on offer.
The latest is for a Learning and Engagement Officer.
The Learning & Engagement Officer is a creative and administrative role responsible for planning and delivering Filmhouse’s objectives around formal education initiatives and informal learning activities. Filmhouse aims to ensure the widest access to film education for people of all ages and from all backgrounds; and to use its position as a knowledge hub and delivery infrastructure to support and add value to Edinburgh’s wider screen education ecosystem. The outlook for screen education in Scotland is as strong as it has ever been due to the recent decision to include this field in the Curriculum for Excellence schools curriculum. Reporting to the Programme Director, the Learning & Engagement Officer will lead on developing Filmhouse’s role in the context of that strategic national shift.
Apply here – deadline 31 January 2025
The Conscious Weaving Project
A spokesperson for Edinburgh and Lothian Racial Equality Council (ELREC) invites everyone to St Margaret’s House this Friday to see wha their weavers have produced. The spokesperson said: “Come to see the work results and shared experiences of our weaving workshops participants! We have been running community weaving workshops in Leith with the aim of supporting community building with positive impact on mental health and wellbeing.
“The exhibition is celebrating the end of ‘The Conscious Weaving’ project funded by community voting programme £eith Chooses 2024. We want to show the importance of free art community project and share healing impacts of weaving art practice.
“Come to see us and the participants on the opening night on 17th of January (Friday) at 6pm at St Margarets House”
Address: Gallery Two, St Margarets House, Gallery 2, 151 London Rd, Edinburgh EH7 6AE
Date: 17-25 January 2025
Opening Event: 17 January, 6pm-8pm
St Margaret’s House opening hours:
Monday to Friday 9am-9pm
Saturday 9am-6pm
Sunday 12pm-5pm