Dear All,

Nominations for the ‘renewed’ Craigmillar Community Council (CCC) are open until the absolute deadline next Monday 30 January at 4pm and I would encourage you to put your name forward, if you live in that area, if it matters to you, and if you feel you can make a positive contribution. You can be nominated by two of your neighbours or friends living locally, as long as they are registered to vote within CCC’s boundary. You might stand either as an individual or as a representative of a registered local interest group.  Nomination forms are available on the City of Edinburgh Council’s website at www.edinburgh.gov.uk/communitycouncils or directly from me as the Returning Officer.  Don’t hesitate get in touch ASAP if you have any questions!

Meanwhile, Portobello Community Council meets next Monday 30 January in Portobello Baptist Church Hall, 185 Portobello High Street at 7.30pm.  The agenda includes a report from the local police and planning applications such as the George Bingo (14 Bath Street) and the Baileyfield South development (Planning application 16/05898/FUL for 483 residential units Fishwives Causeway) and various reports on local activities and public consultations in the last couple of months. All are welcome to attend.

Coming up TOMORROW (Thursday) is a wonderful opportunity to hear Neil Finlay MSP talking about Justice for the Miners and put questions to him.  This is an open meeting in the Jewel Miners Club at 56 Duddingston Park South, EH15 3LJ from 7pm to 9pm.  Again – all of you are very welcome to attend.

A reminder of the Family Festival on Saturday 28 January, 10am-12pm, in Tribe Porty Windsor Place (the yellow door beside Earthy) and the Apple Wasail is on at the Community Orchard at Brunstane Road South is also this coming Saturday 28 January, 2-4pm. Details here: http://www.pedal-porty.org.uk/2017/01/wassail-5/ . Busy Saturday!

Find out more of what is going on with Porty Podcast.  There are new interviews waiting to go on line, which have been held up because of technical difficulties.  http://porty.org.uk/news/porty-podcast/  But these will soon get resolved – hopefully.  Meanwhile The Portobello Reporter will be back in March this year, which is the best news of all!

EVOC (Edinburgh Voluntary Organisations Council) are working with the People’s Health Trust to help deliver project funding for community organisations, and groups across Edinburgh. The People’s Health Trust’s aim is to create a society without health inequalities, by investing in people with great ideas to create fairer places to grow, live, work and learn.  EVOC want to support a local approach to tackling certain issues that affect the wellbeing of Edinburgh’s citizens. Often it is smaller, local organisations and groups that help to provide the services and activities that make a real impact on the quality of life of an individual. It is the wish of both organisations to empower citizens, and create the space for community projects to flourish.  More here: . http://www.evoc.org.uk/updates/active-communities-funding-campaign/

The library service has a great on-line resource to find funding. You can search through hundreds of Government, Lottery, charitable trust and other funds available on a European, national, regional and local basis. Suitable for charities, community groups, social enterprises and voluntary organisations. Click here: http://yourlibrary.edinburgh.gov.uk/edinburgh4community?platform=hootsuite

It was great to see an excellent charitable project, born at the very grassroots in Craigmillar, now taking root elsewhere in Scotland.  Richmond’s Hope children’s charity has now opened a service in Glasgow.  Coverage here: https://stv.tv/news/features/1378934-living-with-grief-bereavement-service-for-scots-children-launched/?utm_content=buffer52a04&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer  Echoing what one of our Craigmillar residents said on Facebook:  Well done, Richmond’s Hope! You have done an amazing job, supporting so many children and young people in Craigmillar/Niddrie for years now. The area in Richmond Church is so beautiful, and now even more children are going to be helped.  Fabulous news.  More about the project and how to donate here: www.richmondshope.org.uk

Craigmillar Castle Park Events in January and February

‘What’s That Tree?’ Friday 27 January, 2pm to 4pm. A fun and interesting workshop, looking at how to identify trees without their leaves.

‘Teas In The Park’ Wednesday 8 February, 11am to 1pm. Shake off those winter blues with a ramble in the woods.

‘Wild Art’ Monday 13 February 1pm to 3pm. A fun family event where we get creative using natural materials and make works of art in the woods.

‘Woodland Workshop’ Friday 24  February, 2pm to 4pm. Meet like minded people and help  look after your local woodland. Tasks can range from tree pruning to footpath maintenance. 

For more details on any of these events, visit www.elgt.org.uk or contact the office by email info@elgt.org.uk or phone 0131 445 4025.

I has bit of a pit-stop in the fabulous White House Kitchen in Craigmillar for lunch and met a few people out on their weekly group bike ride, some (I believe) from Portobello.  They were just finishing their coffee break.  I think they might have cycled up the hill from there and I later saw them cycling back down through the Magdalene Glen.  They may well have biked through the new park at Little France which has been put forward as a national case study as part of the Central Scotland Green Network. They are keen to find out from people in the area what they think of the project through a public survey https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/SBS8ZQL.  How about taking a look and filling it in?

From a resident in Brunstane Road on the SGN Milton Road East works and all that bother: “Thank you for the update on the road works. Despite all the disruption, we are relieved to have albeit a short period of respite from the constant flow of heavy, speeding traffic that travels back and forth on Brunstane Road. Compared to the delays, the danger, the damage to cars and the road rage, the upheaval of the recent road works are but nothing.”  When you are back driving through Brunstane Road – most of you going to and fro in the immediate local area – do be considerate of other users coming in the other direction and especially have some thought for the people who actually live there and want to go about their daily business in as much peace and calm as possible. Nobody should witness or be subjected to road rage – ever! 

Another update on progress from Mike Hymers of SGN: “Works at this location continue to progress well. We are in the process of reinstating our recently laid pipe in Milton Road East and have now started laying new pipe within Brunstane Road South. Works at the bridge continue with the construction of the over ground bypass (temporary above ground pipe) likely to be completed later this week. This allows us to abandon the section of pipe crossing the bridge and the installation of a new large diameter pipe. The bus stop currently closed outside the college will remain closed for the foreseeable future. The nearest city bound stop in operation is outside the Kings Manor hotel. We still have a number of major operations to carry out in this area but are satisfied with the progress made so far.”

The Friends of Figgate Park are embarking on a new project this year to establish a Community Fruit Garden ‘Fruity Corner’ and they wanted to see if anyone would like to get onboard at this early stage to help plan its layout and development. They have already secured some funding and they also have some exciting industrial sculptural planters made from recycled bits from the Craigentinny Train Depot on their way to the proposed site.  Would you like to be part of the steering group for this new project? Please email volunteer@figgatepark.org.uk if interested or even just a bit curious!!

Our Portobello community police officers, PCs Matt McPherson and David Love have had to issue a warning of fines after persistent breaches of the School Streets restrictions by some parents at Towerbank Primary School. The success of scheme requires everyone to stick to the rules. We would urge everyone to be responsible and help keep children safe.  Our two community cops have also been investigating who is responsible for all the graffiti in the area, as one of their local priorities local people have set for them, and they are helping clean it up too.  Phone them on 101 if you have any information or local issues to report.

Another survey for you to do, now, to help set the local improvement plan priorities for all the agencies working in our local area including NHS, Police and Council.  Click here:  North East Locality Improvement Plan Survey  or on the link at the foot of this email. 

Magdalene Glen Park improvement works will start on site on Monday 30 January and last for about 6 to 8 weeks.  There is bound to be some disruption to the path which runs from Duddingston Park South at Forth Sector to and from Brunstane and Musselburgh, but we are assured that alternative routes will be put in place.

There are elections coming up in early May and 16-18 year olds are now eligible to vote too.  You and yours can  apply to register to vote or to:

• update your name, address or other details on the electoral register
• change your voting preferences, e.g. to vote in person or by post
• change whether you’re on the open register

It usually takes less than 5 minutes. Click here:  https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote 

Just a thought from Edmund Burke on representative democracy in these troubled times.  As true today as it ever was, I feel. But remember it was always a ‘he’ in those far-flung days of November 1774.  Burke said: “Certainly, gentlemen, it ought to be the happiness and glory of a representative to live in the strictest union, the closest correspondence, and the most unreserved communication with his constituents. Their wishes ought to have great weight with him; their opinion, high respect; their business, unremitted attention. It is his duty to sacrifice his repose, his pleasures, his satisfactions, to theirs; and above all, ever, and in all cases, to prefer their interest to his own. But his unbiassed (sic) opinion, his mature judgment, his enlightened conscience, he ought not to sacrifice to you, to any man, or to any set of men living. These he does not derive from your pleasure; no, nor from the law and the constitution. They are a trust from Providence, for the abuse of which he is deeply answerable. Your representative owes you, not his industry only, but his judgment; and he betrays, instead of serving you, if he sacrifices it to your opinion.”  Full text here:  http://press-pubs.uchicago.edu/founders/documents/v1ch13s7.html

How can I possibly follow that? (-;

Happy Burns Night and enjoy the rest of your week!

Maureen