Dear All,

No update yet on the SGN Milton Road East major works – yet – this week, but our apologies that we were a little premature in celebrating the re-opening of the Edinburgh College campus bus stop.  Apparently, the ‘hood’ had not been removed on the bus stop flag by the time we told you it was open.  Michael Hymers of SGN and I do apologise for anyone who was inconvenienced – even more than you are now – and had to walk back from the next stop!  Someone did let me know and it was sorted ASAP.

The Council has invited youth work projects to apply for funding from a total pot of £60,000 in the latest participatory budgeting project in the Capital. The Communities and Families Youth Work Grant Programme allows groups to apply for grants of up to £10,000 each, to be spent on open-access, universal youth work that will benefit young people aged from 11 up to 25 in Edinburgh. The youth work can be locally-based or city-wide. Applications are now open and the deadline for submitting application packs is Friday 24 February at 3pm. More here: http://nen.press/2017/02/12/youth-decides-in-pb-project/

A Portobello High School pupil Callum Booth-Lewis is creating a short documentary film about the new building for his Higher Media production unit. It will explain the details and reasons behind the new building to people in the wider Portobello community, including the views of pupils, staff and local residents. In preparation for this, he is gathering the opinions of his audience through a short survey. He would be grateful if you could complete it honestly, whatever your opinion of the new school is. Click and fill in here: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/53WJQPQ

I find a lot to celebrate in this – Happy Birthday, Dads Rock! Link:  http://www.leithopenspace.co.uk/community-news/dads-rock-five-years-old-and-counting/

The garden waste collection is changing as we get into Spring:  http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/info/20225/bin_collection_days/1529/garden_waste

Work to install signs and lines advertising the new 20mph limits is progressing ahead of the next phase coming into force on 28 February 2017.  Phase Two is the largest construction phase as can be seen on the map (comprising Area 2 – North and Area 3 – South Central/East). 

The inaugural meeting of Craigmillar Community Council is on Tuesday 21 February at 7pm in the White House, 77 Niddrie Mains Road, EH16 4BG 

Portobello/Craigmillar Neighbourhood Partnership is meeting on Wednesday 22 February at 6.30 pm.  Agenda and full papers here:  http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/meetings/meeting/4129/portobello_and_craigmillar_neighbourhood_partnership#minutesDateSearchWidget  More about Neighbourhood Partnership here: http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/info/20133/community_planning/917/neighbourhood_partnerships

At one of our local neighbourhood partnership sub-group meetings, Kieran Ronnie community engagement coordinator Multiplex Construction Europe Ltd who are building the new Sick Kids Hospital told us they are opening their construction site to members of the public who may want to know more about the construction industry or maybe students looking to experience a live construction site? They are offering visits to the new Sick Kids Hospital site at Little France on 31 March and 1 April. There will be a presentation on the project and a guided tour of the site. You must book in advance on the this link: http://opendoors.construction/site/429

It is very welcome news that The Portobello Reporter (founded June 1980) will be back on the streets in March. Following their last publication in September 2016 announcing the community newspaper’s demise, they had a great response from the community and now have a enough new volunteers to help produce the paper. Thanks to everyone for their offers of help support and encouragement!

Everyone is invited to Craigentinny/Telferton Allotments Pop-Up Cafe on Saturday 25 February from 4.30pm to 7.30pm in Wilson Memorial Church, 127 Moira Terrace, Portobello Road.  This is a community engagement event, where you are welcome to exchange your thoughts as well as enjoy some food.  See the link for further details: https://www.facebook.com/events/199133103892872/

Congratulations to locally based social enterprise, Breadshare who is a finalist in this year’s Scottish SME Business Awards to be held in Glasgow 17 March. pic.twitter.com/TVPFPkohk3

If you are affected by cancer and have questions about money, the Edinburgh Welfare Rights Partnership will have an adviser available at a drop-in advice session at Craigmillar Library every second Thursday starting tomorrow morning.  That is 11am to 1pm on Thursdays: 16 February; 2 and 16 March;  6 and 20  April; 4 and 18 May.

Also tomorrow – the Thistle Centre for Wellbeing is having a Nutrition Pop-Up on Thursday 16 February, 12-2pm. Come along for friendly, simple tips on healthier eating and improving your nutrition!  There will be others in future I am sure and you are welcome to pop in any time to see what they do.

Tickets are on sale now for Portobello and Joppa Church Drama Group production of ‘Tinsel’ a 1930s musical running from Wednesday 22 March to Saturday 26 March in the Church Hall.  Tickets cost £10 for adults; £5 for children..  Email anne.mckerchar@gmail.com to book or phone 0131 669 3123.

Edinburgh and Lothians Greenspace Trust (ELGT) are continuing their series of events in Craigmillar Castle Park for all to enjoy.

• Woodland Workshop, Friday 24th Feb, 2pm to 4pm Meet like minded people and help  look after your local woodland. Tasks can range from tree pruning to footpath maintenance.
• What A Hoot!, Saturday 4th March, 1.30pm-3.30pm Owl magic’s famous display team will be bringing along a selection of owls to the park. Booking required.
• A Walk in the Park, Wednesday 15th March, 2pm to 4pm Guided walk through the park.
• Time for a Spring Clean, Saturday 25th March, 1pm to 3pm Help give your local park a spring clean with other members of the community.

All Craigmillar Castle Park events can be found on facebook; for booking and more information, do email: ben@elt.org.uk

Portobello Timebank have organised some up-coming events for the first weekend in March:

Saturday 4 March 1.30pm – 4pm – Litter clean along Magdalene Glen and Bingham.  The meeting point is half way along Magdalene Glen, at a cycle path junction that leads up to Magdalene Gardens. Area to be covered is Magdalene Glen and potentially Bingham park if they have enough people. They have contacted the council and hope to get at least two of their skips, as well as clean up kits etc   This is in advance of the playpark being built in Magdalene Glen, which will be completed a few weeks after the clean up. They have registered this on Keep Scotland Beautiful and Keep Britain Tidy (they are having a special weekend on that weekend). Portobello Timebank literally cannot have too many people for this event as it is a big area. Typically PortobelloTimebank tries to provide tea and cakes too!

Sunday 5 March 2-4pm – Gardeners’ Question Time – Porty Wash House, 3 Adelphi Place. Whatever your gardening challenges for 2017 may be, you’re bound to benefit from a face-to-face session with our amazing panel. They have gathered together the cream of local gardening expertise, headed up by lifelong horticulturalist George Anderson of ‘Beechgrove Garden’ fame. With him are garden designer Becca Duncan from Blossoming Gardens, Inveresk; Peter J Wright MBE, recently retired chairman of The Federation of Edinburgh and District Allotments and Garden Association; RHS Britain in Bloom Community Champion Dr Stan da Prato from East Lothian Ticket price £5 (accompanied children, free) includes refreshments, free seed swap, raffle and opportunity to  buy local homemade crafts, preserves and cakes. Tickets available from the Portobello stores Earthy, Porty Hardware and the Velvet Easel and online at EventBrite https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/gardeners-question-time-tickets-31594083755?utm_term=eventurl_text

I hope you have a lovely weekend when it comes.

Best wishes

Maureen