Dear All,

Our Council-funded local Porty Community Police Officers, PC Matthew McPherson and PC David Lovie, will be available to consult in Portobello Library this Friday 28 April at 1pm to discuss any issue of local concern.  Find out what Police Scotland have been doing to help us tackle crime and anti-social behaviour in the local area and get any crime prevention advice you might need.  Police Scotland are currently asking you to tell them your priorities here for the next few years here:  https://consult.scotland.police.uk/consultation/2026/

Portobello Amnesty Group are holding their coffee and cake morning with their brilliant book sale and bric-a-brac this Saturday 22 April from 10am to 12 noon in Portobello Baptist Church Hall, 189 Portobello High Street, Edinburgh EH14 1EU.  £1 entrance includes tea/coffee and biscuits.

In advance of the summer season, community volunteer-run tennis facility at Joppa Grove – Joppa Tennis Courts – have their Open Day on Sunday 7 May from 1.30 pm – 5 pm  at the courts. There will be coaching as follows:1.30pm -2.00pm beginners coaching (recommend ages 6 years-10 years); 2.15pm – 2.45pm intermediate coaching (recommend ages 8 years to 12 years) and 3pm – 3.30pm advanced coaching (recommend ages 10 years to 15 years).  At 3.30 pm- 4pm fastest serve competition. From 4pm – 5pm adults free play. After last year’s success they are repeating the grassy area challenges. From 1.45pm – 3.30pm – a set of fun, simple coordination challenges to do in pairs. Parents and friends can try and score as many points as possible to win a prize. Refreshments will also be available.

Portobello Running Club’s Annual Beach Race has been going since 2013 and increasing in popularity every year and this year it’s on June 11, so time to start enter and start training. This year they are raising money for Richmond’s Hope, born and based in Craigmillar, a wonderful charity dedicated to the support of bereaved families. Learn more about Richmond’s Hope here http://www.richmondshope.org.uk/.The Portobello Kids’ Fun Run will start at 9.30 am and the Adult Beach Race at 10am on Sunday 11 June. Sign up here: https://www.portobellorunners.co.uk/porty-beach-race-2016/kids-fun-run/

And https://www.portobellorunners.co.uk/porty-beach-race-2016/adult-beach-race/

The Equalities and Rights Network (EaRN) and the Council have organised a survey about transport for older people and people with disabilities. This will help the Council to gather feedback for the Equality and Rights Impact Assessment (ERIA) of external transport providers. If you are a supported accessible transport user, please do respond or you know someone who does use accessible, supported transport, do pass the survey for them to respond. You can access the survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/Q8QYGXB  Good to see ho older people’s view of public transport has been boosted by free travel:  http://www.scotsman.com/news/transport/free-bus-pass-transforms-older-scots-travel-happiness-1-4413826  Long may it continue!

This survey is about alcohol and takes only a couple of minutes to do.  I know, because I have done it. The survey was created by a partnership between a fab voluntary organisation, based in Leith – People Know How –  the City of Edinburgh Council and NHS Lothian. Your responses are completely anonymous and the results will be used to inform planning around alcohol related issues in Edinburgh.  Your answers could have a real impact. Click here:  https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/alcoholinourcommunityedinburgh

The Thistle Foundation (lovely place, based in Craigmillar) are hosting an event called ‘Chi in the Park’ on Wednesday 28 June in Princes Street Gardens. This will be a mass Tai Chi event led by their wonderful volunteer Margaret. Thistle has never done anything on this scale before so they are hoping to have hundreds of people there trying out Tai Chi and aim to raise £50k in sponsorship to support the charity’s amazing health and wellbeing work.  The event will start at 11am and last 2 hours and people are free to drop in and out as they please. The date is in my diary!  I was afraid they were going to ask me to do the sponsored abseil from the Forth Rail Bridge (no, not again!) or climb Ben Nevis – but this sounds a lot less stressful!

Portobello Heritage Trust had its AGM and talk on Monday evening and it was really interesting to hear about Portobello’s forgotten pottery – Rosebank Pottery – which was once where the Powerleague pitches are now, the Open Air Poll was,  and part of the town’s industrial past.  Nothing seems to have survived of it, or its pottery, possibly as it was everyday ware and left unmarked.

Number 12 of these fantastic images from across Scotland is of people enjoying Portobello Beach in the 1890s:  http://www.scotsman.com/news/16-amazing-colourised-images-of-scotland-in-the-1890s-1-4186787

Art Walk Porty will be back this year from 1-10 September, over two weekends this year, and they will be announcing more information soon and how to apply.

There has been a  lot of talk this week about men and mental health. In that context, Men’s Sheds comes up time and again. Carr Gomm’s Craigmillar Men’s Shed project is a dedicated, friendly and welcoming meeting place for men to share skills, have a blether and work together on projects. Their Men’s Shed is open to all men living in the Craigmillar area. Men’s Sheds are designed to improve health and well-being by providing the chance to work on shared goals with like minded people.  More here: http://www.carrgomm.org/our-services/communities/menssheds/communitygrowing

Spring has sprung in Fresh Start’s Craigmillar growing space and they are busy planting for the year ahead. If you would like to volunteer to help Fresh Start grow fresh produce, please contact beth@freshstartweb.org.uk

Connecting Craigmillar is about supporting local people to turn any ideas, interests and passions into a reality and bring local people together. This could be anything from a weekly social, cake and chat, arts and crafts to local history and heritage. Please feel free to share and get in touch if you would like to create new opportunities for people to come together. For more information, contact Dani Waddell by phone on 07909 257 415 or email dani.waddell@thistle.org.uk or Facebook @ConnectingCraigmillar

Tomorrow I will be at a very long Council planning development management sub-committee meeting.  One of the agenda items, on which there will be a Hearing, is this one, called ‘New Brunstane’ by the applicants:  http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/politics/plans-for-new-homes-in-brunstane-recommended-for-approval-1-4418411. I took a view against the principle of the proposal in the early stages, and through the Edinburgh Local Development Plan process which went to the Scottish Government Reporter and is now adopted.  As I have stated a public view,  I will not be able to take part in the decision, but I will – I hope – get a chance to speak to the committee as a Local Councillor for about 5 minutes. The Edinburgh Local Development Plan is now adopted, and hard copies can be viewed in our local libraries.  If you would like your own copy, it will set you back £25 (cash or cheque) at the planning front desk at Waverley Court. This is the key document on which all planning decisions in Edinburgh – Portobello included – must be based.   

I hope to see you, around and about, over the next week.  Please do stop and chat about the local things that matter to you!

Best wises

Maureen