Dear All

I dropped in, alongside with hundreds of others, to the annual Volunteer Edinburgh Recruitment Fair 2017 this week and what a buzz there was!  Our lives in Edinburgh are enriched and supported by a wealth of formal and informal voluntary activity which benefit the volunteers as much as those individuals and groups, places and spaces on the receiving end.  Glenn Liddle of the four year has learning charity ‘People Know How’ spoke to Councillors at their pause for reflection before Full Council Meeting this week.  More here: http://peopleknowhow.org/

Furthermore, at the Council first Culture and Communities Committee there was a similar message form volunteers who helped welcome visitors to the City, one of them a Portobello resident Moira Berry who led one of the teams of volunteers.  The benefits go well beyond the valuable activity itself and can be life-changing for volunteers.  Watch here at Item 7.1:  https://edinburgh.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/294013

Another great organisation making a difference to people’s lives is Local Opportunites for Older People (LOOPS) addressing  the needs of older people at a time in their lives they might get more and more isolated.  Their phone line is open Monday – Friday, 10am-4pm. Call 0131 603 8311 for information on activities for older people in Edinburgh. More about them here:. https://loopsphoneline.org.uk/

Come along to Craigmillar Library on Friday ((tomorrow) for a cinema yurt experience from 2pm until 9pm, thanks to the recently organised local Craigmillar cinema club.

Thanks to funding from Scottish Landfill Communities Fund and City of Edinburgh Council,  Edinburgh and Lothian Greenspace Trust (ELGT) have transformed the play park at Newcraighall. With help from the local community, ELGT established what new play equipment would make an immediate and visible improvement, which will in addition serve as a catalyst for subsequent activities. The original equipment was built in 1994 and fell below a good play value score due to its age and condition. The new play equipment includes new swings and play units which cater for a range of ages. New seating has been installed in the play area. There is a new surface with rubber pathways to aid access. 

On Friday 6 October, there is a fundraising Concert in aid of Richmond’s Hope and Sands Lothian at Richmond Craigmillar Church 227-229 Niddrie Mains Road EH16 4PA. Tickets still available.  Doors open at 6.30pm and the concert starts at 7.30pm.  Ticket prices are £10 for adults and £2 for a child.  You can book ahead through Sands Lothian on 0131 622 6236 or Richmond’s Hope on 0131 661 6818. 

A couple of weeks ago, I went to Sandy’s Community Centre open day and met two young men setting up their social enterprise there.  Edinburgh Fitness Solutions personal training gym is looking great and it’s wonderful to know it is getting busy, bringing a whole new energy into the Centre.  One of the guys trains Jason Easton, a locally raised and nurtured young boxer who is now so well as a professional boxer.  The guys will also be supporting Craigmillar Boxing Club in their fitness training.  This is a fantastic addition to the area.

Beach-lovers come Forth: Participants are wanted for The Shoreline community interviews!

http://www.portobellocc.org/pccpn/2017/09/19/community-visions-for-the-edinburgh-shoreline-by-2050/

An amazing 60 people took part in the Beach Clean up last Sunday and a time lapse of part of that effort has been put on Scoular media for all to see by Laurence Winram.  Very well done and a big THANK YOU to everybody on their efforts! Watch Laurence’s fab time lapse here: 

https://vimeo.com/234420945?ref=fb-share&1

Any artists or photographers looking for exhibition space might want to have a chat with Bob Giulianotti at The White House Kitchen a fabulous community hub and cafe at 70 Niddrie Mains Road Edinburgh EH16 4BG. Telephone 0131 468 1934.

Here is a timely reminder about bogus workmen and the necessity for us all to work together in the community in partnership with the police –  to keep each other safe. http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/opinion/chief-inspector-kevin-mclean-beware-of-those-bogus-workmen-1-4564112

You might find something of interest in the latest Edinburgh by Numbers packed with facts about our city. It highlights that Edinburgh has the highest satisfaction rates with public transport among other Scottish cities at 89% as well as figures on Edinburgh’s growing population. Link is here: http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/info/20247/edinburgh_by_numbers

It’s Edinburgh Doors Open Day is this weekend and one for everyone’s local and city wide list is the award-winning Centre for Wellbeing, part of the Thistle Foundation at Craigmillar.  There will be tours and talks along with taster session and I expect Margaret will be there leading a taster Tai Chi session, which is a central part of the support services on offer. The centre has supported an amazing 18,000 people with long term health conditions in its first year.  That’s Centre for Wellbeing 13 Queen’s Walk EH16 4EA 23 September (on day only) 10am to 4pm. Another one should be the Ramp House in Bellfield Lane, of course!

Portobello Rotary Club are opening their doors too If you want to know about a local service club for community volunteers, or make new friends, or help with local projects or just find out a bit more about Rotary, come to the King’s Manor Hotel on Wednesday 11 October, 6.15pm for 6.30pm for a communal meal and chat.

Thistle are having another Music Night on Wednesday 27 September, 7pm-9pm.  This is a free community event for anyone over 16. The first one was a success and great fun had by all. Dani Waddell, Connecting Craigmillar Development Worker ( Link Up) Thistle Foundation Tel: 0131 661 3366

Please do join Friends of Figgate Park on Sunday 24 September 9.30am-11.30am for some clean up and conservation fun. As well as the usual clean up, there will be lots of conservation and gardening tasks.  The Friends are being joined by around 40 conservation volunteers from Edinburgh University. They will be helping us out with the Fruity Corner, Willow Structures and Wildlife Borders. There will be plenty of tasks to go round! Meet us at the notice board near the pond or head over to the Fruity Corner. We will start both clean up and conservation tasks at 9.30am.The conservation tasks will continue until early afternoon. 

Lastly, for those of us who live on or near the setted streets which are so much a part of the historic fabric of our city – a consultation to take part in : https://planningedinburgh.com/2017/09/15/strategy-for-setted-streets/amp/