• Portobello Community Council
  • c/o 14 Rosefield Avenue
  • Portobello
  • EH15 1AU
 

Maureen Child Update 20 December 2017

Posted on: December 20th, 2017

Dear All

 

Local people know best what’s needed in their community. For the 3rd time Portobello & Craigmillar Neighbourhood Partnership are giving local people the power to decide how our £21,737 of Community Grants will be spent.  You have until 27 December to apply! https://www.edinburghnp.org.uk/neighbourhood-partnerships/portobello-and-craigmillar/about/you-decide!/  So, there are only a couple of days left for you to contact Ailish or Scott for guidance about your potential project to check/ensure that your proposal meets the Community Grants Fund criteria.  Their email address is Ailish Haughney ailish.haughney@edinburgh.gov.uk or Scott Neill scott.neill@edinburgh.gov.uk  0131 469 5326. All applications that meet the Community Grants Fund criteria and are approved will go to the community to vote on 3 February 2018.  Each project will have to complete a promotional template (an example will be provided on the web site next week).  This will be used in the new year to promote your project to the wider community in libraries and community centres.

 

Foodbanks in Edinburgh are welcoming donations this Christmas to help those in need during the festive season. Here are some of the key drop-off points where you can donate non-perishable food, toiletries and household items. Includes Craigmillar Centre, Bristo Memorial Church, 196 Peffermill Road, EH16 4AJ and  Marks & Spencer Fort Kinnaird, Fort Kinnaird Retail Park, EH15 3RD. https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/our-region/edinburgh/where-you-can-drop-off-foodbank-donations-in-edinburgh-this-christmas-1-4642312/amp?__twitter_impression=true

 

A reminder that the deadline for comment on the preferred site for our new Castlebrae Community High School is only two days away. The Education, Children and Families Committee agreed on 10 October that a statutory consultation should proceed on the proposal to provide a new secondary school to replace Castlebrae High School on the site identified in Craigmillar Town Centre.  The original masterplan for the regeneration of the Craigmillar area showed the site for a new secondary school and community library in the Craigmillar town centre.  The rationale for relocating the school is to: a) give it a more prominent location in Craigmillar;  b) endeavour to make it a more popular choice for its catchment population; and c) be a significant contributor to the regeneration of the town centre.   Click here to respond today: https://consultationhub.edinburgh.gov.uk/cf/replacementcastlebrae/

 

I was delighted to be invited once again to read one of the lessons last Sunday at The Robin Chapel, Craigmillar.  I got to read the passage about Herod and the Wise Men.  People later said I got Herod ‘to a T’.  Any guesses who I might have had in mind there?  (-; 

 

The Council operates a priority system for the treatment of roads, pavements and cycle paths within the city boundary.  Here is more detail:  http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/info/20227/gritting_and_salt_bins/1139/priority_system_for_winter_gritting_routes

 

A mix up about whether or not the Council would actually put up a real Christmas tree was the only thing to – very slightly – mar the start of the fabulous Community switch on event, organised by Craigmillar Community Council, Neighbourhood Alliance and the Local Neighbourhood Council team.  Choirs of children from three of our Craigmillar primary schools came together, in great voice, to sing ‘Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer’ – judged the very best the two lighting engineers had heard that week! Santa was there with gifts for every child and our Local Hero champion boxer Jason Easton’s really wowed the kids and performed the official switch-on of the lights on three of the street trees right outside.  Everyone had a great time, including this local Councillor, who had to miss the mince pies go early to do other Granny-type duties. https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/council-slammed-over-missing-xmas-tree-at-craigmillar-switch-on-1-4633926

 

If you have a Monday refuse collection day, you need to put bins out on the Saturday before, as the next two Mondays are public holidays, believe it or not. Can’t think why….See here: http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/festivedates

 

Action Porty was delighted to recently announce that they have been awarded £12,000 by the Scottish Government under their Making Places initiative. This funding will contribute to a community-led design process they aim to use to ensure that whatever happens on Portobello’s Westbank/Pitz site takes its lead from the community. More here:  

https://www.bellfield.scot/community-led-design-for-westbank-pitz/

 

And here’s another consultation to take part in with a longer lead I time than those above.  

https://consultationhub.edinburgh.gov.uk/sfc/edinburgh-playing-out-pilot-evaluation/

 

Tribe Porty, Windsor Place, are one of the seven winning community organisations set to benefit from the latest £140k of Skills & Opportunities funding. More here: http://rbs-skillsops.cmail20.com/t/ViewEmail/y/6EBD58589CEF53F6/54D700B47FD0E755E663AB054A538FBA

Specifically, this funding will allow Tribe Porty to create and implement their Women in Enterprise course which they will pilot in 2018.  The Women in Enterprise pilot is about designing a specific programme for women, by women and creating a community in the process. Tribe Porty has a strong network of existing women in business already and look forward to collaborating and learning with other women experts in their fields. Want to get involved? Goto: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf1rWbgSEpLTxi55QTtOlVmiFhyvvl2DFv8SBsdFsSMxX2OYA/viewform

 

Paul Gardner and his merry bunch of Dookers will be braving the chilly waters of Portobello Beach on January 1st! Meet up point will be The Espy on Portobello Promenade (at the bottom of Bath Street) between 11–11:30am.  Tea, coffees and toilet facilities will be provided by Espy on the day, children and dogs are welcome too! Dooking starts at 12 noon on 1st January – sponsorship forms are available from Gail Begg if anyone would like to join in the fun!  If you don’t want to get your feet wet, come along and cheer on our team of around 12 who are braving the freezing cold sea! You can give to Paul and his team by donating on his page www.justgiving.com/fundraising/paulg1965

 

And that’s all for now, folks.  I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

 

Kind regards

 

Maureen

 

 

Councillor Maureen Child | Labour Elected Member | Portobello/Craigmillar (Ward 17) | The City of Edinburgh Council | City Chambers | High Street | Edinburgh | EH1 1YJ | Tel 0131 529 3268 | Mobile 07718 666 481 |  Twitter @MaureenChild1 | Facebook Maureen Child for Portobello/Craigmillar