Dear All
Tribe Porty Makers’ Market is this Saturday – tomorrow – 8 December 1pm-5pm at 19 Windsor Place. More here: https://edinburgh.carpe-diem.events/calendar/6462114-tribe-porty-christmas-makers-market-at-tribe-porty/
It is lovely to see that Sandy’s Community Centre next week is now booked out for their Christmas lunch, live music and prize bingo for the over 65s. I’m sure they will all have a great time. Thanks to Karin Chipulina of Carr Gomm for leading on this great partnership working in this neck of the woods.
The first meeting of our city’s Poverty Commission was this week and I heard more for Co-Chair Cammy Day about how it will operate over the next year. Great to see the Thistle Foundation’s Diana Noel-Paton is one of the Commissioners alongside with people with lived experience of being in poverty. More here: http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/news/article/2591/first_meeting_of_edinburgh_s_poverty_commission
The following might sound exceedingly dry and dull process-y guff, but it does underpin a lot of good voluntary work in our communities! The current Scheme for Community Councils was approved by the City of Edinburgh Council in 2013. A number of areas have been identified where the current Scheme does not provide sufficient clarity or guidance. A formal review is therefore proposed in order to strengthen the community council governance and decision making framework by building upon the existing document. A final decision on whether to proceed to statutory consultation will be taken by Councillors in February 2019. Key stakeholders are asked to complete the questionnaire to help formulate proposals: https://consultationhub.edinburgh.gov.uk/ce/d19b4e28
While many of the rest of us try not to stress about rising to the inflated expectations of Christmas and New Year, Portobello resident Gica Loening will be going to Samos in Greece to work with Samos Volunteers and the refugee camp there. You can find out about this and the volunteer organisation here: https://samosvolunteers.org/ and there is a facebook page https://www.facebook.com/samosvolunteers/. Gica will be offering music-making activities – and will do whatever else is useful for a month, working at the Alpha Education Centre in a small town called Vathi. The camp is right next to it and thousands of people are living in flimsy tents on a steep hillside running down to the sea. There’s hardly any sanitation and not much food to go round. Just pause and think of that!
Portobello Street Fest on Thursday went fantastically well with lots of people enjoying all our High Street and Bellfield have to offer for. Greek Artisan Pastry to In House Design. Thanks to everyone who came together to organise it this, particularly my colleague Councillor Mary Campbell. Supporting all our amazing small local businesses is absolutely the right thing for all of us to do for our Portobello community, especially this Christmas. Brighton Place has reopened for these few weeks up to 7 January 2019, so let’s help all our local businesses make the most of it as well as the months and years ahead.
Judging from my email inbox, the refuse collection upheaval is settling down. I substituted for a colleague on the Committee this week and was able to hear first hand about the changes and how the service is coping following the major redesign. Thank you very much for letting me know about glitches during the last week. If you live in Portobello, the bad news is that the bin men are running behind schedule with their “narrow access route” due to a lack of the right size of vehicle yesterday. This narrow vehicle is needed for streets like Regent Street, Rosefields and Adelphis. The good news is that the crew are fully operational this morning.
As part of the fantastic Edinburgh Shoreline Project, wildlife seed sowing is this Sunday at Bellfield. Drop in between 2pm to 4pm to help grow plants from the Seafield shoreline. Volunteers have already planted rock rose, hazel, birds for trefoil, thrift and sea campion. This project is supported by the Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh and is under the banner of the Edinburgh Living Landscape Partnership.
A Winter Camp for young basketball players is on offer from our fabulous community club’ experienced coaches. It’s called ‘Bounce into 2019!’ and is based at Holyrood High School Saturday 5 January and Sunday 6 January mornings for primary school age kids. No prior basketball experience necessary. More here: http://www.cityofedinburghbasketball.net/camp/
Have a great weekend!
Maureen
Councillor Maureen Child
Labour Councillor Portobello/Craigmillar Ward
Office: 0131 529 3268
Mobile: 07718 666 481
Facebook Page: Maureen Child Standing Up for Portobello/Craigmillar
Twitter: @MaureenChild1
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