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

Maureen Child Update 15 November 2019

Posted on: November 15th, 2019

Dear All

 

Craigmillar Book Festival has a jam packed programme for this tomorrow- Saturday 16 November. There will be activities for children of all ages, including: • Babies and Toddlers Rhymetime and playtime (Rhymetime 11am – 11.30am, playtime until 3pm) • The return of explorer Geoff Grant! • Meet wild creatures with Zoo Lab (starts at 1pm, but spaces are limited so come early to reserve yours!) • Bodypaint tattoos • Minibeast making • Doctor Book: find out what you need to read • Arts and crafts • Storytelling & dressing up.

Bring your lunch and join in the picnic!  More about the Festival here: http://craigmillar.org.uk.gridhosted.co.uk/craigmillar-book-festival/

 

Portobello Timebank’s litter clearance group’s next clean up is tomorrow, Saturday 16 November from 1.30pm to 3.30pm in central Magdalene Glen Park. There will be something for all – big items, small items, path-side litter and river wading (waders available!). It looks like a big improvement in the overall level of litter compared to last year, but we need to maintain community efforts to ensure this continues. The base will be at the playground in the centre of Magdalene Glen, so this will be a particularly family friendly event. Post clean-up cake and hot drink are provided!

 

Friends of Figgate Park closed their online survey once they reached their target – 1000 respondents. Thanks to everyone who responded and for all the comments and feedback.  It showed a huge community spirit and overwhelming affection for the Figgate Park with 98.7% support an upgrade to the Figgate Playpark.  A paper pupil survey with the support of Duddingston, Royal High and St Johns Primary Schools canvassed the opinions of 800 local school children. FoFP now have some hugely helpful information, crucial in supporting their applications to potential funders. A very big THANK YOU! to Duddingston Afterschool Kidzcare Club for their generous donation this week. They held a Tombola and raised £144 for the Playpark Appeal.  You can contribute too here: https://localgiving.org/appeal/figgateplaypark/

 

As I said last week, Rachael Cloughton, Andrew Crummy, Johnni Stanton and I have formed a new charity called "Craigmillar Now". We have applied as a single tier SCIO through OSCR.  Our key aims are to re-open the former Craigmillar Community Arts building at 58 Newcraighall Road; re-home the local archives in the building and develop and deliver a new arts programme. The building is now empty and the owner, the Scottish Episcopal Church, is seriously considering our proposal, which we hear has been approved by both their Property and Finance Committees. If we do get the go-ahead, and can agree the terms of a lease, we intend to launch Craigmillar Now next year leading a 100 year celebration across ‘Greater Craigmillar’. Our plans include a visual arts programme developed with organisations in Craigmillar which support young people; a collaboration with artists who have worked in the area before; and a heritage project developed with Historic Environment Scotland which will involve training and supporting community volunteers to be caretakers of the local archives. We were hugely grateful to have the full support of Craigmillar Community Council at their meeting on Tuesday evening this week.

 

Tribe Porty’s latest newsletter was published this week and is well worth signing up for getting regularly by email. See here: https://tribeporty.org/?mc_cid=aa8a09724d&mc_eid=62b21fe89d

 

A Community Energy Project is being explored at a meeting in Bellfield Hall on 8 December 2pm -4.30pm.  Come along for tea and mince pies in a friendly, informal meeting to find out more about our local energy options and add your ideas for what our first local project should be. Book a place in advance Eventbrite or just turn up on the day:  https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/power-to-the-people-of-porty-tickets-78637309309

 

Environmental social enterprise, Changeworks want to hear from anyone who owns or is working for a food and drink business in Portobello or Joppa. They want to hear how your business deals with single-use items to help us work out how we can help reduce the amount of waste on our beaches. Fill out our survey and you could win a £30 voucher in their prize draw! https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/PortobelloBusiness

 

Meal Makers is a great service providing food and friendship for people who feel isolated.  More here: https://mealmakers.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=fb6ed8319780de59464ff8375&id=ddb7856c94&e=e9e639f049

 

I had an email this week querying what actually happened to the food waste.  It looked like it was just being emptied into a general waste bin. Actually, food waste from your caddies is always recycled. The waste collectors often use ordinary wheeled bins just to collect food waste contents together and make their trips more efficient. The bins are carried on the food waste vehicles and deployed when the crew reach their route. Rather than move from collection point to vehicle and then back again with each caddy, the crew can simply walk the route collecting the food caddy contents via the wheeled bin as they go.  It’s just a lot more efficient.  

 

A couple of people have told me they didn’t get their new pink stickers for garden waste bins delivered, even though they had signed up for 2019/2020.  Very annoying!  If this happened to you, please do let me know and we’ll get it sorted ASAP.

 

Great to see that The Boathouse bistro at King’s Place is celebrating Polish culture this weekend with an authentic Polish menu, music and drinks. The Boathouse want to recognise and celebrate all of our Polish friends and also give others the opportunity to learn a little more about Polish food.  Good for them! Website here: https://www.google.com/search?q=boathouse%20restaurant%20portobello

 

Some of Edinburgh’s most popular musicians will be performing for Freedom from Torture on Friday 6  December at an ‘All I Want for Christmas Cabaret ‘in Portobello. Raffle prizes include two three night breaks in beautiful locations in the Borders and Fife. There will be a cash bar and refreshments. Children over 14 only. Tickets , £10, on Eventbrite or on the door, link  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/all-i-want-for-christmas-cabaret-tickets-74822775937

 

See inside the Portobello kilns this weekend with ArtWalk Porty!  https://mailchi.mp/6f260ad98961/the-decorators

 

That’s all for now.  Do let me know if you want ‘updated’ on anything else. I should be able to update you on Brighton Place and on Portobello Town Hall next Friday.

 

Best wishes for a good 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