Dear All
Covid-19 has changed all our lives – immensely, and abruptly. The past few months have been incredibly tough for us all, and some much more than others. There is still huge uncertainty about the future. Please do read the short introduction and complete this short questionnaire at www.edinburgh.gov.uk/budget by Thursday 10 December.
News this week that the Council’s carbon emissions have reduced substantially. More here: https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/news/article/13017/council-beats-its-own-emission-targets-a-year-ahead-of-schedule. But there is still much more to do. Click here: https://www.edinburghclimate.org.uk/
This week’s Transport and Environment Committee took eight hours and discussed quite a few important issues. We will discuss these matters all over again, at length no doubt, at next week’s full Council Meeting. For example this one:
https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/news/article/13021/refining-and-expanding-upon-edinburgh-s-spaces-for-people-initiatives. Brunstane Road and Coillesdene ‘Joppa Triangle’ is another one for extensive local discussion with a report coming to the Committee in January: https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/politics/through-traffic-ban-busy-route-between-portobello-and-joppa-3033789.
I have only just forced myself to listen back to David Calder’s 187th Porty Podcast last week entitled ‘Tragedy on the Roads’ with me talking about active travel and safety. It will answer some of the emails I have been avoiding, I think, and those I will no doubt be getting in the coming weeks and months. My sadness, anger and frustration is still there, maybe a little less raw this week. Click here and listen, if you dare : https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYnV6enNwcm91dC5jb20vNzE2MjIucnNz/episode/QnV6enNwcm91dC02MjUyNTQ3?hl=en-GB&ved=2ahUKEwjujdzLof_sAhWSbsAKHYLRApkQjrkEegQICxAN&ep=6
Meantime, Community Renewal, working alongside the communities of Bingham and Magdalene, have set out their determination to make a further impact on local people’s lives and prospects. Click here: https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/health/radical-approach-lift-entire-edinburgh-neighbourhood-out-poverty-five-years-3026820. More about Community Renewal’s great work here: https://www.communityrenewal.org.uk/work-with-us/neighbourhoods/neighbourhoodsgreater-craigmillar/
Everyone’s health and well-being have never been more obviously the most important of issues and one on which a very large proportion of our human and financial resources are devoted and depend. Do join a conversation about the future of health and social care in Edinburgh here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/your-health-your-care-your-future-tickets-125151303919
It was good to actually meet up face-to-face recently with local Craigmillar artist Gus Meechan, Will Golding of Community Connecting and Vince Spicer whose substantive post is Deputy Head Teacher of Castlebrae. We met on Niddrie Mains Road to discuss the possibility of getting the community involved in composing a mural for the west-facing hoarding at the new Castlebrae Community Campus. So watch this space!
This week, our new local arts charity Craigmillar Now took over the former Scottish Episcopal Church building at Newcraighall Road and is working with a range of partners to get the place properly cared for and sorted out. Some Craigmillar community archives, currently held at the Thistle, are being transferred there. The local chaplain for Fort Kinnaird will have a base there. Artist Nihad Al Turk, originally from Aleppo and very welcome in Craigmillar, will be our first artist in residence. The garden space is being cleared up thanks to a Community Payback team working to instructions from Karin Chipulina of Carr Gomm. This is another space to watch! Website here: https://craigmillarnow.com/
Meanwhile in Portobello, the closing date for ‘notes of interest’ in Portobello Town Hall close at the end of this month. At that point Council officers will begin to prepare a report for Committee. So far, the Portobello Central community bid is the only one I know of.
It’s great to see Thistle Centre for Well-being re-opening this month on 16 November albeit in a planned, pre-booked and reduced way as the COVID rules apply. Find out more about all the good they do here: https://www.thistle.org.uk/
Have a great weekend and stay safe!
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
p.s. To ‘Opt In’ to get my email weekly Ward Update, do just say so in reply to this email, with your name and home address.
p.p.s. If you email all four Portobello/Craigmillar Ward Councillors, the first to get to it will contact the appropriate officer(s) on behalf of us all.
Data Protection
To serve the interests of my constituents and to fulfil my role as an elected member, I need to collect, store, use, share and dispose of personal data. In doing so, I abide by the data protection principles set out in General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018. My privacy notice on the council website explains how I do this.
**********************************************************************
This email and files transmitted with it are confidential and are intended for the sole use of the individual or organisation to whom they are addressed.
If you have received this eMail in error please notify the sender immediately and delete it without using, copying, storing, forwarding or disclosing its contents to any other person.
The Council has endeavoured to scan this eMail message and attachments for computer viruses and will not be liable for any losses incurred by the recipient.
**********************************************************************