Archive for February, 2008
Here’s to spring and lots of ways to get involved in Leith. There’s digging to do in the Persevere Community Garden (see Perseverence Pays Off). There’s positive progress in the campaign for Leith Museum. And there’s a chance to get involved in politics at all levels. If you are interested in finding out what makes politicians tick why not take part in the Opening Doors shadow scheme. Leith Open Space would love to hear from you: just click on Opening Doors Again to find out more.
February 28th, 2008
Question: What was the best thing about the scheme?
Answer: “The scheme opens politics to ordinary people who would never otherwise come close to it. ” Opening Doors feedback form, 2007.
That was just one response. Altogether, feedback was so positive we are planning to run a second phase of the Opening Doors shadow scheme starting in May this year and we would love to hear what you want to learn about politics.
One of the Opening Doors activities: a visit to the Scottish Parliament with Malcolm Chisholm MP.
Opening Doors is for people living in the constituency of Edinburgh North and Leith and is open to anyone interested in politics. Perhaps you are even thinking of becoming actively involved in politics but don’t know where to start?
Opening Doors gives you a chance to meet local politicians and ’shadow’ them at work. The idea is to give shadows the chance to learn about the work of members of parliament and city and community councils at first hand.
In the first scheme, which ran from October 2006 to January 2007, six people (five were women) took part. Representing African, Asian and Polish communities in the Leith area, each person shadowed a different politician – observing the work of Malcolm Chisholm MSP (at that time Minister for Communities) in the Scottish Parliament, following Mark Lazarowicz, MP, to Westminster, as well as getting an inside view of the responsibilities of city councillors in Edinburgh.
This year you will again get the chance to meet and shadow Malcolm Chisholm (now Shadow Minister for Culture) at Holyrood and Mark Lazarowicz in Westminster but we are widening the scheme to include mentors from education and trade unions. As well as educational visits to the Scottish Parliament and City of Edinburgh Council, we also hope to run a workshop on the budget (investigating how politicians decide how to raise and spend the money!).
Feedback showed different response but they were all positive. For one woman, the best thing about last year’s shadow scheme was “Having lunch with Malcolm Chisholm at the Scottish Parliament.” For another, “It also raised some welcome debate within the Black and Minority Ethnic Community, if people start talking about issues that affect them they are more likely to do something about it.”
For Leith Open Space perhaps the best part of the first shadow scheme was getting to know a great group of people we might not otherwise have met. Opening Doors is about politics but, much more importantly, it is about people.
Plans are still being discussed (and we have some fund-raising to do!) but meanwhile we would be delighted to hear your ideas.Please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Either post comments or questions here or email:
leithopenspace@btconnect.com
February 28th, 2008
Time to dig out our wellies and head for the opening of the new Perseverence Community Garden at 11am on Wednesday 5 March. Leith Open Space is looking forward to sharing a plot with Greener Leith and we will be marking the spot by planting one of the fruit trees Alastair Tibbitt has ordered for the occasion. With any luck they will come with good weather.
Behind the walls, Perseverence Community Garden waits for planting
This is the result of a lot of hard work by Greener Leith supported by many environmental and community groups in the Leith area. For Leith Open Space it is the outcome of our Open Space discussion day in May 2006 when Mary Moriarty, vice chair of Leith Festival took part in an afternoon workshop and just happened to mention a campaign for a community garden in Leith.
Mary’s enthusiasm was infectious and we soon found ourselves getting involved. Now for the digging and planting…come and join us if you can. (See Fay’s blog, Leith twinned with Havana? for more).
February 28th, 2008
Edinburgh Refugee Centre pay travel expenses for people taking their beginners and improvers English classes starting in March. This month’s activities also include a visit to the Scottish Parliament to see where Scottish laws are made.
Beginners’ English Class:
Mondays 2-4pm until 10th March
Improvers’ English Class:
Tuesdays 5-7pm
Visit to Scottish Parliament
Monday 10 March 1.15pm
For more information contact: Edinburgh Refugee Centre, St George’s West Church,
Tel 0131 226 1499
February 28th, 2008
Good news about the future Leith Museum. With over 3000 signatures on the petition collected by the Campaign for Leith Museum, the Scottish Parliament Public Petitions Committee agreed to take positive steps forward when they met on 19 February. In plain English, they want to know what support the campaign can expect from the City of Edinburgh Council , Scottish Parliament and Scottish Enterprise. Answers expected by 25 April. Click here for the longer version…
February 28th, 2008
Another great opportunity for anyone interested in gardens, crafts and the environment. All rolled up in one. Friends of Dalmeny Street Park are looking for volunteers to help make three raised-bed planters to grow plants for the local community.
You would get the chance to work with (and learn from) experienced sculptor and teacher
Graeme Murray as well as meeting skilled craftsmen working at the Woodschool near Jedburgh (if you have never been there, it is a fantastic place and well worth a visit).
The project, sponsored by Scottish Natural Heritage, begins in March with a photo-shoot at Out of the Blue in Dalmeny Street (another fantastic place well worth a visit) and runs for two months.
For more information:
contact Lise Bratton on 07776 043 786 or email: mail@lisebratton.com
February 21st, 2008
Fay Young from Leith Open Space Group went looking for a new community garden in deepest Leith: this is what she found…
It took me a while to find the right place tucked away between high rise flats. By the time I got there the rest of the team were inside having coffee and my blurry mobile picture shows a community garden without people. Even so, the sun was slanting between high walls and if you squint you can imagine what it might be like once fruit trees are showering the ground with blossom.
Community gardens are spreading across Edinburgh. Backgreens are coming to life again. And there are plans for unused land in different neighbourhoods around Leith.
Two weeks ago I went to a wonderfully cheering meeting in the appropriately named Persevere Room at Leith Community Centre. I had been watching Monty Don’s new BBC television series, Around the World in 80 Gardens, and wistfully imagined what Leith might be like if we could capture some of Cuba’s enthusiasm for growing organic fruit and vegetables in every spare piece of land. It didn’t seem likely. Leith is not Havana and we are not facing a food embargo.
I found the room was full of community groups keen to use common land to encourage local people to get together to grow healthy local food. As a member of Leith Open Space, I found myself agreeing to share a plot with the infectiously enthusiastic and energetic Alastair Tibbitt of Greener Leith.
Alastair has secured funding to buy rare fruit trees from John Butterworth, who encourages people to rediscover the kind of apples, pears and plums you won’t find in the supermarket.
So my next visit to the Persevere Community Garden will be accompanied by other members of Leith Open Space, armed with spades to take part in a tree-planting ceremony with three other community groups. At the same time, the garden opening will mark the launch of Edinburgh’s Children’s Orchard – inspired by the fantastically successful Children’s Orchard in Glasgow.
Perhaps Leith could be more like Cuba than I imagined!
February 15th, 2008