Reminder: Spring Fling 2016 is on 9 April.

Spring Fling 2016 will take place from 11.00am – 4.00pm on Saturday, 9 April 2016 at the Eric Liddell Centre, Holy Corner, 15 Morningside Road.

Toolkit to help people raise concerns about the impact of alcohol in their local community

Alcohol Focus Scotland recently developed a new toolkit to help people raise concerns about the impact of alcohol in their local community.

‘Alcohol licensing in your community: how you can get involved’ outlines action that people can take about problems alcohol is causing in their local area.  It also explains how the licensing process works in Scotland and provides practical assistance for people who want to get involved but aren’t sure where to start.

To make it easier for people to get in touch with people who may be able to help them, Alcohol Focus Scotland has also produced a list of contact details for the licensing board, local licensing forum and licensing standards officers in each local area.

Greenbank Scouts Annual Jumble Sale on 9 April

Refugee Survival Trust volunteers are putting on a Big Welcome! Concert on 26 March.

Refugee Survival Trust volunteers are putting on a Big Welcome! Concert on 26 March.  

It will take place on Sat 26 Mar at 19:30 at the Corn Exchange in Haddington.

It marks 20 years of RST's work for refugees and asylum seekers in Scotland.

Make sure you’re registered to vote!

Scottish Parliament Election – 5 May 2016

Make sure you’re registered to vote

Voter registration and turnout was at a record level for the Independence Referendum and remained encouragingly high for last year’s General Election.

Some people are still not registered, while many others will have changed their name or address since then. It’s also important that we encourage 16 and 17 year olds to register as they can vote for the first time in a parliamentary election.

Update your voter registration details

If your details have changed, it’s really important that you tell us so that you can vote.  You can now register or update your details online using the Government website. You will need to do this by 18 April.

If you’re not sure if you are registered, contact the Electoral Registration Office on 0131 344 2500.

For more information about where, when and how to vote visit our website.

Agenda for MSCC meeting on We 23 March 2016 at 7:30pm

Marchmont & Sciennes Community Council will hold its monthly regular meeting on We 23 March 2016. 

The meeting will take place in our usual venue of St Catherine's Argyle Church Halls on Beaufort Road/ Grange Road. The meeting will start at 7:30pm.

This will be our sixth meeting of 15/16.  The next meeting after this one will be We 27 April 2016. 

All who live or work in the area are most welcome to attend 

A G E N D A

 1                  Sederunt and apologies

 2                  Draft Minutes of last meeting, 24 Feb 2016, and matters arising (not otherwise on Agenda)

·       Bus shelters

·       24 Bus

·       Double cycling of lights at Strathearn/ Beaufort/ Marchmont/ Kilgraston

·       Sciennes street signs advertising closure

·       Pedestrian route on Beaufort Road

 3                  Meadows & Bruntsfield Links: Update from Mike Shields

·       Management Plan

·       Meadows & Bruntsfield Advisory Group

 4                  Police Report

Items for discussion

 5                  Info for Meadows Directory

 6                  MSCC Banner

 7                  Planning applications

 8                   South Centra£ decides

For info:

 9           Treasurer's report

10          Meetings attended

·       James Gillespie’s High School Parent Council

·       James Gillespie’s Primary School Parent Council

·       South Central Neighbourhood Partnership

·       Grange Association AGM

·       Civic Forum

11                  AOCB

Frequency of 24 bus to increase from 10 April

"First Ever" Scottish Youth Poetry Slam

Are You Part of a Youth Group or a Youth Organisation (aged between 12 & 14 years of age), and would you like your group to take part in the "First Ever" Scottish Youth Poetry Slam?

The first ever national young person’s poetry slam will take place this year to provide increased access to poetry for young people.

Over the coming weeks the search is on for groups to take part in a series of workshops. There will be regional slams in Edinburgh and Stirling during September and October, and a Slam Final at the Beacon in Inverclyde.

The idea for the project came from poet and writer Anita Govan and it builds on eleven years of her working with conFAB, delivering poetry slams.  The Scottish Youth Poetry Slam is supported by the National Lottery through Creative Scotland Open Project Funding.

For further information please contact: kim@confab.org.uk or have a look at the Scottish Youth Poetry Slam Facebook page 

Free vet clinic available to homeless or vulnerably-housed pet-owners in Edinburgh

South Centra£ Decides - VOICE YOUR CHOICE - Sat 30 April - official flyer released

As previously advised, a local participative event will be held on Sa 30 April to decide how to spend available funding.

For further information, check out http://www.edinburghnp.org.uk/neighbourhood-partnerships/south-central/   or email margaret.campbell@edinburgh.gov.uk

Agenda for MSCC meeting on We 24 Feb 2016 at 7:30pm

http://www.bernadettetodd.com/berntalks/archives/Bern%20Kodak%202009%20004.5.jpg

Marchmont & Sciennes Community Council will hold its monthly regular meeting on We 24 Feb 2016. 

The meeting will take place in our usual venue of St Catherine's Argyle Church Halls on Beaufort Road/ Grange Road. The meeting will start at 7:30pm.

This will be our fifth meeting of 15/16.  The next meeting after this one will be We 23 March 2016. 

All who live or work in the area are most welcome to attend 

A G E N D A

 1                  Sederunt and apologies

 2                     Draft Minutes of last meeting, 27 Jan 2016, and matters arising (not otherwise on Agenda)

·       Lovers Loan wall

·       Bus shelters

·       JGHS Pupil voice

·       Double cycling of lights at Strathearn/ Beaufort/ Marchmont/ Kilgraston

·       Sciennes street signs advertising closure

 3                  Meadows & Bruntsfield Links: Update from Mike Shields

 4                  Police Report

Items for discussion

 5                  Community Paths Grants

 6                  Ideas to spend residual MSCC money

 7                  Planning applications

For info:

 8                  Treasurer's report

 9                  Meetings attended

10                  AOCB

It's play ranger week!

Music Workshops for 12-17 year olds (Fr pm and Tu eve)

Fancy a snowdrop walk? Taking place on 27 and 28 Feb at Newington Cemetery

Proposed Redevelopment of the Darwin Building at King’s Buildings Campus, Edinburgh: Open Public Consultation on Mo 15 and Tu 16 Feb, 2pm- 7pm

South Centra£ Decides - VOICE YOUR CHOICE - Sat 30 April

The South Central Neighbourhood Partnership has over £200,000 worth of funding available for distribution in 2016/17 and residents of South Central are asked to Voice your Choice and decide which projects get what.   Anyone over the age of 12 is eligible to vote so long as they live in South Central.  Voting will take place at a marketstall event in the main Hall of the Methodist Church Hall, Nicolson Square on 30th April.

The money is split into three different "pots" – Community Grant Funding and two different sections of the Neighbourhood Improvement Programme.   

Check out the South Central Neighbourhood Partnership website where you can get information on all three funds and lots more about what’s happening.  

Community Grant applications are currently being sought from local groups – the closing date is Friday, 25^th March so if your group is interested, please get a move on.   We are keen to reach the wee groups that are working away quietly in a local hall and who could really do with some money to buy some new equipment etc.  Groups will be given a stall at the event and local people can come and chat about the applications before they score them.

We want loads of local people to turn out on the day when you will able to wander round the three Zones we will create and then score the projects.  It’s should all be very easy and good fun.

If you need any further information please contact Mags Campbell, Partnership Development Officer.

Spring Fling Arts & Activities fair for over 50s Sa 9 April

Spring Fling 2016 will take place from 11.00am – 4.00pm on Saturday, 9 April 2016 at the Eric Liddell Centre, Holy Corner, 15 Morningside Road.

Organised by South Edinburgh Arts Fair.

Marchmont & Sciennes Community Council next meeting is on 24 Feb 2016

£5 neutering for cats in Edinburgh & Lothians

The charity Cats Protection is offering to pay for Edinburgh & Lothians cats within EH1-EH55 and ML12 postcodes to be snipped or spayed for just £5.  This offer is available for cat owners in receipt of means tested benefits or on a low income.

Neutering offers solid benefits to both male and female cats including: 

 Neutered females cannot become pregnant, adding to the number of unwanted kittens. Left un-neutered, a female cat can have up to 18 kittens a year.

 Neutered males are less likely to roam, reducing the risk of them being involved in car accidents

 Neutering means males are less likely to display territorial behaviour such as spraying, while females will not call or wail. 

 Neutered males are less likely to fight, reducing the risk of them getting injured or contracting serious diseases such as Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) or Feline Leukaemia Virus (FeLV) 

Cats Protection believes neutering is an essential part of being a loving and caring owner and helps neuter 163,000 cats and kittens each year. The charity recommends that cats and kittens are neutered from around four months of age.

Please call the neutering team on 03000 12 12 12 or visit their website for more details on eligibility and a list of the participating vets.

Lover's Loan Footpath closed till May

Photo from
 http://reportage.theedinburghreporter.co.uk/stories/thenewsyourway/report/1279929

Lover's Loan Footpath will be closed between Beaufort Road (Grange Road) and Hatton Place, for construction works, from Mo 8 Feb to Su 15 May 2016.