Category Archives: Leith Neighbourhood Partnership

Are you planning to apply? Now is the time!

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  1. Applications are OPEN,for  £eith Chooses 2021-2022. There is £46,102 available from City of Edinburgh Community Grants Fund, supplemented by a further £5,000 donation from Port of Leith Housing Association. Community Groups can apply for up to £5,000.

This year’s theme is:

Reconnecting in Leith:
Nourishment, Creativity, Sustainability

If you are a constituted community group with your own bank account, and are thinking of a project that would benefit the community in Leith, please download and fill in an Application Form, and Guidance Notes, from the links below.

format Application form Guidance notes
DOC (older versions of Word) Application form Guidance notes
DOCX (newer versions of Word) Application form Guidance notes
PDF Application form Guidance notes

There will be an online (Zoom) general Q & A session about applying to £eith Chooses on Tuesday 5 October 2021, at 6:30pm. This may be particularly useful for new groups that have not applied before.  Register to attend via Eventbrite here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/eithchooses-2021-22-applications-qa-tickets-170120002507

Information and support (private discussions) for applicants will be also available at any time / on an ongoing basis, as requested,
Contact: caroline.lamond@edinburgh,gov.uk

Projects Revealed!

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Wow! There are 30 applicants to £eith Chooses – 8 for the ‘Food’ theme, and 22 for the ‘Supporting Vulnerable People’ theme. Lots of really great project ideas! View them all here in the ‘£eith Chooses Gallery’.

Checking out the projects online gives you a bit of background to each project, and a chance to reflect, before you come to the Community Centre on 23rd February, to vote. Please take a look and think about questions you might like to discuss with project groups, when you come, and which you might vote for.

The Gallery is just for ‘viewing’. There is no online voting this year.

When you come to vote on 23rd February, you will get up to 3 votes in each room (Food, and Vulnerable People). 2 votes for your 2 favourite projects, and 1 Boost Vote (optional) for your favourite from certain projects which go ‘above and beyond’ in involving members of ethnic minority communities. More voting information.

The following 8 (out of 30) project groups qualify for Boost Votes, according to the criteria laid down by the £eith Chooses Steering Group:

  • Broughton Primary School Parent Council, Saheliya & partners
  • Building Bridges
  • Creative Electric
  • Dr. Bells Family Centre
  • Hermitage Park Primary School Association
  • Multi Cultural Family Base
  • Sikh Sanjog
  • YMCA

 

Please Come and Vote!

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Before the 23rd February –

  • If you would like to come and vote, but cannot get to the Community Centre under your own steam, please let us know asap and we’ll try and arrange help for you to attend.
  • If you are bringing younger children, you may wish to book them in to the free creche (for both applicants and voters). Please get in touch to book them in, in advance (places limited – first come, first served).

Email Caroline.Lamond@edinburgh.gov.uk for either / both of the above

On the Day –

We suggest that you come early, if you can – doors open at 12 – don’t leave it to the last minute, because –

  • it may get busy at Registration, and at the ballot boxes
  • you will want plenty time to chat to project groups on their ‘stalls’
  • there will be lovely free food on offer, but it may start to run out….
  • your kids may want to get glitter tattoos or face-painting done
  • under 8s may need help with the new ‘Kids Vote’ (for the ‘Best Stall’)…

2 weeks to go! Get your application in!

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Come along to a drop-in support session to check your application is on the right track, and to see if you could qualify for ‘boost vote’ status.Talk it through –

  • Tuesday 8th January, McDonald Road Library 1:30 – 5:30 pm (Business Hub downstairs)
  • Thursday 10th January. Leith Library Ferry road, 3-5 pm
  • Tuesday 15th January, McDonald Road Library 3 – 8 pm (Business Hub downstairs)

If you can’t make any of these, but want to discuss an application idea, email

Caroline.Lamond@edinburgh.gov.uk

The themes for this year’s £eith Chooses reflect the fact that many people in Leith are really struggling, these days. Proposed projects should show that they will benefit people in Leith who are in need, and they must fit one of the themes –

A ‘boost’ for some projects

If a project application shows that special efforts are being made to inform / involve / benefit minority ethnic communities, it could qualify for a ‘booster vote’. Come along to a support session or get in touch for more details about how to qualify for this.

Partners!

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Why not partner up with another (or more than one) organisation, for your £eith Chooses project bid? This is a great way to work cooperatively, rather than in competition with each other, for funds. A small group without a constitution can be ‘sheltered’ by a bigger group taking responsibility for governance. Groups doing similar things, but maybe with different ‘end users’, can share ideas and resources. And of course, partnering is a good way to widen your voter base!

£eith Chooses – Apply Now!

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There is £44,000 of City of Edinburgh Community Grants Fund money available for community projects. Groups can apply for one project, up to a maximum of £5,000 (bids for lesser sums are also warmly welcomed). NOW is the time to apply!

Project bids should be for community projects that will be delivered in Leith and benefit the community in Leith, and that tie in with one or other of this year’s key themes.

Key dates

Support Sessions

Tuesday 8th January 2019  – Support Session at McDonald Road Library (drop in any time between  1pm – 5:30pm)

Thursday 10th January 2019 – Support Session at Leith Library (drop in any time between 3pm – 5pm)

Tuesday 15th January 2019 – Support Session at McDonald Road Library (drop in any time between  3pm – 80pm)

If you want to talk through your ideas and possible application, please come along to this session and meet members of the £eith Chooses Steering Group, who will advise you.

If you can’t make the any of those dates, please get in touch asap, and we will make another arrangement to meet with you.

21 January 2019 – Applications close

23 February 2019 – Voting Day, Leith Community Education Centre, Kirkgate

£eith Chooses rides again, 2018/2019

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Evaluations from 2017/2018 have been ongoing since April, as has forward planning. And at last we have news!

£eith Chooses will take place once more. There is £44,000 of City of Edinburgh Community Grants Fund money available for community projects. Groups can apply for one project, up to a maximum of £5,000 (bids for less also warmly welcomed).

20th November 2018 – £eith Chooses 2018/2019 launches and application open . Please do come along and hear about the plans for this year: 6pm, Tuesday 20th Nov., Leith Community Centre, New Kirkgate.

21 January 2019 – Applications close

23 February 2019 – Voting Day, Leith Community Centre, New Kirkgate.

   

 

Help the Scouts go to camp

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The  154 Scouts received a £eith Chooses grant of £500 earlier this year. Here is a brief report of what they’ve been up to, spending that money. All sounds great!
We used the money to organise the ‘Leith Chooses Canty Bay Camp’ in June 2018, which was attended by 12 Beavers, 14 Cubs and 11 Scouts. Beavers slept in tents (many for the first time), visited Tantallon Castle by minibus, and learned emergency First Aid. 
Cubs obtained different stages of hiking badges, visit Tantallon Castle to obtain their local history badge and complete their nature badge, the latter of which is only possible in rural settings and near the seaside. The camp also facilitated three Cubs staying overnight for their first ever camp, contributing to their ‘Nights Away stage 1’ badge.Scouts hiked to and from North Berwick to the camp site. They cooked their own dinner using a Trangia (Cowboy Stew!), hiked to Tantallon Castle, and played games. They went swimming at North Berwick pool as well.They set up their own tents and helped set up the tents for the Beavers.

Some of the badges that this trip contributed to are: First Aid Badge, Local History Badge, Nature Badge, Chef Badge, Navigator Badge, Camping Badge, Nights Away, Teamwork Challenge, Outdoor Challenge award and Swimmer Activity Badge.

All of this has really helped the young people bond, learn about their environment and grow in independence – allowing them to become better citizens and neighbours in the future.

£eith Chooses – Leith Neighbourhood Partnership report

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Following distribution of £44,000 (City of Edinburgh Council, Community Grants Fund) to community projects through participatory budgeting, via the £eith Chooses process, the Leith Neighbourhood Partnership made the following report (14 June 2018).

Read the report here: Leith Neighbourhood Partnership Report June 2018

Snow

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Don’t give up on us because of a drop of snow, we are not easily beaten!  We are still very much hoping to go ahead with Saturday’s Voting Day event, but we have to wait and see what the weather does next and also what City of Edinburgh Council decides about opening / closing it’s buildings and facilities. We promise to let everybody know what’s going on ASAP!