The Edinburgh Reporter January 2021

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Doubts over future of neighbourhood
centre - funding may run out in 2021
Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre
treasurer, Eddie Thorn, has
warned that unless there is future
financial support from The City
of Edinburgh Council, the centre
could be forced to close after
March.
The stark warning was published
in the centre's annual report that
also confirmed the centre ran up
a £40,000 deficit up to 31 March
2020.
On a positive note, it was
reported there had been an
increase in the number of people
using the centre last year and that
it has secured three year’s funding
from Children In Need, understood
to be £30,000, to continue to
support the youth and children’s
work at the centre.
In his report, Mr Thorn wrote:
“The ongoing position is under
constant review but without
material financial support it will
simply not be possible to sustain
all existing activities going
forward.
“Against this background the
trustees, being mindful of legal
responsibilities, may be forced into
taking difficult decisions regarding
the future of the Centre and the
employment of our staff.
“There are adequate funds to
£eith Chooses project funding
The participatory budgeting
project in Leith, £eith Chooses,
has around £50,000 to hand out
to organisations and bodies in the
area.
This money is provided
from Edinburgh City Council's
Community Grants fund, and
locals can become more involved
in the way the public funding is
spent as a result of the application
and voting process.
Applications closed on 11
December and these are now
being validated ahead of a
shortlist being compiled.
The shortlisted applicants, who
may be awarded up to £5,000, are
showcased on the £eith Chooses
website. There will then be a week
of voting from 25 to 31 January
2021.
Eligible groups have to have
a constitution and a bank
account to qualify. They were
all invited to put forward a good
idea for a six month community
project on themes related to
challenging food poverty in Leith
Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre
see the Centre operating as at
present through to the end of the
current financial year but unless
there is the required level of
funding in place after 31 March
2021 then there may be no option
other than close the Centre with
the loss of the facility to the local
community.”
The centre, which celebrated its
25th birthday last month, provides
weekly classes and groups for
older people and children.
In line with Government advice,
or reducing isolation and ensuring
connectedness.
The voting will take place on the
council's Consultation Hub.
The Steering Group behind the
budgetary process are mindful
of the fact that not everyone can
access the online vote, but it is
thought to be the best option
during the pandemic restrictions.
They conducted a survey in
September to decide whether or
not locals wished to proceed with
an online version of the event.
Usually on the day when locals
can cast their vote there is a grand
meeting of those on the shortlist
and a bit of lobbying goes on as
you pass each of their stalls. It is
a real community day with a lot of
fun alongside the main business.
While that will not be possible the
money is still there to be divided
fairly.
When the results are announced,
the funding will be paid over to
the successful projects in early
February.
www.leithchooses.net
the centre closed at the start
of the pandemic and has only
recently started to allow young
people to return, however, not all
staff were placed on furlough.
Local independent councillor,
Gavin Barrie, said: “If the
outcomes of the Edinburgh
Poverty Commision are to be
implemented, then Drylaw
Neighbourhood Centre may well
have a pivotal role to play going
forward and the Council needs to
consider supporting it with the
Stafford Centre minds your health
By Stephen Rafferty
Among the many sad sights in
Edinburgh during the pandemic
has been the locked doors of the
Stafford Centre, one of the city’s
busiest mental health resources.
Run by charity Support in Mind
Scotland, the Broughton Street
building had to close in mid-March
when the Covid-19 crisis unfolded,
and the crucial support provided
to hundreds of people affected
by mental ill health switched
overnight from face-to-face to a
remote model via phone, text and
video.
It has been a truly herculean
effort by staff and the people
who access the centre to adapt
and stay connected during the
initial lockdown and the waves of
restrictions that have followed,
but they have shown great spirit
in adversity and look forward to
better times in 2021.
The worry is that demand is
going to soar when we emerge
from the pandemic, with experts
predicting a mental health
epidemic as people struggle to
cope with issues such as isolation,
anxiety, family pressures and
financial hardship.
Whereas the accepted statistic
before Covid-19 was that 1 in 4 of
us will experience a mental health
problem in our lifetime, it is now
anyone’s guess how severely that
figure will be impacted as a result
of the challenges we face now and
future in mind.”
Fellow Inverleith councillor,
Liberal Democrat, Hal Osler, said:
“The Drylaw Neighbourhood
Centre provides vital services to
the local community - and has
done so for many years.
“Put simply, the Council needs
more funding so that these cuts
can be stopped and centres like
Drylaw are funded properly.”
Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre
was approached for comment.
in the immediate future.
“We want to stay positive, but
we are worried that there will be
a huge influx of people seeking
support,” admits Michele Mason,
Support in Mind Scotland’s Area
Manager for Edinburgh.
“We know how difficult this past
year has been from the people
we are directly supporting, and
we know there are going to many
more who need help with their
mental health.”
The positive she is referring to
is the news that SiMS has been
awarded a contract as part of the
Thrive initiative – the city’s new
collaborative approach to mental
health services, introduced by the
Edinburgh Health and Social Care
Partnership.
“The timing is wonderful,” she
Stafford Centre support worker Karen has
a socially distanced chat with David
Balerno green
belt brouhaha
by Nigel Duncan
Campaigners have urged Balerno
residents to step-up their protest
by writing to local councillors,
MSP and their MP to express their
opposition to plans to build 350
houses on Green Belt land.
The proposed development
by Rapleys at Ravelrig recently
received over 500 objections and
included one from Edinburgh
Pentlands MSP Gordon
MacDonald.
Balerno Green Belt (BGB) have
also have now set up a petition on
38 Degrees so locals can register
their disquiet. Leader Mike Martin
said: "We are now encouraging
local people to write to their local
councillors, MSPs and the local
MP.
"This is to raise awareness
of what many feel is the wrong
housing in the wrong place,
resulting in the destruction
of productive agricultural
land, degradation of the rural
environment and putting
additional strain on local
infrastructure, particularly in terms
of the traffic congestion on the
Lanark Road. BGB supporters will
also be encouraged to write to the
councillors who sit on the planning
committee expressing their views
before they meet to consider the
Ravelrig proposals."
explains. “We have an initial
five-year contract, which will give
us the opportunity and security to
embed some of the fantastic work
we do at the Stafford Centre and
in the community, not only in 2021
which we already know will be
difficult, but also in the future."
The Stafford Centre
have managed to provide
compassionate mental health
support to almost 150 people each
week throughout the pandemic,
including veterans, typically
through regular calls, group Zoom
calls, and peer support.
Opening the doors again will
allow the Centre to fulfil its true
potential.
supportinmindscotland.org.uk