The Edinburgh Reporter January 2021

8
NEWS
by June Peebles CEO of
Edinburgh Leisure
Last year was one many of us
weren’t sad to see the back of.
Covid-19 stopped everyone in
their tracks – introducing so many
changes and uncertainty into all
our lives.
We watched lockdown have a
huge impact on people's health
and wellbeing. While some people
were more active than ever, using
their daily exercise allowance to
get outside and walk, run, cycle or
do a spot of wild swimming, many
others struggled.
For people who already faced
barriers to being active, such
as those with long term health
conditions, unpaid carers, and
families living on low incomes,
lockdown resulted in a sharp
decline in their physical and
mental health.
Edinburgh Leisure is a charity
on a mission to help everyone in
The Edinburgh Reporter
Staying active in the community
Happy 2021
June Peebles
Edinburgh lead healthier, happier
and more active lives. We are
passionate about the positive
impact physical activity has,
which is why we are proud that
our Active Communities (AC)
programme supports over 10,000
people affected by disabilities,
health conditions, poverty and
inequalities to be active each year.
We know that the people that
AC supports were amongst those
hardest hit by lockdown, with a
sudden loss of routine, an abrupt
end to the support networks
they relied on and increased
social isolation exacerbating the
problems they already faced.
Edinburgh Leisure has been
working hard to ensure our AC
projects remain safe and we have
been delighted to start welcoming
participants back since the end of
last October.
We are currently supporting
people with a combination of
in-person and virtual activities.
We have adapted programmes so
that when Edinburgh was placed
in the Scottish Government Level
3 and we were unable to deliver
adult group sessions indoors, we
moved some activities outdoors,
pre-recorded sessions for people
to try at home and will shortly
be launching a live streaming
service so that people can work
out alongside their instructor and
group in real time.
One project that recently
re-started is Active Mums, which
supports mums and their families
affected by poverty to get active.
They have swapped indoor
sessions at Leith Victoria Swim
Centre for outdoor sessions at
nearby Pilrig Park.
One mum, Laura, said: “I’m loving
being part of the Active Mums
group. The instructors have been
so creative, finding ways for us to
exercise together outside. Not only
are the sessions fun, but we feel
like a community of friends who
are there for one another.”
Although a vaccine has arrived
and brings some element of hope,
winter still lingers and so does the
virus.
If there is one thing that we have
learnt in 2020, there has never
been a more important time for
us to look after our health and
wellbeing. As well as improving
our physical health, it can improve
our mood, boost our energy levels,
reduce stress and help us to
switch off.
With our venues and services
reopened and our AC programme
having re-started, we are looking
forward to supporting everyone
affected by lockdown to rebuild
after a challenging year and work
towards a healthier, happier and
more active 2021.
edinburghleisure.com
Mural honours Leith character Arthur
If you have been down Leith Walk
recently you may have missed
the lovely new mural on the side
of Casa Amiga. Stop and have
a look at artist Shona Hardie’s
painting of Arthur Williams which
is both a tribute to the local man
as well as a fundraiser for charity,
Streetwork.
It is painted on the side wall of
the café - where else but on Arthur
Street?
Arthur (83) is well known in
Leith and distinctive with his long
dreadlocks. He was homeless, and
slept rough in the area for over 20
years. Finally, after much trying,
his family obtained guardianship
for him and he has lived in a care
home since 2013, where he is
well fed and looked after and he
continues to thrive.
His family wanted to give
something back to recognise the
years of tolerance, kindness and
generosity from locals which kept
Arthur safe and alive all those
years. They decided upon the
mural which will honour him and
give some cheer to the community.
Ben Macpherson, MSP for
Edinburgh Northern and Leith,
said: “This stunning mural is a
really uplifting tribute to Arthur,
who I know is doing well in his new
home. The widespread positive
response that the painting has
received already is testament to
how much Arthur is loved by the
community in Leith and beyond.
It’s also testament to Shona
Hardie’s magnificent artwork.
What’s more, the generous
donations that are being made to
the family’s fundraising campaign,
for Streetwork, emphasise that
people want to help those in need
where they can, like local people
in Leith supported Arthur over the
years, and our shared commitment
and determination to tackle and
prevent homelessness.”
Jan Williamson, Assistant
Exercise helps us to lead a healthier lifestyle
Director for Streetwork, said,
“We are so grateful to Arthur
and his family for arranging this
mural for the community of Leith,
and for raising awareness of
homelessness and mental health.
The team at Streetwork were
honoured to know Arthur and to
have been part of his remarkable
story, he is a real gentleman and a
true Leith legend and this mural is
a fitting tribute to him.”
As part of Trams to Newhaven,
there is a project to liven up utility
boxes on Leith Walk. The box
below the mural will have text with
information for those who are
homeless or need help with mental
health issues.
You can donate to Streetwork
which is part of the Simon
Community Scotland. As little
as £1 pays for someone to have
a warm drink in a safe place off
the street, and £5 pays for a hot
shower and access to laundry.
justgiving.com/campaign/
StreetworkArthur
By Cllr Cammy Day
Depute Leader of The City of
Edinburgh Council
Edinburgh Labour group along
with our MSPs Daniel Johnson and
Sarah Boyack have championed
the investment for a new Liberton
High School and Wester Hailes
Education Centre.
Along with my colleague
councillors, Lezley Marion
Cameron and Ricky Henderson, we
are excited to see this now being
realised. The Scottish Government
confirmed its support for some
of the schools investment. We
have plans in the administration
to invest £500 million in schools
as part of an inclusive net
zero carbon city. This means
community lifelong learning
and sports hubs where public
services are co-located, links
to active travel networks, green
infrastructure and strategic public
transport networks.
There are also new school
investments such as Castlebrae
Community High School, South
Queensferry and our ambitious
plans for a new Trinity Academy
in my own ward. We must keep
pressing the government to
fully fund our growing city, and
particularly our need for modern,
efficient, state of the art schools
and learning hubs for the next
generation to learn.
Wishing you all the best and a
Happy New Year for 2021.
Network Rail
fined £135,000
The Office of Rail and Road
(ORR), Scotland's Crown Office
and the Procurator Fiscal have
all prosecuted Network Rail over
a safety failure relating to the
railway fencing near Musselburgh.
The company was fined £135,000
for failing to maintain and improve
the fencing.
A 13 year-old boy was left with
serious injuries after entering
via a gap in the fence on the
railway track near Queen Margaret
University. He climbed on the
roof of a tank wagon on a freight
train stopped at signals and came
close to the overhead electricity
cable. He made contact with the
25,000 volt cable which caused an
electric shock and serious burns.
HM Chief Inspector of Railways,
Ian Prosser, said: "Network Rail
has done a lot of work to limit the
number of trespass issues on the
railway and raise awareness of the
potential life-threatening dangers
that can follow. But on this
occasion it failed to maintain an
adequate boundary to stop people
getting onto the railway track and
preventing an incident like this
occurring.
"The railway is an extremely
dangerous environment and I
would urge parents to talk to their
children about its hazards and
remind them to stay away from the
tracks."