The Edinburgh Reporter October 2021

9
The award for best
woodland goes to...
PoLHA leadership team
Award for
Community woods are honoured at the annual ‘Tree Oscars’
By STEPHEN RAFFERTY
CRAIGMILLAR CASTLE Park won the
overall Large Community Woodland Group
award at Scotland’s Finest Woods Awards 2021
- which recognise the very best in forests,
woods and woodland education.
Ben McCallum, of The City of Edinburgh
Council, which owns Craigmillar Castle Park,
said: “The woods have been a real focal point
for the community, for them to socialise,
connect with nature and improve their health
and wellbeing.”
Edinburgh and Lothians Greenspace Trust
has worked with the council and local
community to make it a valued resource for
Craigmillar Castle Park has
been a boon to the community
people in the area - and a lockdown lifeline.
Douglas Worrall, one of the judges, said:
“Craigmillar Castle Park is an excellent
example of an urban woodland primarily
managed for the benefit of the local
community, with excellent links to local
nurseries, schools, community groups and local
social enterprises.”
Judges also said: “The woodland’s primary
purpose is to provide an attractive, safe
woodland greenspace for the benefit of the
local community and it has been well
maintained as well as developed since it was
planted just over 20 years ago.
“The Trust has made excellent progress in
engaging with the local community, developing
Learning in the park
their awareness, understanding and
appreciation of Craigmillar Castle Park.
“It has been notable how valuable the
woodland has been to the local community
during lockdown, providing an attractive
greenspace which has helped with physical and
mental wellbeing.”
Angela Douglas, Executive Director of
Scotland’s Finest Woods, said: “The strength of
the awards depends on maintaining high
standards and recognising entries that deserve
the title ‘finest woods’.
“After a Covid cancellation in 2020, I’m
delighted we have been able to bounce back
with such a high-quality programme - and I
congratulate Craigmillar Castle Park.”
Port of Leith
PORT OF LEITH Port of Leith Housing
Association (PoLHA) has secured an
internationally recognised excellence
award from the European Foundation for
Quality Management (EFQM). EFQM’s
Recognised for Excellence status enables
organisations to e valuate and
demonstrate efforts to improve
performance against a range of globally
recognised definitions of excellence.
PoLHA achieved a Five-Star Excellence
Award, following a rigorous, independent
assessment process which highlighted the
organisation’s main strengths and areas
for improvement.
The EFQM Assessment Team identified
a wide range of positive practices across
customer service, strategic planning and
staff engagement among PoLHA’s 107
employees. The organisation was also
praised for the flexibility and
responsiveness with which it met the
impact of Covid-19 while simultaneously
proceeding with ambitious plans to
undergo an organisational review and
launch a new strategic plan.
PoLHA’s Group Chief Executive, Heather
Kiteley, said: “EFQM assessment provides
a robust means with which to measure
our performance as we work to provide
affordable homes and life-changing
services and create brilliant communities
in Leith and north Edinburgh.
“The Five-Star Excellence Award is
testament to the hard work of our staff
team, who were praised for their sense of
purpose and commitment to high
standards of customer service. “
PoLHA provides 3,000 affordable
homes in Leith and north Edinburgh.
Sir Andrew Cubie and
Charles Hammond OBE
Leith charity seeking contributions
LEITH’S NEW Community Fund
has been incorporated as a
Scottish charity. It will be
governed by Forth Ports and The
Leith Trust and will support
projects in the area. Forth Ports
has seed funded the Trust with a
donation of £200,000, and now
asks other businesses in the area
to support and contribute.
The Fund will provide support
for the work of local Leith
charities with particular
emphasis on projects tackling
isolation or loneliness,
enhancing the local area or
providing educational
opportunities for local people.
Charles Hammond, OBE, CEO
of Forth Ports, said: “Forth Ports
is proud to be part of the Leith
community and we are
committed to supporting Leith
for the long term. Like most
communities, we know there are
always local issues that need
funding, and we hope that the
establishment of this Fund, with
our seed funding of £200,000,
will help to make a difference.
“This has been an incredibly
tough time for everyone as we
all navigate through the global
pandemic and we see this as a
great opportunity for the
community of Leith to decide
themselves how the money is
spent. We will be speaking to
businesses in Leith over the
coming months to encourage
them to support and contribute
to the Fund.”
Sir Andrew Cubie CBE, Chair of
The Leith Trust said: “This is a
significant announcement for
Leith and I greatly welcome the
leadership shown by Forth Ports
in priming the Community Fund.
All of us involved will work
hard to encourage others to
contribute as the purposes of
the Fund will be of significant
value to the Leith community.
The impact of the pandemic has
slowed the establishment, but
anticipating a formal launch later
this year, we would be pleased to
hear from those, who might in
whatever way, be interested in
lending support.”