The Edinburgh Reporter February 2022

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8 CAMPAIGN FOCUSBorrow a cargo bikeCharity will help families and businesses move onto two wheelsBy PHYLLIS STEPHENCARGO BIKE MOVEMENT (CBM) will nextmonth take their bikes to St Margaret’s Park inCorstorphine for anyone who wants to have ashot, but they also have a longer term schemewhich allows individuals and families orbusinesses to find out if a cargo bike isappropriate for them.The group is one which arose during thepandemic. It was set up informally in 2020 byActive Nation Commissioner, Lee Craigie, andher fellow cycle adventurer, Alice Lemkes, whoboth had cargo bikes and who wanted to dosomething useful with them. The pair had in2019 ridden cargo bikes from Edinburgh toCopenhagen accompanied by two otherwomen, aiming to arrive just before midnighton Hogmanay. Riding in pairs they took it inturns to be cosied down in the front of the bikewhen not in the saddle. The pair of adventurersbuilt up connections with people in Edinburgharound food collections at the start of thepandemic, and could be spotted cycling theirbikes carrying food all over the city. Over timevolunteers got in touch to offer their help andNaomi Arnold was one of those.Now she is the CBM Project Manager. Sherealised that the organisation might just fizzleout last summer, and that it would be a pity tolose the momentum which had built up. Assomeone who used to work in theenvironmental charity sector for around sevenyears, Naomi offered to write a fundingapplication to Paths for All which resulted inher having a full time job.In the wake of the Edinburgh Cycle HireScheme ending, £75,000 of council funding wasawarded to CBM to develop their service. Theylend out cargo bikes from a base they set up inTollcross.Naomi explained how welcome the fundingNora Robertson(86) says“friendshipmakesall thedifference”84-year-oldDennisJohnston“loves thecompany”MargaretBurt (86)enjoysbeing outof the housewas at this time. She said: “The reason that thefunding from the City Council is so crucial asbecause we can use that money, as matchfunding for our Paths for All application, whichmeans we can get basically double. If we aresuccessful, we will get around £120,000.”Additional funding would mean that theorganisation can recruit a project coordinatorto work alongside Naomi and that they mightalso look at extending into adjacent premises.CBM shares its Tollcross space with Farr Out, acity courier company which uses cargo bikes,depending on their help (and that of a fewother city cycle shops) to repair and service thebikes they now own.Forever Young need youFOREVER YOUNG CLUB Chair,Mary Murray is really glad thatthe club can reconvene, even ifit is only four days a week, andfor shorter hours than before.The club is a lifeline to peoplewho are isolated and unable toget out on their own. It dependson doctors and families to refernew clients to them. Most of thepeople who come to playdominoes, or word games andeat a light lunch are mobile, butat Carrickvale CommunityCentre they can accommodatewheelchair users.The club has kept going -though only just - as a result ofsome guidance from local MSP,Gordon Macdonald, who putNaomi enjoys acargo bike ridethem in touch with aprofessional fundraiser. That hasresulted in the club havingenough funds for the next sixmonths or so. Their councilfunding was cut before thepandemic, and there appearslittle hope of the £26,120 perannum being reinstated.Mary enjoys being able to pull afigure like that out of her head,having run the club forStenhouse, Whitson andSaughton Mains residents formany years. But she explained:“We are really frugal with themoney we have. And we arealso fortunate in receivingdonations and gifts which hashelped us to keep going.Project ManagerNaomi ArnoldNaomi explained that she would like toexpand the outreach part of the project, takingthe message about how useful cargo bikes canbe to a variety of people and businesses.Members of the public can borrow the bikes totry them out before they buy in two ways - atthe Corstorphine event they will simply be ableto have a shot at riding the bike, but there isalso a possibility of hiring one on a longer termbasis. CBM have three bikes specifically forlonger term loans thanks to funding fromEnergy Saving Trust.Naomi said: “We just want people to trythem. So just come along. I can train anyonewho then wants to borrow one. Being able totry cargo bikes such as the one we are holdingin March is really important, but for people tobe able to borrow a bike from us for say acouple of months to see if it works for them is ahuge game changer.””Previously we held raffles andtombolas as one of our mainmoneyspinners. Now we needsome core funding to make ussustainable.”The community centre has beena generous landlord and hasplaced a pause on their rent fornow, but that may have to beaddressed again in future.There are two paid members ofstaff who pick clients up in aminibus and bring them to thecentre to first of all enjoy a cupof tea and a chat. Along withfour volunteers this is a happyenvironment for older people toenjoy on their doorstep. There isa Just Giving page where youare invited to donate if you can.Saddle up andget off roadBy KIRSTY LEWININ EDINBURGH we have some greatoff-road paths for cycling that includeinteresting heritage sites, wonderfulviews, and wildlife habitats that are richwith birds, butterflies, plants, andmammals. My favourite cycle trip, that Idid regularly throughout lockdown,includes all of these. It’s a circular routethat takes in Craigmillar Castle and theBraids. As it changes dramatically with theseasons it’s worth doing several timesover the year. You can do the ride in anhour or two or make it a longer trip bytaking a picnic. If you have binoculars, dotake them along.Start via the Innocent Railway Path bythe Commonwealth Pool. Swoop downthrough the Innocent Railway Tunnel(over 500 metres in length), and, as youget out into the open, look up to your leftfor great views of Arthur’s Seat. There mayeven be cows in the field by the path, anunusual sight so close to the city centre.At the bottom of the path, you’ll turn rightinto Peffermill Industrial Estate, and fromthere it’s a few minutes up to the park.Craigmillar Castle Park is one ofEdinburgh’s best kept secrets. The castle,a large baronial structure now run byHistoric Environment Scotland, was builtin the fifteenth century by John Preston.Mary Queen of Scots famously used thecastle as a haven in 1556. The park itselfhas extensive woodlands, a children’splaypark, and a network of paths toexplore. The last time I cycled through thepark I saw a buzzard perched on a branchthat then took off, hunting through thetrees. While they can be hard to spot ifthey aren’t moving, their mewling criesare distinctive. And look out for otheranimals like voles and foxes.Leave the park from the west side andhead through the Inch. The oldest date onInch House is said to be 1617. From here,it’s a gentle climb to access the Hermitageof Braid. Follow the gravel path all theway along the Braid Burn (it can bemuddy in places after a lot of rain). Stopto see the 18th century rubble-builtsubterranean Braid Ice House. A fewminutes further along, take a break for awhile with coffee and cake at the LodgeCoffee House.From here you can cycle back on thecouncil’s newly developed quiet routethrough residential streets inMorningside, the Grange and Marchmontto the Meadows. For route details, checkout the recently published SpokesLothian Edinburgh map.
9Enriched by HopeSupporting children and young people who have lost loved onesWHAT IS RICHMOND’S HOPE?Richmond’s Hope supports children and youngpeople from the age of four to eighteen whohave been bereaved. It uses therapeutic playand specialised grief activities to help childrenunderstand how the death has impacted them.It gives children a safe place to preservememories of the person that died, explore theirfeelings and develop coping strategies for theirown future.The service was established in RichmondCraigmillar Church, Edinburgh, 18 years ago inresponse to a need within the local communityand since then the charity has grown tosupport approximately 272 children a year inEdinburgh, the Lothians and the West ofScotland. Its Glasgow Office launched in IbroxParish Church, Glasgow, in August 2016 andemploys three staff.WHAT ARE THE CHARITY’S GOALS?Richmond’s Hope supports bereaved childrenand young people between the ages of 4 and 18.At the heart of Richmond’s Hope’s programmeof support are specialised grief activities andtherapeutic play which helps bereaved children& young people improve their mental health &well being by working out their grief throughverbal and non-verbal ways. They also offersupport to the families of children who attendRichmond’s Hope.Children who come to Richmond’s Hope aresupported by dedicated specialist bereavementsupport workers for 40 minutes once a week foran average of 12 sessions. All the services andsessions are free and they operate an openreferral system.WHY IS THE CHARITY’S WORK IMPORTANT?It is an alarming fact that 1 in 29 childrenunder the age of 16 are bereaved of a parent orsibling – that’s nearly 1 in every school class.“At Richmond's Hope, we recognise thatevery child’s grief is different and there’s no ‘onesize fits all’, so we support bereaved children tomanage the challenges that can come alongwith grief. Richmond’s Hope therapeutic playand face to face session work offers children away to express conflicts and painfulexperiences.“Over the past year, we've seen a hugeincrease in demand for our services. Some ofThe old Coca-Cola andMentos trick is a realice-breakerthe children we see have experienced extremelychallenging situations in their young lives.Covid-19 and isolation have really magnifiedthe impact of bereavement and reduced theaccess of children and young people to theirregular coping strategies - such as friends,family and routine. Richmond's Hope usestherapeutic play and specialised grief activitiesas a way to help children preserve memories,identify feelings and develop personalisedcoping strategies.”HOW CAN PEOPLE HELP OUT?Richmond’s Hope relies on public donationsand individuals volunteering, organising andtaking part in fundraising events in aid ofRichmond’s Hope. There are a variety of waysin which you can get involved, support ordonate money to Richmond’s Hope.As a small charity, every amount thatRichmond’s Hope receives goes a very long wayin supporting bereaved children. Your supportwill really make a difference and help providelife-changing support to bereaved children andyoung people, when they need it most.You can donate online at www.richmondshope.org.uk/ways-to-donate and help us be therefor bereaved children & young people whenthey need it most.If you are interested in volunteering or takingpart in a fundraising event for Richmond’sHope email Kelley at edinburgh@richmondshope.org.ukYou can follow Richmond’s Hope at...Facebook: RichmondsHope1Twitter: @Richmond’sHope1Instagram: richmondshope2022 AnnualNursery GuideTHE 2022 ANNUAL Nursery Guide hasjust been published. This will be the firstedition to include a pull-out ‘New ParentGuide’ which will provide editoriallyindependent recommendations by andfor local parents who live in Edinburghand the Lothians.The recommendations were researchedand compiled by the editor together withLaura Vida, a local freelance writer andformer primary teacher, who is herself anew mum.The 2020 edition’s new parentrecommendations will include: noncommercial/affordable parent & toddlergroups (based mainly in local churches inthe region), child-friendly eateries byarea, interactive children’s bookrecommendations and recommendedfamily memberships. These will sitalongside promotion for local childorientatedbusinesses including valuablenew start-ups such as Worn in Wardrobeand Future Bilingual.The Nursery Guide was initiallyconceived to be a useful resource for newparents. The main magazine lists nurseriesby area and allows parents to compareCare Inspectorate ratings and otherrelevant information for individualnurseries.The ‘Nursery Checklist’ — anotherannual feature of the magazine — is alsodesigned to support parents who aregoing through the process of selecting anursery for their child.The Nursery Guide is free and can eitherbe picked up at locations in and aroundEdinburgh (libraries, supermarkets etc.) orordered thrpugh the Nursery & SchoolGuide website nurseryandschoolguide.co.uk. (The £2.99 fee covers postage andpackaging).
Page 1 and 2: Thistle do nicelyFunding boost for
Page 3 and 4: 3Lets crackdownCouncil ready to reg
Page 5 and 6: 5ADVERTORIALA NEW YOU FOR 2022Explo
Page 7: 7Martin P McAdamFuture of bikeproje
Page 11 and 12: 11CANDERSONS SWEET SHOPHERIOT GALLE
Page 13 and 14: 13Even if one or both of us have ar
Page 15 and 16: 15Networkershatch in cityJulie Howd
Page 17 and 18: 17Devil’s in the detailStay over,
Page 19 and 20: 19Matt CrockettPatter & pintsMartin
Page 21 and 22: 21A series of letters from Sir Will
Page 23: 23A new era at DrumtassieNigel Dunc

The Edinburgh Reporter February 2022

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