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Events News

Rare plant sale set for this Saturday

Long time amateur garden enthusiast and writer Sheila Averbuch is holding her second ever plant sale this weekend in aid of rare disease research.

The sale takes place this Saturday from 10am to 1pm in the garden of Mercat Cottage - access the garden via the drive next to the bus stop taking the left path.
The sale takes place this Saturday from 10am to 1pm in the garden of Mercat Cottage – access the garden via the drive next to the bus stop taking the left path.
Also a gardening blogger under the moniker ‘The Stopwatch Gardener’ (www.stopwatchgardener.com), Sheila is holding the sale just outside Edinburgh in her own garden at Mercat Cottage in Pencaitland (opposite the Spar Shop) this Saturday, May 24th between 10am and 1pm, offering plants from some of Britain’s favourite nurseries.

Following the success of the first Rare Plants for Rare Disease Research fundraiser in 2012, the event on 24 May will again dedicate all profits to the Advocacy for Neuroacanthocytosis Patients (www.naadvocacy.org). The Advocacy is a registered charity which sponsors research into this extremely rare neurological disorder, which may one day shed light on other neuro-degenerative diseases like Parkinson’s, Huntington’s and Alzheimer’s.

As Sheila explains, “Like other families affected by rare disease, my friends Ginger and Glenn Irvine are helping fund their own research into the ultra-rare disease that affects their daughter Alex. Plant enthusiasts are often keen collectors of rarities, and I thought a sale of unusual plants would be a good way to raise funds and awareness. Coming at the end of Chelsea week, the sale is a great way to celebrate the season and support an important cause.”

Tea, Coffee & chat

There will also be a selection of home baking and hot drinks on offer whilst visitors take the weight off their feet. All the baking on offer comes from the generous support of local volunteers.

Macplants, Binny Plants, Beth Chatto Gardens, Crug Farm, David Austin Roses and Kevock Gardens support

Donations of plants have already been received from both internationally renowned plants growers as well as strong local support and Frank Kirwan of Humbie Dean, the organiser of East Lothian Garden Trail.


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Events News

Pencaitland Annual School Fayre returns 31st May

Pencaitland Primary School’s PTA is planning for plenty of fun activities at this year’s annual Spring Fayre which takes place on the 31st of May between 1pm and 4pm so make sure you make a date in your diary.

As with past years, anyone getting their faces painted or simply wanting a photo keyring, can pose for a snap and they will be able to collect the their personalised keyring(s) from school reception a few days later.
As with past years, anyone getting their faces painted or simply wanting a photo keyring, can pose for a snap and they will be able to collect the their personalised keyring(s) from school reception a few days later.
Organisers are expecting a fun filled event full of games, science, bouncy castles, cycle smoothies and much more. This year the kids are organising their own games challenge as well as crafts. Volunteer slots (see below) are for 1.5 hours each so you will have time to enjoy the afternoon even if you do give a little help on the day. Volunteers can contact the PTA via email PPSPTA1@gmail.com.

As in previous years the PTA would be grateful for any of the following:

Donations: Used Books and toys, tombola items, lucky dip items. Please contact Charlotte on 01875 340987 for uplift, take early donations to 26 Vinefields or from the 26th May, bring donations directly to the school office.

Baking: As much as you can make for the Cafe and Cake stall!

Your time: Setting up, clearing away, manning the stalls.

Your money!: Selling raffle tickets. Donations for raffle prizes please contact PPSPTA1@gmail.com.

So pop on down on the day and enjoy the activities, food and fun, whilst helping to raise much needed funds for PTA support of the school.

Past years at the PTA Spring Fayre

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Events News

Pencaitland’s 2014 Litter Pick starts 2pm on 11th May

Pencaitland’s regular community Litter Pick is set to take place on Sunday the 11th May from 2pm.

As with previous years the action kicks off from 2pm in Pencaitland’s Trevelyan Hall. Groups or families turning up will be given litter pickers and bags before heading off to various parts of, not only Pencaitland, but hopefully some of the other areas covered by the Community Council. We’re particularly keen to have groups or families who want to cover Glenkinchie or New Winton this year.

This year's free prize draw, open to all under-16s taking part in the Litter Pick, is a Samsung ST72 16MP camera with 8GB card included.
This year’s free prize draw, open to all under-16s taking part in the Litter Pick, is a Samsung ST72 16MP camera with 8GB card included.
Then, once your area has been covered, pop on back to Trevelyan Hall with your haul of flotsam and jetsam where there will be refreshments and the opportunity for anyone under 16 to participate in our free Prize Draw for a fabulous compact Digital Camera. This year it’s a Samsung ST72 digital camera and it comes with an 8GB memory card so you’re ready to go.

For 2014’s Litter Pick we are working with Clean Up Scotland, part of the charity Keep Scotland Beautiful. We’ll also be handing out tabards to make everyone stand out as they seek out the oddest item of rubbish.

Last year we had a great selection of litter oddities including a truck mud guard, four car hubs, signs, clothes, shoes and many many cans, bottles and crisp packets. Let’s see if we can find even more unusual stuff this time round.

At the 2013 event more than 50 people came along and helped make the Litter Pick a great success. This year we want to beat 2013’s numbers, so make a date in your diary and come help make your community a place we can all be proud of…

Bring your Camera

If you have a camera please grab some photos during your Litter Pick and email them to us at website@pencaitland.org where we will then feature them on the website.

Some snaps from last year’s event



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Events News

Meeting planned to launch 10 to 14yo Scouts troop for Pencaitland

Since October 2012 Pencaitland has seen the return of both Cub and Beaver Scouts. Now plans are being made to launch Scouts for older kids.

Pencaitland 1st Scouts aims to bring a Scout troop for 10 to 14 year olds to Pencaitland... but it needs adult helpers to make it a reality.
Pencaitland 1st Scouts aims to bring a Scout troop for 10 to 14 year olds to Pencaitland… but it needs adult helpers to make it a reality.
Scouting is a great way for both boys and girls to learn a wide range of practical and inter-personal skills as they grow into young adults. Now with troupes for both six to eight year olds and eight to ten, the next phase is the launch of a full Scout troop for kids ranging from ten and a half up to 14 years of age.

The Scout Troop forms the senior section of Scout Groups. Since 2003 it has been open to ten and a half to 14 year olds. This Troop is the longest running section within the UK organisation, although it was originally termed the Scout Patrol when the movement started back in 1907.

Local organiser Ken McNight is keen to talk to any parents or other adult helpers willing or able to spare their time, however limited, to help bring this next stage of the Scouting movement back to the village.

Meeting Planned

A meeting is planned for the 11th of December in the Winton Arms at 8pm in order to recruit a team of people keen to make this happen. It’s only through volunteers that have helped out to date that we already enjoy both Cubs and Beavers Scouts. Now it’s your chance to get all three local Scout sections based back in Pencaitland.

Please come along on the 11th and help make this next step a reality. Don’t assume that someone else will step up and make it happen. Sadly that’s what contributed to the previous demise of Scouts in Pencaitland over ten years ago. Everyone who wants to help is very welcome and very much needed, and the more that help the easier it is and the less each person will need to do individually.

If you can’t make it to the meeting on the 11th please contact Ken directly on his email at kenneth@commsworld.com.


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Events News

Keep Scotland Beautiful organises Climate Challenge Fund surgery

Keep Scotland Beautiful has organised a Climate Challenge Fund application and funding advice surgery for community groups across the Lothians.

The CCF fund has already supported many projects across Scotland.
The CCF fund has already supported many projects across Scotland.
The event takes place from 9.30am – 12.30pm on Thursday 18th July at Penicuik Town Hall.

The event is free, but anyone interested in attending is being asked to register via the online sign-up available via the event web page.

A presentation will introduce the CCF which will be followed by a Questions and Answers session and a one-to-one advice surgery.

In total, 563 projects across Scotland have received over £46.9 million in CCF funding to reduce carbon footprint and make community improvements. Time is running out apply for grants up to £150,000 per year with the next applications deadlines in September 2013 and January 2014.

Funded projects have included:

CCF Fund


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Events News

Pencaitland Litter Pick 2013 Countdown: Day 2 — What cost litter?

Did you know that local authorities spend £100 million every year cleaning up after us? Every bit of litter not put in a bin is a cost to everyone.

Just turn up at 2pm to Trevelyan Hall, get your raffle ticket, bag & a picker & you're ready to roll... Click the photo above for full details.
Just turn up at 2pm to Trevelyan Hall, get your raffle ticket, bag & a picker & you’re ready to roll… Click the photo above for full details.
You might not think it when you see it but there are financial consequences to litter. Tourism is worth over £4bn a year to Scotland with over 90% of tourists citing scenery as the main reason for their visit – every tourist who won’t come back because of litter and mess basically costs us all money. We get our own share of tourists in this part of the world taking part in the whisky trail to Glenkinchie.

Householders and land owners spend huge sums clearing mess from their own properties. And local authorities spend £100m of your money on street cleansing every year.

But small actions can make a big difference, and save us millions. Concern about this goes right to the top of Government. Richard Lochhead, Cabinet Secretary for the Environment and Rural Affairs, says, “action must be taken now against Scotland’s litter problem. It is a poor advertisement for our country, which should instead be recognised for its clean air and unspoilt landscapes.” Together we can make a difference.

Come to your Litter Pick

As with past years the Litter Pick action kicks off from 2pm in Pencaitland’s Trevelyan Hall. Groups or families turning up will be given litter pickers and bags before heading off to various parts of, not only Pencaitland, but hopefully some of the other areas covered by the Community Council.

Why a Litter Pick?

Scotland has a litter problem. Take a look the next time you walk outside and you’ll be hard pushed to miss it. Cigarette butts, takeaway wrappers, crisp bags, cans and cartons, newspapers, ATM slips, chewing gum. You name it, and it’s on our streets and motorways, in our parks and our lochs, up our mountains, on our beaches and on your doorstep!

Our local Council does a pretty good job keeping on top of the bulk of our rubbish but the fact is that if we want to live in an attractive village it’s down to all of us to keep it that way. We can’t always rely on someone else to come along and clean up the mess for us. If each of us picks up just one item of rubbish blowing around our streets each day, it will help keep on top of a perennial problem.


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Events News

Pencaitland Litter Pick 2013 Countdown: Day 3 — Dog Fouling

We are fortunate in Pencaitland in generally having responsible pet owners who clear up after their dogs.

Clean Up Scotland & the Dogs Trust work together to promote Poop Scoop Week later this year.
Clean Up Scotland & the Dogs Trust work together to promote Poop Scoop Week later this year.
However, sometimes doggy deposits do make it onto our local pavements and paths. Owners can get free poop scoop bags from the local Post Office and then pop it into one of the public bins.

It’s a dog’s life

There are between 6.5 and 7.4 million dogs in the UK, producing a hard-to-believe 1,000 tonnes of poo per day. It has been estimated that, in a ten year life span, the average dog produces a half tonne of waste!

In recent research into public attitudes to littering carried out by Keep Scotland Beautiful, 69 percent of people rated dog fouling as the item on our streets, parks and beaches that bothered them most, with 13 percent of the people blaming dog owners for the problem.

The Dog Fouling (Scotland) Act 2003 came into force in 2003 which empowers police officers and authorised local authority officers to issue fixed penalty notices. A Fixed Penalty Fine for not picking up after a dog starts at £40, rising to £60. If the fine is not paid, owners can be convicted and end up paying up to £500. Probably not worth it for the cost of a free poop scoop bag from the Post Office!

The Dogs Trust and Keep Scotland Beautiful jointly promote National Poop Scoop Week throughout Scotland each summer.

As ever, East Lothian Council has its own small team of Dog Wardens with plenty of information to be found here.

Come to your Litter Pick

As with past years the Litter Pick action kicks off from 2pm in Pencaitland’s Trevelyan Hall. Groups or families turning up will be given litter pickers and bags before heading off to various parts of, not only Pencaitland, but hopefully some of the other areas covered by the Community Council.

Why a Litter Pick?

Scotland has a litter problem. Take a look the next time you walk outside and you’ll be hard pushed to miss it. Cigarette butts, takeaway wrappers, crisp bags, cans and cartons, newspapers, ATM slips, chewing gum. You name it, and it’s on our streets and motorways, in our parks and our lochs, up our mountains, on our beaches and on your doorstep!

Our local Council does a pretty good job keeping on top of the bulk of our rubbish but the fact is that if we want to live in an attractive village it’s down to all of us to keep it that way. We can’t always rely on someone else to come along and clean up the mess for us. If each of us picks up just one item of rubbish blowing around our streets each day, it will help keep on top of a perennial problem.


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Events News

Event: Local band The Domestics supports Nine Mile Burn gig in New Winton on 20th April

Two local bands are set to rattle the rafters for revellers at an up-coming gig in New Winton village hall in aid of the community venue.

Nine Mile Burn play New Winton Village Hall 20th April with support The Domestics
Nine Mile Burn play New Winton Village Hall 20th April with support The Domestics.
Nine Mile Burn was formed in 2007 and used to be called White Noize. They now specialise playing blues with a jazz influence. Meanwhile the Domestics have two vocalists from Pencaitland in the form of Stella Birrell and Lynn Fraser. They were most recently seen in action at a fundraiser held in Pencaitland Bowling Club in February.

Funds raised at the New Winton gig are to help maintain the hall and keep it open for community use. Tickets can be bought on the door for £5. From 7.30pm on Saturday the 20th of April 2013. Cost of entry includes tea or coffee and a raffle. Bring your own bottle.


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Events News

Pencaitland Litter Pick 2013 Countdown: Day 5

Each day until Sunday we’re counting down to Pencaitland’s Annual Litter Pick with an interesting trash factoid. Please come & be a part of the pick!

A stray drinks can on a riverside footpath to Winton House. Click to get details on Sunday's Litter Pick.
A stray drinks can on a riverside footpath to Winton House. Click to get details on Sunday’s Litter Pick.
A national recording programme found litter in 80% of the sites it visited. Worse still, it found cigarette butts on 70% of the streets it visited. Did you know that each one takes 12 long years to decompose?

Come to your Litter Pick

As with past years the Litter Pick action kicks off from 2pm in Pencaitland’s Trevelyan Hall. Groups or families turning up will be given litter pickers and bags before heading off to various parts of, not only Pencaitland, but hopefully some of the other areas covered by the Community Council.

Why a Litter Pick?

Scotland has a litter problem. Take a look the next time you walk outside and you’ll be hard pushed to miss it. Cigarette butts, takeaway wrappers, crisp bags, cans and cartons, newspapers, ATM slips, chewing gum. You name it, and it’s on our streets and motorways, in our parks and our lochs, up our mountains, on our beaches and on your doorstep!

Our local Council does a pretty good job keeping on top of the bulk of our rubbish but the fact is that if we want to live in an attractive village it’s down to all of us to keep it that way. We can’t always rely on someone else to come along and clean up the mess for us. If each of us picks up just one item of rubbish blowing around our streets each day, it will help keep on top of a perennial problem.


Categories
Events News

Pencaitland Litter Pick takes place Sunday 21st April

Pencaitland Community’s annual Litter Pick is set for this coming Sunday. Come and spend an hour or two making your area beautiful.

A stray Snickers wrapper caught in the wire fencing in Wester Pencaitland. Come along on Sunday and help make your village a little more litter free. LOCATION: Trevelyan Hall TIME: 2pm + Refreshments & prize draw.
A stray Snickers wrapper caught in the wire fencing in Wester Pencaitland. Come along on Sunday and help make your village a little more litter free. LOCATION: Trevelyan Hall TIME: 2pm + Refreshments & prize draw. Click the photo for more information.
As with past years the action kicks off from 2pm in Pencaitland’s Trevelyan Hall. Groups or families turning up will be given litter pickers and bags before heading off to various parts of, not only Pencaitland, but hopefully some of the other areas covered by the Community Council. We’re particularly keen to have groups or families who want to cover Glenkinchie or New Winton this year.

Then, once your area has been covered, pop on back to Trevelyan Hall with your haul of flotsam and jetsam where there will be refreshments and the opportunity for anyone under 16 to participate in our free Prize Draw for a fabulous compact Digital Camera. This year it’s a Nikon L25 and it comes with a memory card and case too.

Bring your Camera

If you have a camera please grab some photos during your Litter Pick and email them to us at website@pencaitland.org where we will then feature them on the website.