With schools set to hit the summer holidays in a few weeks you can’t leave it any longer to put together a programme of activities to keep the kids occupied and entertained.
You can view the summer programme online or download a copy here.East Lothian Council has now released its activities programme so that you can see what’s on and where it’s based. There’s plenty to choose – from Archaeology to 3D animation, surfing to mystery museums trail.
The 2013 East Lothian Council Summer Activities Programme lists hundreds of classes, courses, projects, fun and games for youngsters from pre-school age up to teens.
The Summer Activities Programme gives kids the pick of hundreds of activities from sport to arts, story telling to rock climbing and even gorge walking.
Activities run throughout the summer and cover both indoor and outdoor events so, whatever the weather, there is something on offer. Many activities are free or have a modest charge. Some require to be booked in advance, so check the programme carefully.
Copies of the free programme have been distributed to all East Lothian schools and further copies are also available at local libraries and sports centres. Alternatively you can view it online or download a copy here.
Midlothian Programme
If you live reasonably close to Midlothian then you might also be interested in the programme of activities being offered there. You can view Midlothian’s programme here. Dalkeith Community Campus is one of the closest venues and about the same distance from Pencaitland as the Aubigny Centre in Haddington.
East Lothian Council regularly calls for applications to each new round of its Civic Pride Fund. Applications are now being sought for new funding requests.
Applications from local community groups are sought to ELC’s Civic Pride Fund by 30 Nov 2012.East Lothian Council established the Civic Pride Fund in order to support projects that will improve the image of a town, village or local community, give it a sense of place and make it somewhere that local residents and visitors can be proud of.
Projects need to demonstrate community support and involvement and deliver two or more of the following criteria:
Make a material difference to the appearance of the town, village or local community
Enhance the natural setting and biodiversity of the open space in and around your local area
Celebrate something special or unique about the town, village or local community
Give the town, village or local community area a sense of place or identity
Locally Pencaitland Parish Church was a recent beneficiary, receiving £2,100 towards repairs to the church’s buildings. The grant from the Council’s Civic Pride Fund was used to repair the bowed leaded windows and cracked window panes to help keep the Grade A listed church weather tight. As Minister David Torrance said at the time of the award, “Through the centuries, the Church has stood as a symbol of faith and hope, serving families, groups and individuals in the local community, so maintaining the building is very important. We are pleased that this has been recognised by the Civic Pride Fund”.
Other awards around East Lothian have gone towards park improvements, plantings, renovation of local monuments, Village Hall improvements, new public seating, public sculpture and floodlights to name a few.
How to Apply
To apply to the fund applicants need to be properly constituted community groups, local heritage groups and voluntary organisations. The £50,000 Civic Pride Fund’s closing date for this funding round is 30 November 2012 with grants of up to a maximum of £20,000 potentially being awarded. Any requests for £5,000 or more require matched funding from a source other than the ELC. A copy of the application form can be found here.
Applications should be sent to:
Landscape & Countryside Manager
East Lothian Council
John Muir House
Brewery Park
Haddington
EH41 4HA
Want advice?
Do you have a community group project or idea in Pencaitland, New Winton or Glenkinchie which would benefit from financial support from the Civic Pride Fund? If you would like to discuss this with a member of your Community Council you can email website@pencaitland.org with your contact details and we will get in touch to help you develop your idea.
A ‘one stop shop’ website for sport in East Lothian is set to launch courtesy of the Healthy Living service in ELC, in partnership with Community Sport Hubs across the county.
Active East Lothian is meant to be the de facto tool for providing club information to the public. It will link all groups, involved in developing sport within their community, in one central place. It’s due to go live next Wednesday at http://www.activeeastlothian.co.uk/, though this is just a holding page at the moment.
Information on sports within each area will be at a communities’ fingertips including an easy activity search option, up to date news and events and information on community projects. There will also be resources on how to get involved in volunteering and coaching in the community.
The Active East Lothian website will provide resources for club sport on everything from child protection to funding, through its Community Sport Hub pages. All local East Lothian clubs will have access to this facility, provided they are engaged with their local Community Sport Hub.
This will give clubs the chance to share resources and expertise, find templates for administration and governance, create valuable relationships and partnerships between clubs and promote their club within the sporting community. This side of the Active East Lothian site is designed to create stronger, more sustainable and better connected clubs by making club management easier and more streamlined. This, along with their CSH membership, gives valuable club volunteers more time to spend on their sports.
One website for all sports in East Lothian
To create an effective website the Community Sport Hubs have been working to build the membership base, so that all sport clubs are represented — both in the hubs and on the Active East Lothian site. If you are part of a club and would like more information on Community Sport Hubs and how your club can be involved please contact Bengy Barsanti on 01875 619 069 or by email on bbarsanti@eastlothian.gov.uk
