Fresh bid to find cash for North Edinburgh projects

ANGRY residents have hit out at the “severe” impact of funding of £600,000 of cuts from projects providing vital services to older people, the disabled and victims of abuse in North Edinburgh.

Pilton community Health Project co-ditrectors Jen Richards and Helen Scammell. Pic: Lisa Ferguson

Politicians who appeared on the platform at a public meeting organised by the Save Our Services campaign were accused of “letting down” the community.

But the meeting ended with a pledge from deputy council leader and Forth councillor Cammy Day to bring together the local authority, health board and Scottish Government in a bid to find some cash.

The cuts by the Edinburgh Integration Joint Board, responsible for health and social care, came as a shock when they were announced just before Christmas.

Seven projects in the area are affected - Pilton Community Health Project, Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre, Muirhouse Millennium Centre, Pilton Equalities Project, North West Carers, North Edinburgh Timebank and the Almond Mains Initiative.

Julie Smith, who chaired the meeting, said there it had never been suggested the organisations were not doing a good job or were not needed.

“These cuts have come out of nowhere. There doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason to them given they were supporting all the government and council targets on reducing inequality and poverty and social isolation.”

She said no equality impact assessment had been carried out. And she argued money could always be found somehow. “This is about priorities. It’s working class women who are taking the hit for this. We have people in our community who are hungry and it’s 2019. We cannot let that happen.”

Roy Douglas, from the Muirhouse Millennium Centre, said: “It is going to impact this community severely. People who have been out of work for ages are not going to go out the door now because there’s no projects for them to go to, there’s no help for them to go to.”

One man cited the success of protesters who overturned Midlothian Council’s plans to scrap school music tuition. “We need to be prepared to take some direct action to say we are not having it.”

He said some service users had been left in tears over the funding withdrawal. “They can’t believe their support is being taken away. They can’t believe anyone would do that.”

And a woman took aim at the politicians on the platform - councillors Cammy Day and Ellie Bird and Edinburgh Northern & Leith MSP Ben Macpherson. She said: “We feel you have let us down. We elected you to look out for us and look at what has happened on your watch.”

Former councillor Lesley Hinds suggested the council, health board and the Scottish Government could each contribute a share of the £600,000 through match funding.

Cllr Day said representatives of the three bodies needed to be brought together to come up with the money. “I will commit to try to make that meeting happen.”

Mr Macpherson said there was an obligation on all the local politicians to work together for the community.