SUMMER 2015 In this issue: Page Page Page A welcome for Housing support Craft Café 3 Robin 11 in Edinburgh 16 Exhibition A Wonderful Abbeyhill Local schoolchildren receive their book tokens in appreciation for their hard work Angela Kennedy, Housing Officer layout of the area years ago. The Project Manager for this commission and the artists were spoilt for A great example of Viewpoint The initiative choice. In an attempt to attract volunteers to assist Mark, The grand opening of the mural took place on 29 working in partnership to improve we raised cash for the Abbeyhill P6 and P7 children May and we will have photos in your next edition of who were part of a day of action to clean graffiti in our community: An anti-graffiti Newspoint. our area. We raised over £500 to provide a £20.00 initiative book token to each child who worked that day. Although extremely hard work, I’m sure all who participated will agree, we had a lot of fun, shared ark Robinson, Community Safety Officer from Our CEO, Dorry McLaughlin, donated generously precious memories and learnt of the hard work our the City Centre & Leith Neighbourhood Office on behalf of Viewpoint to get us up and running. M Community Safety Team does for the local area, has been leading an anti-graffiti initiative in the area We also had a bring and buy sale with home made and to top it off we got rid of unsightly graffiti and and popped in to Croft an Righ to tell us about the baking and a great turnout of our tenants meant we replaced with a mural of which we’ve all been part. project. met our target. Many thanks also to all who donated. Many thanks to the City of Edinburgh Council for The first stage of the project took place in the week We also provided a buffet for the adult volunteers investing in our area, the tenants at Croft an Righ of 23 March and was part of an over arching “Week at Croft an Righ Cafe to keep the sugar levels up for for their dedication and donations to the project, of Action” organised by the City Centre Community the busy day ahead and the costs were covered by but most of all to Mark Robinson for his grit and Safety Team for Abbeyhill. This was in response to the City of Edinburgh Council. This was also a great determination to ensure this was successful! a request for a Neighbourhood Partnership approach opportunity for the community to see our fabulous to problems raised by a constituent of Cllr Karen complex and meet the Housing Officers, Housing Doran. Coordinators and Catering staff. Our visitors didn’t Graffiti in Abbeyhill has been an issue, mostly even know we existed and we wasted no time because of the large tags that appear on the double showing the community round and talking through arches of Abbeyhill Bridge. We at Croft an Righ the services we provide for our over 60s residents. related to this. We love our complex, beautiful The next stage of the project involved the installation common areas, fantastic gardens and our Croft an of a mural on the underpass at Abbeyhil. The Righ Café. However, our little piece of heaven was mural, painted by local artists, has been inspired being ruined by selfish individuals who paint their by local history stories, photos and memories of “tag” everywhere, so I was very interested when the area. Our tenants happily volunteered to share Mark approached me to help raise awareness of the their memories; it was wonderful to listen to their Croft an Righ tenants brainstorm ideas for the project and offered to help in any way I could. accounts of historic events, local history and the mural 1 | viewpoint.org.uk @viewpointha Contents Editorial Page Our friends in Hello Readers! 5 the North Page Welcome, Readers, to your Summer 2015 Newspoint! Introducing ur front page article is a fine There are also a number of new tenants are increasingly speaking up! our new staff O example of a new area that staff and each has enclosed some Note the results of the survey are 6 Viewpoint staff and tenants are biographical details so that we can all enclosed with this issue. reaching into. This is: integrating and know them a little better! There are lots of exercise classes Page working with local communities to The conversion at Head Office, the happening! Do feel free to join in – Future influence outcomes in the immediate annex to St Raphael’s, is completed such an important part of good health environment. Tenants should feel 10 planning: and the result is quite impressive. – even if it means travelling to another empowered by the ability to not Cunningham House offers 12 new complex; details are included with Dementia flats only have a say in the quality of their bedspaces and will be run by staff each description. And don’t forget to Housing Association but also in the from St Raphael’s alongside newly send us your creative items, poems, improvement of their local area. We recruited staff. jokes, recipes! Page hope you enjoy the story and that Tenant there will be more in the near future. The Tenant Satisfaction Survey Have a wonderful summer, Readers! referred to in the last issue is now It looks like it might be a scorcher! Scrutiny The main interview in this issue is 15 completed, and tenants returned their with a new Board member, Robin update forms at a response rate of 59%, Barnes, who is a Viewpoint tenant. It which is the highest of any tenant will be interesting to hear eventually returns! Thank you to everyone who The Editorial Group his experiences in the post and of any participated – it’s very encouraging. unique contributions that a tenant can Dallas Arnold Correction Evidently, there was a higher than make to the Board. Anne McCarry We regret the heading of last normal return of the last rent cards, Newspoint was incorrect – “Spring too. We are really pleased that Melissa Esquerre 2014”, needless to say, should have been “Spring 2015”! People Old Farm Court Gardening Club: Sharing tips for best quality blooms Jenny MacKenzie admire the display. I hope to WO keen gardeners had have an even better dahlia Ta lot to talk about when show this year. Viewpoint Chief Executive “The work of the Gardening Dorry McLaughlin called by the Club is popular and I want greenhouse at Old Farm Court. to thank those thoughtful tenants who have made Dahlias were a hot topic of donations, sometimes very conversation, with seedlings generously, to help us keep the for courgettes, oriental greens cultivated beds up to date. It’s and pak choi, running close very encouraging to us.” seconds. Dorry had her own good Tenant and former landscape gardening stories to tell gardener, George Whyte, and enjoyed the animated intrigued Dorry with his under- conversation. She said: the-stairs tip for keeping dahlia “I can potter in my own bulbs dry over the winter greenhouse and garden for months. His last summer most of any weekend. It’s a show of many colours won great way to relax. praise and delight from residents both within and “I’m very pleased that without the complex. some tenants are also able to experience the fun of George said: “It was very nice gardening. I know that their to hear the appreciation from work makes walking about the my fellow tenants, and to see complex both interesting and them making regular trips to enjoyable for other tenants.” 2 | viewpoint.org.uk @viewpointha A welcome for Robin as he champions everyman Jenny Mackenzie, Old Farm Court and I’ve learned that both confrontation and secrecy became instructive to always get it right. If you got EW Viewpoint Board member Robin Barnes, are completely ineffective. You must give people it wrong, it could cost money or cause an accident. Nwho brings an entirely tenant perspective to the information, allow them to understand your vision, There was immediacy to it that I always keep with mix, is a man of many layers and experiences. A plan or action – where it comes from and the steps me. ” resident of St Albans, Grange and deputy-chair of the you are taking to realise it. Of course confidentiality Then, later, as a curator in Cramond, Robin main representative body, the VTRG, for two years, is required at times, but too much causes all sorts of researched, gave tours and promoted the Lauriston he comes with an interesting CV. problems which can only escalate in time. property that had been gifted to the nation. Today “I see my role as that of a bridge, between the he regularly has articles published on road and rail Twenty five years spent working in the airline Board, which must focus on strategic decision- transport. This capacity to do a range of things well industry, and another 27 as resident curator at making aimed at a prosperous future, and tenants, will benefit the Viewpoint Board. Lauriston House means that Robin has a whole who have a range of interests and concerns related range of skills that he can bring to the table to “I always focused on not being too focused on just to their security and well-being. It is possible to represent tenants and their interests. one career or even just one point of view,” he says. strike a balance between those two goals and it will “I’ve travelled widely in my work and I found that They all boil down to one, actually.