Pencaitland Community Council

Pencaitland Community Council, which covers Boggs Holdings, New Winton and Peastonbank/Glenkinchie, is seeking a person to take on the role of Community Council Secretary. The post includes a regular financial allowance.

Pencaitland Community Council represents the local community, seeking to liaise with other local bodies and East Lothian Council. This includes ten Community Council meetings a year which take place on the last Wednesday evening of the month.

The role involves minuting the Community Council’s ten meetings and managing and re-distributing correspondence. This is increasingly delivered via email. You can see a recent example of the Community Council’s minutes here.

In the last year the Community Council has made much greater use of the web and social media to update the local population of news and events. As well as this website, the Community Council can be found on both Facebook and Twitter. Whilst not part of the post, training will be given to any Secretary interested in this area.

If you would like to know more about what’s involved please contact the current Secretary Nicky Neighbour. Nicky steps down this September but would be delighted to tell those interested in the post about what’s involved. She can be contacted on 01875 340 115 or by emailing secretary@pencaitland.org.

Pencaitland Community Council

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Anyone familiar with the pencaitland.org website will know that it includes a ‘what’s on‘ section for local dates and community activities.

If you run or take part in regular events open to the public, such as kid’s playgroups or music and dance classes, don’t forget to send details of when and where to website@pencaitland.org. We will then include the supplied information in the public calendar on the community website.

So send us the date and we’ll do the rest…

Pencaitland Community Council

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We’ve had reports that the two drama classes being offered by Natasha Phoenix this September, in Pencaitland’s Bowling Club, are filling fast.

Classes start on the 4th September with two groups – ‘Fledglings‘ for primary 2,3 and 4 kids starts at 3.45pm – ‘Fliers‘ for primary 5,6 and 7 kids begins at 4.45pm.

If you want to ensure your child secures a place then contact Natasha on 07961 964377 or email natasha.phoenix@btinternet.com.

Visit the website at http://www.phoenixdrama.blogspot.co.uk

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Pencaitland Community Council

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The Community Council has recently been approached by village members keen to see both a local garden club and possibly garden open days take place in and around Pencaitland.

Are you a keen gardener? Would you like to works with others of a similar mind to help improve the community environment by sharing your skills, knowledge and expertise?

The Community Council is keen to hear from you if you would like to help. Please send your contact information to website@pencaitland.org or phone 01875 340 641.

Pencaitland Community Council

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We’ve had reports that a number of people have recently discovered head lice (or nits) on their children and/or themselves.

If you don’t know how to detect them we recommend you read the following information on the NHS Choices website…

“Head lice are tiny wingless insects that live in human hair. They are common, particularly in children.

Head lice only affect humans and cannot be passed on to animals or be caught from them.“

For details on life cycle, detection and treatment visit the NHS Choices website

Nits are tenacious critters. Kids with an all-clear one week can easily pick up an infestation playing with other children. So it’s best to frequently check for evidence by regularly combing with a specialist nit brush. Head cleanliness provides no advantage or protection.

If you discover a member of your family is affected, ensure that you tell anyone you or your family have been in recent contact with. This will reduce the chances of reinfestation.

Lastly, do not share hair brushes between family members. Ensure everyone uses their own comb or brush.

Good luck…

Pencaitland Community Council

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Pencaitland resident Natasha Phoenix has firmed up dates for the first round of drama classes being held in the village Bowling Club. Check out her new website for further details.

As we reported in May local mum and Primary school Teacher Natasha Phoenix is planning to bring drama classes to kids from all over Fa’side.

After school classes begin on the 4th September based in Pencaitland’s Bowling Club, with Primary 2, 3 and 4 kids at 3.40pm and Primary 5, 6 and 7′s at 4.40pm.

But these sessions are about much more than learning lines, aiming to provide a club which offers fun, quality experiences for children who feel involved, valued and respected. The aim is to use a child-centred approach to planning, using the kids’ imaginations and interests as starting points. Lastly, it goes into teaching Neuro Linguistic Programming and Emotional Literacy skills and strategies, offering children enhanced life skill learning.

For further details on price and availability you can contact Phoenix Drama Club by emailing Natasha at natashaphoenix0@gmail.com or visit the brand new website.

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Pencaitland Community Council

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Traffic plays a big part in the concerns of many locals. In an effort to have a number of issues addressed the Community Council sought the recommendations of East Lothian Council’s Transport department. Here’s the suggestions it came up with in response to this request.

1. Easter Pencaitland Roundabout: Entering Pencaitland from the Haddington road ELC is proposing a roundabout with a proper central island. The current recommendation would necessitate relocating the war memorial and seating to a different corner. Additionally speed restrictions would be extended so that the 30mph limit would not cease until after leaving the village and would come into force before entering.

2. Pencaitland village road (Easter): After entering the village ELC is proposing traffic calming measures which are a combination of road narrowing and forming parking bays to the south side of the road in two locations.

3. Wester Pencaitland: Entering Wester Pencaitland ELC is proposing to move the speed restriction signs further west so that they come into force before vehicles arrive at houses. Additionally, in the run-up to the 30mph speed sign there would be 3 sets of rumble strips.

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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

Pencaitland Community Council

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With the spate of what can at times seem like endless amounts of rain over East Lothian, we thought we’d reproduce this handy advice on flooding from ELC. Hopefully it will not be needed any time soon.

What information is available if there is flooding in the area?

SEPA (Scottish Environment Protection Agency) runs FLOODLINE, the recorded telephone and website service that provides information on the latest risk of river and coastal flooding in Scotland.

The FLOODLINE number is 0845 988 1188 and callers to that number can hear Flood Alerts or Warnings in force for their area, telling them when potential flooding is forecast, as well as general advice on how to prepare for, or cope with flooding.

You can also sign up to the Floodline service, so when SEPA issues a Flood Alert or Warning for your area you can receive it directly to your phone via text message or voicemail, giving you time to take action.

For more info about how to prepare for severe weather and coping during it, visit Ready Scotland

Flood prevention

Householders are reminded that it is their responsibility to make sure they have their own floodwater prevention equipment such as sandbags and floodgates. These can be bought from DIY stores.

More information is available on the SEPA website at Be Flood Prepared.

Floodwater

Take extra care if you have to cross deep or fast flowing water which can hide other dangers or be contaminated and dangerous to health. Don’t allow pets to drink or play in it and wash your hands if you come into contact with the water.

Concern for the community

Try and be a good neighbour. Keep an eye on those around you, particularly older people, and anyone with disabilities or young children.

What is the council’s role during severe weather?

East Lothian Council works with its partners in health, the police, the emergency services, the voluntary sector and the Scottish Government to make sure that as many services as possible are maintained. Its priority is to ensure that those at the most risk and the most need receive attention first. So, during periods of severe weather, it asks people to be patient, take care and keep up to date with what’s happening by using ELC’s pages on its website.

You can also phone ELC’s Contact Centre on 01875 824 305. Bear in mind that the high volume of calls to the Contact Centre during severe weather means you may spend a little time in its call-waiting system.

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Recent video of flooding in Haddington

This post is based on original advice posted on the ELC website here.

Pencaitland Community Council

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Following the 2012 elections of Councillors to East Lothian Council, the Fa’side ward gained a new face in Shamin Akhtar (LAB).

Shamin’s constituency surgeries were recently published. If you have any issues you’d like to raise you can see Shamin at the following times and places…

Shamin has lived in Pencaitland since 2007, moving to the village from Musselburgh with her partner Ryan and their two young children in Limekilns. After graduating from the University of Abertay, Dundee in Biotechnology she was elected President of her Students’ Association, going on to be elected the President of the National Union of Students Scotland. Shamin has subsequently spent much of her career in the voluntary and community sector, including more than a decade working for SCVO, the national umbrella body for Scottish charities. She has also volunteered with a wide range of charities and community groups over the last 20 years including Chair of a national housing organisation. Closer to home, Shamin has supported Pencaitland playgroup and volunteered with the school’s PTA.

Shamin Akhtar Contact info

John Muir House
Haddington
EH41 3HA
Tel: 01620 827019/07718669395
Fax: 01620 827180
Email: sakhtar@eastlothian.gov.uk

Councillors Jim Gillies, Donald Grant & Kenny Macleod

Details for Fa’side’s three recently re-elected councillors, their contact information and times of constituency surgeries, can be found on East Lothian Council’s website:

Jim Gillies (LAB)
Donald Grant (LAB)
Kenny Macleod (SNP)

Pencaitland Community Council

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