How YOU can become the voice for your area

Monday 31 August marks the start of the 2009 community council election period.

Community councils are looking for people who care about their neighbourhood and who want to make it better. By getting involved, you can become the voice of your area and speak out about community concerns and issues.

Each community council receives a grant from the Council to help fund activities and invest in issues you feel are important.

The Council, Police, health and the voluntary and community sectors all work together within the partnerships to enhance the quality of life in local neighbourhoods.

Community council members should be free of political bias and anybody of any race, gender or religion can get involved.

Nomination forms will be available from your returning officer at the end of August. A list of returning officers will be available on the Council’s and the Neighbourhood Partnership’s websites.

 Meet Giacomo Modica, chairman of Craigentinny/ Meadowbank community council

How did you get involved?

After setting up a successful youth club at Craigentinny community centre in 1995, I was asked to go to a working group to set up a new community council. We put an advert out for members and I’ve been chair since its launch in 1998. I am now the local representative at the Neighbourhood Partnership.

What does the community council deal with?

Everything from housing to environment, parks to roads. When residents feel they are not getting anywhere, they can come to us and we help them put forward complaints and suggestions to the Council.

We are involved in issues such as local planning, telephone masts and housing projects, where we can put in an objection if we feel it’s not suitable. But we also work with projects that help people get back into work, healthy eating and community safety – where we gave out personal alarms to elderly people. We support Alzheimer’s and dementia groups and Link Up, for women who are victims of physical abuse.

How can people get involved?

We would love to get fresh blood. Elections are coming up and we are looking for new people. I would like more youths to get involved and I’m currently trying to set up a new youth workers’ forum to find out the kind of projects that interest young people.

Need to know

For more information, contact craig-meadowcc@hotmail.co.uk
To find out about community councils, visit www.edinburgh.gov.uk/internet/city_living