The Sinking of the Ark

 

Photo: Wikicommons

Despite providing a vital service to Edinburgh’s homeless, the Ark Cafe was forced to close this summer after its annual funding was stopped by the council. The Skinny asked those affected what the future holds…

Over the cacophony created by many people talking in a large uncarpeted room, Bruce Wiseman hands over a bacon roll with a bit of friendly banter. Up to the day I meet him, he had been volunteering at the Ark Café, working from 7am to 12pm, cooking food. Handsome and clean-shaven, neatly dressed and eloquent, he is not your stereotypical notion of a homeless person.

Wiseman is one of the 110 people who depended on the facilities provided by the Ark Trust canteen, which operated to support the homeless and those threatened by homelessness. But these desperately needed services are no longer available after Edinburgh Council withdrew the funding it granted to the Trust at the end of June.

“Before I started volunteering here, I was just a service user. I came in here to get out, have a coffee and a chat. Since I started here, I’ve got my confidence and self-worth back, I’ve got my get-up-and-go back.” Wiseman then confides: “When this place goes I don’t know what I’m going to do.”

For 70 years the Ark Café on New Street provided cheap food, clothes, toiletries, telephone and fax facilities, and housing advice to those on the front lines of homelessness.

All these resources have disappeared since the council withdrew the £167,000 funding the Ark receives per year.

Edinburgh Peace and Justice Centre – New Vision

 

Photo: Edinburgh Peace and Justice Centre

The Edinburgh Peace and Justice Centre pledged to work towards a peaceful and just society, according to their new Vision Statement released today.

The Centre, located in St. John’s Church’s basement terrace, has also pledged to become widely known throughout Scotland as an independent and accessible provider of trustworthy information on relevant events and issues.

Janet Fenton, coordinator, said: “We have gone through a visionary process, and we need to interact more, and make more of an effort to attract the attention of the mainstream media.”

The Centre publishes a monthly newsletter, which accepts contributions and advertises events. Their website contains articles and a calendar of past and upcoming events.

Fenton said: “I see us as providing reliable and trustworthy information, not influenced by anyone trying to gain control, power or money.”

The Centre is run by volunteers, and is committed to causes such as non-violence, finding alternatives to war, and ecological responsibility.

Fenton said: “Our main activity is networking, providing links for individuals and groups. We initiate events, and work in partnerships with other organizations.”

The Centre provides a meeting place, and groups without a permanent base can use the Centre as a postbox.

Part of Scotland For Peace, one of the major upcoming event for the Centre is the Long Walk For Peace. The walk covers 85 miles from Faslane to the Scottish Parliament, and aims to encourage the Scottish Parliament to speak out against any new nuclear weapons.

The centre houses a library owned by the Edinburgh Peace and Justice Education Centre. The library is free and books are available to loan. The Education Centre has been involved in projects such as mediating conflicts between neighbours. While the Education Centre has charitable status, the Resource Centre doesn’t, and relies on contributions.

Fenton said: “We rely on goodwill and selling second-hand books. The difficulty with running the centre is we need to have complete autonomy. Not having charitable status allows us to be as subversive and political as we need to be.”

Originally published May 2005

Management change at Veritas

By Paul McCormack

Napier University’s student newspaper, Veritas, will release its 100^th issue today ahead of the announcement that Editor-in-chief, Allan Berry has resigned.

The news has prompted the Veritas team to consider re-shaping the conventional management practice to a system where four editors have an equal say in the papers decision making process.

Edinburgh Ethical Christmas Fayre

While Christmas usually ushers in rampant, unfettered consumerism, here’s an option that will let you rest easy at night.

Published December 11 2008 on Edinburgh Napier Rolling News