Cables Wynd, known affectionately as the Banana Flats, is an iconic building in Leith. A diverse community resides there and they have been actively trying to make much-needed improvements to the building, one of the most frequently voiced issues was the lifts in the building often breaking, being unreliable and people getting trapped in them.
People living in the flats with mobility issues couldn’t leave the building, children were scared to go in the lifts, parents living in the higher levels of the flat couldn’t take prams into the lifts and using the stairs would be impracticable.
The residents used every avenue to fix this as part of the flats refit, Edinburgh impracticable. The residents used every avenue to get this fixed as part of the flats’ refit. Edinburgh Council’s view was as the lifts were upgraded in 1982 and 2020 there are no plans to replace the lifts. The residents group, supported by Bethany Christian Trust, were invited to make a deputation to Edinburgh council on the 27th June.
YMCA Edinburgh works with some of the younger residents of the flats in our outdoor play groups, youth forums and activity groups. Working with Bethany Christian Trust we interviewed these young people to get their views on the flats and produced a video that can be used to tell their story.
The young people’s voice was central and highlighted how much their quality of life was being impacted by the faulty lifts. The strength and clarity of the young people’s message was heard by the council and a motion to cost replacement lifts was passed unanimously.
YMCA Edinburgh is committed to making The Promise Scotland a reality for the young people we work with. As part of this commitment, we worked with the young people who use our services to create The Equals.
The Equals is a youth forum that is helping to shape YMCA service delivery, creation and a space for young people to use their voice. The forum was named by the members and meets monthly to look at whats important to the young people we work with. The success of the forum has inspired the creation of a Cables Wynds youth forum.