Kirkmichael FREE | Issue Number 1
Hello... A
big ‘hello’ from the committee of Kirkmichael Community Development Group (KCDG) and welcome to the first issue of the Kirkmichael Voice, our newsletter. We hope you’ll find something of interest in the following pages and we’re very keen to hear your feedback and ideas for future newsletters. There are lots of ways you can get involved with KCDG – we’re keen to welcome new members on board. We’d be pleased to see you at our committee meetings, but we know some folk aren’t keen on meetings. Maybe you’d like to get involved with the Gala Day or the bingo nights or organising other activities and outings. Perhaps fund raising or designing websites is your thing? Or could you help us design a logo for KCDG (see page 5)? If you just want to help in some way, but you’re not sure what you want to do yet – just get in touch (contact details on page 2) so we can talk through your ideas. Lastly, we need to say a big ‘thanks’ to everyone who’s helped us to produce this newsletter, particularly the Community Advertiser, Argyll & Bute Council, ACHA, Dunbritton, Police Scotland, Community Justice, NHS Highland and the Cricket and Rugby Football Club.
Inside... Design a Logo Competition Tell us what you want for Kirkmichael Touch Rugby & Music Project Kirkmichael Gala Day 2016 Bingo Nights
+ much more
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Kirkmichael Voice | Issue 1
Community Payback Making a difference C
ommunity Payback Teams have been doing a power of work in Kirkmichael cutting hedges and grass in various gardens in the community over the last couple of months. They’ve also tidied up around the changing rooms. Ruth Pryce, Unpaid Work Team Manager for Criminal Justice Service, added “The Community Payback Unpaid Work Team provides the facility for offenders sentenced to unpaid work by Courts to undertake this in their local community. “Unpaid work is a credible community based punishment and, in most cases, an alternative to custody. It provides an opportunity for individuals to pay back for the harm they have caused and in turn, hopefully develop new skills which will enhance their employability prospects. “Work undertaken is of clear tangible benefit to the community and does not deprive others of opportunities for paid employment.” If you need some help with your garden at NO cost, contact KCDG on 07340 546 265 and see what the team can do for you.
Useful Contacts Kirkmichael Community Development Group (KCDG): Check us out on Facebook (thanks Sarah!). 07340546265, kcdg2015@gmail.com. ACHA: www.acha.co.uk Lamont House, Stuckleckie Road, Kirkmichael, Helensburgh G84 7NL, 0800 0282755. Addaction: www.addaction.org.uk 0800 2061460, argyllbuteaddaction@ addaction.org.uk. Argyll and Bute Council, Helensburgh Service Point: 38 East Clyde Street, Helensburgh, 01546 605522. Argyll & Bute Council, Community Development: www.argyll-bute.gov.uk/communitylife-and-leisure/communitydevelopment, 01436 658735, communitydevelopment@argyll-bute. gov.uk Dunbritton Housing Association: 1st Floor, 32 High St, Dumbarton, G82 1LL www.scottishhousingconnections.org/ HA/Dunbritton, t: 01389 761486, admin@dunbritton.org.uk. Helensburgh Addiction Rehabilitation Team (HART): www.harthelensburgh.org.uk T: 01436 674653. Police Scotland: 101 or 999 in any emergency. Helensburgh Police Office, East King St, Helensburgh. HelensburghCentralCPT@scotland. pnn.police.uk
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Issue 1 | Kirkmichael Voice
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Kirkmichael Community Development Group (KCDG) By Stephen Coates, Chair of KCDG
Left to Right: Brian Titchener (Helensburgh Baptist Church and the Lighthouse Club), Cllr Aileen Morton, Stephen Coates (Chair), Sarah Kelly (member), Ray Kelly (member), Jeremy Young (Secretary), Adam Hart (Rugby Development officer) and Paul Cowin (Treasurer)
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group of us started to meet in early 2015 to see if we could rekindle interest in getting the community fired up again. I know we would all like to see more activities for children, families and older people in the area. There is nothing new about this effort as between 2010-2013 Kirkmichael Amateur Football Club ran a very successful team, becoming league champions. Also, Kirkmichael Sports & Recreation Association and Kirkmichael Tenants & Residents Association ran for years but both of these hit the buffers a year or two ago. For a while we had no community organisation in Kirkmichael, so, there seemed to be a gap to fill, especially with good facilities like the all-weather pitch lying unused. In addition, there is a lot of goodwill from external organisations, including Argyll & Bute Council, Dunbritton Housing Association, ACHA, Helensburgh Baptist Church, Police Scotland, Community Justice, the Cricket & Rugby Football Club, NHS Highland and others who want to see Kirkmichael flourish and are willing to help. All we need now is for folk in
the community to get involved and help KCDG to make some more positive changes in the community for all of us. What is needed is action, no matter how small. In the months since we started meeting, KCDG has been running bingo nights, a gala day and sports day. We have a constitution (an essential governance document) agreed, which allows us to open a bank account and submit funding applications. Any volunteers working with children or vulnerable adults need to be PVG cleared so there is a bit of paperwork to be completed before we can really get started. We have run eight bingo nights so far, and the proceeds have been put into the start-up funds for the group. We ran a kids’ activity morning on the 13 July 2015. We are planning to have a Gala Day on either Saturday 6 or 13 August 2016. To find out more about KCDG, like us on Facebook, email us at kcdg2015@gmail.com or phone 07340 546 265.
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Kirkmichael Voice | Issue 1
What Do You Want KCDG and Partner Organisations to do for Kirkmichael? By Stephen Coates, Chair of KCDG
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he KCDG committee would like to organise more events, projects and activities in Kirkmichael, but we need you to tell us what you want us to do. Tell us what you like about Kirkmichael and what you don’t like. Can you help KCDG to achieve its aims (see article on our Constitution)?
The Gala Day has been a great event for the community for years now.
Please email your thoughts and ideas to kcdg2015@gmail.com and let us know if you’d like to get involved. A number of partner organisations (like the council, police, housing association, NHS, community payback and others) are keen to help and have set up a Kirkmichael Multi-agency Partnership to support us. This is the start of a new chapter for the area and I hope you’ll help us to make the most of the opportunities that could be available to us.
Kirkmichael Homework Club?
Some young people find it difficult to find a quiet place to complete their homework and study for exams. A partial solution to this could be, if there is sufficient demand, to start a Homework Club, possibly in the Kirkmichael Learning Centre after school. This could provide a warm, quiet place for the young people to do their homework and revise for exams. Is this an idea you support? If enough young people and parents contact us (see Page 2 for contact details) about this we’ll look into how we can deliver it.
Gala Day 2016
KCDG has pencilled in Saturday 6 or 13 August 2016 for the next Kirkmichael Gala Day and we’re keen for local people to get involved in organising the event. For the last two years, Helensburgh Baptist Church has taken the lead in organising the Gala Days. In 2016 the Baptist Church is taking a supporting role and KCDG will be leading so we’ll need help to make it a success and a positive event for the whole community. Please get in touch with us if you’d like to help with the Gala Day. We’re looking for a sponsor for the Gala Day! Please let KCDG know if you can help.
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Issue 1 | Kirkmichael Voice
Competition Design a Logo for KCDG
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irkmichael Community Development Group (KCDG) needs a logo for the Facebook page, future newsletters and marketing materials. Can you help? The winning designer could work alongside the Community Advertiser and the KCDG to finish the logo. We’re looking for a simple design that’s upbeat, colourful and adaptable. The prizes for the winning design are a place at an Ultimate Sports Camp and a Rugby Camp if the winner is aged between 5-14 or, if the winner is over 14 years-ofage, a £25 voucher is up for grabs. Submit your logo design ideas and contact details to kcdg2015@gmail.com or drop them into the Kirkmichael Centre for the attention of Stephen Coates.
KCDG’s Constitution T
he objectives of KCDG are detailed in the Group’s Constitution. The Group’s aims are to support residents in the Kirkmichael area of Helensburgh to bring about positive change in their community by: Engaging with the wider Kirkmichael community to assess the needs and aspirations of the residents. Building the confidence and capacity of local residents to work in partnership with third sector and statutory organisations to deliver a range of community projects for the benefit of all.
Promoting activities that will encourage use of existing facilities in Kirkmichael, including the all-weather pitch, changing rooms, skate park and play park. Working with partners to provide information, resources, advice and support to individuals in Kirkmichael on a broad range of social welfare issues. Raising awareness of the range of social issues affecting the community of Kirkmichael and share information with stakeholders and partners.
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Kirkmichael Voice | Issue 1
Exercise your body and mind - Book your place In association with Helensburgh RFC and SKapade Studios. By Adam Hart, Rugby Development officer
Mark Ashdown, Scottish Rugby modern apprentice with Adam Hart
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elensburgh Cricket and Rugby Football Club are delighted to announce that we are working in partnership with KCDG to deliver touch rugby and music sessions in your area this year. The project will hopefully be launched this April with SKapade Studios playing a vital role.We plan to deliver a 6-week block of touch rugby followed by DJ/music lessons from the 25th April. Superstar DJ Stephen Kirkwood has played in Ibiza, is set to play in an Amsterdam arena for 7,000 people and has signed to some of the biggest record labels in the world. He is the first DJ of his calibre to run workshops for young people in the area. The rugby sessions will last one hour and the DJ workshop will be an hour and a half.This project will be open to all children from P5 – S4 and we will welcome parents along for the final week so the children can showcase their sporting talent, as well as their new found musical proficiency. The touch rugby component is confirmed, but funding will be sought from the Helensburgh & Lomond Health & Wellbeing Network to support the DJ/ music element of the project, so fingers crossed for that. If you or your child is interested in taking part in these sessions please contact me, Adam Hart, either by email (ahartrugby@outlook. com) or phone (07875047146). I look forward to hearing from you ahead of this unique initiative being run for your community.
Let’s Get Using Our 1G Sports Pitch By Stephen Coates, KCDG Chair KCDG is currently negotiating with Argyll & Bute Council about how to increase the use of Kirkmichael’s 1G pitch. The pitch has floodlights and is marked out for 7-a-side or 9-a-side football with goals. Hockey is also possible. There are changing rooms with showers and a porta cabin is available for light refreshments (tea/coffee). Sports equipment (football, cricket, rugby, netball, and hockey) is also available. We’ll keep you up-to-date on our progress with the Council on this.
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Keeping Communities Safe and Secure By Rod Buchanan, Local Manager, ACHA
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ll partners in the Kirkmichael Multi-Agency Partnership are keen to work with the community to ensure residents live in a safe, secure and attractive place that meets their needs in a way that embraces a broad range of lifestyles. Where residents cause anti-social behaviour, a number of actions can be taken to alleviate the situation. Often complaints can be resolved at an early stage by improving lines of communication between neighbours. Argyll Community Housing Association (ACHA) and Dunbritton HA are both Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) and between them have around 200 tenancies in Kirkmichael. In addition, there are around 100 privately owned or rented properties. RSLs have procedures in place to enable them to enforce the tenancy conditions of their tenants. Some of these actions can also be taken if the perpetrator of the anti-social behaviour is not an RSL tenant, and the Council also have
powers they can invoke in such cases. Such actions may include: Interviewing and writing to the person(s) involved; Interviewing the complainant to ensure it is clear what is being complained about and to see if there may be other ways to resolve the situation; Stressing the terms of the tenancy conditions; Involving 3rd parties, where appropriate, including Police Scotland, environmental health, health services, social work; Mediation with trained independent mediation services; and Following up persistent or very serious cases with legal action which could involve seeking an Anti-Social Behaviour Order (ASBO) against the perpetrator or taking legal action for the repossession of the property. Serious issues should always be reported to the Police.
Police Scotland I
nspector Coleen Wylie is your local Community Inspector, based at Helensburgh Police office. Kirkmichael residents report increasing concerns regarding anti-social behaviour and youth disorder in the area. By listening to and providing reassurances to residents, we have increased our patrols in the area and are using robust enforcement procedures. Police Scotland will work closely with the RSLs, the council and other partners to meet the aims of the Partnership and the wishes of Kirkmichael residents.
Local Community Inspector, Coleen Wylie will be working closely with Kirkmichael residents
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s ie it iv t c A & s t Even Kirkmichael Community Development Group – Committee Meeting Kirkmichael Centre Thursday 18 February, 7-9pm, KCDG Bingo Night Kirkmichael Centre In February and every two months thereafter in 2016. Dates to be confirmed. Fun First – Drop in session Kirkmichael Centre Tuesday mornings between 9.30-11.30am during term-time. Cricket & Rugby Football Club Touch Rugby & Music Sessions Starting on April 25 (see page 6). Make Do and Mend- Beginners Sewing Class Kirkmichael Centre Term time. For more information call 01436 658740. Work Club/Computer Skills – Drop in Session and Breakfast Kirkmichael Centre Thursday mornings between 10am-12noon during term time. 01436 658740.
Bingo Nights By Tricia Surgenor KCDG has been running Bingo Nights at the Kirkmichael Centre for nearly a year and we plan to run them every two months in 2016, starting in February. By November 2015, we had raised £496 and we hope to be able to organise a trip or an evening out for our Bingo regulars and older people in the community. I would like to thank the following companies who have kindly donated prizes on a regular basis: Boots Chemist, Logie Baird, Joe Callaghan, Tesco, Co-op and Beauty Within. Also, thanks to all who have come along to the bingo to join in and help us raise these funds.
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