Auchenback - Health and Open Space Study by GCV Green Network Partnership

Commissioned & Funded by:-

Glasgow and Clyde Valley Green Network Partnership, East Renfrewshire Council & East Renfrewshire Community Health and Care Partnership

Written by Halcrow Group Ltd

Halcrow Group Ltd, 16 Abercromby Place, Edinburgh, EH3 6LB 2

East Renfrewshire Council Auchenback Health and Open Space Project Contents Amendment Record This report has been issued and amended as follows: Issue

Revision

Description

Date

Signed

Draft Client Issue

March 08

EFM

Client Issue

30th April

EFM

Acknowledgements Thank you to the residents of Auchenback, Barrhead for making this study possible. Particular mention to the volunteers whose photos and comments are the basis of this project. We are also grateful to The ARC (Auchenback Resource Centre) for providing a base for the project and for hosting the exhibition, and to all the volunteers who donated their time to run the photography project

Contents Executive Summary 1. Introduction Background Scope of study Report format Definitions Summary of current academic research on health and physical activity

2. Background Outdoor space Audience Policy and organisation

3. Reaching the Audience in Auchenback Process and tools used Community engagement Participation techniques

4. Barriers and Enablers; The Communityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s View Enablers The audience Perceived barriers Detailed analysis

5. Schedule of Opportunities for Auchenback Objectives Opportunities Environment Activities Education Policy

6. The Toolkit Recommendations for future community involvement. Generic Toolkit

Appendices I Policy and organisational background II Management and current condition of open space III Participation methodology details. IV Summary of current research V Case studies

Executive Summary ‘As a nation, Scotland is inactive’. ‘The health of two-thirds of the Scottish adult population is now at risk from physical inactivity’. (Ref Let’s make Scotland more Active)

Research has shown that physical activity can make an important contribution to both physical and mental health. Throughout Scotland local, urban outdoor space is an underused resource with the potential to accommodate much of our daily physical activity.

This study seeks practical ways in which East Renfrewshire Council and other stakeholders can ensure that local outdoor space makes the greatest possible contribution to physical and mental health and wellbeing by helping everyone to be more active as part of their everyday lives. The study has been structured in the form of an Audience Development Plan, a framework for planning activities to increase access to open space. The study asked local people in Auchenback (East Renfrewshire) for their views on the barriers they experience to accessing outdoor space; what they think stops them getting out and being active. The audience in this study experience high levels of deprivation (10% SIMD) and marked health inequality. In Auchenback deaths due to coronary heart disease are 102% higher than the Scottish average. Auchenback is a low density residential neighbourhood encapsulating 77 hectares of open space including 12.6 hectares (16.5%) of roads and footways, 31 hectares (41%) of private gardens as well as 7.9 hectares (10.2%) of more traditional green space. In order to understand people’s views of the barriers and enablers to use of outdoor space the following participation techniques were piloted: People were invited to borrow a camera and take 10 photos of their outdoor activities and asked what made them active and also what discouraged them. Informal discussions and interviews were used to gather opinions An exhibition of the resident’s photos provided further opportunity to hear people’s views. Barriers are analysed under the following headings: Physical Barriers - The state of the outdoor environment e.g. dog fouling: graffiti: width of footways. Facilities, Opportunities, Activities, Services- e.g. lack of seats; no safe places to cycle; lack of targeted activities for all age groups. Perception and Behaviour – Social/cultural/emotional barriers e.g. fears about anti-social behaviour; loneliness; image. Organisational Barriers e.g. funding; communication with stakeholders. Building on the identification of the key barriers a schedule of opportunities was drawn up to make specific detailed recommendations for the study area of Auchenback. From this detailed work on Auchenback a Toolkit of transferable measures for wider implementation was developed. The toolkit includes a wide range of possible actions: Improvements to the outdoor environment and facilities Cleaner attractive streets Provide facilities for walking and cycling Improve and increase facilities for play and exercise for all ages. Provide facilities for social contact

Activities/groups/events/social capital Supporting the community in providing a range of opportunities. Seek opportunities for inter-generational projects. Create â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Active Community Co-ordinatorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. Providing Education, raising awareness and increasing motivation Change current perception of safety and security Raise awareness of the benefits of physical activity Shape Policy/Organisation objectives and services to include health and physical activity Incorporate a health remit across all Council services Undertake health impact assessments for all new projects.

If people throughout East Renfrewshire increase their levels of physical activity to the current government recommendations, it would result in approximately 11.5 million hours of activity a year. Local outdoor space presents an accessible and sustainable resource to accommodate this level of physical activity and contribute to improved physical and mental health and wellbeing outcomes. The key elements underpinning the proposals are:

To maximise the health benefits of the open space resource there is a need to recognise that health, wellbeing, and physical activity is relevant to the service delivery objectives of all community planning partners.

Protecting and enhancement of existing open space will be fundamental to accommodating increased physical activity levels for all. Undertaking Health Impact Assessments for existing and new open spaces, activities and developments will ensure increased levels of healthy physical activity can be accommodated.

Improved physical activity levels across the community will have positive impacts on the local and national economy.

Increasing physical activity levels (in East Renfrewshire) does not require significant capital investment and adds value to existing investment.

Good management and maintenance of existing open spaces can significantly contribute to accommodating increased physical activity levels (across East Renfrewshire)

Education and publicity will be fundamental to encouraging and maintaining increased physical activity.

Social networks are extremely valuable and should be encouraged and supported to help people feel encouraged and confident enough to use their local spaces and to explore the wider area to become physically active.

Open space has the potential to accommodate much of our daily physical activity. Physical activity does not have to be reliant upon formal sports and leisure facilities.

1 Introduction

1.1

Background

‘As a nation, Scotland is inactive’. ‘The health of two-thirds of the Scottish adult population is now at risk from physical inactivity’. Inactivity accounts for over a third of deaths from heart disease and has been called the ‘silent killer of our time’. (Ref Let’s make Scotland more Active)

People living in Auchenback East Renfrewshire suffer marked health inequalities: Life expectancy for men is 69 years 7% lower than the national average for Scotland. Deaths due to coronary heart disease are 102% higher than the Scottish average. Alcohol related deaths are 172% above and patients prescribed drugs for anxiety or depression 26% above the Scottish average. Research has shown that physical activity can make an important contribution to both physical and mental health. Physical activity includes sport, play, walking and active living e.g: housework and gardening.

The Scottish Government has endorsed the National Physical Activity Strategy ‘Lets make Scotland More Active’ which recommends:

Adults should accumulate at least 30 minutes of moderate activity on most days of the week Children should accumulate (build up) at least one hour of moderate activity on most days of the week.

It is estimated that currently in Scotland 72% of women and 59% of men are not active enough to maintain good health. Throughout Scotland local, outdoor space is an underused resource with the potential to accommodate much of our daily physical activity. This study is a response to the growing evidence that ‘GreenSpace can make a cost effective and sustainable contribution towards resolving some of the most urgent problems facing Scotland today – our health and the quality of life of our local communities’ (GreenSpace Scotland Annual Review 2007). East Renfrewshire Council is currently engaged in a major physical regeneration project in Auchenback, Barrhead. Improving the health and wellbeing of residents is seen as integral to this process and is a strategic priority in East Renfrewshire. The Council, East Renfrewshire Community Health and Care Partnership and its community planning partners acknowledge the vital contribution of outdoor spaces to improving health in the local population. The Draft Physical Activity and Health Strategy for East Renfrewshire 2008 seeks to promote physical activity stating that the focus of the strategy will be ‘to increase involvement and participation in informal, everyday activities’ and that ‘Walking has been identified as a key focus within the strategy’ In October 2007 East Renfrewshire Council and the Health Improvement Team were awarded funding from the Glasgow and Clyde Valley Green Network Partnership and recruited Halcrow’s landscape team to work with local residents, community groups and council officers on this project.

1.2

Scope of Study

This study focuses on Auchenback, Barrhead, East Renfrewshire. Auchenback is a low density residential area with easy access to openspace and a community suffering a high level of deprivation and marked health inequalities.

“Common sense tells us that the quality of the landscape in which we lead our lives makes a difference to the quality of the lived experience”…..”However ,as soon as we dig a little deeper, it becomes apparent how poorly we understand how best to invest in the environment, often urban, in which most people spend their days, to offer the maximum benefit” Catherine Ward Thompson et Al This study seeks to increase understanding of how best to invest in the environment by gathering the views of the residents of Auchenback on what barriers and enablers they experience to using outdoor space to become more active as part of their everyday lives. Based on this evidence the study seeks: To identify specific actions to reduce and overcome the barriers in Auchenback. To develop a toolkit of transferable measures for working with other communities to ensure the local environment contributes to improving physical and mental health and wellbeing by supporting and encouraging people to be active as part of their everyday lives. This study is, literally, a snapshot. Photography was used as an engagement technique to allow residents to create a very quick picture of the main barriers they experience in using outdoor space for physical activity. This was then backed up with close work with stakeholders (council officers, local organisations and community groups), an exhibition, focus groups and one to one interviews. The study seeks to compliment the range of academic work that has been done on the connectivity between the built environment and physical health and wellbeing. In particular it focuses its attentions on a typical urban Scottish neighbourhood with access to a range of facilities but which none the less exhibits serious health issues and tries to understand the very real issues that affect local residents.

Assumptions and constraints This study looks to the potential users of outdoor space to identify the perceived barriers they experience rather than provide objective, scientific data on access to physical activity in the outdoors. Physical changes to the environment alone will not result in everyone taking sufficient exercise to be in good health. There are complex social, psychological, economic and cultural reasons for being inactive. The toolkit suggests some possible changes to the organisations and activities that give people opportunities to exercise outdoors but in the main these factors are beyond the scope of this study. This study assumes that low levels of physical activity are one of the contributing factors to poor health in the study area although it was beyond the scope of this study to measure that relationship in individuals.

1.3

Report Format

The report is structured as an Audience Development Plan including a Schedule of Opportunities specific to Auchenback and a Toolkit of transferable measures. The Audience Development Plan structure has been adapted from the Heritage Lottery Fund methodology for increasing access to heritage facilities. It aims to assess an organisation’s ability to get more people involved with a resource by improving access. In this case the resource is all outdoor space, the audience will include all residents; the organisation includes the council and other stakeholders responsible for outdoor space.

1.4

Definitions

Outdoor space - including private gardens, streets, green spaces, parks, sports grounds, school grounds, the Dams to Darnley Country Park, allotments, countryside and footpath networks. Physical activity - movement of the body that uses energy including: exercise, sport, play, dance and active living such as walking, housework and gardening. Moderate activity is defined as using about five to seven calories a minute – the equivalent of brisk walking. Audience – The population of the Auchenback study area are all potential audience or users of the outdoor space resource. 1.5

Summary of current academic research on health and physical activity;

The links between health and inactivity are now widely accepted, as is concern about levels of inactivity in Scotland. The following points were found in a brief review of current literature. Appendix IV summarises two current major studies in this area. Health and physical inactivity

Physical inactivity has been identified as one of the leading causes of many chronic conditions and it contributes substantially to the burden of disease, disability and premature death with heavy resulting economic costs’ Dept of Health 2004.

People who are physically active reduce their risk of developing major chronic diseases – such as coronary heart disease, stroke and Type 2 diabetes by up to 50%, and the risk of premature death by about 20-30%. The annual costs of physical inactivity in England are estimated at £8.2 billion – including the rising costs of treating chronic diseases such as coronary heart disease and diabetes. This does not include the contribution of inactivity to obesity – an estimated further £2.5 billion cost to the economy each year. Evidence on the impact of physical activity and its relationship to health. A report from the Chief Medical Officer

‘2,447 people in Scotland die prematurely each year due to physical inactivity’ ‘The economic benefit associated with the number of life years saved by preventing these deaths is estimated to be £85.2 million and a saving to the NHS of £3.5million’ Lets Make Scotland more Active

In Scotland…”72% of women and 59% of men are not active enough for health’ ‘among children 27% of boys and 40% of girls are not active enough to meet the guidelines’ (Ref Let’s make Scotland more Active)

Walking has been called ‘the nearest activity to perfect exercise’ Morris & Hardman 1997

‘Regular cyclists typically enjoy a level of fitness equivalent to someone 10 years younger ’Walking and cycling: An Action plan Department for Transport

‘Between 1994 and 2004 the number of walking trips per person per year fell by one-fifth’ Department of transport Transport statistics Bulletin 2005

Health and Environment

Landscapes have restorative potential. ‘It has been shown that people living in green areas or visiting public parks perceive themselves as healthier, less aggressive and less stressed’ Terry Hartig Institute for housing and urban research and Department of Psychology Uppsala University.

‘Most of us are physically active only when certain social and environmental conditions are in place. The environment can be a great encouragement – or a great barrier – to physical activity. Agis D Tsouros Regional Advisor Healthy Cities and Urban Governance WHO Centre for urban health.

‘There is growing evidence to show that the quality of the environments people experience on a daily basis can have a strong influence on levels of participation in physical activity’ Building Health The National Heart Forum, Living Streets and CABE

‘Evidence shows that informal and unsupervised activities such as walking and climbing stairs are effective ways to get inactive people to be more active’ …’However evidence also shows that many of the barriers to promoting such active living are environmental.’ Let’s make Scotland more Active

2 Background

2.1

Outdoor Space

Area Context Auchenback is a residential neighbourhood on the urban fringe in the Strathclyde area of south west Scotland, approximately nine miles south west of Glasgow.

Auchenback Location & context

Climate and Daylight Day length and climate are significant in developing audiences for outdoor space and activity. Scotland has a temperate maritime climate. Glasgow has higher than UK average rainfall at an annual average of 1200mm. High south westerly winds and driving rain are more common than in other parts of the UK. Generally Scotland is more cloudy than England. Annual average sunshine for Glasgow is 1,400 hours. The predominant sky condition for Scotland is overcast with the frequency of sunny skies at 5%-10% in the west. Glasgow and the surrounding areas have relatively warm summers and mild winters when compared to the rest of Scotland. Mean summer temperatures are from 13ยบ - 15 ยบC with and mean winter temperatures around 4-6 ยบC. Auchenback has short winter days (7 hours of daylight on Dec 22) and long summer days (17.35 hours daylight in June). Auchenback is a predominantly residential neighbourhood located to the south east of Barrhead, East Renfrewshire. (see Location and Context plan, previous page) Auchenback is on a North West facing steep hillside rising steeply from Aurs Burn to St Lukes High School at the top of the hill.

Land use Plan of Auchenback

Overall: The total study area is 90hectares of which 76.7ha, 85% is outdoor space (see plan). Streets, (i.e. the road and footways) have a total area of 12.6ha, accounting for 16.5% of all outdoor space in the area and 28% of the publicly accessible outdoor space (i.e. outdoor space minus private gardens). The ward of Auchenback consists of 1,472 dwellings - 602 semi detached houses, 442 terraced houses and 399 flats. The area is undergoing a programme of demolition and renewal.

The diagram below shows the distribution of outdoor space types. A large proportion of the land in Auchenback is contained in private gardens. Of the publicly accessible outdoor space that can be used for physical activity more of this space is covered by roads and footways and school grounds than parks and communal greenspaces.

Gardens: 73% of homes have a private garden. The highest density flats have communal gardens with clothes drying facilities. Streets: Most homes face onto traditional vehicle access streets with footways on both sides. A limited number of houses are located off the main access roads around a green square. Parks/ Green Spaces: There is one small park within the study area; Aurs Drive Community Park, a 1.9ha unfenced area of sloping grass along both banks of the Aurs Burn. It includes a play area and a small asphalt surfaced area. There are no surfaced paths and no bridge across the burn within the park at present. School Grounds: There are four schools within the area each with play areas and sports fields making a total area of 19ha. The school grounds are accessible to the community outside school hours. Adjacent to the study area are: Aurs Glen Park Aurs Glen lies to the south west of Auchenback. It is an area of mature landscape with a formal avenue, naturalised woodland and a play area. The area has links to the Dams to Darnley Country Park but is currently degraded and underused suffering from fly tipping, anti-social behaviour and poor access. Dams to Darnley Country Park The new Dams to Darnley Country Park is a joint East Renfrewshire and Glasgow City Council initiative and lies to the south and east of Auchenback in the Green Belt. The 550ha area of countryside includes a series of interconnected reservoirs covering 90 hectares. Much of the Country Park is working farmland. The Country Park includes a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), areas of semi-natural, plantation and shelter belt woodlands. The council are currently improving access and creating new multi user path routes into and throughout the park. The reservoirs are informally used by fishermen and occasionally for watersports such as canoeing. The reservoirs are Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINCs), important for resident and overwintering birds, and are visited by ornithologists. Local Resources and Facilities. Shopping facilities within Auchenback itself are fairly limited, comprising: a small supermarket Take-away a Post office Hairdresser on Aurs Drive ATM 2 convenience stores There are a wider range of shops on Barrhead High Street approx 800m away. 18

Community Facilities Within Auchenback, the main community facilities are: Local authority run community hall Auchenback Resource Centre (ARC) a community run centre Play areas at Aurs Drive Community Park, Aurs Glen Park and Fenwick Drive. Additional community resources exist on Barrhead Main Street (approx 800m away). This includes a sports centre with swimming pools, games hall, squash courts, amenities hall, cafe and gym with 80 workstations. Main Street is also the location for the health centre, library and Log@in centre for young people. Transport links

Buses: The Auchenback area is served by Nos 1 and 3 buses linking to Barrhead Main Street, the railway station and through to Paisley and Glasgow every 10 to 20 minutes. Trains: Barrhead Railway Station is 25 minis by train from Glasgow Central and is approximately 1.1miles (1.79k) away. A second Barrhead rail halt is planned for the southern edge of the Auchenback Study area.

2.3 Audience The audience profile is a contributing factor in understanding the barriers to using outdoor space for physical activity. In this study the 3,800 residents of Auchenback are the potential audience. Their population profile below is based on the Glasgow Centre for Population Health Community Health and Wellbeing Profile for East Renfrewshire and the 2001 census.

Parts of Auchenback are among the 10% most disadvantaged in Scotland in the 2004 Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation.

Children 0-15 years make up 21.2% of the population (18% above Scottish average).

The Barrhead locality is the most health deprived across East Renfrewshire. Life Expectancy – males 69.1 years (7% below Scottish average) Life Expectancy – females 78.4 years (1% below Scottish average) Coronary heart disease deaths 102% above Scottish average. Cancer deaths 35% above Scottish average. Hospital patients with alcohol related conditions 123% above Scottish average Alcohol related deaths 172% above Scottish average An estimated 33% smokers (21% above Scottish average) 37.2% smoking during pregnancy (37% above Scottish average) Drug related hospital patients 58% above Scottish average Psychiatric hospital admissions 72% above Scottish average 10.2% of people being prescribed drugs for anxiety or depression (26% above Scottish average) 24.4% of people with a long term limiting illness (20% above Scottish average) 14% of people rated their health as ‘not good’. 5.3% Low birth weight babies (116% above Scottish average) Teenage pregnancy 68% above Scottish average)

Age

SIMD

The statistics below illustrate that Auchenback is an area with high levels of deprivation and marked health inequality.

Health

Employment & Education

Households

Crime

31.5% of children live in â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;worklessâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; households (71% above Scottish average) 32% of economically active individuals in Barrhead over 16 years old are in socio-economic Grade E (either on state benefit, unemployed or in the lowest grade occupations) .The Barrhead unemployment rate (just over 6%) is over twice the East Renfrewshire unemployment rate of 2.5%. 12.5% of people in Auchenback are economically inactive due to sickness or disability (this figure is 7.4% for Scotland). 45% of households receive Council Tax benefit, compared to 13.6% across East Renfrewshire. The percentage of the economically active population with no qualifications is 36.2%, the equivalent figure for the authority as a whole is 14.8%. 19% of households in Auchenback are lone parent households with dependent children, compared to an East Renfrewshire average of 8%. Over 15.9% of households are overcrowded (36% above Scottish average) Many households are rented from the local authority or housing association. 51% are owner-occupiers as compared with 83% for East Renfrewshire as a whole. 9.2% are one person households. 43% of households in Auchenback have no car. East Renfrewshire, by comparison, has an 80% level of car ownership. According to Strathclyde Police data, the Barrhead locality has the highest levels of reported crime in East Renfrewshire. Serious violent crime 43% above Scottish average. Vandalism 41% above Scottish average. Drug offenders 69% above Scottish average.

2.2

Policy and Organisation

Policy in relation to physical activity is supported by the National Physical Activity Strategy ‘Let's make Scotland more active’ which reflects the main strategies of the WHO 1986 'Ottowa Charter for Health Promotion' Planning policy is covered by Scottish Planning Policy (SPP) 11 Open space and Physical Activity and Planning Advice Note (PAN) 65 Planning and Open space. In particular SPP11 emphasises the role of open space ‘ in the drive to get more of the population physically active’ . Other Scottish Government advice in PAN 76 New Residential Streets and the Designing Places policy statement promotes good design in encouraging better use of public spaces and social contact. A Green Network programme operates to link parks, walkways, woodlands and countryside along path and cycle routes bringing a range of social, economic and environmental benefits to the Glasgow metropolitan region. The Glasgow and Clyde Valley Green Network Partnership provides the strategic framework to facilitate delivery of the Green Network across the whole region. East Renfrewshire Council have completed a Greenspace Strategy which provides a framework for the future management of greenspace. The development of the strategy links to the key theme of the Glasgow and Clyde Valley Joint Structure Plan to promote the Green Network. Supporting health, physical activity and outdoor space is part of the core business of a wide range of council services including the Community Health and Care Partnership, Community Services, the Education and Environment departments. East Renfrewshire Council Key Service objectives 2007-10 focus on improving health in areas of deprivation. The Council are currently producing - Let’s make East Renfrewshire More Active: A Physical Activity and Health Strategy for East Renfrewshire This strategy states a commitment to coordinated action to increase and support the levels of physical activity among people in East Renfrewshire. Appendix I contains a review of organisations and their objectives relating to outdoor space and health. Management and current condition of outdoor space The responsibility for maintaining outdoor space is divided between a number of different council services as well as individual householders in the case of private gardens. A summary of responsibilities in included in appendix II. The development of the Greenspace Strategy builds on the findings of the recent Greenspace Audit and analysis of greenspaces within East Renfrewshire. The audit gathered information on the qualities and attributes of the spaces and scored the spaces in relation to their overall ‘fitness for purpose’.

3. Reaching the Audience in Auchenback

Process & Tools Used The diagram below summarises the main stages which the team went through to deliver the project.

Community engagement The study worked closely with local residents of Auchenback (The Audience) to explore the barriers experienced in using outdoor space to get active. The aim was to pilot techniques to explore opinions and perceptions about the nature and extent of some of the most prevalent barriers. Four routes were followed to contact the wider community:

Individual residents Two of the initial contacts passed on our details to friends and relatives.

Community Groups: Via the Auchenback Resource Centre (ARC) we were able to meet with individuals who used the centre for community classes and then to contact other members of that group.

Schools: a range of people within the schools were involved including the Active Schools Co-ordinator, the school pupil council, Eco-Committee and Social Justice Co-ordinator. Members of the team went into schools and talked to pupils and informally to groups of parents at the school gate.

Council and Other Contacts: Key contacts for active involvement came through Youth Services, CHCP, Health Connect, Barrhead Housing Association and Reid Kerr College Higher Education College.

Participation Techniques: The research team developed the following information gathering techniques as ways of engaging local residents and gathering their views:

Community photography project One on one interviews and group discussions Exhibition, focus groups and questionnaire

Community Photography Project: Individuals borrowed a camera with instruction pack and were invited to take 10 photos of their outdoor activities – what made them active and what discouraged them from getting out and to annotate their photos. Cameras were downloaded by the volunteer camera co-ordinator and then reissued to another member of the community. One to one informal interviews & group discussions: Home visits (where mobility problems were an issue) Visits to group meetings e.g: Youth Club, toddler group, newsletter group, photography class. Setting up stall in the community café Discussion session at the Primary School Council Informal discussions with groups of parents at the school gate. Exhibition, Focus Groups and Questionnaire “ A Picture of Health?” Exhibition: illustrations

The Exhibition was organised to display the photographs, information and opinions gathered and to celebrate the input of the community into the project. The exhibition was divided into activity areas:• Social – meeting/chatting/community • Travel/getting about • Exercise and sport • Play and lifelong learning • Volunteering and direct action • Relaxing and enjoying the environment Focus group sessions were held during the exhibition covering the topics above. The discussions were led by facilitators with a scribe recording all comments. Questionnaires: All attendees were encouraged to fill in a questionnaire to enter the prize draw. The questionnaire asked visitor to comment on what discouraged from taking part in activity and to write comments as they went around the exhibition on any of the ideas and themes that interested them. The prize draw proved to be an incentive to people participating.

Details of participation techniques are included in Appendix III.

4 Barriers and Enablers: The Communityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s View

4.1 Enablers The following are positive features of the local environment that people described as helping them to get out and active or making them feel better about their environment:

Enablers Good views of hills Area round dams Local countryside Peoples gardens looking nice Trees and the burn Having a garden Lots of space available The park Good schools Active school programme After school and holiday activities Cycle proficiency ECO schools Family living close

ARC – activities, groups, café Log@in Established groups Walking group Photography group Cookery group Young people want to be involved Local shops and post office. Street wardens Play bus Mobile football pitch Many dog walkers taking exercise Community spirit & friendly people G.P. Referral

4.2 The Audience The audience profile is described in Section 2. To analyse the views reported by participants we subdivided the audience into the groups below.

Primary school children Secondary school children Families Over 60’s

Men Women People with disabilities

4.3 The perceived barriers ‘The outdoors is dark, cold, boring, dirty and full of Neds’ One teenagers view. Local residents communicated their views about barriers through photos, interviews, questionnaires and discussion groups. While impossible to quantify the barriers have been given an approximate ranking based on the emphasis people placed on issues.

It should be noted that the issues people recorded and discussed are not necessarily the only or the most significant barriers. It is hard for any of us to rationalise and express exactly why we do not go out and take exercise. There are many relevant personal issues people may be reluctant to discuss – addiction, neighbour disputes, and loneliness - and can be significant barriers.

Barriers are summarised below and described in more detail at the end of this section.

Primary School Children: Barriers Appearance of surroundings Dog fouling. Vandalism and graffiti, Litter, broken glass Not enough trees, plants and animals Facilities Too few facilities, dedicated spaces or equipment No flat paved ground. Not enough activities. Lack of awareness of available facilities Lack of coaches/leaders/support Nowhere to sit and chat Roads Aggressive /fast drivers, too many cars. Not confident about cycling on roads, Parents fears -wont let them cycle on roads High school Pupils: Barriers Appearance of surroundings Dog fouling and no one to sort out and issue fines. Litter/muck/chewing gum vandalism/ graffiti Road works Ugly surroundings Boredom and facilities Too few facilities/ lack of appeal of facilities on offer. Nothing to do, no where to go, not enough change, no new things, Not enough clubs for age group Only things for little kids Nowhere to meet and be with friends No seats, seating areas not clean Not enough targeted information/ communication about what’s on. Lack of leaders/support

Conflict when cycling on pavements. Bullying – bikes - ‘borrowing’ and status. No cycle paths Cars parked on footways

Fears Children from other schools/‘Neds’ older children/teenagers/gangs Vandalism and drinking. Adults and alcohol and drugs. Motivation Competing electronic, indoor attractions. Lack of company, no friends, School friends not living close. Lack of motivation Image Weather and darkness

Travel and Roads Bus prices Distance/ effort to get to facilities footways too narrow Crowds at bus stop Not safe to cycle, Fast cars, potholes. School bike shed – bullying fears. Unease, suspicion Other children/older children/‘Neds’. Criticism from adults. People hanging around drinking and smoking in parks. Lack of company/friends people you can trust nearby Parents fears. Dogs off their leads Motivation Cold, dark, wet Competing electronic indoor

Cost of joining things Lack of community involvement/volunteering opportunities. Families:

attractions Image Adults’ negative attitudes No time

Barriers

State of pavements Dog fouling, litter and graffiti Broken glass – problem for walking children and dogs Traffic and Travel Cars too fast Footways too narrow. Roads not safe for children on bikes Cars dropping off and parking outside school Crossing keepers not where most needed. Not enough drop kerbs Buses hard to access with pushchairs and small children.

Facilities & Activities Lack of activities Not enough local services Nowhere flat and safe to teach kids to cycle No where for older children to join in. Community Not enough people get involved Not enough Crèche/childcare facilities. Older people’s attitudes Time Not enough time Not enough time to do garden Garden steep or overgrown

Weather Puddles, poor drainage. Lack of shelter. School/nursery drop off arrangements.

Over 60’s: Barriers Funding & Governance Too little funding to support activities, groups and volunteers. Not enough power/say to take decisions about the area. Funding and resources for the ARC not secure to reach more groups Facilities Facilities/Services too far – problems with public transport Lack of knowledge, awareness of facilities Lack of appropriate facilities No where to sit

Wheelie bins on pavements Overhanging branches. No shelters, seats Community Not enough community spirit. No kids outside because of computer games Everyone in cars – not enough people walking around Lack of company Neighbours don’t look after their garden. Motivation Deteriorating health Darkness,

Fear of crime Fear and unease about groups of young people – ‘young vandals’, ‘Neds’, ‘kids hanging round annoying people’. No parental supervision Design/ layout of the estate alleyways poorly lit, concealed spaces. Poor lighting, dark areas. Trees and shrubs concealing people. Too few sports venues /activities for the young. Not enough police walking the streets Not enough street wardens

Wet, frosty or windy weather Can’t manage garden. Garden steep or overgrown. Too tired

Travel Fast cars and safety Poor public transport after 6pm Buses difficult to board. Noise and disturbance from fast cars

Men: Barriers Motivation No time Lack of motivation Bad weather Darkness Too tired Physically active jobs Security Gangs, ‘Neds’ hanging around. Design/ layout of the estate alleyways poorly lit, concealed spaces

Community Neighbour nuisance -use of garden Not enough community spirit No social facilities within walking distance. Facilities No funding No sports facilities.

State of pavements, Broken bottles, graffiti, dog fouling. Broken glass. Nowhere safe to walk dog Women: Barriers State of pavements Footway repairs Graffiti and dog mess Community Lack of places to meet for all ages People not participating and getting involved

Security Design/ layout of the estate alleyways poorly lit, concealed spaces Security - gangs of youngsters Company to exercise particularly after dark Traffic speed

Poor communications between voluntary groups and council Not enough groups / support for groups Lack of social events/activities Not enough local services

Motivation Lack of coaches/leaders/support Darkness Confidence and fitness levels Lack of time Physical active jobs No time to do garden Don’t know enough about gardening Weather

People with disabilities/poor health: State of footways, Not enough dropped kerbs. No paved surface in park. Cars parked on footways. Wheelie bins on footways. Pot holes and broken paving Dog fouling, messy dirty footways. Slippery fallen leaves Support No where to sit/rest Not enough groups for different abilities/capabilities. Confidence and fitness levels Can’t manage garden

Barriers

Access Having to use car to get about Steep steps and slopes. Narrow alleyways Ramp access to school too steep and narrow Steep gardens. Public attitudes to mental health issues.

Weather. Darkness

Detailed analysis of barriers Participants in the study described how the barriers listed above contribute to reducing time spent and enjoyment of outdoor physical activity. Some barriers are unique to a particular group, a type of open space or particular activity but many are universal. The youngest group were most concerned with litter and the degradation of their environment and the elderly with security fears and lack of funding. There was a more immediate response by young people to their actual surroundings and as people got older their response seemed to reflect outside influences - particularly the media. The views of most local people were focused on their immediate environment – their street and their route to school or the shops. Issues on the wider environment, including the Dams to Darnley Country Park and Barrhead sports facilities, were rarely raised. The barriers outlined are analysed under the headings below to assist in identifying possible solutions:

Physical Barriers – The state of the outdoor environment Facilities, Opportunities, Activities, Services Perception and Behaviour - Social/Cultural/Emotional Barriers Organisational Barriers

Physical Barriers – The state of the outdoor environment

The following barriers are primarily physical but most also have a perceptual and psychological element. Litter/dog fouling/graffiti/broken glass/leaves Dog fouling was the top complaint and a major barrier to enjoyment and use of the local environment. Primary school children were particularly unhappy about dog fouling as well as litter, graffiti, dirt and broken glass. Concern also expressed by many dog owners. Parents stressed how it was difficult to relax and enjoy walking because of the need for constant attention especially with young children and pushchairs, and the disruption caused by dog mess tracked into homes and school. Dog fouling was also one of the barriers to going out after dark, or being able to sit and relax on grass. Dog fouling and broken glass were seen as a barrier to use of the park as well as streets for activities like jogging and football. Frustration was expressed by young and old alike that fines are not imposed. Suggested reasons for the problem included older people who are not mobile enough to clean up, stray/loose dogs, not wanting to be seen clearing up and residents letting their dogs out of the front door to foul grass areas rather than walk their dogs. Older people saw graffiti as signalling that the outdoors is unsafe and it contributed to their fears about more threatening forms of anti-social behaviour. Layout and Surfaces Older peoples concerns focused on footway surfaces and fear of falling because of wet or icy surfaces and slippery leaves or litter. Uneven surfaces, broken kerbs and pot-holes were seen as barriers particularly by the elderly, people with mobility impairment, people pushing pushchairs and cyclists. Footways often obstructed by parked cars, wheelie bins and road works. The layout of the pedestrian routes/alleyways seen as poorly lit, concealed from view and threatening to use particularly after dark. Steep slopes and steps. School run parking dangerous. Footways too narrow particularly outside the schools and near bus stops. Cycling on existing roads was seen as unsafe because of aggressive, fast drivers, parked cars and potholes. Appearance Many people particularly children found the look of the streets and park unappealing, a discouragement to walking or playing out of doors. The unattractiveness of the environment was a significant barrier to greater use of outdoor space by children. Children have little freedom of choice about outdoor space and spend a high proportion of their time in public outdoor space. Environmental education has raised awareness of the environment resulting in high expectations of an attractive and bio-diverse environment and many children compared their local environment with places they had visited on trips or holidays. Young men and women were also concerned about the appearance of their environment. In the elderly the concern was reversed with the presence of trees and shrubs perceived as creating opportunities for crime and anti-social behaviour and feared. Overhanging branches from poorly maintained gardens were cited as a barrier. Gardens are too steep. Facilities, Opportunities, Activities, Services This section looks at peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s responses to the facilities, groups and activities that exist and what is not available. Facilities

In discussing existing facilities and opportunities both the Sports Centre and the Dams to Darnley Country park were rarely mentioned, most people focused on facilities much closer to home. High school children most often cited lack of facilities as a barrier. They were bored and felt their environment to be lacking anything interesting. They believed that they were left out as facilities and activities were targeted towards the old or the young. Missing facilities most commonly noted were - an all weather sports pitch with lights for evening use; attractive, safe seating areas, a flat paved area for ball games, skating and learning to ride a bike; cycle lanes, footpaths. Lack of changing facilities for sports and place to store equipment. Lack of play/fitness equipment.

Activities Groups and activities exist but not enough. Lack of targeted appropriate sports, activities and facilities to suit different needs. This was summed up by someone who commented that there was a walking group but they couldn’t go as they would slow everyone else down. People remarked that sports like football only existed for the young e.g. no over ‘60’s football or sports for 18-25 women. Walking and cycling Lack of paved surface within the park No seats throughout the area. No well signed accessible, unblocked paths out into the Dams to Darnley Country Park. Some paths churned up and muddy. The steepness of the area. Many people said they would like to take a walk in the countryside around the dams but the initial steep ascent was a barrier. No safe places to cycle, cycle lanes or off road leisure cycling routes through the area or in the Dams to Darnley Country Park. Dilemma about cycling on the footways. Parents allowing children to cycle on footways but worried about the conflicts and safety. School crossing patrols not at most needed locations. Buses hard to access with pushchairs, young children or mobility difficulties. Shelter Parents and carers collecting children at Auchenback Primary, particularly those accompanied by pre-school children, commented on the length of time they waited in an exposed playground without shelter. The school has a welcoming front entrance but this is not where parents wait. St Marks School is very exposed and windswept.

Social Both young and old noted too few places to sit and talk. For the young this issue included the criticism they attract when they are in groups. Parents collecting children from schools and at the park also noted the lack of seating. Lack of community involvement. Many felt that the ARC should be more widely supported to widen its range of groups and activities and involve more of the community. Not enough groups, not enough choice. Lack of social places where people felt comfortable enough to stop and talk - people remembered the paddling pool and the accompanying parents sitting and chatting. Too many people in cars Not enough people about. No community events to get people outside – people missed the community bonfire on th November 5 Young people talked about the youth club and the Log@in as not being suited to their particular age group. The cost of using the Log@in was seen as a barrier.

Services Not enough local services in walking distance. For the residents of the south part of the area there are very few local services. The Post Office is a frequent walking destination – if it closed people said they would reduce their visits and travel to the next Post Office by public transport or car. Easier to drive to the supermarket. Volunteering Too little funding, support and encouragement of volunteers. Lack of awareness of opportunities and lack of confidence to volunteer. Not a wide enough range of opportunities. Teenagers remarked that there were no opportunities to volunteer and to be able to take responsibility. This lack of responsibilities/trust appears to be a barrier to young people getting involved in the community and being active. Perception and behaviour - Social/Cultural/Emotional Barriers Perception of crime anti social behaviour/safety/security

Fear of crime was frequently cited as a barrier to getting out and walking. Older people often referred to reports of violent crime in the local press. People of all ages recounted indirect experiences of violent incidents. All age groups perceived groups of young people as a threat. ‘Neds’ was a term commonly used to describe any group of strangers people were uneasy about. The elderly felt threatened by groups of young people and frequently said that their fears stopped them walking anywhere after dark. There were negative attitudes of adults towards teens. Elderly people were uneasy about any new planting or changes to existing outdoor space facilities seen by them as potential hiding or hanging about spaces. The elderly did not have any opportunities to communicate with teenagers outside their family group. There appear to be no projects which bring the generations together to communicate outside families. Primary age children felt threatened by older children and children from other schools. Teens were uneasy about children outside their groups. Teens felt uncomfortable and threatened by adult alcohol and drug users in parks and outdoor spaces. Both men and women spoke of these fears restricting their outdoor activities. High school children spoke of reluctance to cycle to school because of fears about groups hanging around bike sheds. Not enough police Not enough community wardens Road safety fears were not only a barrier to cycling and walking they were also a barrier to enjoyment and relaxation in gardens and outdoor space. People reported anxiety about safety triggered by the noise of fast cars. Children were not confident about cycling on roads. Children spoke about bullying connected to bikes – being teased about the status of bikes and other children ‘borrowing’ bikes. Some parents had safety concerns about letting their children walk or cycle. Neighbour nuisance - noise/car repairs/commercial use/untidy gardens sometimes act as barriers to gardening and relaxing in the garden.

Community/company Loneliness resulting from bereavement, loss of partners, friends, family, moving away and loss of pets were all stated as reasons for being inactive. Poor health. Lack of confidence to walk or jog alone. Young people complained of having no friends or friends who didn’t live close because of relatively large catchments areas of the schools. Young people having many alternative forms of communication other than face to face.

Lack of acceptance of and responsibilities for young people. Organised activities are all for younger children or adults.

Darkness Mentioned by all groups. Of most concern for older people as a barrier to going out. For them the presence of young people hanging around and fear of crime made darkness a significant barrier. Younger people found darkness was a barrier to sports, play and socialising. No acceptance/trust - Teens thought they were regarded with suspicion and mistrust if they were outdoors after dark. Darkness was a barrier to walking and running because people did not feel safe and it is more difficult to see hazards (dog excrement or broken paving).

Weather Mostly a resigned acceptance of the weather especially amongst adults. A group of children all said rain was a bad thing about their walk to school that day but only one out of 24 admitted to having a lift to school because of the rain. Splashing by passing cars. High School children were recorded out and about despite heavy rain and driving wind. Many young people did not like the idea of wearing coats/waterproofs. The area is frequently too windy for umbrellas. Parents/carers accompanied by preschool children and babies wait for 10/15 minutes to collect primary 1 and 2 children and spoke of bad weather and the lack of shelter as a reason for choosing to drive to school. When people were making a routine trip like walking to the shops or school rain is ignored but bad weather is a barrier to people getting out solely for exercise. Motivation/ confidence and Image Children and young people were quite open about the competing attractions of games consuls, DVDs, music etc. Adults were less open about the competing attractions of television and DVDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s but the competition of home entertainment appears to be a significant barrier. Young people did not want to be seen exercising outdoors. Lack of support and leaders is a barrier. Active school co-ordinators said that all after school activities and courses are fully booked. Many people expressed an interest in joining and participating but not in leading or coordinating activity groups. Lack of official status/support - young people, particularly girls, said they would not instigate an activity or sport within their own peer group because it would attract hostile attention from others â&#x20AC;&#x201C; either criticism from adults or bullying/ridicule from other young people. Lack of confidence to walk because of poor health. Not fit enough to join in or too tired. Skills and training Not enough knowledge/skills/confidence about gardening. Poor understanding of activity and fitness Organisational Barriers Support People are unsure where to go for help. There is little direct support for health initiatives out of doors. There is a lack of funding for community-run facilities to access. There is a lack of confidence and knowledge to apply for funding for community instigated initiatives. Communication and coordination Outdoor space, health and physical activity are the responsibility of several different agencies/departments. Physical activity is not a core objective for most council services. There is no-one to co-ordinate the different groups involved. Too few opportunities for direct communications and feedback between community and individual workers responsible for maintenance of the environment. Awareness There is a lack of awareness of the benefits of physical activity. Poor local knowledge of facilities, activities and initiatives already available e.g there appeared to be very little knowledge of the Dams to Darnley Country Park. Poor use of alternative communication routes with young people (Facebook, Flicr MSN, text etc) Negative media.

5 Schedule of Opportunities for Auchenback

If the 3,800 people living in Auchenback all increase their levels of physical activity to the government National Physical Activity Strategy recommendations it would result in approximately 640,000 hours of physical activity a year. This section provides a range of opportunities to increase physical activity in the outdoor environment specific to the study area of Auchenback. The existing local outdoor space resource together with Aurs Glen and the Dams to Darnley Country Park present an unrealised and sustainable opportunity to accommodate a range of physical activity in a familiar and accessible setting.

Section 2 showed the area of each type of outdoor space.

Local Space Private gardens School grounds Roads and pavements Parks/squares/communal gardens

Area 31.2ha 19.2ha 12.6ha 7.9ha

Regional Open Space Dams to Darnley country park

Area 550ha

% 41% 25% 17% 10%

Solutions to the problems of physical inactivity need to utilise the full range of outdoor space. Schedule of Opportunities The range of ideas below are intended to enable stakeholders including the community, to prioritise opportunities for physical activity that fit best within their current activities. Minor changes to the existing service delivery of stakeholders could be undertaken to implement many of these opportunities. Stakeholders can cherry pick actions which dovetail into their current activities. Proposals to support physical activity have been grouped into:

Environment

Physical improvements to the outdoor environment and facilities Activities/Groups/Events Supporting the community in providing a range of opportunities. Education/Awareness Develop awareness, skills, ability and motivation Policy/Organisation Shape objectives and services to include health and physical activity Appendix V includes more detail on case studies and projects that influenced the development of these proposals.

Auchenback Schedule of Opportunities

ENVIRONMENT Physical improvements to the outdoor environment and facilities to support physical activity. Cleaner and better maintained streets More regular, frequent and thorough clean up of dog excrement, litter, glass and graffiti. More bins and signs on litter bins to show all bins may be used for dog excrement. Maintenance of road drainage and repairs to potholes. Repair and improvement of paving quality Installing more dropped kerbs Create an attractive environment. Make routes to facilities and to the Dams to Darnley Country Park through pleasant and welcoming street environments. Enhance Aurs Glen as a local facility and a gateway to the Dams to Darnley Country Park. Improve the streetscape with attractive paving, street tree planting, street furniture and improved street boundaries, garden gates, fencing, hedging. Incorporate locally relevant artwork through seating, bollards and railings Improve the appearance of streets by enhancing private front gardens through garden tree and shrub donations, arches and gates. Enhance appearance of Aurs Park through planting and improvements to hard landscape. Make the attractive Aurs Burn landscape more accessible with paths, seats and bridges. Create welcoming appearance to school grounds with entrance features, garden areas, community notice board and childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s artwork. Safer public spaces Improve road safety Create Home Zones. Wider footways particularly close to schools. Improve management of traffic close to schools by reducing opportunities for parking. More refuges at crossings to schools, park and play areas. Street sculpture/cut outs and events to slow traffic Reduce fear and improve personal safety. Redesign of pedestrian alleyways where possible to be wider with increased visibility to and from adjacent housing and roads and better lighting. Open up and increase visibility along paths in Aurs Glen

Provide facilities for walking and cycling Walking Open up and improve footpath links to the new Dams to Darnley Country Park with opening gates and improved drainage as necessary. Improve footpath links via Aurs Glen to Country Park Signpost routes and give information on distances. Lay surfaced paths in Aurs Park providing a choice of walking routes. Provide bridges across the burn. Install distance, health target markers along streets, in Aurs Park and in the Dams to Darnley Country Park. Install information boards about walking recommendations and advice in Aurs Park. Link Aurs Park to green space further along the burn with signposts and road crossing. Cycling Provide cycle lanes and safe cycle routes to link key locations particularly schools Create a path network for off road leisure cycling connecting with the Dams to Darnley Country Park. Provide cycle parking at ARC and shops. Locate school cycle parking in visible, supervised locations. Provide facilities for play and exercise Improve existing equipment. Provide new play/fitness equipment at several different locations throughout the area including fitness circuits at the schools with a central activity zone area at Aurs Park. Play/fitness zone equipment should accommodate a range of abilities and ages. Include equipment that encourages use by the elderly but also provide equipment that is challenging for young people. Design play spaces to be welcoming, safe and allow rest and social interaction as well as exercise. Provide incidental equipment in a variety of places that can be used as a larger fitness circuit of the neighbourhood. Avoid choosing locations for equipment that inhibit use by being too conspicuous but are still safe and secure. Install information boards to encourage all age groups to participate and give guidance on how the equipment can be used to improve health. Create a lit all weather multisports pitch at Aurs Park. Extend the paved surface at Aurs Park to accommodate learner cyclists, roller blades etc. and provide another similar area at the top of the hill. Build covered play areas in school grounds to allow maximum use of outdoor space. Construct play equipment store at the ARC.

Provide facilities for social contact Provide seating at social spaces, rest points, points to appreciate views, and waiting points. Create attractive community space with paved area and seats at Aurs Park to accommodate activities and events including play days, dancing, tai chi classes etc. This area should be lit to provide evening youth-space. Lighting to be timed to discourage late night anti-social use. Construct school playground shelters in P1 and 2 play areas as above with seats and notice boards to provide meeting and social area for parents collecting children. Create garden and covered walkway/cloister in school grounds or park celebrating sounds and appearance of rain. Support local businesses and services particularly shops Provide facilities for gardening and enjoying the environment. Assist in private garden improvements by supplying trees and shrubs and workshops for constructing seats, fences, compost bins etc Enclose area for use as community garden to provide opportunities for residents without gardens to garden and to provide a social and teaching resource. Construct a demonstration garden showing the range of possibilities for growing fruit and vegetables. Construct school allotments. Increase biodiversity through additional planting in public areas and assistance with gardening for wildlife in private gardens. Provide viewing points, boardwalks, bird hides to facilitate access to biodiversity in the Dams to Darnley Country Park. Provide interpretation of heritage and biodiversity in Aurs Glen

ACTIVITIES/GROUPS/EVENTS/SOCIAL CAPITAL Supporting the community in providing a range of opportunities Greater support for existing groups

There are a variety of established local groups: Auchenback Active, Golden Age Club, Boys Brigade, Fishing Club etc. These groups are making an important contribution to social capital. They provide direct opportunities for physical activity as well as providing opportunities for social contact. The ARC is an established base for many community activities. Greater use of the ARC by council run groups will bring revenue to the ARC to cover maintenance and running costs, help to keep the facility staffed and to expand awareness of what is available. The ARC can contribute directly by hosting activity sessions like Tai Chi but more importantly in providing local facilities that are within walking distance of homes in the area. Support through funding or funding applications. Provide training and administrative help. The Community Centre is under utilised and would be a good venue for a variety of physical activity groups

Reward people for involvement in activity through training days and awards. Celebrate community initiatives. Support new community projects/initiatives particularly those that bring different age groups together.

Social opportunities, volunteering and activity groups Build on the present social and activity groups meeting at the ARC and the Community centre to appeal to a wide range of people with particular focus on young women under 25 and men 18-40. Facilitate volunteering projects particularly amongst teens who presently have little opportunity to take up responsibilities within the community and commonly feel unvalued. Support volunteering projects and community activities that mix the generations to reduce the fears about young people by breaking down isolation building familiarity, confidence and trust in the local area, e.g. IT projects where young people can take on the role of trainers, gardening projects where elderly people can supply knowledge and the young people labour and energy. Support and encourage volunteer leaders/facilitators for activity groups Provide training for volunteers. Carry out local skills audit to increase volunteer sports/activity leaders and coaches. Encourage community events e.g. fun run, pram race, sponsored walk etc. Use all possible internet and online communications to increase community involvement. Set up green gym in Aurs Glen and the Dams to Darnley country Park. Support volunteer guides, angling coaches, ornithologists in Dams to Darnley Country Park Opportunities for walking and cycling Establish a variety of walking groups to suit different abilities and age groups. Promote and increase confidence to use the Dams to Darnley Country Park Walking group leader or countryside rangers to take regular accompanied walks to introduce people to Dams to Darnley Country Park particularly targeted at families and children. Set up short walk/” come and try” gentle starter sessions for those not ready for the existing walking group. Promote walking to all existing groups – walking group leader or countryside ranger to take walk suitable for Cubs, Golden Age, Parents and Toddlers, Youth Club etc. Promote walking to school (See Appendix V) via Safe Routes to School Programme: supporting and encourage parents to establish Walking Bus; establishing a schools 5 minute zone or Park and Stride scheme Cycling education – council officers or trained volunteers to hold cycle proficiency lessons and bike maintenance lessons for adults. Social project to repair, maintain and supply bikes (See Appendix V) Support setting up youth cycling club in liaison with local clubs.

Opportunities for exercise Establish an ‘Active Community Co-ordinator’ based on the Active Schools Co-ordinators who could support and train volunteers to establish a variety of outdoor exercise sessions for adults – Skipping, Tai Chi, Street Dance etc Physical activity co-ordinator to support multi-generational activities. Tailor activities to specific groups to give individuals confidence and motivation to participate e.g. women’s basketball 17-25; men’s football over 50’s; grans and toddlers exercise session; jogging buddies; power pramming etc (See Appendix V) Sports coaches from the existing sports centres to be involved in outreach and community based activities. Set up succession of progress groups for existing GP referral participants – to ensure people move forward and free up vacancies for new participants. Youth services to mentor/facilitate informal youth sport/activity sessions. Mentor would provide motivation, bring individuals together, provide authority to stop bullying from other young people and give official status and purpose to stop criticism of young people from other members of the community. Play equipment loan scheme based at the ARC or one of the schools and greater local use and awareness of the mobile football pitch. Help set up come and try days or hold a sports activity taster day at Aurs Park involving local sports clubs. Promote the maximum use of the outdoors in daylight and a wide variety of weather but assist continuity by utilising the schools, ARC and community centre as back-up covered facilities. Garden support Garden club – help people get active through gardening by exchanging skills and knowledge through volunteers and gardening lessons. Garden event sponsored by local garden centre. Garden gym group working on communal garden. Schools garden/allotment groups skills sharing with elderly. Flower and produce show with prizes Appreciating the environment Countryside warden/ranger service or voluntary sector (Wildlife Trusts/RSPB) running walks from Auchenback into the Dams to Darnley Country Park area and Aurs Glen – directed at children and young people. Encourage involvement in training with The Big Project - Biodiversity in Glasgow (Appendix V) Arts groups sessions in new country park to encourage people to make initial visit. Greater use of Aurs Glen and Aurs Drive Community Park by nursery pupils based on woodland school approach. (Appendix V)

EDUCATION/ AWARENESS Develop awareness, skills, ability and motivation Reduce dog fouling and litter Presently only one dog warden on a temporary contract. Increase the service to allow for an education role. Raise awareness through anti dog fouling campaign e.g. ‘Flag It’ (See appendix V) Posters and notices to inform that all bins can be used for dog-bags. Raise awareness on the health dangers. Establish communication with dog owners through a community dog show and dog training courses. Reward and encourage dog walkers for the benefits their presence brings in enhancing perceptions of safety and security. Set up walking reps and walking companions amongst dog walkers. Support street reps or start adopt-a-street groups. Change current perception of safety and security Promote positive publicity about community events and activities. Work with local media to cover local events. Break down barriers between generations – invite elderly people into schools and youth clubs. Set up inter-generational IT classes. Promote volunteering for teens and young people to break down negative image. Encourage older people to get involved as volunteer mentors/coaches. Extend community warden service to allow more visible local presence and involvement with youth. Raise awareness Promote the health benefits of outdoor physical exercise through schools, existing community groups and health services. Advertise and promote available facilities, groups and activities via Flickr, Facebook, community newsletter, Local Radio, posters and websites. Utilise schools as an established contact point for outdoor activity programmes Change attitudes to weather Provide walk to school umbrellas, hats or waterproofs - change the culture about dressing for the weather. High school design competition clothes for wet weather. Rain celebration event in park. Improve communications Patch Walks (Appendix V) provide opportunities for communication between community, street reps, wardens & the Council. This has been started by Auchenback Active but needs promotion to encourage more volunteers. Named personnel to perform maintenance/cleaning & warden services to promote dialogue and feedback. Strengthen links with health services; build on GP referral scheme. Use schools; an established way of communicating with the wider community.

Motivation and confidence Promote inclusive activities and exercise, advertise images of people of all ages and fitness participating in physical activity. Promote Dams to Darnley Country Park – increase confidence for people to use facilities further away from home. Hold outreach and taster sessions to break down barrier that walking is only for the fit. Celebrate involvement. Reward involvement in community health activities as in Walsall’s ‘Groundmiles’ scheme (Appendix 2).

POLICY/ ORGANISATION Shape objectives and services to include health and physical activity Utilise the 12.6ha of roads and footways as surfaced, lit, drained, allweather activity space in Auchenback by encouraging the Roads Planning and Transportation Service to promote carriageway space as health space. Encourage the Housing Services Department to support and promote gardening as a healthy activity to utilise the 31ha of private gardens. Work with the education department to achieve maximum community benefit from the 19.2ha of school grounds and the successful Schools Activity Co-ordinator programme.

Planning Make Auchenback a pedestrian priority area. Support local services to encourage everyday walking. Promote sustainable transport strategy Involve the community Strengthen council/community links. Foster local initiatives.

6. The Toolkit

East Renfrewshire seeks to increase and support levels of physical activity with the focus on increasing involvement and participation in informal, everyday activities. Walking has been identified as a key focus within the Physical Activity and Health Strategyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

If people throughout East Renfrewshire increase their levels of physical activity to the government recommendations it would result in approximately 11.5 million hours of activity a year. Developing the ideas of section 5 this section outlines a transferable toolkit of generic measures for wider implementation.

Recommendations for future community involvement and gathering information. Based on the pilot Auchenback study the following is a suggested approach to gathering local views on the barriers and enablers to increase physical activity in the outdoor environment. The diagram below summarises the main suggested stages necessary to deliver the project. The key stages and techniques for engaging the community are detailed in Appendix III

The Toolkit In order to maximise the health benefits of the open space resource there is a need to recognise that health, wellbeing, and physical activity is relevant to the service delivery objectives of all community planning partners. Proposals are inter-dependent; removing a single physical barrier alone is unlikely to result in increased activity. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Multi strandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; actions will be more successful.

ENVIRONMENT Improvements to the outdoor environment and facilities Good management and maintenance of existing open spaces can significantly contribute to accommodating increased physical activity levels across East Renfrewshire. Streets Streets are the most accessible, most familiar part of public space. Solutions here have the potential for greatest benefit. Pedestrian orientated neighbourhoods encourage social capital by increasing social contact and trust. Social capital then further encourages physical activity based social groups Cleaner Increase frequency of cleaning up dog fouling, litter, glass and graffiti Enhance paving quality More attractive Create a more attractive environment. Make routes to facilities through pleasant and welcoming street environments. Improve the appearance of private gardens Enhance the appearance of parks and accommodate widest possible range of activities. Enhance school grounds as welcoming community facilities. Safer public spaces Improve road safety Improve personal safety Provide facilities for walking and cycling Open up local areas for walkers. Provide cycle lanes and networks for off road leisure cycling Improve and increase facilities for play and exercise Improve existing equipment. Incidental play/fitness equipment throughout neighbourhoods. Exercise circuits built into parks, school grounds and neighbourhoods. Play/fitness equipment to accommodate a range of abilities and ages. Include equipment that encourages use by the elderly but also provide equipment that is challenging for young people. Design play spaces to be welcoming, safe and allow rest and social interaction as well as exercise. Avoid choosing locations for equipment that inhibit use by being too conspicuous but are still safe and secure. Install information boards to encourage all age groups to participate and give guidance on how the equipment can be used to improve health.

Provide facilities for social contact Social spaces Meeting points Community gardens and allotments Provide facilities for gardening and appreciation of the environment Assist in garden improvements Demonstration garden and communal gardens Increase biodiversity through planting and management. Create environmental teaching areas at schools ACTIVITIES/GROUPS/EVENTS/SOCIAL CAPITAL Supporting the community in providing a range of opportunities. Social networks are extremely valuable and should be encouraged and supported to help achieve increased physical activity, wellbeing and use of open spaces. Greater support for local groups Support community projects and encourage new initiatives Greater support for existing groups Celebrate community initiatives Reward people for involvement in activity e.g. Groundmiles (Appendix V) Social opportunities, volunteering and activity groups Seek opportunities for inter generational projects to reduce the fears about young people by breaking down isolation, building familiarity, confidence and trust in the local area. Support and training for leaders/facilitators Celebrations and events. Opportunities for walking and cycling Variety of walking groups for different abilities. Walk companions Safe routes to school, walking bus, 5 minute zone (Appendix V) Cycling and bike maintenance support Opportunities for exercise Appoint Active Community Co-ordinators Wide range of activities tailored to appeal to specific groups Sports outreach coaches/facilitators/mentors Sports activity taster sessions and clubs Garden support Garden clubs Gardening lessons Garden gym Schools gardens Appreciating environment Guided walks Arts projects

EDUCATION/ AWARENESS Develop awareness, skills, ability and motivation Education will be fundamental to encouraging and maintaining increased physical activity. This will require publicity for targeted activities such as gardening and walking from your own doorstep. Reduce dog fouling, litter, graffiti etc. Increase dog warden services Raise awareness Education Establish communications with dog owners Community involvement Change current perception of safety and security Breaking down barriers between generations More community wardens Raise awareness Health benefits of physical exercise via GP referral and Active Schools Available facilities, groups and activities. Road safety Change attitudes to weather Rain gardens and celebrations Clothing and image Motivation and confidence More street wardens Encourage physical activity Advertise opportunities Make activity and exercise inclusive Make links with specific groups Celebrate local initiatives POLICY/ ORGANISATION Shape objectives and services to include health and physical activity Health remit across all council services Raise awareness across all relevant services of roles in supporting and promoting healthy physical activity through the Physical Activity and Health Strategy for East Renfrewshire. Appoint health champion/networker/broker between all council departments and stakeholder groups to inform key service objectives and core business (See Mayor for health appendix II). Promote changes in key service objectives and core business Review existing Services Review accessibility and use of existing sports and leisure facilities. Planning Protect and enhance existing open space to help avoid inequalities of access. Undertaking Planning applications assessed in relation to impact on health and physical activity via Health Impact Assessments for all open space types as well as new activities and developments. Pedestrian priority areas.

Support local services to encourage everyday walking. Promote sustainable transport strategy Health Impact Assessment addendum to East Renfrewshire Open Space Strategy Implement Structure Plan â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Green Network Involve the community Promote the concept of social capital. Strengthen links. Reward involvement Devolve power over outdoor space to the community by leasing land. Reward local people for involvement in activity (See Groundmiles Appendix V)

Improving physical activity levels across the community will have positive impacts on the local and national economy. Increasing physical activity levels in East Renfrewshire does not require significant capital investment and will add value to existing investment. Increasing physical activity does not need to be reliant upon formal sports and leisure facilities. A key element underpinning many of the proposals is the concept of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;social capitalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. The pattern of networks among people and the shared values which arise from those networks assist people feel encouraged and confident enough to use their local spaces and to explore the wider area to become physically active.

Minor changes to the existing service delivery of stakeholders could be undertaken to implement many of these opportunities. Stakeholders can cherry pick actions which dovetail into their current activities. The aim is to mainstream the creation of opportunities for physical activity into the actions of all stakeholders

Appendix I- Policy and Organisational Framework Organisation World Health Organisation

Scottish Government

Objectives & Core Business Areas 'Ottowa Charter for Health Promotion' (1986) Five main strategies Building healthy public policy Creating supportive environments Strengthening community action Developing personal skills Directing health services at the people who need them most. ‘Closing the Opportunity Gap’ Targets Target D ‘To reduce health inequalities National Physical Activity Strategy Let's make Scotland more active strategy to increase the nations physical activity. Green Network The Green Network is a 20 year programme, which will link parks, walkways, woodlands and countryside along miles of path and cycle routes bringing a range of social, economic and environmental benefits to the Glasgow metropolitan region. The Glasgow and Clyde Valley (GCV) Green Network Partnership brings together the eight regional local authorities, Communities Scotland, Forestry Commission Scotland, Scottish Enterprise, Scottish Natural Heritage and the Glasgow Centre for Population Health. The GCV Green Network Partnership provides the strategic framework for the co-ordinated action needed to facilitate delivery of the Green Network across the whole region. Scottish Planning Policy (SPP) 11 Open space and Physical Activity Objectives to protect and enhance open space To protect and support opportunities for sport and recreation Planning Advice Note (PAN) 65 Planning and Open space. Planning Advice Note (PAN) 76 New Residential Streets and the Designing Places policy statement promotes good design in encouraging better use of public spaces and social contact. Scotland’s Sustainable Development Strategy – identifies ‘improving the well-being of Scotland’s people’ as a key objective.

NICE National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence NHS

East Renfrewshire Council Community Health and Care Partnership

Physical Activity and the Environment Guidance recommending environmental interventions that will increase physical activity levels by Incorporating physical activity into everyday life Increasing recreational activity Increasing active travel Core business areas To improve the health of local people, reduce health inequalities,

promote healthy lifestyles and improve access to integrated locally based health and care services. Seek to counter increasing levels of inactivity and poor diet contributing to growing levels of obesity in young people by encouraging ‘more physical activity through active travel, play and dance’ Health promoting Schools Framework Key Service objectives 2007-10 Develop health improvement network Focus on improving health in areas of deprivation Progress organisational development work on integrated services In older people by promoting active participation in society including the provision of dedicated exercise sessions DRAFT : Let’s make East Renfrewshire More Active A Physical Activity and Health Strategy for East Renfrewshire This strategy sets a commitment to coordinated action to increase and support the levels of physical activity among people in East Renfrewshire. The focus of this strategy will be to increase involvement and participation in informal, everyday activities. As part of this, walking has been identified as a key focus within the strategy.

ERC Environment

ERC Community Services

Roads, Planning and Transportation Network Management To improve the condition of our existing road network and encourage the use of other types of more sustainable transport such as public transport, cycling and walking. Roads maintenance Winter maintenance Road safety Lighting maintenance Road drainage Road Safety Local Transport strategy Safer Routes to Schools Transport strategy inputs Roads and Transport Service Guide ‘We will actively promote the establishment of sustainable and integrated forms of transport across East Renfrewshire, which will meet the needs of all road users particularly the most vulnerable.’ Development Planning Conservation of the natural environment Promotion of outdoor access and the Dams to Darnley Country Park Jobs action team – employability services providing assistance to help individuals into jobs or training. Facilitating the physical and economic regeneration of …areas suffering from deprivation Open Space Strategy The Greenspace Strategy provides a framework for the future management of greenspace within East Renfrewshire. The development of the strategy links to the key theme of the Glasgow and Clyde Valley Joint Structure Plan to promote a Green Network across the conurbation’s towns and adjoining countryside to enhance the quality of life for local communities and improve it as a place in which to live, work and invest. The development of the Strategy builds on the findings from the audit and analysis of greenspaces within East Renfrewshire. Housing and construction services Maintenance and improvement of Council housing stock Community and neighbourhood regeneration Directorate Barrhead Regeneration projects Cleansing Parks and Protective Services Core business Areas To contribute to the promotion, development and maintenance of a green, sustainable and high quality environment Domestic refuse collection Street cleaning Graffiti removal Parks operation Park rangers Sports pitches Garden Assistance schemes Public Health Pollution control Pest control Environmental Health Service Guide We will respond to every complaint or enquiry on issues of public health, contaminated land, stray dogs, dog fouling, animal welfare and noise nuisance within one working day.’ At present There is a single dog warden on a temporary contract.

Community Resources Core business areas Community Plan – Key aims for people living in particular target areas: To increase the number of people in employment, education and training To improve people’s health circumstances. ‘There is a clear relationship between poverty and health. Poor health reduces people’s quality of life and self esteem and can severely affect the employment prospects of working age people.’ Services to young people Area committees Liason with voluntary sector Community Wardens Community grants coordination Culture and Sport Arts development Sports development Support to voluntary and community sports sector. Partnership with Active Schools Programme ERC Education Department

Support all schools to maintain their health promotion school status Extend and support the holiday activity programme for children in receipt of free school meals Promote ECO school activity in schools

Appendix II- Management and Current Condition of Outdoor Space In September 2005 Living Streets carried out a Community Street Audit Workshop on Aurs Drive, Auchenback. Relevant findings have been incorporated below. Outdoor space Streets.

Green spaces Verges, outdoor spaces, play area and the park

Schools grounds

Private Gardens

General condition Dropped kerbs at many but not all junctions. Some footways and road surfaces in poor condition with uneven footways. Cross-slopes on some footways. Pedestrian paths/alleyways – some poorly paved and drained. Footways throughout the area have a problem with dog fouling and litter. Footways narrow in several locations. No seating. Some compaction and rutting where cars have been parked on green squares. One poorly drained area in Aurs Park. Dog fouling a problem. Aurs Burn some dumping.

Public access permitted out of school hours. Grass and hard surfaces Trim trail at St Marks School. Range of conditions. Some overgrown hedges overhanging footpath.

Grass cut every two weeks late March - end October. Litter pick all areas twice a week, litter bins emptied twice weekly. Hedges cut twice annually Play areas inspected twice a week Education department responsible for mowing, sweeping and litter picking. Householders

External repairs – housing service and home owners

Housing and Garages Access to adjacent countryside

Maintenance/management Footways are swept once a week by mechanical paving sweeper and large channel sweeper with frequent manual litter pick as necessary between times. Dog Warden – one temporary sub-contractor

Some footpaths blocked by fencing and locked gates. Some poorly drained muddy areas

Landowners

Appendix III- Proposals for Future Community Participation Participation The methodology used to carry out the initial study is set out in Section 3. On completion of the initial study the method was evaluated. Set out below are the recommendations developed from this study for use in future consultations. The methodology is summarised in Section 6: The Toolkit. Key elements

Networking Making links between different council services and other stakeholders – raising awareness role of outdoor space in health.

Use of Photography The use of cameras provided a good icebreaker. It gave the team a good reason to approach residents and the use of the photos to create an exhibition gave an obvious outcome for those who had taken part. It helped to add substance to anecdotal comments. It gave volunteers a defined role/ task, demonstrated the research team’s commitment to the project and implied trust and confidence in the volunteers. We were entrusting equipment to people not just taking information away. Other equipment (audio diaries etc) would have the same effect by creating a mutual commitment.

Exhibition The exhibition event gave an opportunity to display the community’s photos and comments. It made the study visible to a wider audience of people, clearly demonstrated the issues that many people felt strongly about and gave the project a tangible outcome. It also provided a neutral ground for people to see and respond to each others opinions about the barriers to activity.

Limitations The following weaknesses constrained our study and would need to be addressed in any future study. Cascade of Information: The “cascade” methodology relied on community members contacting their friends and family. This process was unsuccessful. Contrary to our initial perceptions there were few extended families in the area and although individuals were willing to participate they were rarely able or willing to pass on cameras to friends and family. For this process to work we would require a very cohesive community and a lengthy study period. Length of Time: Community projects need a “bedding in” time. The constraints of time therefore meant that it was necessary to rush people taking part in the photography project to encourage them to pass the cameras on to the next volunteer. If the study period had been longer less cameras would have been needed, and it would have been possible to spend more one on one time with volunteers who needed additional support to record their ideas. The study timescales also restrict the use of more innovative information recording/ sharing techniques such as diaries, video project and use of websites such as Facebook, Myspace and Flickr to create an online exhibition enabling the sharing of photos and comments and allow sectors of the community to interact Time of Year: Weather and day length: It was useful to run the project in winter when weather and daylength barriers were most apparent but a number of difficulties were experienced: few people out and about spending less time out of doors so issue less relevant, Less opportunity to approach people to get involved. For children and working people very little daylight available to take photos. Many people returned cameras without photos because too wet/cold to get out.

health – lots of colds preventing people participating

Christmas : The project ran from the end of October 2007 to March 2008, and the pilot groups for the photography project ended in the second week of November. This meant that the build up to Christmas was a significant distraction/ drain on resources and people’s time. Technical Issues: Digital cameras were selected and backed up with disposable cameras, mainly for cost reasons (the reuse and downloading of digital cameras was much quicker than the use of manual cameras or disposable cameras which are now expensive to develop). Generally most volunteers got on well with the camera, and most said that they had used a digital camera before. However the method did have some limitations/ challenges: Need for dedicated volunteers and members of the project team to be available to download cameras and recharge batteries Much time spend by the research team keeping track of cameras and encouraging them to be passed onto the next volunteer A small proportion of volunteers experience technical difficulties such as one faulty camera, difficulty with camera use instructions, memory being full. Legal Issues The Council’s legal services assisted with issues of data protection and personal privacy. An advice note was issued to all photography volunteers. Proposals for future Equipment and Recording Pack: The following resources were used to carry out the photography project phase of the research:

10 digital cameras and 5 disposable cameras Battery chargers & spare batteries Memory cards and memory sticks for transporting photos Computer and internet access for downloading & sending photographs

A simple recording and information pack was prepared, containing: Camera (digital or disposable) Information and instruction booklet Aerial Photo showing the study area Comments sheet Equal Opportunities monitoring form Volunteer ID badge/ introduction letter Extracts from publicity and the guidance booklet used for volunteers are shown below

Timescale: Allow timescale of 5-6 months Allow a good lead in time to make good contacts with the community and find volunteers. Try and arrange the start of the project so that it runs over colder and warmer times of year (e.g: start the study in early February to cover late winter through to early summer) Project team: Combined team of researchers with training related to regeneration and community preferable independent of council.

Community base from which to run the project. Ideal facilities should include:

Established active community run facility. IT facilities Multi-functional space. Basic facilities (toilets, kitchen) Open extended hours

Briefing: Hold in central location on site and invite key community links. Introduce the research team and get an indication of interest of local community/ Identify possible contacts to involve. Discuss ongoing events and initiatives to link in with. Launch event: Marquee in outdoor spaces in the study area to distribute information and meet with residents or an event (piggy back on an existing event). Ensure an incentive is provided early stage; prize draw entry, free fruit, etc. Desk study/ outdoor space mapping: background research Existing landuse; greenspace typology mapping, accessibility Facilities/ resources Population statistics/ audience data Land Area Audit Exhibition - midway through the process, ideally on a suitable outdoor space close to a community facility. Ensure refreshments, crèche or children’s activities and entertainment are provided as incentives to participate. Alternatively the exhibition could take place as part of a larger community event, provided there will be space and enough “footfall” to ensure event is not overshadowed by competing events. Virtual Exhibition Online: uploading of resident’s photos and comments onto an interactive website allowing others to add their comments. E.g: Flickr, Bebo, Myspace. Ideally link in with an existing community website rather than setting up a new page or ask if local websites will include a link to the site. Focus groups and one to one Interviews: arranged to suit residents and group’s timetables. Ensure safe working procedures where researchers planning evening meetings or interviews that are not held in public places. Final Celebration: hold an event outdoors, ideally demonstrating or linking in with a couple of activities identified as apart of the action planning process. E.g: Picnic in the Park, Fun Day.

Appendix IV- Review of Current Research There are currently two large scale, scientific studies looking at links between health and wellbeing and the environment. The GoWell study run by the Glasgow Centre for Population Health is a 10 year research programme. An in depth pro-forma interview has been conducted with a sample of 6,000 people recording information on health, social contacts, housing, neighbourhood quality and communities. The study looks at the process of neighbourhood renewal over time – the study aims to monitor the quality of local environments and will asses the extent to which the gap between deprived and other areas has changed and consider how health and well being is influenced by the type of residential environment, policy change and the wider environment. I’DGO (Inclusive design for getting outdoors) was a 3 year study looking at ways to improve the design of the outdoor environment to enhance older peoples quality of life. This study seeks to influence policy as well as practice and has just been extended with a further £1.6 million funding.

Appendix V- Case Studies There are a wide range of initiatives to improve outdoor space, support wellbeing and encourage physical activity happening throughout the UK. There was insufficient time for comprehensive research but the following influenced the development of our ideas and some were used in the community exhibition to stimulate discussion. 1) Paths to Health established 2001 to contribute to health improvement in Scotland through the promotion of walking for health. Paths to Health support Walking groups – A local Walking for Wellbeing group meets every Tuesday outside Barrhead Sports Centre at 9.45 am for a walk lasting about one and a half to two hours. 2) Homezones Are streets where people and vehicles share the road space safely and on equal terms. Quality of life takes precedence over ease of traffic movement. 3) Safe Routes to School and School Travel Plans A school travel plan is a document produced by a school in conjunction with the Local Authority. It encompasses all the issues relevant to journeys to and from the school and includes concerns about safety and health, and proposals for ways to make improvements. School travel plans are co-operative ventures, and their success depends on informing, consulting, and involving everyone with an interest in the project including pupils, parents, teachers, governors, school premises manager, local residents, councillors, health promotion officers, and perhaps public transport operators. 4) Walking bus - Each walking bus had an adult 'driver' at the front and an adult 'conductor' bringing up the rear. The children walk to school in a group along a set route picking up additional 'passengers' at specific 'bus-stops' along the way. 5) Yorkshire CC’s five minute walking zones North Yorkshire have promoted five minute walking zones, measured time ‘isochrones’, at 15 schools across the County. A walking zone is a boundary line set up at five minutes walk from the school gates, measured by the pupils. Within this boundary parents, children and staff are encouraged to walk. People who live within the zone can no longer use the excuse that walking to school will take too much time. Those living outside can park near the boundary line and walk the last five minutes with their children, though it is stressed they must find a safe and considerate place to park. The County is now exploring an expansion of the walking zone to all its schools. 6) Go For It, an Aberdeenshire Council and Grampian Police initiative which involves 95% of the area's primary schools. It encourages children to walk or cycle to school instead of being driven. Since its launch in April 2007, walking has increased by 21%, cycling by 2% and the number of children taking part in ‘Park and Stride’ - where they are driven some of the way and walk the rest - more than doubled. Pupils earn a point for each school-run they walk or cycle, up to a maximum of two a day. Once they have collected 40 points they receive a card, which they can take to one of the scheme's sponsors and exchange for a free sporting activity. 7) Groundmiles Walsall Council and Primary Care Trust’s Groundmiles scheme offers rewards to help maintain increased levels of physical activity. Participants in health walks and other physical activity events receive stamps, exchangeable for shopping and public transport discounts, free cinema and theatre tickets, and free leisure activities. Groundmiles includes Gold rewards for volunteers who become walk leaders and backmarkers, with quadruple stamps. Additional incentives are under consideration including discounts on social housing rent, council tax and utility bills to target people living in economically disadvantaged areas. Over 700 residents have registered for the scheme. 72% of people registering were below recommended physical activity levels. 54% increased their physical activity levels. Following this success, the scheme is being rolled out to Walsall’s New Deal area to link up with other healthy lifestyle activities including quit smoking sessions, exercise classes and weight management sessions.

8) Active schools - a term given to schools in Scotland that provide pupils with sufficient opportunities to get active to the extent that it makes a positive contribution to their health. The aim of Active Schools is to give school-aged children the tools, motivation and opportunities to be more active throughout their school years and into adulthood. These opportunities are available before, during and after school, as well as in the wider community. Instrumental to delivering Active Schools is the development of a staffing network of 630 co-ordinators and 32 managers. These staff are responsible for putting in place and driving forward a range of planned activities in both school and community settings. 9) GP referral - The Glasgow GP Exercise Referral scheme has been running since July 1997. The scheme targets inactive individuals who would benefit from becoming more physically active. It is the biggest referral scheme in Scotland, employing 14 full-time members of staff. The scheme is funded by NHS Greater Glasgow and delivered by Glasgow City Councils, Cultural and Leisure Services Department. The scheme has expanded to include East Renfrewshire Council. Patients are referred onto the scheme by their GP, Practice Nurse, Physiotherapist or Cardiac Physiotherapist and are invited along for an exercise consultation with an exercise counsellor at their local leisure centre. At this consultation the patient will receive individual advice and support form the exercise counsellor to help them become regularly physically active. 10) Auchenback Resource Centre (ARC) and Auchenback Active provide valuable support and resources for the local community. Volunteers undertake most of the running of the centre which was built through grant funding and houses service providers such as Barrhead Housing as well as groups, activities and a community cafĂŠ. 11) Patch walks give rewards for reps carrying out community street audits. Some local authorities in a Department for Transport consultation paper highlighted the benefits of Patch Walks, where residents, police community liaison officers and cleansing and maintenance contractors visit local neighbourhoods on foot to discuss how best to tackle problems. Community Street Audit, which Living Streets promote and provide training for, has a similar ethos. 12) Mayor for health â&#x20AC;&#x201C; In their plans to make all Copenhagen residents more physically active Copenhagen has elected a Mayor for Health. 13) Social capital Social capital describes the pattern of networks among people and the shared values which arise from those networks. The central idea is that 'social networks are a valuable asset'. Interaction enables people to build a sense of belonging. The main aspects of social capital are citizenship, neighbourliness, trust and shared values, community involvement, volunteering, social networks and civic participation. 14) Professional training for cycling and walking - DfT will work with the English Regions Cycling Development Team, the National Cycling Strategy Board and walking organisations to develop training modules for transport professionals on design for safe and pleasant walking and cycling journeys in England. 15) Bike building June 2007 - Granton Youth Centre builds its own bikes with funding from the LIF fund and the City of Edinburgh Council. Participants take part in Build Your Own Bike courses. 16) Bike racing Nov 2007 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Scottish schools championship race at Caird Park, Dundee. A Scottish Cyclo Cross association and Scottish Cycling event held at a local town park, encouraging participation across the full range of school age children and providing coaching within a fun environment. 17) Cycle proficiency - Taking the national standard is a great way to ensure safety for adults and children as well as providing opportunities to meet fellow cyclists.

18) Clean up days, a way to raise publicity and involve residents of all ages. 19) Community dog shows and awareness training to encourage community involvement and pride amongst residents, while also bringing together experts who can give advice about dogs and their training 20) Dog fouling awareness days, raise awareness of the issue of dog fouling and take direct action by arranging Mascots, flags, sponsored walks, wrap up your kids, or a poop scoop stand in a local park. 21) SAG’s Scottish Allotments and Garden Society. Glasgow City Council has supported a 'Celebration of Allotments' event. 22) Gardening for Well Being - an off shoot of Gardening for Life promoted by Scottish Natural Heritage Research increasingly shows that gardening helps tackle obesity, protects against cancer and heart disease, strengthens bones and fights stress 23) The Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens is a charity that supports and represents city farms and community gardens throughout the UK. Members range from organic community orchards to pockets of urban space saved from development; from allotments to well-established city farms. There are around 60 city farms, nearly 1,000 community gardens, more than 60 school farms, and a growing number of communitymanaged allotments. 24) Forest schools can encourage an appreciation of the natural world and build self-esteem and confidence. This is achieved through regular visits to special woodland sites. Individuals can master tasks of increasing complexity and learn the associated social skills. 25) Grounds for learning, part of the UK charity Learning through Landscapes, helps Scottish schools and early years settings make the most of their outdoor spaces for play and learning. 26) Wildlife watch is the UK’s leading environmental action club for kids. There are 108,000 Watch members and hundreds of local groups where young people get stuck into environmental activities 27) Adult play equipment and outdoor exercise equipment. Encourages adults of all ages to exercise. Its design makes it safe to use with the resistance being provided by the user's own body weight. 28) Jogscotland supported by NHS Health Scotland, Sport Scotland and the Scottish Executive Health Department uses gentle walk/jog/run programmes to encourage everyone to get out and be active. There are four main areas of work: Groups - trains leaders, and provides support, advice and promotion for jogging groups in local communities. Events - 5k Challenges - fun races held in five venues across the country. Junior Jog Scotland new programme that uses fun running based games to get children active. Special Projects to develop and promote healthy living and increased physical activity with 'hard to reach' groups of people. Including 'Mums on the Run' - jogging group for young mothers, that provides crèche facilities and 'Buggyfit' classes. All Male jogging groups - a network of male jogging groups. 29) Power Pramming – regular park sessions for mums and babies fast walking then circuit training with babies 30) Boot camp ‘boot camp’ style exercise regime, a British Military Fitness session which takes place in Rouken Glen.

31) Capoeira is a Brazilian martial art. Currently very popular and can be played by people of any age and fitness level. Playing can encourage self confidence, balance, flexibility and coordination. It is traditionally played outside and is a good social activity 32) Kicks and Tricks Community football is a joint venture between Strathclyde Police and Rangers Football Club aimed at tackling antisocial behaviour in troubled neighbourhoods. The initiative covers a wide age range and encourages young people to socialise with others they would not normally meet as well as promoting a healthy lifestyle. 33) Street hockey has huge potential for getting young people active. The sport currently lacks initiatives or governing bodies in Scotland but the potential for the creation of amateur leagues is huge 34) Touch rugby a team game which increases fitness while encouraging team work and meeting new people. Touch rugby is a minimal contact sport and is suitable for most fitness levels. The game emphasises running, agility, passing, catching and communication. There is a Scottish Touch Rugby association.

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