This was the community safety question of the month for February and posed on the Our Place social media platforms. It received the least amount of responses of all the previous questions asked and the results did surprise me: with 54% saying No, 33% Yes and 12.5% offering a mixture of views from favouring the legalisation of cannabis only and one person being totally opposed too any decriminalised use of drugs. This issue is very topical and the recent release of Scotland’s death rate through drug use was both very worrying and encouraged a wide range of responses or suggestions as to how matters might be improved. This off course shadows our fatality rates associated with alcohol which is legal to consume depending on your age yet there is no corresponding public demands for prohibition.
I have been attending a few webinars and presentations facilitated by an organisation called Home page – Recovering Justice they offer a radical rethink and strongly suggest that the Misuse of Drugs Act is of no use, it infringes human rights and hampers agencies from responding effectively to the harm caused by the use of drugs to individuals, families and the wider community. I heard solicitors, Police officers and workers from the health services and drugs agencies recount a catalogue of disasters and negative actions created through arresting and convicting problematic drug users for the possession of controlled drugs. When we begin to view dependency as a health matter and intervention as being about recovery and supporting individuals to deal with trauma in their lives then arrest and imprisonment is clearly not working.
This is a very different perspective to the views expressed in our main stream media:
Not a perspective that you hear very often
As the community safety engager I am very aware about the levels of concern that exists in Camelon and Tamfourhill about substance use and many of its associated behaviours. The Community safety survey found that 75% of respondents were greatly or fairly concerned about drug dealing and this was in the main associated with class A drugs. My focus group sessions also identified anger and disappointment that drug use continued to be so blatant on the local streets and that drug users and their behaviours had an extremely negative impact upon the safety of local people. At a time when Government policy is moving towards treating this matter as a health problem and moving away from it being a criminal and policing matter, then it is clear from the community safety survey, the recent question of the month and my focus group sessions that the community is maybe not ready to accept or support the decriminalisation of drugs.
The interim Community safety strategy that I am compiling at the moment will take account of the community views and needs however it will need to also be set within the context of developing Scottish Government Policy and the approaches of the local drugs agencies and other statutory bodies like the police. I am working towards outcomes which will put Recovery at the centre of the local strategy but also activities which will build better community cohesion and provide opportunities for those individuals that are on the road to recovery to make a positive and constructive contribution to their local community. We should try and remember that we are all part of a community and it is through our support networks and positivity that we can make the difference to somebodies recovery journey and reduce the stigmatisation of those who have become dependent upon certain substances.
In the coming weeks in the community safety blog I am going to showcase some of the contributions made by our local drugs agencies’, I will endeavour to give some members of the recovery community a voice and I hope that colleagues from partner agencies will also write up some short narratives about their work and how they can all contribute to making Camelon and Tamfourhill a safer and happier place to live.
In this week’s Community Safety Blog, I want to reflect upon community decision making and how as a model of active citizenship it can impact positively on all decision-making structures right up to national policy making in government. I have been reading the recently published Citizens Assembly Summary Report and as a model for involving ordinary people with the big issues of the day it has much to offer the practices of community empowerment. Citizens assemblies are new to Scotland, but they have been used successfully in many other nations, Australia, Canada France, Belgium, Poland and most recently the citizens’ assembly in the Republic of Ireland looked at issues including abortion, equal marriage and the opportunities and challenges of an ageing population.
Here are some very brief highlights lifted from our Scottish report:
6.
“The Citizens’ Assembly recommends that in order to
ensure that citizens can make informed decisions in
relation to rebuilding their communities the Scottish
Government and Parliament should:
establish community-based citizens’ assemblies
to assess what is happening in our communities
(including the effects of COVID-19), identify gaps
and recommend actions, including through digital
technology, that can bring people together and make
our communities more inclusive.
In my view this would work well in Camelon and Tamfourhill, it encourages localism and will ensure responses and activities really are appropriate to the needs and aspirations of local people. A local community -based citizens assembly of anywhere between 30 -100 members, they could be picked randomly within agreed demographics to ensure they are representative of the entire population and inclusive of all interests. I have a priority to support the formation of a community safety group for our local areas and this could easily be formed as an Assembly subgroup or community safety could be a key agenda item or theme for consideration by the wider assembly. There is no reason why individuals could not be requested to participate on a similar basis as being called for jury duty, it could be treated as being a part of your responsibilities as a citizen, time of work would be guaranteed and of course a payment made to all Panel members. Alternatively, we could operate the Assembly in evenings or weekends and gift people for their time and participation.
37.
The Citizens’ Assembly recommends that in order to
overcome the challenges in relation to young people’s
health and wellbeing the Scottish Government and
Parliament should:
invest in and provide opportunities for all young people
to access extra-curricular activities, including sports
and the arts, with support and guidance for young
people to pursue opportunities that are right for them.
Through this national recommendation Young people can thus benefit though the provision of new leisure and creative opportunities, National government are now required to take notice and act upon this decision as agreed by the Assembly. Locally then this would operate along similar lines in Camelon and Tamfourhill, where Falkirk council, Local Community organisations and Statutory Agencies would be required to respond to the decisions reached by our own local Assembly.
I thought that was a particularly relevant recommendation:
55.
The Citizens’ Assembly recommends that in order
to overcome the challenges in relation to providing
equal internet access to all the Scottish Government
and Parliament should:
invest in infrastructure (and utilise existing
infrastructure) to widen mobile networks and remove
black spots, ensuring all communities have access
to the internet through free community hot spots
and publicly available hardware. Internet should be
considered as a basic need, free to all.
This really will address digital exclusion and providing a free phone service, especially for our elderly population would be a significant positive step to combatting social isolation and improving access to vital services.
59.
The Citizens’ Assembly recommends that in order
to ensure that citizens can make informed decisions
in relation to criminal justice reform the Scottish
Government and Parliament should:
undertake a full review of the criminal justice system
to improve outcomes for communities, offenders
and victims. This would include the reintroduction of
community policing, involving citizens in improving
local communications and services.
This could provide a big change to how we deal with criminality and anti-social behaviour and would work well in tandem with more restorative forms of justice and in directly involving the community with resolving the harm that has been done and remedying injustice in a smarter way. This is another area where a local citizens assembly could deliver big changes for the community.
The full Scotland Citizens Assembly report can be found here:
Dan our Community Coach recently in his blog was discussing free money and the Community choices programme, and this is another example of community decision making and an approach to improving grassroots and community democracy through participatory budgeting. We know about the role of community councils but there are other ways where we can enrich and extend local democracy. Oliver Escobar in his recent essay on the Futures in Common (Scotland after the Virus Gerry Hassan & Simon Barrow) discusses democratic innovations and describes processes where big policy-making decisions are conducted and made directly by citizens and not representatives or elected politicians. He lists: Mini-Publics (community assemblies), participatory budgeting (Community choices) and digital crowd sourcing (online decision making) He promotes the idea of Social commons, and this is a radical interpretation of models of community ownership, it has its origins in the common pastures and common lands that everybody once inhabited, enjoyed and utilised. These shared commons were in fact lands and resources held in common a form of community-based governance. We already have local community groups moving in the direction of asset transfers and taking back into community control buildings and facilities and this can be extended into parks and open spaces, canal towpaths, shops, and cafes. This is all about local democracy and community ownership and as we move towards COVID recovery and rebuilding aspects of our communities then this new democratic thinking provides a route map towards a more inclusive citizenship whilst encouraging greater communal responsibility.
The forces of the Pandemic are never far from our daily lives, I do not go with the mantra that we are all in this together, but we are certainly all in the same storm, however some of us are better equipped and indeed better resourced than others to deal with this tempest. Existing health inequalities and disadvantage of Place make the pandemic far more dangerous to some areas than others and when you consider that the likelihood of job losses are far higher amongst the younger, part time and female workers then we certainly are not all in this together.
KODAK Digital Still Camera
“The evidence is that the (COVID) crises has increased the gap between the haves and have-nots and laid bare the fragility of social and economic mores. If wealth is the greatest shield from infection and serious illness, then disadvantaged communities are the most exposed” (Scotland’s Urban Regeneration Forum 2020)
Within this prism of inequality, we have our younger people who have had to suffer a breakdown in their peer networks of friends and mutual support and where their social and academic learning has been badly disrupted and consequently there has been a marked deterioration in their mental health and spiritual wellbeing. We know this will end and there will be a route map out of these circumstances, inevitably some pain and negativity will be residual and its therefore crucial that we ensure young people and children have ample opportunity to reengage with their friends and peers and ensure their social spaces, especially in the outdoor environment are recognised, protected, and substantiated.Within this context I was drawn to a recent collaboration involving Outward bounds Scotland, Scottish Scouts and an array of youth work agencies called “A vision for young people” and where Moillie Hughes, Scouts Scotland President and Record-Breaking Adventurer said: “At a time where the lives of young people have been shaped by staying at home to protect their communities, it is crucial that we create future opportunities that give them a chance to spread their wings, foster confidence, and resilience, build new friendships and develop an attachment and respect for nature. This is unachievable in any other environment.” The cry is for greater outdoor learning and an acknowledgment of the healing power of the outdoors, the plethora of opportunities that young people can benefit from through engaging with their outdoor environment and where they can recapture a sense of wildness and freedom uniquely gained from unstructured and unsupervised play in the great outdoors.
“When I heard the storm and looked out, I made haste to joint it” John Muir
You may ask what is the link to our community safety priorities? If we consider the landscape of our outdoor parks, open spaces, and common grounds in Tamfourhill and Camelon and then ask, are they safe and conducive to allowing our children and young people to explore, take calculated risks and bond with their peers and allow them to affirm with the natural world, and if the answer is, they are not, then they must be a local community safety concern. This is echoed in the community safety survey and has been highlighted in Focus groups and with some of the agencies that I have met with, rubbish, fly tipping, detritus, drug use and Anti-social behaviour have all been sited as reasons why our open spaces and common grounds might not be considered safe. Another historical factor at play here has been the steady erosion of available open spaces for children to play. In Scotland since the industrial revolution children have one ninth of the roaming room they had in earlier generations. Childhood is losing its ancient commons of woodlands, parks, and heaths and with the modern fixation with using technology, devices and computer screens that alienation from the natural outdoor world has been further accentuated. Play for children has become enclosed indoors whilst outdoors signs and messaging bark at children like vicious guard dogs: NO CYCLING, NO SKATEBOARDING, NO BALL GAMES, NO SWIMMING, PRIVATE KEEP OUT!!!!
In the months ahead it makes considerable sense to be encouraging greater outdoor experiences, for us all, but especially for our children and young people. I know ther will be genuine concerns that leaving children unsupervised in open and wild spaces is far to risky and increases stress levels for parents and family members. It would however be legitimate to ask the question the other way around, can we afford not to allow and encourage this in the post COVID world? There is a balancing act required but for certain the wellbeing and mental recovery of children and young people must be the critical and determining factor. The safety of our open spaces must be a local community safety priority.
“As part of a wider recovery process, children should be encouraged and supported to spend time outdoors, playing with other children and being physically active,” say Play First UK. “This is not an either-or decision. Social connection and play offer myriad learning opportunities and are positively associated with children’s academic attainment and literacy.”
I attended last week’s Forth Valley Third Sector conference and was extremely impressed by the dynamic and versatile nature of our thriving voluntary sector. I have been away from working full time in the sector since 2006 and it was therefore a rewarding experience to be amongst my colleagues form across Forth Valley in common cause and to hear first-hand about the successes and aspirations for the sector. There was a keynote speech from the Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Local Government Aileen Campbell MSP, who clearly is a champion of the sector and it was heartening to hear her acknowledgment of the absolutely critical role that the sector has played in supporting communities through the COVID crises. She characterised a sector with no logos, no egos and no silos which has worked with care and compassion right at the core of the community and supported services from befriending, connecting with the lonely and isolated and provided food and welfare to the most vulnerable within our communities. This action had more widely demonstrated what can be achieved when communities are empowered, and bureaucracy is stripped away. The third sector will be critical to the wellbeing and future of our communities as we recover and rebuild post COVID, our communities will be strengthened by this continuing support, dedication, and skills of the sector. There was however an understanding that the sector must have full an equal parity when governments make strategic decisions about funding and policy priorities and this was acknowledged as an area that can improve and that to not facilitate this would be to miss a real trick. The third sector is thus a key player in the National Performance Framework. On a similar theme the need for sustainable funding and the avoidance of sudden ends to funds and the timescales for renewed funding were all areas that could be improved for the third sector and therefore for local communities.
The conference was used to highlight the new Third sector national strategy: The Manifesto for Change, and it cannot be emphasised enough that post COVID Scotland will be reliant upon these manifesto recommendations being acted upon and implemented in full. Here ae the key recommendations:
The TSI Scotland Network calls for:
Place: A decisive shift of emphasis and resources to help support and ensure community delivery of place – based services where the wellbeing of people , places and the environment come before profit to protect the communities and most vulnerable in our societies.
Community: Increased investment to build capacity and resilience by the TSI Scotland Network to ensure that every community in Scotland maintains robust , representative and resourced community-led organisations or partnerships that serve local needs.
Connected: Clear connection between TSI Scotland Network with Scottish Government directorates to inform the necessary policy changes to ensure implementation of localised place-based strategies for economic renewal.
Volunteering: Recognition that the TSI Scotland Network can make a unique contribution to empower inclusive volunteering and maximise the social and community action that emerged through Covid-19
Fair work: Employment schemes that are linked to community, wealth-building and creating fair, inclusive and sustainable economies, to maximise community benefit, reduce poverty, and inequalities and tackle the climate emergency.
This is a radical agenda and one that builds from community empowerment, local action. and off course Our Place.
Our Place Camelon and Tamfourhill were at the centre of the conference workshops and wider debates, and there was much discussed that was relevant to our own communities and in my case operational direction and examples of good practice which could be suitable for developing community safety initiatives locally. A strong third sector means a strong community; this is so relevant in the world after the pandemic but the response to date offers a glimpse to a thriving and dynamic future for local communities throughout Scotland.
A key theme of the community safety consultation has been Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB), a contentious notion, hard to define, perhaps criminal perhaps a nuisance and a thousand shades of grey in between. I find particular TV programmes anti-social and the attitude of so-called celebrities as ASB, however I do not think that is the where the local communities concerns and priorities are, although reaching a consensus as to what is and what is not ASB and how-to best tackle this is an extremely challenging conundrum. The ASB Act (Scotland )2004 covers an extensive list of areas including the following: Dispersal of groups, the environment, licensed premises, matters relating to housing, excessive noise and the Act gives specific powers to the Police the local council and other agencies to enforce the laws around ASB which can then lead to an array of interventions and sanctions, including issuing ASBOS, Fixed penalty fines, criminal proceedings, parenting orders, and referrals to the Children Panels.
The Anti-Social Behaviour (Scotland) Act 2004 provides the legal definition of antisocial behaviour as:
“A person engages in antisocial behaviour if they act in a manner that causes or is likely to cause alarm and distress or pursues a course of conduct which causes or is likely to cause alarm and distress to at least one person who is not of the same household. (Course of conduct must involve conduct on at least two occasions).”
Antisocial behaviour may include, but is not limited to the following:
noise disturbances, including loud music, noisy parties and shouting.
harassment
hate crimes including race, religion or faith, sexual orientation, disability or transgender or gender identity.
violence or threats of violence
verbal abuse
vandalism and graffiti
drug dealing
The local community safety survey found that 35% of respondents identified ASB as their greatest concern in the local area, the notable issues were groups hanging about, underage drinking, noisy neighbours, vandalism, and fire raising. These behaviours are not pleasant to have to live with and it is therefore important that the local community safety strategy tackles these concerns effectively. Let’s however take a look at the national picture and as I have highlighted in a previous blog Modern Folk Devils and moral Panics: – Our Place Camelon and Tamfourhill (opcamelontamfourhill.co.uk) youth crime and ASB have over the last 10 years been consistently decreasing throughout Scotland. This situation has been noticeable in many aspects of Scottish society, however the communal anxiety about ASB and youth disorder has remained the same in our most disadvantaged communities. The recent published research by Robyn Bailey: The Scottish picture of ASB July 2020 found this to be a significant issue, i.e., although youth crime is steadily reducing those communities most negatively impacted by poverty and inequality still perceive this to be a significant problem. This off course is open to interpretation but perhaps the underlying issue is that there is a lack of opportunities for our young people which makes their behaviours more visible and when the local community lacks the capacity or resources to better engage and support its local young people then the issues are amplified and can appear worse than the actual levels of recorded criminality. This would suggest that if we invest more time and resources into working with our young people and if we similarly build the capacity of our local community to better support and engage with the youngsters then we will achieve positive results and outcomes. I know there is already good quality youth work taking place locally and I have experienced at first hand the community development approach utilised by TCV with their outdoor learning approaches with local young people. Outdoor learning and an appreciation for the environment can be used effectively to build positive relationships with young people and facilitate their personal and social development and instil an increased sense of social responsibility for that environment. Clearly if this approach could be sustained and further built upon then this would have many benefits for both the young people and their wider community. The local safety strategy I believe will be the most effective if it takes a community development and capacity building approach. The skills already exist within the community, the important thing is to build peoples confidence through training, support and investing in their knowledge, skills, and life experiences that they bring with them and which potentially can be deployed for the benefit of the wider community. This is a self-sustaining approach where the community sets a tradition and expectation of running and developing its own provisions, activities and services and these skills and knowledge get passed on through an ongoing programme of peer development. This also can potentially create new employment opportunities which will improve the local economy and address the adverse impacts of poverty and inequality. The community itself requires to build the confidence to deliver its own youth, children, and family work programmes. The exiting success of youth clubs and activities at Tamfourhill where local people have been empowered and built upon their skills to work in partnership with local families, children and young people is an excellent template for further development throughout all our local neighbourhoods.
It is unlikely that increased law enforcement or punitive measures will really have any lasting impact upon the safety and cohesion of the local community. The answers I believe are much more internal and the assets of our communities within their networks of support are the foundation upon which a local community safety strategy should be built.
I recently attended the launch of the walking manifesto for Scotland: Walking back Better has been produced through a partnership of Living Streets Scotland, Ramblers Scotland, and Paths for all.
The manifesto wants everyone in Scotland to be able to benefit from everyday walking, whether that is walking to the shops or to school or walking for enjoyment and exercise. Walk Back Better sets out their vision for Scotland to move forward to a healthier, cleaner, safer, and happier walking nation.
It is hoped that the Political Parties will be influenced by this manifesto as we move towards the Holyrood elections and that other stakeholders and agencies will support the key facets of the manifesto and play their part in its realisation especially at local neighbourhood level.
Here are the key aspirations and ambitions of the manifesto:
Investment in a £50m infrastructure fund to develop local walking routes, long distance routes, green neighbourhood networks and support under pressure mountain locations.
Improved walking and wheeling conditions, including reducing pavement clutter, providing toilets, seating, signage, safety improvements, improved crossings and basic path and pavement maintenance.
Improved access to local amenities, ensuring the planning system prioritises and delivers development within walking distance of local facilities as part of the 20-minute neighbourhood agenda.
Increased investment for delivery of walking behaviour change programmes that particularly target the most vulnerable and help to reduce inequalities.
Measures to improve safety, including a national speed limit of 20mph in all cities, towns and villages and enforcement of pavement parking legislation.
Investment in walking to school and reducing traffic and pollution outside school gates.
There are familiar themes in this document, and they are consistent with several aspects of the Camelon and Tamfourhill Community Safety Strategy. Thus, we have a vested interest in seeing many of the highlighted policies and declarations being adopted by government both local and national.
Walking has been a lifeline for people throughout the COVID crises and it is widely acknowledged that walking is the best buy in public health. Walking as a health activity should be accessible to all and off course you do not need any equipment for this outdoor activity so it can play a positive role in addressing health inequalities. The canal towpath, our local parks, and open green spaces in Camelon and Tamfourhill could all benefit through improved and safer access, proper facilities like toilets, seating, and improved lighting. Further Improved design, notice boards, signage and appropriate access for wheelchairs are also a significant aspect to this activity. I was also impressed with the findings of recent research which is being cited to support the manifesto proposals. This work found that when there are people out walking on the streets then there is less anti-social behaviour and a reduction in reported crime. As people are about more then the community and its networks are more visible, quite simply if the community is on the streets then others are far less likely to engage in unhelpful and negative behaviours and people generally then feel much safer. When we are out and about walking then we are encouraged to better network with our neighbours and friends and we do this communally and visibly and, this creates a better sense of connectedness and facilitates improved community cohesion.
Plenty Taxis available
The launch input from Living Streets Scotland emphasised that local communities can and should develop their own responses and projects which are aligned to the manifestos policy priorities. They spoke and promoted community safety projects that had developed around schools. There are far too many cars in Scotland, and they must be reduced, look at any school in the morning and they are overwhelmed with cars, parked cars, moving cars and obstructive cars. The national aspiration of a universal 20mph speed limit and the implementation of pavement parking legislation are all pertinent to our local community safety priorities. The work I am supporting with the Parents Council at Easter Carmuirs Primary School is a good example. The intention there is to get the various statutory agencies on board with developing a school streets scheme and to explore the possibility of securing SUSTRANS Pocket places funding to promote active travel and improve vehicular safety around the school and the surrounding streets. Community speed watch and temporary lockdown measures have been successfully deployed around several schools in the Edinburgh City Council area and I am hoping that Easter Carmuirs could be a first for the Falkirk Local Authority area.
Achieving political commitment to many of these manifesto ambitions will contribute to making our local neighbourhoods safer, happier and a more attractive place to live.
I have always enjoyed canals, often walking along their towpaths, the occasional experience of being on a barge and over the years taking part in some coarse angling. These have never been very productive sessions, but urban canals present their own characteristic challenges for the angler. Camelon and Tamfourhill are synonymous with the Canals, you cannot really think of one without the other, and these great engineering feats played a critical role with the establishment of the Port Downie or Camelon iron works in 1845 and it is unlikely that these famous works would have been built here if the canal had not been here first. In terms of community safety and the development of our local plans, it seems that the canal and Lock 16 can once again play a critical role in making the local community a thriving and dynamic place to live and work. I am aware of the positive contributions that Canal College and the soon to be relaunched go forth and Clyde have played in the life and regeneration of the local area through their focus on the canal. The conservation work and outdoor learning programmes supported by TCV and their nearby nature trail have provided another dynamic strand to the community’s involvement with the Canal. We have also had the Millennium Link Project which facilitated the creation of the Falkirk wheel and this has added another aspect to the area and contributed to the emergence of a new tourist attraction. There is therefore the potential to see the Canal further reenergise the local area, bringing skills, opportunities, and a fresh impetus to the community. There are plans for the redevelopment of Lock 16 and with the relaunch of Go Forth and Clyde (formally reunion) and the significant investment from Scottish canals and further inputs from Falkirk Council through the Growth Deal, this then very much seems like the right time to be supporting the local community to come forward and engage with these new opportunities.
I am fully aware that there have been long standing issues with anti-social behaviour and difficulties with substance misuse and other high-risk activities around the canal and the towpath. Consequently, many local people do not feel safe to go and make use of the canals outdoor benefits and are therefore missing out on the positives that this great outdoor resource can provide. The community safety survey and more recent postal survey, asking local tenants if they are interested and would like to see this area being better used, have indicated that they think this is a good idea, they would support the development of new community projects and would welcome the opportunity to make use of the canal and its environs, that is, if it can be made more accessible and safer. The community safety strategy will therefore be prioritising involvement in the further development of the lock 16 area, the tow path along to the Falkirk Wheel and potentially some artistic creations and landscaping projects around the Juniors car park. It will be important to make sure that all such developments meet the local communities’ aspirations, and that local people are at the centre of developing and implementing these projects. All developments need to be coordinated and joined up in a planned way and I will be ensuring that this happens with the voice and needs of the community at the centre of this process. I will off course keep everybody updated of all developments and as a first part to this I will be looking to involve some local people with developing the plans for the before mentioned projects.
A sunny day walking along the towpath
In partnership with Scottish Canals and other local agencies we plan to pilot, as part of the #tidyceangreen campaign, two full day canal clear up sessions. The intention is that these two days of activities will take place over the Easter School holidays (COVID Excepted) There will be an estimated 24 places available over the 2 days and participants will get a chance to help on the work boat, clear litter using paddle boards, take part in conservation and clear up activities on the tow path. Everybody will be made very welcome provided they have booked onto the activities, they will be suitable for young people, families, older people, and anybody with disabilities will be supported to take part. This will be a day on the canal with a difference, but the core of the pilot activities is to help with making the canal a safer, cleaner, and greener place whilst taking part in some fun and interesting activities.
The bigger and longer-term picture will be about the assured safety of people so that they can use and enjoy this great local resource. The vision could include, water sports, proper seating, organised walks, angling classes, volunteering opportunities and training courses, new information boards, local history murals and pop-up parks, training and employment initiatives and conservation and outdoor learning programmes, or simply somewhere to go for a nice walk and then a comfortable relaxed seat beside the old canal. These are admittedly only aspiration or a wish list but there is the potential to make them happen, so we need volunteers to come forward and we require the community to take ownership of their own vision. In the first instance please look out for advertising and information about the 2 days canal clear ups scheduled for April, and hopefully it can be the start of something much bigger.
Here is some music and a nostalgic look back at the history of the canal as it flows through Camelon onto Falkirk.
Musical tribute to the Forth and Clyde Canal through Falkirk
The mist will clear eventually and the path forward will emerge
I have been going back over the details of the community safety survey carried out between May and August last year and to consider how an interim strategy might address some of the clearer identified priorities. Often as you seek further clarity, gather additional information, and listen to new perspectives you reach a point where a clear route map and direction of travel comes into sight. However all too often for me this is usually followed by a period where the mist comes back down, and I am again fumbling in the dark and looking for a map or detailed plan to assist me navigate back out of the myriad of competing views, opinions, and policy positions. This has been particularly challenging when looking at our local issues and concerns about substance misuse and the manifest social and personal problems that are associated with addiction and dependency. This matter is of significant concern to the local community and there is anger and frustration that neither as a community or through the intervention of agencies have we been able to make significant progress or headway with this enormous social and individual problem. I want to just reflect upon the National context here prior to returning to our own local community safety strategy. The recent high-profile coverage of Drugs deaths in the Scottish news, media, public health sector, criminal justice system and political arenas has been intense, creating much heat but not often much light. Let us ponder the following:
The most recent records from 2019 recorded 1264 drugs deaths in Scotland.
Drug-related deaths in Scotland are at their worst level on record and at a higher reported rate than any EU country, according to new figures.
The latest National Records of Scotland (NRS) statistics indicate there were 1,264 drug-related deaths north of the border in 2019 – a 6 per cent rise on 2018. It marks the highest number since records began in 1996.
David Liddell, head of the Scottish Drugs Forum charity, said the deaths were a “national tragedy and disgrace” – calling for more treatment programmes and the decriminalisation of drug possession.
“The statistics announced today are a grievous reminder of the human cost of the ongoing public health crisis we face in Scotland,” said Mr Liddell.
This then is the context we operate within Camelon and Tamfourhill , our communities have proud traditions, the Mariners and the industrialisation and construction of the Canals , the radical Scotland tradition born from this area and the workers uprisings of 1820, but like much of central Scotland we have been living in the mist of a post-industrial society and a terrible consequence of that has been the devastation of sections of our communities and families through drug misuse and the nightmare of opiate addiction. It is quite obvious if we look at the age group of our resident drug dependent population, they are mainly in their 50s, in fact ages with me, and grew up in a quite different Scotland of the 1980’s. So, what has the local community safety survey and consultation highlighted in relation to this matter:
This category was recorded as being the second biggest local priority, when we look at the individual labels the following is noted: 75% of respondents were greatly concerned or fairly concerned about drug dealing and similarly 70% expressed the same views about the consumption and presumably also the buying and selling of Class A drugs (Community safety survey 2020)
There is considerable anger about people consuming drugs, and the buying and selling of drugs, drug paraphernalia being left about, the presence of drug addicts making it unsafe for children to use and play in the parks, they have an intimidating presence especially around the chemists and users gathering in public places to consume and deal drugs. There was acknowledgement that there was support services trying to make a difference, but the problem was often that drug addicts did not want help. There was empathy and understanding but the consensus was one of this matter being a problem and an extremely negative and harmful presence upon community and family life. These views and opinions were typical and consistent and were repeatedly stated comments from local people who completed the surveys.
From this highly emotive and damaging set of circumstances a community safety response is required that is supported by the wider community, can be implemented with the support of the relevant agencies and service providers and which has also to be empathetic to the needs and circumstances of the drug users themselves. Recovery and support to recovery must be central planks to this approach, the path to recovery is challenging but it is essential that the pathway is there and that we have the support and expertise available to help people onto that road when they are ready to begin that journey. This is a controversial area, but in my view, we are correctly moving towards dealing with the matter as a public health concern and away from it being a criminal matter. This now leads us into the ongoing policy debates that are currently raging, and this has a particularly local dimension with local man and independent drugs worker Peter Krydant planning to stand as an independent candidate in the Falkirk East Constituency in the Scottish parliamentary elections this May. Peter Krydant launched a mobile overdose prevention facility this year, giving drug users in Glasgow a safe space to inject. How would his approach fit with a local community safety strategy? Remember it is probably not currently legal.
With help from trained volunteers, Peter Krydant after launching his facility has been credited with saving lives thanks to the supply of clean needles and overdose-preventing naloxone. It sounds very pragmatic, but would it contribute to addressing the concerns expressed by local people and would it contribute to making our community a safer place to live? Another strand to the local strategy has to be about early intervention with our young people and to provide reliable, creditable, and relevant inputs around alcohol, drugs and risk taking, the local community safety strategy must be on the ball with all of these issues. The involvement of youth work approaches and the need to better equip our young people with the skills, confidence, and knowledge to reject harmful behaviours through the irresponsible consumption of drugs has to be a top priority of the strategy. Another complexity might be the move towards the decriminalisation of drugs or the regulation of their use, this is another massive contextual and policy area that will have considerable impact upon how we tackle these issues locally.
I cannot provide any easy answers here, but I would acknowledge that we have dedicated professionals operating in this field and they are already successfully working in the Camelon and Tamfourhill areas, and personally I would like to thank them for their dedication and professionalism, they work in an area that is extremely challenging and highly unpredictable. I have provided a contact list at the end of this article, along with some references to current policy positions around both the decriminalisation and the regulation of drugs and the intention here is to facilitate knowledge which enables people to consider the issues for themselves.
In conclusion here is the first question of the month for 2021, and I will keep this open until the end of February, so it is really a 6-week question, but it will be interesting to see the results and I will publish them on our social media and website. I hope that the mist starts to clear for us all and we can then find some clarity as to how we best move forward as a community and do this effectively and with compassion and empathy.
I am sure that most people will agree that it is a relief to see the sun eventually set upon 2020. It has been a terrible year and I do not want to dwell to long on the tragedy and social disruption that has impacted upon us all in so many different ways. It is a real body blow therefore to start the new year with a further upsurge in the new mutant COVID virus and it appears we are moving in reverse and potentially retuning to the total lockdown of March 2020. There are reasons though that gives us a real sense of hope this time, vaccines are getting rolled out, the schools are better prepared for delivering effective distance learning and our community networks of resilience and support are better organised and coordinated. We know what is required and we know what we need to do to get us through to the spring when the sun will rise once more. The social and physical environment will come back to life and our community will once again thrive. In many respects this is a challenge of time and patience and I believe the knowledge, skills and experiences of the last 12 months will enable us to secure a better future and build a stronger self-reliant community. This is not to overlook the role and responsibility of government both local and national in facilitating and resourcing our new aspirations and we will need to work collaboratively to address the social and economic problems of poverty, inequality, and the climate emergency. I nevertheless hope and believe that we can build a better community once we pull ourselves up and out from the destruction of COVID. An opportunity has presented itself for us to go about community in a different way, with different priorities and a fresher realisation of what is important to us and what is not. We must ensure that our Health Service is fully resourced and supported, a new Care service that is run for the community and acknowledges the real worth of the care workers that are employed within that sector, all our social services and education provisions become top of the class and we all work together to create a sustainable green economy which serves the commonweal for the benefit of us all. Lockdown provided a glimpse into a different world so let’s see if we can kick the door open and move through into the beginning of a new approach with a new set of agreed societal priorities.
I want to briefly highlight some of the new projects that I will be developing and supporting through 2021 and which will have a focus upon keeping our community safe, supportive, and progressive.
Community Art projects and pop-up parks, there are a number of locations where these projects can be developed, improving our landscapes, and reducing anti-social behaviour. Encouraging local ownership and the involvement of the local schools, tenants, and community groups.
A canal clear up and improvement of the tow path and safe usage of the different resources and opportunities that the canal can provide. Water sports, angling, walking groups and an improved safer tow path for everybody to use and enjoy.
#Tidycleangreen with regular litter picks, conservation work and community fun days
Support the further improvement of Easter Carmuirs Park with the introduction of a new safer MUGA, better play equipment with lighting and shelters, organised sports and recreational activities run in the park
The Mariners month, a celebration of our local community involving all the local groups and agencies, I am hoping that we will have a new community broadcasting project up and running and being launched for the month of activities and celebrations.
Examining the practicalities of a new recovery café and volunteering project for those in recovery from the terrible impacts of addictions and to provide a safe and supportive social space for them with their families and friends.
I hope to be able to work with Easter Carmuirs Parent Council and introduce a Pocket places and a school streets pilot project, a first for the Falkirk council area.
Support the formation of new community groups with my colleague Dan including the community growing projects. There is the potential to support new areas of work around community safety initiatives in the Bantaskine area.
Through listening to and working with our local young people develop new youth provisions and learning opportunities within their own communities and peer groups.
The weeds will bloom as perfect flowers
This is not just a wish list of activities, much of the groundwork for these projects has begun and they will all form significant strands of the local community safety strategy. At this time, I cannot give specific details but every one of the above projects has been discussed and partners have indicated a willingness to make them happen. As always, the community must be at the centre of these ideas and their success is reliant upon their relevance and appropriateness to the aspirations of local people their families and the wider neighbourhood.
I am sure most of us will be glad to see an end to 2020, its been a very difficult year and unfortunately for some a tragic year. The coming festive period offers an opportunity for quiet reflection and consider the importance of our collective strength and in our ability to show empathy and support to others in the face of ongoing adversity. In my few visits to Tamfourhill Community Hub I have experienced this ethos in action and I would like to acknowledge the tremendous and necessary work being carried out by the Tamfourhill Tenants and Residents Organisation. There needs to be a societal shift in our priorities and I personally feel we need to highlight and tackle inequality and poverty collaboratively, working closely with our statutory agencies and to do this in close partnership with our local communities.
But its out with the Old and in with the New and I am optimistic that we will as a community move forward positively in 2021. The level of resilience , adaptability and creativity that has been shown over the last 9 months has been remarkable and this level of community cohesion will be a focus for greater things to come in the near future. I look forward to confirming the local community safety strategy in the new year and to start delivering activities and projects which enable the community to be a safer and happier place to live and work.
A thank you to my colleague Dan Rous for his ongoing encouragement and insight and I have very much appreciated the support of Lynne and Shona as they have guided me through a path that has been at times awkward due to the Pandemic whilst I have also been trying to get to know the communities I am employed to engage with. I have been fortunate to have worked closely with a raft of different agencies and organisations, and I look forward to building on this solid foundation as we move forward in 2021.
Have a very merry Christmas and a Guid New Year and please remember to stay safe and keep the community a safe place to live and be about.
Safer Communities Youth Action Project 