community – Page 11 – Safer Communities Youth Action Project

camelon, community, funding, tamfourhill

Vote Vote Vote (part two)

24/06/202123/06/2021 Our Place Camelon and Tamfourhill

Community Coach Blog, Dan Rous, 24 June 2021

Over the last few weeks, voting has been going on for the Small Grants part of Falkirk Council’s Community Choices fund – results from this are due very soon.

Well, now its the time for the big ones – the larger Capital Programme applications. And there are some exciting projects hoping to get the cash in our area.

Before I get into the projects, here are the Ts & Cs. Voting is registered by local authority ward (so Camelon is in Ward 6/Falkirk North and Tamfourhill is in Ward 7/Falkirk South). You can only vote for projects in the ward that you live in and this will be verified by your postcode when the final checks are done. You can vote for up to 3 projects in the ward you live in and, with an allocation of money per area, the project(s) with the most votes will get the cash or a portion of it depending on how the results end up. Your vote is not in order of preference – each of your 3 votes is counted equally. The weblink you need is further down the page. Voting is open until 16 July for residents of high school age or over. Results will be announced shortly after the closing date.

Unfortunately the whole process is still being done online, but if anyone doesn’t have access to a device, they can contact us and we can help them to either get access to vote online, or we can organise to get a paper ballot to them.

So, as we did with the small grants, here is the information on the projects seeking your vote right here in our area (in alphabetical order). There are others listed in each ward as the boundaries extend beyond our area, but I have just highlighted the ones either in Camelon or Tamfourhill for obvious reasons.

Falkirk North / Ward 6 (Camelon projects) Total Ward Allocation £192,828

Camelon Juniors Football Club – Full Sized Artificial Pitch at Carmuirs Park – £190,000
Funding will enable the purchase and installation of a full size 4G pitch so the club can offer activities all year round in fit for purpose training facilities for local clubs, teams and people, including Walking Football, Rugby, and Woman/Girls Football teams.

Falkirk Rugby Football and Sports Club – Transformation of the Sunnyside Pavilion – £65,000
Funding will enable the club to transform the currently council owned pavilion into an attractive, modern hub for local clubs and organisations, providing them with access to a new physio suite, flexible teaching area, expanded gym and fit-for-purpose changing / showering facilities.

Love Falkirk (Falkirk Vineyard Church) – Love Falkirk Support Centre – £25,000
Funding will allow the organisation to move to larger premises, increase the number of days they open the Community Pantry each week plus have a space where people can come inside for Coffee and Chat whilst they get support through Digital Drop-In Sessions, Homework Clubs, Financial Advice, Community Coaching and Counselling.

Falkirk South / Ward 7 (Tamfourhill projects) Total Ward Allocation £94,062

Barnardo’s – Barnardo’s @ Watling Lodge – £14,376
Funding would enable the installation of an outdoor toilet and kitchen to allow the organisation to safely extend their face-to-face support and connect Children, Families and Communities with Nature.

Friends of Dollar Park – Renovation of Dovecote – £80,000
Funding would enable the organisation together with other stakeholders, to restore the iconic building to its former glory and to landscape the surrounding area plus add new seating.

Tamfourhill Tenants and Residents Organisation – outdoor gym and free form exercise area – £52,500
Funding would enable the organisation to provide everyone with the chance to be active in their community with outdoor gym equipment that is accessible for all in the area, allowing people to be active and have fun whilst boosting their mental health.

To vote, go to www.falkirk.gov.uk/ccvote and follow the links and instructions there. Again, if you have any difficulties or know someone without digital access, please get in touch so we can make sure everyone’s vote can still be registered.

community

Experiences and Perceptions of Community Safety: Recently Published Research Projects

22/06/202123/06/2021 bighosie

The Complex map of community safety in Scotland

Although my primary focus is local and community based it is also useful and important to be aware of national developments, trends and ongoing research and insights, I often ask the question: how do we as a community fit with wider national concerns and issues?

A major piece of community safety research was published last month, carried out by Mainstreet Consulting, and commissioned by SCSN. There are 4 separate but overlapping research projects which have now been concluded and it was Project (2) that I felt was of most interest: What makes a community safe? And related to that mapping out how the relationships across the partners can support safer communities.

Community safety is complex and involves an extensive array of interconnected factors, some local some national and in this high-tech age some are virtual and online. These factors all interact with each other, and it is therefore a massive challenge to identify absolute certainties or present any type of template for making our community safer.

The research involved focus groups, a questionnaire, and the direct involvement of members of the Scottish Community Safety Network (SCSN) it was therefore national and detailed. A safer community was found to be based upon the principle of personal safety and safety within the public realm. This is explained as a person being at risk of harm due to the risks they encounter within the community where they live, it is about their personal relationships, their personal circumstances, their behaviour, and stage of life. A safer community will then have to deal with these micro issues and localised concerns, these can even be online. Community safety was found to be complex and was impacted by national, local, and specific neighbourhood-based factors.

The research confirmed that safety means different things to different people but there was three generally identifiable components:

Seen to be safe: – quality of the environment is a big factor, this is about the appearance of local areas: in particular; dark streets, graffiti, dog fouling, derelict property and neglected green spaces, these are especially important factors for making people feel safe. When applying this to our own local community safety strategy that fits well with our Keeping Camelon and Tamfourhill Tidy, clean, and Green. #tidycleangreen

Felt to be safe: This is about the fear of crime and the need for reassurance, it’s very difficult to make people feel safer by explaining the actual nature of the risks when that is being negated by the mass media and social media amplifying particular issues like crime and public disorder. Our local strategy highlights the community having an improved sense of security and reassurance.

Understood to be safe. the importance of basic information about safety within communities was noted frequently and it was found that communities valued knowing where to go to get support and advice and knowing that something will get done. This is a great fit with the local strategies key outcome of Local people having greater confidence in the agencies that deliver relevant services and in particular the local intention to re-establish the successful street a week multi-agency project.

Other significant factors that were found to impact upon a community’s safety is its sense of place, where a positive sense of identify and pride in the area were massive factors, this relates well with our own Key Outcome of Improving community cohesion and a theme crossing several of these outcomes is to support various community development projects which will facilitate further local ownership and improved responsibility and pride in our local areas, parks, and community facilities.

The final factor highlighted by some of the respondents was poverty and inequality and how this can badly damage a community’s sense of safety through exasperating local criminality and anti-social behaviour and undermining mental health and wellbeing. This is a social structural challenge and requires macro political interventions however we should also be aware of strategies and projects that tackle poverty as being necessary and absolutely fundamental to improving the sense of safety and wellbeing within a community.

Finally, this research project looked at how best to engage with communities, there was an acknowledgment that this was a basic and necessary part of any community safety strategy, but there were clear warning signs articulated about the dangerous and destructive tendency of tokenism, it is well worth quoting directly from the summary report:

There is the danger of community consultation’ being tokenistic, the risk of giving attention to

those that shout the loudest rather than those in the greatest

need, lack of the resources required to involve communities

using the imaginative and sustained approaches required to

achieve the greatest success and relatively low levels of

confidence and experience in digital communication as a

tool to support community engagement

I hope and believe that our own strategy has avoided this pitfall and is inclusive and representative of the actual circumstances in Camelon and Tamfourhill, the success of our approach will be through participation and local people taking ownership of the projects and initiatives. I believe we are moving in the right direction and the underpinning of the community safety strategy is empowerment and local ownership.

coach, community, Our Place, resilience, Support, tamfourhill

Don’t just speak – say something

17/06/202116/06/2021 Our Place Camelon and Tamfourhill

Community Coach blog, Dan Rous, 17 June 2021

I was relaxing the other evening watching “Later… with Jools Holland” when he introduced a song from UK jazz musician Emma-Jean Thackray. She’s quite a talent, being listed as a composer, producer, multi-instrumentalist, singer, bandleader and DJ! The style of music hooked me in and I was really taken by the use of a sousaphone by one of the musicians – not something you see every day! But it was the title that really got me thinking and became the seed for this week’s blog (not what you really want at 1030 on a Friday evening but that’s my commitment to you!).

Just think about the song title for a second – Don’t just speak … say something.

I wonder what thoughts that has brought to your mind. Feel free to share either in the comments or by messaging me directly. But for me, its about making sure that whatever comes out of my mouth is worthwhile, helpful, and not just said for the sake of it – that the language I use is to build up not to knock down. I could also apply that to this blog, where I try to put out useful material that will be of interest to you. I’m really grateful for the positive feedback I’ve received from readers which is helpful in knowing this blog is not just reaching people but is having the desired results. I accept that the subject each week will not be for everyone, and the same can be said for some of the things we generally want to say in life. Is this really something that everyone around you needs to hear or is this us just voicing a thought in our head that we really just need to work through ourselves or in a specific conversation directly with someone?

So, let’s look at this in relation to our daily lives. What are we speaking or saying generally? As we’re chatting to people at the school gate, in the shops, on the bus? What about when we’re ‘chatting’ to people on line or making a social media status update? Are we just speaking for the sake of it or are we actually saying something?

While we ponder all that, here’s the lyrics from Emma-Jean Thackray’s song:

Open your eyes before you open your mouth.
Stick out your tongue and let me look inside.
I want to find what’s down your throat.
Open your heart to open up your mind.

Those pearly whites do they really shine?
Are they even real? They look too bright.
I want to find what’s deep inside.
If you must speak, show us your mind.

Don’t just speak…
Say something.

Blogger Reno Omokri says “Don’t speak because you want to say something. Speak because you have something to say. The more you talk just to say something, the more your listeners lose respect for you. The more you talk because you have something to say, the more they gain respect for you. And when listening to people, don’t focus only on their words, or you may miss out on what they‘re really communicating. Pay attention to their demeanour, their eye contact, or lack of it, etc. People lie with their spoken language, but hardly with their body language.”

I’d say that really sums it up, so you’ll be pleased to know I don’t have a lot more to add!! But I think the timing of this is really important as we’re beginning to move back to higher levels of activity and therefore more interaction with people. For those who haven’t necessarily had much direct human interaction over the last year, conversations may have been extremely limited, so this is a good time to remember even how to interact with others.

And the other side of this is actually looking at the person you’re talking to. As Emma-Jean says in the opening line of her song “open your eyes before you open your mouth”. What can you tell about the other person before you speak? Are they actually in the right frame of mind to hear what you feel you want to say?

It’s also important to understand that this doesn’t just refer to the general statements you say, but also the questions you ask. By that I mean asking the right kind of questions that will help you get the answers you need – and bear in mind they might not be the answers you’d like! Business advisor Belinda Lui says “The problem is, most of us ask terrible questions. We talk too much and accept bad answers (or worse, no answers). We’re too embarrassed to be direct, or we’re afraid of revealing our ignorance, so we throw softballs and miss out on opportunities to grow.”

This is a key part of our impaCT coaching programme during which our coaches will actually help you to ask the right questions of yourself and then to work towards finding and understanding the answers for yourself. It will help you to move towards your potential which includes how to interact better with others. There’s more information on all of this on our coaching page.

So as I close for this week, let’s all just think more about what we say, how we say it, and why we are saying it – both in person and online. And let’s give as much value to listening as we do to speaking. These are huge parts of community life that will further build on our community spirit as we regain the art of truly meaningful conversation.

Until next time, if you want, here’s Emma-Jean’s song for you to listen to!

Dan Rous, Community Coach, 07444 873151 communitycoach@tamfourhilltro.co.uk

community

A Celebration of the Forth Valley Recovery Communities new partnership with the Our Place Project and #tidycleangreen

15/06/202114/06/2021 bighosie

I was absolutely delighted to attend todays celebratory launch of the Tamfourhill Recovery Drop-in and its new environmental programme. This initiative has evolved through the local community safety strategy and is also intrinsically linked with our Tidy, Clean and Green campaign. Tamfourhill Community Hub provided a top quality buffet and I would like to thank Louise for providing the catering and everyone at Tamfourhill Community Hub for welcoming both the guests and the members of the Recovery Community. Narek Bido the Chief Executive of Addictions Support Counselling was on hand to answer any questions about his organisation and Stephen Feighan a Recovery Development Support Worker who has been working specifically with establishing the environmental programme was able to highlight the different aspects of the programme and its implementation in the local area. Tracy Fullerton from the NHS Forth valley Health and Social Care Partnership was focused upon her work of creating an informative film and documentary about the unique approach that is being developed at Tamfourhill and highlighting how this community engagement approach with its environmental underpinning will be able to facilitate positive recovery through embracing the mental and physical wellbeing of working in the outdoors. This approach can certainly be replicated and in that respect local representatives from the Denny Community were in attendance to consider how a similar approach to supporting community and environmental based recovery provisions can be developed for their community.

Establishing this new programme from Tamfourhill is very much consistent with several of the key outcomes of the community safety strategy and is also well aligned with the ethos and priorities of the Community Hub. The FVRC have already carried our several litter picks and this has been acknowledged and applauded by the local community , this has been noticed and already they have made a positive difference and improvement to several open spaces and streets in the community. This is an initial activity and along with the groups regular rambles and guided walks they will slowly but surely expand their environmental activities. They are scheduled to take part in a canal clear up later in the month and there are several potential opportunities’ to develop local conservation projects and link these to accreditations and a variety of community learning programmes. The community safety strategy has highlighted the need for greater community cohesion and this programme is an excellent example of how disparate or often stigmatised groups can come and work together and contribute to the development of their local community and facilitate mutual respect and learning through that process.

An enjoyable launch day could not be dampened through watching Scotland’s opening match in the Euro finals, it was despite the result good to share some footballing memories and realise how shared community and mutual support can facilitate positive outcomes and help us overcome difficult challenges.

The Drop-in and environmental programme will run every Monday from 10am at Tamfourhill Community Hub , you can find more information through either contacting myself at communitysafetyengager@tamfourhilltro.co.uk or emailing directly to enquiries@asc.me.uk you will always be made very welcome by popping into the Hub on and Monday. Further information about Forth Valley Recovery Community (FVRC) | ASC

camelon, community, Mental Health, Our Place, resilience, Support, tamfourhill

Don’t suffer in silence

10/06/202109/06/2021 Our Place Camelon and Tamfourhill

Last weekend, another young life was ended too soon. What makes it worse, is that this local young person chose to end their life. No-one should feel so much without hope that they feel this is their only option. So what can we do about it for ourselves and for our community?

Firstly, let me remind you that it is okay not to feel okay. And as Vasundhara Sawhney, quoting Dr Jaime Zuckerman, says, “Not only is it okay to not feel ‘okay,’ it is essential. An abnormal emotional response to an abnormal situation IS normal. We cannot simply pick the emotions we want to have. It just does not work that way,” Dr. Zuckerman said. So feeling sad and scared about my parents after they contracted Covid was normal. Crying after you get into a fight with your partner is also normal, as is feeling anxious and scared about an uncertain future. When we think we might lose something we care about, that’s sad. When we don’t know what to expect next, that’s scary. We should let ourselves, and other people in our lives, feel these things as they come up — which may be more than usual right now.”

Secondly, (and I know this is easy for me to type here but not so easy in reality), there is no need to suffer in silence or alone. Whatever you are feeling – whatever has happened – no one will think so badly of you that they would leave you on your own to deal with suicidal feelings. Find a trusted friend to talk to. This would be better in person but if a text/messenger exchange would help you get started then go for that. But do something. If you’d prefer to talk with someone you don’t know who maybe won’t be connected with your situation, then link up with a local organisation or national service that is there for you no matter what. Contact details for some of these are further down this blog.

Thirdly, we all need to better understand who we are and help our minds focus on that. Now I know that’s a big statement to make, but I want to emphasise that speaking with others is an essential part of that. Not pretending to be someone we’re not. Not trying to be like someone else. But being our awesome potential-filled selves.

Matt Meher says “we live in a day and age where we are very distracted. There’s a million places to be in our minds and our hearts – anywhere except here, now, in the present moment. And usually when we’re in the present moment, a lot of us avoid it because what’s waiting there is sometimes grief, fear, anxiety, or suffering. In fact we kind of live in a day and age where we’re more and more tempted to escape suffering instead of embracing it. We need to be willing to embrace the reality of the human condition, and the reality of this life, even to the point that it moves us to tears, because you can cry from grief and you can also cry from laughter – both require a heart that is so present to the moment that it is willing to be moved to that place. If you’re not present and you’re not free, you can’t get moved. Not only that but fear and anxiety can actually choke off our emotions and so crying is actually a natural involuntary response of our body, our subconscious. We’re getting stuff off our mind, off our chest in a way. And if we’re willing to do that, it creates an environment where we’re more in touch with who we are, and more in touch with the reality our circumstances. When we do that we tend to be more likely to find and experience peace.”

You may have heard about the swan syndrome. This is where everyone looking at you will think you’re all calm, sorted, and just gliding gracefully through life! And yet, just like the swan who’s wee legs will be flapping away to keep it going, under the surface of your outer appearance, things are going absolutely crazy. Your mind is a blur of different things and really you’re just going through the motions. You might be involved in so many things but never really settling. You might be so busy that you’re not sleeping because you’re not having time to wind down. You might be drinking so many energy drinks that you just can’t switch off. This list could go on and on. Things need to change and you need to take time to assess what is most important in your life. Now that might mean some tough choices. I’ve had to make some choices over the last year and have given up some things that I really enjoyed. It was tough. I miss the things I was doing and the people involved in them. But to be honest, I don’t know how I had the time to do them before. Not because I’ve replaced with them other stuff, but because I’ve spent time for me and with my family and friends. Yes, I was happy doing the things I’ve given up, but that doesn’t mean I’m not happy now I’m not doing them!

Dan Gilbert says “Happiness is not a final destination – it is just somewhere you visit on the path of life.”

What that quote is saying is that sometimes you’ll be happy and sometimes you won’t. And as we started this blog, THAT’S OKAY! It’s sad to say that happiness may not last forever in your current setting, but it needs to be acknowledged. That doesn’t mean you should be expecting things to go pear shaped at any minute and so you stop enjoying where you’re at. Please enjoy the moment for what it is. What it does mean is that if that joyous situation does come to an end, you’re ready for it and can pick yourself up with the help of trusted friends, and move forwards.

What I want to do just now is give some key contacts for local and national organisations, but first, here are some key statements from two local organisations that we would recommend:

Falkirk’s Mental Health Association (FDAMH) say “You may feel that there is no hope, but our experience shows us there is. All lives are precious. Don’t feel alone with your thoughts or feel ashamed of struggling, we can all struggle at different times. We are here to listen, without judgement, and to help find a positive solution to what might seem an impossible situation. We offer a range of services that can and do help.”

Quiet Waters Listening and Counselling say: “Do you feel anxious, depressed, angry, sad, hurt, or any of the many difficult emotions that are part of the human experience? Emotions are not good or bad, but they are trying to tell us something. Do you have difficult thoughts whirling around in your head? Is life a struggle? Do you want an opportunity to explore your thoughts and feelings in confidence? We are here if you want to talk through your situation.”

Here are some recommended contact details for you to have for yourself or to pass on to someone who you know that is struggling right now.

FDAMH: 01324 671 600 (Monday to Thursday 10am to 4pm, Friday 10am to 3pm)
Quiet Waters: 01324 630643
The Spark Counselling Falkirk: 0808 802 2088 (Monday to Thursday 9am to 9pm, Friday 9am to 4pm)
Wellbeing Matters: 01324 630 100
Breathing Space: 0800 83 85 87
Samaritans: 116 123
The Campaign Against Living Miserably (support for men): 0800 58 58 58
Childline 0800 1111
Young Minds: text YM to 85258
NHS 24: 111
Emergency Ambulance 999

There is lots of help out there and they are ready and waiting to support you and those you love. Please, let’s ensure no one suffers in silence to the point of complete despair. As our friends at Camerados say, “The answer to our problems is each other”. We have an amazing community spirit across Camelon and Tamfourhill. Let’s continue to build on that and be there for each other.

To finish this week, I encourage you to watch the video below from the World Health Organisation. It’s well worth the 4 minutes it lasts. This was shown to me when I undertook Mental Health First Aid Training a couple of years ago, and I have used it many times since. If you’re struggling with your mental health just now, this may help you understand what is going on in your head. I’ll leave you with the best 5 words I could ever say or have said to me: “I’m here if you need”.

Dan Rous, Community Coach, 07444 873151 communitycoach@tamfourhilltro.co.uk

camelon, community, development, Our Place, resilience, Support, tamfourhill

THRIVE to Keep Well

03/06/202103/06/2021 Our Place Camelon and Tamfourhill

Community Coach blog, Dan Rous, 3 June 2021

I am so pleased to be able to introduce an exciting programme that is new to Falkirk. We’re excited that NHS Forth Valley have come to us with the opportunity to pilot this programme that has run elsewhere but never before in Falkirk. So Camelon and Tamfourhill are ground breakers!

So “what is this programme” I hear you cry! Well, specifically this is for the ladies of Camelon and Tamfourhill. I realise that means I’ll lose half of the readers of this blog today and I’m sorry about that, but I’ll balance that back up at a later date. Guys, feel free to read on though as you may have a female in your life to whom this might be relevant so you can let them know.

So ladies, here’s a couple of questions for you, to see if you would be eligible for this programme.

Do you live in Camelon and Tamfourhill area?
Are you aged 16 upwards?
Do you find it difficult at times to deal with day to day stresses?
Are you looking for help to improve your confidence, motivation and/or self esteem?

If you can answer YES to those questions then this programme is potentially for you. If any of those do not apply to you then I’m sorry that the rest of this blog won’t be relevant for you. However, as for the guys, feel free to keep reading as you may know someone who would benefit and you could encourage them to get involved.

The programme is called THRIVE to Keep Well and each letter of the word THRIVE stands for another word. Each participant will have the opportunity to be Transformational in their journey to making positive Health and wellbeing changes, by being a Responsive Individual, to feeling Valued and Empowered by improving knowledge, skills and opportunities in a variety of ways to move towards a positive destination.

The programme is delivered over 16 weeks through one 4.5 hour session per week in a local Centre. The sessions run during the day in school hours. We have space for up to 12 participants so it will also be a great way of meeting some new friends.

The THRIVE to Keep Well programme will help you to:

Increase your knowledge and ability to manage day to day stress and anxiety.
Improve your self-esteem and confidence through self-development and reflection techniques.
Improve your knowledge and skills around motivational goal setting to enable a change in your health behaviour.
Increase your knowledge of your current health. (As part of the programme you can have a NHS Forth Valley Keep Well health assessment)
Increase your confidence and motivation to improve on your life skills, especially when looking towards further learning, volunteering and employment.
Increase your knowledge and develop skills and confidence that will improve family relationships, support your children’s learning, behaviour and attainment (if you are a parent), and enhance the wider wellbeing of you and your family.

Through the programme, participants will learn about stress, anxiety and how to make positive changes through a variety of group and self-reflection activities. Participants also take part in relaxation, creative, health, safety, and community awareness sessions. There will also be a chance to meet with training and employability support providers.

It’s a bit of fun but is also a seriously helpful programme that has benefited so many people to better understand themselves and to progress in life, including moving on to training, volunteering or even a paid job. What’s more, it’s all FREE, plus all resources, drinks, snacks and lunch are included.

So here’s the detail:

The programme starts at the end of August (Preliminary session Friday 20, then Wednesdays from 26 August)
Sessions happen once a week for 16 weeks (breaking for the October school holiday).
Sessions commence at 9:30/10am and finish at 2:30pm, so if you have children at school there’s time to drop them off and pick them up and still benefit from the programme.
This pilot is just for females in the local area aged 16+
Most sessions will be at Tamfourhill Community Hub but some will be at Camelon Community Centre.

If you would like further information, you can get in touch with me (Dan Rous, Community Coach) on 07444 873151 or communitycoach@tamfourhilltro.co.uk or better still, you can contact Jackie Turnbull, who is the NHS Keep Well Forth Valley coordinator and is also local! Jackie is on 07909 002795 or jackie.turnbull@nhs.scot. If you’re linked with a support worker, they may speak to you about referring you to this programme as we have also contacted local agencies and schools about this.

If you would like to support the development of this programme in the local area so we can run it for more groups, male and female, in the future, or if you want to get involved in any way with any of the craft, food, pamper or other elements, then please get in touch with me as well.

So, over to you. Have a think if you would benefit from this, or if you know someone close to you who would. We’re really looking forward to bringing this programme to you this Autumn.

Until next time…..

camelon, community, funding, tamfourhill

Vote Vote Vote (part one)

27/05/202126/05/2021 Our Place Camelon and Tamfourhill

You may remember promotion a few months back regarding some new funding available through Falkirk Council called Community Choices. This is where the council have taken a percentage of their budget and opened it up to communities to apply for things in their area, and then to vote on what gets the money.

Well, some local groups have been busy, we’ve been supporting them as needed, and now the first opportunity to vote has now arrived! This is for the small grants section of the fund which is for projects or activities up to a maximum of £1,500. Voting is per local authority ward (so Camelon is in Ward 6 and Tamfourhill is in Ward 7) and your vote will only count if you live in the specific area (this will be verified by your postcode). Everything is being done online, but if anyone doesn’t have access to a device, they can contact us to be referred to get a paper ballot or record their vote via telephone. Voting is open until 18 June and then it will be the turn of the larger capital fund projects, but I’ll be back with info on those at the appropriate time.

For now, here’s information on the projects seeking your vote right here in our area (in alphabetical order). There are others listed in each ward as the boundaries extend beyond our area, but I have just highlighted the ones either in Camelon or Tamfourhill for obvious reasons. You can vote for up to 3 projects and, with an allocation of money per area, the projects with the most votes will get the cash or a portion of it depending on how the results end up. The link you need is further down the page.

Ward 6 (Camelon)

Camelon Community Centre – Exercise for all – £1,500
Funding will enable local people to access exercise or sports activity in the Centre without worrying about not being able to afford to attend.

Keep Camelon and Tamfourhill Tidy Clean and Green – Pop up Parks – £1,500
Funding will enable local volunteers to turn as many unloved rough grassy patches as possible into super-green, clean, safe and colourful mini-parks with plants and seating, for a fortnight or more at a time.

Let’s talk Table Tennis – Bringing back Table Tennis – £832
Funding will allow for the safe return of Table Tennis for the over 50s at Camelon Community Centre.

Ward 7 (Tamfourhill)

Stirlingshire & Midland Counties Table Tennis Association – New Community Table Tennis Sessions – £1,370
Funding would enable the launch of new Table Tennis sessions based at Tamfourhill Community Hub.

Other Options

As I said, there are some other options in each area that might attract your vote and would still benefit this area. Here’s some info on a couple of them:

Ward 6 – Falkirk Fury Basketball Club – £1,500 – Funding would support their ongoing program in delivering basketball to primary schools.
Ward 7 – Cyrenians – £1,400 – Funding would support a project called “Growing Plants, Growing People” at Dollar Park.

community

A big thank you to the young citizens of Camelon and Tamfourhill

25/05/202124/05/2021 bighosie

Primary 7 pupils from Carmuirs Primary School

This week’s community safety blog is dedicated to our young volunteers and citizens of Camelon and Tamfourhill. A big thank you to the group of young canal clear up volunteers who spent Wednesday 19^th May on the canal removing a wide array of rubbish and mess form the waterway. The Group also spent time in a learning workshop where the problems associated with plastic pollution were highlighted. The Group then considered ways which they as individuals, the local community and businesses and how local and national governments could contribute to reducing the harm being caused through single use plastics. A certificate of achievement is on its way to the pupils to acknowledge their positive contributions to keeping the canal #tidycleangreen and off course the new canoeing skills which they learnt through the instruction they received from Mathew Skilling of Scottish Canals. A big round of applause to: Zach, Cody, Owen, Catherine, Aiden and Scott and supported and encouraged by their class room assistant Scott. I would also like to thank Russell and Carol form Scottish Canals for their support and encouragement to the day’s activities.

Friday 21^st May was a day of 2 halves, the first half took place at Brown Street Park where the Primary 3 class from Carmuirs Primary school cleared the park of its considerable litter and mess and also took part in the veg your ledge workshop facilitated by Forth Environment Link. My colleague Dan is supporting a new community growing project form this park and its heartening to see it now being transformed form a vacant empty space into a new community resource. This was the first stage in this conversion and the youngsters carried out a Keep Scotland Beautiful Eco schools litter survey.

The pupils were helped to plant their own boxes and they took the 9 boxes back to their class to watch their vegetables grow, hopefully some lettuces will be ready for picking before the end of the school’s summer term. I am sure Dan will be welcoming them and their peers back in the new term to work on some of the community growing activities which will be getting developed from the Park. We received a visit from our two local community police officer’s PC Hill and Muir who came and joined in with the morning’s activities and also a thankyou to the adult volunteers of Chris, Gordon and Nicholla who assisted with the litter pick.

The second half kicked off at 2pm in the car park at Camelon Juniors Football Club. This activity was called All Games Allowed, and this title was to contrast the usual no games allowed signs that we see far too often throughout our local communities. The aim was to look at how the Primary 3 pupils might make use of the space for safe paly and to encourage them to invent their own games based on the traditional street and pavement games that go back generations. We started with Mark form Camelon Arts inviting us all to try an ancient Viking game called: Kubb and this was great fun, extremely competitive, it involved knocking out skittles and eventually the game would be won through somebody knocking out the king which happened on several occasions.

Primary 3 came up with their own chalked out assault course which involved different challenges as you worked your wat through the chalked-out course on the ground. The class were divided into teams of three and were timed as they worked their way through all the different tasks and skills they were instructed to undertake. The game finished with a slow-motion crab race where the winner was the person who managed to go so slowly that they were last, congratulations to Ms Paterson the class teacher who won this race by a few pincers. I would intend to include some sort of street games and safe play areas for local children as we go forward with the community safety strategy and the session at the Juniors Car Park was extremely helpful with illustrating how existing community spaces could be better used and adapted for wider community benefit. Thanks to Mark form the Camelon Arts Project for his comparing of these street games, I enjoyed this session very much and again Primary3 pupils were a credit to their school and their local community.

camelon, community, Our Place, Support, tamfourhill

Be more human

20/05/202120/05/2021 Our Place Camelon and Tamfourhill

Community Coach Blog, Dan Rous, 20 May 2021

Allow me to introduce you to the movement that is … Camerados. Being a Camerado basically means to look out for each other and, as the title of this blog suggests, to be more human.

So why am I telling you about this movement? Well, basically because here at OPCT HQ we have joined up with them (for free) on your behalf, to gain ideas, resources and support that will help us grow even more as a strong united community. (Have a look at their website for yourself if you want!)

Already we do pretty well at this strong community stuff across Camelon and Tamfourhill but there are always opportunities to do more, to grow more, to be more, well, human! You see, so often, as we live stressed and struggling lifestyles, relying on overstretched and underfunded services, the answer to our problems could lie right here in our community – with each other.

The official blurb says that “Being a Camerado is about recognising we’re all going through stuff and that it’s ok to be a bit rubbish sometimes… but that tough times get easier when you’re alongside, not being fixed or fixing, but having a laugh, mucking in, putting the kettle on and looking out for each other. Why? Because when we look out for each other we get the two essentials that make life worth living: friends and purpose.”

Regular readers who pay attention to this blog will recognise a word in there that I use a lot – alongside. That’s the key in my eyes. To stop doing things for or to people because we think it’s right, and to start coming alongside people and doing things with them. And do you know what? The other person might even be able to help you!

Camerados operate through 6 principles as shown in the image below but I’ll explain them too:

It’s ok to fail. And thank goodness for that! We don’t have to get things right all the time – just as long as we learn and try not to make the same mistake again. It’s okay to try something out and for it not to work – at least you tried when many might not even have bothered starting.
We don’t try to fix other people. Just be alongside them. There it is again – alongside! But the fixing thing is important to flag up. I love to help people reach their inner potential. To help them achieve what they were designed to achieve. But in my heart, I am a fixer. Show me a problem and I’ll find a solution. That’s fine in a lot of settings and has served me well in project development work over the years. But here, the biggest challenge for me in this job is to help people to develop – not to develop the people. That’s where our impaCT coaching programme comes in too. Helping people to ask the right questions and come up with the answers they need to move forwards. And training for this has helped me as well! So I’m here to help people – yes, you – to find their own fixes in life – and, as the graphic above says, to have lots of tea too (am I allowed to add cake or at least a biscuit onto that as well?)
We mix with people who don’t look like us. This is not just about race or religion but even people who have a different outlook on life – a different career path – different tastes. As an Englishman who supports Spurs, I’m used to being different! But I live in Camelon and have mixed with many people over the last nearly 5 years, who you wouldn’t normally think would mix with the likes of me. Yes there’s a light hearted element to those last 2 sentences but this is equally a serious point. We are a strong community but a community that has changed a lot over the years and is now proudly multi-cultural. Let’s embrace difference more and really celebrate community.
Remember – have fun! I often get accused of being a bit frivolous in life. I like a laugh and a joke even if my kids despair at most of my jokes (don’t they realise that just makes me tell them more!) But that is not to say that I don’t put in a hard slog, get stressed out, lose the plot and other things like that. But at the heart of everything we do, we need to keep returning to this principle – a lot.
If we disagree, level with other respectfully. Similar to principle 3, we’re all different – but that’s ok. We will have different opinions and views on things – but that’s ok. The trick is to disagree respectfully. Just because you don’t like something doesn’t mean everyone else is wrong – nor does it mean you’re wrong and they’re right. But speaking with people – attempting to see the other side of the story – not necessarily agreeing but accepting – these are such important things to take on board. Having a rant on social media is so easy – probably too easy. You can even do it behind a veil of anonymity if you choose. And then it’s very easy to respond and how many posts have we seen with dozens of comments ranting and raving at each other. Stop. Take a breath. Try to engage respectfully. And if that’s not an option because the other person is just looking for an argument – well it’s also okay to say nothing sometimes.
If someone is struggling try asking them to help you…it gives them purpose. I love this so much. It goes back to the not-fixing principle. This is so rarely thought of as an option but the thing you ask that person to help you with could be the one thing that stops them from going down a really bad path that day. You’re not fixing them. You’re giving them a task to do which in turn, will help them think differently about themselves.

How good are those principles? None of this is rocket science as they say. But how often do we miss out on these simple truths in life – and what a difference it would make if we all tried to live by these.

Yesterday, I posted this picture on twitter, saying I was excited to see what was inside. I added #publiclivingroom, #beacamerado and #watchthisspace to the tweet.

So, this is the space you’ve been watching! Why was I excited? Well partly because I’m a bit sad, but mainly because this was our free Public Living Room kit. “What’s a Public Living Room, Dan” I hear you shout. I’m glad you asked! (Is anyone actually still reading this?!) Well, to return to the official Camerados blurb, “What if there was a place you could go on tough days to weather the storm? We call these Public Living Rooms, comfortable places where people look out for each other, human to human. Where it’s okay to be a bit rubbish and folks will be alongside you, listening, chatting and with no expectations.” How amazing does that sound?

So what’s inside the box I hear you ask (that’s good – you are still there!) Have a look at the images below (they’ll go bigger if you click on them) then I’ll explain a bit more:

Games, decorations, flyers, cards, badges, stickers, cushion covers, throws, mugs. A fantastic mix of resources to help us (I mean you!) to set up a Public Living Room. And here’s a few images of what a room could look like:

But what is so special about these public living rooms? Aren’t they just another café? Well basically yes apart from these are usually free. They’re a place to gather, chat, drink tea and eat biscuits. But more than that, they’re a place to be more human. If you’re in any doubt, have a read of this account from a Public Living Room down south that even explains why there’s a Connect 4 game in the box:

Right beside our Public Living Room was a mental health drop-in centre. We met lots of people who were visiting it. If your life consists of short appointments what do you do the rest of the time? One half hour appointment about deeply challenging issues then leaves you 23 and a half hours of that day to walk around with nothing to do but worry before or after that appointment. There was a little fella who looked like McKenzie Crook of The Detectorists, dressed in a cagoule and jogging pants with a strangely expressionless face and he said to us: “I was wandering up this street looking for somewhere to kill myself today, but then I came in here and played Connect 4 with people, had a cuppa and a few custard creams. It was nice. Don’t think I’m gonna go through with it today.” Connect 4 made a difference that day.

Wow. Just wow. Never underestimate the power of the simple things. Tea. Custard Creams. Connect 4. A friendly face. These things that cost next to nothing, actually saved someone’s life.

So let’s work on this together shall we? Alongside each other? Where would you like to see a public living room set up in this community? Indoors or outdoors? Where can we best be of help to you to make that happen? Why not message us today so we can resource you as needed.

Dan Rous, 07444 873151 communitycoach@tamfourhilltro.co.uk

Until next time….

community

An Invitation to come along to the Juniors Car Park

18/05/202117/05/2021 bighosie

Could we have a safe play street in Camelon and Tamfourhill ?

You are cordially invited to make a site visit to the Camelon Juniors Car park Area and to imagine this space as being safer, more enjoyable and for the benefit of the local community: This location has a long-standing negative reputation for anti-social behaviour and is somewhere that is often described as being unsafe. We therefore want to hear about your ideas and opinions as to how this space could be positively transformed for the benefit of the community.

Friday 21^st May I will be on site with colleagues from Camelon Arts and other partners to ask local people and pupils from Carmuirs Primary school some key questions:

•             What could be done to make this location safer?
•             How could you make the green spaces more appealing?
•             What would make you come here and spend more time in this area?
•             What needs to be provided here to encourage people to make use of the area?
The site visit is being split into 3 sections:

2pm -3pm: This section is called “all games allowed” and we will be welcoming the Primary 3 class from Carmuirs Primary school to take part in an ancient Viking game and then we will ask the class to split up and invent their own group games. These games could become part of the new landscape of that location, and we can consider if the car park could become a Play area at certain times of the week or day or during school holidays.

3pm -4pm: This section is for adult community members. Local tenants and member of local community groups, and this is where the above questions will be used as prompts for wider discussions targeted at 5 key spaces that we have identified from within the wider car park area. These are illustrated in the photographs

4pm -5pm: This section is targeted at young people and local youth workers and the process and questions used will be the same however this will be facilitated from a young person’s perspective and with an emphasis upon their safety within the community and developing these spaces responsibly for the benefit of themselves and the wider community.

The community safety strategy first key outcome states that: The Community will have greater capacity to address the negative impacts of Anti-Social Behaviour. The approach will be to utilise, support and develop the skills and assets that already exist within Camelon and Tamfourhill and to do this in a way that facilitates solutions and positive outcomes to current local community safety priorities.

The afternoon sessions will be risk assessed and COVID compliant and we will be very happy for people to take part but in order to assist with our COVID management of the site could you please get in touch with myself to confirm that you plan to come along.

John R Hosie communitysafetyengager@tamfourhilltro.co.uk mob 07391524528 or leave a message on the website as detailed below