Category: community

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.

“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.”

“Let nature be your teacher”: William Wordsworth

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.

The full manifesto report can be found here: https://tsi.scot/manifesto/

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.

https://www.pathsforall.org.uk/news/news-post/scottish-walking-charities-urge-government-to-invest-in-walking

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.

 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.

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.