community

The Mist will clear.

20/01/2021 bighosie

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.

https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6QG888J

Key Contacts:

Home – Transform Drug Policy Foundation (transformdrugs.org)

Transform Forth Valley (transformfv.org.uk)

Forth Valley Recovery Community (FVRC) | ASC

.ASC | Working across Forth Valley

NHS Forth Valley – Substance Misuse Service

Falkirk – Recovery Service – Forth Valley (changegrowlive.org)

SDF – Scottish Drugs Forum – A national resource of expertise on drug issues

Falkirk Walled Garden (cyrenians.scot)

camelon, coach, collaboration, community, development, growing, Our Place, resilience, Support, tamfourhill, training, Writing

Past, Present, Future

14/01/202114/01/2021 Our Place Camelon and Tamfourhill

Hi. Dan here, your Community Coach. Let me ask you, which of the following categories you fall into?

Do you look back on things that happened in the past and wish it was like it was again? Or maybe you’re stuck because of things that happened to you, or that you did, in the past and can’t move forwards?
Do you feel you’re fine as things are right now and no change is necessary, or do you feel restricted because of how things are now?
Do you long for a future that is so much different to what it is now? Or maybe you have a dream of something that you could do, or that could be happening in the area or in your life generally?

Past – Present – Future. Past is Experience. Present is Experiment. Future is Expectation. So we could say that we can use our experience in our experiments to achieve our expectations. All are relevant and should be embraced but they have to lead somewhere and that’s important as we look at what can be achieved in the Camelon and Tamfourhill area.

We have a proud heritage in this area and it is important to learn from that and build on it. However, times have changed and so there is no point in generally wishing things were as they were before. We have to move forwards – to evolve with the times – but still ensuring we remain distinctives as Mariners.

And that’s where we look to the future. What does that look like? I know that’s going to be different for everyone reading this, but the simple truth is that we have a future to work towards and we must make every effort to do that. Certainly myself and John are here to help that happen and are encouraged by those who have already stepped up to join with us on this quest.

For now though, we have many good things happening in the area at present that we should celebrate. That is not to say it is all perfect but if you’re honest, was it ever perfect? Our perception of life changes as we age and sometimes it’s difficult to see beyond that. But despite the issues around at present that do seriously need sorting (and together we can work on that), we still have much to celebrate and be proud of. A strong foundation to build on.

CS Lewis wrote that “the past is frozen and no longer flows, and the present is all lit up with eternal rays”. What’s he getting at? Nathan Blackaby describes himself in his book “Going against the Grain” as often having lived in the ‘frozen past, trying to defrost past moments, hurts, failures, and stuff that I did wrong (or the wrong that other people have done to me). All of these past events and moments are slowly defrosted so that I can re-experience that hurt – because, if I’m really honest, the hurt is real and comfortable at times, and easier to live with than without.” He goes on to say, “if I wasn’t defrosting stuff from the past, I could be found wandering in my head way off into the future somewhere. Future hopes, plans or dreams, future fears or points of anxiety and concern were all mapped out.” Blackaby, like Lewis, is not saying that past reflection or future thoughts are wrong – far from it. “But whether you are stuck in the past or lost in the future, consumed with health, wealth or family what-ifs, you are being robbed of the ‘now'”

So, what about now? 2021! It promised so much back in December last year but has started with renewed frustrations and restrictions. Some plans will have to be re-thought but that’s okay. Things will still happen. It may all still look different at least for the next few months, but there is still so much to be getting on with.

As well as working on the Community Growing activity with a new group of volunteers, there are many other exciting projects brewing away. A lot focuses around training and I am building a partnership with a training provider for a wide range of personal development courses that will come free of charge to local residents. I am also building my own bank of knowledge for sharing with others (individuals and organisations) and ensuring that Camelon and Tamfourhill are more widely represented and recognised in various networks both locally and nationally.

I am developing a Creative Writing programme and will have more on that in due course. We’ll pick up the Bicycle Recycling scheme once restrictions have lifted, and I have a draft plan for celebrating some of the historical nature of our area. Aside of that, I am facilitating more discussion between all the projects funded through the Our Place scheme, namely Camelon Arts, TCV and Cyrenians (Camelon Connect), so that we can work together more where needed and make each others lives easier which in turn will make the activities we all produce greater and even more beneficial to local people.

That last part is a key focus of my role, as I am here to help develop local people and organisations. All the projects we work on will be there to enable people to get involved at their level but with the intention to help them grow and become more involved in their community. This will also enhance the training programme options and additionally, I will shortly have a coaching programme to offer that will help individuals to move towards their potential whatever that may be.

To return to Nathan Blackaby’s book, he says “the ‘now’ is where we operate, where we impact and influence change, and it is where we are forged … with a ridiculous amount of potential, courage, hope, adventure and purpose.” I am genuinely excited about what is to come this year and hope you will hop on for the ride. As Blackaby again says, let’s “get busy living in the now and … we will see some action”.

As always, if you have any questions, suggestions, general comments or even complaints, please get in touch with me (Dan) via email at communitycoach@tamfourhilltro.co.uk or call 07444 873151.

camelon, community, development, funding, gardening, growing, Our Place, Support, tamfourhill

Funding – Community Climate Action Fund

13/01/202116/04/2021 Our Place Camelon and Tamfourhill

We are delighted to be able to officially tell you that we have received some funding to help develop our Community Growing projects in the area. Here’s the official bit…

Our Place Camelon and Tamfourhill are tackling climate change and contributing to a green recovery thanks to Community Tool Sheds and raised beds which will be helping the Camelon and Tamfourhill communities to reduce local carbon emissions through development of community growing spaces that are localised and accessible to all. The Community Tool Sheds and raised beds are funded through the Scottish Government’s Community Climate Asset Fund (CCAF) with Our Place Camelon and Tamfourhill (via Tamfourhill Tenants and Residents Association) awarded a CCAF grant totalling £3,358.44 in January 2021. The CCAF is Scottish Government fund, administered by Keep Scotland Beautiful, and it was announced on 8 January 2021 that 279 community-based organisations from across Scotland had been awarded more than £3.2 million of funding to tackle climate change.

That’s the official speak done. What is means is that we will set up 2 Community Gardening Tool Sheds – one in each of Camelon and Tamfourhill. These will contain basic hand tools to be used on local community growing projects. We then also have some funding for a few raised beds to be constructed.

This is a really exciting boost for our fledgling project. We’ll give you more information when we progress this funding and let you know how the tool sheds can be accessed, but for now would like to thank The Scottish Government and Keep Scotland Beautiful for approving this funding for us. You can read their full official press release, and see the full list of awardees, at https://www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/news/jan-2021/delivering-scotland-s-green-recovery/

To keep up to date with all our Growing activities, to sign up to receive news straight to your inbox, or to get involved, head to our dedicated Growing page.

#CCAFScot

community

The sun has set on 2020 and now it will rise again on 2021

11/01/202112/01/2021 bighosie

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.

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.

camelon, coach, collaboration, community, development, Our Place, resilience, Support, tamfourhill, training

Festive Thoughts

24/12/202023/12/2020 Our Place Camelon and Tamfourhill

When you read this blog I’ll have signed off for 2020. And what a year it has been! I may have started in this role during lockdown, but back then in May, none of us would have thought we’d still be in this situation with so much restriction on our lives.

The pandemic and subsequent limitation on movement and activity have certainly had a massive negative impact on my plans within this role but I know that is nothing to how it has negatively impacted everyone’s lives and actually, it’s not been all bad – there has actually been some positivity. Here’s a couple of lists:

Things I’ve not been able to do:

Deliver training courses.
Have groups come together to network, share expertise and learn from each other.
Run information and planning sessions.
Deliver 1-1 coaching.
Run big events.
Meet with many people in real life.

Things I have been able to do:

Develop training courses including partnerships with training providers.
Understand more about the actual community needs.
Support 32 local organisations with various information and guidance.
Develop valuable contacts for future local benefit across various projects.
Create a Community Growing Group.
Host pop up Cycle Repair Workshops.
Prepare for a Recycle a Bicycle donation scheme for January.
Begin to put Camelon and Tamfourhill back on the map for positive reasons.

There’s probably more for both lists but that will do for now! Essentially what I’m trying to say as much to myself as everyone else is that it’s not been all bad. In fact, the opposite is true – there has been a lot of good going on in the community. Groups have responded to a growth of need. Plans have been quickly put into place for new or enhanced projects. People have looked to how they can strengthen their own futures through learning new skills. Others have gained a new understanding about what actually happens in this community by the fact they have actually spent time in the area during the day. Foundations have been laid for so much more in the new year.

So despite the heartache, difficulty, stress and loss that many have faced in this area over 2020 (for which my thoughts and sympathies are freely given), I am full of hope for 2021 and beyond. More than that, I am excited for the possibilities of what is ahead. I hope that you will come with us on this journey.

I wish you and yours a very happy and safe Christmas, and look forward to working with you all in what will hopefully be a peaceful and more positive 2021.

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

community

Festive greetings and lets ensure we all stay safe over Christmas and the New Year.

22/12/202022/12/2020 bighosie

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.

camelon, Christmas, coach, community, development, Our Place, resilience, safety, Support, tamfourhill, training

Naughty or Nice

17/12/202017/12/2020 Our Place Camelon and Tamfourhill

Apparently this year there is no naughty list! Or so some advertisers would have you think. It seems that because of everything we’ve been through, Santa doesn’t have a naughty list!

Okay, it’s just a cheap marketing line but rather than thinking about whether we’re going to get presents from Santa or not this year (I hope you do!), I thought about how we see things around us – naughty or nice? Or in other words, do you focus on the negative stuff around you, or the positive?

For many years, I have been accused of being too positive! Firstly, let me tell you that this is not always true and my family and closest friends will agree wholeheartedly with that! In fact I started writing this on a day when I wasn’t feeling as positive as normal. But actually, whether I’m feeling positive or negative, I am wired up so that I want to encourage others which often comes across as being positive. Whatever way round you want to take that, it’s just how I see life. I just choose to see the good around and focus on that, rather than being sucked down by the bad things around. And I make no apologies for that. It’s actually hard work, but it’s who I am.

You see, the more we focus on the naughty/bad/negative stuff around us, the more we get sucked into a naughty/bad/negative way of thinking. Yet a nice/good/positive focus can help us to shift the thought process, to ways through whatever you are seeing. If it helps, John highlighted some of the recent positive things in the community in his blog this week.

This is not to deny that bad stuff is around. It is not to pretend there are no issues. It is not to avoid dealing with difficult things. But it is to attempt to focus on your own life, your own opportunities and by living a better way, attempt to show those who focus on the negativity just how they can do the same. So if I say that we live in a great place, I genuinely mean that, because there are some amazing people in our community who want to make positive change for themselves and others. That doesn’t make the issues go away. But it’s a start.

Nick Vujicic is an Australian motivational speaker who was born with tetra-amelia syndrome which basically means he has no arms or legs. He made the choice to be positive in his life, not despite his physical issues but because of them. He said this:

You can be angry for what you don’t have or be thankful for what you do have

This positive thinking is not being naïve. It is not ignoring issues or circumstances whether personal to you or things around you. It is not believing that any bad stuff around you will just vanish if you’re positive. No. But it is a step to making your life and your community better because of the way you choose to focus. As Nick Vujicic says, being thankful for what you do have.

Lets take a few moments away from my writings and have a listen to this from another motivational speaker, American Steve Harvey.

So yes, we have many issues in our community that need dealing with. Crime. Drugs. Poverty. Unemployment. That’s just four. We cannot and will not ignore them. But there is one element of community that can help us move forwards and drive positive change. That element is YOU!

There’s a fancy title for this way of working called Asset Based Community Development – we’ll talk about this more in the new year. We have many assets in our community and the biggest asset is the people. I may have only lived in the area since the summer of 2016, but I have met a lot of people who are amazing and have so much to offer to this community. Many of them are doing that already to great effect, but some are just on the first rung of the ladder and that’s okay because you have to start somewhere. The journey will be different for every resident but as long as we all keep moving forward and focusing on the good things around, then we will make a positive difference.

So who’s going to join me on this journey towards positive change? Will you focus on the naughty or nice?

community

Celebrating Community

15/12/202015/12/2020 bighosie

It has been a challenging experience taking up a new job just as we all entered into COVID lockdown. The vast majority of my time since May has involved me working from my home across the river Forth in Alloa. This has often left me feeling detached from the community that I am very keen to get to know and it has been similarly frustrating that I have not been able to meet and engage with the groups and organisations that will shape and progress the local community safety strategy. Zoom is no substitute for meeting people in the real world and I have also missed just being about Camelon and Tamfourhill and experiencing the daily life of these communities. The last week then has been a tremendous experience for myself as I have been able to directly support community activities and familiarise myself with the streets and byways of the local area. I would therefore like to take this opportunity to share all the positive experiences I have had in the last week and the amazing people I have met who are all committed to making a real difference to the local area and contributing to making Camelon and Tamfourhill a happier and safer place to live and work.

Last Wednesday afternoon I met the P6 & P7 pupils from Carmuirs Primary School who have been learning about the negative consequences to the environment and to the community of dropping litter and dumping rubbish. This activity was not about clearing up other people’s mess, this was a learning experience which had a focus upon carrying out litter surveys and promoting techniques which will encourage behaviour change. This Project will continue over the next few months and the pupils will be monitoring the impacts of being part of a community and environmental clear up and behaviour change Project. The pupils spent the morning watching a presentation about litter and its damage to our environment and they were also involved with discussions about the reasons that litter is often dropped and what we as a community can do to improve that situation. An important aspect of this Project is to encourage behaviour change and to discourage people from dropping their litter in the first place. In order to achieve this new anti-litter signs, posters and stickers will be appearing in the streets around Carmuirs Primary School, so I am extremely happy to announce that the winner of the Keep Scotland Beautiful poster competition was Jaimee, so thanks to everyone who took the time to vote in the recent social medial poll. After the different teams had completed their litter surveys, we finished the afternoon off by all having a hot drink prepared with the Kelly Kettles whilst we also had a chat around the fire about the importance of conservation. I would like to thank Ella from Waste Services at Falkirk Council, Carolyn from TCV Scotland and Ms Boyd and Mr Bell from Carmuirs Primary School, it was great for me to be out in the community meeting these young people and their positivity and enthusiasm were outstanding, here are some of their written comments when they took part in an evaluation of the days programme: “ I learnt how to start a fire safely and I enjoyed the hot chocolate drink , and I also enjoyed writing the survey”, “I liked how everybody worked together, I also enjoyed the hot chocolate but I didn’t like how much rubbish that we found “I liked doing the survey and I loved helping our community” “Meeting new people and the hot chocolate”, these are just a few of the comments but overall the survey was definitely enjoyed especially when everyone got a cup of hot chocolate .

The next day I was out again but this time with some local adult volunteers and we carried out another survey along a measured transect on Brown Street. I will publish the results of all of these #tidycleangreen litter surveys in the new year as they reveal certain patterns, and they will be useful for developing our campaigning work that will follow on from these initial surveys and data gathering sessions. I would therefore like to thank Babs and Chris for giving up their Thursday morning to show me about the local area and carrying out the litter survey around Brown Street and its environs. I know they carry out regular litter picks, but I very much appreciate their contribution to our ongoing local campaign.

Over the weekend I was privileged to be involved with supporting the Camelon Winter Festival and the Big Screen Project in particular. Over Saturday and Sunday, I must have covered 15- 20 miles on foot supporting the Camelon Arts Project with their amazing touring film and Christmas entertainment. This was a marvel to behold and although the entire film was amazing, I personally really appreciated and enjoyed the Freedom of Mind Choir and Brian MacGregor and Geraldine Heaney’s: “A Fanfare of Giants” an emotive piece of art. This was a totally amazing production of creativity and what an incredible input from the volunteers on both days. The rains came big style on Sunday, yet the volunteers and the Camelon arts staff just kept going with good humour and total commitment. I enjoyed this tour of the area and I met some very interesting people and I would like to highlight the volunteers: Craig the cyclist, Ian, Stuart, Kevin, Kenneth and Lorraine and supported by Maria from the Cyrenians, Mark, Mina and Kevin from Camelon Arts, and our own Dan the supper efficient tea boy at CJFC, what a team “you will never walk alone”, and off course also a big thanks to Charlie who provided warmth and shelter in our time of need. Finally, the other strand of the Winter Festival was the visit of Santa in his horse drawn carriage and accompanied by his hard-working elves. I only passed the carriage on a couple of occasions but the children on the street that I saw were totally amazed, excited and overjoyed when the carriage toured around their street. The Winter Festival Committee produced an amazing weekend despite the challenges of COVID, the amount of work that must have gone into this is massive and I would like to acknowledge and thank: Anne, Babs, Chris, Mary and Liz and my apologies to anyone I have missed because this was such a fabulous team effort that produced such an amazing festive experience for the community.

camelon, Christmas, community, Our Place, tamfourhill

Friday Feature – Camelon Winter Festival

11/12/202009/12/2020 Our Place Camelon and Tamfourhill

This weekend, it’s the always amazing Camelon Winter Festival. Obviously things are very different this year so a lot of the usual things have had to be put to one side. But, this is Camelon so the show will always go on!

For 2020, the Festival is heading into the heart of the area, bringing a wonderful mixture of Christmas cheer to Kemlin, whilst being COVID secure. Yes, there will be rules, but the festival group volunteers and Camelon Arts will still be sprinkling the local communities with as many magical moments as possible! And this year, it’s not just one day – but TWO! Yes, this weekend, Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th December, the Winter Festival team are so pleased to present two activities thanks to support from the National Lottery Community Fund: ‘Here Come Santa Claus…’ and ‘The Big Screen…’.

Below is all the information you need as it stands, but you should keep an eye on the Facebook pages for the Winter Festival and Camelon Arts for any changes. It is important to stress that the organising committees have worked really hard to ensure this all complies with current restrictions and need your help in making sure that stays the case. Please do not gather in groups to watch either the Santa carriage or Big Screen, or try to go up close to see anything going on. We know it will be really tempting but you’ll get a good view from your own window or doorstep of everything going on and that way, everyone will stay safe and we won’t be the cause of any negative change from the current Level 2 status. Thanks for your help with this.

Here Comes Santa Claus will see Santa travelling in style in a horse drawn carriage while his elves (with gloves!) hand deliver (quarantined!) pre-ordered gifts to children. Here’s a very rough route that you can use to work out (with large margin either side) when we should be in your area:

Saturday 12 from 2pm to 6pm:
Starting at Nailer Road and weaving round the northerly section of Camelon before going south across Main Street to weave up and down the area bordering Carmuirs school, then the area near the southern/canal edge to Ochiltree turning circle. Next we’ll go around the cluster of ‘Mariner’ streets then, via the westerly section of Carmuirs Ave up to the streets around Easter Carmuirs primary school looping back around the grid of streets in the heart of Camelon onto Glasgow Road and back to our Nailer Road finish for 6pm.
Sunday 13 from 2pm to 6pm
Starting from the canal end, we’re weaving southwards through Bantaskin then back to Glenfuir Road and straight along into Tamfourhill starting from the Bonnyhill Road end and wending our way eastwards up the hill and back down Glenfuir Rd for a 6pm finish.

The Big Screen is quite simply a travelling video screen that will be touring the streets of Camelon and Tamfourhill, featuring the big voice of local singer Dionne Hickey, community contributions from local groups and three inspiring videos made with local creative residents as part of our ongoing project Camelon’s Got Talent.

TOURING TIMES:
Saturday 12
Carmuirs Area: 12-2pm; Easter Carmuirs Area: 2-5pm; Loch 16 and Union Road Area: 5-6pm
Sunday 13
Summerford & Bantaskin Area: 12-2pm; Tamfourhill Area: 2-5pm; Nailer Park Area: 5-6pm

Timings are subject to change. The full length film will also be available to watch online from this Saturday at http://www.camelonarts.co.uk

Thanks as always to the amazing Winter Festival committee for making this happen and to Camelon Arts for their always awesome involvement. Thanks to the volunteers who have stepped up to help as well. Enjoy this weekend and please stay safe. Happy Christmas to all!

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

10/12/202009/12/2020 Our Place Camelon and Tamfourhill

What is Community to you?

Is it the place where you live? A group of people you hang out with? A club you attend? An online group? A sports club? A feeling?

The Dictionary describes community as:

the people living in one particular area or people who are considered as a unit because of their common interests, social group, or nationality
Cambridge English Dictionary

Okay, that doesn’t really help us pin this down much does it! The reality is, community can be a wide range of things and can be something different to everyone. But really, I would say it comes down to one thing: people.

Before I go on to ask you some important questions about what things you would want to see in our community, have a look at this short (1min45) video that takes this thought a little further:

Camelon and Tamfourhill is a Community and it is made up of lots of little Communities. No matter what is said about us or what statistics are put out there, we are a strong community because we have strong people. Whilst we have a lot of needs, we also have a wide range of activities, groups, organisations and facilities – an enviable amount really.

Falkirk Council are in the process of developing what they call the Falkirk Plan which will really be a collection of plans from around the area joined together as one. (The work John and I are doing around Community Skills and Community Safety will be included in this). Alongside this, they are reviewing everything they do and have – that’s nothing new especially as they prepare for next years budget. This includes reviewing what properties they have and seeing how effective they are in terms of meeting community needs while not draining budgets especially in terms of upkeep (light, heat, maintenance etc).

As we’ve made clear before, we here at Our Place Camelon and Tamfourhill are not Falkirk Council! But we do work with them as needed, and as part of this community of people – that’s you – we can help to ensure that your voice is heard in these discussions. We can’t get any of you together in a room just now and there isn’t a zoom server big enough to allow you all to join together at once, but we can join together your thoughts and opinions. So a couple of quick questions for you:

What activities do you or your family normally (before restrictions) attend in Camelon and Tamfourhill or that is run from here?
Where do you go to do this?
Is there anything new you would like to see happen in the area?
Would you go a little further but still within the Camelon and Tamfourhill area to access activities if necessary?

I’m not going to hit you with another survey monkey link or formal questionnaire, so please just either comment on this blog or on the social media post you accessed it from, or email a response to me (Dan) at communitycoach@tamfourhilltro.co.uk. You can also give me a call if you want to discuss anything further on 07444 873151

These questions are not leading anywhere. They are simply getting an idea of what local people do, where they do it, anything that’s missing and if there’s any different way of doing things. Essentially, we want to ensure the area is flooded with activities and opportunities for everyone to engage in either by taking part in them or volunteering with them. As we begin to look towards the end of restrictions, this is a perfect time to ensure we have as much as possible to benefit us all and that it is right here on our doorstep. And your input is essential to make that happen. I look forward to receiving your responses.

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