I want to join Nick Clegg in wishing Jewish friends and constituents in Maryhill Kelvin and throughout Scotland ‘Shanah tovah umetukah’, a good and sweet year, as they prepare for Rosh Hashanah.
New Bus Shelters
Land and Environmental Services have written to advise us of a programme to deliver new bus shelters in the ward.
“I am pleased to inform you that Glasgow City Council in partnership with Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) will be implementing a city wide shelter replacement programme funded by SPT’s capital shelter replacement fund. This programme of works will replace approximately 270 shelters in the Glasgow area outwith key streamline corridors with high quality steel shelters illuminated with solar lighting wherever possible.
The shelter replacement programme will commence on the 26 September 2011 until Spring 2012. This will reduce the remaining aging budget shelter stock and reinforce Glasgow’s commitment to improving the image and attractiveness of bus travel.”
In the Maryhill Kelvin ward these wil mean replacement shelters at stops in Skirsa Street, Dorchester Avenue, Cleveden Road, Garrioch Road, Hotspur Street, Thornton Street and Glenburn Street
Action on Garden Maintenance Scheme complaints
Glasgow’s assisted gardens maintenance scheme provides basic garden maintenance for some 17,000 citizens. The service is designed to help elderly and disabled people.
In previous years the service was supplied directly from the Council’s Land and Environmental Services department but this year the service was transferred to Glasgow Regeneration Agency with the hope of providing workplace and training opportunities to young people and offering the prospect of full time job opportunities.
However since the service transferred the number of complaints has steadily risen with constituents complaining of having received either no service or a very limited and poor quality service.
I recently met with managers from Land and Environmental Services (LES) to raise the level of complaints and the failure of the Regeneration Agency to deal with constituent complaints. A full debate on the issue was held at our Full Council meeting and the city’s Labour administration have now indicated that additional staff and management support will be provided. They have also indicated that the season will be extended into October in order to ensure that constituents receive some kind of service.
I fully support the aim of creating training opportunities for young people but I think it’s clear that Glasgow Regeneration Agency and LES were poorly prepared for the new scheme. The reasons behind the problems will be subject to scrutiny by Councillors as will the future delivery.
Nearly 300 constituents in Maryhill Kelvin receive this service and I’m determined to ensure that there is a dramatic improvement in the quality of the service for the start of the New Year.
Who is eligible for this service?
This service is available to residents of Glasgow who meet the following criteria:
- The householder is a registered Council Tax Payer
- The householder is over 70 years of age
- The householder has a medical condition that prevents them from maintaining the garden
- There are no able bodied persons between the ages of 16 and 69 in the household
What service is provided?
- 13 cuts per year
- 3 hedge cuts per year
Maryhill Highland Games 20th August 2011
Maryhill Community Council is to stage the Maryhill Highland Games on Saturday, August 20 and hopes the event will be a Highland hit with local families.
The fun event supported by Maryhill Housing Association, Maryhill Kelvin Area Committee and Glasgow Life will offer a traditional range of Highland Games events such as Junior Caber Toss, Tug of War, Egg and Spoon Race and Three Legged Race.
There will also be bagpipes, drums, clowns face painting , dance demonstrations, a falconry display and inflatable village.
The grounds surrounding Ledgowan Hall, Shiskine Drive, will be the focus for the fun and the Games will kick off at 12 noon and last until 4 pm. Opening the Games will be Chieftain of the games, Lord Provost Bob Winter and Junior Chieftain Ryan Harvie.
The decision to have a Highland Games reflects the Community Council’s decision to bring variety to its annual extravaganza. It has a strong track record of organising successful fun events for all the family.
Last year a Winterfest was held which was an amazing success complete with fireworks. In 2008 and 2009 Gala Days brought the crowds out.
Bobby Pollock, Secretary of Maryhill Community Council said: “We hope the Highland Games will be a great success. It is something different and it is an event that Maryhill has never held before. The emphasis will be firmly on fun for all the family.
“We are grateful for financial support from Maryhill Kelvin Area Committee, Maryhill Housing Association and Comic Relief (Scottish Community Foundation).”
People attending will be encouraged to take part in many of sporting challenges with some for the under 16s and others for adults.
A fancy dress competition will be held and those entering will be encouraged to adopt a tartan or Highland theme.
For further information contact Bobby Pollock on 0141 946 2466 or [email protected]
No to Trident
As today we mark the anniversary of the dropping of the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima – Help ensure that the Hiroshima and Nagasaki nightmare never happens again. Sign the Cut Nukes petition: http://cutnukes.globalzero.org?/.
And lets work to ensure the the UK commits to scrap Trident and not replace it with a new generation of nuclear weapons. Lets make it clear -No to Trident, No to son of Trident and No to any so called Independent Nuclear Deterrent.
Cleveden Community Club’s first year
Congratulations to Cleveden Community Club who have recently celebrated their first anniversary.
The Club was started last year to make the facilities of Cleveden Secondary School available to the Kelvindale Community.
Staffed mainly by volunteers and supported by the local Maryhill Kelvin Ward Councillors, the Club has provided access to swimming, football, badminton, basketball, table tennis and the use of the school fitness suite. There is also a book exchange, model making, flower arranging and jewellery making, plus taster sessions in bowls, martial arts, cycling and trying your hand at a musical instrument. You can also relax with old friends and new in the Community Cafe.
Local young people were founder members and have served on the management committee from the start. Several have taken first level courses in coaching football and basketball and have now become volunteer coaches.
This summer the Club has also joined with Kelvindale Bowling and Lawn Tennis Club to refurbish their two tennis courts. Other links between these two organisations are in the pipeline.
Last August the launch of Cleveden Community Club was celebrated with a hugely successful Ceilidh attended by family groups of all ages – and our two community police!
Ceilidh
This year’s Ceilidh takes place at Cleveden Secondary School on Saturday 20th at 7pm with entertainment from the Cloud Howe Ceilidh Band.
Prices are £5 for over 16s
All welcome
Summer Programme
Weeks beginning 1st and 8th August 10 -12.
CCC has two venues and will be on Monday Tuesday Thursday Friday for the next two weeks. In the morning there will be coached football, badminton, basketball, racquetball (Tuesday) and the pool will be available. These sports will be at Cleveden Secondary from 10 am to 12 noon. Cost £1 for members (please bring your cards) and £2 for non members. CCC will ask you to fill in contact details etc on Monday, so please be patient. There will be some drinks on offer, but the main cafe will be in the afternoon at Kelvindale Bowling and Tennis Club in Baronald Drive. Come along and join CCC for some tennis (a coach will be on site and they are keen to start a junior section so all ages welcome) and perhaps try some bowling between 2 pm to 4pm. CCC would love to see you there.
New Summerston & Acre Safety Forum
I hope residents will welcome the news that after concerns over a spike in crime and anti-social behaviour were raised with local councillors, meetings with community representatives in both Summerston and Acre have led to a regular Community Safety Forum being established.
The Forum includes local Councillors , tenant and residents groups, Asda and the voluntary sector. The Forum also has representatives from the Police, Glasgow Community Safety Services and Glasgow Life.
Community representatives have praised the higher visibility of police officers in the area and welcomed the news that this would continue. The Forum were also keen to address the issue of facilities for young people and to hear about work being undertaken to address underage drinking in the area.
Voluntary Sector groups are also doing excellent work in the area with North United Communities already active in street work in Summerston and hoping to expand their activities at John Paul. Aberlour are working in Acre and will be taking part in the Acre Fun Day set for 6 August from 1 pm to 4 pm.
The new Community Safety Forum aims to meet on a regular basis to exchange information and to look at ways to improve particular problems in the area. However everyone agreed that whether it’s criminal activity or anti-social behaviour we all have a role to play in helping our communities by contacting the police or reporting issues to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111
Botanic Gardens Cafe
Good news as we finally start on the conversion of the ground floor of the Botanic Gardens Visitor Centre into a Family Café. Plans are all in place now and we hope soon to have a traditional tea room serving tea, coffee, soft drinks and high quality baking and snacks. Wall space will be used as before for art exhibitions with works by local artists on display and for sale.
Many of you will have noticed the new patch of hard standing down near the main gate. This is the base for a new cabin, with picnic tables to the rear, which will offer a range of takeaway items. The cabin will replace the van that stands at present in front of the West Range of glasshouses.
New homes for rent as Maryhill Locks Projects starts.
I was delighted to be with fellow Maryhill Kelvin Councillors and local City Building apprentices to mark the beginning of work at Maryhill Locks Transformational Regeneration Area.
We broke ground for the beginning of work at Maryhill Locks as part of the local Transformational Regeneration Area (TRA) programme, which aims to deliver affordable housing for rent and sale alongside community, business, leisure and retail spaces in a high-quality environment.
The project will see more than £15m being invested in Maryhill, with a long-term goal being 700 new homes.
One of the biggest issues I’ve faced since becoming a Councillor is the shortage of new social rented homes and in particular family sized homes so I’m delighted to see over a 100 new Housing Association properties being built and the aim for up to 600 additional homes for shared equity and for sale.
And the other real benefit is the jobs created for new local apprentices which is something I know all of the ward Councillors welcomed.
City Building Apprentices employed on Canal Project
Update on Southern Cross
Latest update following collapse of Southern Cross posted below.
Briefing to Elected Members on the Current Position of Southern Cross
Date: 11 July 2011
- 1. Background
1.1 Southern Cross is the UK’s largest Care Home operator with 8 Care Homes within Glasgow.
1.2 On the 11 July 2011, the Provider announced that it intends to wind up its operation following the notification of their intention to leave the Southern Cross Group. The Provider has intimated that it will no longer exist after the period restructuring at the end of October 2011.
- 2. Glasgow Service Users
2.1 There are 8 Southern Cross care homes within Glasgow with capacity to support 497 individuals. Currently there are more than 400 service users receiving support within Southern Cross’ Glasgow based care homes. Glasgow City Council placed approximately 335 of these individuals with the remaining 86 service users placed by external Local Authorities.
2.2 In addition to this Glasgow City Council has placed circa 176 individuals in Southern Cross Care Homes across the UK (173 out with Glasgow but within Scotland, and 3 out with Scotland).
2.3 Glasgow City Council’s total spend with Southern Cross is c£10.5m (c£7m within Glasgow based services and c£3.5m out with).
- 3. Business Position
3.1. There are a number of landlords within the Southern Cross group. The biggest in the UK has intimated that they will continue to run their business and will be negotiating with other care providers to provide care in their homes. It is anticipated some smaller landlords will continue to work in partnership with this landlord.
3.2. The exact position with the other landlords is unclear but they will also all be actively seeking other care providers to provide care in their homes.
3.3. The National Contingency Planning Group has been working with key stakeholders to ensure as smooth a transition as possible. There are regular meetings of this Group and senior management from Southern Cross will be present at the next meeting to give further update on the current position.
3.4. Cosla does not anticipate any closures of care homes in the short term and will continue to demand continuity of care from landlords and providers. The default position is to assume that the market will deliver a solution.
3.5. SCSWIS (formerly the Care Commission) is also meeting regularly with the Provider to ensure that there is a seamless transition to another care provider
- 4. Council Position
4.1. The Council is represented on the National Contingency Planning Group and continues to work closely with Cosla, Scottish Government, SCSWIS and other Councils and the Provider to ensure consistent care continues to be delivered by Southern Cross and that any disruption to service users is minimal.
4.2. A Glasgow Contingency Planning Group chaired by David Williams, Assistant Director, Social Care Services meets weekly to ensure that there is a well coordinated response within the Department. Every service user within Glasgow has an allocated care manager. There is programme of reviews organised for those service users who have not had a review in the last 6 months.
4.3. Active contract management is also taking place with regular visits to the homes with regular feedback also being sought from home managers. These processes will highlight any concerns regarding the care provided in these homes.
4.4. Regular updates to briefings will be provided as more information becomes available.