Taste the Food Festival page 14

The e-magazine from East Renfrewshire Council
www.eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk
AUTUMN 2011
Taste the Food Festival
page 14
Positive recycling er style pages 16 & 17
Remembering Clarkston 40 years on
page 11
Pick up your copy of
Eastwood Park Theatre’s
programme now!
www.eastwoodparktheatre.co.uk
page 3
At the centre of
a media storm
contents
www.eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk
contents
How services measure up
page 4
BROADCAST: Council leader Councillor
Jim Fletcher was interviewed on STV
and BBC TV and radio about the
council’s monitoring role for Mr Megrahi.
Impressive recycling
performance
page 7
Share your transport views
page 8
T
he council found itself at the centre of
a media storm recently.
With the Libyan rebels taking control
of the country’s capital city Tripoli, the
council’s two year’s of monitoring the freed
Lockerbie bomber brought the attention of
the world’s media on the council.
The controversy about Lockerbie and the
guilt or innocence of Mr Megrahi or even the
issues surrounding his release, may never
disappear.
When the Scottish Government released
Abdul Baset Ali al-Megrahi on compassionate
grounds, it fell to East Renfrewshire Council
to monitor him based on the conditions set
on his release licence.
Among the conditions were that he
would make himself available for meetings
and discussions by either phone or video
link, that he couldn’t leave Libya without
prior approval and that he must reside at
a particular address known to the criminal
justice service.
The reason it fell to us was that while Mr
Megrahi was held in prison his family lived in
Newton Mearns. This effectively became his
Scottish address and put the council at the
centre of one of the most controversial issues
in recent Scottish history.
er magazine is published four times
each year by East Renfrewshire Council to
provide news and information on council
policies, plans and services. Your next issue
is due in December 2011. If we can’t publish
a particular issue for any reason, we will
inform you on the council’s web site at
www.eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk
er is available in alternative formats and
languages. Please contact Customer First
on 0141 577 3001 for more information.
Throughout the past two years the social
workers in our criminal justice service have
carried out their duty with professionalism
and dedication.
For his part, Mr Megrahi, who lived beyond
the three month prognosis given by doctors
for cancer, had complied with all conditions
including when Tripoli effectively became a
war zone.
The work carried out by our criminal justice
service even during a civil war and under
sometimes enormous international pressure
has been an inspiration to see.
It is also worth recognising the work that
they carry out beyond monitoring the
Lockerbie bomber. Every day they work with
offenders in the local community to promote
payback for crimes committed and their
integration back into society.
Remembering Clarkston 40
years on
page 11
Discover Eaglesham
pages 12 & 13
Explore composting and
recycling
pages 16 & 17
Mental health arts and film
festival
page 18
Join your local community
council
page 20
Councillor Jim Fletcher
Leader, East Renfrewshire Council
If you have any comments about
er magazine, please contact:
Communications Service,
East Renfrewshire Council,
Council Headquarters,
Eastwood Park,
Rouken Glen Road, Giffnock,
East Renfrewshire G46 6UG.
E: er@eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk
COVER STORY: Our cover story takes a look
back at the successful Food Festival. Get a
selection of the tasty treats and yummy events
on pages 14 and 15.
news
page 4
www.eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk
How your services
measure up
All Scottish councils measure their performance against a national set
of indicators covering a range of services which are called Statutory
Performance Indicators (SPIs). We use these to compare our performance
over time and to drive improvement.
Our Customers
RECYCLING: Recycling continues to be a
priority for us and with changes to weekly
collections of household waste we can report
an increase of 9.4% to 45.4% for the
percentage of municipal waste collected and
either recycled or composted.
This exceeds the annual target of 43.3%.
SPORTS: We are continuing to invest in our
sports and leisure centres and this is reflected
in the attendance of number of attendances
at our indoor sports and leisure facilities. In
2010/11 the usage numbers increased to
4,747 (3%).
Unfortunately our pools saw a small decline
of 198 people to 3,368 in 2010/11.
HOMECARE: We are investing in our
homecare services for those aged 65 plus
and can report an increase across those
receiving personal care, a service during the
evening or overnight and a service at the
weekends:
•Personal care has increased from 84.6% in
2009/10 to 97.99% in 2010/11
•Service during the evening/overnight has
increased from 37% in 2009/10 to 45.1% in
2010/11, and
•Service at the weekends has increased
from 79.4% in 2009/10 to 91.96% in
2010/11.
PLANNING: Our planning service is aiming to
improve processing times but as a result of
the increased number of applications the
percentage being dealt with in 2 months has
slipped from 82.2% in 2009/10 to 80.4% in
2010/11.
Though the processing time has slowed we
are still exceeding our annual target of 80%.
HOUSING: We can report the quality of
our housing stock has improved across
all nationally set criteria. The proportion
of stock being brought up to the Scottish
Housing Quality Standard (SHQS) by criteria:
• Tolerable standard has increased by 0.5%
to 99.9%
• Free from serious disrepair has increased
by 8.3% to 98.1%
• Energy efficient has increased by 23% to
80.2%
• Modern facilities and services has
increased by 2.7% to 96.7%
• Healthy, safe and secure housing has
increased by 11.5% to 88.5% and
• The % of the council housing stock being
brought up to SHQS has increased by 4.4%
to 68.4%
Our People
ABSENCE: We monitor the sickness absence
for all council staff and this is then reported
separately from absence for teachers or all
other local government employees.
We have improved our absence levels from
last year. The average number of working
days per local government employee is 10.8
days, this is just off target (target for 10/11
was 9.8 days) and improvement on last year’s
level (13 days).
Teachers’ sickness absence also shows a
marked improvement from 2009/10 as it has
dropped 1.5 days to 4.5 days which is well
below the national target of 5.8 days.
Efficiency
TAX: In the current economic climate we are
working hard to deliver excellent services
more efficiently.
We continue to be one of the top
performing councils in Scotland with council
tax collection rates increasing year on year
for the past 7 years, we collected 96.8% of
income due for council tax collection in
2010/11.
The cost of collecting council tax has also
reduced to £9.55 from £10.17 in 2009/10 and
is significantly below the national average of
£13 per dwelling.
BENEFITS: The current economic situation has
placed more pressure on our benefits service.
The administration of benefit cases has
increased due to volume of cases and now
costs £65.79 per case. (up from 64.67%) We
aim to improve the efficiency of this service
over the next year.
More performance information
This information is just one of the many ways
that we measure and monitor performance.
For more information our annual report sets
out our progress against the outcomes we
are working hard to achieve for our
customers and residents.
The report is available via our website at
www.eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk or you can
contact the policy and improvement team
to request an electronic copy on either 0141
577 3660 or at policyandimprovement@
eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk
East Ren achieves highest
performance to date for S5’s
Ciaran would like to pursue a career in dentistry and Lauren
currently feels she would like to do medicine.
East Renfrewshire Council’s education convener, Councillor
Alan Lafferty, said, “I’m delighted with the results across all of
our schools. It’s a tribute to the hard work of our teachers, pupils
and parents who all contribute to the high attainment of East
Renfrewshire schools. We have had another tremendous year of
excellent performances from our young people. They have a lot to
be proud of.”
Mearns Castle and St Ninian’s High schools had their best ever
S5 Higher performance with last year’s S4 pupils, 69% in Mearns
Castle achieved three or more Highers in S5 and 47% achieved five
or more Highers in S5 in St Ninian’s.
Woodfarm High School also had its best performance to date for
one or more and three or more Highers.
ACHIEVERS: Education convener, Councillor Alan Lafferty congratulates high
achieving St Ninian’s twins Ciaran and Lauren.
P
upils at East Renfrewshire’s seven high schools have once
again achieved an all round high-level performance in
the year’s SQA exams with the authority having its highest
performance to date for S5’s.
The number of pupils who have achieved five highers at grade A
in fifth year has increased to 128 this year, from 112 last year.
St Ninian High School pupils, 16-year-old twins, Ciaran and
Lauren Brown, have helped St Ninian’s keep up their high score by
both scoring identical results of 5 straight A’s.
The twins are both going on to study in sixth year and will be
applying to go to university.
Ciaran’s 5 A’s were in; English, Maths, Physics, Chemistry and
Computing.
Lauren ‘s 5 A’s were in; English, Maths, Chemistry, Biology and
French.
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.eastrenfr
Visit www
Local gal brings
show home
Barrhead’s Donna Rutherford is
bringing her acclaimed show, Kin, to
Eastwood Park Theatre on 11 October.
The writer, performer and director’s
show looks at middle-aged children
and their ageing parents and how we
negotiate this changing relationship in
later life.
Look out for the free, Kin, audio
listening posts in Barrhead Health Centre
and Eastwood Park Theatre in October.
FAMILY
:
Donna an
d her dad
Charlie
Tickets for Kin are £5.00 or concession £3.00
Call 577 4970 to book
page 5
news
www.eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk
news
page 6
T
www.eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk
Two wheels
go forward
he Go Barrhead!
sustainable transport
initiative, which last year
encouraged many Barrhead
residents to ditch their cars
and get on their bikes, has
prompted local bobbies and the
council’s community wardens to
follow their lead.
Funding from Go Barrhead!
has enabled community
wardens to buy two electric
scooters. The new vehicles give
the wardens higher visibility
in the community, and enable
them to access areas such as
parks and lanes.
And the local community
cops have been presented
with two bikes from the Go
Barrhead! project.
The scooters, which are
inexpensive to fill up, run almost
silently and can reach speeds of
up to 60 mph.
Currently six wardens
and their supervisor, Andy
Henderson, a former motorcycle
cop are trained to Compulsory
Basic Training (CBT) level.
Andy said: “One of the main
benefits of having the scooters
is that they are highly visible.
People come up and talk to us
about the scooters so that
helps us build a rapport.”
According to local bobbies,
travelling on two wheels rather
than four enables police officers
more opportunities to engage
with the public.
Bikes offer flexibility and
accessibility to most areas.
PC Dougie Spence, who
is based at Barrhead police
station told er: “The cycle
patrol has received very positive
comments from the public,
especially with the elderly who
often reflect back to the “good
old days” of bobbies on bikes. “Personally I find the bikes
give me better accessibility in
many situations. I was on duty
WHEELIE GOOD: East Ren cops and wardens
are on their bikes.
at this year’s Neilston Show and
was able to cover the wide area
of the fairground more easily on
two wheels than if I’d been on
foot or in a police car.
“The police cycles allow swift
and robust engagement and
help us prevent any escalation
of anti-social behaviour.”
Bin there, done that
as recycling goes up
T
he council’s move to
managed weekly collections
on 1 November last year has
been hailed a major success by
council recycling chiefs.
The council’s recycling
performance has risen by
12% since the introduction of
managed weekly collections.
The council is now online to
achieve an overall performance
at the end of this year above
50%, which will be one of the
highest rates in Scotland.
Managed weekly collections
have also reduced the council’s
reliance on landfill, with a
downturn in residual waste
disposal equivalent to 28% year
on year.
Residual waste disposal was
down 28.3% from 10,984 tonnes
in 2009/10 to 7,872 tonnes in
2010/11.
Award proves East
Ren is baby friendly
East Renfrewshire CHCP has
been awarded the prestigious
Baby Friendly Award and won
international recognition
from UNICEF (United Nation’s
Children’s Fund).
“We decided to join forces
with UNICEF UK’s Baby
Friendly Initiative to increase
breast feeding rates and
improve care for all mothers
in East Renfrewshire,” said
Ellen McGarrigle, senior
nurse, children’s services,
East Renfrewshire CHCP
(Community Health Care
Partnership).
“Breast feeding protects
babies against illnesses
including gastroenteritis and
respiratory infections as well
as allergies and diabetes in
childhood. We also know breast
feeding reduces the mother’s
risk of some cancers, and it is
easier, cheaper and
less hassle than bottle feeding.”
ON THE RISE: Recycling is increasing thanks to managed weekly collections.
It is estimated the reduction
in household waste going to
landfill will result in savings of
around £350,000.
The council’s environment
convener Councillor Eddie
Phillips said: “This is excellent
news. East Renfrewshire’s
high recycling performance
has been achieved through
the introduction of kerbside
recycling services in 2003.
“In addition, other initiatives
such as limiting the volume
of refuse collection capacity,
developing civic amenity sites
page 7
news
www.eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk
into recycling centres and
carrying out an awareness raising
programme in schools and at
local community events have all
helped to increase the rates.”
East Ren’s managed weekly
collections campaign was
commended in national
competitions, by The Good
Communication Awards and the
Creative Exchange award.
On pages 16 and 17 of this
edition of er magazine we visited
the GP Green Recycling’s facility
outside Blantyre to see where
garden waste gets converted
into compost.
Recycling isn’t all about plastics,
bottles and compost.
On page 10 you’ll see our visit
behind the scenes at ReUseit in
Barrhead’s Muriel Street where
old furniture gets a new lease of
life instead of being binned.
Staff suicide prevention
training aims to save lives
To work towards reducing suicide in Scotland, East
Renfrewshire’s Community Health and Care Partnership (CHCP)
employees have been trained in suicide intervention skills.
Every day two people die by suicide in Scotland. The majority of
those thinking about taking their life will find some way to signal
their intent.
Some suicides can be prevented through the actions of
caregivers.
The suicide alertness skills training will enable those who took
part to recognise when somebody may be at risk of suicide and
link them to support services who can help.
Among the key frontline staff to be trained were home carers,
occupational therapy assistants, health assistants and social care
and reception staff.
If you are concerned about someone www.chooselife.net
offers advice on what you should do.
If you are feeling suicidal, don’t hide it.
Talk about it to someone you trust or phone a helpline:
• Breathing Space - 0800 838587
• Samaritans - 08457 909090
• ChildLine - 0800 1111
A job well
done on
Clarkston Toll
East Ren council’s roads
service has been praised by
both David Robertson, head
of network services at First
Glasgow, and local businesses,
on its handling of the recent
resurfacing of the carriageway
surrounding Clarkston Toll.
The work was programmed at
the start of the summer school
holidays to minimise disruption
to traffic and surrounding
diversion routes.
The major roadworks were
completed by Maclay Civil
Engineering within budget and
eight days ahead of schedule.
www.eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk
news
page 8
Share your views on
sustainable transport
I
n line with national and regional transport strategies, East Renfrewshire Council
is committed to encouraging greater use of sustainable transport, such as public
transport, walking and cycling.
Although the council does not have responsibility for providing bus and rail services,
we can provide high quality infrastructure to help local residents use public transport as
conveniently as possible.
In recent years the council has delivered a number of projects which have contributed
to encouraging sustainable transport. These include:
To shape future sustainable
travel projects, the council is
keen to hear your ideas for
projects and improvements
to encourage greater use of
sustainable travel.
•
Improvements to bus stops including new shelters,
raised kerbs and real time information at high volume stops.
•
A new accessible ramp at the northbound platform
at Busby station.
•
A new park and ride facility at Patterton station
and extension of Barrhead station car park.
•
Go Barrhead! campaign.
•
A contra-flow cycle lane at Netherlee.
•
New pedestrian crossings close to schools.
•
Shared use footway on Stewarton Road.
Please email your comments to:
local_transport@eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk
Your input is greatly appreciated
PARK
Robslee Primary Dreams do
come true
decision made
Scottish Ministers have agreed with the
council’s proposal to merge Robslee primary
together with Giffnock primary school.
The council had put
forward a proposal in
December 2010, to merge
Robslee primary school
with nearby Giffnock
primary school.
After a full consultation
with parents, pupils and
other interested parties,
Scottish Ministers ‘called in’
the education consultation
to examine it in more detail.
Scottish ministers examined
parents concerns raised
during the consultation and
after asking for additional
information from the council
they have now granted the
council their ‘consent’.
East Renfrewshire Council’s
education convener, Cllr Alan
Lafferty said: “We welcome
this final decision on Robslee
and Giffnock primary. We
can now move ahead and
deliver the high quality
education that local parents
have come to expect from us.
“Parents, pupils and school
staff can now come together
to ensure the new Giffnock
primary school continues
to be a successful East
Renfrewshire school.”
Councillors on East Renfrewshire’s
education committee found out
that dreams really do come true.
For at their first meeting back
after the summer, they found out
about the success of the seventh
annual ‘dreams come true’ weekend
in Ardentinny outdoor centre in
Argyll.
The annual event is organised for
senior pupils at Isobel Mair School,
East Renfrewshire’s only school for
children with additional support
needs, and pupils with additional
support needs in mainstream
secondary schools.
The pupils are accompanied
by ‘buddies’ from each of the
seven East Renfrewshire secondary
schools, and take part in a range
of activities including rock
hopping, sailing, canoeing,
abseiling and orienteering.
AND
RIDE
Get jigging
with the
Provost
The regular concert for senior
citizens takes place on Sunday
30 October at the Thistle Hotel.
If you would like to attend or
you know a senior citizen
who would like to join the
Provost, call Linda Grady on
0141 577 3143.
There’s no such
thing as a Gruffalo...
page 9
news
www.eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk
...unless you take a visit to
Barrhead and Mearns libraries
F
amed Gruffalo children’s author and
laureate, Julia Donaldson, entertained
mesmerised children with book reading
sessions and songs in Barrhead and Mearns
library recently.
Young children were thrilled to meet their
favourite author when she read from her
new book, Jack and the Flum Flum Tree.
One of Julia’s young fans even turned up
in his very own home made Gruffalo suit.
Julia also read That’s what the Ladybird
Heard, which is the book that has been
chosen for all five-year-olds to read in
Bookbug sessions this autumn.
Julia enthused: “Young children respond
so well to being
part of the
reading and they grow and
learn from the experience. I am
determined and very enthusiastic to
bring more drama into our libraries.”
In 1993, one of her songs was made into
a book, A Squash and a Squeeze. Since
then she has written more than a hundred
books and plays for children and teenagers,
including the award-winning rhyming
stories The Gruffalo, Room on the Broom, The
Snail and the Whale and Zog, all illustrated
by Axel Scheffler, which are among the UK’s
best-selling picture books.
Julia loves writing and singing songs, and
has produced three books of these, each
one with a CD on which she is accompanied
by some great live musicians. And her
passion for drama is kept fresh by her
frequent performances at book festivals
and theatrical events, where she
talks, acts and sings with
her audiences.
Self-serve comes to libraries
GRUFFALO: Laureate Julia
Donaldson met children in
Barrhead and Mearns libraries.
Library users in Clarkston are now able
to instantly scan the books, DVDs and CDs
they borrow or return. And it’s all thanks to
new electronic kiosks.
Each item in the library has been given
an RFID tag (Radio Frequency IDentifier)
which contains all of its details. The tag,
which is like a smart card for books, is
read by the new kiosks and the
information is passed to the library
management system.
Because the system is linked to the library
management system it will calculate fines
and hire charges. And customers can also
pay any fines with coins and notes, direct to
the machines.
feature
page 10
www.eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk
Don’t just bin it,
let’s reuse it
er discovers an Aladdin’s
cave in the heart of Barrhead
T
he term ‘Aladdin’s cave’ best describes
the former bus garage in Barrhead’s
Muriel Street, now occupied by ReUseIt,
East Renfrewshire’s exciting new furniture
recycling project.
When you walk into the building you’re
faced with an array of household furniture,
white goods, lamps, glassware, clothing,
books, DVDs and bric-a-brac and more.
Everything is laid out, making it easy to
explore and examine items.
ReUseIt is a community interest company
and a Voluntary Action East Renfrewshire
initiative. It was set up with the assistance
of WRAP Scotland’s Increase III Programme
and East Renfrewshire Council.
Heading up the ReUseIt team of four
full-time and three part-time staff and a
dozen volunteers is Marie Wood.
Marie, who previously worked for
Voluntary Action, has always had a keen
interest in recycling and had long been
unhappy about the amount of decent
furniture which ended up in landfill sites.
On 18 February last year Marie received a
fabulous birthday present when she heard
that one year start-up funding from WRAP
Scotland had become available to enable
her to get the project off the ground.
To gain information on setting up a re-use
business Marie visited a recycling project in
Biggleswade in Bedfordshire.
ReUseIt moved in to its Muriel Street
premises in June 2010 and opened for
business in September 2010.
Marie told er: “At ReUseIt we aim to help
the community in three main ways. Firstly,
we’re improving the environment by
reducing the amount of waste going to
landfill. We try to recycle every item that
comes through our hands that we can’t sell.
“Secondly, we aim to increase the
availability of affordable, quality
second hand goods to the people of
East Renfrewshire and the surrounding
areas and thirdly we provide training,
employment and volunteering
opportunities for local people.
“We offer free uplifts in the East
Renfrewshire area and we will take anything
we think we can sell on.
“Initial contact is usually made on the
phone and our staff try to establish the
quality of the item. When our lads arrive at
the house they make their own assessment.
It’s rare for us to turn down donations,
but the nature of our business means that
occasionally we must.
“Our biggest challenge is space. It’s
essential to keep on top of the volume of
donations we get, process it all and then
put it out for sale.
“There’s a great community involvement
in East Ren and people have been generous
with their donations. The council has also
been extremely supportive.”
THE TEAM: Marie, far left, and her
ReUseIt team, are happy to accept
any quality second hand goods.
Contact ReUseIt
on 0141 237 1646
www.reuseit-er.co.uk
or on Facebook
ReUseIt opening times
Monday
CLOSED
Tuesday - Friday 10am to 5pm
Saturday
10am to 4pm
Sunday
12pm to 4pm
off
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..
o good..
Sofa, s
Where there’s
muck there’s brass
The items that don’t sell go to scrap
merchants. Waste wood goes to a company
in Ayrshire where it is composted.
In return ReUseIt gets a 250kg bag of
quality garden compost which is sold in the
Barrhead warehouse for 10p a litre.
Stuart is deli-ighted
with new venture
B
usiness is booming at the Tasteee Café
in Eastwood Park Theatre, according to
new proprietor, Stuart Denholm.
Stuart spent most of his working life as
a top chef in the kitchens of prestigious
venues such as the Café Royal in Edinburgh
and Heathrow Airport. He took over the
Tasteee Café in August.
His cafe is open from 8am
until 8pm Monday to
Friday and from 8am
to 5pm Saturday and
Sunday.
A breakfast of a hot
roll and tea or coffee is
on offer from 8.15am. With
St Ninian’s High on the doorstep,
Stuart wanted to provide a healthy
option for its pupils at lunchtime so he
introduced a deli bar which serves up
baguettes, paninis and rolls with a selection
of scrumptious fillings such as roast beef,
O
page 11
news
www.eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk
tuna mayo, chicken tikka and ham. They are
also enjoying fresh fruit, fresh fruit salad,
sugar free drinks.
Every day there is a home made soup and
sandwich deal. Baked potatoes with fillings
are made to order and chilli con carne is
a daily regular on the menu, as well as a
variety of other hot dishes.
n a very ordinary Thursday in October
of 1971, an enormous gas explosion
ripped through Clarkston town centre.
The shopping precinct at Clarkston Toll was
destroyed and the explosion, described as the
worst peace-time explosion in Scotland, left
22 people dead.
Most of the casualties were women as the
blast blew out 10 shops. A passing bus also
took the force of the blast with one person
dead and many injured.
This year marks the 40th anniversary of the
terrible event that lives in the memory of
many local residents.
On 21 October a flower laying ceremony
will take place at Clarkston Hall and the
council will be contacting local shops that
may wish to mark the occasion.
A church service will be held in Greenbank
Church on Sunday 23 October for residents
and visitors to pay their respects to those
who lost their lives and who lost loved ones
40 years ago.
“The deli bar
is very
popular
and it
counts for 45%
of our business.”
Stuart told er: “Business has been brilliant.
The deli bar is popular, particularly with
kids from St Ninian’s and it counts for 45
percent of our business. I must commend
the council which has been supportive in
helping us get off the ground.”
feature
page 12
www.eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk
Eaglesham Heritag
The fascinating history of Eaglesham is out on display right
The trail was opened by the 18th Earl of Eglinton and provi
T
ake a trail down the charming lanes of
Eaglesham, a community with a fascinating
history, and see what made this unique
village the jewel in East Ren’s crown.
The Eaglesham Heritage Trail was officially
opened this September by the 18th Earl and
Countess of Eglinton.
The trail is the first project being undertaken by
the recently formed Eaglesham & Waterfoot
Community Development Trust (EWCDT), who
received funding from ERC LEADER fund and
Lottery Awards for All Scotland.
DISPLAY: The new heritage trail is marked by
panels highlighting the history of the village.
‘A’ planned village
The village of Eaglesham was planned around an ‘A’ shape seen
from the air with the Orry in the centre.
EAGLESHAM PARISH CHURCH: Dominates the village skyline.
ge Trail launched
t across the village thanks to a new Heritage trail.
ides an insight into what makes the village special.
page 13
feature
www.eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk
There are 12 interpretation panels in frames
located throughout the village containing
photos, diagrams and text telling the
fascinating story of the village from the
creating of the planned village, through its
textile industry heyday, the crash landing
of Rudolf Hess to the restoration of the
village in the 1960s and 1970s.
A colourful guide has also been
produced which includes photographs
of landmark sites, a map of the Orry
and other fascinating information.
Three local school children whose
designs were incorporated into three
of the display panels - Jessica Morton
(St Bridget’s Church), Gemma Kerr
(Statue House) and Katie Baird
(Eaglesham Parish Church) received
prizes from the Countess.
POLNOON STREET: The street has some striking buildings.
THE SWAN: A favourite watering hole in the village.
JEWEL IN THE CROWN: Eaglesham oozes charm and style.
feature
page 14
www.eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk
Foodies flock to fa
The third annual East Renfrewshire Council Food Festival go
F E S T I V A L
EAST RENFREWSHIRE
nd
lark a
tC
ean a
MacL
y
r
a
G
MO:
L DE
ROYA
Sons
27 Aug – 4 Sep 2011
Food Festival headline sponsors Whole Foods Market and media
partners The Herald helped lift this year’s festival to new heights.
The VIP launch saw East Ren’s great and good along with Radio
Clyde’s Suzie McGuire and River City’s Libby McArthur, join Royal
Chef, Gary MacLean, for a seriously tasty night at Clark and Sons.
The first big event was Clarkston Farmer’s Market with
flamboyant flour throwing chefs entertaining the crowds.
Events in libraries included cupcake classes, sushi making and
the healthy ‘pack a punch with your lunch’.
Café Gandolfi at Whitelee Windfarm was an outstanding
up
tting
e
S
:
success, as was the Cook School’s Phil Lewis at Eastwood
TEAM
KET
MAR
S
D
O
Park Theatre. The week culminated in a sell-out Ready
LE FO
WHO
Steady Cook style event with top chefs John Quigley
and Ian Brown going head to head. Hosted by Seumas
MacInnes, River City’s Libby McArthur and Deidre Davis
supported both chefs and added a touch of glamour.
FLAMBOYANT: The flour throwing chef!
VIP LAUNCH: At Clark and Sons
antastic festival
oes down a treat
ol
Scho
, Cook
M
CHAR
wis
hil Le
OL: P
SCHO
CUP CA
KE HEA
VEN: S
READY, STEADY
eeing is
believin
g
LOOK!: Showtime
If you missed out on this year’s fantastic Food
Festival, don’t worry we are already marinating
plans to whet
your appetite for next year.
CAFE GANDOLFI: At Whitelee Windfarm
PACKING A PUNCH WITH LUNCH: Giffnock Library
page 15
feature
www.eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk
page 16
www.eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk
feature
Blooming good result
er explores why East Renfrewshire has been praised for the
E
r went along when environment
convener, Councillor Eddie Phillips,
visited GP Green Recycling’s facility outside
Blantyre near East Kilbride, to see how
material collected from East Ren homes is
transformed into a horticulturist’s delight
rather than ending up in landfill.
Jimmy Gilchrist, managing director of
organic compost and soil conditioners, GP
Green Recycling, said: “Four generations
of the Gilchrist family have worked in
horticulture. With this experience behind us
three years ago we went into the business
of producing a useful product from material
that would normally be dumped in landfill.
He added: “Our compost is used by the
horticultural wing of the business and
we sell to landscapers, farmers and other
horticulturists. It is fantastic for fruit and
vegetable growing and is cheaper than other
products such as slurry and fertiliser.
“We create quality compost which is a
valuable product and with proposals
from Department for Environment,
Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to
phase out peat based compost this
organic compost provides an ideal
alternative.”
“It is fantastic for fruit
and vegetable
growing and is
cheaper than other
products such as
slurry and fertiliser.”
Dale Weighman is the site
manager. He praised the waste
that is delivered to the facility by East
Renfrewshire Council’s bin lorries. Up
to 12 lorries a day unload at the site. To date
between 7-8000 tonnes of garden waste has
Jimmy Gilchrist, MD of GP Plantscape Ltd, environment
convener Councillor Eddie Phillips, Jim Gilchrist, MD GP
Green Recycling, Andy Corry and Laurence Christie of ERC’s
environment department.
gone there.
“I love this stuff. I’m really impressed by the
fact that you have got it right in East Ren.
We have very little contaminants in the
material we get from you. If there
is the odd bag in the delivery it is
usually biodegradable. However,
all contaminants such as plastic
bags are hand picked from
the delivery.”
After visiting GP Green
Recycling’s facility, Councillor
Eddie Phillips said: “It’s marvellous
to be told that the waste we
send to Jimmy’s company is of the
highest quality and produces top grade
compost. This is what recycling is all about
- finding a valuable use for material that we
would otherwise throw into a landfill site.”
GP Green Recycling recently invested £3
million in an ‘In Vessel’ food waste
page 17
t for our waste
quality of its garden and food waste material…
feature
www.eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk
Reasons to recycle
Environmental protection
It prevents food waste going to landfill, where
it gives off methane and carbon dioxide,
contributing to climate change.
Cost saving
Recycling your food waste is more cost effective
than sending it to landfill. Costs are expected to
spiral to almost £100 a tonne to landfill by 2013.
Legislation
Zero Waste Scotland has proposed legislation to
prevent any food waste going to landfill by 2013.
recycling facility which works alongside its existing
green waste recycling facility.
The food waste, either separate or already mixed
with garden waste, is delivered to an enclosed
reception area.
It is then mixed with green waste and shredded to a
uniform size and loaded into one of the specially built
vessels.
The composting process is kick-started by air
movement by fans and naturally occurring microorganisms already in the waste. They break down
the material, releasing the nutrients, and in so doing
increase the temperature to the 60 to 70 degrees
needed to kill pathogens and weed seeds.
The sanitisation period takes about two weeks. The
resultant material is then transferred to the maturation
shed where under floor ventilation provides the final
stage of the compost evolution over 10 weeks.
Once the process is complete the compost is
screened to BSI PAS 100 standards and is available
for purchase.
1
2
3
4
5
6
Recycling garden waste
Regular collections
Waste is deposited
Composting in progress
The final product
See the results!
Benefits of
recycled compost
It adds essential nutrients to your soil,
which means healthier and stronger plants.
It improves the soil structure to allow plant
roots, water and air to move through the
soil more easily.
It helps the soil retain more water, meaning that
plants will stay healthy and need less watering.
Reduces the need for landfill as garden waste and
food waste are recycled into a useful product.
Prevents destruction of peat beds which have taken thousands of years to form.
Dealing with organic waste at home is better for
the environment with the added bonus of providing
your garden with free, nutrient-rich compost.
If you want to create your own compost at home
you can get started for as little as £8.
To find out more about the variety of compost bins available
check out http://tiny.cc/j2zy0
feature
page 18
www.eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk
Recovery in mind
Take note, here’s why this year’s mental health
arts and film festival will be one to remember
T
he theme of this year’s East Ren
Mental Health Arts and Film
Festival (MHAAFF) is memories,
sleep and dreams.
The events running in East
Renfrewshire from 1 to 31 October,
reflect this and explore the relationship
between creativity and the mind, to
encourage people to think about what
mental health means to them.
Through film, drama, the arts, live
music and creative writing, the festival
is helping challenge attitudes around
mental health, to increase people’s
understanding of mental health, reduce
stigma and promote recovery.
It recognises the importance
of the arts in maintaining good
mental health and wellbeing.
Love of music
Playing music has played a
positive part in local man, Alex’s
recovery from depression.
Alex who lives in East Renfrewshire,
tells his story: “Some people feel
embarrassed about their mental
condition. I had depression. It’s horrible
when it happens. You close down and
take yourself away from everyone.
“It’s sad when you get affected like
that. It can ruin your life and your
family’s. I was fortunate that I had the
support of Causeway, other local groups
and my family. And I’ve always had a
love of music and the accordion and
taught myself to play years ago.
“I was asked last year by RAMH and
Causeway to help get a local music
workshop, for people looking for
a creative and expressive and fun way to
improve their mood, off the ground.
Uplifting
“A group of us met once a week to sing
and play different types of music. We
played fiddles, guitars, the piano, the
accordion, the oboe, the mouth organ,
and sang together. It was good fun and
really lifted moral.
“Playing music helps me relax and
I can play for a couple of hours a day. It
gives me something to concentrate on,
instead of worrying whether something
negative might happen.
“When you’re strung out it’s
not easy to concentrate and
it can make you low. Music
can keep the spirit high. It’s
a relaxer and something
you can do for yourself.
“I am now 97 per cent better. The
depression has changed me and I now
have a different attitude to life. I try not
to worry about the smaller stuff and
things that aren’t going to affect me.
“When I was ill my brain didn’t function
properly, but I had a belief that mental
illness could beaten. Then I found
Causeway. I came to them a broken,
bashed up human being. Causeway’s
support has put me back together again,
and my family and my wife have been a
great support too.
“Music helped play a part in getting me
over the depression. For the first time in
twenty years, last year I played music at
a local concert. It was a great feeling and
achievement to have played there and
regained my confidence.”
“Playing music gives me something
to concentrate on, instead of
worrying about whether something
negative might happen to me.”
What’s on at this year’s festival
Sleeping Beauty
family film
Sun 9 October
2pm
Eastwood Park Theatre
Tickets
£4.00
conc.
£3.00
Call the box office on 577 4970
KIN
drama
Tues 11 October
7.30pm
Eastwood Park Theatre
Tickets
£5.00
conc.
£3.00
Call the box office on 577 4970
Mapping Memories
creative writing workshop
Tues 11 & 18 October
7-8.30pm
Clarkston library
Free
reserve tickets 577 3500
email reading@eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk
‘T’ in the ARC
percussion and drumming workshop
Thurs 13 October
2-4pm
Auchenback Resource Centre, Barrhead
Free
contact 881 8811
email Amanda@ramh.org
Music ‘n Mind
evoke musical memories through live
performances
Wed 19 October
7-9pm
Auchenback Resource Centre, Barrhead
Free
contact 887 9103
email shena@acumennetwork.org
Recovery In Mind
creative expression exhibition
13 - 31 October
Barrhead Health and Care Centre
Main Street, Barrhead
Free
‘T in the ARC’ a percussion and drumming workshop is
running at Auchenback Resource Centre, Barrhead
on Thursday 13 October, as part of this year’s East Ren MHAAFF.
Call 881 8811 or email Amanda@ramh.org for more details.
page 19
Locals get a hand
to stay on their feet
T
he over sixty-fives were getting steady
on their feet with advice on how to
prevent a fall, from East Renfrewshire CHCP
(community health care partnership) older
people’s team recently.
The group learned why they should report
a fall to their GP, tried chair-based exercises
to help their mobility and reduce the risk
of falling, and took part in an interactive
‘how to get up after a fall’ workshop, which
demonstrated the easiest and safest way to
get up from the floor.
Experts also pointed out potential dangers
around the home, and explained how people
can make their homes safer to reduce the
likelihood of falling.
The fall’s awareness event was held at
Barrhead Health and Care Centre, for users of
the day care centre.
The older people’s team assess older people
as quickly as possible after any event such as
a fall, an acute illness or acute social crisis and
puts in place intense rehabilitation support.
They work with older people to help
them improve and maintain their health
and social wellbeing, promote independence
and support them to be active in their
own community.
feature
www.eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk
Tips to help prevent a fall
Remember not everyone will be able to
follow all this advice but for some, after
a period of rehabilitation, part or all may
be possible.
Be active:
• Walking, gardening, dancing, swimming
and yoga can help improve mobility,
strength, balance and flexibility.
• Pace yourself — plan activities sensibly.
• Low mood or depression can increase
your risk of falling, consider joining an
exercise class or social club.
Eat well and drink plenty of fluids:
• Eat foods rich in Vitamin D and calcium,
such as dairy produce, eggs and green
leafy vegetables — it is essential for
healthy bones.
• Avoid missing meals.
• Dizziness and weakness can be reduced
by eating regular meals and drinking at
least eight cups of fluid, preferably water,
every day.
Check your sight and hearing:
If you are concerned about falls contact
the Older People’s Team on 0141 800 7163
• Have your eyes tested regularly — it’s
free if you are over 60.
• Wear the correct glasses and take care
when using bifocals and varifocals,
especially on stairs and steps.
• Poor hearing can affect your balance, see
your nurse or GP for advice.
Managing a respiratory illness
Dr Nigel Pexton, a GP at Williamwood
Medical Centre explains more about
respiratory illnesses, and how you can
manage and prevent them.
The name given to medical conditions
that used to be known as chronic bronchitis
and emphysema is chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease (COPD).
COPD leads to the airways becoming
damaged in various parts of the lungs, which
makes it harder for air to get in and out.
In medical terminology the word ‘chronic’
means that the problem is long-term.
By far the biggest cause of COPD is
smoking cigarettes, although there can be an
association with breathing in other toxins, or
with lung problems such as severe asthma.
It is thought that up to one in three
smokers will develop COPD. It’s not possible
to predict which smokers will get it, but it’s
more likely to affect those who have smoked
for a long time, and smoke a high number of
cigarettes daily.
Once COPD damage is done it cannot
be reversed so it’s vital to spot the
signs of COPD early, and visit
your doctor or practice nurse
if you have any concerns.
Symptoms may include a
cough, shortness of breath
on activity, increased sputum
or catarrh, and a wheeze. If
symptoms are ignored and you
continue to smoke, it will get worse,
and can lead to disabling breathlessness
even at rest, a need for oxygen, and
severe attacks requiring hospital admission.
Glasgow has a good service for diagnosing
COPD, which involves a simple breathing
test done in a local clinic or outpatient
department. The results are sent to your GP,
who can discuss them with you.
There is lots of support available, and
treatments to help the symptoms for
COPD sufferers. The important thing
is to stop smoking and prevent the
condition from getting worse.
Smoking cessation clinics
regularly run in Barrhead and
Clarkston. The sessions are relaxed,
informal and friendly. Attendees are
welcome from across East Renfrewshire.
To find out more or to join a group call
0141 577 4804 www.lunguk.org
news
page 20
www.eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk
A slug of ginger
High school pupils set to debate legal landmark Paisley
Snail case in mini trials at Sheriff court.
F
our senior pupils from East Renfrewshire’s high schools
will be taking part in mini trials examining the world
famous case of the Paisley Snail.
The Paisley Snail Case took place in 1928. May Donoghue
was in the Wellmeadow Café in Paisley, when a friend
bought her a bottle of Stevenson’s ginger beer. She had
drunk some of the beer but, when the remains of the
bottle were poured, out popped what appeared to be a
decomposing snail.
Mrs Donoghue sued the factory manufacturer of the drink
David Stevenson.
The case of Donoghue v Stevenson found its way to
the House of Lords where it was decided in favour of Mrs
Donoghue. She was awarded £200 in damages, in today’s
money that would be around £8,000.
The case had far-reaching consequences.
The landmark case set the legal principle of the law of
negligence. It has been described as possibly the world’s
most influential legal decision.
The East Renfrewshire mini trials 2011 will take place on
26 November in Paisley Sheriff Court.
During their day in court the students will run their own
simplified Sheriff Court trials using an information pack
compiled by the Faculty of Advocates with the help of the
professional volunteers.
Councillor Alan Lafferty, the council’s education convener,
said: “This is a perfect opportunity for pupils to see and
experience for themselves how the legal process works.
“The Paisley Snail case has influenced the law right across
the world. It has had an enormous influence in crusading
lawyers seeking to change laws and find justice for clients
“The Paisley Snail case has also strongly influenced
consumer protection laws today.”
As well as ‘The Paisley Snail’ case the pupils will also enact
an assault criminal case.
Join your local
community council
Community councils across Scotland are your most local
statutory representation.
They are set up by law and their function is to represent
your views and the views of the local community they serve
to councils and other public bodies.
East Renfrewshire’s 10 community councils:
• Barrhead Community Council
• Busby Community Council
• Clarkston Community Council
• Giffnock Community Council
• Neilston Community Council
• Newton Mearns Community Council
In East Renfrewshire there are 10 local community councils
that meet in the local community each month and discuss
local community issues that affect you and your area.
New members are always welcome at any of the
community councils across East Renfrewshire. You can also
attend the monthly meetings to see what issues and topics
are being discussed.
Find out more about the work of your local community
council or join up and start representing your local
community on issues that matter to you and your area.
New members are always welcome at community councils.
You can also attend to observe what is being discussed.
Details of community council meetings, times and dates
are available on the council website where you can also
download copies of minutes of meetings to find out more
about what local issues are being discussed about your area.
• Thornliebank Community Council
• Uplawmoor Community Council
• Eaglesham & Waterfoot Community Council
• Netherlee & Stamperland Community Council
There’s information on all ten community councils at:
www.eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk /communitycouncils
www.eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk
news
Dressing for
Excellence
page 21
S
chools across East Renfrewshire will be putting in place a more
robust uniform policy. Schools will be supported in implementing
the new policy that aims to implement school uniform/dress codes.
Having a high standard of uniform compliments the high quality
education service on offer in East Renfrewshire.
A robust uniform policy can contribute to school security and
personal safety. It can support positive behaviour and discipline and
encourage identity with, and support for, school ethos.
Head teachers are guided by the new ‘Dressing for Excellence’ policy
which is available in schools.
Parents are being encouraged to support the new uniform policy by
getting involved in local consultations and discussing the policy with
children to emphasise its benefits.
Three Freemen
for East Ren
Three residents have been honoured
for their public service by East
Renfrewshire Council.
At a ceremony in Giffnock they
bestowed the honour of Freeman on
Scotland’s chief medical officer, Sir Harry
Burns, former councillor Iain Drysdale
and former Provost Allan Steele MBE.
East Renfrewshire Council leader,
Councillor Jim Fletcher, said: “Each of
our three new Freemen have made a
significant contribution to life in our
area. They have shown throughout their
lives in public service a dedication that
goes beyond the boundaries of the role
they carried out.”
Iain Drysdale’s long and distinguished
service to local government initially
was as a councillor with Strathclyde
Regional Council. He then became
a councillor with East Renfrewshire
Council from 1995 until 2007.
Allan Steele was first elected to
Eastwood District Council in 1988 and
also served as a regional councillor
having been elected to Strathclyde
Regional Council two years before
reorganisation. He served East
Renfrewshire Council from 1995 to
2007, becoming its first Provost, a
position he held for two successive
terms until 2003.
Dr Harry Burns is the Chief Medical
Officer for Scotland. It is a post he
took up in September 2005. He has
had a long and distinguished career in
public health beginning in 1974 when
he graduated in Medicine from the
University of Glasgow. He was awarded
a visiting Professorship in Public Health
Medicine at the University of Glasgow
and has received many awards.
FREEMAN: Sir Harry Burns; Iain Drysdale and Allan Steele MBE
receive their Freeman award at a ceremony in Giffnock.
councillors
www.eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk
Contact your
local councillor
2
3
4
1
5
6
WARD 1
WARD 2
WARD 3
WARD 4
WARD 5
WARD 6
NEILSTON,
UPLAWMOOR AND
NEWTON MEARNS
NORTH
BARRHEAD
GIFFNOCK AND
THORNLIEBANK
NETHERLEE,
STAMPERLAND AND
WILLIAMWOOD
NEWTON MEARNS
SOUTH
BUSBY, CLARKSTON
AND EAGLESHAM
Councillor
Councillor
Councillor
Councillor
Councillor
Councillor
Tony Buchanan
(SNP)
Betty
Cunningham
Jim Fletcher
(Labour)
(Labour)
Councillor
Charlie Gilbert
(Conservative)
Councillor
Elaine Green
(Labour)
Councillor
Leslie Rosin
(Conservative)
Councillor
Gordon
McCaskill
Barbara Grant
(Conservative)
(SNP)
(Conservative)
Councillor
Councillor
Alastair
Carmichael
Councillor
Councillor
Ian McAlpine
Alan Lafferty
(Labour)
(Labour)
(Labour)
Danny Devlin
Alex Mackie
Mary Montague
(Independent)
(Liberal Democrat)
Eddie Phillips
Gordon Wallace
Ralph Robertson
Councillor
Councillor
Jim Swift
Stewart Miller
(Labour)
(Conservative)
(Independent)
(Conservative)
(Conservative)
Councillor
Councillor
Douglas Yates
(SNP)
Councillor
Councillor
Your local councillor is one of 20 in East Renfrewshire. He or she is the representative
of your community on the council. Your councillor is available to look out for local
interests, let you know about council or community issues and to answer your
questions about areas of council business.
Councillors hold regular surgeries, see www.eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk/councillors or
look for posters in your local library for details, and can arrange home visits if necessary.
You can contact your local councillor by phoning 0141 577 3107, or write to her or him
at East Renfrewshire Council, Council Headquarters, Eastwood Park, Rouken Glen Road,
Giffnock, East Renfrewshire G46 6UG.
You can also send an email. Just type your councillor’s name, with a full stop between
their first and surname, followed by @eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk
Spooktacular activities
available online from
www.eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk/activities
COME & PLAY FOOTBALL
ROAD SHOWS
ACTIVITY CAMPS
LIBRARY WORKSHOPS
DRAMA & ARTS