!!!STOP PRESS!!!
The next meeting of the Garioch Community Planning Group will be held in Inverurie on Wednesday, 16 January 2013. The meeting will be closed to the public as the Group will be undertaking a self-evaluation exercise.
The Community Planning Group met at Echt Village Hall on 3 October 2012. Presentations at the meeting included
• Echt Residents Forum, Homewatch and Echt Blather – George Glennie (Echt and Skene Community Councillor)
• Community Care, Befriending and the Street Café - Allan Clews – Westhill Episcopal Church
For more information call the Community Planning Officer on 01467 628338.
May 2012
The Garioch Community Planning Group held its May meeting at the Harlaw Centre, Inverurie to allow discussion with the Project Manager for IDeA (Inclusive Day Services Enabling Aberdeenshire) and the Harlaw Centre Manager around the Group's priority outcome of improving opportunities for personalisation of services and integration into community activities. Click here for the minutes.
April 2012
The Garioch Community Planning Group held its April meeting in camera and identified the five priorities of children and young people, social inclusion, community safety, homelessness and community cohesion and development for the revised Garioch Community Plan. Click here for the minutes,
March 2012
The Garioch Community Planning Group held its March meeting at the new Garioch Community Kitchen and heard presentations on the Kitchen, the Inverurie Youth Cafe project and the Garioch Partnership. Click here for the minutes.
February 2012
Garioch Community Kitchen Opens - Douglas Milne (Aberdeenshire Council's Garioch Area Manager), Councillor Martin Kitts-Hayes (Chair of Garioch Area Committee) and Jennifer Hall, Public Health Lead, Aberdeenshire Community Health )Partnership at the opening of the Garioch Community Kitchen at the Wyness Hall on 8 February. for more information
Alzheimer Scotland has set up a monthly Inverurie Dementia Café at the Kintore Arms, Inverurie. The cafes will be open on the third Thursday of every month from 10.30am – 12.30pm and is open to those with dementia, their families and carers. The next café will be on 16 February 2012. For more information contact Susanna Paterson, Alzheimer Scotland Dementia Advisor on Tel: 01467 629292 Mob: 7731772764 email:
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January 2012
The Garioch Community Planning Group held its meeting of 25 January 2012 in Newmachar and heard presentations from Wildlife-in-Newmachar, Newmachar Community Council and Newmachar Community Hall Committee. For the minutes of the meeting click here
Pitcaple Environmental Project has been awarded a Green Butterfly Award by the Aberdeenshire Environmental Forum.
December 2011
Next meeting of Garioch Community Planning Group to be held at Newmachar Church Hall - Wednesday 25 January 2011. Agenda to follow
Advance Notice - Aberdeenshire Council is holding its next Community Engagement Event for community and business representatives for Garioch in a joint event with Formartine on Wednesday 22 February 2012 at Turriff Academy at 6.30pm. Further information to follow.
Kay Diack and Fiona Wilson have been appointed “community animateurs” by the Garioch Partnership Steering Group (set up to look at developing an area partnership for Garioch) to identify a role and remit for the Partnership through discussion with local stakeholders. It is envisaged the new Garioch Partnership will be in place from April 2012. For more information contact Reid Hutchison, Community Economic Development Coordinator on 01358 726411.
November 2011
Garioch Community Planning Group - 17 November 2011, Holiday Inn, Westhill
Agenda
Minutes
The Garioch Community Planning Group held its meeting of 17 November 2011 in Westhill and heard presentations from Westhill & Elrick Community Council, Ashdale Hall, Westhill & District Men’s Shed, Angela Allan (Senior Community Learning Worker) and Gary MacBeath (Community Leisure Officer) on joint working of community facilities in Westhill.
(for more details see Ward.13 Section).
As part of the Commonwealth Games Legacy Programme, from September 2011 the Scottish Government has commissioned SCDC to work with community organisations across Scotland to support them to use the Games as a catalyst for building on their work to develop activities and projects that involve local people, increase local community action and support the achievement of better health and social outcomes. For any general enquiries please contact Olivia Hanley on
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. http://www.scdc.org.uk/
October 2011
Garioch Community Planning Group - 6 October 2011 - Bennachie Leisure Centre, Insch
Agenda
Minutes
Garioch Community Planning Group visited Insch on 6 October 2011 for a public meeting held at the Bennachie Leisure Centre. They had a tour of the Centre together with a presentation by the Chairman of the Centre’s Board. The Group also heard from representatives of the Friends of Insch Hospital regarding the proposal for a new Hospital and the newly formed Insch Community Association. Issues raised by members of the community included the recycling centre, local housing developments and lack of integration within the community. Advice was given on funding for local leisure facilities and Insch as a pilot for a Community Sports Hub. The meeting felt it opportune to look at a community wide engagement, along the lines of a “Planning for Real” to identify the needs and priorities of the whole community. The question of use of Planning Gain monies was raised and it was agreed that this matter be dealt with at a future meeting.
Following an alignment of their Management Structure, Aberdeenshire Community Health Partnership have announced that Cameron Matthew currently Locality Manager for Garioch and Formartine will, as from 3 October 2011, be Area Manager for Garioch. Cameron is also the Chair of Garioch Community Planning Group.
The Tenant Participation Promotion Team have set up a website to provide information and support for tenants of Aberdeenshire Council, and for those Aberdeenshire tenants who want to have a say in how their housing services are provided. Including details of the Tenant Working Groups and Recent Achievements, the site encourages active and various means of participation. http://tppt.org.uk/
September 2011
Garioch Community Planning Group is taking to the road
At its meeting held 25 August 2011, the new Chair of the Group, Cameron Matthew (NHS Grampian Locality Manager), felt the Group should take the opportunity to look at the format of its meetings to see if improvements could be made. He suggested that the meetings be moved around the Garioch area and the Group acknowledged this would make Community Planning more visible to the public and would give the Group a clearer idea of issues across Garioch. It was also felt that it would enable Community Councils to become more involved in the Community Planning process. It was agreed therefore that future meetings be held in different settlements across Garioch.
The Group members also agreed that the meetings should in future be open to the public as it is important to be “transparent”. This would also allow an opportunity for groups to give presentations on local projects.
August 2011
Chair of Garioch Community Planning Group – Cameron Matthew, Locality Manager, NHS Grampian, has been appointed Chair of the Garioch Community Planning Group for the coming twelve months.
Garioch Area Manager – Douglas Milne has been appointed the new Garioch Area Manager. Douglas has worked for 32 years in education latterly as Headteacher at Inverurie Academy. He is hoping to take up his new role at Gordon House in early September.
Inverurie Health Improvement Group and Westhill Wellbeing Forum are looking at Social Prescribing, a scheme which will allow health professionals, including GPs and Health Visitors, to “prescribe” a course of local activity depending upon the patient’s requirements. Areas to be included in the scheme are exercise and recreation; learning and independent living; arts and culture; gardening/growing/healthy eating and volunteering. The scheme will also be suitable for self-referrals.
The Arts Development Team at the Council are looking to work with a community group in Kintore, to develop Public Art within the area. Public Art offers the opportunity to express what is special and unique about the environment and can make a significant contribution to the quality of life within communities – from the physical enhancements of streetscapes, architecture, lighting schemes and public spaces, to the fostering of community pride and ownership, involving communities in the rediscovery of their local cultural heritage, and the creation of new public spaces. If you live in Kintore and are interested in being involved contact Sheila Waterhouse, Arts Development Officer, on 01467 628379.
July 2011
Retiral of Chair of Garioch Community Planning Group - Ian Fowell, the Council's Area Manager, has retired after 36 years of working in Local Government initially in Social Work and latterly as Garioch Area Manager. His place as Chair on the Group will be taken by Cameron Matthew, Locality Manager, NHS Grampian. Retiral of Chair
New Public Health Coordinator appointed
