Friday 18 November 2022
Welcome to Community, your Dumfries and Galloway community bulletin.
As always, if you have any positive stories about things that are happening in your community and would like to see them featured in Community – please email us at communitybulletin@dumgal.gov.uk and one of our reporters will get back to you.
Suzy is the Social Worker of the Year
Dumfries and Galloway Social Worker Suzy Rook is the social worker of the year! Suzy was awarded the accolade at an awards ceremony on Wednesday 9 November in Glasgow.
The Scottish Social Services Awards recognise and celebrate the very best examples of practice in social work and social care across Scotland. Suzy was nominated in the ‘Social Worker of the Year’ category, a highly contested category that recognises the very best examples of individuals demonstrating their deep commitment to their profession and going above and beyond in their role.
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“I can’t believe it.” said Suzy. “When they called out my name I was in shock, but getting up there to collect the award, I was absolutely buzzing! It’s such an honour. It’s amazing to be recognised for the job you do, but to be recognised by your peers and industry professionals is incredible. Nobody does this job for the praise, we do it because we care about people and want the best outcomes for everyone. Being recognised for doing your best really means a lot.”
Suzy currently works in the Criminal Justice team within Social Work, which she joined in October 2021. However, her nomination also relates to her previous role in Children and Families. She was nominated by two of the families that she worked with during this time.
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Dumfries and Galloway Wins Big at the Scottish Thistle Awards 2022/2023
At an event in Glasgow on Thursday 10 November, Dumfries and Galloway was put in the spotlight as 17 of the 32 finalists in the West Regional Final were from our region.
The prestigious Scottish Thistle Awards recognise and honour the very best individuals, businesses, partnerships and events in the industry for their innovation, excellence and success.
Dumfries and Galloway winners were:
Best B&B or Guest House Experience
Queensberry House B&B, Moffat
Best Eatery Experience
The Ship Inn & No1 Fleet Street Restaurant, Castle Douglas
Best Hotel Experience (Under 20 Rooms)
The Ship Inn, Gatehouse of Fleet
Best Outdoor or Adventure Experience
Kitchen Coos and Ewes, Newton Stewart
Best Self-Catering Accommodation Experience
Loch Ken Eco Bothies, Castle Douglas
Best Visitor Attraction Experience
The Devil's Porridge Museum, Eastriggs
Tourism & Hospitality Hero
Lee Medd, Annandale Distillery
Working Together for Tourism
Galloway & Southern Ayrshire UNESCO Biosphere, Newton Stewart
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 Sanquhar Tolbooth Poppy Display
A year ago, Sanquhar resident Ronnie Johnstone said to his wife, Shona, it would be nice to have a poppy tribute on the railings at the Tolbooth. An appeal was soon set up in the community and through Facebook to make knitted, crocheted and felt poppies.
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Organisers were overwhelmed and delighted with the response from the Sanquhar community – some who had moved away from the town. An amazing 1,500 poppies were produced by the whole community, including some from Sanquhar Primary's P6 and P7 classes. This was a true community event, with the oldest poppy maker being 94-year-old Mary Black, and children under five years of age getting involved attaching poppies to the netting.
Even those who were no longer able to crochet or knit contributed, with an anonymous donation towards the cost of materials.
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Gretna and Gretna Green & Springfield are Creating a Borderlands Place Plan
A Place Plan captures the hopes and dreams of local people for their town. It is made by, for and with local people to set priorities for change. With strong ideas and the support of local people, a great plan can unlock funding to invest in the town’s future.
Dumfries and Galloway Council and its partners are inviting members of the community to find out more about the Local Place Plan, and to give their views on what else the plan needs.
Drop-in sessions are running as follows:
Gretna Green & Springfield
Annandale Room in Gretna Hall, Gretna Green
Tuesday 22 November 2022
2.30–5pm and 5.30–7.30pm
and
Stormont Hall, Gretna Green
Thursday 1 December 2022
2–4pm
Everyone is welcome, and there is no need to book.
 English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)
Do you want to Learn English? Do you work with or know someone who would like to learn English?
Dumfries and Galloway Council's Lifelong Learning Service provides community-based learning opportunities through online and in person classes to support learning English.
Lifelong Learning works with a wide range of third sector and public sector partners to deliver accredited and non-accredited learning opportunities that include core life skills, literacy, numeracy, digital, communication, confidence, English for Speakers of other Languages (ESOL), Family Learning and Coach Education for Sports Coaches.
Poverty and Inequalities Partnership Now Recruiting
The Poverty and Inequalities Partnership is seeking a volunteer that will take on the role of chairperson of the partnership.
The role of chairperson extends beyond chairing the meetings of the Poverty and Inequalities Partnership. The chair has the key leadership role, ensuring the partnership fulfils its responsibilities and reports to the Community Planning Partnership.
This will also involve working closely with all partners working to tackle poverty and inequalities in Dumfries and Galloway to achieve the aims of the partnership and acting as the main channel of communication between the Community Planning Partnership and the Poverty and Inequalities Partnership. The chairperson will act as a figurehead of the partnership, working to ensure the organisations deliver on their actions, representing it at events and meetings when required.
Applications close on Friday 9 December.
 Stay Healthy this Winter
Did you know that in the winter months (October–March), we are unable to get
enough Vitamin D from sunlight?
It is also really difficult to get enough vitamin D from food. Food Standards Scotland recommends taking a 10-microgram vitamin D supplement daily throughout the winter months. Vitamin D helps improve bone and muscle health. Some groups are at a higher risk
of vitamin D deficiency and are recommended to take a supplement year-round.
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