Friday 7 April 2023
Welcome to Community, your Dumfries and Galloway community bulletin.
We are always keen to hear of any positive stories about things that are happening in your community and would like to feature them in Community – please email us at communitybulletin@dumgal.gov.uk and one of our reporters will get back to you.
Communities have spoken - Litter must go! Community groups, third parties and individuals have joined us on mass to take part in Keeping Scotland Beautiful's 'Spring Clean Scotland' campaign.
The campaign which runs from March 17 to April 17 has already seen hundreds of volunteers across the region donning high viz vests, grabbing litter pickers and bags and heading out to tackle litter issues that are sadly affecting beautiful communities across the country including right here at home.
From nursery pupils who have been piling up bags taller than themselves in the east to community groups, charities and businesses coming together in west, the response to this campaign has been overwhelming. The impact litter has on our environment and nature is well documented and it has been a privilege to share the impact and positivity behind local communities who have taking the decision to tackle the problem head on.
The #SpringcleanScotland campaign takes place annually and whilst it is not a competition from one authority to another, it is worth noting that as it stands, Dumfries and Galloway are leading the way with the number of volunteers that have been active during the 4 week campaign. The number of volunteers, bags of litter collected, recycled and binned, will be made public once the campaign has finished and will highlight the commitment, resilience and pride the communities of Dumfries and Galloway have for their patches of bonnie Scotland.
 Organisations Awarded £445,026 from Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund
Thirty-three community organisations across Dumfries and Galloway are sharing £445,026 to help tackle mental health and wellbeing.
The successful applicants to the second round of the Scottish Government’s Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund were selected through an independent scoring panel.
Round two of the fund aims to help tackle issues on the path to recovery from Covid, such as suicide prevention, social isolation, and loneliness. There was a particular focus on supporting small ‘grassroots’ community groups and organisations.
Smaller grants were available up to £3000 and larger projects able to bid for up to £50,000. A panel of people with lived experience reviewed the larger grant submissions and advised on suitable projects.
The fund in the south of Scotland was administered by Third Sector Dumfries and Galloway.
 The Furniture Project Shortlisted for National Award
The Furniture Project (Stranraer) Limited has been shortlisted from 1618 nominations in The Great British Business Awards. These awards recognise businesses, charities and individuals that have made an outstanding contribution across Great Britain.
The Furniture Project (Stranraer) Ltd, who run The Community Reuse Shop in Blackparks Industrial Estate in Stranraer, has been shortlisted in the Outstanding Contribution to the Community category.
Nominees in this category can be either individual, companies, non-profit organisations, social enterprises, community projects/trust or community interest companies who have made, and continue to make, an outstanding contribution to their community.
The winners will be announced at a Black-Tie Awards Ceremony at the Hilton, Reading on Friday 21 April.
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 Lifelong Learning Opportunities
Dumfries and Galloway Council's Lifelong Learning team provides learning opportunities including core life skills, literacy, numeracy, digital, communication, confidence, and family learning. The team is running a number of events and sessions through the Easter holidays.
Easter Workshops
Come and enjoy some free Easter workshops with Relax Kids, games stretches, and arts and crafts for children in P1–P7. To book please text Gayle on 07966498067.
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Douglas Ewart High School. Tuesday 11 April, 10.30am to 12.30pm and 1–3pm.
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Stranraer Customer Service Centre. Wednesday 12 April, 10.30am to 12.30pm.
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Castle Douglas Primary School. Thursday 13 April, 10.30am to 12.30pm.
Little Stars
Help toddlers feel more calm and confident. Story themes, warm up games, massage and relaxation To book please text Gayle on 07966498067
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Castle Douglas Primary School. Thursday 13 April, 1–1.45pm.
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Penninghame Primary School. Thursday 20 April, 12.15–1.00pm.
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Stranraer Library. Friday 21 April, 1.30–2.15pm.
The Lifelong Learning Team would also love to run a FREE Baby Massage class in Newton Stewart but they need you to tell them if it's needed. Contact Susan Brown and let her know. Tel: 07920528209 or email: susan.brown@dumgal.gov.uk
Empowering Young Women
The network creates a platform to empower young women, raise aspirations, build confidence and resilience and take steps towards making meaningful change within our communities. If you are aged between 12 and 25 and would like to get involved, please get in touch by emailing youth.work@dumgal.gov.uk or through the Youth Work social media pages – search for @YouthWorkDG
 Support for Young People
From 1 April 2023, Cool2talk will no longer be delivered by NHS-led teams in Dumfries and Galloway. Young people can get support and their questions answered at Dumfries and Galloway Council’s Youth Work Services website www.youthenquiryservice.org where they can post questions, live chat with a Youth Information Worker, find out what’s on, get information about local services and read other young people’s stories.
Dumfries and Galloway young people can still access the information available on Cool2talk, however they will no longer have the option to select D&G as their local area if they wish to post a question.
 Ward Working Reaches the Finals
Following Phase 1 of The MJ Awards 2023 judging process, Ward-working in Dumfries and Galloway has been shortlisted as one of 8 finalists in the Best Council Services Team category.
Ward-working in Dumfries and Galloway ensures that local people and communities are at
the heart of Council decision-making and helps them to achieve their ideas and ambitions. Our Ward Officers (one in each of the Council’s 12 Wards) are visible and respected faces in their localities. They work with local communities, Elected Members, and local community planning partners to support community empowerment, community engagement and
community planning.
The values of the Ward team, their flexibility and approach are important in ensuring Council services are organised to meet the needs of individuals and communities and putting the people we have the privilege to serve at the centre of improvement and decision making.
 Cost of Living: Transport
Travelling around a rural area has its challenges – in terms of availability, time and the financial cost as well as the impact on the environment. Here are some handy tips and thoughts to help us make the most of our beautiful countryside and townscapes, and be healthy while getting to work and appointments in the best and cheapest way.
Can you walk, wheel or cycle?
There are safe paths in and around our towns for access, and many miles in the countryside for leisure and health improvement. Our Council is investing in improvements to pavements and footpaths, including dropped kerbs – have a browse through the options for cycling on the Council’s webpage Cycling in Dumfries and Galloway. We’ve got almost twenty independent cycle shops across our region listed there too, so you could give support to local businesses. If you’re a bit unsure about starting off walking and cycling, there are plenty groups around to give you support and advice – check out DGLocator for your nearest group where enthusiastic residents will help you along. DGLocator Find a service in Dumfries and Galloway
Get on the bus, Gus! Take the train, Elaine!
In the first instance, see if you can get where you need to be (and back!) by public transport by using the Journey Planner | Traveline Scotland. It’s best for the environment and supports bus, rail and ferry businesses operating in our local area. Community transport groups offer a range of opportunities to get out and about by bus, advertising day trips away on local noticeboards as well as help to get to essential appointments. Find out more at Community transport
Take advantage of discounts, concessions and special arrangements.
Depending on your age, ability and circumstances, you could be entitled to discounted or even free public travel, taxi journeys and/or special arrangements. It’s worth checking out the possibilities here: Public transport
Travel safely
As well as expanding the 20mph zones in and around schools and key towns, our Council works with Consumer Scotland to ensure that residents have advice (for example about buying used cars) and somewhere to get compensation if a journey doesn’t go as planned. Get advice here: Knowledge Centre
Consider carbon offsetting
If you do need to travel, and you are financially able to do so, you could consider carbon offsetting where you make a financial donation to a company which calculates the environmental impact that you are having and plants trees or another similar activity to balance it out. Examples include: Individual Carbon Offsetting through Tree Planting
Springing into spring
As we move into spring, many of the local visitor attractions are opening up. One of these is a newly improved adventure playpark at Drumlanrig Castle and Country Estate – opening 1 April.
If you would like to let more people know about your visitors attraction that's opening or reopening, an event or activity, then please contact us at communitybulletin@dumgal.gov.uk
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Active Travel Assessment Commissioned for Stranraer
Dumfries and Galloway Council is committed to improving public spaces and providing better infrastructure for people to choose to walk, wheel or cycle more often for their short journeys in Stranraer – this is known as ‘Active Travel’.
As a result of the comments received during the recent community engagement for the development of the local Place Plan, the Council, supported by SWestrans funding, has commissioned Stantec to carry out an active travel assessment of the town.
The study will include a town audit, the evaluation and feasibility of identified possible routes, technical surveys, and the development of concept designs for the following links:
- An active travel route to connect the Marina to local amenities and services like schools, shops, tourist attractions, etc.
- A series of cycle lanes on one-way streets in the town centre to allow cyclists to travel safely against the flow of motorised traffic.
- An active travel route through the Black Stank Burn Restoration Project to provide a connection between the town and Commerce Road.
The active travel routes that will emerge in conversation with stakeholders and the community, will aim to create fully accessible active travel links from key destinations to existing facilities, providing a more vibrant environment for residents, businesses, and visitors.
The project area focuses on Stranraer's town centre, most of which is accessible within around 10-minutes walking, as shown below.
A dedicated webpage has been launched to access project information, updates on progress, details about upcoming engagement events, and surveys for each stage of the engagement programme.
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 Dumfries and Galloway Violence Against Women and Girls Biennial Report 2020 – 2022
Violence against women and girls is part of the continuum of abuse that falls within gender based violence.
It has been recognised locally and internationally that it is both a cause of and caused by gender inequality.
The Violence Against Women and Girls Biennial Report provides an overview of some of the local activity from April 2020 to March 2022.
Emergency Alerts Service
The new Emergency Alerts service will enable people to be contacted via their mobile phone if their lives are at risk in an emergency. The service will be used to warn you about life-threatening emergencies such as severe flooding.
Some people may have a secret phone – for example where they are subject to domestic abuse – and may want to opt out of emergency alerts.
To opt out:
- Search your Settings or Notifications for ‘emergency alerts’.
2. Turn off ‘severe alerts’ and ‘extreme alerts’.
If you still get alerts, contact your device manufacturer for help.
https://www.gov.uk/alerts/how-alerts-work
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