Friday 22 March 2024
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.
 A to Z of Dumfries and Galloway Council
U is for Understanding
This is Jean Nelson.
Jean is a Lifelong Learning Assistant.
Jean’s role is to support adult learners to upgrade their basic adult literacy and numeracy, enabling them to progress to further and higher learning and enhance their employability prospects.
The service also offers a more holistic approach to learning where classes are aimed at improving mental health and wellbeing – from arts and crafts to sewing and creative writing – all therapeutic activities aimed at building confidence and life skills.
Jean meets with adult learners, assesses their needs, and identifies what support is best suited before signposting them to tutors. There is not a ‘one size fits all’ approach to lifelong learning – it’s a person-centred approach made possible by compassionate and devoted staff.
Fact – Lifelong Learning worked with 8,367 people in Dumfries and Galloway last year. That’s a lot of support to a lot of people.
Jean told us that one client had very basic numeracy skills and would often pull all the money out of his pocket to pay for his cups of tea on day trips with another service. This left them financially vulnerable and feeling embarrassed by their lack of understanding of the value of money. Jean delivered numeracy sessions with this person over several months; as a result, the client now pays for his cup of tea with the precise amount asked.
That’s independence. That’s pride. That’s knowledge. That's learning. That’s support. That’s a less vulnerable, more confident – and happier – adult learner.
That’s lifelong learning at its simplest...and its finest.
Jean told us: “I find this role genuinely emotional. As a team, we work tirelessly to put everything into place to support every single learner to reach their potential. We see time and time again the impact of our work and how it improves people's quality of life. It is positively overwhelming and beyond rewarding.”
Jean also let slip (and we have permission to tell you this), that she could have retired a few years ago…but we won’t give her age away. Why hasn’t Jean retired yet (not that we want her to go)?
Jean explained that: “As a family, we planned to leave Dumfries and Galloway, but my husband looked at me and said, ‘We just can’t. You care so much about what you do.’ He could see the impact it made on me. It truly makes me unconditionally happy seeing the joy in others as they learn and grow, and see their full potential reached. I can’t possibly explain how much this role impacts on me but clearly my husband could, so I am going nowhere.”
Jean. You are truly special. You support adults to learn, grow and achieve things in creative ways – in manageable steps with your caring nature alongside them for the journey. The devotion you bring to your job is seen and felt by all. Thanks for everything you do.
 Walk Fit Dumfries
On Tuesday 19 March members of Dumfries and Galloway Disability Sport were out and active on their walk around the beautiful Crichton grounds. Lots of fun, activity and discussions were had on the walk. This is made possible by the wonderful work done by the coaches and volunteers who contribute their time and efforts throughout the year.
The Walk Fit programme was established by Dumfries and Galloway Disability Sport during the Covid-19 pandemic to provide people with a disability a physical activity element while enjoying a social and fun walk around picturesque parks and river walks. More recently, the addition of bikes has proven a huge success.
Aside of the benefits associated with sport and physical activity, group members also gain enormous emotional and social benefits. This is all thanks to committed, dedicated, fun and caring volunteers who make it enjoyable experience for all. Volunteers give their time, knowledge, skills and experience to provide extensive programmes and opportunities to people with a disability.
You can stay up to date with the sessions and activities through the Dumfries and Galloway Disability Sport Facebook page: www.facebook.com/DGDisabilitySport
 Better Lives Partnership Celebrates Young People in Neurodiversity Celebration Week
Better Lives Partnership is a registered charity in Dumfries and Galloway that supports autistic young adults and those with additional support needs. To mark Neurodiversity Celebration Week its sites in Dumfries and Stranraer have been very active.
The Stranraer site has been looking back at the many wonderful things they have achieved in the the past year, like their trip to London, hosting an awards night all about their young people, and the young people creating a video about 'a day in the life at BLP', which was also shown at their awards night. The young people achieve so much – boosting their confidence, learning new skills and also being a part of their community.
Team Dumfries has also been up to lots of activities. Young people were given certificates for their volunteering, they hosted a brilliant open day with lots of information and they managed to have time for a trip to Belfast – seeing the Titanic museum and experiencing the ferry.
All the young people have achieved a lot over the year and the next year promises to be just as busy.
 Spring into Easter
With the spring holidays beginning, families and individuals are keen to find new and exiting places to go and things to do. Here's a quick round-up of some of the things you could do this holiday.
Gracefield Art Centre's kids club runs every Saturday for ages 5–12, with a once-a-month session for the teenagers and baby and toddlers (cost from £3.50–£5.50 per session).
There will be Wednesday and Saturday workshops and art days, plus a free Easter egg hunt in the grounds on Good Friday and Easter Saturday – find the letters and you win a creme egg; enter the prize draw for a chocolate bunny.
Admission to Gracefield exhibitions is always free and open Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 5pm.
Annan Museum has re-opened for the summer season, Mondays to Saturdays, 11am–4pm. The first exhibition of the year is ‘Medieval Annandale'. There are lots of interactive elements in the exhibition, with costumes to try on, artefacts to handle and medieval games to play.
Dumfries Museum has a special display exploring working people’s history in Dumfries: their struggles, strikes and protests. This includes strikes by stonemasons, bakers and glovemakers; demonstrations in favour of voting reform including Chartism, and public disorders connected with food shortages.
Step inside Robert Burns’ Mausoleum in a new opportunity to visit the interior of the bard’s final resting place. From Monday 25 March to Monday 30 September, the mausoleum will be opened for short visits on Mondays to Saturdays at 11.15–11.30am and 2.15–2.30pm. No need to book, just turn up and a member of the team will show you in and share some of the history.
There are lots of films for all the family over the Easter holidays at the Robert Burns Centre.
There's the return of hugely popular animated adventure Migration and the team is super excited to bring you the brand-new Kung Fu Panda 4 adventure on Thursday 28 March. There’s a Bring a Baby Screening of Kung Fu Panda 4 on Tuesday 2 April for parents/carers and their babies and extended families.
For little ones, Percy the Park Keeper is the Wee Film Club choice on Saturday 30 March (all tickets are £2.50), and the brilliant Napoleon Dynamite is showing for the Tween Film Club on 3 April (all tickets £3.25).
In association with MOOL (Massive Outpouring of Love), there is a showing of Mr Bean's Holiday on the evening of Sunday 24 March.
Tickets can be booked at the Robert Burns Centre website.
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April is Bowel Cancer Awareness Month
Bowel cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the UK and the second biggest cancer killer. Nearly 43,000 people in the UK are diagnosed with bowel cancer each year and more than 16,800 people die every year from the disease.
This month provides a fantastic annual opportunity to raise awareness and knowledge of the disease by joining us for a free virtual awareness talk.
Delivered by a volunteer with a personal connection to bowel cancer, you’ll learn about the most common symptoms of bowel cancer, the risk factors associated with the disease and the importance of the NHS bowel screening programme.
You can sign up to a pre-booked awareness talks by booking a free ticket on Eventbrite:
All pre-booked talks will be in the English language and will take place via Zoom.
The Scottish Women’s Convention Comes to Dumfries
The Scottish Women’s Convention is coming to Dumfries on Thursday 28 March to hold a roadshow event at Easterbrook Hall, where women can talk freely about issues that are important to them, in their local area. The event, running from 6.30 to 8pm, will see a report produced that is sent to women who attend and to local and national politicians. This is in the hope that the women will use the document to press for the change that they want to see within their communities.
The Scottish Women's Convention was set up by the then-Scottish Executive in 2003 in recognition of the need to ensure women's voices reached policymakers. Working across Scotland, the organisation seeks to illustrate real women's views, experiences and concerns on key policy areas. Women have a right to be heard. Decision-makers have a right to listen.
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