Friday 7 March 2025
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.
228,200 Litres
This is the total number of litres of water needed for the DG1 Leisure Complex pools.
Half this amount is out of sight beneath the swimming pools in balance tanks. One drop of water takes two and a half hours to make its way from the pool to the balance tank and back again.
Ian Hall and the DG1 team make sure this water is cleaned through filters and ultraviolet lights to kill bacteria so that the water is fit to swim in.
Fresh water is added from the mains supply daily, as each swimmer removes up to one litre of water from the pool after a swim through their skin and costume.
When water is to be drained from the system, planning needs be carried out with Scottish Water, so that local drains do not overflow.
From left to right: Pauline Vallance, William Campbell, Charles Waddell and Elizabeth Hiddleston.
Celebrations at Kirkconnel ARC
On Friday 28 February, Kirkconnel Activity and Resource Centre (ARC) celebrated 50 years of supporting adults with learning disabilities and complex needs in Upper-Nithsdale.
Opened in 1975, the ARC is one of six such centres across Dumfries and Galloway that offer a programme of activities designed to help adults with additional needs to develop skills, be as independent as possible and interact with friends.
At the centre of the festivities were four long-term service users – Charles Waddell, Elizabeth Hiddlestone, Pauline Valance and William Campbell – who have been attending and contributing to the ARC since it first opened in 1975. As a tribute to their incredible support, they were presented with special awards and commemorative mugs recognising their dedication to the service over the decades.
The event was a great success and was well attended by service users, current ARC staff, and former staff members who have played a role in the service over the last 50 years. The council’s Civic Head, councillor Malcolm Johnstone, attended and spoke about the incredible milestone achieved.
Well done to everyone who has played a part in making the ARC in Kirkconnel such a success for the past 50 years.
It's Time for a Spring Clean
Dumfries and Galloway Council is once again supporting Keep Scotland Beautiful's Spring Clean Scotland. The annual campaign that runs from 21 March to 21 April encourages individuals and communities to tackle the issue of littering that affects our region year-round.
Our region won The Spring Clean Quaich last year in recognition of the amazing efforts of individuals and communities across and we are encouraging any individual or community group to register their event with us for this year's campaign.
We can provide Spring Clean kits containing hi-vis vests, gloves, litter pickers and bags upon request – and we can arrange to uplift the bags of rubbish collected.
Can you help us make an even bigger difference this year and win The Spring Clean Quaich two years in a row?
Register your event through the link, or contact your local ward officer for more information.
Dumfries and Galloway Coastal Benefit Fund 2025–26
Applications are invited to the Coastal Benefit Fund by midday on 28 March.
Dumfries and Galloway Coastal Benefit Fund has been established to invest funds awarded to our council from net revenue generated by Scottish Crown Estate marine assets.
The funding available for third sector projects across Dumfries and Galloway is just over £500,000 and Third Sector community organisations can make applications for projects that bring direct benefit to our coastal areas.
There are two funding streams available:
- Small community-led projects for third sector organisations – for projects seeking up to £5,000.
- Large community-led projects for third sector organisations – for projects seeking up to £50,000.
For more information or support please contact your local ward officer or email coastalbenefitfund@dumgal.gov.uk.
Dumfries and Galloway Citizens Advice Service Chief Executive, Phil Stewart, with a copy of the Cost of Living Report.
Local Advice Service Launches Cost of Living Report Findings
Dumfries and Galloway Citizens Advice Service has released their cost of living report – following the research carried out in 2014 and 2017 that focussed on the costs of essential groceries across our region. The 2024 report also includes a review of road fuel costs and the cost and frequency of public transport.
The report found that the average shopping basket price in Dumfries and Galloway in 2024 was £18.21 – 18.8% more than in 2017, when the average was £15.33. Basket prices varied from the cheapest at £11.92 to the most expensive at £26.98, a price increase of 126%. Variation in price depended on the location and type of shop.
The cost of travel and commuting also features in the report. Although 30% of workers in the region now work from home, others rely on car travel due to the rural nature of the area and difficulties accessing public transport.
Best Kept War Memorial Competition 2025
The Royal British Legion Scotland (RBLS) has launched the Best Kept War Memorial Competition for this year.
The main aim of the Best Kept War Memorial Campaign is to increase public awareness of war memorials. All memorials that fit the required criteria are welcome and only free-standing war memorials can be entered. It is the condition of the memorials and not the form that will be judged.
There are 11 categories in the competition and points will be allocated to each entry on the basis of criteria such as accessibility, cleanliness and the clear inscription of names on the memorial.
Local branches of Legion Scotland must submit entry forms by Wednesday 30 April. Entry forms should be submitted to the Area Secretary, Glasgow, Ayrshire, Dumfries and Galloway at archiedryburgh@gmail.com.
Final judging will be completed by Friday 8 August.
Communities Celebrate a Fantastic World Gaelic Week
Seachdain na Gàidhlig (World Gaelic Week) was celebrated across Dumfries and Galloway with a packed programme of events that brought together people of all ages to explore, learn, and enjoy Gaelic language and culture.
Over 50 children took part in Gaelic Bookbug sessions in local libraries, while primary school classes across the region learned Gaelic songs through Youth Music Initiative Ram Tam sessions. Schools also joined live online workshops as part of the national programme.
A Gaelic taster session in Stranraer introduced new learners to the language, while 57 people attended a fascinating talk at Kirkcudbright Galleries, where Michael Ansell and Professor Roibeard Ó Maolalaigh from the University of Glasgow explored the story of Gaelic in Galloway.
Community groups took part, with Gaelic songs, games, and basic phrases introduced at A’ The Airts after-school group and Thornhill’s Wee Music Group – which was featured on ITV.
On Sunday, one of Scotland’s finest Gaelic singers, Rachel Walker, led a Gaelic song workshop for adults, followed by a sold-out community ceilidh at The Old School Thornhill, where guests danced to the Shore Road Ceilidh Band and browsed new Gaelic book collections from Dumfries and Galloway Council’s Library Service.
The week was supported by Bòrd na Gàidhlig, Gàidhlig DumGal and community partners – with funding from the Scottish Government Public Library Improvement Fund and Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland.
A huge thank you to everyone who took part, attended events, or helped make the celebrations a success.
 Be the Early Bird
Around 1,300 new cases of head and neck cancer are diagnosed each year – Scotland’s sixth most common cancer – yet only one third are detected early.
The Scottish Government’s Be The Early Bird campaign encourages people to recognise possible cancer symptoms and not delay contacting their GP practice or dentist.
If you’re experiencing any persistent symptoms that are unusual for you, such as lumps, blood or unexplained weight loss, your GP practice wants to hear from you. Because the earlier you find cancer, the more treatment options are available, increasing your chances of living well again.
International Women's Day
International Women’s Day (IWD) has provided a chance to celebrate women’s achievements, challenge discrimination and continue advocating for gender equality for more than 100 years. This Saturday, we celebrate IWD, the women of Dumfries and Galloway, and the wider world.
This week, colleagues and communities across our region have marked International Women’s Day with activities led by our council women’s staff network.
Through the council’s Youth Work Team, young people will take part in a range of activities designed to empower, inspire and support young people to celebrate the inspirational women and girls in their lives.
Dumfries and Galloway's Young Women's Network travels to Newport, Wales this weekend to take part in a national Young Women's Conference. They will join young women from across the four home nations to participate in workshops, hear from keynote speakers, share experiences and collaborate on exciting new projects.
Students at Douglas Ewart High School have worked with the BBC’s L.A.B project to create a short film about inspirational Scottish Women. You can watch the video now.
 Stop Violence Against Women and Girls
Violence against women and girls (VAWG) remains a major problem in our communities. 1 in 3 women around the world have experienced some form of sexual violence, and in the UK a woman is murdered by a partner or ex-partner every three days on average.
Everyone can play a role in helping to keep women and girls safe from abuse and harm. It is important to know what to do if you or someone you know is experiencing abuse or harm.
You can call Police Scotland on 101 (or 999 in an emergency) if you or someone you know is a victim of domestic abuse or other forms of violence. You can also call the National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0800 027 1234 (24hrs).
There are two local agencies that can help women and children. This includes emergency accommodation that has specialist facilities for older or disabled victims.
Wigtownshire Women's Aid and Dumfriesshire and Stewartry Women's Aid operate a 24-hour on-call service, offer outreach support in your community and have drop-in facilities. Victims of abuse can get practical and emotional support to tackle abuse and get further help. Contact either on:
- Dumfriesshire and Stewartry Women's Aid – 01387 263052 or 07710 152772.
- Wigtownshire Women's Aid – 01776 703104.
|
