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Friday 29 May
Welcome to Council News, your fortnightly update from our council.
Our team is always keen to give you updates on the things that matter the most to you.
We also want to share positive stories about things that are happening in your community.
If you have news that you'd like to share – shining a light on an individual, community group or event – we would love to feature them in our Community bulletin.
Please email us at communitybulletin@dumgal.gov.uk with feedback or story ideas and one of our reporters will get back to you.
Game on as Summer of Sport 2026 Launches Across Dumfries and Galloway
A major programme of free sport and physical activity is set to take place across Dumfries and Galloway this summer, after the council’s Active Schools and Community Sport team secured £344,000 from the Scottish Government’s Summer of Sport initiative, delivered in partnership with sportscotland.
Open to young people aged three to 26, the programme will offer a wide range of activities across the region, helping to remove cost and access barriers so more children and young people can take part.
Activity will run throughout the summer in communities across Dumfries and Galloway, supported by local schools, clubs and leisure facilities. The investment will also help strengthen community sport, support leadership pathways, such as sports academies, and create new temporary roles to enhance delivery.
Additional measures are being put in place to improve access, including free use of leisure facilities, targeted support for disability sport and funding for secondary schools to help address transport challenges. There will also be a focus on engaging care-experienced young people to ensure opportunities reach those who may benefit most.
The programme forms part of a wider £18 million national initiative, inspired by major upcoming events including the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.
This represents one of the most ambitious summer activity programmes delivered locally, aiming to help more young people build confidence, stay active and connect with others.
Coming up in This Week's Council News:
Parents and Carers – Final Call for Feedback
Have you engaged with your secondary school’s Skills Development Scotland (SDS) careers adviser during the 2025/26 academic year?
If so, SDS would like to hear about your experience. Your feedback will help to better understand the needs of parents and carers and support improvements to careers services.
Please take this opportunity to have your say before the survey closes.
Back to the top.
Help Shape our Next Gaelic Language Plan
We are developing a new Gaelic Language Plan that will set out how we support Gaelic visibility, learning and cultural connections across the region.
The plan is a statutory requirement for local authorities and helps guide how Gaelic is recognised, supported and promoted locally.
As part of this work, we are inviting people across Dumfries and Galloway to complete a short Community Gaelic Skills Audit.
The survey will help us build a clearer picture of Gaelic language skills, awareness and interest across our communities. You do not need to speak Gaelic to take part – all responses are helpful and will support the development of the next plan. The survey closes on Friday 10 July.
A new map has also been created showing Gaelic place names across Dumfries and Galloway.
You can find out more about the current Gaelic Language Plan on our website.
Back to the top.
Langholm Kilngreen Play Equipment Update
Residents in Langholm may have noticed play equipment at Kilngreen, originally installed in 2009, was removed recently.
This followed the identification of significant structural rot within the supporting wooden posts during safety inspections, leaving the equipment unsafe and beyond repair. The decision to remove the unit was taken in the interests of public safety.
The work was carried out by council teams during a limited operational window and while local members and the Community Council were advised in advance, the timescales were necessarily short.
Although there is no current budget in place to directly replace the equipment, the council is working with the community to explore options for the future. This includes potential support through the recently established Play Park Fund, which allows for match funding of projects delivered in partnership with local groups.
Langholm, Ewes and Westerkirk Community Council has already confirmed its interest in working with the council on a replacement solution and is holding a meeting on 1 June to discuss next steps.
In the meantime, officers will continue to explore suitable options so that progress can be made quickly once community involvement is confirmed.
The council recognises how important Kilngreen is for local families and is committed to working with the community to help develop improved play facilities for the future.
In the News
We publish all of our press releases from the last 12 months on our website so you can keep up-to-date.
Watch Council Meetings
We stream videos of a wide range of council meetings on our YouTube channel.
You can still watch previous meetings to find out the key issues being discussed. Recent meetings include:
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Social Work Services Committee – 26 May 2026.
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Civic Government Licensing – 21 May 2026.
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Dumfries and Galloway Full Council – 26 March 2026.
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