Paisley and renfrewshire Events

Foodies have been urged not to miss this weekend’s Paisley Food and Drink Festival as the town gets set to host its biggest and best culinary extravaganza yet.

Paisley Food Festival

The popular event, which is one of Scotland’s largest outdoor food and drink festivals, will take place in the stunning surroundings of the town’s iconic Abbey this Friday 26 and Saturday 27 April.

Visitors will be served a stellar line-up with more than 40 traders and vendors showcasing the finest street food and drink, cooking demonstrations from celebrity chefs, live music and entertainment, children’s workshops and much more.

For the first time, PLATFORM independent street food market is heading out on tour from its home at Glasgow’s Argyle Street Arches to Paisley Food and Drink Festival 2019.

PAISLEY 2021 Food festival MFG

It’s the popular market’s first outdoor date of the year and will be bringing along delicious street food traders, including British Street Food Awards finalist Ginger and Chilli, Brigston & Co. Artisan Hot Dogs and delicious desserts from Crema Caravan.

PLATFORM on TOUR will add to the party atmosphere with giant Kata tee-pee tents, colourful furniture, the PLATFORM DJ’s and a range of cutting-edge cocktails to sample.

Hilary Goodfellow, Project Manager for PLATFORM on Tour, said: “We’re bringing the very best in street food to the festival. We’ve carefully chosen our traders to ensure we have a wide range and there’s something for everyone to enjoy. All our traders offer kids/smaller taster portions too, so it won’t damage your wallet.

“We’ve got wood fired pizza, tasty shawarma wraps, golden arancini, artisan hot dogs, award-winning crème brûlée and ice-cream tacos, and much more, including a fully stocked bar! Find us by the giant tipis.

Paisley Food and Drink Festival 2019 _1

“The Paisley Food & Drink Festival is always a fantastic event with something for all the family. We can’t wait to be part of it this year!”

Glasgow’s award-winning Gin71 bar will be returning to the festival to run two dedicated gin tasting sessions on Friday 26 April, offering a perfect night out for gin lovers or those looking to try something new.

On Saturday 27 April, Gin71 will have its very own gin palace tent with a wide range of craft gins and meet the maker sessions for festival-goers to enjoy.

Cooking demonstrations will take place with celebrity chefs Matt Pritchard, star of hit MTV series Dirty Sanchez and BBC TV’s Dirty Vegan, Gary Maclean, winner of MasterChef – The Professionals 2016, and baking sensations Three Sisters Bake.

Matt Pritchard Dirty Vegan 2

The cooking demonstration tent is sponsored by Zero Waste Scotland’s Love Food Hate Waste campaign, who will provide advice on how to avoid wasting good food.

Chef, Matt Pritchard said: “I’m really looking forward to hitting up Paisley Food & Drink Festival this weekend for my very first live cooking demos. It’s going to be absolutely brilliant and I can’t wait to see you all there!”

Renfrewshire CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) will host a dedicated Beer Tent at the town’s Bridge Street on both Friday and Saturday, with around 70 craft conditioned ales and craft beers available.

Families can grab a seat in the stunning surroundings of Abbey Gardens to enjoy top music and entertainment all day on the Main Stage on Saturday.

The Main Stage, sponsored by Paisley’s The Bungalow music venue, will see live performances from kids favourites Sprog Rock, the fabulous Princesses of Pop, who will pay tribute to the music of Ariana Grande, Little Mix and Steps – as well as a host of top local acts, including classic rock covers from Audiorayz and ska sensations Esperanza from 12pm – 9pm.

Foodies will find something to suit all tastes, including gluten-free and dairy-free options and – brand new for this year’s Festival – a dedicated vegan and vegetarian zone.

There’s plenty to keep the kids entertained all day with a number of hands-on foodie experiences, fun games and smaller portion sizes available.

With Festival favourites Babu Bombay Street Kitchen, Scozzese woodfired pizza and the unique Fizzbuz prosecco van also returning, visitors are sure to enjoy a fantastic two-day festival of fun.

To find out more about the Paisley Food and Drink Festival 2019, visit https://paisley.is/featured_event/paisley-food-and-drink-festival/

23/04/2019/by Brian McGuire

Visitors will be able to learn valuable cooking tips from the professionals to reduce waste and help protect the environment at this year’s Paisley Food and Drink Festival.

The festival, which is one of Scotland’s largest outdoor food and drink events, will host a range of cookery demonstrations with celebrity chefs in collaboration with Zero Waste Scotland’s Love Food Hate Waste campaign, on Saturday 27 April.

Love Food Hate Waste aims to raise awareness of how doing easy, practical things in the home can reduce food waste, save money and benefit the environment.

Top chefs, including Gary Maclean, winner of MasterChef – The Professionals 2016, Matt Pritchard, star of hit MTV series Dirty Sanchez and BBC TV’s Dirty Vegan, and baking sensations Three Sisters Bake will teach their tricks of the trade and show how making small changes in the kitchen can have a big impact.

PAISLEY 2021 Food festival MFG

Love Food Hate Waste will be on hand to provide advice at the festival to help prevent good food ending up in the bin.

Ylva Haglund, Food Waste Campaigns Manager, Zero Waste Scotland, said: “A massive £1 billion worth of food is binned from our homes in Scotland every year. Most of this is good food that could have been eaten and enjoyed had it been used up in time. Food waste also contributes more to Scotland’s carbon emissions than any other type of waste.

“To make it easier for people at home to tackle this, we’ve teamed up with leading chefs at this year’s Paisley Food and Drink Festival, who will share tips and tricks to show just how simple it can be to save food from the bin.”

Ahead of the Festival, Love Food Hate Waste will also work with local community groups, including The Tannahill Centre, ROAR: Connections for Life, Erskine Music and Media Studios, Our Places Our Families and Active Communities, to host a selection of free to attend workshops across Renfrewshire.

Paisley Food Festival

The daily two-hour Love Food Hate Waste workshops aim to provide further advice on how to reduce food waste at home and will take place with the following groups:

Young Mums – The Tannahill Centre – Monday 22 April – 10am – 12pm
Older Adults – ROAR: Connections for Life – Tuesday 23 April – 2pm – 4pm
Erskine Community Hub – Erskine Music and Media Studios – Wednesday 24 April – 3pm – 5pm
Our Places Our Families – Our Places Our Families – Thursday 25 April – 1pm – 3pm
Feel Good Project – Active Communities – Friday 26 April – 10am – 12pm

Ms Haglund added: “Our popular Love Food Hate Waste training sessions are delivered to many community groups, businesses and local authorities across Scotland every year.

“They are fun, free, interactive sessions which will provide those attending with practical knowledge around the simple things we can all do to stop wasting food at home and save money in the process.”

Apple Oils Ltd will also be collecting waste cooking oil from participating traders at this year’s Paisley Food and Drink Festival, which will then be transformed into sustainable biodiesel.

The Glasgow-based company will filter the cooking oil and use a chemical process to turn it into biodiesel which can be used to fuel vehicle engines.

Paisley Food Festival

Alexander Macdonald of Apple Oils Ltd said: “We are delighted to be participating with Paisley Food and Drink Festival and support any actions that reduce waste and help save our environment. We collect waste cooking oil from all over Scotland and sell new to a selection of our customers.”

Paisley Food and Drink Festival takes place over two days on Friday 26 and Saturday 27 April and will see more than 40 vendors from across Scotland in the stunning surroundings of the town’s Abbey Close.

This year’s line-up will also feature delicious street food with traders from PLATFORM on Tour – the independent street food market who reside at Glasgow’s Argyle Street Arches, expert tasting sessions with the award-winning Gin71, the popular Rum Shack and the Renfrewshire CAMRA Beer Tent.

There will also be live music and entertainment on the Main Stage, sponsored by Paisley’s famous The Bungalow music venue, including Sprog Rock, Princesses of Pop and Esperanza – perfect for adults and kids alike.

Smaller portion sizes will be available for children and there’s something for all foodies with a range of halal, gluten free, veggie and vegan options also on offer.

Find out more about what’s on at the Paisley Food and Drink Festival 2019, visit https://paisley.is/featured_event/paisley-food-and-drink-festival/

18/04/2019/by Brian McGuire

Young footballers are being given the opportunity to sample life as a professional and take to the field at the Simple Digital Arena, home of St Mirren Football Club.

Part of the celebrations to mark Street Stuff’s ten-year anniversary of working in the Renfrewshire community, aspiring footballers will have the opportunity to cross the white line and play on the pitch as part of a festival of football.

The five-a-side football event is free for all Street Stuff participants, aged 8-16, and will take place in the evening of Wednesday 15 May.

Players can register individually or as a team, with all consent forms to be returned to St Mirren in advance of the tournament taking place.

St Mirren FC Manager, Oran Kearney, said “The people of Paisley and Renfrewshire have given the team brilliant support in my time at the club so it’s great that the young people of Renfrewshire will get the opportunity to play on the pitch at the stadium and have the chance to emulate their heroes.”

Since its inception in 2009, Street Stuff has seen more than 200,000 young people come through its doors, each having the opportunity to take part in sport, make new friends and engage in social activities.

Cllr Marie McGurk, Oran Kearney, Gordon Scott and Street Stuff participants (1)

A firm fixture of the community for a decade, the programme has contributed to a sustained reduction of 65% in reported youth disorder and anti-social behaviour in Renfrewshire.

Street Stuff provides activities such as football, dance and gaming six days a week, as well as hosting four holiday camps throughout the year where a healthy meal is provided to each young person who attends – with more than 26,000 healthy meals provided in the last four years.

Councillor Marie McGurk, Convener of Renfrewshire Council’s Communities, Housing and Planning Policy Board, said: “What a fantastic opportunity for our young people to make it out of the stands and onto the pitch at St Mirren and hopefully we can inspire the next generation of footballers for the club.

“Street Stuff works hard to provide opportunities for sport and exercise for young people that they may not otherwise have the chance to experience and the work of our staff, coaches and volunteers really is changing the lives of young people in Renfrewshire.

The project runs in partnership between Renfrewshire Council, St Mirren Football Club, Police Scotland, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and Engage Renfrewshire.

For more information on how to sign up, visit www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/StreetStuff.

18/04/2019/by Brian McGuire

Communities are being urged to help shape their area by applying for a grant from their Local Partnership.

Applications for funding from the Local Partnerships, which replaced Renfrewshire’s Local Area Committees, are now open.

The funding, which used to be known as Local Area Committee grants, is available for projects which help each Local Partnership meet its local priorities. These priorities were set by each Local Partnership at meetings in March and April.

There have been important changes to the way this funding works since the introduction of the Local Partnerships in 2018, with groups now having to demonstrate how their application will contribute to the local priorities of the partnership they are applying to.

All applicants are advised to read the new guidance for Local Partnership funding, available on the Renfrewshire Council website, before submitting their applications.

Local Partnerships are a new way for communities, elected members and public organisations to work together at a local level. The partnerships adopt a more informal and inclusive approach which allows local people to have more of a say in decisions which affect their area.

Renfrewshire Council Leader Iain Nicolson said: “People in Renfrewshire are passionate about their communities and Local Partnerships are a great way for them to shape their community and get involved in decision making.

“This funding will allow Local Partnerships to support projects that are important to local people and address their local priorities, making a difference to their communities.

“If you are looking for funding and have a project that supports your Local Partnerships’ local priorities, I’d encourage you to apply.”

The Council’s Community Planning Team will hold two drop-in sessions to provide potential funding applicants with information on how the grants work, what the local priorities are for their Local Partnership and advice on alternative funding sources. The sessions will take place on Wednesday 24 April from 5.30pm-7.30pm at Johnstone Town Hall and Thursday 2 May from 2-4pm at the Abercorn Centre, West College Scotland in Paisley.

Anyone who cannot attend the drop-in sessions can call our Community Planning Team on 0141 618 4168 or email communityplanning@renfrewshire.gov.uk.

The deadline for applications is Monday 20 May 2019.

A decision on funding applications will be made by Local Partnerships at their next meetings in June.

To book a slot at our Johnstone drop-in session, visit https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/local-partnerships-grant-funding-drop-in-session-tickets-59523195480. To book a slot at our Paisley drop-in session, visit https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/local-partnerships-grant-funding-drop-in-session-tickets-60530532452

For more information on Local Partnerships and their local priorities or to download an application form, visit http://www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/localpartnerships

18/04/2019/by Brian McGuire

Blog, Business, Events, Newsletter, Paisley, Paisley Events, Paisley First, Paisley Photographs, Paisley Shopping, Paisley Visitor Attractions, People from Paisley, Press Release, Renfrewshire, Renfrewshire Council, renfrewshire events

Paisley First to launch Petition for Free for Three Pilot Project

Paisley First is calling on the public and members of the local business community in Paisley town centre to get behind their Free for Three campaign, as they launch a petition calling for a pilot project.

The Business Improvement District for Paisley town centre is calling for free parking for three hours for visitors to the town centre and is now looking to Renfrewshire Council to implement a pilot project to test the scheme.

Members of the public and local business community are being invited to join the launch of the petition on Wednesday 24th April at 11am outside Paisley Town Hall. Paisley First believes that free parking for three hours will bring the optimum benefit to
those businesses in Paisley who currently lose out to retail parks such as Braehead and Silverburn, and very soon, the new Wallneuk development.

Paisley First Chair, Colette Cardosi, said: “We appreciated the opportunity to join and contribute to Renfrewshire Council’s working group on parking in Paisley and we were pleased at the positive response to our campaign from the other external
stakeholders who attended as well as local councillors. “However Free for Three is a crucial campaign for the future of the business
community we represent in Paisley town centre and those who visit or would like to visit the town on a more frequent basis.
“With visitor attractions such as Paisley Museum and Paisley Town Hall now closed for a number of years for refurbishment, it is crucial that the negative impacts felt by
local businesses as a result of these closures are mitigated against as soon as
possible.”

Colette added: “The public response to our Free for Three campaign has been fantastic and shows that many more people would visit Paisley to shop and socialise if there was an element of free parking on offer.”
Paisley First is calling on Renfrewshire Council to implement a Free for Three Pilot Project before the start of the summer school holidays at the end of June.
The petition will be available to sign on the Paisley First website from next Wednesday as well as in local businesses throughout the town centre.

For more details go to www.paisleyfirst.com

18/04/2019/by Brian McGuire

iconic. – not just another gym. At iconic they help create an active and healthy community.

I’ve been asked in the past year “Mhairi, with so many gyms around, why do you go to iconic.?”

There is not one definitive answer. The reasons are many why I choose this diamond in the rough.

I may go off on a tangent, so please bear with me…….

Fiona, female gym owner. Marathon runner. Personal trainer. A mother. A friend. Motivator. Enthusiastic. Conscientious. Redefining the idea of working out in Paisley town centre. Designing a lifestyle brand to turn an exercisintoto an enjoyable routine. The right attitude and lots of energy!

Harry, James and Martin. Personal Trainers at iconic. All extremely focused, committed and knowledgeable. Notable results. Observing, learning and inventing new ways to challenge, inspire and bring fun and excitement in an ever expanding fitness market.

iconic. members. All ages, shapes, weight, sizes, goals and reasons for being there. Non-judgemental. Motivate, praise and encourage. Ignore how disgusting I look (and smell!) post workout.

On a very personal note, I started back training at the end of 2017 after being quite ill for a number of years. Exercise and strength training had always been my “go to”, my “sanctuary” but being poorly meant I could no longer escape. After being given the all clear from my consultant in Nov 2017, I started at iconic. and I’ve never looked back. I’m back to the old me. The me I’d never thought I’d ever find again. My health has improved. I’m on less medication. I’ve lost weight. I’ve gained a new sense of me. Gained friends, knowledge and a belief. These are all things money can’t buy.

So, this is my snapshot of “why I go” and also “why I’ll stay” at iconic. Yes it’s not quite the finished shiny gym that you see popping up ten a penny. Yes it got things that could be better. But that’s part of the appeal and charm. This coupled with the knowledge that I know Fiona is in this for the long haul. She has a vision and is committed to delivering it. It’s not a “one size fits all” attitude. It’s a determination and energy which is also reflected in the whole iconic. team.

I would recommend iconic. in a heartbeat to anyone looking to improve their fitness goals with a dedicated and knowledgeable team.

17/04/2019/by Brian McGuire

As some of you know, Love Street Vets are on the move! In less than two months, we are moving into new premises so we can continue to grow and improve our great wee community practice to support the pet owning community in Paisley. So I’m on the lookout for a new registered veterinary nurse to join our ranks and it was my job this week to write a job description. It also got me thinking about the role of veterinary nurses within our profession and especially, the roles my team have on a day to day basis.

I was horrified recently to read recently in an article that shareholder and director of one of the largest corporate veterinary groups in the UK suggested that nurses should only get the ‘mudane’ work in a veterinary clinic, suggesting that they are not qualified, driven or educated enough to manage anything more. I am very quick to educate anyone who mutters the word ‘just a nurse’ and here is why-

In order to become a veterinary nurse, the candidate will often study at college for 1-2 years to obtain an animal handling and care qualification. Then it’s on to either another specialist college or university to study for up to 3-4 years. But before they even obtain a placement, the student will need to undertake several hundred hours of work experience within a veterinary clinic. Often, this is made up of essentially working full time in a vet clinic whilst juggling other part-time work and family life. Once qualified, a veterinary nurse becomes a member of the Royal college of veterinary surgeons (RCVS) who regulate the veterinary profession through the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 to ensure the welfare, continued education and protection of our animals.

But what are the roles of a veterinary nurse? A veterinary nurse plays a crucial role in the veterinary team. They provide expert care for sick animals as well as a vital role in educating the public on animal care and welfare. In one day, a veterinary nurse will be an anaesthetist, help scrub in on operations to help the vet, take X-rays and administer medication and fluids to patients. They will carry out a range of diagnostic tests for example blood, faecal and urine samples.
They will call owners, chase up lab results, complete insurance forms and make sure the rest of the team runs smoothly. The nurse will comfort and support our patients and clients. Often, the nurse is the first port of call if an owner doesn’t understand information or needs some reassurance and support during difficult times.
This is by no means an exhaustive list of the duties of a veterinary nurse. But perhaps you can now see why I take exception to anyone calling them ‘just’ a nurse! They are an incredibly valued and vital part of a veterinary team and the work they undertake is anything but mundane. I am honoured to be able to work with these amazing people and our vets, pets and owners are lucky to have them

17/04/2019/by Brian McGuire

The award winning The Buddy Beat is a mental health drumming group for adults across Renfrewshire that meets every Thursday morning at Johnstone High Parish Church Halls, Ludovic Square, PA5 8EE, 10 am to 12.

We help promote social inclusion and drumming has been found to help reduce stress, session full of therapeutic, improves self-confidence and self-worth. No experience is necessary and our style of drums are easy to learn. We also include percussion and singing to make every session is full of invigorating music and fun.

Drumming helps people self-manage their week and has helped many find other community activities, education courses, volunteering and employment. And real, lasting friendships blossom too.

We also run an Open Drum Circle on the last Wednesday evening of each month at The Charleston Centre in Paisley. Open to anyone, this runs from 6.00 pm to 7.45 pm.

For anyone interested in joining either of our activities, please email tom.thebuddybeat@sky.com for more information. Please also visit our Facebook page– Renfrewshire’s The Buddy Beat

17/04/2019/by Brian McGuire

Who Cares ? Scotland Renfrewshire is an organisation that supports care experienced young people. We offer free quarterly training and information sessions and the next one is being held at the Lagoon in Paisley . We are trying to reach all those who support children and young people across Renfrewshire whether paid or voluntary.

We have our own Facebook page and it is the pinned post on here https://www.facebook.com/whocaresscotlandrenfrewshire/

*Free training and information session*

Do you work with children and young people either paid or voluntary?
Do you support, teach or coach young people in any capacity ?

Then you hold important relationships with our care experienced people. They would like you to understand more about their lives and invite you to a free training and information session.

Our next Listen and Learn is being held at Paisley Lagoon on 9th May – click below to find out more and for FREE registration .

https://whocaresscotland9thmay.eventbrite.co.uk

17/04/2019/by Brian McGuire

Thousands of the world’s top pipers and drummers will again descend on Paisley for one of the biggest dates in the global piping calendar.

The British Pipe Band Championships will take place on Saturday 18 May at the St James Playing Fields – with 123 bands from across the UK and Ireland, and drum and pipe majors from as far afield as the USA, Denmark and Belgium set to compete.

The free-to-attend event will see a full day of family entertainment from 10am to 6pm – including a Highland Games competition, a food village, and sporty activity.

Scottish Power Win BPBC MFG

This will be the fourth year the championships have been in Paisley, with the town contracted to continue to host the event – one of piping’s five ‘majors’ and second-only in size to the World Championships – until 2021.

Last year’s event attracted 17,000 attendees and generated more than £300,000 for the local economy, with half the attendees visitors to Renfrewshire and 7% from outwith Scotland.

Event organisers Renfrewshire Council and the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association have also teamed up with McGill’s Buses to transport spectators to and from the event – free of charge.

There will be plenty local interest on the day – the Johnstone Pipe Band will have two entries, one going head to head with the world’s best in the prestigious Grade 1 competition, and another looking to win Grade 3a (having topped Grade 3b last year).

Kilbarchan Pipe Band will feature in the Grade 4b contest, while the Renfrewshire Schools Pipe Band will be hoping to equal or better last year’s brilliant performance, when they came third in Novice Junior Grade B in their first major championships.

Ian Embelton, chief executive of the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Paisley to bring the British Championships to the town once again.

“Paisley is a popular venue with the bands for its central location, transport links and the many excellent options available locally to stay overnight and to enjoy a meal or a drink.

“This is the first of the annual majors and many of the world’s best pipe bands will be competing – for anyone who hasn’t been before, my message would be come along on the day and enjoy some top-class piping and drumming.”

McGill’s will run the shuttle buses from Paisley Gilmour Street station, West College Scotland and Swift Parking on Greenhill Road, with the latter two offering free event parking. Visitors should note there will be no public parking at the event.

Other transport options include getting the train to Paisley St James station, which is a short walk from the event site, or a McGill’s bus to Paisley town centre, and transferring to the free shuttle.

Renfrewshire Council Leader Iain Nicolson said: “Hosting major events like this is helps to build on Paisley and Renfrewshire’s now-established reputation as a key destination on Scotland’s events map.

“Renfrewshire has many businesses who will be ready to welcome the thousands of visitors with open arms and I hope as many of them as possible of will enjoy a day, and evening or an overnight stay with us.”

Other major events coming up in Paisley over the next few weeks include the Paisley Food and Drink Festival – expected to draw thousands to the town centre on Friday 26 and Saturday 27 April.

More information about the British Pipe Band Championships and other Renfrewshire events is available online at www.paisley.is.

16/04/2019/by Brian McGuire