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Renfrewshire Council scraps burial fees for children’s funerals

Renfrewshire Council has scrapped burial charges for families who lose a child under the age of 16.

The local authority abolished burial and registration costs in its 2018/19 budget and is working to establish an affordable Respectful Funeral Service to support families.

Cllr Jim Paterson

The charges can run into hundreds of pounds and Renfrewshire Council’s Education and Children’s Services Convener, Councillor Jim Paterson said: “Grieving parents shouldn’t also have to carry the burden of worrying if they can afford to pay for a dignified funeral for a child.

“By scrapping the burial and registration fees for a child under 16, the intention is to remove some of the financial pressures and support families at the most difficult of times as they try to come to terms with their heart breaking loss.”

The move has also been welcomed by bereavement charities, who say that worrying how to pay funeral costs can add to the pressure on grief stricken relatives.

Hugh McAninch, the Scottish co-ordinator of The Compassionate Friends, a charity run by bereaved parents, siblings and grandparents which offers support to family members after the death of a child, said: “I welcome the initiative by Renfrewshire Council to scrap fees for children under 16 and hope it is expanded to all councils across Scotland.

“It’s a traumatic enough time and parents often have to take time off work at the very point where they have to face these extra expenses. “

Brenda Murray from the Scottish charity Bumblebee Babies, which supports parents who have lost babies, also welcomed the move.

She said: “Worrying about how to pay for a funeral can be another massive pressure for grieving parents. They just want to be able to put things in order to start the healing process and feel they’re letting their child down if they aren’t able to.

“A lack of money can be frightening to them because they want to give their child the best send off they can.”

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National environmental charity backs Renfrewshire’s Big Spring Clean

National charity Keep Scotland Beautiful have showcased their support for Renfrewshire’s Big Spring Clean this weekend, which aims to see a community clean up take place in every area in Renfrewshire.

The event, part of Renfrewshire’s Team Up to Clean Up campaign, is set to bring out hundreds of volunteers as they take part in litter picks to make a difference to their local environment.

School pupils, community volunteers, police, councillors and more will take part on Friday 20, Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 April at clean ups across the area with the support of Renfrewshire Council.

Derek Robertson, CEO of Keep Scotland Beautiful said, “We’re extremely grateful to all the volunteers across Scotland for taking part in clean ups during April and May, and would urge everyone to get involved in Renfrewshire’s Big Spring Clean on 20-22 April.

“Through our Clean up Scotland campaign we support thousands of people each year to improve the places they care about by removing litter and fly tipping. We are delighted that Renfrewshire Council is showing a real commitment to make Renfrewshire cleaner and greener – and know that each one of us can make a huge difference collectively if we clean up together.”

Communities across Renfrewshire are being encouraged to host their own clean up in an area in need of attention and the Renfrewshire Warden’s Service will provide them with litter pickers, bibs, gloves and bags to carry it out, as well as removing the collected rubbish at the end of the event.

If volunteers aren’t able to host their own, they are being supported to attend any of the other clean ups arranged across the weekend and meet like-mind individuals taking part.

Councillor Cathy McEwan, Convener of Renfrewshire Council’s Infrastructure, Land and Environment Policy Board, said: “We’re delighted to have the support of a national organisation such as Keep Scotland Beautiful and it shows the strength of the Team Up to Clean Up campaign as it continues to grow.

“Our Big Spring Clean is our most ambitious set of events since we launched the campaign but we’re determined to grasp the enthusiasm of the local community to make a difference to their local area.

“We are working hard to support local volunteers to carry out litter picks while also carrying out our enhanced programme of work to clear drains, sweep roads and refresh signage, as well as expanding our environmental teams.

“We’ve shown our commitment to the campaign through our £2.5million investment and we will continue to work alongside the community to make Renfrewshire a cleaner, brighter, more attractive place to live.”

For more information on the event visit www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/bigspringclean and on the campaign www.renfrewshre.gov.uk/teamuptocleanup.

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Thousands of world’s best pipers to descend on Paisley for British Championships

More than 4,000 of the world’s best pipers and drummers will turn Paisley into a sea of tartan when one of the most prestigious events in piping returns to the town next month.

Bands will arrive from as far afield as Denmark and Ireland for the massive free-to-attend event – one of piping’s annual calendar of ‘majors’ – at St James Playing Fields on Saturday 19 May.

A total entry of 128 bands has been confirmed, spanning the length and breadth of Scotland, and with others heading north from London, Manchester and Newcastle.

Local talent will be represented, with Johnstone pipe band among those taking on last year’s winners Inveraray and District for the prestigious Grade 1 title, while Kilbarchan will compete in the Grade 4b contest, and the Renfrewshire Schools band in the juvenile grade.

The British Championships are taking place in Paisley for the third year in a row – and have been confirmed for another three years, as part of the expanded programme of events planned as part of the legacy of the town’s UK City of Culture 2021 bid.

Last year’s event saw 12,000 visitors and generated almost £300,000 for the local economy.

The event is being run by Renfrewshire Council and the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association and includes a day-long programme of family entertainment – all free – away from the main piping arena.

That will include an international food village and bar, funfair, street traders and Highland dancing competition.

There will also be a plenty to keep kids occupied, with Renfrewshire Leisure staff offering the chance to try out different sports, plus activities run by Paisley Rugby Club, and Renfrewshire’s award-winning Street Stuff team.

Renfrewshire’s Provost Lorraine Cameron, who will be chieftain of the event, said: “I am delighted we are welcoming the championships back to Paisley for another year.

“Last year was a brilliant family day out, and the sight and sound of thousands of pipers gathered for the final march past is an incredible spectacle.

“Paisley is already well established as a key destination on Scotland’s events map – we will be building on that over the next few years and bidding for more events of this scale.

“We know this event brings in huge numbers of people and with it a massive impact on the local economy – we hope as many visitors as possible choose to explore the town while here, and Paisley will be ready to welcome them with open arms.”

Ian Embelton, chief executive of the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association, added: “Paisley has been a great venue for the championships over the past two years – the town and event site are easy to reach – and we are pleased to be coming back here until 2021.

“The entry for this event features most of the world’s top bands and is second only to the world championships in terms of numbers.

“We are looking forward to another great day of piping and hope as many people as possible can join us.”

There will be no public parking at the event site but visitors can park at St Mirren’s Paisley 2021 Stadium or West College Scotland in Renfrew Road, with McGills running regular shuttle buses from both sites, as well as from Paisley Gilmour Street station for those coming via the town centre.

Scotrail also runs regular services to Paisley St James station from Glasgow Central Station. The train station is a two-minute walk from the competition site.

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 27 and Saturday 28 April.

For more information on the championships and other Paisley events, visit www.paisley.is

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Millions to be invested in Renfrewshire’s roads network

The largest ever single year investment in Renfrewshire’s roads is set to be delivered in 2018/19 as part of an extensive programme of roads resurfacing.

Pothole repair with Councillor McEwan at Barrhill Rd, Erskine. 12.4.18.

£7.2million has been committed from Renfrewshire Council’s budget to improve routes across Renfrewshire’s as part of the continuing physical and economic regeneration of the area.

The programme for 2018/19 will include the resurfacing and improvement of a number of high profile strategic routes and also a large number of busy rural and residential streets.

It will focus on carriageway resurfacing, including patching and surface dressing, as well as addressing drainage improvements, footway resurfacing and crash and safety barrier installation.

Councillor Cathy McEwan, Convener of Renfrewshire Council’s Infrastructure, Land and Environment Policy Board, said: “We recognise that a key concern for the Renfrewshire community is the quality and safety of our roads network which is why a significant investment has been made to make improvements.

Pothole repair with Councillor McEwan at Barrhill Rd, Erskine. 12.4.18.
Pothole repair with Councillor McEwan at Barrhill Rd, Erskine. 12.4.18.

“This is the largest ever single year investment made by this Council in our roads infrastructure and shows a clear commitment to increasing the quality and usability of the network for road users.

“There are areas within Renfrewshire which are in urgent need of repair and we will prioritise those roads in what will be a comprehensive programme of upgrades.

“While all roads cannot be repaired overnight, the investment we are making will ensure that the community begin to see tangible improvements immediately and a continual progress in the quality of our roads throughout the year.”

The roads resurfacing programme will coincide with an enhanced schedule of pot hole repairs which will tackle the effects severe weather has had on Renfrewshire’s roads.

Immediate temporary repairs will be undertaken on pot holes which are causing a hazard on roads with the full repair then planned into a programme for completion.

Any excessive pot holes which have developed will be temporarily repaired and then undertaken as part of the larger roads resurfacing programme.

Councillor McEwan added: “We recognise there is a significant issue regarding pot holes which is affecting our roads due to the severe weather we faced this winter, with the freezing conditions causing the road surface to crack.

“This is an issue which has been seen nationally, even occurring on our motorways, and we have invested accordingly to ensure our teams can carry out the necessary repairs.

“We recognise the frustrations of road users and want to assure them that we are committed to providing a roads network which is fit for purpose and will work hard to address all problems across the area.”

The full programme of roads resurfacing works is being finalised with initial repairs already underway and more extensive resurfacing work set to begin shortly.

For more information on roads services in Renfrewshire, visit www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/roads.

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St Mirren league win to be celebrated with open-top bus parade

Thousands of people will party on the streets of Paisley when St Mirren’s SPFL Championship winning side are honoured with an open-top bus parade through the town centre.

Renfrewshire Council is marking the Buddies’ return to the top-tier of Scottish football by staging the large-scale outdoor celebration event on Saturday 21 April.

St Mirren mathematically confirmed the title on Saturday after a 0-0 draw with second-placed Livingston means they can now no longer be caught.

That means the league trophy will be presented next week on the pitch immediately after their last home game of the season – against local rivals Morton – which the parade will follow.

The open-top bus will leave the Paisley 2021 Stadium before 7pm and travel through the town centre, to a specially-erected stage in Bridge Street, behind Paisley Abbey, around 7.30pm.

There, fans will be able to greet their heroes, with short speeches for the crowd from key figures from the club as they show off the trophy.

Before the team arrives, DJs from Pulse FM will be keeping the crowds entertained with St Mirren-themed songs and entertainment.

The bus will arrive in the town via the west end, with fans encouraged to see the team travel along the following route: High Street (at Paisley Museum), Storie Street, Witherspoon Street/New St (past Paisley Arts Centre), Causeyside Street, St Mirren Brae, Gauze Street, Cotton Street.

Renfrewshire’s Provost Lorraine Cameron – who will help host the event – said: “We want to congratulate St Mirren on a wonderful season and are delighted the council is able to stage this event so the people of Renfrewshire can honour their team.

“I am sure the streets of Paisley will be full of celebration on the 21 April and I am looking forward to being there for what will be a great atmosphere and a wonderful occasion.”

St Mirren chairman Gordon Scott added: “We want to thank Renfrewshire Council for organising this event to allow the people of Paisley – whether hardcore fans or not – to see the team and trophy.

“St Mirren are – and always will be – at the heart of the Paisley community, so it is fitting we get to celebrate a memorable year for the club and celebrate together as a town.”

For more event information and to keep up to date on all local events, visit www.paisley.is

The St Mirren celebration event will be the first of two weekends which will see the area around Bridge Street and Abbey Close packed with activity – with the Paisley Food and Drink Festival to take place one week later.

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Renfrewshire Chamber B2B 2018

Register Now for Renfrewshire Chamber’s annual B2B event “Business Matters in Renfrewshire”

 

Renfrewshire’s largest free business event returns to Paisley for the 8th consecutive year on Thursday 10th May at the Lagoon, Paisley.

“Business Matters in Renfrewshire –your local B2B event” is organised by Renfrewshire Chamber and is open to all members & non-members, business people, start-ups, senior school pupils and students.

 

With 50+ exhibitors and 6 seminars running throughout the day the event is sponsored by Paisley.is, the new destination brand for Paisley & Renfrewshire.

 

Seminar line-up:

 

  1. 10.15-11.00 “Paisley.is: how your business can benefit” with the Paisley.is team & Renfrewshire Council   
  2. 11.15-12.00 “Anti-Social Media” with NSDesign
  3. 12.15-13.00 “Start up in Renfrewshire!” with Business Gateway & Invest in Renfrewshire
  4. 13.15-14.00 “How to win business using LinkedIn” with fatBuzz
  5. 14.15-15.00 “What you need to know about GDPR” with MacRoberts
  6. 15.15-16.00 “Leadership – hoping isn’t good enough” with bfpeople

 

Commenting on the event chief exec Bob Grant said “Renfrewshire’s largest free business event is an excellent way to engage with the wider business community. There is a varied and interesting line-up of six informative seminars for you to attend throughout the day so please register your free place now.  We are expecting 50 + exhibitors and where else do you get the opportunity to network with so many companies in one go? It’s a great use of time and I would encourage you and your colleagues to attend. The free informative seminars are an excellent way to learn new skills and refresh old ones. We look forward to welcoming you on the day.”

 

For more information and to register your place please visit the Chamber events page at www.renfrewshirechamber.com  The event is free to attend (there is a cost to exhibit).  

 

Hashtag for the event is #b2bpaisley

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Disabled changing facilities at sports centres being upgraded

Changing facilities for people with disabilities are being upgraded at two sports and leisure centres.
Work has already started to create refurbished changing rooms at The Lagoon, in Paisley and Linwood’s ON-X sports centre.


Once completed in three weeks time, the facilities will meet the standards of the Changing Places Consortium – a UK organisation that campaigns for better toilets and changing facilities for people with profound learning or physical disabilities.

The new changing facilities for disabled people will have a height adjustable adult-size changing table, hoist, new sanitary fittings, supporting handrails and upgraded heating.

While the work at The Lagoon is ongoing, disabled people who want to visit a swimming pool are advised to use the ON-X, which has alternative changing facilities.

Renfrewshire Council is meeting the £29,000 cost of refurbishing both disabled changing areas in the two sports centres operated by Renfrewshire Leisure.

Chief executive of Renfrewshire Leisure, Joyce McKellar said: “Bringing the facilities up to Changing Places standard shows we’re committed to making sure no one is prevented from using the excellent sports and leisure facilities we have in Renfrewshire because of a disability.”

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World’s largest industrial thread manufacturer backs Paisley 2021 legacy

Plans for Paisley to build a legacy of its UK City of Culture 2021 bid are being financially supported by Coats – the company which made the town the centre of a global empire.

Coats Representitives visit Paisley 9.4.18.

Coats – the world’s largest industrial thread manufacturer – was last year one of 15 firms to pledge £20,000 towards the costs of Paisley hosting the cultural title, should it have won.

And members of the company’s board of directors have confirmed that pledge remains in place for projects promoting the ambitious bid legacy plans of the firm’s birthplace.

Members of the Coats Group plc board, including chairman Mike Clasper CBE and group chief executive Rajiv Sharma, made the announcement during a visit to the town.

Coats Representitives visit Paisley 9.4.18.

While here, they were given a tour of Paisley Museum and Coats Observatory – both built by the Coats family – and Paisley: The Secret Collection – the UK’s first high-street museum store and home to many of the items the mill owners bequeathed to the town.

Paisley is pushing ahead with ambitious plans to deliver on the vision of the 2021 bid to transform the area’s future using its internationally-significant heritage and cultural assets.

That includes a £100m+ investment in town centre venues and infrastructure, including a £42m project to make Paisley Museum into an international-class destination showcasing the town’s rich textile heritage and unique collections.

The Paisley 2021 legacy plan also includes ambitious plans to grow the area’s major events programme, invest in its independent cultural sector, develop as a hub of creative industry, and harness the power of culture to make people’s lives better across health and education services.

The work will be underpinned by the new destination brand paisley.is, which aims to promote Renfrewshire as a great place to live, visit and invest, and help grow the local visitor economy.

While the 19,000 employees of Coats are spread across six continents, the company retains a presence in Paisley – with a high-tech colour management technology team overseeing the dyeing of products manufactured across the globe from its base in the historic Abbey Mills complex.

Members of the Coats board were met at the museum by Councillor Lisa-Marie Hughes, chair of Renfrewshire Leisure, who operate the museum, and by Renfrewshire’s Provost Lorraine Cameron, who also hosted a short civic reception for the board on Monday evening.

Cllr Hughes said: “We are delighted to have welcomed the Coats board to the town and thank them for their contribution towards Paisley’s ongoing transformation.

“While the modern Coats company is very different from the one which started life in Paisley in the 19th century, the spirit of innovation and creative industry which saw it grow to be one of the biggest companies in the world is still at the core of what it does.

“Just as Paisley made textiles, textiles made Paisley – many of the most striking parts of Paisley’s iconic skyline grew from the generosity of the Coats family, as did the globally-significant collections in our museums.

“With the museum set to undergo a transformation into a major visitor destination over the next few years, it was great to show the board how the shared heritage and creative spirit of Paisley and Coats will be at the heart of the town’s future.”

Rajiv Sharma, Group Chief Executive, Coats said:  ‘Coats is extremely proud of its heritage, which is inextricably linked with Paisley.  We are delighted to confirm that we remain committed to the financial pledge we made when we backed the Paisley 2021 bid last year.  The tremendous energy and focus that emerged during the bid process has created a legacy which we want to support.’

For more information on Paisley, visit www.paisley.is

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Kids can cook up some fun at Paisley Food and Drink

Budding young cooking fans will be able to get some hands-on foodie fun experiences at this year’s Paisley Food and Drink Festival.

Free cooking demonstrations will take place on Saturday 28 April at Abbey Close where kids can learn how to make their own calzone or whip up the perfect cupcake with Events Diva – the one stop shop for all things creative.

Paisley Food Festival

Future Heston Blumenthals can flex their creative muscles at the Sweet Science Workshops with Be Experimental where they will have the chance to make colour changing drinks, rainbows with skittles and create their own sweets to take away. They will also find out the answers to some of those age-old questions about sweets like ‘how are gummy sweets made?’, ‘how do you get those little holes in puff candy?’ and ‘why is sherbet so fizzy?’

In addition to the great workshops on offer every child’s favourite entertainer, Mr Bloom, will be at the event sharing his unique bundle of veggie stories, gardening games and catchy nursery songs for tiddlers and parents alike.

Picture Nick Ponty PaisleyÕs annual Food and Drink Festival returns this April and for the first time will take place over two days. On Friday 27 and Saturday 28 of April the very best of ScotlandÕs producers will showcase their wares to visitors in PaisleyÕs iconic Abbey Close, where they can experience tasting sessions with the likes of Gin 71 as well as a fantastic selection of street food vendors, interactive workshops including activities for kids, live music and ScotlandÕs largest real ale festival. Pupils from Williamsburgh Primary School in Paisley l-r Ellie Thomson (9), Charley Hendren (7), Adam Jack (10), Joshua Murray (8), Aaron Campbell (8).
Picture Nick Ponty PaisleyÕs annual Food and Drink Festival returns this April and for the first time will take place over two days. On Friday 27 and Saturday 28 of April the very best of ScotlandÕs producers will showcase their wares to visitors in PaisleyÕs iconic Abbey Close, where they can experience tasting sessions with the likes of Gin 71 as well as a fantastic selection of street food vendors, interactive workshops including activities for kids, live music and ScotlandÕs largest real ale festival. Pupils from Williamsburgh Primary School in Paisley l-r Charley Hendren (7) and Adam Jack (10)

Ben Faulks, who plays the role of Mr Bloom said: “I’ve been fortunate enough to have attended the Paisley Food and Drink Festival before and it’s a great event that boasts a variety of different activities for the whole family to enjoy.

“I’m very much looking forward to making a return this year with my show, as well as getting the chance to sample some of the great activities on offer.”

There are even more fun activities to enjoy at the Paisley Food and Drink Festival such as face painting, live music and giant lawn games including twister, jenga and snakes and ladders.

The festival will take place over two days for the first time ever on Friday 27 and Saturday 28 of April when the very best of Scotland’s producers will showcase their wares to visitors in Paisley’s iconic Abbey Close.

Foodie fans can sample some taste sensations from the likes of Pitt Street Food Market, Babu Kitchen, Mighty Mexican, Linton and Co Coffee, Scozzese Pizza and Sharma Street Food and there will be a chance to part with your pennies and pounds at the popular arts and crafts market.

Smaller portion sizes will be available for children and a range of halal, gluten free, veggie and vegan options will be on offer. People will also be able to purchase some great produce from the Farmers’ Market and trader’s stalls.

The children’s workshops are free to attend but numbers are limited so interested parties are encouraged to book in advance to avoid disappointment. To find out more and book a place please visit: www.paisley.is/kidsworkshops.

To find out all the latest information on this and other events happening in Renfrewshire please visit www.paisley.is.

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Renfrewshire Young People in Care event

Dear Friends,

Only a few tickets are remaining for our Communities That Care “Listen & Learn” event on 18th April.

If you work with or for children and young people in Renfrewshire, are passionate about improving outcomes for young people in care and care leavers, or just wish to hear first hand from care experienced young people about what life is like in care in Renfrewshire, please join us for this free training session. Click on this link to register:

Wednesday 18th April, 10am – 12 noon, Johnstone Town Hall

We also have a second date planned if you are unable to join us in April. You will get the same input from either event, but you may prefer this ‘twilight’ session:

 

Thursday 7th June, 4pm – 6pm, Watermill Hotel, Paisley.

We hope you are able to join us. Please feel free to forward the invitation to colleagues, volunteers, connected business partners and community groups you work with.

If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Best wishes,

On behalf of the Renfrewshire Communities That Care Team

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