Shortroods Archives - Paisley Scotland

Renfrewshire Council will hold a recruitment event next month as it launches a search for people to join its Soft Facilities Management team.

The council currently has vacancies available in the team for Caretakers, School Crossing Patrollers, Housekeepers, Cleaners and Facilities Operatives who will work in schools covering various duties, including cleaning, catering and compliance.

Vacancies for part-time drivers who will deliver school meals are also available.

It will hold a recruitment event to fill these vacancies at Park Mains High School, Erskine on Thursday 16 December from 10am-12pm and 2pm-4pm.

Candidates will be able to apply for the vacancies at the recruitment event. Successful applicants will then be offered an immediate interview and can complete most of their recruitment checks on the day.

Applications can also be submitted in advance through MyJobScotland, with successful applicants being invited to interviews at the recruitment event.

All applicants must bring proof of identification and two work related references with them to the event.

Councillor John Shaw, Convener of the Council’s Finance and Resources Policy Board, said: “This is a great opportunity to join a fantastic team.

“Our Soft Facilities Management Team make a difference to the lives of our residents, communities and schools every day.

“Renfrewshire is a Scottish Living Wage employer and has a lot to offer anyone considering a career in Soft Facilities Management, from development opportunities to competitive terms and conditions.

“If you are interested in joining our team, please come along to our recruitment event or apply online at MyJobScotland.”

For more information on the recruitment event, including what documents to bring and how to travel to it, visit www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/soft-fm-jobs.

If you have any questions about your application or the recruitment event, call 07483 318 963 or email soft-fm@renfrewshire.gov.uk.

To apply for these vacancies in advance of the event, visit www.myjobscotland.gov.uk/councils/renfrewshire-council/jobs

28/11/2021/by Danielle McGuire

Remembrance Sunday services are set to return to Renfrewshire for the first time since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, with parades and services scheduled to take place in towns and villages across the region.

Paisley Cenotaph Remembrance Sunday Service

On 14 November, parades will take place from 9.45am to mark Remembrance Sunday, with a two minutes silence at 11am, and all are invited to attend at the following locations:

Elderslie 9.45am

Houston 10.00am

Kilbarchan 10.45am

Renfrew 10.45am

Paisley 10.45am

Lochwinnoch 10.45am

Howwood 10.45am

Johnstone 10.45am

Bridge of Weir 3.00pm

For those who are unable to attend a service in person, Renfrewshire Council have commissioned an update to the film ‘Renfrewshire Reflects’ which was released in the absence of in-person Remembrance events in 2020. The video, featuring representatives from communities across Renfrewshire and focusing on the importance of Remembrance, will premiere on the council’s social media channels to tie in with the national two-minute silence on Sunday 14 November and will be available on the council website and Youtube channel immediately after.

In addition to the video, this years Remembrance Day podcast highlights the work of Poppyscotland, celebrating 100 years of the Poppy as the national symbol of Remembrance. Landmarks across Renfrewshire have also been lit in red this week to mark Poppyscotland’s Light Up Red campaign.

Renfrewshire’s Provost Lorraine Cameron said: “Every year at this time we stop to remember those we have lost, and this year everyone will be able to pay their respects in a way that suits them, whether in person or from the comfort of their own home.

“It’s so important that we remember those who have given the ultimate sacrifice and I look forward to the community once again coming together to show their gratitude for all that have gone before us.”

For more information, visit: https://www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/Remembrance2021

08/11/2021/by Brian McGuire

Paisley celebrated the return of its award-winning Halloween celebrations as thousands of visitors enjoyed a spectacular Out of this World experience.

Over 17,000 people flocked to the town for the free, immersive trail of intergalactic installations and light displays around some of Paisley’s most famous buildings, with the extravaganza taking place across five nights from Thursday 28 October – Monday 1 November.

Paisley Halloween Festival presents Out of this World also formed part of Scotland’s Year of Coasts and Waters 20/21 celebrations, with the area beside the town’s White Cart River becoming a centrepiece attraction for locals and visitors.

An eye-catching sight on the family-friendly trail was the striking alien invasion of Paisley Town Hall, with an enormous Creature from the Cart bursting out from the front of the iconic structure.

Visitors were left dazzled by the ‘Nova’ and ‘Ursula Lassos the Moon’ sculptures at the heart of the trail, with many taking the time to capture selfies and photos at the mysterious and enchanting light displays. Meanwhile, ‘Orionids’ echoed the breath-taking beauty of a meteor shower across the White Cart River, creating a stunning, luminous effect on the water.

Young people’s hopes and dreams for the future of the planet were showcased on the spectacular Earthship1 installation, with many event goers taking the time to marvel at the spacecraft’s beautiful lighting, music and special cargo of hopeful messages and artworks created by youth and community groups across Renfrewshire.

Cheryl Fraser from Linwood said: “As soon as we pulled up in the car, the kids were saying ‘wow, this is amazing’ because we could see the big tentacles at the Town Hall. We’ve really enjoyed it all, took so many pictures and the kids have had a great time.”

Jodie Murray from Edinburgh said: “It’s been really cool and something different getting to see all the light displays – it’s really lovely. My family come every year and say it’s always amazing, so I thought I’d come and have a look too.”

The Paisley Halloween Festival presents Out of this World trail was delivered by Renfrewshire Council and curated by sustainable, not-for-profit creative contractor, Cirque Bijou.

Pauline Allan, Events Manager for Renfrewshire Council, said: “It’s been fantastic to welcome so many visitors to our Halloween celebrations in Paisley once again, as they were greatly missed by all last year.

“The festival is one of the highlights in our events calendar and has really cemented the town’s position as a key destination in Scotland for Halloween.

“We’re delighted to see such a positive reaction to this year’s five-day Out of this World spectacular and we’d like to thank everyone who came along and enjoyed the festival, as well as all of the talented artists involved for making it such a huge success.”

Julian Bracey, Artistic Director of Cirque Bijou, said: “It’s been a pleasure to work on this year’s Paisley Halloween Festival and make it a truly ‘Out of this World’ experience for everyone to enjoy. It’s been a massive team effort between the Cirque Bijou crew, Renfrewshire Council and the many local people involved.

“We’ve loved working with young people and community groups in the area to be part of the creative process and their contributions towards the artworks and installations have made the whole event really special.”

Paisley Halloween Festival was supported by EventScotland through Scotland’s Year of Coasts and Waters 20/21 and Scotland’s Events Recovery Fund.

Paul Bush OBE, Director of Events at VisitScotland said: “We are delighted to have supported Paisley Halloween Festival through the Year of Coasts and Waters 20/21 and Scotland’s Events Recovery Fund. It is great to see the event was so well received by those who got to experience the spectacular light displays and installations, with the White Cart River playing a starring role in the trail.”

Paisley Halloween Festival is widely regarded as one of the best events of its kind in the UK and was named Best Cultural Event or Festival at the 2019/20 Scottish Thistle Awards West Scotland regional finals, organised by VisitScotland.

03/11/2021/by Brian McGuire

Waste collection teams in Renfrewshire will wear carbon-neutral PPE as part of Renfrewshire Council’s plan for net-zero emissions by 2030.

The carbon emissions created through the manufacture of safety equipment and clothing for bin collection staff and drivers will be offset by planting trees in the Amazon rainforest, as well as the provision of trees to be planted in Renfrewshire.

The Council will work closely with suppliers Greenham to use their carbon calculator and ensure that the purchase of the PPE is sustainable, with discussions to take place as to how future procurement could also be carbon-neutral.

Renfrewshire Council Leader Iain Nicolson said: “We’ve set an ambitious target of Renfrewshire becoming net-zero by 2030 and to reach this we will need to make major changes across the region, but within the Council we want to take every opportunity possible to make a difference.

“It’s great to see that our waste teams will be in carbon-neutral PPE and I look forward to working closely with officers to see how we can make our wider procurement process more environmentally friendly.

“It’s important that every decision we take considers climate change as a key factor and we’re committed to reducing our emissions wherever possible.”

Following the declaration of a climate emergency in 2019, Renfrewshire Council created a working group with members of all political parties to make recommendations on how Renfrewshire can become net-zero by 2030, which has now been formalised as the Climate Change Sub-Committee.

The Climate Change Action Fund was created to support innovative projects and initiatives being developed by Council services in response to the climate emergency, with an initial £1million committed to a range of research, feasibility studies and immediate projects.

The Renfrewshire Climate Panel will bring a representative group of residents together to help shape the direction of the Council’s climate change planning and ensure that a collaborative approach can be established between the community and the Council.

For more information on the Council’s work to tackle climate change in Renfrewshire, visit www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/climatechange.

03/11/2021/by Brian McGuire

1. Auchenlodment Primary School Primary 6

Beat the Street Renfrewshire has come to an incredible conclusion after the game came to an end on Wednesday evening.

The game took place across the areas of Bridge of Weir, Elderslie, Houston, Howwood, Kilbarchan, Linwood, Johnstone and Lochwinnoch and invited local residents of all ages to walk, cycle and wheel as far as possible during the six-week challenge in return for prizes.

More than 6,300 people signed up and collectively clocked up 53,100 active travel miles.

The winners are:

Schools – total points:

Fordbank Primary School
Houston Primary School
Thorn Primary School
Auchenlodment Primary School

Schools- average points:

Thorn Primary School
Fordbank Primary School
Howwood Primary School
Houston Primary School

Community and workplace teams – total points:

Active Communities
4^th Johnstone GB
Southend Smoothies

Community and workplace teams – average points:

Active Communities
4^th Johnstone GB
Southend Smoothies

Small teams – total points

The Wild Girls

Individual leaderboard

Oddball

Empowered:

Riverbrae School

Additionally, thanks to the participation of all players, the MND Scotland charity received a donation of £500.

Feedback for the Beat the Street game has been positive with lots of participants getting in touch to say that they have enjoyed walking and cycling more. One player got in touch to say: “Thank you so much for running the game in Houston. My family and I have loved playing. It gave us a focus every day and forced us out in all weathers! We had a lot of fun, and will miss the challenge. I hope you return to Renfrewshire in the future.”

The game has inspired local people to get outside, become more active and to leave the car at home wherever possible, with the hope that this will continue outside of the game too.

Councillor Cathy McEwan, Convener of Renfrewshire Council’s Infrastructure, Land and Environment Policy Board, said: “Beat the Street has been fantastic for the area and we’d like to thank everyone who took part.

“We have seen such passion and commitment from players who have got in touch to tell us their stories about how much they have loved the game and that they will be sorry to see the Beat Boxes go!

“We’ve heard from people who have got fitter, spent more quality time together as a family out and about and have really got to know the local area on foot in a way that you just don’t when you’re driving. We’ve heard lovely anecdotes about people who visited every Beat Box, stories about conversations being struck up and people trying out new activities and getting into healthy habits.

“Congratulations to each and every player who got involved with Beat the Street and took the time to come and visit the Beat Boxes. We hope that people will continue to walk or cycle or school or work and will continue to enjoy being active.”

Beat the Street Renfrewshire has been commissioned by Renfrewshire Council in partnership with Renfrewshire Leisure and is funded by The Scottish Government’s Smarter Choices, Smarter Places programme, administered by Paths for All. It is being delivered by Intelligent Health.

Find out all you need to know at www.beatthestreet.me/renfrewshire and on social media @RenfrewshireBTS

28/10/2021/by Brian McGuire

A transport project improving links between Paisley town centre and Scotland’s manufacturing innovation district AMIDS has secured almost £40million in Levelling Up Funding.

Renfrewshire Council’s AMIDS South project, which includes a 1.7km ‘gateway route’ along the White Cart river, has received £38.7million from the UK Government Levelling Up Fund.

That is the third highest award of all the UK-wide projects being supported in the first round of the fund confirmed by the Chancellor during his UK budget announcement on Wednesday (27 October).

This will provide around 90% of the funding for the project to develop a network of road, cycling and walking links from the town centre train station and bus interchange to Glasgow Airport, AMIDS and onto Inchinnan.

It will also strengthen the links to the significant investment well underway in Paisley town centre cultural venues, which includes a £42million transformation of Paisley Museum and the £22million refurbishment of the town’s A-listed Town Hall, as well as a new learning and cultural hub on the High Street.

Economic projections found the project could bolster the local economy by an additional £136million and cut carbon emissions by 21,700 tonnes while help existing and new companies to grow, creating new job opportunities for years to come.

The gateway route from Paisley town centre along Abercorn Street, Harbour Road and Inchinnan Road to Glasgow Airport and the manufacturing district AMIDS includes new cycle routes and landscaping as well as a bridge crossing at Paisley Harbour for pedestrians, cyclists and road traffic.

Also included in the brief is an east-west road link from Renfrew Road joining onto the new route, increasing connectivity to the manufacturing district and improving accessibility to the proposed new Paisley Grammar community campus, West College Scotland and Gallowhill area as well as the new Scottish Leather Group factory and many other businesses in the Abercorn area.

And traffic calming works on Love Street will improve the environment for local residents and pedestrians, the area benefiting from a reduction in traffic flow due to the new routes.

Funding will also enable improved walking and cycling on Greenock Road between Inchinnan Business Park and AMIDS.

Renfrewshire Council Leader Iain Nicolson said: “Development of Scotland’s manufacturing innovation district AMIDS is a huge coup for Renfrewshire, attracting many new jobs and opportunities and it’s vital that we ensure the infrastructure is in place which enables residents in the surrounding areas to be able to access these jobs.

“This project does just that, better connecting communities to education and employment, enabling economic growth, helping to cut congestion and supporting our commitment for Renfrewshire to be carbon neutral by 2030.

“Clearly, our bid to the Levelling Up fund put forward a compelling case, backed by business, enterprise and education leaders from across Renfrewshire and I’m pleased that we can now progress it and ensure it delivers for our communities.”

Levelling Up fund bids required the support of the constituency MP for the area, and Gavin Newlands MP, said: “This additional funding for the AMIDS South project is welcome and having supported this bid I am now keen to see this project delivered as soon as possible.

“The vision shown by Renfrewshire Council and Scottish Enterprise in developing AMIDS is reaping real rewards for Paisley and Renfrewshire and boosting our local economy through the kind of high-skill, high-value jobs that will drive innovation for the future.

“Combined with the transformational increase in active travel spend recently announced by the Scottish Government, it’s clear Renfrewshire is playing its part in the transition to a net zero society – a world-leading objective in the run up to COP 26 in Glasgow.”

The Council’s bid included letters of support from local businesses, with the infrastructure complementing other works being progressed including an active travel route between Paisley and Renfrew and the Glasgow City Region City Deal funded project building an opening road bridge over the River Clyde at Renfrew.

Bob Grant, Chief Executive of Renfrewshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “Renfrewshire is open for business and is bouncing back from the huge impact of the Coronavirus pandemic. Investment in infrastructure at this scale highlights how something special is happening here and we look forward to the inclusive growth and boost it brings to our local economy.”

Liz Connolly, Principal and Chief Executive of West College Scotland, said: “We are working on plans to develop our Paisley campus and these new transport links will bring great benefits to our students and to the local community accessing our facilities. Having the advanced manufacturing district nearby offers fantastic opportunities for our young people to develop their skills here and it’s pleasing that everyone will have greater choice to walk and cycle to their studies.”

28/10/2021/by Brian McGuire

A financial plan setting out how more than 1,000 new affordable homes will be built in Renfrewshire by 2027 has been given the go-ahead by councillors.

Members of Renfrewshire’s Communities Housing and Planning Board this week approved the area’s latest Strategic Housing Investment Plan, which sets out where the council and its housing association partners plan to build in the next five years.

Renfrewshire is expected to receive more than £90m of grant support from the Scottish Government to help build affordable housing in that time and the SHIP sets out how that money will be used.

Some of the projects to be part-funded through the programme which are set to complete in 2022 or 2023, include:

– 101 new council homes in Ferguslie Park and 39 at Auchengreoch Road in Johnstone;

– 131 new homes in Glenburn in Paisley by Sanctuary Scotland and Paisley Housing Association for social rent and low-cost ownership;

– 58 social rented homes within Bishopton’s Dargavel Village by Loretto Housing Association

– the final phase work to bring the former Arnotts site in Paisley back into use, with Link Group building 81 new flats to add to those already built;

– the next phase of a long-term plan to transform Paisley’s west end, with Sanctuary Scotland building 22 new homes in Sutherland Street and 13 in Underwood Lane;

– a social housing development of 42 homes at Albert Road in Renfrew by Williamsbugh Housing Association;

The plan also includes a shadow programme of other planned projects which could be funded if others do not progress as expected.

The new homes will build on the success of recently-completed developments such as the council’s award-winning development of 95 new homes in Johnstone Castle and the 132 new homes built by Sanctuary Scotland on the site of St Mirren’s former Love Street stadium.

All new homes will be built to high energy-efficiency standards – to help residents save money on fuel bills and contribute to the area’s targets to tackle climate change.

Councillor Marie McGurk, convener of Renfrewshire Council’s Communities, Housing and Planning Policy Board, said: “We want Renfrewshire to continue to thrive as an attractive place for people to live and to move to.

“Key to that is making sure there is a supply of new housing people can afford, whether buying one, or as a tenant of the council or one of our housing association partners.

“This plan sets out how we will do that, while making sure there is a range of different size and type of house in each area, and which meets the different and changing needs of local people.

“It’s a really positive plan for the future of housing in Renfrewshire and I look forward to seeing the projects it contains develop over the years ahead.”

28/10/2021/by Brian McGuire

Paisley Halloween Festival presents Out of this World poster

Paisley’s award-winning Halloween celebrations return this week – but with a twist for 2021.

This year, Paisley Halloween Festival presents Out of this World – a free, spectacular trail featuring installations and light displays centred around Paisley Abbey, Town Hall and the White Cart River.

The town centre will be transformed into an immersive ‘otherworldly’ experience across five-days from Thursday 28 October until Monday 1 November – illuminated from 5pm-10pm for visitors to enjoy safely at a time that suits them.

Visitors will be able to marvel at a series of twelve installations and light shows, including an alien invasion, rockets and spacecrafts, creatures from the deep and a constellation of stars.

The family-friendly trail will take approximately an hour to walk around and is accessible for all abilities. Event goers can pick their own starting point, map their own journey and set their own pace round the intergalactic showcase.

There will be no parade at the event but this year’s Paisley Halloween Festival will be a journey that will take you out of this world!

Paisley Halloween Festival is supported by EventScotland through Scotland’s Year of Coasts and Waters 20/21 and Scotland’s Events Recovery Fund.

To celebrate the Year of Coasts and Waters 20/21 the area around the town’s White Cart River will be transformed into the centrepiece of the Out of this World experience. Talented artists have been commissioned to develop stunning installations that will shine a spotlight on the river that runs through the heart of the town – making it a must-visit spot on the trail for locals and visitors.

Spectacular displays which will dazzle visitors include ‘Nova’ and ‘Ursula Lassos the Moon’, created by Studio Vertigo. The ‘Nova’ sculpture is based on the mystical Star of the East, which astronomers now believe was actually a nova – while the mysterious and enchanting ‘Ursula Lassos the Moon’ structure will be found on the White Cart River itself, showcasing the divine beauty and spiritual power of the Moon.

Mike Jones’ ‘Orionids’ installation will echo the breath-taking beauty of a meteor shower cascading across the White Cart River, creating an enchanting web of light on the water.

Inspired by the twin Voyager 1 and 2 spacecrafts launched into space by NASA in 1977, Mick Stephenson’s ‘Earthship1’ is a strong symbol of hope for a brighter, more sustainable future. The spacecraft will contain a special cargo of hopeful messages and artworks created by young people and community groups across Renfrewshire, who have imagined a positive future for the planet. The artworks, which take the form of colourful dioramas, will be on display in the body of the spacecraft for visitors to see.

The trail is being delivered by Renfrewshire Council and curated by sustainable, not-for-profit street theatre specialists, Cirque Bijou.

Pauline Allan, Events Manager for Renfrewshire Council, said: “We are looking forward to hosting our Halloween celebrations again in Paisley – and this immersive trail will offer a twist to our annual Halloween Festival.

“We’re delighted to be working with Cirque Bijou and so many acclaimed artists to transform the town centre with these spectacular installations and light displays – which will really come to life when it gets dark. The festival is taking a different shape this year, but we promise there will be lots of exciting and surprising elements that will be Out of this World!

“The trail will be available for everyone to enjoy across five days, with more opportunity for locals and visitors to experience the fun in a safe way and at a time that suits them. We encourage everyone visiting to share their stunning photos with us by using #paisleyhalloween or tagging @paisleyhalloweenfestival on Instagram.”

Paisley Halloween Festival is widely regarded as one of the best events of its kind in the UK – and was named Best Cultural Event or Festival at the 2019/20 Scottish Thistle Awards West Scotland regional finals, organised by VisitScotland.

To find out more about Paisley Halloween Festival presents Out of this World, please visit https://paisley.is/featured_event/halloween/

25/10/2021/by Brian McGuire

Find out how you can join in this year’s Halloween festivities by decorating and lighting up your windows

As part of Paisley Halloween Festival presents Out of This World, you can get involved by registering your otherworldly decorations and creations as part of a special Window Wanderland trail.