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Oor Wullie gets a new name after Paisley Pattern makeover

MFG Bucket intu Braehead

THE iconic cartoon character Oor Wullie has been given a new name.

He’s been dubbed Oor Buddie after his statue in the middle of one of Scotland’s largest shopping centres had his shirt and dungarees painted in the famous Paisley Pattern design.

MFG Bucket intu Braehead

Staff at the intu Braehead shopping centre then gave Oor Wullie the new nickname and yesterday Renfrewshire Provost Lorraine Cameron visited the mall to see the Oor Buddie statue after its Paisley Pattern makeover.

The statue is on display in the mall until the end of this month after intu Braehead became one of the sponsors of the Oor Wullie’s BIG Bucket Trail to raise money for the Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity.

The charity has also been given space in the mall to raise awareness and collect donations towards the vital work they do.

Provost Cameron said: “I’m proud to be a Buddie and it’s great to welcome such a famous character to our ranks.

“It was a great idea to have Oor Wullie dressed in Paisley Pattern clothes and to paint the wall behind the statue with iconic buildings in the town.”

Provost Cameron added: “I’m sure we’ll see Oor Buddie along with PC Murdoch, Fat Bob, Wee Eck and Soapy Soutar walking along Paisley’s High Street every weekend!”

As part of the sponsorship, intu Braehead also received a smaller statue that they have gifting to Riverbrae School, in Linwood for the pupils there to decorate with their own designs. This has also gone on display in the shopping centre before going back to the school.

Community development manager for intu Braehead, Lydia Brown said: “We thought we would jazz up Oor Wullie’s dungarees and shirt by giving them a Paisley Pattern design.

“And when we saw the fantastic results of the makeover it was obvious he needed a new name.

“We’ve had lots of people taking selfies and photographs of family and friends sitting on the bucket we’ve placed beside Oor Buddie, so he’s certainly been a very popular attraction in the centre.”

Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity supports babies, children and young people being treated at the city’s Royal Hospital for Children. Other charities benefitting from Oor Wullie’s BIG Bucket Trail in other parts of Scotland are Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity and the ARCHIE Foundation.

Kirsten Sinclair, Chief Operating Officer at Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity, said: “Oor Wullie’s BIG Bucket Trail has been such a hit with the public this summer, and we’re incredibly grateful to intu Braehead for their support in bringing a sculpture to the centre.

“It’s thanks to the generosity of sponsors that the trail has been made possible, and we hope that lots of trail-goers manage to visit the centre before the trail closes at the end of the month.

“The vital awareness and funds raised by the trail will help Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity support nearly 200,000 patients each year, and we’re very grateful for everyone’s support.”

Prints and postcards of the statue have been created by the artist, Shona Heaney, which are on sale at charity’s pop-up shop at intu Braehead.

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It’s play time as Howwood Public Park is awarded £50,000

howwood playpark

Young people and families are set to benefit as £50,000 is invested in Howwood Public Park for brand-new play equipment.

Skateboard ramps, a zip slide, football goals and an outdoor gym are on their way after Howwood Community Council’s application to the Green Spaces, Parks and Play Areas and Villages Investment Fund was accepted.

howwood playpark

The £1.87million fund aims to regenerate and make physical and environmental improvements to areas across Renfrewshire identified by the local community and, having consulted local residents, the Community Council found there was a strong desire for improved equipment for young people in Howwood.

Gillian Whyte, Howwood Community Council, said: “When the Green Spaces, Parks and Play Areas Fund became available from Renfrewshire Council, it created an opportunity for us to acquire the facilities the park has been lacking.

“We consulted with the community to find out what facilities they wanted to see in Howwood Park and they told us they wanted play equipment for older children, new football goals, an outdoor gym, ramps for scooters and skateboards, and new picnic tables and bins.

“We believe the introduction of these facilities will result in the park being used significantly more by the community and will provide many health, well-being and social benefits for the villagers, along with increased social cohesion.

“The future of Howwood Park is a positive one, thanks to the catalyst that was the ‘Green Spaces, Parks and Play Areas Fund’.”

The funding award follows a £50,000 investment by Renfrewshire Council to improve the play area surface, as well as upgrading the drainage and perimeter fencing in the park.

Councillor Marie McGurk, Convener of Renfrewshire Council’s Communities, Housing and Planning Policy Board, said: “It’s fantastic to see the enthusiasm behind this project and it’s going to make a huge difference to the park when the new equipment is in place.

“We want to ensure that families and young people have a place to visit and play in that’s close to where they live as it forges a real community spirit in the area and this new equipment will mean that they don’t have to go further afield to enjoy time with their loved ones.

“Projects like this are a prime example of how the fund can benefit our communities so if you’ve got an idea then get in touch and we’ll support you to apply.”

Awards from the fund will assist in bringing in external funding, increase community participation in local areas and encourage the process of transferring assets to local communities.

Each application must show it has consulted the local community to ensure there is a need and desire for the project and that it would improve community life.

£370,000 has been ringfenced from the overall £1.87million fund specifically for investment in Renfrewshire’s villages, through the Villages Investment Fund, and applications for this must show that they will strengthen the unique identity, heritage and character of village life.

For more information and to find out how to apply, visit www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/greenspacesfund.

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Ferguslie young people will transform their local park thanks to £50,000 investment

Pals of the Privies

Glencoats Park in Paisley is set to be transformed after local volunteer group Pals of the Privies secured a £50,000 investment.

The group applied to Renfrewshire Council’s Green Spaces, Parks and Play Areas and Villages Investment Fund to upgrade the play area within the park with a new surface and new equipment.

Pals of the Privies

Focus groups were held with the local schools and nurseries, as well as youth clubs, to identify what type of equipment they would like to see and these plans will now be taken forward by the group as part of the first of three phases to reinvigorate the play opportunities in the park.

Demi Donnell, Pals of the Privies, said: “We’re elated to have received this funding to kick start our play park project.

“We are now able to begin to introduce accessible and age appropriate equipment to meet the needs of our entire community.

“Our group is so thankful to Renfrewshire Council for this help it has made all of our hard work worthwhile.

“We hope to continue with our play park improvements with two further stages, introducing parkour style equipment in to the park much to the delight of the local children and the commencement of stage one of the improvement has given us such excitement for the future.”

The group were established as part of the Team Up to Clean Up campaign which aims to enhance community pride in Renfrewshire and the park has been transformed as a result.

Through hard work and dedication, the volunteers litter picked and cleared overgrown vegetation to return it to a welcoming environment for families in the local area.

Councillor Marie McGurk, Convener of Renfrewshire Council’s Communities, Housing and Planning Policy Board, said: “The Pals of the Privies group have been an inspiration since they were established, and they have transformed Glencoats Park back into a thriving community space.

“This funding will allow them to continue this transformation and provide young people and families with a place to play and spend time in as a community, and I can’t wait to see it progress.

“If you’ve got a similar idea and enthusiasm, please get in touch with the team and we’ll support you to make your application.”

The £1.87million fund aims to regenerate and make physical and environmental improvements to areas across Renfrewshire identified by the local community.

Awards from the fund will assist in bringing in external funding, increase community participation in local areas and encourage the process of transferring assets to local communities.

Each application must show it has consulted the local community to ensure there is a need and desire for the project and that it would improve community life.

£370,000 has been ringfenced from the overall £1.87million fund specifically for investment in Renfrewshire’s villages, through the Villages Investment Fund, and applications for this must show that they will strengthen the unique identity, heritage and character of village life.

For more information and to find out how to apply, visit www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/greenspacesfund.

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Renfrewshire sends 2000 tonnes less to landfill thanks to new recycling system

bins

Renfrewshire’s new recycling system has seen a reduction of almost 2000 tonnes of household waste sent to landfill than the same period last year.

From January to July 2019, 15,187.75 tonnes were disposed of compared to 17,163.44 in 2018 – a reduction of 11.5%.

bins

This coincided with a 42.6% increase in the amount of food and garden waste recycled and almost 7000 tonnes of blue and green bin recycling was diverted from landfill during this period.

This has enabled the council to post its highest ever recycling rate of 52.3% in the year to date.

Councillor Cathy McEwan, Convener of Renfrewshire Council’s Infrastructure, Land and Environment Policy Board, said: “We thank everyone for their efforts in using the new recycling system and we hope to see even more success in the future in raising our recycling rate and reducing the amount of waste that goes to landfill.

“It’s extremely important that we consider our environment and by taking the time to recycle you really are making a difference.

“We’ll support you however we can to recycle more, and more efficiently, so please get in touch or visit our website for more information on what should and should not go into your bins.”

The new collection service was introduced to more than 90,000 households in November 2018, with homes given an additional recycling bin for plastics, cans and glass, and the service will be rolled out to areas of Erskine which required a more tailored approach later this month.

Councillor McEwan added: “With a change of this size affecting almost every home in Renfrewshire, it was clear that there would be teething problems but we’ve worked tirelessly with residents to resolve any issues and the new service has now bedded in.

“We appreciate that changes such as this take time to become normality, but we will continue to be available for residents to answer any queries and ensure we are providing them with the best possible bin collection service.”

The new service was supported by a campaign to reduce the amount of rubbish sent to landfill by encouraging residents to recycle and think about what they are placing in their general waste bin.

Information was sent directly to every home outlining the new collection system and a new section of the council website was created to support this and explain how it will affect residents and ensure they know what should and should not go into each bin.

In addition, residents can now go online to check their next four collections, download a calendar into their smartphone and sign up for email reminders which arrive the day before the next bin is due out.

Waste advisers are also available to discuss any issues that residents have and can be contacted via mybins@renfrewshire.gov.uk.

For more information, visit www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/mybins.

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Paisley in Motion

town hall

This small video was taken in and around Paisley for us by Paisley Buddie Drone Flights (no drones were used this time).

It shows a lot of local landmarks and is created in a way which is called motion capture, sit back and enjoy. This is the first video they have created so lessons learned and they will only get better…

You can see the drone videos created by Paisley Buddie Drone Flights by clicking here.

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Dee Dental Paisley

Dee Dental Paisley

5 County Place

Just across from Paisley Gilmour train station and The Last Post pub.

In June 2019 Dr Dinah Naasan took over the practice and has been modernising our surgeries and has introduced a fully computerized system with the very best in digital imaging. The practice has also had a makeover and we have invested in the best equipment to allow us to provide the highest level of care to our patients on the NHS and privately.

At Dee Dental we provide a range of services from routine dental exams right through to complex dental implants, braces, mini smile makeovers, cosmetic and aesthetic procedures and also teeth whitening.

Dr Dinah Naasan, a qualified dentist, is fully trained in anti-wrinkle treatments and dermal fillers and has been providing treatments since 2015 in both Glasgow and Perth.

We currently have our summer teeth whitening offer, with it only running until the end of August at this amazing price of £149 grab it while you can!! :D  t&c’s apply please do not hesitate to contact us to book in for a consultation on 0141 889 2741 or you can also book online at www.deedentalpaisley.co.uk

Head on over to our facebook or Instagram page for more information, pictures and videos on our wide range of treatments and also keep an eye out for our competitions running on our facebook page!! :D  – Dee Dental Paisley

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CSR Financial Services

csr financial services

Colin Roe whom has just started up CSR Financial Services Colin writes.

I started my career In Property Management working with a well known Property Factor. After 9 Years I started with LET it and spent a further 20 Years growing now successful Letting Agents covering West Central Scotland.

csr financial services

Recently changes in the rental market have launched the business into Sales and Mortgage Advice which allow us to cover all aspects of property purchase from finance to sales, letting and business protection.

I have built a career on providing honest advice to clients and enjoy problem-solving for customers.

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STAR Project awarded £20,000 to create wellbeing labyrinth in Paisley park

Fountain Gardens

A project to build a labyrinth designed to improve wellbeing and mental health in a Paisley park has received support from Renfrewshire Council’s Community Empowerment Fund.

The STAR Project has been awarded £20,000 from the fund to build the labyrinth in Fountains Gardens. A community asset transfer for the site is currently underway.

Fountain Gardens

It follows the group’s successful Labyrinth of Light project earlier this year, which highlighted the benefits walking labyrinths can have on mental health and wellbeing. The group will carry out a piece of research as part of the new labyrinth project which aims to provide further evidence that creativity can help reduce mental health symptoms.

The funding will allow building work on the labyrinth, which is being designed by artist Jim Buchanan, to begin.

The group hopes the new art installation, which is being created in partnership with Create Paisley, Recovery Across Mental Health (RAMH) and Engage Renfrewshire, will open to the public in the autumn.

Sharon McAuley, Project Manager at The STAR Project, said: “I’m absolutely thrilled. For us, this project is about using creativity to improve wellbeing and involving the community in creating a beautiful piece of public art that will become an asset.

“We’ve never created anything this permanent or huge before. Walking the labyrinth will promote health and people being in green spaces, tap into our heritage and history, and improve community wellbeing.

“It will leave an ongoing legacy. I think people who take part in the labyrinth will feel better able to overcome their barriers and realise more of their potential, it will build resilience and wellbeing and increase the sense of pride and belonging in the community.”

The final labyrinth design will incorporate the Paisley Pattern and wildflowers as well as stones that have been painted and decorated by the local community.

A number of groups have already expressed an interest in using the labyrinth for activities and Sharon hopes it will also attract tourists to Paisley.

She added: “I think this project will be really exciting. The labyrinth will improve an area that’s not used hugely because of where it is in Fountain Gardens and will encourage visitors.

“There is a worldwide labyrinth locator and people do travel all over the world to visit them so I think it will bring in more visitors to Paisley.”

The £1.5million Community Empowerment Fund was set up in 2018 and provides grants to community groups that want to take over ownership and the running of a publicly owned building or piece of land in their local area through Community Asset Transfer. It is currently in its sixth round of funding, with applications to the seventh round of the fund closing on Tuesday 3 September 2019.

Councillor Marie McGurk, convener of Renfrewshire Council’s Communities, Housing & Planning Policy Board, said: “This is a fantastic project that will have lasting benefits for the people of Renfrewshire.

“We launched this fund in 2018 because we wanted to work with community groups and empower them to transform their local areas. This project is a great example of what can be done when a group works with local people to find a creative approach to address an issue like mental health which is becoming more prevalent in today’s society.”

STAR Project was not the only group to receive money in the latest round of the Community Empowerment Fund. Paisley Opera also received £6,700 to develop a business plan to create a community hub and rehearsal space in the East End of Paisley, while the 18th Paisley & District (Coats) Scout Group and Foxbar Community Garden & Environmental Projects Group were each awarded £10,000 to carry out feasibility studies into new community facilities in Foxbar.

To find out how to apply to the Community Empowerment Fund, visit http://www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/CommunityEmpowermentFund. If you want to find out more about the fund or you have an idea you would like to discuss before applying, contact Kellie Miller, Community Empowerment Lead, on 0141 618 3920.

For more information about mental health services in Renfrewshire, visit http://www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/article/2473/Mental-health.

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Paisley Opera proposal to turn ex-army barracks into community hub receives Community Empowerment funding

Whitehaugh Barracks

A proposal to turn an ex-army barracks into a community hub and rehearsal space has received funding from Renfrewshire Council.

Paisley Opera has been awarded £6,700 from the council’s Community Empowerment Fund to carry out a commercial building survey, community consultation and develop a business plan for the former Whitehaugh Barracks in the East End of Paisley.

Whitehaugh Barracks

The group, which currently rehearses in church halls across Paisley, launched two years ago with the aim of introducing opera music to people who would not normally listen to it. It now has over 50 members in its community chorus and is working with local schools to start a children’s chorus.

Pat Kelly, Treasurer of Paisley Opera, said: “Having this facility in the East End of Paisley would be fabulous for us.

“We’ve been successful at getting people to sing with us over the last couple of years, we’ve generates a fair amount of interest and our two full-scale performances have been very well received and attended. What we need now is a space where we can rehearse.”

Paisley Opera now intends to carry out a commercial building survey to check the building is suitable for their purposes before consulting with the community on their plans for the ex-barracks. The group will also have to apply for a Community Asset Transfer for the plans to go ahead.

whitehaugh barracks

Pat added: “We don’t want this building for ourselves, we want it to be a facility for people of all ages in the area.

“We want to carry out a community consultation to see what the people of Paisley really want to do with this building and whether they support our ideas. We’ve got a list of what we think people would like but, at the end of the day, it’s the community that will decide what goes in there. We have the expertise in-house to manage the building but we’ll be guided by what the community want to do with it.

“We are very excited about the project, it’s perfect for our purposes. If configured properly, it could be a very welcoming place.”

The £1.5million Community Empowerment Fund was set up in 2018 and provides grants to community groups that want to take over ownership and the running of a publicly owned building or piece of land in their local area through Community Asset Transfer. It is currently in its sixth round of funding, with applications to the seventh round of the fund closing on Tuesday 3 September 2019.

Councillor Marie McGurk, convener of Renfrewshire Council’s Communities, Housing & Planning Policy Board, said: “I’m delighted Paisley Opera has received this funding from the Community Empowerment Fund.

“The work the group is doing to introduce children and adults in Renfrewshire to opera music is fantastic. This money will allow them to expand their work while also creating a new hub that will make a difference to the lives of local people in Paisley’s East End.”

Paisley Opera was not the only group to receive money in the latest round of the Community Empowerment Fund. The STAR Project also received £20,000 to build a labyrinth in Fountain Gardens in Paisley, while the 18th Paisley & District (Coats) Scout Group and Foxbar Community Garden & Environmental Projects Group were each awarded £10,000 to carry out feasibility studies into new community facilities in Foxbar.

To find out how to apply to the Community Empowerment Fund, visit http://www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/CommunityEmpowermentFund. If you want to find out more about the fund or you have an idea you would like to discuss before applying, contact Kellie Miller, Community Empowerment Lead, on 0141 618 3920.

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Mark will do Paisley 10k and keep on running!

mark kirkham 2

MARK Kirkham has pledged to keep on running even after he crossed the finishing line in Sunday’s Paisley 10k Race, tomorrow. (Sunday, August 18)

The exiled Paisley Buddie returns to his home town in a bid to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support.

mark kirkham 2

But his lung-bursting efforts won’t stop there, as he aims to complete an amazing 50 10k races during his 50th year to raise £50,000 for the charity.

Mark who turned 50 in May, lives in Pembrokeshire, Wales and the Paisley 10k is race number 16 in his year-long bid to give the charity a good run for their money.

The former Sacred Heart pupil, who grew up in Ferguslie and Dykebar areas of the town, decided to raise money for the charity after they helped both his mum, Maura and dad, Billy before they sadly died from cancer several years ago.

Mark said: “I’ve wanted to do something to say thanks to Macmillan Cancer Support for being there for both my parents in the last stage of their lives.

“The charity provided support and comfort, not just for my mum and dad, but also for my family during these times and beyond.

“They gave us all kinds of support from physically helping, giving advice to access other forms of support, right down to offering a shoulder to cry on.”

And he revealed it was a 50th birthday gift from his sister, Sharon that led to him travelling the 300 miles to take part in the Paisley 10k.

“Sharon bought me a ticket to see The Cure when they play Glasgow this Friday.|” he explains. “And when I discovered that the Paisley 10k was only two days later, I thought I would include the Paisley 10k as one of my 50 races.

“I only moved to Wales four years ago, so I know the 10k Race course very well and I hope to complete the run in around 50 minutes.”

Renfrewshire Leisure is organising the Paisley 10k and Fun Run, which has the Armed Forces veterans’ charity, Erskine as the official charity partner.

Mark will be joined in the race by Paisley Buddies, Elaine Allan, Craig Corbett and Alan Coombes, who are also raising money for Macmillan Cancer Support.

And if anyone would like to sponsor Mark, they can pledge money on his JustGiving Pagewww.justgiving.com/fundraising/50at50for50 .

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