Martin Kitts-Hayes

ABERDEENSHIRE-WIDE

For the latest news and developments in community planning in Aberdeenshire see http://www.ouraberdeenshire.org.uk

The Community Planning Partnership is to review, refine and ensure that the Single Outcome Agreement reflects local priorities at a prioritisation meeting to be held on 6 February.

NHS Grampian are currently reviewing maternity provision in Grampian, including a proposed new facility at Inverurie. The consultation period runs until 22 March 2012

http://www.nhsgrampian.org/nhsgrampian/gra_display_simple_index.jsp;jsessionid=16DB1C3A1BE6ECF44797ED6A6C4CD82E?p_service=Content.show&pContentID=7171&p_applic=CCC&

GARIOCH-WIDE

The Garioch Community Planning Group held its meeting of 25 January 2012 in Newmachar and heard presentations from Wildlife-in-Newmachar, Newmachar Community Council and Newmachar Community Hall Committee (for more details see Ward.12 Section). The next meeting will be held on 7 March 2012 in Inverurie.

The Garioch Community Kitchen at the Wyness Hall, Inverurie will be officially opened at 12.30pm on Wednesday 8 February 2012 by Cllr Martin Kitts-Hayes, Chair of Garioch Area Committee. On the day, the kitchen will be open from 10.00am – 3.00pm to allow groups and members of the community to drop-in, have a look around or have a go as a full programme of hourly taster sessions will be running throughout the day. For further information on the Opening day or if you wish to sign up for any of the courses on offer please contact Janette Gascoine, Kitchen Development Worker on 07841025176.

Garioch Partnership Steering Group together with consultants Kay Diack and Fiona Wilson launched the new Garioch Partnership at a well attended event held at the Kintore Arms, Inverurie on 26 January 2012. Attendees were asked to consider the role and remit for the Partnership and it is envisaged the Partnership will be in place from April 2012.

Aberdeenshire Council is holding its next Community Engagement Event for community and business representatives for Garioch in a joint event with Formartine on Wednesday 22 February 2012 at Turriff Academy at 6.30pm.

Up-to-date Garioch Community Plan 2010/14 Monitoring Tables can be viewed on

http://www.ouraberdeenshire.org.uk/images/media/document_library/minutes/local_groups/garioch/as%20at%2011-10-21%20web%20version.pdf.pdf

WARD 10 (West Garioch)
Grampian Police have funded the purchase of a pc for the new Youth Room at Bennachie Leisure Centre, Insch.

Pitcaple Environmental Project has been awarded a Green Butterfly Award by the Aberdeenshire Environmental Forum. Since 1991 the Aberdeenshire Environmental Forum has held the ‘Green Butterfly Awards’ to recognise the work done by groups and individuals who look after the natural heritage and enhance and protect the environment.

WARD 11 (Inverurie & District)

Go Local, a new campaign aimed at supporting and encouraging local cultural organisations and businesses to work together to develop, promote and sustain the vibrancy of cultural life in their own area, and to raise public awareness of the quality and variety of cultural pursuits available on their own doorstep, will be in Inverurie on 16 February 2012. Development Manager, Jacqui Shortland, will be outlining what Go Local can bring to Inverurie at the Council Chamber, Gordon House at 7.00pm and local organisations and businesses are invited. For more information contact Sheila Waterhouse, Aberdeenshire Council Arts Development Officer, on 01467 628379.
Alzheimer Scotland has set up a monthly Inverurie Dementia Café at the Kintore Arms, Inverurie. The cafes will be open on the third Thursday of every month from 10.30am – 12.30pm and is open to those with dementia, their families and carers. The next café will be on 16 February 2012. For more information contact Susanna Paterson, Alzheimer Scotland Dementia Advisor on Tel: 01467 629292 Mob: 7731772764 email: spaterson@alzscot.org

WARD 12 (East Garioch)

At its meeting of 25 January 2012 held at Newmachar, Garioch Community Planning Group heard of plans by the Community Hall Committee for a new facility to include a 3-court badminton hall, amenity rooms and a community café and concerns regarding the raising of funds, and.was given a tour of the existing Hall. Rona Ross-Thomson of Wildlife-in-Newmachar spoke of the development of the site, the work being done with the local primary school, Beavers and Scouts and of the on-going support received from the local community and businesses. The Secretary of the Newmachar Community Council spoke of the achievements of and challenges facing the Community Council in its election year. The Newmachar News was highlighted as a major success and the importance of ensuring the community’s views were sought and known on all local issues was stressed. Frustration was expressed by residents that due to the proximity of the village to Dyce Airport the community were unable to benefit from the erection of wind turbines and called for equity across the shire.

Following the closure of the Local Hub in Kintore, landlords Langstane Housing Association’s New Initiatives Manager, Matthew Reid, has expressed support for the early re-opening of the premises as a community facility, emphasising this would be largely dependant upon it being rented to the extent it is self financing. Interest is being sought and assessed, therefore, in possible usage of the Hub as a meeting venue, at a cost of approximately £8.00 per hour, by groups or individuals – if by mid-April there is insufficient demand for local community use, Langstane Housing Association may market it for commercial use, or perhaps convert it to residential accommodation. Anyone interested in using the premises on this basis is asked to contact Kintore Konnect at 634772 or info@kintoreconnect.org.uk or to leave details in Kintore Post Office, indicating when and how often you may wish to use the facility.

WARD 13 (Westhill & District)

A Stagecoach representative will be attending the next Westhill & Elrick Community Council meeting to be held on Thursday 6 February 2012 in the Staff Room at Westhill Academy at 7.00pm to hear views of their service from the community and suggestions for improvement.

This newsletter has been sent to: Garioch Community Planning Group, Garioch Councillors, Aberdeenshire Council’s Area Management Team, Garioch Community Councils, Business Association, Garioch & North Marr Community Safety Group, Community Development Groups, Voluntary Sector Agencies and Community Groups
website: www.ouraberdeenshire.org.uk

Community Planning Officer: Jill Sowden (01467 628338) or jill.sowden@aberdeenshire.gov.uk

NHS Grampian would like to hear the views of women, families, the public, staff and other interested parties on proposals for the maternity service in Grampian.

An Option Appraisal was carried out earlier this year as one part of a wider, ongoing review of the NHS Grampian maternity service. The review aims to support staff to continue to improve the quality of care they provide to women and families, both now and in the future.

The Option Appraisal group involved women, clinicians and managers, working together to consider different ways the maternity service could be provided. The Board of NHS Grampian has now discussed the Option Appraisal results and has agreed to conduct a formal consultation on the proposals.

The consultation paper explains the proposals. It is being circulated widely, for example, to women and families, voluntary organisations, Community Councils, MPs and MSPs, libraries and community centres. NHS Grampian would like to give everyone an opportunity to comment on the proposals and will also consider other suggestions put forward during the consultation. You can give your views in a number of ways by:
- Completing the feedback questionnaire
- Emailing your comments to nhsg.consult@nhs.net
- Sending your comments by post to Freepost, NHS Grampian.
- Attending one of the staff briefing sessions
- Coming to one of the community open meetings being held across Grampian

The community meetings are open to members of the public and will offer an opportunity to find out more about, and give views on, the proposals. Meetings will be held in Aberdeen, Aboyne, Banff, Elgin, Fraserburgh, Huntly, Inverurie, Peterhead and Stonehaven.

To request more copies of the consultation paper (full or summary version) and feedback questionnaire, or to find out about your nearest open meeting:
- Go to www.nhsgrampian.org/maternityreview
- Email nhsg.consult@nhs.net
- Phone 01224 550950

I had great pleasure to-day in presenting this year’s awards at the Holiday Inn in Westhill.

Best Bar None is an awards scheme for licensed premises currently running in locations across the UK. The scheme provides an opportunity for licensees to demonstrate to official agencies just how well they manage their own businesses. Aberdeenshire has been involved in the scheme since 2007.

The Best Bar None scheme has a number of aims, including:

Reducing the risk of alcohol related harm, disorder and crime
Establishing a benchmark for good practice in licensed trade premises
Identifying and rewarding responsible operators and share their good practice with others
Raising public awareness of the benefits of choosing to use well run licensed premises
Creating a positive vehicle for all sectors of the night time economy to work together in partnership.

Awards were presented to:

• The Royal Hotel, Stonehaven Silver
• The Grange Inn, Peterhead Silver
• The Fishie Pub, Fetterangus Silver
• The Commercial Hotel, Cuminestown Silver
• Station Bar, Peterhead Silver
• Commercial Hotel, Aberchirder Silver
• Market Arms, Banff Silver
• Cross Keys, Peterhead Gold
• Harbour Lights, Peterhead Gold
• Palace Hotel, Peterhead Gold
• Cheers Café Bar & Tavern, Fraserburgh Gold
• Holiday Inn, Westhill Gold
• The Colquhonnie House Hotel, Strathdon Gold

” Best Bar None was introduced to promote and maintain an inclusive national Awards Scheme for all licensed premises, building on good practice and leading to an enhanced customer experience.
The scheme focuses on safety and customer care, and gives each licensed venue the opportunity to prove it meets a standard of operation set in consultation with the government and alcohol industry at a national level. It rewards safe and well-managed licensed venues with the presentation of a display plaque which can be used to promote the venue. The overall aim of the initiative is for partner agencies to work together with licensed premises to create safer and more welcoming town centre environments.
The Awards are based on core national standards with local flexibility to ensure they address local need.

This initiative is sponsored by Diageo who is represented here today and the Scottish Business Crime Centre, also represented, which is very supportive of all those organising this project. The Aberdeenshire Community Safety Partnership would like to convey their thanks for all the assistance, both financially and practically, they have received “.

Any Aberdeenshire Licensed premises who would like to apply for the 2013 Best Bar None awards or the Designated Driver Scheme should contact Kate Rigby, Strategic Development Officer (Community Safety), on (01224) 748994, or email: kate.rigby@aberdeenshire.gov.uk. The Aberdeenshire scheme is supported by Aberdeenshire Community Safety Partnership, the Scottish Business Crime Centre and is sponsored by Diageo.