30 10 430 https://glenkensarchive.scot/glenkens_archive/files/original/20/609/GetGlenkensOffOil_DomesticDraftReport_FINALv4_cover.jpg 57c303d80a834c7f79ce1112de8af75d https://glenkensarchive.scot/glenkens_archive/files/original/20/609/CAP_Theme4_GetGlenkensOffOil_Domestic_DraftReport_FINAL_v5.pdf d1e1267d4110322927f68fd1300336e2 PDF Text Text pdftext_placeholder Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Community Action Plan Description An account of the resource Documents relating to the Glenkens and District Community Action Plan, initially drawn up by Glenkens & District Trust in 2020. Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Energy Efficiency & Decarbonisation in Glenkens Buildings - Domestic Building Archetypes Description An account of the resource This report investigates two typical domestic building types common in the Glenkens: “Post-war” – a post 1940’s semi-detached bungalow reflective of housing seen throughout the area; and “Galloway Cottage” – a pre-1919 1.5-storey mid-terrace dwelling constructed of solid walls which make up the majority of the traditional housing stock throughout Glenkens. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CAP_11 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource GCAT Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Natural Power Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2023 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Glenkens & District Trust Relation A related resource <a href="https://glenkensarchive.scot/glenkens_archive/items/show/607" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Energy Efficiency &amp; Decarbonisation in Glenkens Buildings - Community Buildings</span></a> CAP Theme 4 housing https://glenkensarchive.scot/glenkens_archive/files/original/20/610/CAP_SteeringGroup_ToR_2022_cover.jpg 714a7adb5225d5feab7e3f26d1e68068 https://glenkensarchive.scot/glenkens_archive/files/original/20/610/CAP_SteeringGroup_ToR_2022.pdf 58cdd476377c1578c77086a2da02391e PDF Text Text pdftext_placeholder Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Community Action Plan Description An account of the resource Documents relating to the Glenkens and District Community Action Plan, initially drawn up by Glenkens & District Trust in 2020. Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document Glenkens & District Community Action Plan Steering Group Terms of Reference 12th January 2022 Content 1. Purpose 2. Membership / Structure 3. Chair 4. Support 5. Updating the CAP 6. Relationship with the Glenkens & District Trust 7. Relationship with the Glenkens Community & Arts Trust 8. Glenkens Forum/Glenkens Summit 9. Finance 10. Meetings 11. Project Sub-Groups 12. Conflicts of Interest 13. Code of Conduct 14. Media 15. Amendments to these Terms of Reference 1 1. Purpose The purpose of the Community Action Plan Steering Group (CAP SG) is to be the custodian of the Glenkens and District Community Action Plan (the CAP). It will maintain the CAP and agree any updates. Such updates will be based on an evidenced understanding of the community’s needs, achieved through effective communication and engagement with the wider community and by a diverse and representative membership of the Steering Group. The CAP SG will also promote, support and assure delivery of the CAP. Specifically, it will:  Promote the purpose and outcomes of the CAP to local community organisations, private and public organisations, statutory bodies and windfarm developers.  Assess project progress against the CAP delivery plans and take any necessary steps to facilitate the delivery of the CAP and the community priorities set out within it. Including: o Supporting organisations who have taken on actions identified in the CAP. o Stimulating existing / new local organisations to lead on identified themes or actions. o Recommending to Glenkens and District Trust (GDT) when further work needs to be commissioned directly in order to fill a gap.  Facilitate wider community engagement in the updating and delivery of the CAP through e.g. a Glenkens Forum / Glenkens Summit.  Update the CAP as required to reflect feedback from this community engagement.  Communicate effectively to the Glenkens and District community about the progress of the CAP delivery and plans for the future.  Regularly report to GDT about the progress of CAP delivery and about community engagement outputs, so that this information can be taken into account as and when GDT updates its Funding Strategy.  Support the Executive Manager of the Glenkens Community and Arts Trust (GCAT) to deliver their leadership role with respect to delivering and embedding the CAP within the Glenkens and wider communities. 2. Membership / Structure The CAP Steering Group will have no legal structure, and in the first instance will not have a constitution beyond these Terms of Reference. This is because it holds no funds, has no monetary decision-making powers and its purposes as described above can be achieved 2 effectively by a non-incorporated non-constituted group working closely with GDT and the GCAT Executive Manager. There will be a maximum of nine people on the CAP Steering Group. Up to three will be GDT Trustees, up to six will be active members of the community and no more than a third will be GDT Trustees. It is acknowledged that this is a target that may not be realistic to secure in the short term. New members will be sought by public advertisement as and when vacancies become available. Members should normally expect to sit for 3 years and no more than 5. Members should be resident or active in the Glenkens and wider district and have a keen interest in the effective delivery and ongoing relevance of the CAP. In taking up a seat on the CAP Steering Group, all members accept collective responsibility for its aims, decisions and actions. Membership is open to all (as above), and a diversity of life experience that represents the breadth of experiences of living in the Glenkens and wider district will be valued. Geographic diversity will be one criterion used in accepting new members. Proposed new members will also be assessed against a skills audit of the current CAP Steering Group members. Membership of the CAP SG may be revoked by a decision of a majority of the members in the event of 3 consecutive non-attendances at meetings, or less than 50% in a year – not withstanding Apologies. Membership will be revoked by a decision of a majority of the members in the event of material or repeated breaches of the Members’ Code of Conduct by any member – see Section 13. 3. Chair The members of the CAP SG shall elect themselves a Chair from within their membership each year. The Chair will be a Non-GDT Trustee Member, although it is acknowledged that this is a target that may not be realistic to secure in the short term. Independence of the Chair with respect to their CAP SG decision making is important, and therefore managing conflicts of interest should be a consideration when appointing the role. It is unlikely that the Chair of GDT or the Chair of GCAT would meet that criterion. The Chair should normally expect to sit in that role for 2-3 years, but no more than 5. No other office bearers are required, but a Vice-Chair may be elected for the purposes of succession planning. The role of the Chair includes:  Chairing the Steering Group meetings and any other community meetings that arise e.g. Glenkens Forum, Glenkens Summit. 3  Ensuring that meetings are effective, minuted and that papers are circulated in advance.  Promoting and representing the CAP Steering Group to the wider community and supporting all community engagement efforts.  Liaising closely with the Chair of GDT to ensure alignment of strategy and delivery at all times.  Liaising with the Chair of GCAT to support performance by the Executive Manager with respect to their CAP SG duties is as expected.  Maintaining a close working relationship with the GCAT Executive Manager with respect to the delivery of their CAP SG duties. These duties may be delegated to other CAP SG Members occasionally. The Chair should:  Be ambitious for the Glenkens and wider communities and committed to the delivery of the CAP.  Be an effective communicator.  Have the time available for effective delivery of the duties as above (with support as below) 4. Support The CAP SG and the Chair will be supported in achieving their purposes by:  Support from the Executive Manager of GCAT  Any other reasonable administrative or technical support required from GCAT, as agreed with GCAT and subject to there being resources within GCAT to provide this.  Due to the alignment of the GDT funding strategy with the Community Action Plan, funding requests to facilitate action plan delivery will be considered outwith the normal funding cycle if required. All funding requests will be subject to meeting the necessary criteria for award. 5. Updating the CAP Keeping the CAP relevant and reflective of the evolving needs of the Glenkens and wider communities is a key purpose of the CAP Steering Group. The underpinning principle is that updates should always be based on evidence gathered through effective and wide community engagement, not just on the group or individual views of the Steering Group members. 4 The Glenkens Forum and Glenkens Summit (details in Section 8) are the proposed framework that will provide this necessary engagement and therefore evidence. A different framework may prove to be more suitable in time, but should be of a similar level of robustness. The CAP may be updated as often as the Steering Group determines, but current expectations are:  The Themes should be updated every 3-5 years (except in exceptional circumstances), in order to provide a consistent context to the organisations who are delivering the CAP.  The underlying Projects and Actions should be reviewed every year, and may or may not be updated then. Final agreement on updates (inclusion of additional themes / actions, removal of existing themes / actions, re-prioritisation of existing actions etc) should ideally be agreed by consensus. However, the rules (as for all Steering Group decisions) are as per Section 10e. 6. Relationship with the Glenkens and District Trust The aim of this relationship is to ensure that GDT is kept connected with the Glenkens and wider district communities in order to inform their funding strategy, and to ensure that requests from the CAP SG for additional funding are understood in the fullest context. There will be a standing agenda item at both CAP SG and GDT meetings to feed information between the two. A commitment to partnership working and valuing community engagement will be held by both organisations on an ongoing basis to inform their relationship and mutual decision making. 7. Relationship with the Glenkens Community and Arts Trust The CAP SG will have two relationships with GCAT. The first is with GCAT as a delivery organisation, which will be managed by the same processes as are applied to all such organisations contributing to CAP delivery. The second is through the role of the GCAT Executive Manager (GCAT EM). Care should be taken to distinguish between the aspect of their role which is to support the CAP SG in the delivery of their purposes, and their separate role in delivering projects as above. It should also be noted that the CAP SG has no formal line management role with respect to the Executive Manager. Any issues with performance should be taken up with the Chair of GCAT. Notwithstanding that, the expectation is of a cordial and effective working relationship between the GCAT EM and the CAP SG. The Executive Manager will support the strategic work of the Steering Group by ensuring delivery of the majority of the actions decided upon. In time, this may require more resources to achieve the ambition of the SG, but at all points, care should be taken to match the ambition to the capacity of the support available through 5 the EM and any other resources that GCAT can make available. It should be noted that the EM does not work full-time for the CAP SG. In support of the CAP SG achieving its purposes as per Section 1, the GCAT Executive Manager will ensure that the following duties are carried out:  Promote the purpose and outcomes of the CAP in all their dealings with local community organisations, private and public organisations, statutory bodies and windfarm developers.  Provide an update to each Steering Group meeting that will give members the information they need to effectively assess progress against CAP themes and projects. This update should be based on a rolling programme of engagement by the GCAT EM with all delivery organisations. The update will cover evidence of progress and make recommendations for next steps, for review by the Steering Group.  Organise, promote and deliver the Glenkens Forum meetings and Glenkens Summit, based on guiding principles issued by the Steering Group.  At the point that the Steering Group determines that a CAP update is required, create the first draft of the new version.  Maintain a close working relationship with the Chair of the CAP SG. 8. Glenkens Forum / Glenkens Summit a. Glenkens Forum A ‘Glenkens Forum’ will be developed by the CAP Steering Group to ensure broad influence and wider accountability. The Forum should be inclusive, welcoming and clear about its role of engagement and meaningful input. The Forum should meet 3-4 times a year to discuss the progress of the CAP, feed in ideas to the CAP SG and make suggestions for the future. This group is open and has no maximum number. It is important for this forum to be a strong group, as it links accountability for CAP implementation to the local community. The CAP SG will set the outcomes and format for the Forum, and Chair it, with operational support for delivery from the GCAT Executive Manager and additional resources. b. Glenkens Summit A ‘Glenkens Summit’ will be organised by the CAP SG at least annually, with guidance on format and content provided by the Glenkens Forum. The Summit should seek to attract attendance and engagement from an even wider cross-section of the community. The audience and therefore the message of the Summit should be clear at all times and might consist of  Feeding back on progress of the CAP and gaining insight into emerging / existing areas of priority for the community, for incorporation into a CAP update and the GDT funding strategy. 6  Using national or regional speakers to inspire further action within the Glenkens.  Showcasing the progress of the CAP to a national or regional audience. Operational support for delivery of these events will be provided by the GCAT Executive Manager and additional resources as required. 9. Finances The CAP SG will hold no funds and make no funding awards. Its role as described in Section 1, Purposes, will be achieved through the mechanisms and support as described above. 10. a. Meetings Frequency Meetings will be held at a frequency appropriate to the nature of the work. Dates will be set well in advance. b. Location Meetings will take place by videoconference, teleconference or at a suitable venue. Particular consideration should be given to live-streaming or enabling remote participation in community events such as the Glenkens Forum or Glenkens Summit. c. Meeting Arrangements Meetings will be run by the Chair of the Steering Group or their occasional delegate. Where possible, papers will be circulated to Steering Group members one week in advance of meetings. Staff / volunteers from any of the organisations involved in delivery of the CAP may be invited to the meetings as necessary to allow the Steering Group to carry out its oversight duties. The Executive Manager of GCAT will routinely attend these meetings unless requested not to for reasons of conflict of interest. d. Quorum A quorum will be 4 Steering Group members present for the duration of a meeting. Both remote and in-person Members count towards the quorum. e. Decision-making The Steering Group will aim to achieve decisions by consensus. However, where this is not possible, a vote by show of hands or secret ballot will be taken and decisions based on a simple majority. In the event of a tie, the Chair of the meeting will have the casting vote. 7 11. Project Sub-Groups Time-limited project-specific sub-groups will be established as required by the CAP SG. These will operate while substantial projects are running. Sub-groups will be chaired by a member of the CAP SG but may extend membership of the sub-group to other members of the community (not CAP SG members) who have an interest in that particular subject. At least 50% of members of a sub-group plus the Chair should be CAP SG members. 12. Conflicts of interest The CAP SG has a Conflicts of Interest policy. All members will be required to familiarise themselves with the policy and to complete a yearly Declaration of Interests Form. Steering Group members will not participate in decisions regarding any project in which they have a direct interest, although they may contribute to the discussion in advance of a decision. Conflicts of Interest will be a standing agenda item at meetings, and declarations of interests on agenda points will be recorded in the minutes. 13. Code of Conduct The CAP SG has a written Code of Conduct that includes a description of the role of members. All members will be required to sign the Code of Conduct to signify their agreement to it. 14. Media Requests for media interviews should only be carried out by the Chair of the Steering Group or their delegate. If Steering Group Members are approached by the media for information about the CAP, Steering Group or GDT, they should not provide a response themselves but should direct the media contact to the Chair of the Steering Group. a. Social Media If it is deemed necessary to create a separate Social Media brand for the CAP or CAP Steering Group, then a separate policy will likely be needed to manage this. 15. Amendments to these Terms of Reference Amendments or alterations to these Terms of Reference can be made at any time by the Steering Group and voted on as per Section 10e. 8 GDT should be informed about any such changes; the GCAT Chair should be consulted on in advance if the changes materially alter the expectations of the Executive Manager or GCAT by the CAP SG. This document should be reviewed at least annually. Approved by the Chair of GDT and the Chair of GCAT, 12 th January 2022. Next review date: 12th Jan 2023. 9  Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource CAP Steering Group Terms of Reference Description An account of the resource The purpose of the Community Action Plan Steering Group (CAP SG) is to be the custodian of the Glenkens and District Community Action Plan (the CAP). It will maintain the CAP and agree any updates. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CAP_12 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource GCAT Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available CAP Steering Group Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2023 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Glenkens & District Trust CAP https://glenkensarchive.scot/glenkens_archive/files/original/45/611/PartonKirkFeasibilityStudy_cover.jpg 7dd0aabd99ad3825d1edfb12ef996fc8 https://glenkensarchive.scot/glenkens_archive/files/original/45/611/Parton_Kirk_Feasibility_Study_FINAL.pdf eff133c7e80d987470ca8b426acf1207 PDF Text Text pdftext_placeholder Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Contemporary Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document PARTON KIRK as a Community and Science Centre a feasibility study prepared for Parton Community Council by Julian Watson Consultancy April 2023 2 This feasibility study was commissioned by Parton Community Council. It was supported by the Scottish Government’s Rural and Island Communities Idea into Action Fund, delivered by Inspiring Scotland. 3 CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 5 INTRODUCTION: 7 Parton Kirk and its present status Parton and its community Parton, James Clerk Maxwell and his contribution to science CONSIDERING THE BUILDING: Previous architectural study for change of use Updated Building Costs OTHER CONSIDERATIONS The Present Situation A New Village Hall? What is a Visitor Centre? A Different Perspective 7 8 10 13 13 27 29 29 30 31 32 A WIDER COMMUNITY – LOOKING TO THE FUTURE 34 PROPOSAL 36 A Different Enterprise Project Development Conclusions Acknowledgements 36 38 42 44 4 5 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This Study introduces Parton Kirk and its place within its community in Dumfries and Galloway. Its congregation merged with those of Crossmichael and Balmaghie since 2015, Parton Kirk was decommissioned as a formal place of worship in 2022. With the current reduction of dedicated Church of Scotland properties across the country, the sale of the building now seems probable, even imminent. When is not yet clear. The first step towards this outcome, listing by the Presbytery of South West Scotland, has not, as of April 2023, occurred. Parton Community Council have been sensitive to this developing situation for many years. In 2010 they commissioned Ayr-based ARPL Architects Ltd to produce a condition report, which also looked at a wide range of options for change-of-use in the building. This report was revisited in 2017, with the formerly identified, but now single, focus on Parton Kirk continuing - as it was then still constituted to do - as a place of worship for its congregation, and with separate space for displays on the life and work of the globally renowned 19th century scientist, James Clerk Maxwell, who was from the area and who is buried in the graveyard. This present study was commissioned in the context of Parton Kirk’s decommissioning. It was to look at the feasibility of ‘a James Clerk Maxwell Science and Innovation Centre’ in Parton Kirk. The working assumption was that this might be a Visitor Centre dedicated to the scientist, while maintaining a wider community use. It draws on the earlier work by ARPL Architects, which remains current and useful, and investigates the required steps involved in community acquisition of former churches. It looks at what ‘Visitor Centres’ are, how they operate, and the strengths and weaknesses in the model. It provides updated financial estimates of the figures provided in the 2017 report and examines the implications for the community in aspiring to taking on a project such as this. Board members of the James Clerk Maxwell Foundation, members of the Parton community, and members of the wider science and natural sciences community have been consulted. Concurrently, a report on the ‘Parton Strategic Context’ has been produced by One Planet Consulting. This looks at relevant and current National, Regional and Loch Ken area strategies, with a particular eye to future development. Rather than repeat this work, it is recommended that this Feasibility Study is read in conjunction with the Parton Strategic Context Report. While Parton Kirk’s connection to its community is strong and undeniable, former working assumptions for the project can no longer be seen as on target. In the process of reaching this conclusion, however, seeing Parton Kirk’s place in a wider community and centered on a different, more enterprising entity in the building, produces a project founded in the original assumptions but more useful and broader in its remit.This is feasible, but it will require the formation of a Trust to action it, accruing allies and sound business planning to bring it to fruition. 6 7 INTRODUCTION The three subjects in this Introduction - Parton Kirk and its present status, Parton and its community, and Parton, James Clerk Maxwell and his contribution to science - look at the building; its locality and people; and the remarkable man who could be celebrated in the building. A lot of information is available elsewhere on all of these subjects. This is a distillation. The intention is to concentrate on a core of components, oftenlinking, in pursuit of the issue of whether - and in what form - Parton Kirk could be a Community and Science Centre. PARTON KIRK AND ITS PRESENT STATUS ~ Designed by the prominent Dumfries-based architect, Walter Newall, and supervised by local architect and builder, Adam Halliday, Parton Kirk was built over an 18-month period between 1833 and 1834. The first service took place there on 15th June 1834. There was debate about the positioning of the new church, but in the end the site which was chosen was the one that maintained traditional associations with worship for the community. The remains of the 16th century Old Kirk are in the churchyard only a few yards to the south of Parton Kirk. The decrepit condition of that building in 1818 prompted the Presbytery to agree to the new building. The story goes back further. Before the Old Kirk, there was a medieval Barony Chapel nearby and to the southwest, a couple of hundred yards away, is the 12th century Kirkland Motte which took advantage of the same higher ground and wide views across the valley. Parton Kirk is in the heart of a place that is redolent of its history and sense of place. Some people remember uncertainty about the future of Parton Kirk and its congregation in the 1980’s. Parton Community Council’s concern in 2010 to investigate options for change of use in Parton Kirk is evidence that awareness of change was in the air, locally and nationally. In 2019 the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland approved a strategy that required every presbytery to prepare a mission plan by the end of the year on how growing congregations could be enhanced but spending could be cut, and administrational structures dramatically reduced. The fall-out from this has seen many dozens (the number is hard to ascertain) of churches across Scotland, particularly small ones in rural areas, slated for closure and sale. This has had a challenging impact on communities, whether churchgoers or not. Prior to closure, congregations are often amalgamated, as in the case of Parton, Crossmichael and Balmaghie. When a church is eventually ‘decommissioned’, as Parton Kirk was in 2022, a decision on its future rests with its area presbytery. (The number of area presbyteries have themselves been reduced - from 45 to 12). Decision made; it may then be placed on a list by its presbytery. This list is then given to the Church of Scotland central office for the collation of relevant records, prior to handing on to the legal department who initiate sales. 8 PARTON AND ITS COMMUNITY ~ This is a view of the village of Parton from just north of Parton Kirk. There is more to the community than that distinctive line of cottages. More houses line the road to the northwest, and beyond them, amongst trees and close to the shore, is the Loch Ken Holiday Park. Its short-term population, from Easter until early autumn, can be six times that of the village. The cottages in the photograph were built, or improved, in 1901 as something of a model development by Benjamin Rigby Murray, of Parton House. The clock tower was added to an existing byre which was converted into a communal laundry, now a house. The Village Hall, to the right, was added in 1908. For some years the building across from the Hall was a village shop and post office but, as with many small settlements now, is so no longer. It was the home of Sam Callander (1922 - 2012) who devoted much of his life to promoting the memory of James Clerk Maxwell. 9 The Community Council area, shown on this map, climbs inland from Loch Ken to Glenlair, formerly the home of the Clerk Maxwell family, and edges close to Mertland and Corsock. The Dumfries and Galloway Council website gives the population of the Community Council area as 146. Parton is situated towards the southern end of the A713, one of the few roads across the Southern Upland hills from Dumfries and Galloway to the western Central Belt. Approximately midway between St John’s Town of Dalry to the north, and Castle Douglas to the south, the village is at a midpoint on the eastern shore of the long, scenic, hydroscheme-enhanced Loch Ken. Parton is an old settlement, dating back to the 7th or 8th centuries. It is not particularly isolated; it is small; but it is historic. 10 PARTON, JAMES CLERK MAXWELL AND HIS CONTRIBUTION TO SCIENCE ~ In 2008 a full-scale, plinthed sculpture by Alexander Stoddart of a seated James Clerk Maxwell was placed prominently at the east end of George Street in Edinburgh. In spite of this modern acknowledgement, it is truly remarkable how little even his name - let alone his achievement - is generally known in his home country. In the history of science, the pivotal names of Newton, Maxwell and Einstein are cited together. This is not a trope in some kind of hagiography. The implications of his achievements are colossal. His work and insights underpin understanding and technologies which are in so many ways at the heart of our modern world. The plaque, close to the entrance to Parton Kirk and unveiled on 11th June 1989, gives a succinct description, but it is also worth quoting fellow scientists to gain a feeling for the breadth and substance of his achievement. 11 ….. many think that Maxwell’s study of the particles of Saturn’s rings led him directly and inevitably into the realm of the kinetic theory of gases, in which so much of his life was spent. However this may be, when he crossed the bridge from Astronomy to Physics he left behind him forever the prospects of becoming a great mathematical astronomer – but only to become the greatest mathematical physicist the world has seen since Newton. Sir James Jeans One scientific epoch ended and another began with James Clerk Maxwell. Albert Einstein There can be little doubt that the most significant event of the 19th century will be judged as Maxwell’s discovery of the laws of electrodynamics. The American Civil War will pale into provincial insignificance in comparison with this important scientific event of the same decade. Richard P. Feynman, Nobel Laureate James Clerk Maxwell (1831 – 1879) was born in Edinburgh but spent his childhood summers at Glenlair, which was the country seat of his land-owning family and then in the parish of Parton. His mother died when he was eight years old. His father, John, had commissioned Walter Newall to design the house at Glenlair and was a church elder and chairman of the heritors in the congregation at Parton, signing Newall’s plans for the new Kirk. A distinctively practical and creative man he seems to have warmly encouraged his son’s lively and inquisitive mind. He died in 1856, leaving Glenlair to James, who continued to return there from a succession of academic appointments in Cambridge, Aberdeen, London, and again in Cambridge as the first Chair in Experimental Physics at the newly formed Cavendish Laboratory. He generally attended church as an elder in Corsock where another church had been built in 1839, largely through the support of his father. He is buried, with the remains of his parents and his wife, in Parton, the Kirk there remaining in the Church of Scotland after the Secession. James Clerk Maxwell was not only a scientist and physicist. He was also deeply religious, a poet, and a profoundly enquiring man, who could turn his hand to producing offshoots to his work, such as the world’s first ever colour photograph (shown here). Parton maintains supportive links with the James Clerk Maxwell Foundation which has representatives in science and research departments in universities in Scotland and around the world. 12 13 CONSIDERING THE BUILDING The aerial photograph (opposite) gives a very good idea of the overall site and its place in its landscape. It shows the south elevation of the Kirk and its proximity to the Old Kirk (with the Clerk Maxwell gravestone visible). The following subjects – Previous Architectural Study for Change of Use and Updated Building Costs – look at proposals for the adaptation of Parton Kirk and provide background on thinking up to recently on whether - and in what form - Parton Kirk could be a Community and Science Centre. PREVIOUS ARCHITECTURAL STUDY FOR CHANGE OF USE ~ In 2010 Parton Community Council commissioned Ayr-based ARPL Architects Ltd to produce a condition report, which also looked at a wide range of options for change-of-use in the building. This report was revisited in 2017, with the formerly identified, but now single, focus on Parton Kirk continuing - as it was then still constituted to do - as a place of worship for its congregation, and with separate space for displays on the life and work of James Clerk Maxwell. THE 2010 REPORT remains informative and useful, particularly as - for reasons which have more recently come to the fore - the enterprise that might be most feasible, appropriate and viable in the building may be less the ‘visitor centre’ that was reasonably envisaged in 2017, and more an innovative ‘study centre’ with other elements in it which are addressed in the earlier report. It is necessary, however, to summarise both reports to get a handle on the practical issues suggested here. Addressing the condition of the building, the report then proceeds to present fourteen conceivable options for change-of-use. These are: (1) Museum/Visitor Centre; (2) Residential Development (Private Homes or Holiday Accommodation); (3) Arts/ Gallery/ Theatre/ Studios Use; (4) Private Hostel or Bunk House; (5) Hotel/ Restaurant/ Venue (with 6 bedrooms); (6) Leisure/ Sports/ Fitness/ Spa Facility; (7) Commercial/ Hospitality/ Leisure combined; (8) Partnership of Community Use/ Commercial Residential Use; (9) Education; (10) Community Centre Use; (11) Music/ Dance Studio; (12) Children’s Centre/ Play Area; (13) Archive/ Library; (14) Commercial Office/ Retail/ 2nd Hand Junk Store. The first eight (here in bold) were considered more viable. Accompanying architectural sketches for the division of the interior space for each are provided in the report. Edited presentations of the SUMMARY, POTENTIAL FOR NEW USES, and PREFERRED OPTIONS BY THE COMMUNITY are presented here: 14 We have examined all the possibilities suggested through the consultations to see how user options could be accommodated, to test how they work in spatial terms and to take an overview of the financial position for the conversions. It must be recognised that different options would call for different levels of repair of the existing fabric, and [that these would depend] on capital funding and opportunity for planned maintenance. The figures shown reflect this. For many of the options to be viable it is anticipated that only a proportion of the possible fabric works would be considered [appropriate] with the conversion. The existing church is a usable working building that is in a reasonably good state of repair for its age and could be managed on an economic long term maintenance plan. There is a commitment for the congregation and community to maintain and care for the treasured features, furnishings and fittings which for a conversion would be removed and re-housed in a more appropriate setting. The responsibility for running and maintaining a building of this size is an expensive demand on a population the size of Parton and may compromise the commitment they already have for the Village Hall which currently just manages to sustain itself. Realistically outside support will be required to keep the building in use. The listing of the building will have a significant impact on the potential for conversion, alteration and change, for which some options are more demanding than others. The Church is a significant element of the Parton landscape and needs to be treated with some care. POTENTIAL FOR NEW USES - The church has certain characteristics which make it attractive to new owners: It has a good visual presence at the roadside entering the village with the lay-by facilitating existing vehicular and reasonably level pedestrian access. - the church is a well-proportioned simple single volume suitable for lightweight structural intervention, - the positioning of windows and entrances are easy to work with in various options, - the condition of the church is reasonably good, - the setting and historic interest of the building and the graveyard are visually attractive. The potential uses of this church are numerous; …. it does seem suited to accommodating a flexible range of community functions seen to be preferred by the village. However, the building [may be] too large to accommodate these functions financially in a remote location with a small population and limited visitor and tourist numbers. It is unlikely to achieve adequate funding or to cover running costs with only community use unless a great deal of management and servicing is carried out on a volunteer basis. 15 The value and attractiveness of the site, if offered for sale will be limited because of the restrictions due to the public graveyard and lack of existing services to the building. The ongoing maintenance costs and the cost of conversion, combined with the cost of providing drainage, suggest that if a user is found for the church a sale would likely be at a nominal value. Therefore, a community led purchase of the building for alternative use would not be a major expense. [This observation was valid in 2010 but may not be so in 2023]. The commercial and residential uses, other than holiday accommodation, do not seem to be viable under current conditions, but may appeal to a one-off purchaser. This however cannot be relied on. PREFERRED OPTIONS BY THE COMMUNITY - Local preference is for a multi-purpose community use and the key to this would be capital fundraising and long-term revenue funding. [The three options looked at by the study seemed most relevant to the community] - A multi-use community building with simple and basic new facilities of café with kitchen and toilets, and an exhibition area provided in one third of the building and retaining 2/3 as a large hall space. This would be a community owned and run facility. - A new commercial business use takes over the majority of the building, with very limited access for the community and public to the tower room. Ownership could be considered by the Community Council and leased, which would generate and income for the community. This would also keep future options open and care for the building within the control of the community should a business venture fail. - A hybrid option of a community facility in partnership with a residential use, where public access the ground floor and basic facilities are provided with an upper floor are provided with self-contained holiday apartment managed on a business basis.…Ownership by the community council with financial support from the business use. [The Vivat Trust was considered to be a possible manager, but it went into liquidation in 2018]. A fourth option that has to be considered is that the community are not able to take on the commitment required to develop any of these potentials and that the building will go onto the open market where a new use might be found for which there is no local involvement. The building may be closed and become redundant for some time if no buyer is found. THE 2017 REPORT covers some of the ground of the previous study, but it concentrates on one option, and provides designs for it: The local community considered a range of options for alternative uses for Parton village church outlined in a feasibility study in 2010. The congregation are now on a periodic monthly use of Parton Kirk for worship, with other services held at Crossmichael [this is no longer the situation 16 in 2023] and the village community are looking for ways to extend the purposeful use of the Kirk. From the original option study there was a layout, which seemed to give a suitable layout for the combined church and visitor use. This preferred option has now been developed further with a more defined brief to provide the following accommodation: - Mezzanine gallery to the West end of the church, to be open to the main space, - Under the mezzanine to provide catering / hospitality area and exhibition, to be enclosed for heating /security /separation of space but to be flexible, - Exhibition areas for James Clark Maxwell and local interests, - Level access for visitors to new areas, including a lift if possible, - Replacement of the old boiler house with new toilets, which can be accessed from the outside when the church building is closed, - The new areas to be created with appropriate materials, structure and services to suit the needs of the spaces and comply with Building Regulations. USE- For flexibility of spaces, it is proposed to provide sub-division using glass screens so that the main whole space is not lost but there is localised control of heating, lighting, security and access. The proposal does not alter the existing structural form of the building, and the new areas are created with inserted structure and the build of an extension. SITE LIMITATIONS - Existing layout of the churchyard with extensive number of graves restricts the size of the extension and new drainage is proposed to follow the historically established paths to a septic tank located in a place where there are no graves and least sensitive archaeological areas. There are 3 locations which will require negotiation with the council and owners: Option A is [the] most economic location (shortest drain run); however, option C would be easiest to agree as this neighbour has already indicated willingness, but [it] is the longest drain run. 17 18 DESIGN OF EXTENSION - The location for the toilets is in a discrete position when viewed from the surrounding area and is slightly larger than the existing redundant boiler housing, which is in a poor condition. It is anticipated that this will be an acceptable location with local planners for the formal Listed Building Consent and also unlikely to have archaeological issues. The West entrance door can also be provided with a ramped level access within the existing path area. The proposal for the structure of the new extension is a timber well insulated frame structure with timber boarding which will weather to a soft grey colour, and a slate roof. Small timber windows will allow for natural light and keep the use of electricity down. The foundation for the structure can be kept lightweight on the ground, avoiding disturbance of the church structure and be an economical build. Two regular-sized cubicles and a fully accessible disabled toilet with baby change facilities are proposed. As the toilets can be accessed when the church is locked, they will be available for visitors at any time, including walkers or mourners attending burials in the cemetery etc. INTERIOR ALTERATIONS -The new mezzanine gallery works best with the building regulations by remaining as a single large space volume with an open gallery and fire protection will be necessary for the supporting structure and can be achieved with plasterboard and fire linings. New structure is proposed as a steel frame and would have new foundation pads located within the existing church masonry structure. At ground floor we propose to enclose the space with frameless glass screen with two pairs of glass doors, which gives maximum visual link with the main church space but can be locked for security and heated separately. The glass doors can open in both directions and when left open the under-gallery space can be used as an overflow area to the main space. The catering provision is for a simple kitchen, referred to as a servery, with plenty of counter space and could function well for serving light refreshments and use as a seasonal café space. For aesthetics the recommendation would be to have domestic contract cupboard units and worktops, which are suitable for this level of use (catering stainless steel is not necessary). A stair to the gallery level is conveniently accessed from the entrance area and a platform lift, which can accommodate 4 or 5 people, gives disabled access to the gallery level. The cost of a lift will be circa £20k and if considered not necessary at the outset, could be added at a later date, as there is not a major structural or operational technical requirement. The gallery level will benefit from the large west facing window and as a flexible space can accommodate various activities and or exhibitions. The glass balustrade would be part of the overall glass screen design for the underside area. The main area of the church sanctuary will continue to serve as a large flexible public space. New facilities are at the west end and extension and will be picked up on one new drain run, which will then have to find a route through the churchyard without disturbing archaeological remains. Localised and zoned controls are proposed to make the systems flexible and economic to run. Hot water would be most economically provided by 19 electric localised water heaters to the kitchen sink and washbasins. Re-modelled areas are to have new lighting to suit the activities and upgrade on the power distribution will service the kitchen area with a suitable number of socket outlets. The existing church heating system can be upgraded to cope with the ground floor use of the space and an extended supply to radiators at gallery level. The toilets would be best to have a separate localised heating arrangement, possibly with the use of electric convectors or oil filled radiators on timer and frost stat controls. STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS AND CONSENTS - A number of consents and licenses would be required for the conversion proposals to be implemented. This would include Planning and Listed Building Consent and Building Warrant for the extension from the local authority, Dumfries & Galloway Council. We do not anticipate that these consents will be difficult or contentious….The drainage and location and discharge from the septic tank will require D&GC and SEPA approval. These are detailed negotiations and submissions for the next stage of detail design. The church is a grade B listed building and as such is deemed to be of national interest. The Historic Scotland Listing Report concentrates on the exterior features including the tower and windows. No particular features of the interior are noted. The Local Authority and Historic Scotland are actively supporting the need for alternative uses for churches and other recent similar projects in the region have been considered sympathetically, providing it is carried out sensitively. The prominent location of the church on the village landscape gives the building significance beyond its architecture and particular care will be needed to ensure a quality and long life for the building. The 2017 report contains seven pages of plans in support of the presentation of this option. They are reproduced here. It is conceivable, in the face of the 2023 context and the light of revised thinking, that a ‘hybrid’ option from the 2010 report may prove to be more appropriate. 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 UPDATED BUILDING COSTS ~ ARPL’s 2017 report provided an elemental cost plan for the repair and conversion of Parton Kirk to according to the plans which are reproduced above. Building costs having risen substantially in the last five years, and it is prudent to have an updated understanding of the 2017 proposal. ELEMENTAL COST PLAN Job Title: Job Ref: Location: Gross Internal Floor Area (m2) : ELEMENT 1. SUBSTRUCTURE 1.1 Substructure 1.2 Lowest Floor Slab Group Element Total 2. SUPERSTRUCTURE 2.1 Frame 2.2 Upper floors 2.3 Roof 2.4 Stairs & walkways 2.5 External walls 2.6 Windows, screens & external doors 2.7 Internal walls & partitions 2.8 Internal doors and screens Group Element Total 3. INTERNAL FINISHES 3.1 Wall finishes 3.2 Floor finishes 3.3 Ceiling finishes 3.4 Decoration Group Element Total 4. FITTINGS & FURNISHINGS 4.1 Fittings & furnishings Group Element Total 5. SERVICES 5.1 Sanitary appliances 5.2 Services equipment 5.3 Disposal installations 5.4 Water installations 5.5 Heat source 5.6 Space heating & air treatment 5.7 Ventilating systems 5.8 Electrical installations Parton Kirk DQ3617 Castle Douglas 278 ELEMENTAL COST PLAN Total Cost Cost/m2 of of Element (£) Gross Floor Area (£) 5,556.50 5,088.50 10,645.00 19.99 18.30 38.29 5,480.00 7,075.00 7,902.50 11,100.00 10,650.90 14,775.00 3,780.00 3,120.00 63,883.40 19.71 25.45 28.43 39.93 38.31 53.15 13.60 11.22 229.80 3,028.30 10,420.00 4,150.00 9,730.00 27,328.30 10.89 37.48 14.93 35.00 98.30 8,500.00 8,500.00 30.58 30.58 3,750.00 0.00 1,000.00 1,200.00 0.00 2,000.00 0.00 19,750.00 13.49 0.00 3.60 4.32 0.00 7.19 0.00 71.04 28 5.9 Gas installations 5.10 Lift & conveyor installations 5.11 Protective installations 5.12 Communication installations 5.13 Special installations 5.14 Builders work in connection with services 5.15 Builders profit & attendance on services Group Element Total 6. EXTERNAL WORKS 6.1 Site work 6.2 Drainage 6.3 External services 7.1 Other building works External Fabric Repairs to the existing building - extent unknown at this stage - pc sum to cover the items listed in the report of May 2017 0.00 30,000.00 3,000.00 0.00 0.00 500.00 0.00 61,200.00 0.00 107.91 10.79 0.00 0.00 1.80 0.00 220.14 21,200.00 30,000.00 0.00 6,000.00 76.26 107.91 0.00 21.58 150,000.00 207,200.00 539.57 205.75 378,756.70 1,362.43 Preliminaries 18% 68,176.21 245.24 Contingencies 10% £44,693.29 491,626.20 1,768.44 Group Element Total SUBTOTAL TOTAL Notes:1. Costs are exclusive of professional fees, loose furniture/fittings and VAT. 2. Costs assume no abnormal ground conditions existing. 3. Costs are exclusive of any underpinning works to existing stone walls. 4. Cost assume tenders will be sought no later that 3Q23. 5. Note the above costs are for the drainage, site works, new extension and mezzanine and all associated works. 6. A provisional amount of £150k has been incorporated above to include for external fabric repairs identified in the May 2017 report however the extent and quantity of these is unknown for costing at this stage - TBC by the Architect. McGowan Miller Construction Consultants 20th March 2023 The full budget total in 2017 was £384,000. It is over £491,000 in 2023. Not considered in 2017, but worth mentioning now, is the costing of displays. An approximate estimate from the Glasgow Science Centre, provided in January 2023, states that they can be between £1,000 / m2 and £3,000 / m2, depending on the level of their involvement in specification, development, interpretation and installation. The building price - hard to ascertain without professional valuation - may, from current Scottish sale figures for churches, be in the region of £150,00. 29 OTHER CONSIDERATIONS How Parton Kirk’s building was appraised in recent years remains coherent and useful. Current considerations, however, present some fundamental adjustments to how the situation is understood. The following subjects – The Present Situation; A New Village Hall?; What is a Visitor Centre? and A Different Perspective – look at these considerations. They are key to a revised understanding of the project... THE PRESENT SITUATION ~ In 2010 and 2017, when the ARPL reports were presented, there was still, formally, a congregation in Parton. People could see the Kirk as naturally ‘theirs’ and the Kirk as fundamentally a Church of Scotland church. That the community council would want to be supportive and join with the congregation in thought about a Parton-based future for the Kirk, was also sound. In 2023, circumstances are quite different. The situation is no longer one where the congregation is looking for an extended use for its functioning, albeit-in-a-reduced-capacity Kirk. Parton is home to a fine church building, it is home to kirk members, but, formally speaking, it no longer has a church. Anyone wanting to effect major changes to the building will have to purchase it. How the building is purchased is subject to a process which is defined, but subject to periods of limbo and uncertainty. Moreover, it is neither possible nor advisable for the community council to aim to purchase the Kirk. In the case of community interest, the Church of Scotland, as the seller, and funders, who might support the purchase, can only negotiate with a constituted charitable trust. This pending, but not-yet-clear situation has difficulties. There is an opportunity, but it is difficult to be quite sure when it will arrive. When it does, it is a one-off. If the community cannot respond, this cornerstone of community life will be gone, effectively, forever. And is it just a case of ‘trying to save the Church’? If this is the main motive, it probably won’t succeed. There are many communities facing the same problem. Without a viable and sustainable proposal - in addition to that understandable motive - they are usually unsuccessful. Their churches then appear on the open market and disappear from community use. In the case of Parton, ‘trying to save the church’ is a quieter motive, in the face of the awareness of a genuine creative opportunity. Fundamentally, as community-based change-of-use and its business planning are brought together, the need will to be the presentation of a viable enterprise. Reframing what the ‘community’ is, as well as the enterprise which might include a visitor centre within a wider remit, gets much closer to a feasible formulation. 30 A NEW VILLAGE HALL? ~ Parton’s Village Hall is a small, serviceable, wooden building. It was built in 1908, in step with the nearby cottages and has been appreciated and used well ever since. In the wake of severe flooding in 2016, it required substantial repair. With it being wooden and over 100 years old, people have begun to ask practical questions. What will happen when flooding comes again? Will further repair be feasible? Might it be better to move to Parton Kirk? With Parton being small, is it in a position to have two communal buildings at its heart? Does this mean disposing of this old Village Hall? And, if so, how and when? As it is at present, affection for the Village Hall is strong. It is part of village life and used as it should be. But its future is questionable and uncertain. The Kirk’s future is also questionable - and dependent on future developments, which, at this point in time, may be promising but are yet to be worked out. For the time being, Parton’s base will be in the Village Hall. However, given the uncertainty surrounding it future, the community council should ensure it maintains an interest in the Kirk and in any Trust that is established to further a Community and Science Centre there. 31 WHAT IS A VISITOR CENTRE? ~ A working assumption had been that Parton Kirk might be a Visitor Centre dedicated to James Clerk Maxwell. This would form a ‘unique selling point’ in a building that would otherwise maintain a local community use. A ‘Visitors’ Centre’ is a common model. Its core components are simple: - an entrance and reception, - displays on ‘the attraction’s’ theme, - a café, - a shop. There are hundreds of such places across the country and the model is applied to large and small attractions. Because it can be a serviceable and useful model, an assumption arises from the outside that one can pretty much ‘buy one off the shelf’ and viability will be assured. In fact, each of these components requires continuing work. If the attraction is in a sort of elite, like Skara Brae or Stonehenge, it may have more traction, but the public can lose interest easily if the displays stay the same, notice if the shop’s stock gets lacklustre, and move away if the café fails to maintain standards. These issues may not be obstacles that irredeemably close the place - but they do sometimes - or they can consign it to a struggling half-life that is dispiriting to be responsible for and work in. The most successful visitors’ centres find ways – relevant and enterprising ways - to spread their remit and focus more widely, to the point where their offer is more - a lot more - than what their title might suggest. This adds complexity to the model which, in turn, requires more detailed business planning. The basic question in the Parton context is: would people stop from their journey along the A713 to visit a Clerk Maxwell Science and Innovation Centre, to buy a cup of coffee, pay an entrance charge and look at a small - however well formed - display in sufficient quantities to bear the expense of a manager, a café operator and the maintenance of the building? One can look at the density of traffic flow on the road, accept that it might be a seasonal operation only, look at how the large space might be used more intensively (for performance, concert, conferencing) but there is no escaping that success will require energy and sustained commitment, with the likelihood of continuingly tight margins. Moreover, this basic model - of a ‘visitor centre’, as such - is unlikely to be particularly attractive to funders. The working assumption had been that somehow Parton, in the form of its community council, would have to deliver this project and take responsibility for its viability. This might have been justified in 2017 when there was still a local congregation affiliated with Parton Kirk. Now, with the building decommissioned, the assumption that a new Parton-based charitable trust, with Parton’s population of 146, can purchase and take on the building, institute a visitor centre and guide it to viability is not realistic. Reframing what the ‘community’ is, and the enterprise, which might include a visitor centre within a wider remit, gets much closer to a feasible formulation. 32 A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE ~ Two further facets transform perspectives and shift away positively from the initial working assumptions. One arises from conversation with the James Clerk Maxwell Foundation about what it cannot and can do in support of ‘a James Clerk Maxwell Science and Innovation Centre’ in Parton Kirk. The other arises from an examination of the wider strategic contexts which are in process in the country, region and area. The latter has been addressed in a study concurrently with this one and is referenced in the next Section. The former is addressed here. Both significantly adjust what one means by ‘community’, while respecting its original Parton aspect. Both open a way to envisaging an enterprise which is dynamic and forward looking, as well as respecting of original aspirations. The James Clerk Maxwell Foundation was founded in 1977 and, as well as commemorating the man and conserving his scientific inheritance, exists (selecting some core aims) to: promote, encourage and advance the study of, the research into and the dissemination of knowledge relating to Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) in all their aspects; to organize and/or contribute towards the cost of, inter alia: teaching, lectures and symposia, bursaries, scholarships and research grants for, or relating to, and research into any branch or aspect of STEM or the history thereof; to co-operate with, in any manner the trustees may in their discretion consider proper, other societies, individuals, trusts, associations, universities, colleges and other educational establishments and local or national authorities or institutions in any undertaking or project which will advance any of the foregoing objects. It cannot fund what might happen in Parton Kirk, but (minuted in a meeting with Parton Community Council on 25th July 2022) it can help significantly in finding support and in bringing to the Project: Partnership - bringing expert knowledge on the significance of James Clerk Maxwell’s work; Science communication; Contacts with scientific bodies, educational institutions, learned societies; Contacts with possible philanthropists, businesspeople, industrialists and those likely to have an interest in helping to promote Maxwell; Support with contacts with tourist [and cultural-] related organisations….; Promotion of Maxwell’s non-scientific input too, e.g. poetry, humour, wit, needlework, association with colour photography; Promotion and publicity, e.g. via Trustees, Fellows, visitors to house, and Foundation website and publications; Help with crowdfunding; Connection-making with other existing local and wider ventures; Bringing the Project to the notice of the wider group of Trustees and Fellows of the Foundation. The Foundation thus has an international as well as national and local perspectives, and connections with many respected scientific institutions. It is clear from the above, and from further conversation, that it can contribute significantly to what a Science and Innovation Centre could consist of as well as contributing insight into how it could viably sustain itself. 33 34 A WIDER COMMUNITY: LOOKING TO THE FUTURE The preceding photograph is a view to the northwest from the Kirkland Motte. Parton Kirk is just visible through the trees to the right. In front of them is the embankment for the railway line which used to run from Dumfries to Loch Ken and then on spectacularly over the hills to Stranraer. The transformation of this into a cycling and walking route is under close consideration. To the left, across a field below the Motte, is Loch Ken. A major part of James Clerk Maxwell’s work was in his foundational, theoretical investigation of the electromagnetic spectrum. His association with this landscape is a family and lifetime one, and he had a vision of Creation in its depths. The subsequent development of applied, electrical generation technologies, in response to our society’s vastly increasing needs, have greatly impacted on this landscape, with Loch Ken’s ambitious interlinking scheme of hydro power, and the windmills now proliferating in the hills. This is a view to a much wider ‘community’, which includes science, natural heritage, as well as the resident, and visiting, public in South West Scotland. Concurrent with this study has been one produced by One Planet Consulting: Parton Kirk – Strategic Context Assessment. This looks at current development strategies at National, Regional and Area levels relevant to a development of Parton Kirk, which is seen to be well positioned to respond to, and with, them. Parton Kirk – Strategic Context Assessment should be read in conjunction with this study. It looks at the location of Parton Kirk and then widens the perspective to examine the National Strategic context with the National Tourism Strategy, Tourism Megatrends and the National Planning Framework that structure it. Within this, the Regional Strategic Context, via the Dumfries and Galloway Local Development Plan (LDP2), and the South of Scotland Destination Alliance and Loch Ken Plan initiatives present a more detailed and specific intermediary insight. Within this, bringing the focus to the Area, the 2020 Glenkens and District Community Action Plan and the Loch Ken Strategic Visitor Framework are used to return to pointing out the advantages of the location and how all these policies and principles can align. The benefit in widening the project’s location to include access to a view point and the shores of Loch Ken are also addressed. Parton Kirk – Strategic Context Assessment concludes with: Parton, and Parton Kirk within the village itself, sit in strategically significant position within the wider Loch Ken and Glenkens environs. At the mid-point on the eastern shore, on the disused railway and with access to outstanding views of Loch Ken there are considerable and unique geographical advantages to this location. With thoughtful development the reimagined use of Parton Kirk and the immediate surroundings could unlock a set of outcomes that benefit the wider region. This could include: 35 • A key destination on the active travel artery; working in conjunction with a gateway towards the south of Loch Ken near the A75, Parton would be an excellent initial destination for a walk or bike ride before continuing over the viaduct and on towards Mossdale. • Regional visitor management; alongside development of the public slipway a development to the south of Parton would alleviate existing and growing visitor pressures at key points on Loch Ken, could fill provision gaps (public toilets) and could act as an base for wider ranger activity. • Deepening of the scientific and natural heritage offering of the area. Extending the James Clerk Maxwell offering to encompass wider scientific features of the area (i.e., hydro-power, wind-power, biodiversity etc.) could see Parton develop as a scientific/nature counterpart to the cultural and arts regional development that the CatStrand already offers. It could also offer a focal point for some partner activity (including Drax and the Biosphere) to tell the wider story of Loch Ken and the Glenkens. • Improvements to the regional visitor offering. In addition to a themed visitor experience (Science/JCM centre) the development could address gaps in provision for visitors including a lack of night-time economy options (restaurant or performance events), a lack of view points on Loch Ken’s eastern (and more accessible) shore and a limited food and drink offering outside of New Galloway and Castle Douglas. The development of Parton Kirk as a single community activity is the subject of another report and may be challenging to achieve. However, there is considerable merit in regional actors considering Parton, and the pending sale of Parton Kirk, as an opportunity to meet their wider strategic ambitions. 36 PROPOSAL A DIFFERENT ENTERPRISE ~ The Project has rested on an assumption of the creation of a Visitors’ Centre - the James Clerk Maxwell Science and Innovation Centre – in Parton Kirk. The building is appropriately located, well positioned, about the right size, but still ‘the model’ of a Visitors’ Centre can be a bit passive, indeed unenterprising. What would a ‘Science and Innovation Centre’ be, contain, as well as look like? This was always going to have to be worked out - and with the right expertise. A conversation with a member of the James Clerk Maxwell Foundation around the difficulties of the basic model, produced an idea which changes the view. The suggestion was that the Centre could be based on a buy-in by science departments – nationally, even internationally – in a sort of ‘academic time-share’. Those that were part of the scheme would use the Centre according to their allotted time for conferencing, project development, formulation time, as well as be participative in wider education and as a visitor attraction. In return, this would be one way for the Centre to achieve an enterprising and steadier income foundation. The suggestion also, along the way, affirms science as being current, active, a doing, rather than just consigning it to part of the heritage industry. This is a first step in looking at the situation differently. The proposal needs to be worked on. Questions arise around nature, content and accommodation which should transform the idea further. Whatever is presented in Parton Kirk would need to answer the needs of its users. Content and business planning will have to be worked out in much more detail than we have now. There are, however, some helpful, parallel precedents. This is the Hive, the recently built community centre for Glentrool, Dumfries and Galloway ( https://www.glentroolhive.co.uk/ ). The village is slightly smaller than Parton. The building primarily consists of a flexible hall and kitchen. There is also some office space and showering facilities for walkers and cyclists. Less visible, but part of the overall scheme and of crucial importance in its business planning, is holiday accommodation at the back of the building and, across the road, three houses which are let out to local residents at 37 affordable rents. The creation of this income stream, which answers serious local and community need, was encouraged by South of Scotland Enterprise. It enables the Hive to operate as a steadier state operation. Hall hire and other activities are offered but the Hive’s viability does not solely depend on them. The model of rented artist studios ( https://www.fairislestudio.com/fair-isle ) in creatively conducive places is one that might have a parallel for the sciences. The fundamental direction needs, however, to be one of answering needs through consultation with scientists and science departments and in partnership with the network of science-based organisations in Dumfries and Galloway. Provision of office space for the ranger team active on Loch Ken is appropriate in terms of practicality, location and theme. As the perspective in the previous section shows, there is advantage in seeing this project as wider than just Parton Kirk, and including routes to the shore of Loch Ken and a view point that is integrated with other routes that are planned. The project becomes larger with these steps, but they can also be seen as part of a longer term, phased and creative development. 38 PROJECT DEVELOPMENT ~ These are the main, and often interlinking steps, which will bring this project to fruition: Forming the Trust: This is the viable community-based route to purchasing the building. The Trust’s purpose aims and objectives should be more than building-purchase and include an understanding all the other steps (below), plus a foundation in the project’s ‘vision’. Help with Trust formation can be obtained through engaging with the Scottish Land Fund process (stage 1) and from the Development Trust Association of Scotland (https://dtascot.org.uk/ ). The Trust should have Parton representation but should draw involvement from a much wider field, including science and environmental representation from the area, regional and national contexts. James Clerk Maxwell Foundation: The JCMF is already aware of this project as a potential undertaking and is supportive of it. As soon as it begins to build, the Project should be linked with the JCMF and members for the Trust sought. The Foundation has networks and connections which are directly appropriate to the Project and its advice and connections will be valuable and insightful. Business Planning - establishing the business model and the nature of the enterprise: South of Scotland Enterprise should be approached (https://www.southofscotlandenterprise.com/ ) as should Community Enterprise (https://communityenterprise.co.uk/ ) at an early opportunity. They can help greatly in this core process and help in identifying supportive structures and appropriate funding. Purchasing the Building: When Parton Kirk becomes recommended for sale, and the Church of Scotland has included the Trust’s interest in the building in its considerations, the probable route for purchase will be through the Scottish Land Fund (stage 2), but by this time the Trust should have made contact not just with SLF, but with SOSE and Community Enterprise and other possibilities may become apparent. The Heritage Trust Network: (https://www.heritagetrustnetwork.org.uk/ ) is helpful for bodies wanting to take on and understand the implications of a historic building. Grand Bequest is a new organisation (www.grandbequest.co.uk ) which may be able to help get support. A note on the Scottish Land Fund: The Fund can support acquisition of many types of land, land assets and buildings ranging from large estates and forestry to community shops and hubs where a route to ownership can be identified. They can fund capital and some revenue costs associated with the acquisition of assets. Consulting on and creating the contents of the Science Centre: What will be in the Science and Innovation Centre? How to build Institutional buy-in and Institutional use and public use? How to formulate the displays? All these should involve JCMF and other science bodies. Displays can be labour intensive and require maintenance and care should be exercised in their selection and choice. 39 Accommodation: Reference to the Glentrool Hive indicates a model that includes various kinds of accommodation (office, services and residential) within the building. Options for it elsewhere and nearby, may be advisable. This will be a subject in the business planning process. To what extent is hard to ascertain at this point, but the subject’s presence in the model both aids project sustainability and supports community wellbeing. Briefing the Architect: Because a somewhat different business model has been suggested, it is possible that some adjustment to the building specification will be necessary, possibly in line with the hybrid options suggested in the 2010 report. The Project’s integration within its landscape: ‘As the perspective in the previous section shows, there is advantage in seeing this project as wider than just Parton Kirk, and including routes to the shore of Loch Ken and a view point that is integrated with other routes that are planned. The project becomes larger with these steps, but they can also be seen as part of a longer term, phased and creative development’. Establishing and maintaining Community Use: As has been pointed out there are differing but linking communities involved. As far as Parton is concerned, sensitivity should be exercised and an openness to community use should it be maintained. Partnership working: Excellent opportunities can be provided by partnership working between organisations with similar visions and values, including joint projects, the provision of match funding, opportunities for underwriting projects in periods of uncertainty and the sharing of resources. Operational and reputational risks can be present, but good relationships can lead to projects of real substance. Fund raising: Purchase, Development, Capital and Project Costs are all in different categories. Project management Funding should be sought for a development officer who would be able to: develop the finer detail of the project (including partnership arrangements where appropriate); look to secure capital funding; continue to work up the business model for the viable operation of the Centre; begin promotion of the offerings that will ultimately be available; and begin developing an education programme. Potential funding streams for the development phase: These are a few of the possibilities: The National Lottery Community Fund - Community Led: Through Community Led funding the National Lottery Community Fund aim to support communities to improve the places in which they live and the wellbeing of those most in need. They fund organisations to deliver work that achieves the following outcomes: - Everyone in the community has the opportunity to influence and get involved in community-led activity. - People in the community are better connected and work together to improve their wellbeing. 40 Community Benefit Funds: Community benefit funds distribute the money made available to communities as a result of wind farms in the locality. National Lottery Open Fund for Organisations: This has recently been announced (by Creative Scotland). As well as funding organisations to deliver a wide range of creative activity, the fund can also support: Organisations to undertake business and organisational development that will: - enhance their business sustainability through the development of new or more diverse income streams or - consider broader organisational development costs. Potential Funding for the capital phase: Although the funding climate is changeable – having seen significant changes to the availability of capital funding in the few years since Covid – it is prudent to outline some of the current capital funding streams (other than the Scottish Land Fund) that may provide the support needed to take this project from vision to reality. Community Wellbeing Facilities Fund: The funding is part of the Place Based Investment Programme (PBIP), an overall Scotland wide investment of £325m, that supports community led regeneration and town centre revitalisation. The programme also seeks to build on the work of the Regeneration Capital Grant Fund (RCGF) and Town Centre Action Plan. The Community Ownership Fund – UK wide, match funding: Dependent on the option chosen, the UK-wide Community Ownership can support the ownership of the freehold or a long-term leasehold of at least 25 years minimum (with no break clauses). The fund can support purchase and/or renovation costs. The fund requires match funding up to 50% and can include revenue costs up to a maximum of 20% of the project costs. The National Lottery Community Fund - Community Led: Through Community Led funding the National Lottery Community Fund aims to support communities to improve the places in which they live and the wellbeing of those most in need, funding organisations to deliver work that achieves the following outcomes: - Everyone in the community has the opportunity to influence and get involved in community-led activity. - People in the community are better connected and work together to improve their wellbeing. £50,000 of minor capital costs can be built into an application and so could be considered as part of a larger funding strategy. 41 Trusts and Foundations The following are known to support capital projects and so, as part of a larger application, could help to achieve the overall target: - Tudor Trust - Clothworkers Foundation - Wolfson Foundation - Percy Bilton - Robert Barr Charitable Trust - AMW Charitable Trust - Darroch Charitable Trust - Garfield Weston - Hugh Fraser Foundation - Stafford Trust - The Barrack Charitable Trust - The Meikle Foundation - The Swire Charitable Trust - Rank Foundation - The Glasgow Galloway Association 42 CONCLUSIONS ~ This project is distinctive - and feasible. It will require development, partnership and work. Requiring several stages, the outcome cannot be assured, but with vision and leadership the goal can be achieved. It can provide a truly significant contribution to science education, green tourism, heritage understanding and environmental and community support. The business model which this Project follows must maintain a wide perspective. It must and can express a creative, flexible and enterprising approach. This will be essential to how the Project operates effectively and links viably with its communities. Parton Kirk’s building is important for its architectural quality, location and position; its history; its role in gathering its community together and its openness to adaptation, while maintaining its original qualities. Its creative adaptation is also possible and feasible. Its association with James Clerk Maxwell is vital - for its connection to the man and his work, but, quite as much, for how it can partner with present science practice and how science is applied in the landscape - now. 43 44 Acknowledgements With warm thanks to: Paul Hodson, Tom Marshall, John Simpson; those who attended the consultation in Parton Village Hall and who completed the survey; Rebecca Cadie of ARPL Architects Ltd; James Stuart of One Planet Consulting Catherine Booth, Professor Martin Hendry, Dr Howie Firth and Dr Alan Walker of the James Clerk Maxwell Foundation; Barnaby Fryer (Loch Ken Trust); Frances Coombey and Colin McLean (Kirkcudbright Dark Skies Planetarium); Julia Muir-Watt (Whithorn Trust); David Devereux (formerly Kirkcudbright Museum); Katy Jackson (South of Scotland Enterprise); Billie Jones (Glentrool Hive).  Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Parton Kirk Feasibility Study Description An account of the resource Commissioned by Parton Community Council 2023. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Parton_1 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource GCAT Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Parton Community Council Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2023 community spaces https://glenkensarchive.scot/glenkens_archive/files/original/45/612/PartonKirk-StrategicContextAssessment_cover.jpg e6c0bd86299f488547b1f1877b67424f https://glenkensarchive.scot/glenkens_archive/files/original/45/612/Parton_Kirk-_Strategic_Context_Assessment_v1.1_[1].pdf 67423a604c64c941c800852a7e0e987a PDF Text Text pdftext_placeholder Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Contemporary Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document Parton Kirk Strategic Context Assessment March 2023 1 Front Cover photograph credit: Parton Kirk - Scotlands Churches Trust OS Paper Map Copying License No: 100064783 This document has been developed and compiled by authors from One Planet Consulting James.Stuart@oneplanet.consulting 2 Contents Contents ............................................................................................................................................. 3 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................ 4 Location .............................................................................................................................................. 5 Map 1: Location of Parton and Loch Ken within Southern Scotland. ............................................. 5 National Strategic context ................................................................................................................. 6 National Tourism Strategy ................................................................................................................ 6 Tourism Megatrends ........................................................................................................................ 7 Table 1 – Scottish tourism mega trends, source: Scottish Tourism Alliance/ Scottish Enterprise .. 7 National Planning Framework 4........................................................................................................ 8 Regional Strategic Context ............................................................................................................... 9 Dumfries and Galloway Local Development Plan (LDP2) ................................................................. 9 Development Plan Scheme, November 2022, 14th Edition. Page 6. .............................................. 9 South of Scotland Destination Alliance ........................................................................................... 10 Loch Ken Plan ................................................................................................................................ 11 Glenkens and District Community Action Plan - 2020 ..................................................................... 11 Loch Ken Strategic Visitor Framework........................................................................................... 13 Policy and Principles Alignment ...................................................................................................... 14 Table 1 from the SVIF ................................................................................................................. 16 View Points .................................................................................................................................... 17 Conclusions ..................................................................................................................................... 18 3 Introduction This report has been commissioned by Parton Community Council (PCC) to consider the strategic context that a project – Parton Kirk and James Clerk Maxwell Centre - they are evaluating will operate in. The project centres on the future of Parton Kirk - the burial site of renowned mathematician and scientist James Clerk Maxwell (JCM) - which, following recent decommissioning, the community understand is to be sold. The PCC have commissioned a concurrent assessment of potential business case for Parton Kirk including the integration of a JCM visitor/science centre. 4 Location Parton is situated in the middle of the eastern shore of Loch Ken. Nine miles in length, running from the Glenkens to the outskirts of Castle Douglas, Loch Ken constitutes the largest body of freshwater in Southern Scotland. Southern Scotland Loch Ken and Parton Map 1: Location of Parton and Loch Ken within Southern Scotland. Loch Ken is an increasingly popular visitor destination, offering a wide selection of outdoor activities and cultural experiences. In recent years, the Loch has witnessed a low level of investment in visitor infrastructure, with a constraint developing on the number of visitors that can be appropriately hosted. This came to a peak in the summers of 2020 and 2021 when spikes in visitor related access issues were recorded, particularly connected with wild camping and access rights being exercised irresponsibly. While there was certainly a link to the pandemic, there is an underlying longer-term trend of increasing visitor management challenges in the area. 5 National Strategic context National Tourism Strategy Scotland Outlook 2030 is the national tourism strategy and aims to establish Scotland as the world leader in 21st Century tourism. It was developed through an equal partnership between the Scottish Tourism Alliance, Scottish Government, VisitScotland, Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Skills Development Scotland. The strategy development was guided by a steering group and built on a robust evidence base and engagement with over 2500 tourism leaders and stakeholders. The Strategy was launched on the 4th of March 2020. Outlook 2030 – A summary The Vision – We will be the world leader in 21st century tourism. The Mission – Together we will grow the value and positively enhance the benefits of tourism across Scotland by delivering the very best for our visitors, our businesses, our people, our communities and our environment. Key Priorities – Our passionate people, our thriving places, our diverse businesses, our memorable experiences. Our Commitments – For each of the key priorities there are an agreed set of commitments. These commitments will ensure delivery on the vision to be the world leader in 21st century tourism. Download a copy of the strategy: The strategy is intended to influence regional and sector planning, and so the direct links to Parton, the future use of the Kirk and the JCM centre are limited. However, there are clear links to the priority areas: thriving places and memorable experiences. 6 Tourism Megatrends Megatrends describe the global shifts in views and behaviours displayed by our visitors. The Scottish Tourism Alliance grouped and characterized the most relevant of these global trends in the Scottish context as: Experience More Limitless Discoveries Evolving Traveler Technology to Stimulate and Inform offering more genuine experiences and helping visitors to be more than “tourists”. marketing the whole of Scotland not just the favourite places. recognising the many different types of visitors, both culturally and demographically using widely available technology to improve and influence the customer experience. Table 1 – Scottish tourism mega trends, source: Scottish Tourism Alliance/ Scottish Enterprise Further work by VisitScotland Insights department published in Feb 2020 noted the specific trends that would characterize the 2020’s including: • • • • • • Loco-mational Travel and the Eco-Drive – the rise of the green and low carbon agenda. Transforming the Typical – disrupting the market through product development. Solivagant Spirits and the March of the Global Nomad – the importance of the individual traveller. Rise of the Reviewistas – advocates, ambassadors and referrals. Pre-crastination – getting everything done in advance. Water-ways – capitalizing on the appeal of Scotland’s coasts and waters. These trends were described prior to the COVID 19 pandemic. Euromonitor research suggests that the trends have endured. The pandemic also saw several other trends emerge which are of note; especially the shift to “staycation”, the drop-off of the international visitor market, increases in cycling and other adventurous activities and a continuation in the shift towards more ethical and environmentally conscious decision making. Whilst these are global trends, they relate well to the development of further visitor infrastrucutre and expereinces in Parton. Specifically, highlighting the link to JCM will resonate driectly with Global Nomads offering a unique expereince and insight. Beyond the Kirk and JCM, Parton is well placed to respond to the Water-ways trend and Locamational and Eco-Drive visitors. 7 National Planning Framework 4 The National Planning Framework (NPF) is part of the statutory development plan and directly influences planning decisions and Local Development Plans adopted by each Planning Authority. NPF4 replaced NPF 3 in February 2023. The new framework sets out a vision for how Scotland will change in the future. It reflects priorities from across Scottish Government portfolios and brings together a wide range of plans, programmes and policies. The framework establishes several spatial principles and action-areas that seek to build a climateconscious and nature-positive future and respond to the needs of communities across Scotland. Download a copy of NPF4 The following statements and priorities offer high level endorsement to Parton and the wider area ambitions: • National Development Statement 8 - National Walking, Cycling and Wheeling Network • To deliver sustainable places, Regional Spatial Strategies and Local Development Plans in this area should protect environmental assets and stimulate investment in natural and engineered solutions to climate change and nature restoration, whilst decarbonising transport and building resilient physical and digital connections. • To deliver liveable places, Regional Spatial Strategies and Local Development Plans in this area should increase the population by improving local liveability, creating a low carbon network of towns and supporting sustainable rural development. 8 Regional Strategic Context Dumfries and Galloway Local Development Plan (LDP2) The Dumfries and Galloway Local Development Plan (LDP2) sets out how and where land and property will be used in Dumfries and Galloway to realise the vision for the next 20 years. The written policies give guidance on all aspects of development, when it will be supported and when it won’t. The current LDP (LDP2) was adopted on 3 October 2019 and replaces the previous plan adopted in 2014. The overarching principle of the plan is that all development proposal should support sustainable development, including the reduction of carbon and other greenhouse gas emissions. The LDP2 Action Plan was Published in May 2022. The Action Programme lists all the actions needed to deliver the policies and proposals contained in LDP2, when they are expected to be delivered and who will take the lead in delivering them. As NPF4 has now been adopted, Dumfries and Galloway Council have 5 years to revise the Local Development Plan to reflect the new guidance. This process was anticipated and in November 2022 the Council published the Development Plan Scheme, which lays out the process the Council will undertake to develop the next LDP, LDP3. There are no direct references to Parton or Loch Ken in LDP2 or the Action Programme. However, the Development Plans Scheme references the future importance of Local Place Plans which may be of particular note to the Parton Community and could usefully link to the furtherance of this project. See extract below. Regardless of whether this project progresses or not, it is appropriate for Parton and the wider GlenKens Community to consider if the development of a Local Place Plan is beneficial. Local Place Plans Local Place Plans (LPPs) are a new tool by which communities can engage in the production of LDP3 by producing a plan for their locality, which must be taken into consideration by a planning authority when preparing an LDP. While the regulations set out the legislative process, they leave scope for different approaches to consultation and production. For each LPP to be taken into account in the LDP process, the LPP must be finished by early 2025. Information and guidance have been published for community groups who are interested in producing their own LPP (www.dumgal.gov.uk/local-place-plans). Additionally, procedures are in place where communities can seek assistance from the Council and its partners. This process of support is designed to be flexible so as to respond to issues as they arise. Development Plan Scheme, November 2022, 14th Edition. Page 6. Download a copy of Dumfries and Galloway LDP2 9 South of Scotland Destination Alliance The South of Scotland Destination Alliance (SSDA) is the strategic Destination Management and Marketing Organisation for the South of Scotland, encompassing Dumfries and Galloway and the Scottish Borders. Their ambition is to transform the South of Scotland not a year-round world class destination, growing tourism spend in the region to £1Bn by 2030 and creating an additional 6500 jobs. Their key priorities are: • • • • • Establishing ‘Scotland Starts Here’ as the destination brand for the region, developing short and long term marketing plans targeting both domestic and international visitors. This is on the back of the MBTAG activity delivered to date through Midlothian and the Scottish Borders and will now also include Dumfries and Galloway Engaging members on a local level and working closely with the industry on recovery, product development, business readiness and future workforce education Strategic destination development planning, focused on understanding the region’s longer term needs to inform capital and infrastructure investments Working actively with local communities to demonstrate the value of the tourism sector and to cement its part in the place-making activity of the South Working closely with South of Scotland Enterprise and representing the needs of the industry amongst local and national governments Visitor facilities development in Parton will naturally align with the SSDA ambitions. Noted above, the SSDA are seeking to understand and support communities to unlock sustainable tourism opportunities that improve placemaking. They are also focused on strategic destination development and seeking to inform wider tousim infrastrucure investment. The Kirk and Parton, in and of themselves, will not be strategic in the sense that SSDA developments will be viewed. However, in light of the wider work of the Loch Ken Strategic Visitor Infrastructure Framework (SVIF) and the physical location of Parton – and indeed the Kirk within that – this potetnial development, if nested in a wider area concept or prorgamme of work, may actually have stratgic consequences or opportunities associated with it. It would therefore be prudent, should this project move on another stage, to highlight this opportunity to SSDA as a potetnial component of their wider strategic development. 10 Loch Ken Plan The Loch Ken Plan (LKP) developed by the Loch Ken Trust (LKT) is framed using the United National Sustainable Development Goals and highlights three major themes: People, Prosperity and Planet. Across these areas and the 19 goals that sit behind them, the aim is to nurture Loch Ken and the surrounding area into a thriving set of sustainable communities. Download a copy of the Loch Ken Plan The Prosperity strand of activity being championed by the Loch Ken Plan could be tightly aligned to a development in Parton or at the Kirk. Specifically, a development in Parton could contribute to the following goals: • Loch Ken Active Travel Network – through improvement of the disused railway and offering a “hub” or “nodal” point to suppor the development of the network. This is also noted in the SVIF, explored later in the this document. • Improving Sanitation – through inclusion of public toilets in any development. This may be useful to any development anyway to generate another income line to supprot their maintenance as a fee can be charged simply through the use of contactless payments. • SVIF – through the development of visitor infrastructure that improves the offering to visiotrs and links expereinces across the area and up and down Loch Ken. • Parton is situated in a strategically significant postion within the Loch Ken area. At the midpoint on the eastern shore, any development would almost certianly act as a key link in a network solution to active travel, to sanitation and to wider visitor experiences/tours and journeys. In the context of the Loch Ken Plan, Parton appears to offer a strategically significant opportunity to wider regional development. Regardless of the community decsion to progress with a development or not, the stratgic assessment should be highlighted to regional partners including LKT and the group of stakeholders who are aligned with the LKP ambitions. Glenkens and District Community Action Plan - 2020 The Glenkens & District Trust sponsored the creation of a Glenkens and District Community Action Plan which was published in 2020. The action plan covers the Balmaghie, New Galloway & Kells, Dalry, Balmaclellan, Corsock & KPD, Parton and Crossmichael Community Council areas. It sets out an overall goal: “That the Glenkens will be a connected, resilient and carbon neutral place, where people will want to live, work and visit, to bring up their families, and to grow old.” 11 The action plan has four themes (below) with short, medium and longer term goals associated with them. • • • • A connected community An asset rich community An economically flourishing community A carbon neutral community A development in Parton, whilst not identified as a direct action, could contribute to a number of these themes. Download a copy of the Glenkens Community Action Plan Executive Summary 12 Loch Ken Strategic Visitor Framework The Loch Ken Strategic Visitor Infrastructure Framework (SVIF) establishes a set of policies and principles that will inform and guide the long-term development of visitor infrastructure across the area. The SVIF aims are: • • • To respond to current and emergent visitor pressures To support the development of a high quality, integrated and seamless visitor experience across the Loch Ken areas Support the delivery of the Loch Ken Plan. The SVIF will also nest within and support the delivery of the broader Biosphere and South of Scotland approaches and ambitions. The plan does not carry the status of a Local Development Plan but does provide potential developer a clear sense of the ambition and direction of development the communities around Loch Ken seek to follow. It should therefore offer a firm anchor point for developers – including PCC - to build their approaches from. The polices and principles are: Policy 1 – to consider alternatives to new or additional capacity ahead of committing to infrastructure development. Policy 2 – to enhance, protect and restore the natural capital of the Loch Ken area as part of visitor infrastructure developments wherever possible Policy 3 – to refresh, extend or repurpose existing capacity in preference to brand new developments. Policy 4 – We will develop a networked infrastructure approach, considering Loch Ken as a destination rather than any single node, venue or community in isolation. Policy 5 – We will adopt the use of zoning to reduce pressures of multiple activities in one space and to support behaviour change. We will support differentiated infrastructure development across these zones. Policy 6 – We will seek to inform behaviours to address visitor pressures through the development of a strong area identity and the use a signage system. Policy 7 – We will develop infrastructure and signage that encourages low carbon, low impact behaviours and increased dwell time. Principle 1 – to target market segments that display low impact, low carbon, and high dwell time behaviours. 13 Principle 2 – to target developments and opportunities which enhance our natural capital, build on our strengths and focus on market segments with desired behaviours. Development in Parton aligns very stronly with these principes and should therefore secure support in principle from the parties who drew the framework togther including Dunfries and Galloway Council, Galloway Glen Landscape Partnership, LKT and VisitScotland. Development in Parton could be a criital link in the wider ambitons of the area and so should be highlighted as such to this group of partners. If the Council were minded to adopt the project this would also open up an avenue of investment from the Rural Tourism Infrastucture Fund as part of the next steps for SVIF activity. Policy and Principles Alignment Policy 1 – to consider alternatives to new or additional capacity ahead of committing to infrastructure development. Policy 2 – to enhance, protect and restore the natural capital of the Loch Ken area as part of visitor infrastructure developments wherever possible Policy 3 – to refresh, extend or repurpose existing capacity in preference to brand new developments. The opportunity to redevelop the Kirk and to build upon and enhance the existing infrastructure links well to policy 1. Contribution to Policy 2 is less obvious, but with careful design the policy can be achieved at a local level. There is also opportunity to showcase the natural assets and capital of the area in the services provided by the development. Development at the Kirk aligns strongly with Policy 3 and will allow the heritage of the area to be showcased effectively in doing so. Policy 4 – We will develop a networked infrastructure approach, considering Loch Ken as a destination rather than any single node, venue or community in isolation. Geographically, Parton’s situation lends to being an essential link in a networked approach to infrastructure and service provision. At present the networking across the Loch Ken area is limited. Active travel routes are fragmented and the bias of access is towards car based journeys. A nodal 14 development in Parton (linked to gateway development near Castle Douglas and the development of the eastern shore active travel corridor, would be transformative to the area and support visitors and communities alike. Policy 5 – We will adopt the use of zoning to reduce pressures of multiple activities in one space and to support behaviour change. We will support differentiated infrastructure development across these zones. Parton sits across the zone boundaries and could support zonation through separation of the shore based offer. Currently all provision is through the public slip, which congests that area and has been causing increasing visitor management problems. An offer to the south of Parton could divert some of this pressure. In addition the owner of the viaduct, is open to development ideas which position the viaduct as a part of a journey, rather than a destination in its self. To open that avenue of development stopping points which are separated from the viaduct are necessary. Mossdale (with further development) already has the potential to offer services beyond the viaduct and link to the much wider area offer for walking and bikes. A development to the south of Parton could work in harmony with the Mossdale offering and support the viaduct owners ambition to avoid congestion on the viaduct and immediate area. The development/offer at the south of Parton could include a view point of the viaduct which would further enhance the incentive to view rather than stop on the viaduct and also address a notable gap in provision on the east shore (the almost total absence of easy access view points). Policy 6 – We will seek to inform behaviours to address visitor pressures through the development of a strong area identity and the use a signage system. Any development at Parton would be able to support this, and the physical provision of options to encourage dispersal – noted above – would compliment policy 6 effectively. Policy 7 – We will develop infrastructure and signage that encourages low carbon, low impact behaviours and increased dwell time. A development in Parton is well placed to support policy 7. The SVIF includes the table 1 below which notes several examples of actions or activity that would accord with the policy. A development in Parton could embrace all of these – some however may be less desirable in Parton’s specific context (aires and pump out facilities for example). 15 Table 1 from the SVIF Low Carbon • • • • Park and ride facilities Reduced parking spaces Car Park Charging More active and accessible travel routes E-charging and greater access to electric or active modes of travel Public transport integration • • Low impact • • • • • Bin provision (all painted) Aires located in communities not out of town Area pump out facility Toilet provision at key nodes and signage to support good decision making in areas with no public toilet (What to do when you need a poo) Interaction with ranger or volunteer (on site ranger or volunteer) Increased dwell time • • • • • Car Park charging Switch to active travel Interpretation and viewing platforms Activities Food and drink Development as a primary destination and node on the active travel artery envisioned by the wider regional plan would meet policy 7 and effectively unlock the concept for the whole area. Specifically: • The development of a visitor centre and a view point with short walk near/on the Loch would notably increase dwell time and address gaps in the wider provision in the area. Linked development of food and drink provision would enhance this further and could lead to a stacked set of income lines which may be able to underpin the long term viability of the development (car park fee, toilet fee, food and drink, visitor centre). • This could be taken a step further and if Loch shore access can be linked to the development then the offer for slow-adventure activities could be integrated (open water swimming, stand up paddle boarding and wildlife watching for example). • Within the food and drink offering there is a specific opportunity to enhance the night-time economy offering of the Loch Ken area (a restaurant and/or a performance venue for example). At present this is very poorly serviced, with limited provision of a mixed quality. The holiday park to the north of Parton, has c. 900 guests most nights from Apr through to October. This effectively increases Parton population by a factor of 6. This is an immediate pool of custom that could underpin any venture into this space. • Loch Ken Trust has invested in developing a ranger provision, current that is a floating arrangement augmented by support from Loch Ken Marina to facilitate the registration of craft accessing Loch Ken. A development at the south of Parton could offer a focus point for ranger activity being well places to service the wider Loch Ken area and further supporting the displacement of visitors from pressure points to better provision. • At a more local level, the provision of electric car charging points, capitalising on the existing public transport (bus) links and incorporating a public toilet would all further this aim and improve the overall visitor and community offer in Parton. 16 Principle 1 – to target market segments that display low impact, low carbon, and high dwell time behaviours. Principle 2 – to target developments and opportunities which enhance our natural capital, build on our strengths and focus on market segments with desired behaviours. The SVIF noted 4 specific themes associated with these principles as opportunities: • • • • Wildlife and environment Built and cultural heritage Cycling and adventure Accessibility Development in Parton, of the Kirk will support principles 1 and 2 and would cater directly for two of the target themes (built and cultural heritage and accessibility). The development could also cater for the other two target themes through integration of active travel facilities and a viewing platform. View Points As noted above a view point is an effective way to increase dwell time – a behaviour sought by the Loch ken SVIF. There are remarkably few view points of Loch Ken and almost none easily accessible by car on the eastern shore. The mound just to the west of Parton Kirk has one of the best views of the Loch. Development of a view point there could link powerfully with the future use of the Kirk. The view point itself could be a feature and amplify some of the key attributes of the local built and natural heritage and link to the wider brand and identity project captured in Principle 6. Some examples of this are illustrated below. Sources: (L to R) 1 - Unique partnership delivers multiple health and wellbeing benefits from NHS greenspace (worldlandscapearchitect.com) 2 - The Pyramid Viewpoint | Architect Magazine 3 - East Brackley Viewpoint, Loch Leven - Icosis 17 Conclusions Parton, and Parton Kirk within the village itself, sit in strategically significant position within the wider Loch Ken and Glenken environs. At the mid-point on the eastern shore, on the disused railway and with access to outstanding views of Loch Ken there are considerable and unique geographical advantages to this location. Will thoughtful development the reimagined use of Paton Kirk and the immediate surroundings could unlock a set out outcomes that benefit the wider region. This could include: • A key destination on the active travel artery; working in conjunction with a gateway towards the south of Loch Ken near the A75, Parton would be an excellent initial destination for a walk or bike ride before continuing over the viaduct and on towards Mossdale. • Regional visitor management; alongside development of the public slipway a development to the south of Parton would alleviate existing and growing visitor pressures at key points on Loch Ken, could fill provision gaps (public toilets) and could act as an base for wider ranger activity. • Deepening of the scientific and natural heritage offering of the area. Extending the James Clerk Maxwell offering to encompass wider scientific features of the area (i.e. hydro-power, wind-power biodiversity etc.) could see Parton develop as a scientific/nature counterpart to the cultural and arts regional development that the CatStrand already offers. It could also offer a focal point for some partner activity (including Drax and the Biosphere) to tell the wider story of Loch Ken and the Glenkens. • Improvements to the regional visitor offering. In addition to a themed visitor experience (Science/JCM centre) the development could address gaps in provision for visitor including a lack of night-time economy options (restaurant or performance events), a lack of view points on Loch Ken’s eastern (and more accessible) shore and a limited food and drink offering outside of New Galloway and Castle Douglas. The development of Parton Kirk as a single community activity is the subject of another report and may be challenging to achieve. However, there is considerable merit in regional actors considering Parton, and the pending sale of Parton Kirk, as an opportunity to meet there wider strategic ambitions. 18  Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Parton Kirk Strategic Context Assessment Description An account of the resource Commissioned by Parton Community Council 2023. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Parton_2 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource GCAT Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2023 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Parton Community Council community spaces https://glenkensarchive.scot/glenkens_archive/files/original/45/613/BuildingResilienceCapacityInRemoteRuralCommunities_LochKenTrust_20240326.jpg 22e004e6cbdafa5a08356960f9392a81 https://glenkensarchive.scot/glenkens_archive/files/original/45/613/BuildingResilienceCapacityInRemoteRuralCommunities_LochKenTrust_20240326.1.pdf d1cbb31212da42f89ee649becbe496ad PDF Text Text pdftext_placeholder Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Contemporary Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document Building Scotland’s resilience to Natural Hazards Building Resilience Capacity in Remote Rural Communities Research funded by The National Centre for Resilience Author: Barnaby Fryer & Lindsay Stewart Institution: Loch Ken Trust: Institution Logo: Date: 26/03/2024: Building Scotland’s resilience to Natural Hazards Contents List of figures List of tables List of acronyms Executive Summary Main body 2 Building Scotland’s resilience to Natural Hazards List of figures Figure 1 Map of Glenkens Community Council Areas List of tables Table 1 Project Participants List of acronyms CC Community Council GCAT Glenkens Community & Arts Trust LKRS Loch Ken Ranger Service LKT Loch Ken Trust 3 Building Scotland’s resilience to Natural Hazards Executive Summary Climate change is increasing both the frequency and severity of extreme weather events. This is putting increasing pressure on remote rural communities to have robust community resilience plans. Local authorities look to community councils to lead on the development of community resilience plans, but they are struggling to make progress. This is not from any lack of desire, rather from a lack of knowledge and capacity, coupled with conflicting priorities from other commitments. Having a trusted community organisation support and coordinate this work can lead to significant progress being made by community councils, that they wouldn’t be able to make alone. Ideally, this work should be co-ordinated across multiple community council areas. This enables the sharing of both ideas and resources between neighbouring areas, improving community resilience on a sub-regional basis. Community spaces, e.g. town/village halls, have a key role to play in improving community resilience. They will often be the focal point of community response to natural hazards, providing warm spaces, shelter and a ‘command centre’ to co-ordinate community activity. However, very few community spaces have dedicated resilience plans. There is an opportunity to drive improvements in community resilience by compiling a ‘toolkit’ of templates, checklists and other resources to support community spaces to create resilience plans. At a time when local authority resources are more stretched than ever, it is vital that communities are supported to make progress on this issue themselves. Unfortunately, for remote rural communities this is unlikely to happen without some dedicated support at community level. 4 Building Scotland’s resilience to Natural Hazards Main body Introduction The increase in both frequency and severity of natural hazards in recent years has coincided with a steady reduction in public sector funding, capacity and resources to address these hazards. Essentially, as demand is rising, supply is falling. This situation hits remote rural communities especially hard, as they represent some of the smallest, hardest to reach communities anywhere in Scotland. As such, they will inevitably be low down on any priority list for overstretched public sector resources. Increasingly, communities are being asked to take on more responsibility for their own resilience. This process is often being led by community councils, who struggle to make meaningful progress. This can be for a number of reasons, primarily through lack of knowledge or capacity. This action research project aims to investigate the potential benefits of a community-based organisation supporting communities to develop their resilience plans. It is also looking at effective mechanisms for neighbouring communities to support each other. Background and Context Loch Ken Ranger Service (LKRS) was established by Loch Ken Trust in 2021, as one of Scotland’s first truly community-owned and led ranger services. Whilst much of their work is traditional countryside ranger activity, they are also exploring what else a community ranger service could do to support its communities. This includes a growing amount of work around community resilience. Loch Ken Trust (LKT), as the operators of LKRS, were established as a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO) in 2020, in response to the withdrawal of countryside ranger services in 2019 by Dumfries & Galloway Council. Their purpose is to support sustainable local communities around Loch Ken and in April 2022 they published the Loch Ken Plan as a strategic plan to guide their work. 5 Building Scotland’s resilience to Natural Hazards Recognising the importance of both community resilience and climate adaptation, LKT previously worked with Adaptation Scotland on the ‘Climate Ready Ken’ project, as part of the Climate Ready Localities programme. F IGURE 1 - MAP OF G LENKENS C OMMUNITY C OUNCIL A REAS The Glenkens is well-defined both geographically and culturally, while at the same time not having any borders on a map. It can be considered as a grouping of 9 Community Council parishes grouped around the catchment of the Ken / Dee river in remote-rural Dumfries and Galloway. It stretches from Carsphairn in the North to Crossmichael in the south. 6 Building Scotland’s resilience to Natural Hazards It encompasses the villages of Balmaclellan, Carsphairn, Corsock, Crossmichael, Kirkpatrick Durham, Laurieston, Mossdale, New Galloway, Parton and St John’s Town of Dalry, plus outlying houses and farmstead and comprises about 4,000 people. It has an ageing population, with many older people living on their own or in couples. The Glenkens Community & Arts Trust (GCAT) has a 22-year track record of economic regeneration through arts and community work in the Glenkens. They were created in response to the devastating Foot and Mouth epidemic of 1998 and since then have consistently delivered high-quality arts and community development work for our remote-rural community. They are a key anchor organisation for the area, with a vision of making the Glenkens an excellent place to live for people of all ages. They are a key partner in this project, through their delivery of both the Glenkens Hub website and the Glenkens Community Spaces Network. Research Methods Community & LA Engagement The initial phase of the project was around engagement. Through GCAT, information was sent to all 9 Glenkens community councils about the project and expressions of interest were invited. Positive responses were received from 5 of the 9 community councils. LKT attended a meeting of the Glenkens Community Spaces Network, to explain the project and invite expressions of interest from the 24 different community spaces (village halls, town halls etc) in the network. Positive responses were received from 6 of the spaces. Given the important role that the local authority plays in co-ordinating community resilience teams across the region, it was also important to engage with the LA’s Community Resilience team. LKT had initial meetings with relevant officers who were very keen to support the project. The project came at a serendipitous time, as there had been a number of personnel changes with the LA, so this project presented an opportunity for the new officers to come and meet with individual community councils. The LA had also been updating the official council template for resilience plans and were preparing to roll the new template out across the region. 7 Building Scotland’s resilience to Natural Hazards Selecting Project Participants From the received expressions of interest, 3 community councils and 3 community spaces needed to be chosen. To maximise the potential learnings from the project, a diversity in the participants was sought. First, we aimed to secure a geographical spread of participants around the project area, looking for participants on both sides of Loch Ken as well as to the north of the Glenkens. Secondly, we aimed to choose participants who were at very different stages of preparedness and progress on community resilience matters. Some communities have made much more progress than others and we were keen to see if those areas at the beginning of this journey could learn from their more advanced peers. Finally, we were keen to have at least one pilot community where we were working with both the community council and community space from that community. This would allow us to investigate any potential benefits of working co-operatively with both groups, for example how the community council and community space could support each other’s work. The chosen project participants were: Community Councils Community Spaces Balmaclellan CC Balmaclellan Village Hall Balmaghie CC New Galloway Town Hall Dalry CC Parton Village Hall T ABLE 1 - P ROJECT P ARTICIPANTS Methodology A workshop was delivered to each participant group, with Balmaclellan CC and Balmaclellan Village Hall opting to have a combined workshop for both groups. The workshops had two main components; a review and gap analysis of existing paperwork and plans, followed by a scenario exercise to explore the decision-making required to actually implement resilience plans during a natural hazard event. 8 Building Scotland’s resilience to Natural Hazards The outputs of these workshops were then used to inform follow-up activity, with LKRS supporting participant groups to ensure that each was able to complete an up-to-date resilience plan. Gap Analysis of Existing Plans The first challenge faced in carrying out the gap analysis part of the workshop was sourcing the existing plans and paperwork. For the community councils, there were two options; directly from the community council themselves, or from the local authority (who hold copies of all community resilience plans registered with them). Within the community councils, it was frequently the case that committee members had changed since the previous plans were completed and no-one knew where to locate copies of the plan. Some groups were even unsure whether or not a previous plan had actually been produced. Sourcing copies from the local authority didn’t prove much easier. The personnel changes mentioned above meant that the new officers struggled to locate and share the plans to LKRS, as an external partner. Where previous plans and associated paperwork could not be sourced in advance of the workshop, we instead looked through a blank copy of the new council template in detail, to inform the group of what information would be required. For the community spaces the situation was much simpler; none of them had any previous resilience plans or paperwork to examine. In these workshops, we looked through the council template for community councils, to agree which bits were relevant for community spaces, in order to construct a meaningful template for those groups. In all workshops, the gap analysis helped identify where the community needed to verify and update information. LKRS documented these actions and co-ordinated follow up activity to fill gaps within the existing paperwork. 9 Building Scotland’s resilience to Natural Hazards Scenario Exercise This part of the workshop was based around the fictional scenario of ‘Storm Ken’ approaching the area. Initial focus was on the decision making as the storm approached and what steps (if any) the participants would take to communicate the risks to the wider community and what preparations should be taken. The session then looked at the sort of decisions and actions the participants would need to take during the actual storm and how the plan could be activated and delivered. The LKRS team would introduce new scenario ‘updates’, as roads became impassable or other events occurred. These were designed to look at a broad range of issue, such as the provision of personal care to vulnerable local residents, rather than just looking at the impact on access to communities i.e. road closures. Each workshop closed with a summary session and agreement on next steps, with the aim to ensure that each participant had a fully completed resilience plan by the end of the project. Post workshop engagement and follow up activity LKRS wrote up details of each workshop, highlighting the information gaps and agreed actions to plug them. A follow-up meeting was arranged with each group to go through this work. Additionally, a number of resources were suggested through the workshops that LKRS created and circulated to participants. These included a number of template forms and checklists that could help guide groups through decision-making during hazard events. These were made available to all groups. Resilience Focus Event Following our workshop with Dalry CC, they were keen to hold an event to engage the wider community on resilience issues. There was a good turnout and lots of willing volunteers keen to help with resilience. They talked through the importance of listing volunteers so they can be covered for light resilience duties on the Council’s insurance policy. 10 Building Scotland’s resilience to Natural Hazards They also came up with the idea of resilience postcards which could be printed and delivered to every household. The leaflets had some useful contact numbers on them and encouraged people to get in touch if they wished to be involved resilience planning. Also, it gave the opportunity for people to ask to be checked on in an extreme weather event. Learnings Capacity The primary learning from the project is that there is no lack of desire within communities to do more on community resilience, but there is a lack of time and capacity withing community groups to make meaningful progress. In remote rural communities, many of the volunteers on community councils and hall committees are also members of various other groups and lack the time needed to progress resilience work. Information and Communication Rural community councils often cover a large, sparsely populated geographical area. Community councils often have very limited data and information about their own area. For example, many of the participants mentioned how useful it would be to have a full list of residential addresses in their area. Communication was a key theme, both between committee members and to the wider community. Many members of community councils use personal email addresses for all communication. This creates a problem when committee members change and details become out of date. A way around this is to set up generic email addresses with access by multiple committee members. This also removes the risk of a key committee member being away and messages not being received. 11 Building Scotland’s resilience to Natural Hazards When communicating to the wider community, things to consider included introducing people to the resilience plan as early as possible, via leaflet drops, social media and posters on the notice board. Resources Through the course of project delivery, it became clear that different communities had very different levels of resources available to them. For example, one group identified a potential need for additional privacy screens, for use in an emergency, but didn’t know how they would go about sourcing them. The next group we worked with, when we mentioned this, made clear that they had multiple screens and would be happy to make them available if needed. This highlighted an important benefit to having a trusted partner co-ordinating action across multiple neighbouring communities. LKRS is continuing to work with all groups to list what resources are available for use by other communities in times of crisis. In addition to identifying resources already available in our communities, we also sought to identify a ‘wish list’ of additional resources that each community would like, if possible. These range from basic resources such as heaters and radios, through to more substantial items such as generators etc. 12 Building Scotland’s resilience to Natural Hazards Outputs Project outputs are below: 1. 3 community council areas with up to date, active ‘local support plans’ developed and agreed Balmaghie, Dalry and Balmaclellan Community Councils all have up to date local support plans developed and agreed 2. 3 ‘community spaces’ (village/town halls etc.) with support plans developed and agreed for extreme events Balmaclellan Village Hall, Parton Village Hall and New Galloway Town Hall all have up to date local support plans agreed 3. Dedicated resilience section on the Glenkens Hub website, with key information and signposting to relevant support Balmaclellan, Dalry and Balmaghie Community Councils now have secure static pages on the Glenkens Hub with resilience information and signposting to support Likewise, New Galloway Town Hall, Balmaclellan Village Hall and Parton Village Hall also have secure static pages on the Glenkens Hub. 4. ‘Emergency communication protocol’ agreed with key partners, to ensure that key comms messages can reach remote rural communities and outlying, isolated properties Improved links and open communication now exist between our Council Resilience Team and the Community Councils and Spaces, making it easier to access support. Communities are more aware of those who are isolated and communities have various methods of promoting resilience messages. There is still further work to do to develop and agree a formal communication protocol with key partners, in line with the output. 5. Evidence base for the key issues to address in bridging the gap between remote rural communities and existing support from local authorities and the wider resilience community 13 Building Scotland’s resilience to Natural Hazards Communication has been improved between the participant communities and local authority (and partner) support. Further work (post project) will continue to develop this evidence base 6. Evidence base for implementation of national/regional strategies via on-the-ground community action in a remote rural setting. This evidence base has been begun, but not progressed to any great detail during this project. Self-Assessment Dumfries and Galloway Council run an Emergency Community Resilience Recognition Scheme with three levels, depending on the level of activity of the group. The groups were asked to selfassess against the listed criteria, indicating the tasks they were able to carry out. All participant groups achieved a minimum Silver standard, with some achieving the Gold level, recognising their continued commitment to community resilience. Real-life Situations Since the workshops were held, we have experienced two named storms which have hit the region. These real-life situations have definitely brought resilience to the forefront of people’s minds, and Community Councils are now communicating with each other and offering support to neighbouring resilience groups. When power was out in New Galloway, they were offered assistance form Balmaclellan. Also as a result of the workshops, New Galloway were able to open up the Village Hall for providing hot water during the recent lengthy power cut. As a result of this, a Community Council Network has been set up, meeting once a quarter to share learnings. 14 Building Scotland’s resilience to Natural Hazards Conclusions and Next Steps Every community that was part of this project had a strong desire to make their communities more resilient, but were struggling to make progress. Primarily, this is due to a lack of capacity and support. The members of community councils and hall committees are all volunteers, many of them elderly and many with a number of other commitments. By providing support and co-ordination, Loch Ken Ranger Service has been able to support every community council to complete their resilience plans and have them registered with the local authority. This simply wouldn’t have happened without the support. For the hall committees, the situation was even worse. None of the halls in this project had even considered having a dedicated resilience plan for their hall, before joining the project. At least with the community councils, the local authority provides a template for them to complete. With the halls it was a case of starting from scratch. Using the local authority template as a base, a template for creating a resilience plan for community spaces has been developed, along with a number of other resources, such as checklists, templates etc. This could form the basis of a toolkit for committees trying to manage community spaces. The project has also highlighted the importance of not just looking at a single community in isolation. The connections made between participant communities as part of this project has led to some very useful co-operation between different communities to share ideas and resources. 15 Building Scotland’s resilience to Natural Hazards Previously, some of this work could have been driven by local authority resilience teams. Unfortunately, local authority resources are so stretched that it would be difficult to prioritise this work. Loch Ken Ranger Service will continue to work with our communities to support them to become more resilient, but the level of support we are able to provide will be limited by available funding. To accelerate the speed at which communities are able to become more resilient, it is vital that support is provided to community councils in remote rural areas. Without that support, few will be able to make meaningful progress, due to the other demands on their time. 16  Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Building Resilience Capacity in Remote Rural Communities Description An account of the resource Loch Ken Trust Research Project Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context LKT_1 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource GCAT Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Loch Ken Trust Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2024 resilience https://glenkensarchive.scot/glenkens_archive/files/original/1/614/GlenkensGazette150_cover.jpg fd95f80db22a753d9063b8f86d16b9ef https://glenkensarchive.scot/glenkens_archive/files/original/1/614/GlenkensGazette150.pdf d3ea126527c23d4700280b7e3d859b58 PDF Text Text pdftext_placeholder Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Glenkens Gazette Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Glenkens Gazette Description An account of the resource <p>Find out more about the Gazette: <a href="https://glenkens.scot/gazette-home" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Glenkens Gazette home page</a> If you would like to submit an article or take out an advert, please email the editor Sarah Ade: <span>&nbsp;</span><a href="mailto:glenkensgazette@hotmail.com">glenkensgazette@hotmail.com</a></p> <p>The Glenkens Gazette is a member of, and regulated by <span>&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.impressorg.com/">Impress</a>.</p> <p>The Glenkens Gazette is an initiative of Glenkens Community &amp; Arts Trust (SC032050) and represents the voice of the community (not necessarily the views of GCAT).</p> Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document Glenkens Gazette page 2 CONTENTS Twenty-five years of the Gazette 25th Anniversary: p2-11 News: p12-15 Community: p16-21 Environment: p22-27 People: p28-29 Arts: p30-31 History: p32 Information: p33-37 Events: p38-39 Glenkens Gazette T his edition of the Gazette marks our 25th anniversary, and also the 150th issue. For a little community newsletter that started as a few sides of A4 printed on a home printer, this is a pretty big achievement. From p12 Gazette usual content resumes, perhaps with a little foray here and there into the past... We hope you enjoy reading this issue, and reminiscing, as much as we've enjoyed W Currently holding all the Gazette back issues and Galloway Glens Landscape Partnership documents, the Archive will eventually also be a repository for photographs, recordings and documents from projects and organisations across the Glenkens. You can browse the latest items, have a look at collated collections or visit The Gazette Team Credit for this success goes to the amazing, active, vibrant communities of the Glenkens and the people who work so hard to ensure they survive, and thrive. Included on the following pages are the very first edition of the Gazette in full (including this issue's front cover), followed by some thenand-now reminiscences and entertaining anecdotes and photos spanning the last 25 years of life in the Glenkens. Glenkens Archive launches for Gazette anniversary e're delighted to be able to say that the Glenkens Archive is now live, just in time for the Gazette's 150th edition and 25th anniversary! putting it together. Also, please do come along to our anniversary celebration on Thursday 27 November at 7pm in the CatStrand - we'd love to see you! online exhibitions where more context is given about items. There is also a map where records pertaining to a specific location can be found. It's easy to search inside records and to give you a taste, why not try our fun Headlines Quiz to the right! To search for the headlines, visit the Glenkens Archive using the QR code here, or visit www.glenkens. scot/glenkens_archive Use the search bar at the top of each page to find which issue the following headlines came from. Try using the Advanced Search if you get stuck or have a look through the Gazette collection for inspiration. The first person to email the Gazette with correct answers wins a £30 voucher for the CatStrand. Good luck! 1) New Surgery to Open 2) CatStrand Home and Dry At Last 3) A Concert on the Loch 4) Fond Farewell to Gazette Founder 5) Red Alert Pictured here are some members of the Gazette Steering Group, past and present Glenkens Gazette page 8 Glenkens Gazette page 9 Glenkens Gazette page 10 The evolution of the bus: GTI to GCT P ictured above left is the photo from the front page of Issue 12 of the Gazette, back in 2002, showing the first Glenkens Transport Initiative (GTI) minibus with Glenkens Community & Arts Trust (GCAT) facilities manager and founder Board member, Brian Edgar, GCAT founder patron, Cathy Agnew, local councillor George Prentice and visiting author Pete McCarthy. In the photo on the right we tried to capture the same shot, 23 years on, with Brian and Cathy (Brian still in post at the CatStrand, of course!) plus Jon Betts, Glenkens Community Transport (GCT) manager, and Jason Wilding, GCT operations coordinator. GTI is now GCT, and the bus pictured is one of their most modern vehicles, a low-emission diesel 16-seater, purchased with support from generous private donors. When the original photo was taken, what was then GTI had one vehicle, no staff (volunteer drivers only) and covered the Glenkens. Today GCT has six vehicles, including two eVehicles, three part-time members of staff, and covers an area from Carsphairn to Kirkcudbright, Newton Stewart and west Dumfries, providing minibus hire to members, Patient Transport, school services and registered routes. It has a large roster of volunteer minibus and Patient Transport drivers. A huge "thank you" goes out to all the volunteer drivers over the years; we wouldn't be at this point, 25 years on, without you! Thanks also to the many funders, Dumfries & Galloway Council Transport department and SWESTrans who have supported us over the years. The GCT Team Natural Power celebrates 30th birthday N atural Power is currently celebrating its 30th birthday, in perfect timing with the Gazette’s 25th birthday. Natural Power moved into the area in 1999, when the first of the team moved into the Forrest Estate offices while we consented and built The Green House, which remains our international head office until this day although it is now four times its original size. The team could not move in straight away , however, as the foot-and-mouth epidemic was in full swing, and we did not want any of our contractors or staff to assist its spread. Since then, the office has grown from 10 employees to over 80 today (peaking at just over 100 around 2015 ). We have been proud to be an early sponsor of the Gazette, and have been happy to support its important role in telling the story of our local communities . Well done and good luck for the next 25 years! Jeremy Sainsbury, Director, NaturalPower Below left: Early days at The Green House. Below right: Stuart Hall and Ted Leeming, founders of Natural Power, pay The Green House a visit, 25 years on Glenkens Gazette page 11 K nockengorroch festival has been running since 1998, bringing roots and dance music from Scotland and across the globe to the Carsphairn hills. The festival congratulates Glenkens Gazette for reaching this milestone. Included below is a photo from back in the early years of the festival; a bit of a change from today's event! Kells Primary School 'Millenium Photograph', submitted by Heather McIntosh. Festival producer, Katch Holmes, said: "We've grown from a couple of hundred people in the field to become one of Scotland’s best-loved and most established music festivals, bringing artists and creatives from across the world to our extraordinary corner of Scotland." 1st 1st Glenkens Glenkens Cubs Cub Pack wishwould the Glenkens like to wish gazette the Glenkens gazette a happy 25th anniversary and a happy 25th anniversary and 150th edition! 150th edition of the wonderful local paper! P ictured here is Matthew Newton, founder of the Glenkens Gazette and former owner of Wright's Shop in Dalry. Despite having moved to pastures new over a decade ago, Matthew is still an avid Gazette reader and often sends in words of support and appreciation. Picutred above left is Matthew in his shop in Dalry for the fifth anniversary edition of the Gazette, and above right is photo of him now up in Aberdeen, where he and his family moved to in 2013. B elow left is a photograph from Loch Ken at 7am 25 years ago, renewing Cub Scout Promise with the Reverend David Bartholomew conducting a short service. That year we also attended the Millenium Camp, with Cubs from all over Dumfries & Galloway. There was a giant buffet stretching the length of the field, and the highlight for the youngsters was when a helicopter flew right down the field above us. Below is a photograph of today's Cub Scout group, with leaders Heather and Hannah in the back row. Yours in Scouting, Heather Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEnews page 12 A new chapter for Carsphairn village shop O ver the past year Carsphairn Village Shop Committee (CVSL) has been working hard to secure the future of our much-loved shop and café. Following two community surveys, it became clear that residents wanted a model that was both sustainable and supportive of local needs. After listening carefully and weighing up the options, the committee is delighted to share that the shop and café will soon be run by employed staff rather than an independent business. This is a big step forward for the community. Employing staff ensures consistent opening hours, a reliable service and the chance to offer a wider range of household essentials and café food. Just as importantly it means creating local jobs, something that benefits not only those employed but also the wider community. The shop will continue to be a place where people can meet, connect and support each other, but with the added reassurance of long term stability. Bringing this vision to life would not have been possible without the generous support of funders. We would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the Carsphairn Renewable Energy Fund Ltd (CREFL) and the National Lottery Community Fund, whose grants are enabling us to carry out essential renovation and modernisation works. Thanks to their backing, both the shop premises and the adjoining three bedroom property are being brought up to date. These improvements will make the building more accessible and welcoming for everyone. The refurbishment project is already underway and the results are beginning to take shape thanks to David Mason Joinery of Balmaclellan. Once complete, the shop will not only be better equipped to serve daily needs but will also provide a brighter, more comfortable café space for meeting friends, enjoying a coffee and welcoming visitors to our beautiful part of the world. We know how important it is to have a shop at the heart of Carsphairn. It’s more than just a place to buy groceries, it’s a hub where a small community can thrive. By choosing to run the shop with employees, we are taking steps to ensure this hub remains strong and resilient for Name the Place I n each issue a photograph will be taken somewhere in the Glenkens by local photographer Ted Leeming and readers have to guess where it is. The answer can be found on p28, with a bit of information and food for thought about that location. The photograph shows Helen Lawrence outside the adjoining property of Carsphairn shop circa 1940, courtesy of Carsphairn Heritage Initiative Archives years to come. Looking ahead, our goal is to open the shop and café doors during the winter period. While there is still plenty of work to complete, the committee is excited about this next chapter. We are confident the renewed shop will bring a sense of pride to the village and offer a service that reflects the needs and hopes expressed in the community surveys. Finally, we would like to thank all of you, the residents of Carsphairn and surrounding areas, for your patience, encouragement and ongoing support. Every idea shared, every volunteer hour given and every survey response has helped guide us to this point. Together, we are not only preserving a vital service but also investing in a stronger, more connected future for our community. We look forward to welcoming you back very soon, to shop, to chat, and to celebrate this exciting new chapter for Carsphairn village shop. Emily Wall GAZETTEnews Glenkens Gazette Flavours of the Glenkens: page 13 A month-long feast of community, creativity and local food T his year marked the seventh Glenkens Food Month, and it’s been another brilliant year of community groups and local businesses pulling out all the stops to co-create a diverse, interesting, and fun programme. Things kicked off with the Popup Café at Balmaclellan Village Hall, organised by Cupboard of Joy. over 15 different mushrooms. All the food on the menu was either surplus – rediverted from potential food waste, or donated by local producers. The hall was jam-packed, and funds were raised for local community pantries and foodbanks. At time of writing, we’ve still got a few events to go... That certainly set the bar high! Other events included the Famous Fungal Forage with local mycologist Emma, who took a group on an adventure to a secret location. Together they found and identified New Galloway Community Shop opening its doors for an evening of local food tasters, inviting people to hear how the shop supports local businesses while offering a true taste of Galloway. The annual Carsphairn Community Market is returning, this time partnering with Bairn Banter to increase the fun! Local crafts and produce, home baking, tea and cake, plus games and laughter will all help the day go with a swing. The Thistle Inn in Crossmichael have contributed several events to the programme, including a special charcuterie night – guaranteed to be a big hit, thoroughly enjoyed by all, with delicious flavours, good company, and plenty of smiles all round. Other highlights at The Thistle include a Greek night with local chef Nikos, which will round off Food Month in style at the end of the month. Thanks to everyone who contributed an event this year! Glenkens Food Month 2025 has been coordinated by Abi from Propagate, on behalf of Glenkens Community & Arts Trust, and was funded by the Glenkens & District Community Fund through the Glenkens & District Trust and Foundation Scotland. Abi Mordin, Glenkens Food Month Co-ordinator Housing news and free logs P lanning permission for the new development of two flats and one house on the old filling station site in Balmaclellan has now been granted. roots will not be compromised. However, a tree surgeon’s report has expressed concern about its size and situation: it is quite top heavy, on a slope and leaning towards houses and the road, and the storms we are now experiencing are a worry. The Pamela Young Trust (PYT) trustees are delighted to have the go-ahead but it is still early days. Over the next few months, the plans will be put out to tender, and once that has been done there will be a lot of work behind the scenes applying for funding for the project. The recommendation is that it is pollarded once the leaves have fallen. As it has a TPO, permission has been sought and granted for this. It may look a bit strange initially but it is necessary for the tree’s long-term health. New growth in the spring will quickly emerge and it will continue to give pleasure to everyone in the village. One aspect of the development concerns the large beech tree on the north end of the site. It is an old and beautiful tree, with a TPO (tree preservation order) and great care has been taken with the architectural plans to ensure that the Alan Smith, Chair of the PYT, said: “Many trees were lost in the Glenkens during Storm Eowyn earlier this year and we were nervous about this tree before the report came in from the tree surgeons. "So we feel sure that pollarding is the right thing to do to preserve it for many more years. When the work has finished there will of course be lots of logs, wood chip etc and these will be left on site – please folks, help yourselves!” Nicolette Wise, PYT Trustee GAZETTEnews Glenkens Gazette Balmaclellan's pop-up cafe W e were shocked when we found out how many people we served across the day at the pop-up cafe at Balmaclellan Village Hall. With over 130 visitors, I think we can safely say this was a success. The event was set up to support three organisations - Balmaclellan Village Hall, Glenkens Community Larder and Stepping Stones Community Larder and Food Bank. People came from all over Dumfries and Galloway to have a taste of the wonderful food and meet up with friends. There was a variety of foods, all homemade by volunteers, from a plethora of local food suppliers, including Torr Organic Dairy, Galloway Farmhouse cheese, and locally grown fruits. There was food from toast to mac and cheese to meat and potato pie, and then there were the desserts... rhubarb crisp and apple pie, to name just a couple. Not only that, the sales table had even more delights to choose from, such as chocolate courgette cake and apple turnover meringues. There was such a buzz in the hall, and at one point, people were queuing out of the hall to get a table. Once they got Murphy's Army Purple Poppy campaign W ith Remembrance Day approaching, we will be thinking about those who served in the past conflicts and those who still serve, both human and animal. page 14 in, and they were seated, they were looked after by the many volunteers who helped run the day. Everyone, from the volunteers to the visitors, had such a good time; it was an excellent start to the Glenkens Food Month (even if it was in August!). Joshua Wells This photo, taken during World War 1, is of the Royal Field Artillary on Salisbury Plain, where my grandad was stationed before being shipped off to France. The image reminds us of the horrors faced by men, women and animals, both in the past and today. Murphy’s Army works to support the various charities that provide a safe, comfortable retirement for animals that have served not just in the military, but also in the fire service, prison service, border force, police service, etc, by making grants available to help with their care. You can find out more and donate online at www.theyalsoserved.org, or if you would like to make a bank transfer, the details are: Murphy’s Army, account number 03967034, sort code 20-78-42 and please quote Murphy’s Army Purple Poppy Campaign as a reference. Sue Wiseman Mixtape party nights return to Dalry M ixtape dance night returns to Dalry Town Hall on Saturday 11 October. The night will run from 8-11pm, and entry is £5 cash on the door. Come along for a proper shindig and a chance to shake your tail feathers to an eclectic mix of dance music that is selected by you. The idea is that people choose their favourite dance tunes from any era or genre and they’re put together in a playlist. To choose a tune or two, get in touch with on the Mixtape WhatsApp group by messaging me on 07811 957 578. The Mixtape nights following this will be 8 November and 13 December Kath Peters GAZETTEnews Kendoon to Tongland Reinforcement Project Glenkens Gazette G alloway Without Pylons (GWP) is a local action group set up to voice concerns over the impact on our area of the erection of the proposed Kendoon to Tongland Reinforcement Project - 118 huge pylons over 32.5km between Glenlee and Tongland. This project has been proposed by Scottish Power Energy Networks (SPEN), who are owned by the Spanish energy conglomerate Iberdrola, and cuts through the Galloway Forest Park close to major tourist attractions such as the Queensway Crossing, Raiders Road, Loch Stroan, the Otter Pool, the Red Kite Trail, Kennick Burn (and the ancient beech avenue), the Bennan, Slogarie and Laurieston Forests, and Barstobrick visitor/riding centre. SPEN applied for a 132kV overhead pylon line (OHL) from Kendoon to Tongland. Dumfries and Galloway Council objected page 15 to their planning application so the application went to a public inquiry. Biosphere, RSPB, Scottish Forestry and many other businesses and institutions. GWP want the section between Glenlee and Tongland undergrounded and argue that the extra cost this would incur should be spent to preserve the environment, wildlife and the local tourist industry. GWP raised £26,000 to pay for legal representation at the Public Inquiry on 7 February, at which the reporters' recommendation was "consent should not be granted under section 37 of the Electricity Act 1989". The reasons were: SPEN state “it is acknowledged by SPEN that the underground option is, in each case, technically feasible and, on balance, environmentally preferable having regard to landscape and visual as well as forestry impacts”. Undergrounding takes place all over the world and has been done in the UK in many areas of outstanding natural beauty. We believe that the Galloway Forest Park, the second most visited attraction in Dumfries & Galloway, should be awarded the extra funds that could be made available. The Scottish Government received almost 1,000 objections with not a single representation of support. GWP is supported by 23 Community Councils, Finlay Carson MSP, Emma Harper MSP, Colin Smyth MSP, Oliver Mundell MSP, the Galloway & Southern Ayrshire (a) Landscape and visual amenity: We conclude that there are a number of significant residual effects which cannot be mitigated. (b) Forestry: We conclude that there are a number of significant residual effects which cannot be mitigated. (c) We conclude that there are a number of significant residual effects which cannot be mitigated, in relation to groundwater and cultural heritage. On 14 February, the Scottish Government overturned the decision of the Public Inquiry and said: "There are significant adverse environmental impacts which will arise. Scottish Ministers consider these to be acceptable in consideration of the need for and benefits of the proposed development, which are significant considerations that strongly support the decision to grant consent for the applications". GWP's only course of action was a Judicial Review (JR). A petition was lodged against the Scottish Ministers and SP Transmission plc as the interested party. This petition was successful and the JR was allowed to go ahead. So far we have raised £12,000 from the local community. We are being charged an extremely reasonable rate but still need to raise another £10,000 through the crowdfunding campaign, so that the JR can go ahead and pay the legal team which includes a high profile KC. The JR is to take place at the end of September, so we will update you as to the outcome in the next edition of the Gazette. Paul Swift, Galloway Without Pylons Carsphairn's fundraising bake sale C arsphairn Community Council and local children’s group Bairn Banter jointly hosted a bake sale event on Saturday 20 September. Funds raised will help support the annual children’s halloween party taking place next month. The relaxed café-style environment and extensive bric-a-brac sales table ran alongside the regular children’s stay-and-play session at the Lagwyne Hall. There were also tables offering locally-grown vegetables, produce, preserves, eggs and a wide selection of beautifully handcrafted cards for visitors to browse after their tea and cake. The organisers said: “We would like to say a heartfelt 'thank you' to everyone who came together to support this wonderful community event. Thanks to all the helpers, volunteers and stall-holders. There were so many contributions of baked goods, soup, sweet treats and produce, which were very much enjoyed by all who attended. "We are delighted to announce that the grand total raised from the combined sales table and tea/cake sales came to a tremendous £385.67!” Melissa Ade from Bairn Banter added: “This will make a huge difference to our upcoming children's halloween party which takes place on 1 November at the Lagwyne Hall. "The party is open to all children, but we do ask that they are supervised by an adult during this spooktacular event!” See poster on p33 for details of the children's halloween party. Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEcommunity page 16 Search for a new Glenkens minister... T here have been many challenges and changes within our churches over recent times. Our churches are now joined under one minister, with those of Crossmichael, Parton and Balmaghie and the grouping is referred to as Galloway Dee Parish Church linked with Glenkens Parish Church. Glenkens Parish was formed through a union of the four parishes of Balmaclellan, Kells, Dalry and Carsphairn. Galloway Dee Parish was formed from the three parishes of Crossmichael, Parton and Balmaghie. On 1 January 2025, the two new parishes were linked. We now share a locum minister (Rev Judith Huggett) and an Interim Moderator (Rev Val Ott). Glenkens Parish Church has been without a permanent minister since the retiral of Rev Dr David Bartholomew and Galloway Dee even longer, since the sad death of Rev Sally Russell. But now exciting times are ahead as we start the formal search for a new minister. The charge is now listed on the Church of Scotland website Vacant Charges section and we await applications. A nomination committee of nine people has been elected from the two congregations, which we have given the nickname of the “NomCom”. This group is tasked with receiving applications and informal queries, which will hopefully lead Pictured is the interior of Carsphairn to being able Church courtesy of the Carsphairn Archive to interview candidates and also to hear Obviously, the work of the them preach elsewhere. NomCom is confidential but When this committee has we will do our very best in found the person they think seeking the right person for best suited to our area, they the area and the people in our will invite them to preach here community. as “sole nominee” and at that Irene McCreath, Session Clerk, point the congregations will Glenkens Parish Church be able to have their say. Carsphairn Primary School consultation T This little fellow was being mobbed by about 50 house martins outside my house a couple of days ago, so much so that he crashed into our window. After a minute or two of being stunned he soon recovered and flew away, but was again seen off by the house martins! The photos were taken at my house in the Glenkens. Mo Smith at Old Crummypark here is a copy of the current consultation paper regarding the formal closure of Carsphairn Primary School, and the response form for anyone wishing to give feedback, at Dalry Library. "If anyone wants to see the consultation and fill out a response, they can pop into the library," says Angela, librarian at Dalry Library. You can also respond to the econsultation online at www. tinyurl.com/carsphairn-school-september25 The consultation ends at 5pm on 29 October. Raising money for the Scottish Air Ambulance T he St Margaret’s Guild held a most successful raffle at this year’s Alternative Games in New Galloway, with all proceeds going to the Scottish Charity Air Ambulance. The Guild were grateful for all the prizes that were generously given by members of the congregation, as well as the main prize of a food and wine hamper kindly donated by Bill and Val Chalmers from their shop in Dalry. Mindful of the number of children present at the Games, we also had a ‘Guess My Name’ competition for a soft toy – the jury was out on whether the toy was a cow or a bull until the draw when we learned that the winning name was Belle! Christine Rankin, St Margaret’s Guild President, said: "We were delighted to have raised just over £290 for the SCAA which is Scotland’s only charity air ambulance and is funded entirely by members of the public, enabling SCAA to respond to timecritical accidents and emergences throughout Scotland’. Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEcommunity page 17 A seat with a view on Waterside Hill A s part of the ‘Woodlands Plus’ project, Dumfries & Galloway Woodlands has been working with Dalry Community Council and the wider local community to add access improvements along the Southern Upland Way on Waterside Hill. Thanks to funding from Glenkens & District Trust, and with the support of Scottish Woodlands and Earlstoun Estate, new information boards have been ordered and a new picnic bench has been installed near the summit, giving views southwards down the valley and looking north into the Galloway Hills. This recent partnership work formed part of discussion on the Waterside Hill Walk, part of the Land Notes festival (see p20 for more). The walk was led by Dumfries & Galloway Woodlands and Dalry Community Council, and included tantalising mentions of other attractions arriving on the hill in coming months… Laura Mcnabb Summer of fun for Glenkens Youth Group I n early summer we were delighted to hear that the youth group had been awarded funding from the Dumfries and Galloway Summer of Play Fund. We were delighted with the news, which enabled a group of sixteen youngsters to enjoy a fantastic day trip to Belfast in July. We set off from the CatStrand in a minibus and one car, arriving at the ferry terminal in Cairnryan in plenty time to board the Dodds of Troon coach. The ferry was very busy that day and we had quite a wait until we could board. However, we were soon able to relax and enjoy the sail over to Ireland. For many this was their first experience of a ferry trip and a first visit to Ireland. We spent the journey exploring the ship and trying to identify landmarks and various sea creatures – mainly jellyfish! On arrival at Belfast we boarded the coach again and made our way to the Titanic Experience benefitting from the knowledge and banter from the Tour Guide. The Exhibition Centre was amazing, with numerous displays, models and visual effects including a cable-car ride which immersed you in the shipbuilding world at the time of the disaster. Before boarding the ferry home, we had time in Belfast City to visit the Titanic Memorial Gardens, scanning the names of those who were lost in the disaster and wondering if we were related to any. A short shopping trip was enjoyed by some of the group and some bargain purchases were worn home. On the ferry back we all enjoyed a meal together, chatted about our day and watched an amazing sunset over Ireland. What a brilliant day. A few weeks later, in August, once again we were very grateful to be able to have another exciting excursion, this time a little closer to home. We spent an afternoon at the Galloway Activity Centre with funding received from the Glenkens Community Shop. Twelve youngsters took part in two chosen activities - archery or the water slide park for the first half of the afternoon, and then a whole group battle in the Laser Quest woods! It was great to have the opportunity to catch-up again as the summer holidays can be quite isolating for some in our rural area. Again we had lovely weather, great fun, and thanks to very generous donations, a chance to make special memories. Sue Curtis, Youth Group Deliverer Glenkens Youth Group's termtime weekly meet-ups are core funded by the Glenkens & District Community Benefit Fund and are therefore free to all attend for all P7 - S3s in the Glenkens. To find out more, email glenkensyouth@gmail.com Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEcommunity they’ll be sown to provide the next round of provenance saplings. There are still areas of replanting to be done so seedlings will come in useful then. Firewood and sawn timber T here’s been a lot happening over the summer at Muirdrochwood! Open dayA huge thank you to everyone who came and volunteered at the Woodland open day in August. There was wonderful baking, pony walks, stalls, banner making, children’s activities by Bairn Banter, alpacas and a fantastic BBQ. The event was really well attended, and many thanks to everyone who came out to support us. We hope to get some more community events going soon, as well as more regular volunteer days again. Watch this space... Tree planting Thanks to our forestry funding grant, the first round of tree planting of locally-grown hardwood is complete. The saplings in the poly-crub have all come on nicely – most have been re-potted and are quickly outgrowing their home. Andy has been busy harvesting seeds from the woodland and Glenkens Cub Scout update T Firewood season is upon us again and logs are flying off the shelves. The team have been very busy harvesting and processing this year’s supply. So, there’s plenty of wood ready to keep you all toasty this winter - get in touch with Davey on 07710124 255 if you would like to place an order. And there’s sawn timber available from the community sawmill too. Rural Skills Centre The long-awaited Rural Skills Centre is now under construction - phase one is complete and we hope to begin phase two of the build soon. Pop down to the woodland to check it out, or page 18 play on the swings, walk along the mossy paths and spot some wildlife! Pre-apprenticeships This month we said farewell to our most recent pre-apprentice – he has gone on to find local employment and we wish him all the best in his new job. We hope to be on the lookout for a new pre-apprentice soon, but are waiting for funding to be released. New development worker Welcome to Harriet Whitty, who has taken over from Alison Macleod as Development Officer for the Woodland (see CCT article on page opposite). Harriet is employed by Carsphairn Community Trust thanks to funding from Carsphairn Renewable Energy Fund Ltd (CREFL). The CCW Team MESSAGE FROM A LONG-DISTANCE GAZETTE READER I saw your lost Croc listed in last issue's Freecycle section... Found it on the creek bank behind my house. It floated a long way! Unless it was picked up by a dog... still a long walk for a dog. Didn't see any teeth marks on it though. Come and get it when you can. Jamie, New York State, USA he Glenkens Cub Scout Pack would like to thank everyone who donated to our Alternative Games stall and to those who purchased items. S We raised an amazing £127.32 for our funds. What a lovely happy atmosphere the Games team created – thank you for a fun day! The event will run from 10.30am to 12noon with coffee, shortbread, mince pies, a raffle, and a stall with home baking. Nicolette Wise CHRISTMAS COFFEE MORNING t Margaret’s Guild and Glenkens Churches Guild are holding their annual Christmas Coffee Morning on Wednesday 3 December in New Galloway Town Hall. Photo of the Issue T his issue's winner is Melissa Ade, with her photo Winter Donkeys. Melissa wins two portions of mac 'n' cheese from our competition sponsors, the Balmaclellan-based Stockbridge Mac & Cheese Co. Company owner and competition judge, Hannah Gould, said: "The donkeys win by a nose...or maybe an ear!" To enter you can send in any photograph taken in the Glenkens to glenkensgazette@hotmail.co.uk Winning photos will be added to the Gallery on the Glenkens Hub - www.glenkens.scot Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEcommunity page 19 Pop along to the Glenkens community shop T he Glenkens community shop, referred to locally as the charity shop, continues to go from strength to strength. The shop is very well supported by locals, people from the wider community and visitors to the area. We currently have 20 volunteers working in the shop, seven of whom are trustees. A broad range of items is generously donated. Stock is rotated regularly, and there is always something different for customers to buy. We offer a low-cost way of buying clothing, books, footwear and an extensive array of exciting miscellaneous items. Like many charity shops, there are certain items we can’t accept for safety, hygiene and legal reasons eg electrical goods, large items such as furniture, and clothes that are dirty, stained or ripped. We can only accept goods that are clean and fit for purpose to ensure they are in the best condition for their next owner. The shop storage area is small, so there is a limit of four bags of donated items per household at any one time. Regrettably, volunteers may have to refuse donations owing to the above-mentioned reasons. Any profits generated through the shop go back into the community through our grant scheme. We have two grant allocations over the course of the year, in June and December. Volunteer opportunities are available to anyone over the age of 16 – there’s no upper age limit. Wages are a chocolate biscuit and a cup of tea. The shop is not only about buying and donating. We aim to offer a safe, friendly and warm space where anyone is welcome to pop in for a chat and a bit of company, and on occasions a cup of tea or coffee. During the summer there are additional evening openings which are posted on the shop Facebook page @ Glenkens community shop (Charity shop) The shop entrance and shop floor are accessible to all. Do pop in and have a browse, and a chat if you fancy - we look forward to seeing you! Noreen Bell SHOP OPENING TIMES Monday: 10am-1pm Wednesday: 10am-4pm Friday: 10am-4pm Saturday: 10am-4pm An update from Carsphairn Community Trust W elcome to Harriet Whitty, our new Development Officer for the Trust. Harriet has recently moved to the Carsphairn community from Parton with her family and we are delighted to be able to offer her local employment, thanks to funding from Carsphairn Renewable Energy Fund Ltd (CREFL). (any recommendations of local charities are welcome). The Trust are busy preparing the 2026 annual Carsphairn calendar, to be released November. It will be distributed free of charge to all residential properties in the Carsphairn area. The Social Mondays will be up and running again in October, so pop in and for a games, a chat and a bite to eat in the Lagwyne Hall. Surplus calendars will be sold to raise money for a local charity Faux casino night T hank you to everyone who attended the Faux Casino Night in Lagwyne Hall. This was one of a number of community events run by Carsphairn Community Trust. It was lovely to see so many people come out to spend time together with neighbours and friends. The trust has enjoyed continuing to run social nights including Play Your Cards Right, Bullseye and a mock-casino night, which have all been well supported. Watch this space for upcoming social evenings (see article below for the latest Faux Casino Night). The Trust has recently acquired a new property which we are pleased to announce is now tenanted to a family, who we would like to welcome to the community! Carsphairn Community Trust The human fruit machine went down well (with both adults and the children being great fruit selectors). Well done to the winners who managed to keep some chips at the end of the evening too. An idea for the next social evening was made as a curry-and-quiz, and a Halloween-themed event was also requested, so Bryan Cockburn needs to get planning! Catherine Ann Pictured is the human fruit machine, a popular choice of activity on the night Glenkens Gazette D ue to local residents allowing their dogs to foul on the Dalry School playing field, parents would like to ask dog owners to please avoid taking their dogs into the school grounds. GAZETTEcommunity Parents' plea to Dalry dog owners One parent said: "If people absolutely have to take their dog onto the school playing field, please could we request that they are kept on a lead and that owners clean up after them." Another parent added: "There are serious health risks for children coming into contact with dog mess, and the playing field is used for all ages - from Nursery right up to Secondary. "Children don't just walk on the grass - they kick balls which then get picked up, dive onto the grass, sit down to chat and picnic on nice days, and the wee ones will roll around on the ground, playing. Our kids are coming home with dog poo on their clothes and shoes on a daily basis at the moment, which is a really concerning situation." It was also commented that there is often dog mess on the pavement outside the school. Wee Mixtape disco party O n Saturday 18 October at 4.30pm, Dalry Town Hall will be hosting a family-friendly, kids-oriented afternoon disco. You might be aware of the local Mixtape nights, run by Kath Peters, which takes over Dalry Town Hall with the aid of a PA, Smoke Machine and a whole bunch of Disco lights. How it works is folk attending join a WhatsApp group and submit a tune or two in advance, which Kath compiles into the nights playlist (see article on p14). page 20 Wee Mixtape was inspired when Kath got together with Baby Loves Disco, a Londonbased organisation which runs clubbing events for parents and their kids, and offered to run a family-friendly version of the Mixtape events. Wee Mixtape was born! To get involved, join the WhatsApp group and submit your tunes at www.tinyurl.com/ weemixtape, and you can book tickets at https://tinyurl.com/ weetickets Peter Renwick Family and friends coming to stay? N ew Galloway Golf Club Founded Foun ded 1902 www.ng www.n g gc.co.uk Country cottage set in beautiful gardens available for holiday lets all year round (sleeps 5) James wonders what it might have been - is it historically significant perhaps? It looks like there are marks carved into it. Was it an iron age club? Or a sign of some kind perhaps? If anyone has any thoughts on this, or would like to take a closer look at the stone, please get in touch with us here at the Gazette at glenkensgazette@ hotmail.co.uk Eileen Campbell Call Fiona on 07789 903127 - 01644 420737 - www.covenanters-holidaycottagescotland.co.uk Buggies now available for hire Licence no DG00824P VISITORS AND NEW MEMBERS WELCOME J ames Brander, 14, found this interesting stone in the Image Pool by Stroanfreggan Schoolhouse, where he was on holiday with his family. To arrange a visit in the comfort of your own home please contact 07515 168 963 or empathyfoothealth@gmail.com GAZETTEcommunity Glenkens Gazette page 21 Carsphairn Place Plan officially approved C arsphairn's Local Place Plan was one of three adpoted by Dumfries and Galloway Council's Stewarty Area Committee meeting on 17 September. Councillor Lowe (vice-chair) commended the local place plans and wanted the community groups to know their hard work and resilience had been noted. 2035 and will be included in Dumfries & Galloway's third Local Development Plan. Carsphairn Community Council and the LPP working group would like to thank everyone who submitted their views and ideas and who contributed to the production of the plan. You can read the plan and how the community council hope it will support community aspirations at www.glenkens.scot/localplace-plans/carsphairn-localplace-plan or scan the QR code here: The plan was drawn up by the community to help support Carsphairn's aims to create a thriving, multigenerational society and to give the area a statutory voice in land use decisions. The Local Place Plan covers the coming decade until David 07513 180 960 JOINERY & CONSTRUCTION SERVICES Renovation & Conversions New Builds Extensions Groundworks Roofing Kitchen Fitting Windows/Doors Interior Finishings Covering Dumfries & Galloway Reliable Tradesmen We change lives! Come and help us. Your journey starts here! Check out our projects on our socials! D.Mason Joinery Volunteer with us @d.mason_joinery d.mason.joinery@gmail.com dagcas.org • 0300 303 4321 • info@dagcas.org Dumfries & Galloway Citizens Advice Service is a Company Limited by Guarantee No: SC179254. Scottish Charity No: SC027107 Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEenvironment page 22 Inaugural Glenkens Land Notes Festival T he inaugural Glenkens Land Notes Festival took place from 13 to 18 August, blessed with sunny skies and soaring temperatures. Across six lively days there were 15 events, as well as banner-making workshops and creative sessions at community gatherings in the run-up. Kerry Morrison and Morag Paterson, together with Jo Jackson from Cultural Glenkens, led bannermaking activities at the Dalry Farmers Market, the Alternative Games, the Upper Urr Environment Trust, the Loch Ken Fun Day and the Carsphairn Community Woodland open day. They also worked with the Balmaclellan Sewing Group, the Dalry Library Summer Craft Group, and the Dalry Pollinators project, while supporting others with materials costs. In total, 30 amazing banners were created, showcasing all the elements of our landscapes that are important to us. The Land Notes programme was wide-ranging and imaginative, moving fluidly between reflection and creativity, indoors and under open skies. Topics included Treasured Places, River Stories, Mapping and Formative nature experiences. There was also a dazzling programme of music and performance from CatStrand Arts, with a much-enjoyed Ceilidh and Mixtape night at Dalry Town Hall drawing large crowds. Over the course of the festival, almost 550 people took part, with many more joining in through bannermaking. On the Sunday, numerous local community groups came together for a finale parade and picnic. Led by local piper Ollie Rigg, participants processed around Dalry School playing field, enjoying sweeping views before settling into a shaded picnic accompanied by music and song from local performers. Kerry, Morag and Jo would like to offer a huge thank you to everyone who got involved - whether by leading, volunteering, creating banners, performing, or simply showing up and joining the celebrations. The first Glenkens Land Notes Festival wove together creativity, community and a deep connection to place, setting a joyful precedent for the years ahead. A huge thank you as well to the funders that made it possible – the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Creative Scotland, NatureScot and Inspriring Scotland. It was a brilliant partnership project between CatStrand Arts and Dalry Community Council and we hope to do it again one day! Morag Paterson & Kerry Morrison Top - Anne Errington performing watery tales from around the world Above - Build Your Own Nature Reserve, Cuckoostone New Galloway's community garden L ast year, Local Initiatives in New Galloway (LING) secured a piece of unused land in New Galloway’s park to make way for our community garden. Since then, trees were planted – thanks to a grant from D&G Woodlands – and we erected an impressive pergola with help from some capable local craftsmen. Regular garden days with multi-talented volunteers as well as many community donations have transformed a derelict area into a burgeoning garden. Although only six months have passed, the transformation is visible and has been welcomed by the community. At the heart of it are our volunteers who generously watered the young plants through several heat waves; who lovingly built benches, potting tables, cane stands and ingenious water collection systems; and who diligently weed, plant, paint, and donate, bringing life and colour to the garden. The community garden is a place to share, whether that’s time, work, a cup of tea, a chat, or knowledge. It is based on permaculture principles, the methods of which are not widely known but are so easy to replicate at home – and we learn all about these techniques and more from experienced gardeners in the community. You may not have heard of huegelbeds or lasagne beds but having self-sustaining beds is invaluable when time is limited. Children from Kells Primary School have been visiting monthly, learning hands-on about growing potatoes, pollinators, planting trees and more. And their favourite activity? Wait for it… digging! The garden is a great space for any community group, the Biosphere and Propagate both having held workshops there as well as a permaculture design group and a bat box building session. If you would like to be part of the community garden, you can be notified about our regular garden days by checking our Facebook page @ngcommunitygarden where you can also find a link to our WhatsApp group. Also, if you have any gardening tools gathering dust in your shed or spare plants or seeds you would like to donate, please do get in touch! We invite you to come along to the garden, have a rest on a bench, and enjoy nature at its best... Bianca Leder, Community Garden Co-Ordinator Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEenvironment page 23 Get pollinating with fruit and nut trees P ropagate is leading on an exciting project for Dalry Community Council that will see around 130 fruit and nut trees planted in people’s gardens and community spaces all across the Glenkens. Scottish Power Energy Networks have provided this funding to create a network of pollinators across the area, boosting biodiversity and habitats through extra planting. You can read about the link of this project with the Glenkens Nature Networks project and our future plans (article below), but it’s got off to a great start. We took part in this year’s Land Notes Festival parade, working with local creative Sarah McCusker to make a banner and various parade props during a session held in Dalry Library. Following this, Malcolm from SWSEIC led a Pollinator ID workshop in New Galloway Community Garden. This was attended by 12 people who learned all about the diverse range of these tiny but mighty garden friends. An information session was then held online on 9 September for those looking to take some trees to plant. We welcomed NatureScot's Pollinator Strategy Manager, who shared an insightful presentation on the national context for pollinators. Also present was Lynsey Payne, who co-runs Appletreeman in Perthshire – the source of the fruit and nut trees for our project. Lynsey gave a visual tour of the nursery and how she produces the trees. This is a fantastic project that is making a real difference on-theground in the Glenkens, and we look forward to seeing it develop over the coming months and years. Abi Mordin, Propagate Find out more at www.glenkens. scot/projects/glenkenspollinators-project Local birds in words and song J oin us on Sunday 2 November to enjoy your local birds on a walk around Dalry starting at 10.30am at Dalry Town Hall. The Glenkens is home to many birds which locals and visitors may not be aware of. A guided walk with local experts will hopefully open participants eyes to what can be seen and heard. Following the walk there will be music in the town hall at 11.30pm. Bird song is a great stimulant for music-making, and hearing Peter Cowdrey of Planet Birdsong, Jo Miller, a Dalry-born Scottish musician, and Dalry resident Andrew Bielinski will give listeners a quite different perspective on birds from the norm. Listening to what Glenkens artist and bird expert Donald Watson (1918-2005) said in his writing, and what others have written about him, will bring his words nearer to people, as will listening to extracts from the biographical essays about him written by those who knew him well. There will also be an opportunity to view some of Donald’s paintings, and to purchase cards and posters of his work and copies of the recently published book about him. Roger Crofts Are you looking to plant trees this winter? We have grants available for small-scale native planting schemes. For full info, visit: www.dgwoodlands.org.uk Registered as a SCIO, no 052525 Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEenvironment page 24 sponsored by Building nature networks in the Glenkens D o you want to play a part in helping nature in the Glenkens? Dalry Community Council (DCC) has received Inspiring Scotland money to explore the possibility of establishing Nature Networks in the Glenkens. Supported by the Glenkens Community and Arts Trust (GCAT), the Land Use subcommittee and the GSA Biosphere, some really interesting work is going on about how we could improve the connectivity of habitats around Dalry and beyond to better support our wildlife. The work will also include opportunities for members of the community to learn how to monitor changes in biodiversity and land use around them. In a separate project, DCC has received funding from SP Energy Networks (SPEN) for a Glenkens Pollinators Project, which will see around 130 fruit and nut trees planted in people’s gardens and community spaces right across the Glenkens. So what are Nature Networks? Nature Networks are corridors and ‘steppingstones’ of wildlife-friendly habitats that connect existing nature-rich areas. They are important to help nature cope with land use change and the climate crisis, and also provide a network of easily accessible natural spaces for the local community. Barriers and Opportunities Sponsored Page The project’s first ‘strand’ builds directly on the work done by the Glenkens communities in the past few years on Land Use, captured in the Land Use Vision: www.glenkens.scot/ land-use. The big goal is to establish Nature Networks in the Glenkens over the next few years; the first step is to see if this is possible. This work is being led by Steve Connelly, a land use and planning consultant based in Dalry, who will be having conversations with landowners, farmers and community groups between now and Christmas. By the end of the year, we’d love to have a small group of people ready to start a pilot on the ground when further funding is hopefully secured next year. It would be great to also have a larger group of land managers and communities who are interested in doing more work to develop Nature Networks, and by then we should have a good scientific understanding of where the opportunities are to make the most difference with the smallest interventions. It could be as simple as planting a short ‘corridor’ of trees and scrubby vegetation along a field edge – a Glenkens Pollinators: The Dispersed Orchard ‘hedgehog highway’ – to link existing Fruit and Nut Tree Locations woodlands. Or reducing grazing pressure on grassland in the spring to allowAllscarce plants items to flower and seed before allowing cattle in to graze. Or planting fruit trees to create a network of food sources for pollinating insects – of which more below! If you are interested in talking about possibilities on your land, please email Steve Connelly at stephen.connellyy@gmail.com. Monitoring and Citizen Science The second strand will focus on nature monitoring and citizen science. Niki Inglis, an engineer and sustainability consultant based in Carsphairn, is leading this work and said: "This is an exciting opportunity for members of the community to get involved in citizen science and help record the impacts of our changing world on nature and biodiversity." A handful of locations across the Glenkens have been selected as pilot sites for nature monitoring this year, from forestry and agriculture such as Carsphairn Community Woodland (CCW) to local public spaces such as New Galloway Community Garden; all habitats are valuable to wildlife and biodiversity. We hope to hear from other communities, networks or sites which may be interested in getting involved. Volunteers from the pilot sites will be attending a citizen science training on 2nd October in Dalry, led by Malcolm Haddow from South West Scotland Environmental Information Centre (SWSEIC). They will learn best practices and record their observations on apps such as iNaturalist. Places are available for members of the public to join the training – spaces are FREE but limited so please get in touch with Niki soon to reserve your place. Partnering with the Glenkens Community Spaces Network (GCSN), we are also looking at ways to embed Citizen Science in our communities, starting with a series of citizen science talks at Halls across the Glenkens - more details to follow as the programme develops. Keep up to date with all of this and more at the Glenkens Hub www.glenkens.scot. Please also get in touch on Niki.Inglis@protonmail. com if you know of a community, network or site which might like to get involved or if you have any questions. Glenkens Pollinators Project: The Dispersed Orchard The Glenkens Pollinators Project is already well underway. Led by Abi Mordin from Propagate on behalf of DCC, the project plans to get around 130 fruit and nut trees planted across the Glenkens. This will create a nature network and pollinator corridor - boosting biodiversity while also providing a source of healthy food for humans. There was a fabulous response to the call for sites, with over 40 people nominating areas from their own gardens to community spaces. The map here shows the spread of the ‘dispersed orchard’ and already we can see some great pathways and clusters emerging. The next step for the Pollinator Project is to hold a community planting day and hand out the trees! This will probably be on 8 November at Dalry Library, where we will create a new micro-orchard. There will be a demonstration on how to plant, stake and protect your trees, plus a host of fruit and nut themed activities. Details will be confirmed on the Glenkens Hub. Going forward, the Pollinators Project is joining forces with Glenkens Nature Networks to increase impact – we’ll be encouraging recipients of fruit and nut trees to get involved in the Citizen Science project and record biodiversity quite literally on their doorstep. So it’s an exciting time for the Glenkens as we work across communities and organisations for the benefit of our wildlife and environment. Watch this space for more! Niki Inglis and Steve Connelly (See article on p23 for more on the Glenkens Pollinators Project.) Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEenvironment page 25 sponsored by If you would like to list something on this page, please get in touch on 07727 127 997 or glenkensgazette@hotmail.co.uk FREE Ikea child’s extendable single bed; height 80cm; length 132 - 200cm; width 90cm; wooden frame. Collection from Dalry. Contact: 07870 771 424 20 chairs with arms, free to collect from Mossdale Village Hall. Surplus to requirements. Contact: 07538 821764 Seagrass matting, made up from squares, 3ft x 6ft. Not new but still useful. Contact: Sue, Dalry, on 07563 718 011 Horse manure, rotted and fresh, no weed killers used. Dig your own - bring sacks or trailer. Contact: 07889 229 340 Double/single bunk bed, double at the bottom, single on top, metal frame. Contact: 07727 127 997 Old lawn mowers/strimmers/other small machinery. Non-runners/broken welcome. Contact: text/WhatsApp 07845 562 217 FOR SALE & OFFERS Shed clearances - any shed cleared, large or small; get in touch for further info or to arrange a visit. Contact: 07765 034 841 LABRADOODLE PUPPIES Ready mid-November, male and female, black and brown. Home-reared on a farm outside Carsphairn/Dalry. Used to other dogs, cats, hens, etc. Well handled by children and socialised. £800 each - £100 deposit WANTED Call 07512 593 851 LOST: Camouflage print Croc (clog-type shoe) lost in the river at the High Bridge of Ken. Has likely floated downstream...if found, please contact Sarah on 07727 127 997 Garden bench. Contact: 07727 127 997 WRIGHTS STORE & POST OFFICE DALRY DALRY DALRY SWEET TREAT SATURDAY DALRY INFORMATION FRESH CREAM CAKES AVAILABLE TO ORDER OPENING TIMES OPENING HOURS Mon-Fri 7.30am-5.30pm MONDAY – FRIDAY Sat 8.30am-5pm Sun 8.30am-3pm 7.30am – 5.30pm POST8.30am OFFICE– 5pm SATURDAY Mon-Fri 10am to 3pm SUNDAY – 3pm Sat 9am8.30am to 12.30pm Sun closed SUPPLIERS LOCAL SUPPLIERS DALMELLINGTON BUTCHERS DALMELLINGTON COUNTRY HENDERSON BUTCHERS BUTCHERS SWEET TREATS BAKERY UPPER DULLARG EGGS GLENKENS HONEY CREAM O' FRUIT GALLOWAY MITCHELLS & VEG GALLOWAY LODGE SWEETCAKES BAKERY IRVINGS BAKERY GLENKENS COMPANY COWS &HONEY CO CHEESE THE CRESS COMPANY CREAM O GALLOWAY BORDER BISCUITS GALLOWAY LODGE PRESERVES HAWKSTONE BREWERY IRVINGSFRUIT BAKERY MITCHELLS & VEG SULWATH BREWERY SCOTTISH GALLOWAY PASTA ...local delivery available... GLENKENS HONEY COMPANY POP IN FOR A CHAT AND A BROWSE Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEenvironment page 26 The Optimistic Environmentalist Battery Health (continued) O ur car battery is one of the most common at this time - lithium with nickel, manganese and cobalt (NMC). Here are someways to maintain your battery health: 1) Don't use rapid chargers too often; this has been shown to be detrimental to battery life, just like red-lining your combustion engine. This is one of the reasons why mobile phone batteries tend to degrade relatively quickly. Your vehicle's battery management system (BMS) takes care of battery temperature and charge rates etc to help maximise battery life and efficiency. However, limiting rapid charging to only when you need to will reduce stress to your battery and budget. 2) Keep the battery between 20% and 80% most of the time. This doesn't mean that if you charge to 100% (like we do before we go on a long journey) and end a journey with 5%, you are damaging your battery. Electric Cars - Part Four Just try not to leave the battery for days at those extremes. Interestingly, recent iPhone and Android devices allow you to limit the charge on your mobile device for exactly this reason. 3) Conversely, charge to 100% periodically; this allows all the individual cells to equalise their charge level, known as 'cell balancing'. It only occurs if you are AC charging, eg at home or a public AC charger. Once the charge reaches 100%, let the vehicle stop the charge itself (another hidden feature of the BMS). Advice and opinions vary on how frequently you should do this, but once a month is often suggested. Don't stress about this, just do it occasionally - preferably before a reasonable length journey so you are not leaving the car stood for days above 80%. 4) Taking power from and adding to the car battery regularly has been shown to prolong battery life. Don't worry, you will soon get into a routine. Other battery chemistries Lithium iron phosphate £7.00per night per dog The Johan Cruijff Arena in Amsterdam has Europe's largest energy storage system (LFP) and sodium based chemistries, are now rapidly coming onto the market. guarantee on your last combustion engine? BYD's Blade batteries are set to be very popular - they have been shown not to catch fire if squashed, folded, hammered or stabbed. When your battery's storage capacity is too low for your car, usually below 80%, you could use it at home or sell it. Check out the best way to treat your battery. Whatever type is used, the data suggests that the battery will outlive the bodywork of the car. Of course, there will always be rare failures as there have always been some combustion engine failures, but with EV battery guarantees of seven years upwards, this should not be a worry. After all, how long was the Old car batteries Companies use these batteries for homes, eg for backup power or to make use of off-peak electricity, build into large scale grid storage systems or to rent out to businesses for specific projects or events. Johan Cruijff Arena in Amsterdam (pictured) has 148 used Nissan Leaf batteries permanently installed for this purpose. More uses are being developed all the time. Denise MacDonald-Kiernan T GAZETTEenvironment Loch Ken Trust Family Fun Day he sun shone for The Loch Ken Trust Family Fun Day 2025, with local and national organisations gathering to promote water safety during the summer holidays. The event is now in its third year and saw many locals and visitors head out to enjoy a day of family fun on the shores of beautiful Loch Ken, whilst learning how to stay safe on and around the water. The day showcased a host of rescue demonstrations and activities for all with the chance to meet the local branches of the emergency services and the Loch Ken community ranger service. Galloway Activity Centre were on-hand for mini water safety sessions and rafted canoe trips which were open to all. New for this year was the inaugural Loch Ken Stone Skimming Championships, which will also run as an annual event. page 27 LOCH KEN TRUST RANGER 07539 029 175 / 07918 300 889 It was great to see so many people out to enjoy a day by the Loch and learn about water safety. The Trust would like to thank everyone involved in making the day such a success. Plans are already underway for 2026 -watch this space for details. Lindsay Stewart, Manager, Loch Ken Trust Sponsored Page Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEpeople Glenkens Gazette page 28 A new Chief Executive for GCAT A fter a diligent recruitment process, the Board of Glenkens Community & Arts Trust (GCAT) is delighted to announce that they have appointed Andrew McConnell as the new Chief Executive of GCAT. Andrew will lead GCAT into its next chapter, building on the last 24 years of delivering high quality arts and community development. Andrew grew up on a farm in the Machars and attended the Douglas Ewart High School before leaving to study Architecture at Strathclyde University in Glasgow. He brings 20 years of experience of the built heritage and charitable sector, having experience as an architect in private practice; a conservation officer with Glasgow City Council; a project development officer and then Director with Glasgow Building Preservation Trust. In 2021, Andrew joined the National Lottery Heritage Fund as Senior Investment Manager, looking after large complex capital projects (including the National Galleries in Edinburgh, Citizens Theatre in Glasgow and the Galloway Glens scheme) and organisational resilience projects. Andrew returned to Galloway in 2023 and is slowly renovating a house in Wigtown. Since November last year he has been supporting the Wigtown Festival Company as Interim Chief Executive. He will be starting in post in early November, and will be carrying out an extended handover with Helen Keron before she leaves in early December for pastures as yet unknown! Andrew is very much looking forward to joining the staff, freelancers and volunteers who make GCAT and the Glenkens such an amazing place to live, and will be out and about as much as possible after he starts. Helen Keron said: "I am delighted with this appointment and feel that Andrew is exactly the right person to take GCAT and CatStrand into its next chapter. Name the place MATTHEW PAJO Acupuncture & Herbal Medicine - pain management - women's health - men's health - fatigue - sleep - stress - anxiety - needle-free laser acupuncture- The Old School, Crossmichael info@matthewpajo.co.uk 07786 079 845 everything we've achieved so far and to support him in taking the next important steps for GCAT and the Glenkens." We look forward to introducing Andrew to the GCAT and wider team as soon as possible - and do say hello if you see him around! "I'm looking forward to working with him to build on (from page 4) Site Name: Woodhead lead mines Location: Carsphairn parish The only constant is change. Today, the upper Glenkens are best known for their conifer plantations, farmland, and open moor. Yet in 1838, lead was discovered in those very Andrew in the Galloway hills hills, and by the 1850s more than 300 people had brought the landscape to life. The lead rush lasted little more than three decades before fading, and the land returned once again to farming. Traces of the old workings can still be found if you follow the track at Garryhorn Farm. The GCAT Board The final house there was abandoned in 1954. Did you know..? We’re all familiar with some of lead’s traditional uses: in building materials such as windows, roofing, and pipes, and in household goods like pewter or to refine glass. But did you know it was once used in cosmetics, and even as a sweetener in wine - despite its toxic nature? Some lessons, it seems, take us a long time to learn. Amber Dunlop-Pajo Advanced Massage Practitioner Health Psychologist - women's health - stress - depression - anxietyThe Old School, Crossmichael info@gallowaycounselling.co.uk 07389 713 106 Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEpeople Glenkens Youth Correspondent page 29 Joshua Wells, aged 16, is our Gazette youth correspondent and in each edition he will be writing about topics which interest him. In this issue Joshua discusses the Balmaclellan Boy Scouts. T his metal plaque was found in Balmaclellan Village Shop roughly three years ago and coming across it once again, I decided to write an article about it. Reading the historic message on the plaque, you may be left confused - just as I was - because in the present day there are no Balmacellan Boy Scouts in the village. The closest Scout group is in New Galloway; the Glenkens Scouts Group. To fully understand the mystery of this local youth group, we must first picture the history of the Scouts and their practices. It’s 1907 Britain or, more specifically, Brownsea Island, and an experimental group was set up by Robert Baden-Powell. Twenty boys took part in this groundbreaking experiment, which tested Baden-Powell's ideas on youth training and outdoor activities. Not long after what some would call the 'Scouts beta test' in 1908, Robert Baden-Powell published a book titled Scouting for Boys. In the same year, the first Scout patrols began to emerge, and the movement officially became recognised. The Scout movement quickly gained publicity and in 1910, the Boy Scouts of America was officially founded. Twelve years later, the ‘World Organisation of the Scout Movement’ (or WOSM for short) was established, today bringing together 176 national scout organisations. Back in Britain, after the Second World War, Scouts were seen as brilliant contributors to the nation because of their war efforts, which included stretcher-bearing and working as coastguards. This helped raise their national reputation, increasing local demand. That demand probably led to the formation of a Balmaclellan scout group. However, the Balmaclellan Boy Scouts weren’t the only facilities for young people in the village. A school, often recalled by locals, offered education to the children of Balmaclellan, running for 200 years, from 1781-1981. At the start of its run as a school, it was a private school. In 1795, Edward Murdoch created a Mortification Fund for the parish school, donating £500. That sum bought land, which then produced an annual salary of £36 for the teacher. Due to the fund, students no longer had to pay to go to Balmaclellan School, because according to the fund’s rules, the teacher could not accept any extra fees from students. After doing some research on Memories of the Glenkens, a Facebook page on the history of the Glenkens area, I found that there used to be a coal fire within the school before the school was improved and provided with central heating. Around this time the school would have had an outdoor toilet. However, some schools were not so lucky as to have a fireplace inside the school; instead, according to another comment on Facebook, many children used to keep baked potatoes in their pockets to keep warm on cold winter days. However, getting back to the point, a member of the village, and a local customer of the shop, recalled a great celebration of the late Queen Elizabeth the Second's coronation. Large bonfires were lit one by one from Parton to Balmacelallen to New Galloway and so on and so forth, like a long chain, uniting all of the citizens of Dumfries and Galloway to celebrate. Official meeting minutes, from much before the coronation of the Queen, from 1914, shows the decrease in members of the Balmaclellan Boy Scouts. Towards the end, meetings were organised with no-one showing up, for example on 9 March 1914, seemingly no-one attended the Scouts meeting. At the end of the historic notebook, the last meeting’s minutes only recorded two people showing up. The decreasing numbers were most likely due to young patriotic boys believing it is the right thing to fight for their country even though they were too young to enter. Unfortunately, the reality of this is that the boys never came back from the war, and never saw their family again. In the same book, multiple pages were titled Nature Notes, where all the natural beauty seen would be written down. Things were noted such as when the wild strawberries were out or blooming Scottish thistles; even snowfall was noted down in November. Around the same time, on the 19 August 1914, the Balmaclellan School log book shows that two Boy Scouts who attended the Balmaclellan School, most likely being part of the Balmaclellan Boy Scouts, went away to Carsphairn on duty. Not only has the village changed in the educational sense, but also according to a local who came into the shop, allotments for the houses opposite could be found, where an out-of-commission water pump stands today, at the crossroad in the middle of the village just by the shop. These allotments are also a plausible place for the Boy Scouts' coronation tree to have been planted, as it is in the heart of the village for all locals and even visitors to see. The tree, however, could have also been planted at the Balmaclellan school, this is because the most likely case is that members of the Balmaclellan Boy Scouts were also in the Balmacellan School. Another believable place for this tree to be is by Balmaclellan Village Hall. As with photos of the hall without trees as evidence, it is clear that the trees found there now, have not been there for too long. This makes it easier to believe that a tree could have been planted there in 1953. With no evidence to help or any knowledge of a commemorative tree, it seems that the mystery of this historic plaque may never be solved. However, if any local history buffs have any knowledge of this plaque or even any history on the Balmaclellan Boy Scouts, don't hesitate to get in touch. Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEarts page 30 Turning to art in a time of strife W hile innocent children are being killed in Gaza and Ukraine, it feels as if we’re helpless to make any sense of today’s world. But local composer Geoff Davidson and writer Larry Winger have teamed up to present a story for today that has resonated down the ages, from the Torah to the Old Testament. A story that seems to have been a warning from a wise people to succeeding generations. The life of the biblical David is such a salutary story. The trope of the underdog and the bully, as we might rephrase the David and Goliath interaction, is so engrained in our own culture that almost automatically we cheer when the tables are turned. But how do we feel when that very underdog arrives in power and exhibits an overweening hubris that cannot be constrained? Conflicted, certainly. The God Stone, a retelling of David’s story, in song, explores unexpected avenues of compassion, before considering betrayal. It’s highly likely that we’re familiar with the romance of King David and Bathsheba, but perhaps that familiarity does not extend to the subterfuge David may have used to eliminate her husband Uriah from the scene. Confronted by the prophet over his actions, David incriminates himself, as he understands the error of his ways. The concert musical developed by these local friends is, they hope, not only a compelling story in itself, but also a powerful metaphor for our times. The event is premiering at the CatStrand in New Galloway on Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 November. There is a cast of seven soloists, including guests Nia Howe as Bathsheba and Elliot Hunter as the adult David, Nicola Junor as the prophetess Neviah, Robert Lind as King Saul, Mariella Petrucci as the boy David, Neil Webster as Uriah and Davy Brown as the prophet Samuel. There is also a chorus of some twenty local singers, conducted by Geoff Davidson. The concert promises to be a revelation of the simple power of story, and an operatic treatment of a salient issue for today. Larry Winger, New Galloway Gillespie Gifford & Brown LLP Solicitors and Estate Agents Dumfries & Galloway 01556 503744 www.ggblaw.co.uk All legal advice Offices in Castle Douglas and Dalbeattie Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEarts page 31 From the Bookroom In 'From the Bookroom' Glenkens-based author of the novel The Road From Damascus and co-author of Burning Country: Syrians in Revolution and War, Robin Yassin-Kassab, takes readers on a journey into his world of writing, reading and general thoughts on life. “ Last night, I saw the Machine rise up again. It stood on the prow like a door opened against the vastness of a sky that was already carrying the scent of land.” the weather, and the people in the city streets, are described in lush, luxurious, extended sentences which don’t disrupt but tug the reader on in their flow. That’s the opening line of Explosion in a Cathedral by Alejo Carpentier, a French Cuban, who wrote the book in Spanish in the 1950s. The Machine is the guillotine, the mechanism of forced progress and regress, carried across the ocean from the Old World to the New. He prompts the young people to travel across the Caribbean to San Domingo. They experience the aftermath of a slave uprising in Haiti. (This reminds me of two more excellent books, the novel All Souls Rising by Madison Smartt Bell, and Black Jacobins by the Trinidadian historian CLR James). As the novel opens, Carlos, Sophia and Esteban, a brother and sister and their sickly cousin, all orphans, are living in a huge rambling home in late eighteenth century Havana. The house is piled with the exotic objects bought and sold by the company they have inherited from their father. Then Victor Hugues, a French merchant older than the orphans, arrives on the scene with the force of the age. He cures Esteban with modern science, -hints at the secrets of Freemasonry, and preaches the ideals of the French Revolution. Esteban ends up accompanying Hugues all the way to France itself, and lives in a Paris which is by government and then is sent back to the Caribbean, this time to Guadeloupe, and to rule. Esteban accompanies him, but now watches through a critical eye. Hugues implements the directives The of the day with unswerving guillotine to consistency, however inconsistent gets work. God is the directives. banished, They construct their own New World wonderland in this labyrinth of things and thoughts. All the furniture and fabric, along with paintings and books, food and drink, vegetation and architecture, the sea and turns something like Tehran in 1979 or Phnom Penh in 1975, though with many more bottles of wine. As the revolution (or counter-revolution) progresses, “the Day of the Trees of Liberty gave way to the Day of the Scaffolds.” Hugues rises within the then brought back as the Great Architect, who soon dissolves back into the traditional God of the Catholic church. Before too long slavery is reestablished, in a great deal of blood. “To think that more than a million men died to destroy what’s been restored today,” says somebody. Hugues implements the directives of the day with unswerving consistency, however inconsistent the directives. But Esteban and Sofia are not made cynical by the cynicism of others. They end their lives fighting for their revolutionary ideals. This is a novel of capital cities and sea ports, of continents and the voyages between them. The blurb on my copy calls it a “swashbuckling magical realist masterpiece,” but I think that’s sales talk. There’s no Marquez-style magic here, only plenty of reality delivered in baroque and sumptuous prose. GAZETTEhistory Glenkens Gazette page 32 Galloway Retold with Angela Miller Carsphairn village and its surrounds I ’ve lived in every village in the Glenkens apart from Balmaclellan over the years, and each village has different charms of its own, but Carsphairn has a lot of memories for me. Unfortunately, I didn’t really get to understand the past of the village until much more recently, and I wish I had known about it all sooner, because it’s got a pretty fascinating past. I’ve done three videos in and around the village, but there are other stories to be dug up there. (Quite literally at Stroanfeggan! Check out the dig that’s going on there on the Glenkens Hub, and see the article on the back page of this issue of the Gazette). My favourite story about Carsphairn has to be the story of how it came to be a parish. What is now Carsphairn parish now was made from parts of Dalry Parish and Kells Parish. In the mid-1600s, more and more people were living in the area, and in and around Polmaddie too. This lead to an issue when it came to the matter of burials. Imagine for a second what it would be like to move your dead relative by horse and cart from Carsphairn to Dalry Kirk, or from Polmaddie to Kells? How long would it take? What might that be like in bad weather? If you thought about that very hard, you’ve probably come to the conclusion that it’s not something you’d like to have to do! Well, neither did the folk of Carsphairn, Polmaddie and the surrounding areas. So they began to bury their dead in the local fields instead. Once word got out about this it was, unsurprisingly, deemed unacceptable, and Carsphairn parish was duly incorporated. It’s a pretty gnarly reason to get your own church! Another area of interest around Carsphairn is, of course, that the Green Well of Scotland is situated there too. This is a very odd wee place, with some odd associated stories too, including the tale of a gold coin forger who threw all of his equipment into the well to avoid being caught. The well is supposedly bottomless, but since that can’t actually be true, there could be a wealth of weird and wonderful things (and some much less savoury things too) at the bottom... But, the single most fascinating place in Carsphairn parish, for me, is Woodhead mine. Just over a mile off the A713, along a very easy-going track, the remains of the lead mines really take you back in time. The old school and bits of the workers' cottages that remain are eerie, and it’s easy to imagine life going on around them when you stand in the doorway and look out over the wee glen at Woodhead. Looking out through the doorway of one of the old workers' cottages at Woodhead lead mines David Tallontire CHIMNEY SWEEP The old chimney still stands, which is an impressive sight, and parts of the forge and area where the ore was cleaned are still there too, making it quite easy to picture the industry going on back in the day there. Lead was discovered in the hills in 1838, and Col McAdam Cathcart, the landowner, moved very quickly to build the mine and the village at Woodhead. Inspired by the philanthropy of the time, he built a school and a library there too, ensuring the workers had access to education to further themselves. The school had as many as 46 pupils in the 1840s, and had a good reputation. Unfortunately though, the lead didn’t last very long, and by the turn of the 20th century it was mostly unworkable. The last people left Woodhead in 1925. You can find three videos covering these topics on my channel, Galloway Retold, as well as extensive information about it on the Carsphairn Heritage Initiative website, and in the Carsphairn Heritage Centre there too, which is always worth a wee visit! Angela Miller is the librarian at Dalry Library and a keen local historian. You can view her YouTube channel by searching YouTube or Google for 'Galloway Retold'. Gordon McAdam 07709 144 299 Plumbing & Heating - wood burners - multi-fuel stoves - open fires - Agas - Rayburns - birds nest removal with CCTV inspection - certificates issued - feel free to call for advice - 22 Kirkland Street St John’s Town of Dalry Covering the Glenkens & further afield Find me on Facebook 01644 430 393 07834 321 789 Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEinformation page 33 Glenkens Gazette EST. 2007 GAZETTEinformation page 34 CatStrand AUTUMN HIGHLIGHTS AN TOBAR AND MULL THEATRE: NIGHT WAKING THU 16 OCT 7:30PM CIRQULATION ENSEMBLE PRESENTS JOURNEY SAT 25 OCT 2:00PM DALRY TOWN HALL SMITH & MCCLENNAN SAT 25 OCT 7:30PM GEOFF DAVIDSON'S THE GOD STONE SAT 1 NOV 7:30PM & SUN 2 NOV 2:00PM ÒRAN THU 6 NOV 7:30PM DALAHAN FRI 21 NOV 7:30PM HIGH ST, NEW GALLOWAY 01644 420 374 GCAT.SCOT Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEinformation page 35 USEFUL GLENKENS CONTACTS DOCTORS’ SURGERY Glenkens Medical Practice - 01644 420 234 COMMUNITY CONTACTS • Balmaclellan: Martin Warnock - 07939 261 391 • Carsphairn: Liz Holmes - 07718 358 160 • Corsock: Julie Garton - 07769 647 702 • Kirkpatrick Durham: Heather - 07551 639 629 • Crossmichael: Richard Middleton - 01556 670 691 • Dalry: Michele Owen 07940 313 445 • New Galloway: 07741 656 601 • Parton: Tom - 07835 821 976 FOOD DELIVERIES • Galloway Foodbank 07730 788 335 • Galloway Food Hub - glenkens.scot/localdirectory-listing/glenkensfood-hub • Ballards Butchers 01556 502502 (they also deliver groceries) • Grierson’s Butchers: 01556 502 637 • Henderson’s Butchers: 01556 502 654 • Mitchell’s Greengrocers: 01556 502 077 • Fleet Fish: call 07966 103 912 to find out about Glenkens delivery days • McQueens Dairies: 0330 555 5588 • Harris & Co: www. harrisandco.uk LOCAL ORGANISATIONS/GROUPS Glenkens Community Shop: Helen Crowther on 0790 467 8599 or drop by the shop on Main Street, Dalry Glenkens Scout Group: Contact Heather McIntosh on 01644 420 375 Local Initiatives in New Galloway (LING): Contact info@ling.org.uk Dalry Communities Properties Trust (DCPT): Contact Michelle Owen at sjtdalrycc@ gmail.com Dalry Town Hall: Contact Lesley Blissett at lesleyblissett52@gmail.com Glenkens Community Centre: Contact Sarah McAdam on minimac01644@gmail.com Lagwyne Hall: Contact lagwynehallsecretary@outlook.com for info, or to book email lagwynehallbooking@gmail.com New Galloway Community Enterprises (NGCE): Contact ngce5000@gmail.com or pop into New Galloway Community Shop Balmaclellan Community Trust: Contact Julia Higgins at julia.higgins55@outlook.com CatStrand: Contact info@catstrand.com or 01644 420 374 or pop in to the CatStrand Schools: Visit the school office or call Dalry Primary on 01644 430 105 (for Nursery/ELC too), Dalry Secondary on 01644 430 259 or Kells on 01644 420 340 Carsphairn Heritage Initiative: Contact Ben Ade at carsphairnhi@gmail.com Galloway Food Hub: Contact hello@ gallowayfoodhub.org.uk Bairn Banter: Contact Melissa on bairnbanter@outlook.com or 07979 492 791 If you would like to add your community organisation to this list please get in touch with the Gazette - contact details are on the back page. GLENKENS CHURCH TIMES CHURCH OF SCOTLAND Sunday Services Crossmichael (Church Hall), 9.30am: Oct 5, 12, 19 (communion), 26; Nov 2, 9 (Remembrance), 16, 23, 30 Balmaclellan, 11am: Oct 5, Nov 2 Carsphairn, 11.15am: Oct 12, Rembrance; Nov 9, 10.30am Kells, 11am: Oct 19 (communion), Nov 16 Dalry, 11am: Oct 26, Nov 23, Nov 30, Rembrance; Nov 9, 12noon SPECIAL EVENTS - Rembrance; Nov 9, 2pm at Parton War Memorial. New Galloway service details to the right. For further info contact Ian Knox on 07840 506 516 or at i.knox29@btopenworld.com, or Irene McCreath on 07974 861927 or at irenemccreath.im@gmail.com SCOTTISH EPISCOPAL CHURCH St Margaret’s Church, New Galloway, DG7 3RP The Rev Dawn Matthew Sundays:10.30am, Holy Communion, refreshments after. Tuesdays: 10-12noon, come for private prayers or to chat with Dawn when the ‘church is open’ sign is outside. Wednesdays: 7.30-8pm, evening prayers via Zoom shared with All Saints’ Challoch. Please contact Dawn for the link. SPECIAL SERVICES - Pet Blessing Service (outdoor), 4pm, Sunday 5 Oct. Whole community invited to bring their pets along – bring a photo if you can’t bring your pet! Remembrance, 9 November, joint service with Church of Scotland, 10.50am, New Galloway War Memorial followed by service at St Margaret’s. For further information call Dawn on 01644 420 431 or visit www.stmargaretsnewgalloway.org Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEinformation Glass Recycling Points • Balmaclellan Stores, Balmaclellan • Carsphairn, in layby on A713 • Memorial Hall, St Michael's Road, Crossmichael • Kirkland Street, St John's Town of Dalry • New Galloway, Carson's Knowe Car Park • St David Street, Kirkpatrick Durham USEFUL NUMBERS ● Pothole Hotline: 0845 276 0000 page 36 MINUTES/REPORTS OF COMMUNITY BENEFIT SPENDING ● Police, non-emergency: 101 or email stewartryCPT@ scotland.police.uk GLENKENS DISTRICT TRUST (GDT) www.glenkenstrust.org.uk/gdtcorporate-information ● Doctor: 01644 420 234 CARSPHAIRN RENEWABLE ENERGY FUND LTD (CREFL) www.carsphairn.org/CREFLArchive ● NHS 24: 08454 24 24 24 ● D&G Council: 030 33 33 3000 Local Job Vacancies Up-to-date job and volunteering opportunities can be found online at the Glenkens Hub on www.glenkens.scot GARDEN WASTE COLLECTION SERVICE You can now apply for a Garden Waste Collection Service permit at £40 per bin. for regular collections from March to November 2025. Apply online at www.dumgal.gov.uk/ wasterecycling or in person at a customer service centre such as Dalry Library. The Glenkens Gazette is a member of independent UK press regulator, Impress. To find out more about our complaints process you can visit www.glenkens.scot/ complaints-and-corrections or scan the QR code here. ADVERTISE IN THE GAZETTE (price per issue incl VAT) SMALL: 6cm x 6cm, £50 1/4 PAGE: 9cm w x 13cm h, £108 1/2 PAGE: 18cm w x 13cm h, £200 FULL PAGE: 18cm w x 27cm h, £332 Please get in touch further details including small business/ charity rates and series discounts. Email glenkensgazette@ hotmail.co.uk or call/ WhatsApp 07727 127 997 VAT Reg. No. 334 0905 24 GALLOWAY COMMUNITY TRANSPORT WEDNESDAY ROUTE SUMMER BUS TIMETABLE Outward Kendoon 18:00 Dalry 18:20 Balmaclellan 18:25 New Galloway 18:30 Mossdale 18:42 Laurieston 18:52 Ringford 19:07 Castle Douglas Tesco 19:20 Castle Douglas Aldi 19:25 THE STEWARTRY VETERINARY CENTRE CASTLE DOUGLAS SURGERY HOURS Return Castle Douglas Aldi 20:25 Castle Douglas Tesco 20:30 Ringford 20:43 Laurieston 20:58 Mossdale 21:08 New Galloway 21:20 Balmaclellan 21:25 Dalry 21:30 Kendoon 21:50 GLENKENS MEDICAL PRACTICE DALBEATTIE SURGERY HOURS General Medical & Dispensing Services FOR APPOINTMENTS AT BOTH SURGERIES OR IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY The Surgery High Street New Galloway Mon-Fri 2.00-2.30 pm & 5-6 pm Mon-Fri 8.30am-6pm Sat 2-2.30 pm Mon, Wed, Fri 3-3.30 pm Tues & Thurs 6-6.30 pm  01556 502263 VETERINARY SURGERY OAKWELL ROAD CASTLE DOUGLAS  FOR APPOINTMENTS CALL 01644 420234 Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEinformation page 37 GALLOWAY COMMUNITY TRANSPORT www.gallowaycommunitytransport.org email: gct@catstrand.com / gctadmin@catstrand.com phone: Jon 07841 512449 / Jason 07704 662925 OCTOBER 2025 - NOVEMBER 2025 UPCOMING EXCURSIONS FRIDAY 17/10: THE WICKER MAN FILMING LOCATIONS TOUR Join us for a ride out to Whithorn, Kirkcudbright & Gatehouse for a guided tour of locations used in the cult 1973 folk horror movie The Wicker Man. The film itself is being shown at the CatStrand, New Galloway, in the evening @ 7.30pm For price and further details email: gct@catstrand.com SATURDAY 25/10: THE CREATIVE CRAFT SHOW @ THE SEC This excursion offers the choice of either spending the day in Glasgow shopping, enjoying the restaurants or visiting the Museums; or immersing yourself in the Creative Craft Show at the SEC. Bus fare: £19.00 / see our website for details and ticket link TUESDAY 09/12: CHRISTMAS SHOPPING TRIP TO CALEDONIA PARK & CARLISLE Join us for a Christmas shopping day out, travelling in our comfortable heated excursion minibus. We will call at Gretna Caledonia Park and then Carlisle for shopping. For price and further details email: gct@catstrand.com MINIBUS DRIVING We are looking for drivers to help us deliver our 517 service in the Kirkcudbright/Borgue area, paid on a self-employed basis. This will be 1 - 2 days a week. For a discussion about the role, please call Jon on 07841 512449 or email gct@catstrand.com PATIENT TRANSPORT We also urgently need drivers with their own cars for our patient transport service. Our volunteer patient transport drivers receive a generous mileage reimbursement and the satisfaction of providing a vital service to vulnerable people in our communities. Interested? Email: gct@catstrand.com Phone: 07841 512449 / 07704 662925 VEHICLE HIRE FOR MEMBERS We have vehicles for hire by community organisations. ranging from 4 seat capacity to 16 seats, including wheelchair accessibility For information about membership and terms and conditions of hire see the GCT website or phone 07841 512449 / 07704 662925 www.gallowaycommunitytransport.org REGULAR SERVICES Please see the Gazette’s Info page for details of our regular timetabled routes Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEevents WHAT'S ON page 38 October/November OCTOBER Wed 1, Galloway Shorts Film Festival Skill Sharing Session, 6.30pm, CatStrand Wed 1, Dalry Film Club: A Complete Unknown, 7pm, Dalry Town Hall Fri 3, Stroanfreggan Dig Open Day, 11am & 12noon, see back page Sat 4, SWSARF Archaeological Symposium: Wigtownshire Early Prehistory, 2.30pm, CatStrand Sun 5, NT Live: Inter Alia, 4pm, CatStrand Tue 7, Hercules The Bear by Tenterhooks Theatre, 6.30pm, CatStrand Thu 9, Ken Words: Writers’ Cafés, 7pm, The Smiddy Thu 9, Martin Simpson presents Skydancers, 7.30pm, CatStrand Sat 11, Glenkens Story: A Talk on Viscount Kenmure and the Kenmure Burial Aisle, 3pm, Dalry Town Hall Sat 11, Voices from Gaza, 7.30pm, CatStrand Sat 11, Mixtape Dance Nights, 8pm, Dalry Town Hall Sat 11, Bairn Banter's Buffet & Boogie Family Disco, 4-6pm, Lagwyne Hall, see p33 Wed 15, SIMEON WALKER: Pianist & Composer, 7.30pm, CatStrand Thu 16, An Tobar & Mull Theatre: Night Waking, 7.30pm, CatStrand Fri 17, Deer of Dark Waters Field & Picnic Trip, 11am, CatStrand Fri 17, Corpse Bride, 4.30pm, CatStrand Fri 17, The Wicker Man, 7.30pm, CatStrand Sat 18, Wee Mixtape: Family Dance Party, 4.30pm, Dalry Town Hall Sun 19, Galloway Song Sessions with Kate Howard,10am, CatStrand Sun 19, Trad Folk Music Skills Session, 1pm, The Smiddy Wed 22, Dalry Film Club: Small Things Like These 7pm, Dalry Town Hall Fri 24, Wild Goose Ceilidh with Shore Road, 7pm, NG Town Hall Sat 25, GCT Bus Trip: Creative Craft Show, see p37 Sat 25, Cirqulation Ensemble presents JOURNEY, 2pm, Dalry Town Hall Sat 25, Smith & McClennan, 7.30pm, CatStrand Wed 29, A Wolf Shall Devour The Sun, 7.30pm, CatStrand Thu 30, Heritage Spooky Halloween Trail, 7pm, NG Park Town Hall Wed 12, Remembering Glenkens Heroes, 5.30pm, CatStrand Thu 13, Ken Words: Writers’ Cafés, 7pm, CatStrand Sat 15, 150th Anniversary Gala Ball, NG Town Hall Wed 19, Dalry Film Club: The Brutalist, 7pm, Dalry Town Hall Fri 21, Dalahan, 7.30pm, CatStrand Sat 22, Galloway Conversations: The Paddy Line, 3pm, CatStrand Sun 23, Galloway Song Sessions with Kate Howard, 10am, CatStrand Thu 27, Glenkens Gazette 25th Anniversary Celebration, 7pm, CatStrand, see p2 NOVEMBER DECEMBER Sat 1, Bairn Banter Halloween Party, 10.30am, Lagwyne Hall, Carsphairn Sat 1, Festive Craft Fair, NG Town Hall Sat 1, The God Stone, 7.30pm, CatStrand Sun 2, Birds of the Glenkens, 11.30am, Dalry Town Hall, see p23 Sun 2, The God Stone, 2pm, CatStrand Mon 3, Beginners Social Dancing in the Glenkens, 7pm, NG Town Hall Mon 3, Improvers Social Dancing in the Glenkens, 8pm, NG Town Hall Wed 5, Galloway Shorts Film Festival Skill Sharing Session, 6.30pm, CatStrand Wed 5, Dalry Film Club: Mr Burton, 7pm, Dalry Town Hall Thu 6, Òran, 7.30pm, CatStrand Sat 8, Mixtape Dance Nights, 8pm, Dalry Mon 1, Beginners Social Dancing in the Glenkens, 7pm, NG Town Hall Mon 1, Improvers Social Dancing in the Glenkens, 8pm, NG Town Hall Wed 3, Galloway Shorts Film Festival Skill Sharing Session, 6.30pm, CatStrand Wed 3, Dalry Film Club: The Apprentice , 7pm, Dalry Town Hall Wed 3, Church Guilds Christmas Coffee Morning, 10.30am-12noon, NG Town Hall, see p18 Thu 4, Galloway Conversations: The Highways and Byways and Stories of the Glenkens, 7.30pm, CatStrand Fri 5 (7.30pm), Sat 6 (3pm & 7.30pm) & Sun 7 (2pm), CatStrand Players Panto: Babes in the Wood, 3pm, CatStrand Glenkens & District Community Councils Balmaclellan Community Council: Bi-monthly, 7.30pm, Balmaclellan Village Hall - contact Martin on 07939 261 391 Corsock & Kirkpatrick Durham Communty Council: contact mcnabblaurie@hotmail.com or 01644 440 200 Carsphairn Community Council: Last Monday each month, 7pm, Lagwyne Hall, Carsphairn - contact carsphairncc@gmail. com or 07531 035 824 Balmaghie Community Council: contact balmaghieccsec@ gmail.com or 01644 450 621 Dalry Community Council: First Monday each month, 7pm, Dalry Town Hall - contact sjtdalrycc@gmail.com or 07940 313 445 New Galloway & Kells Community Council: Second Monday each month, 7.30pm, New Galloway Town Hall Parton Community Council: contact ericaporteous@hotmail. co.uk or 01644 470 277 Crossmichael Community Council: Second Wednesday every month - contact crossmichaelcc@gmail.com or 07803 204 433 Full minutes of local Community Council meetings can be viewed at Dalry Library or online at www.glenkens.scot For up-to-date information visit the Glenkens Hub at www.glenkens.scot Glenkens Gazette GAZETTEevents page 39 REGULAR EVENTS & OPENING TIMES Balmaclellan Village Hall Tuesday Afternoon Teas, 1st Tues each month, 2.30-4pm, warburton.julie@ googlemail.com Exercise Class, Tue, 6-7pm Zumba, Fri, 6.30-7.30pm Glenkens Crafters, Wed, 10am-12noon, julia.higgins55@outlook.com Community Library, Wed, 10.30am– 12.30pm; Sat, 10am-12noon Make Do & Mend, fortnightly from 14 Feb, 7-9pm Stewartry Birdwatchers, monthly on a Thu, Sep to Apr (Sep & Apr, 7.30pm; OctMar, 2.30pm) Soup & Sandwich, Sat, 12noon-2pm, Oct-Mar Men's Shed, Balmaclellan General Opening Times: Mon, Wedn & Fri, 9.30am–12noon Stick Making - Mon, 7-9pm Art Group, Thu, 2-4pm Lagwyne Hall, Carsphairn Monday Morning Social, 11am-2pm, 07710 124 255 Carsphairn SWI, 3rd Thu of the month, 7.30pm Craft Group, Fri, 10am-12noon, includes tea & coffee, carsphairncraftgroup@ gmail.com Bairn Banter; family stay & play session, Sat, 10am CatStrand, New Galloway Art Ambassadors (age 11+), Mon, biweekly, 4.30pm Behind the Scenes, bi-weekly, Mon, 5.30pm Energising Yoga Flow, Tue, 9.30am, booking essential, 07733 111 466 Citizens Advice Drop-ins, every other Tue, 10am-4pm Weekly Bus Service to Tesco, Wed, 7pm Dramarama, (age 6-10), Wed, 4pm Up Skills: Musical Theatre, (age 15+), Wed, 5pm Young Writers Cafe, (age 12+), Wed, 6pm, monthly Piano Lessons, weekly, term time 4–6.30pm Morning Flow Yoga, Thu, 9.30am, booking essential, 07733 111 466 CatStrand Singers, Thu, 11am Dance Steps (age 10-18yrs), Sat, monthly, 12.30-3.30pm Art Explorers, (age under 10yrs), Sat biweekly 10am Art Club, (age 11-16yrs), Sat, bi-weekly 11.30am Musical Misfits, Sat, bi-weekly, 10am Youth Players Panto rehearsals, (10yrs plus), weekly, Sun, 3pm The Smiddy, Balmaclellan Tai Chi, Wed, 2-3pm Taste of Music, monthly, 10am (under 10yrs) Mini Music Makers, family session, monthly 11.45am (under 7yrs) Weekly Ukuele, guitar & keyboard lessons, 12.30–4pm (6-16yrs) Art Explorers, Sat, 10.30am, fortnightly New Galloway Town Hall Community Cafe, Mon12.30-2pm Men’s Monday Morning Coffee, Mon 9.30-11am Dance for Wellbeing (adults), Mon 2.30pm Wet Felting, Tue, 10am-12.30pm Tai Chi, Tue, 3:30pm-4:30pm Sports Evening, Tue, 7–9pm, carpet bowls or table tennis Zumba, Wed, 6.30pm Ukulele Group, Wed, 6.30pm Hubbub, Thu, 12noon–3pm, drop-in Martial Arts, Thu, 5.30-9pm, all ages Community Larder, open whenever the town hall is open For further info email info@ling.org.uk or phone 07749 249 781 Glenkens Community Centre GROUPS WILL RETURN ONCE REFURBISHMENT ON THE CENTRE IS COMPLETE Glenkens Charity Shop Opening Times: Monday: 10am-1pm Wednesday: 10am-4pm Friday: 10-4pm Saturday: 10-4pm Dalry Town Hall Tai Chi, Mon, 2pm Dog Training, Tue, 7pm, 07831 590 822 Song Share, 1st Fri each month, 7.3010.30pm Mossdale Village Hall Mossdale Painters, Wed, 9.30-11.30am Yoga, Fri, 2.15pm Various Bumps, Babies & Beyond, every 2nd Mon, 10.30am, Kirkpatriack Durham Village Hall Learn to Play Bridge, Mon, 7-9pm, Lochinvar Hotel Keep Fit with Alex, 7.15-8.15pm, KPD Village Hall Strictly Get Dancing, Mon, 7pm, Loch Ken Activity Centre, Parton Spalding Bowling Club Sweep Nights, Mon, 7pm, shazfish1@gmail.com Cosy Corner, Tue, 1-5pm, Crossmichael Church Hall, 07889 016 963 Glenkens Oil Painters, Wed, 10am, Corfield House Art Studio Crossmichael Heritage Centre, Wed 2-4.30pm Cub Scouts, Wed 6.15-7.30pm, Scout Hall, New Galloway Patchwork Workshop, Thu, 1-3pm, Crossmichael Church Hall Dragon Boats on Loch Ken, Sun 9.30am, Galloway Activity Centre Knockvennie Hall Heat Bank & Snooker Club, contact Andrew on 01556 690 677 Outdoor Bowls, Dalry, contact Fiona on 07500 554 751 Snooker/Indoor Bowls, contact Gary on 01644 430 521 Mum & Baby MovementThu, 9.3011.30am, Laurieston Village Hall Crossmichael Youth Club, Fri, Crossmichael Memorial Hall Dalry Library Main St, Dalry - 01644 430 234 Library Opening Times: Tue 2-5pm, Fri 12noon-5pm with the first hour for NEC Bus Pass & Blue Badge appointments, etc. Book at the library or call 01387 260 196. Bookbug and Parent & Toddler Session, Tue, 10.30-11.30am Glenkens Book Group, last Fri each month, 2pm, 01644 420 361 Lego Stay N' Play, every 3rd Sat of the month, 1-3pm, contact Michele Owen on Facebook For up-to-date information visit the Glenkens Hub at www.glenkens.scot Glenkens Gazette page 40 Archaeological dig gets underway C arsphairn Heritage Initiative (CHI) are excited to report that this long-awaited excavation has actually started! construction of this enigmatic hill-fort (variously estimated previously as dating from the Iron Age to the medieval period). to see the progress for themselves - see poster to the right for details. CHI and AOC would like to invite any locals interested to come along on the three open days Michael Ansell, Carsphairn Heritage Initiative The volunteers and professional archaeologists from AOC Archaeology were fortunate to have a nice calm dry day to start. In the photograph here, they are removing the grass turf from one of the trenches to be opened up. This trench will hopefully yield evidence as to the date of With Encouragement Comes Empowerment EMBARK ON YOUR ENTREPRENEURIAL JOURNEY WITH PATHWAYS Now is the time to turn your business dreams into reality with Pathways. We’re here to guide your journey, build your resilience and connect you with a supportive community. Pathways supports women and individuals from underrepresented groups across the South of Scotland, from those with a dream of starting a business but no clear idea yet, to those with a firm vision of what they want to achieve. Delivered by WHAT YOU’LL GAIN: Empowering Financial Support: Access up to £1,000 in grants for start-up costs like marketing, equipment and accredited training. Personal Coaching: Work with dedicated coaches who understand your journey. Community & Connection: Join a supportive network of like-minded peers. Ready to get started? Take the first step toward your future today! Contact us to begin your journey. Available in Dumfries and Galloway and the Scottish Borders southofscotlandenterprise.com/pathways Firewood logs & Wood Products for Sale From Carsphairn Community Woodland A range of products are available from our community sawmill Contact us with your requirements ï Free local delivery ï Enquiries to: Tel: 07710 124 255 Carsphairn Community Woodland Limited is commi�ed to acquiring, developing and managing local woodlands in a sustainable and environmentally sound way for the long-term benefit of the local community. Website: www.carsphairn.org/CCWL WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! Submit events, activities, news stories, cartoons, reviews, tips & techniques, fiction, photos, ads or ideas... Contact Sarah Ade on 07727 127 997 or glenkensgazette@hotmail.co.uk Company Limited by Guarantee SC591976 Editing & Design: sarah.ade@gmail.com DEC/JAN COPY DEADLINE: 5 NOV The Glenkens Gazette is an initiative of the Glenkens Community & Arts Trust, a Registered Scottish Charity No SC032050 The role of the Gazette is to represent the voice of the community and does not necessarily represent the views of GCAT.  Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Glenkens Gazette 150 Description An account of the resource Editor: Sarah Ade 25 years anniversary edition. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GG-150 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource GCAT Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2025 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Glenkens Gazette https://glenkensarchive.scot/glenkens_archive/files/original/20/615/CAP_UpdateReport_June2023_cover.jpg ece683ea5cb9fae322e030ee90e0a9a2 https://glenkensarchive.scot/glenkens_archive/files/original/20/615/CAP_UpdateReport_June2023.pdf 776fe91b3a607a83840d79bcd584cf49 PDF Text Text pdftext_placeholder Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Community Action Plan Description An account of the resource Documents relating to the Glenkens and District Community Action Plan, initially drawn up by Glenkens & District Trust in 2020. Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document Glenkens & District Community Action Plan Steering Group Update Report June 2023 Glenkens & District Community Action Plan Goal: The Glenkens & district will be a connected, resilient and carbon neutral place where people will want to live, to work, to bring up their families and to grow old. It will be somewhere that other places in Scotland look to for inspiration. 1. Where we are now Since the publication of the Glenkens & District Community Action Plan (CAP) in late 2020, much has happened to support this goal, including the innovative step of creating a CAP Steering Group to provide a community voice and assurance around delivery of the CAP. This Report from the Steering Group seeks to update on what has happened as well as current and future plans, challenges and opportunities. Working together in a coherent and supportive manner, there is now a firm and resilient foundation for future success. Community groups across the Glenkens & District have achieved great things and have the appetite and capability for more. There is a clearly demonstrable wish to work together, to complement each other rather than to compete. There are skilled and engaged people and great potential in the area. Our community has demonstrated a track record in administering large amounts of money with high standards of transparency, accountability and effective delivery. To achieve the transformational change articulated within the CAP, further support from public and private sector bodies who share our priorities is needed. The Glenkens & District Community Action Plan sets out a shared Goal, underpinned by clear Values and Principles and supported by evidenced and articulated Delivery plans. The governance structure that has been put in place to assure delivery and continuing relevancy demonstrates how the voices of the community can be kept at the heart of what is achieved. The Community Action Plan Steering Group (SG) is a diverse and representative group and accepts its responsibility as custodian of the CAP with a passion for effective communication and full accountability to the people it serves. The SG’s role is to articulate, against the background set out above, why regional bodies and funders should support community groups both with funds and expertise to enable them to deliver on agreed and articulated community priorities. Ensuring a good understanding of how these align with regional and national priorities is important to support this work. This Report sets out what has been done to date and hopefully is both informative and inspiring. We want and encourage others to join the Glenkens & District on our journey. 2. Background 2021 and 2022 were a period of transition to new ways of delivering the Glenkens & district Community Action Plan and putting in place firm foundations for the future. However, we are now benefitting from the concrete delivery of some very interesting projects. The key to success is working together to support each other - complement not compete - both within the Glenkens & district and also with our regional partners. We know that we achieve more when we work together and harness collective expertise and experience effectively. Our Goal is supported by four Themes: • • • • A Connected Community - Theme 1 An Asset Rich Community – Theme 2 An Economically Flourishing Community – Theme 3 A Carbon Neutral Community – Theme 4 The Community Action Plan and CAP SG Meeting Reports and Terms of Reference can be seen here : Glenkens Hub - Community Action Plan Steering Group 3. Laying foundations We have a robust structure with clear accountability and sound governance principles to turn aspiration into action if the resources can be found to support them: Evolution of ownership of the Community Action Plan from Glenkens & District Trust, who commissioned the CAP, to a new representative body, the CAP Steering Group. A voluntary group with members drawn from the Glenkens and District Trust and from across the area by open invitation, the CAP Steering Group (SG) supports Glenkens Community and Arts Trust Ltd (GCAT) in their mandate to lead on delivery of the CAP, as well as ensuring that the CAP remains relevant and useful. The SG is the custodian of the CAP and will maintain it and agree any updates. Such updates will be based on an evidenced understanding of the community’s needs, achieved through effective communication and engagement with the wider community and by a diverse and representative membership of the Steering Group. Governance arrangements put in place. To ensure an effective transition to these new arrangements, time was taken in the early stages to develop effective governance arrangements. It was critical that organisational roles and accountabilities were clear to all involved, addressed any potential conflicts of interest and created effective reporting routes. While these arrangements are kept under review, the SG believes that the current structure achieves this. It is farsighted for a community to have such a robust structure but is critical to get things done in a way that is 2 answerable to the wider community served. The Terms of Reference can be found here Glenkens Hub - Community Action Plan Steering Group Recruitment of new CAP SG Members from across our communities. Six volunteers with a diversity of geography and life experiences were appointed in January 2022 after an open recruitment process. Three individuals from GDT are also Members. Fiona Smith has Chaired the CAP SG through this transitional phase, but John Paterson took over as Chair in May 2023 in order to finalise the good governance arrangements of the CAP SG and GDT respectively. Transparency, Engagement and Reporting. Written reports are circulated after each Steering Group meeting to give key information on what is happening and published here: Glenkens Hub Community Action Plan Steering Group. Helen Keron, the Executive Manager at GCAT, has attended most of the Community Councils from Carsphairn in the north to Crossmichael in the south and all areas in between to take views and explain her role in relation to the CAP. She has felt very welcomed in these meetings and enthused by the will to work together for the benefit of our communities as a whole. Key for the SG is ensuring this focus on the wider Glenkens & district area. 4. Project Delivery: A look back at the year. This section sets out some of key achievements and challenges relating to CAP delivery during 2022 and 2023 to date. It is not an exhaustive list - more detail on what has been delivered and what has not gone so well is included in the quarterly Reports after each SG meeting. At each of these meetings we review a report produced by GCAT that assesses progress against each Action Area in the CAP so that we can review progress, prioritise effort and ensure that we do not overlook any identified actions. It should be noted that a number of the current projects were catalysed by reports commissioned in 2021 and 2022 analysing the current position and desired outcomes in the CAP and then suggesting work to achieve these outcomes. These Reports formed a good evidence base of need and planning to support funding applications, and have proved very useful in that regard. It should also be noted that a continuing theme at SG meetings is the resource constraint from a GCAT perspective and the need to priortise the areas of focus. The SG is fully cognisant of the tight funding landscape in which GCAT operates, and very appreciative of their efforts to date to lead on delivery of the CAP. A key risk on the SG Risk Register is the impact on delivery if GCAT are unable to fund the community development activity going forward. In that context, we would highlight the following achievements through 2022 and into 2023: 3 4.1. Glenkens Community Spaces Network. Themes 1 and 2 identified the need for an effective support network for our important community assets, to ensure that they could be sustained and be complementary, working together rather than in competition. In 2022, as part of the early implementation plan, Corsock Village Hall did a comprehensive report setting out what could be done in this area. Glenkens Community & Arts Trust then secured funding for a part-time role to facilitate this Network, which held its first meeting in January 2023. Since then, regular, well attended meetings have been held with representatives of many of our community assets, where matters of common interest are discussed, experiences shared and actions taken forward. A concrete example of this has been them getting funding for the delivery of a Feasibility Study into what energy efficiency measures eleven of our public buildings could take to reduce their carbon emissions and running costs (supporting Theme 4). This work is being delivered by Natural Power, a business located in the area, and it is hoped that it will catalyse a programme of capital upgrades on our public buildings. 4.2. Glenkens Local Food Network Theme 3 identified the need for a plan for collaborative production and distribution of local produce. Propagate carried out research and published a report on possible options. They then secured funding to launch the Glenkens Food Hub in Spring 2022, and it now makes fortnightly deliveries of local food around the Glenkens and district and beyond. Propagate have secured funding to enable them to continue into 2024. 4.3. Glenkens Hub Theme 1 identified the need for effective online and offline communications to support good information sharing and collaboration. GCAT, who already publish the Glenkens Gazette, did a comprehensive report with widespread community engagement setting out options and then secured funding to develop a new sister website and social media channels to the Glenkens Gazette - the Glenkens Hub. The website and Facebook page was launched in March 2023 and is already being widely used across the area. 4.4. Housing Theme 2 identified the need for affordable housing to support the long-term needs of the community. GDT commissioned a Housing Needs and Demand Assessment in 2021/22 and GCAT organised a well-attended Housing Forum in February 2023. Pamela Young Trust, a local housing charity, is now developing a plan for up to three new affordable houses in Balmaclellan and is having constructive discussions with SPEN re returning some of the houses at Glenlee into the rental market. It has secured funding to support feasibility studies for some of this work and instructed work to inform this. 4 4.5. Childcare Theme 3 identified the need for more work to understand the demand for local childcare and the barriers to delivery of this important service. GDT commissioned a report to get an evidence base for future work. The Scottish Child Minding Association utilised this evidence to secure funding for a project to support individuals to set up child minding businesses in the Glenkens and this is now in progress. They hope to have created 3 new childminding businesses in the area by the end of 2023 and have funding to support a further two. 4.6. Youth Spaces Theme 2 identified the need to create spaces for younger people controlled by them for activities initiated by them. GCAT carried out research and published a report on potential options in 2021. Local Initiatives in New Galloway (LING) then secured funding to provide a ‘Glenkens Youth’ service which has provided weekly drop-ins and regular holiday excursions for local P7s to S3s since May 2022 – a service much appreciated by the young people involved. Funding has now been secured by GCAT to provide this service for an additional two years. LING and GCAT worked together to create this forward plan, and it is a good example of collegiate working for the greater good. 4.7. Transport Theme 4 (a carbon neutral community) identified a number of actions where transport could support a carbon neutral community. E bikes are now available for hire in the area and Galloway Community Transport is shortly to get its first electric bus. This will complement the electric car it already has. The Glenkens Hub website also hosts a page which records many of the commuting and leisure routes available for walkers and cyclists in the area. The Loch Ken Trust submitted an application to the Sustrans ‘Places for Everyone’ fund in 2022 seeking funding for the design phase of a cycle and walking route between Parton and Castle Douglas. This was proposed as the first phase of a network of routes around Loch Ken, in line with D&G Council’s Active Travel strategy. However, following discussion with Sustrans, it became clear that detailed supporting plans for the route were required for success, so it was decided to withdraw in order to give time to gather this information. The project remains a priority for the area but the additional information gathering will require support from other regional organisations. Since then, the proposed Loch Ken route has been used as a pilot for a SOSE-funded project to develop route planning tools for rural travel routes, which will hopefully contribute towards future funding applications. 5 4.8. Land Use We recognised that due the rapid changes in context since it was consulted on in 2019/2020, the CAP was light on actions relating to land use, biodiversity and environmental sustainability of the area. In parallel, the Glenkens was identified as a pilot area to develop a Land Use Vision as part of the South of Scotland pilot Regional Land Use Partnership. Much work has been carried out on this, facilitated by GCAT but supported by many individuals and groups across the area. A forum attended by representatives of Scottish Government and other national and local groups as well as local people took place in January 2023 and further local engagement is ongoing. As an outcome of this work, we expect to be publishing a Vision for Land Use in the Glenkens shortly, which will form an addendum to the CAP and will identify future action areas. 4.9. Carbon Neutral Community As well as decarbonising local transport and commissioning research into the energy efficiency of our community buildings, the CAP sets out more ambitions for a Just Transition to Net Zero. Following consideration, it was decided not to progress with the Local Energy Plan, a very resourceintensive activity, at this time and to focus instead on more tangible deliverables. It was disappointing that an application to the Energy Industry Voluntary Redress Scheme in summer 2022 for funding for an Energy Ranger was unsuccessful, despite the support for it from Home Energy Scotland and local groups. A further application is planned for this summer. This application will be along similar lines but address the points raised in the feedback and will also build on the evolution of thinking since last summer, plus the information gained from the Natural Power report into local energy efficiency. Without resourcing this work explicitly and in a way that will deliver tangible results in the Glenkens & district, it will be hard to progress this theme much further. Revenue funding for technical posts and / or strategic partnerships with the private and public sectors will be required to make a meaningful difference. However, the area is a clear exemplar of a remote-rural community that will need to de-carbonise to meet national targets, and we stand ready to meet all opportunities available. 4.10. Community Wealth Building Theme 3 identifies the need to develop a more self-sustaining local economy. Irrespective of views on the merits, there is likely to be a continuing pipeline of wind farm developments and forestry operations in the area for the next 10-15 years and it is important to retain as much of the economic benefits from this in the area as possible. Much engagement has taken place with local and national bodies to seek support for the opportunities we feel these developments may offer, in order to make this work less extractive and to support our community to be more sustainable. We are actively seeking to get warm words turned into actions and have made the case for us being a community willing to work with delivery partners around this topic. We are also keen to operate as a strategic partner with public and private sector bodies in the pursuit of a thriving local economy. 6 5. 2023 Priorities At their May 2023 meeting, the SG set out the following priority areas for CAP delivery over the rest of the year: • • • • • • • Support GCAT in securing funding from October 2023 onwards to enable them to continue in their role of leading on delivery of the CAP. Finalise the community engagement around the Vision for Land Use in the Glenkens and adopt it as an addendum to the CAP along with other considerations around biodiversity and environmental sustainability. The continuation of key projects/services: • Provision of more affordable housing to meet the identified need and as an underpin for provision of jobs in the area. • Glenkens Hub website. • Local food production and distribution. • Glenkens Youth group. • Glenkens Community Spaces Network • Child minder recruitment. • Progress sustainable travel through the Active Travel Forum. Progress the other action areas within the CAP which build on the Community Spaces Network. Move the findings of the Natural Power report forward and re-apply for the Energy Ranger role. Align the 3-year plan for the Loch Ken Ranger service with the relevant aspects of CAP delivery. Build relationships and develop actionable plans with developers, regional and national bodies to achieve a more self-sustaining local economy, using the principles of Community Wealth Building 7 6. Looking Forward - Challenges and Opportunities Although excellent things have already been achieved by working together, there are clear challenges to the community to enable progress to continue at this rate. The SG is very focussed in supporting our local groups to build on what has been delivered and to create a positive and constructive community who works together to achieve results. The funding context for all community groups is getting more difficult as the national funding landscape contracts and demands get higher. There is a need for national funders to understand the needs and demands of rural area better in their decision making - for example the difficulty in finding trained people to do work and the challenges of having a regular flow of work. While there is a pipeline of wind farm developments in the Glenkens & district which is likely to result in additional community benefit payments being made locally, the timescale of these is extending and there is unlikely to be a material change in the level of local funding available in the short term (3-5 years). It is unlikely that our ambitions can be fully achieved without assured core funding for our anchor organisations. Without the funding of the Executive Manager role in GCAT over the last 18 months, the pace of delivery would have been much slower and many of the benefits of cooperation and coordination lost. Crucial to the ability of the SG to carry out its role has been having access to that paid resource and expertise. In addition, there is a fantastic cohort of willing and able volunteers who have already achieved much for the Glenkens & district, but if more ambitious projects are to be achieved, more paid and expert assistance is needed to support these volunteers. If more volunteers are to come forward to support community groups, there needs to be a recognition that the majority of volunteers will not have unlimited time and cannot be expected to take on tasks that should reasonably be paid roles. The end of the Galloway Glens Scheme in September 2023 will also bring challenges across the area. Their approach of supporting groups both financially and pastorally through building effective relationships and of preferentially supporting the local economy has been a critical component in what has been achieved to date and they will be sorely missed. There are many lessons that can be learned from the Galloway Glens approach of creating strategic, supportive and respectful partnerships with trusted local organisations and therefore enabling everyone to deliver much more effectively. There is a recognition and desire within our communities to ensure that the value of the Galloway Glens Scheme is not lost when it comes to an end. It is important that we learn what went well and what not so well. The SG will work to ensure this learning is understood and that steps are taken to build on it so that the benefit is not lost. The more ambitious projects in Themes 3 and 4 will need good partnership working with South of Scotland Enterprise, Dumfries and Galloway Council and other regional bodies. Their support is actively being sought. There is much focus on community empowerment and groups are ready and willing to take up this challenge but do need strategic partnerships to allow them to deliver effective outcomes. June 2023 8 Thank you to the many Funders and Partners who have supported delivery of the Glenkens & district Community Action Plan so far: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • The Heritage Lottery Fund through the Galloway Glens Landscape Partnership and Dumfries and Galloway Council. The Blackcraig Windfarm Community Fund, administered by the Glenkens and District Trust and Foundation Scotland. Carsphairn Renewable Energy Fund Limited. Creative Scotland The Holywood Trust Dumfries and Galloway Council The UK Government’s ‘Community Led Vision’ fund The UK Government’s ‘Levelling up’ fund The Scottish Government’s ‘Community Mental Health and Wellbeing’ fund. South of Scotland Enterprise The Rural Housing Fund The Princes Trust Drax Sustrans NatureScot The Galloway and Southern Ayrshire UNESCO Biosphere CARES The Energy Savings Trust, through Plugged In Communities Glenkens Community Shop Community Enterprise’s ‘Accelerate’ programme. Local trusts and individuals 9  Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource CAP Update Report June 2023 Description An account of the resource The Glenkens & District Community Action Plan was published in 2020, and is owned and kept relevant by the CAP Steering Group, with support on delivery from GCAT. The Report also sets out the challenge and opportunities facing delivery of the CAP priorities as they aim for ever more ambitious delivery. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CAP_13 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource GCAT Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available CAP Steering Group Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2023 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Glenkens & District Trust CAP https://glenkensarchive.scot/glenkens_archive/files/original/23/616/HS_1_Balmaclellan.jpg 7babfd8180c455acf0009a4b2467c422 https://glenkensarchive.scot/glenkens_archive/files/original/23/616/balmclellanvillage.mp4 dad62674190dcf9f20dddab827dfbc64 Moving Image A series of visual representations imparting an impression of motion when shown in succession. Examples include animations, movies, television programs, videos, zoetropes, or visual output from a simulation. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Glenkens and Loch Ken - Balmaclellan Village Description An account of the resource Part of flash movie filmed for History Stop. Featuring Balmaclellan Motte, Balmaclellan Church, Old Mortality sculpture, Mrs Paterson’s School. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context HS_MV_1 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource GCAT Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available History Stop Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2008 heritage https://glenkensarchive.scot/glenkens_archive/files/original/20/617/GlenkensLandUseVision_final.jpg 970c9b2903d9ef4b10a5be0ec6ced88e https://glenkensarchive.scot/glenkens_archive/files/original/20/617/GlenkensLandUseVision_final.1.pdf 55bf94889e06772ee04f4e9592dedbc4 PDF Text Text pdftext_placeholder Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Community Action Plan Description An account of the resource Documents relating to the Glenkens and District Community Action Plan, initially drawn up by Glenkens & District Trust in 2020. Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document A Vision for Land Use in Glenkens 1) Land Use in the Glenkens – 2023 Context • We are a forested area, a farming area, an energy generation area. We are a watery area, given life by our rivers and lochs. Our natural environment is so special that we are part of the Galloway and Southern Ayrshire UNESCO Biosphere. Our landscapes attract visitors from all over the world. We are a peaty area and our soil stores some of Scotland’s best carbon. It is our home, where we work, live and play. All of these land uses are intertwined and affected by influences within and outwith our control. • We are an organised and coherent community which has sought and achieved balance in land use over many years through partnership working and effective engagement. However, we are now overwhelmed by the speed and intent of land use change in the area and by the lack of power that we hold to effect change. Coupled with top-down consultations about interrelated policies taking place seemingly in isolation from each other, this has led to disengagement in some and huge frustration in others. The disconnect between national and regional policy intent and what is actually happening in the Glenkens feels absolute. • The true seat of power in the land-use sector is opaque. No one public body holds accountability. Community interests are not safeguarded and best practice guidelines are not always adhered to. Statutory routes to effecting the change that communities want to see don’t exist. Regulatory bodies are not able to keep up with market forces. • Some of the land use developments in our area appear to be purely extractive. Most profits and benefits are realised elsewhere, jobs are created elsewhere. Community Wealth Building principles are not embedded or mandated and so the impact of these developments on our communities is not a catalyst for more jobs, a circular local economy and thriving and sustainable communities. Opportunities are being missed. 2) Our Vision That everyone who takes value from our land returns value to it. That the Glenkens is an exemplar of sustainable land use practice in building resilience for climate, biodiversity & communities, where learning is valued and all voices are listened to and respected. Key to this will be that: • Land use enhances local climate and environmental resilience, biodiversity and thriving communities and supports re-population. Local plans such as the Glenkens and District Community Action Plan ensure this. National and regional policies and drivers are aligned to this end, and compliance with these policies is the norm. A balanced mosaic of land use enables soil and waterway regeneration, and significant biodiversity improvements support climate adaptation and sustainability. Repopulation is supported through sensitive house-building and increased business opportunities. Community Wealth Building is an underpinning priority. • There is a balance of land use, access and ownership, achieved using whole catchment planning. There is more biodiversity, repopulation, nature-friendly farming, multi-functional forestry, business and tourism opportunities, all supporting a strong local and circular economy. Cumulative effect is a key consideration. • Every part of the community feels included. We are informed timeously about the issues that are relevant to us and have an influence over regional and national policy to support a Just Transition to Net Zero. We continue to engage with the wider issues because our voices are heard, valued and acted on. Nothing about us without us! • We have strong partnership working. Representatives of all land use stakeholders, including community representatives, participate in new and functional regional and national mechanisms that allow them to effectively advocate for themselves and to influence incentives and land use policy tools. 3) Recommendations for Action. We want to make this vision a reality through positive actions and collaborative working. Locally, we plan to: a) Embody best practice in using land for biodiversity protection, climate mitigation & adaptation and support of a flourishing local economy, sharing learnings with the GSA Biosphere, regionally and nationally and continuing to learn from others. b) Seek funding to resource a local Land Use Forum that is inclusive of all stakeholders and designed to narrow the gap between sectors. The Forum will continue these important discussions and allow us to: • Advocate for our vision of land use in the Glenkens at regional and national level. • Support and network local environmental or land use projects. • Enhance community-level biodiversity and environmental awareness, including briefings on upcoming consultations. • Support key consultees in land use applications (e.g. Community Councils) to submit informed and balanced responses. • Create positive actions that will help landowners reach their targets while mitigating the impact on or enhancing habitats and biodiversity. • Research and drive adoption of learning from other areas that would make a difference to biodiversity in the Glenkens. c) Use our local Action Plans to encourage enhanced biodiversity in every aspect of Glenkens land use change. Acknowledge through these plans the links between biodiversity and climate resilience. d) Seek funding to collate existing Glenkens mapping data and fill in the gaps to create baseline land use mapping. Create a publicly accessible and maintained database of environmental data for the Glenkens and district. Regionally, we need: a) A Regional Land Use Framework and a Local Development Plan that take into account hyper-local issues of cumulative impact and / or high environmental sensitivity. There must be mechanisms in place to systematically identify and then address issues across the South of Scotland, not just action driven by high-capacity communities. A Communities Rep on the SoS RLUF Advisory Group with a clear mandate to engage, represent and advocate is an important first step. b) Adequate local authority or regional resources within D&G Council, the GSA Biosphere and Scottish Forestry, based on catchment or geographic areas, to support local compliance with regional policies, guidance and strategies such as the Forestry and Woodland Strategy, Local Biodiversity Action Plan, Local Development Plan and Place Planning. This resourcing would enable: • Immediate action on the D&G Forestry and Woodland Strategy (2014) and Local Biodiversity Action Plan (2009) reviews. • Incorporation of catchment-level planning and community benefits, by ensuring that community representatives are included in review processes as strategic partners rather than consultees. • Having Community Wealth Building, respect for local knowledge and sense of place enshrined in all scheme reviews and new policies. • Meaningful community participation in local land use decision making on a caseby-case basis as per Scottish Land Commission guidelines. c) Community Councils to be statutory consultees for land-use decision making by both private and public sector projects and for them to be resourced sufficiently to have a sufficiently representative and technical view . d) To have the rules over compensatory planting changed from replacing like-for-like to likefor-better environmental gain. To have biodiversity offsetting for developments within the Glenkens and district done within the Glenkens and district , not elsewhere in the region. Nationally, we need: a) National mechanisms and drivers that value and respect the rural voice and by design balance climate, biodiversity, productivity and thriving communities, and enforce compliance with best practice. Community Wealth Building principles embedded across all policies and subsidy schemes related to land use and waterways. • The Land Rights and Responsibilities statement incorporated into subsidy regimes. • Holistic subsidy schemes for agriculture and forestry that acknowledge that Climate + Biodiversity are linked and set conditions accordingly. • Economic and financial systems are adjusted so that they have positive rather than negative effects on sustainability. Specifically, the cost of public harm should be factored into the financial cost of development, b) Clarity on the roles, responsibilities and accountabilities of all public bodies involved in land use decision making. Followed by a gap analysis to reveal why the unintended consequences that we see are taking place, followed by actions to fix them. c) Not just to be consulted with – we want to be listened to and able to effect change through robust channels that all communities can access. For example: • A clear statutory route for community stakeholders to influence decision making on priorities for local land use. • Our Land Use Forum recognised as a strategic partner for representing Glenkens and district issues. • Mandated membership of community representatives on the groups that steward areas that have been designated as important regionally, across Scotland and across the UK. (For example: Rural Stewardship Scheme / Environmentally Sensitive Area Scheme / Woodland Planting Grants / RLUFs) d) Land Reform that creates a mosaic of varied but balanced land ownership and land use across the country. 4. Process This document is the output from a land use discussion programme run in the Glenkens by the Social Enterprise Academy on behalf of the South of Scotland Regional Land Use Partnership (RLUP) Pilot. It received funding from the Scottish Government through the Scottish Rural Network and South of Scotland Enterprise, and it is part of a wider Community Learning Programme being trialled in rural communities from four RLUP pilot areas across Scotland. Two ‘Lighting the Spark’ webinars were held in October 2022, followed by 6 online sessions, where participants heard inspirational regional and national stories on land use best practice, debated the issues that the Glenkens currently faces and discussed the Vision and necessary actions for the area. The Glenkens Community and Arts Trust then convened a Working Group of community representatives to distil that work further into this document. It is aligned with the GSA UNESCO Biosphere’s Mission to ‘promote a balanced relationship between human interaction and the natural environment, through the establishment of effective partnerships, community engagement, innovative projects, research and learning. Ensuring that local communities act collaboratively and responsibly to build thriving sustainable societies in harmony with their natural surroundings.’ It was discussed fully at the final CLP event on the 31st January 2023 with national, regional and local stakeholders. Their comments on the Recommendations were reviewed and the majority suggestions were incorporated into a final-draft version. This was published in the June / July 2023 edition of the Glenkens Gazette and on the Glenkens Hub Glenkens Hub Land Use in the Glenkens, seeking public review and comment. This final version including feedback from that public review stage was adopted by the CAP Steering Group as an Addendum to the Glenkens & District Community Action Plan in June 2023. Thanks very much to all who contributed to this Vision – your input is greatly appreciated. We hope you will see your views, edits and passion for this area reflected here! Copies will be sent to the SoS RLUP Advisory Group and the SoS Regional Economic Partnership, plus other regional and national stakeholders, and we hope it will help local and regional groups work together more effectively for balanced Land Use in the Glenkens. June 2023  Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource A Vision for Land Use in the Glenkens Description An account of the resource This Vision and the associated recommendations are intended as the first step to creating a balance in Glenkens land use where all voices are heard, respected and valued. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CAP_14 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource GCAT Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available GCAT Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2023 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Glenkens & District Trust CAP Theme 3 land use https://glenkensarchive.scot/glenkens_archive/files/original/20/618/230919_EnergyEfficiencyInGlenkensHomes_cover.jpg 6d5780d08379f55269fe056f1ec39ea8 https://glenkensarchive.scot/glenkens_archive/files/original/20/618/CAP_Theme4_230919_EnergyEfficiencyInGlenkensHomes.pdf d2646751a883d143c885e5a8bd8fa2d5 PDF Text Text pdftext_placeholder Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Community Action Plan Description An account of the resource Documents relating to the Glenkens and District Community Action Plan, initially drawn up by Glenkens & District Trust in 2020. Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document Energy Efficiency in Glenkens Homes 19th September 2023 • Ronan Doyle, Renewable Heat Engineer, Natural Power Consultants • Becca Nelson, Glenkens Community Spaces Network Facilitator • Helen Keron, GCAT Executive Manager Contents 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. The Process The Reports Summary Findings Indicative Costs VAT treatments Grant finding routes Questions 1. The process • GCAT sourced funding from the Scottish Government's ‘Community Led Vision’ fund, administered by D&G Council, at the start of the year. • They used this to commission Natural Power Consultants to create two Reports: • One into the energy efficiency of 11 public buildings in the Glenkens. • One into the energy efficiency of 2 typical homes in the Glenkens (domestic archetypes), 1. The process • Becca helped NPC engineers research the 11 Halls that volunteered. • Thanks as ever to the voluntary Hall Committees that gave up their time to help. • NPC then modelled and researched: • A 1940’s post-war semi-detached bungalow. • A pre-1919 classic Galloway cottage. • Thanks very much to the Pamela Young Trust and to Mary Smith. Post-war semi-detached bungalow Floor plan Galloway Cottage Floor plan 2. The Reports • Both reports are published on the Glenkens Hub here: • Glenkens Hub - Energy Efficiency & Decarbonisation in Glenke ns Buildings • The Hall report has an introduction and a summary, plus standalone chapters that each Hall can use as the technical basis for grant applications for capital upgrades. • The Domestic report considers each type of home separately, and also draws wider conclusions for most housing types. 2. The Reports Halls that have taken action prompted by this report: • Crossmichael Memorial Hall • Glenkens Community Centre • CatStrand have already taken action prompted by this report. (Honourable mention to Lagwyne Hall, Dalry Town Hall, Mossdale Village Hall and New Galloway Town Hall who had already taken energy efficiency steps without this report!) 3. Summary Findings General There is very little point installing carbon-neutral heating options if your house is not rated EPC C or above. You would be better off installing energy efficiency measures such as insulation, double-glazing etc to raise the EPC. If you want to install solar PV panels, make sure you have sufficient load on them to use the electricity yourself rather than re-sell it. 3. Summary Findings General Once a house is rated to above EPC C, a good solution is often solar PV panels with battery storage feeding an ASHP. It is possible to install a system that will increase your running costs, so be aware! Various funding streams are available to install measures, if you are eligible. 3. Summary Findings – post-war bungalow Roof insulation and cavity wall insulation have the best (shortest) payback time. Floor insulation, double glazing and external door replacement will all help energy efficiency but all have a long payback period. Consideration of current and likely electricity costs at the point of commissioning is critical. 3. Summary Findings – post-war bungalow The optimised solution to decarbonise this home whilst ensuring a reduction in fuel costs is the implementation of all insulation measures combined with the installation of an 8kW ASHP and 3.5kW solar PV. 3. Summary Findings – Galloway Cottage Internal wall insulation (including eaves) has the best (shortest) payback time. Double glazing and external door replacement have a longer payback period. Consideration of current and likely electricity costs at the point of commissioning is critical. 3. Summary Findings – Galloway Cottage The optimised solution to decarbonise this home whilst ensuring a reduction in fuel costs is the implementation of all of the energy efficiency measures combined with the installation of an 8kW ASHP and 1.2kW solar PV. T 4. Indicative Costs – post-war bungalow Double glazing: Roof insulation: Floor insulation: Cavity wall insulation: New external door: ASHP: 3.5kW solar panels: £1k £1k £8k £6k £1k £2k £7-10k Total: £29k 4. Indicative Costs – Galloway Cottage Double glazing: Internal wall insulation: New external door: ASHP: 1.2kW solar panels: £10k £1k £3k £10k £8-13k Total: £37k 5. VAT Treatments • Certain specified energy-saving materials (“ESM”) and the services (labour) to fit them are zero-VAT until 31 March 2027. • This is good news! A 20% discount. • However: • Zero-rating is predicated on the installation of qualifying ESM from a list rather than an overarching aim of improved energy efficiency. • Also, zero-rating is dependent on there being only a single supply of ESM (or the supply of ESM being a separate supply in its own right when carried out with other works). 5. VAT Treatments The list of qualifying Energy Saving Materials: • • • • • • • • • • • insulation for walls, floors, ceilings, roofs or lofts or for water tanks, pipes or other plumbing fittings draught stripping for windows and doors central heating system controls (including thermostatic radiator valves hot water system controls solar panels wind turbines water turbines ground source heat pumps air source heat pumps micro combined heat and power units boilers designed to be fuelled solely by wood, straw or similar vegetal matter’ 5. VAT Treatments • The point that zero-rating is dependent on there being only a single supply of ESM means that you are much better off planning for this VAT rebate in advance and getting your ESM materials sourced and fitted as a separate contract, if you are doing it as part of a wider re-furb project. • Also, only the items on the list will qualify, even if other improvements have energy saving implications, such as triple glazing. • For full details, see https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/changes-to-the-vat-treatment-of-the-installation-of-energ y-saving-materials-in-in-great-britain 6. Grant Funding routes There are a number of grants and loans available to home-owners. Almost all require installation of the ASHP by an MCS-accredited installer. 6. Grant Funding routes Warmer Homes Scotland • Available improvements: wall and loft insulation, draughtproofing and central heating / renewable upgrades etc. • Eligibility: Households must include either: • A person who is over 75 with no central heating • A person who is in receipt of a DS1500 or BASRiS certificate • A person who is in receipt of at least one of the passport benefits. 6. Grant Funding routes Home Energy Scotland • Available improvements: both energy efficiency and renewable measures. • Limits: The maximum funding for energy efficiency is £15,000 with a maximum cashback of £6,000 whilst the maximum funding for renewable systems is £17,500 with a maximum cashback of £6,000. 6. Grant Funding routes Energy Company Obligations (ECO 4) scheme • Available improvements: Energy efficiency and low carbon heat measures to reduce fuel poverty. • Eligibility: Low income households. Dumfries & Galloway Council have published the eligibility criteria: Dumfries and Galloway Council ECO4 Flexible Eligibility Stateme nt of Intent (dumgal.gov.uk) 6. Grant Funding routes Home Energy Efficiency Programmes (HEEPS) for Scotland • Improvements available: Solid wall insulation. • Eligibility: As per ECO4. 7. Next Steps • Read the full report: Glenkens Hub - Energy Efficiency & Decarbonisation in Glenkens Buildings • Don’t attempt a ASHP installation until your house is warm, dry and draught-proof. • Source an MCS-accredited installer. • Ask them questions about the energy-price scenario they are modelling under to be sure you have a realistic view of costs and savings. • Look out for grant funding or cheap loans for installation costs. 7. Any Questions? Q. What would be the yearly running costs for Electricity, Servicing and Spare Parts of ASHP? A. Estimated running costs are contained for each venue within the report e.g., Balmaghie ~£500 annually for current usage, up to £1,200 annually for 2hrs per day usage. . Annual servicing ~£150-£200. Most installers offer a 5-10 year warranty covering any part failures within this timeframe. Spare parts cost vary dependent on which part fails, negligible costs from fittings all the way up to ~£2/3k for a compressor. Q. What is the optimum working temperature for an ASHP? A. For a wet ASHP operating with radiators as the primary heat emitters, 45-50C would be the target operating temperature. 7. Any Questions? Q. How should an ASHP be operated to ensure maximum efficiency? A. Ensure flow and return temperatures are operating to specification (45-50C flow, 5-7C less for return) Don’t make frequent temperature adjustments – HPs operate best when holding a steady temperature. Keep HP kit well maintained – clean air filters regularly, keep clear of debris, annual servicing. Automated controls Consult with the contractor following installation for operating advice 7. Any Questions? Q. Can an ASHP produce instant heat when switched on or does it need to be switched on in advance and if so, how long in advance? A. ~ 10mins for ASHP to reach temperature (dependent on outdoor temperature!) and should be comparable to a boiler system in how long it takes to heat the space. A buffer vessel can be used to store heat for instantaneous use if required. Q. Would an ASHP system be a viable form of heating for a venue only used twice a week for a couple of hours? A. Technically – yes! It would heat the space adequately. However, current usage patterns make the economics much less appealing – e.g. Balmaghie hall with current usage patterns would take ~18 years to reach payback; increasing usage to 2hrs per day (14hrs per week) reduces this period to ~4 years. 7. Any Questions? Q. Would it be worthwhile to reach out for venue-specific ASHP quotes from installers incase they offer better economics than the estimates used within the report? A. Reaching out for quotes cannot hurt and would be good for comparison!. It would be recommended however to request quotes at scale (both public buildings and domestic) for solutions as this will lead to cheaper prices per unit than would be offered on a single-building basis.  Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Energy Efficiency in Glenkens Homes Description An account of the resource Slides from meeting held on 19th September 2023 at the Smiddy, looking the findings of the Energy Efficiency & Decarbonisation in Glenkens Buildings reports. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CAP_15 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource GCAT Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available GCAT Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2023 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Glenkens & District Trust CAP Theme 4