Crown Street’s new jewel

Children from the local Laurieston Day Nursery joined store manager David McDonald to cut the ribbon to open the new Co-operative store in Crown Street, Gorbals. It has been converted from a Somerfield store in a £400,000 revamp.
This is part of the rolling programme of convertions following the Co-op buy-up of Somerfield for £1.56 in March last year. The transformation work should be completed next year.
Enhanced ranges and improved service will be a feature of the new look stores. The Co-operative has already introduced price reductions as well as its unique share of profits dividend scheme, which offers member customers cash back twice a year on their trade with Co-operative Group businesses.
Co-operative’s Operational Director for Scotland, John McNeill said: ‘We are proud to serve these local communities and this substantial investment in the stores means we can now provide a much enhanced service. We can meet all the communities’ daily shopping needs, and in the best traditions of  the Co-operative, make our contribution to community life.’
The stores will offer substantial savings on at least five fresh fruit and veg products to encourage customers to eat their ‘five a day’ and the Co-operative Bakery will offer a selection of in-store baked breads and pastries, free from hydrogenated fat.
Membership of The Co-operative Group, which costs £1, offers a range of benefits including a say in how stores are run and the opportunity to support the Co-operative’s campaigns on issues such as climate change and social inclusion. The Group is owned by its five million consumer members.
It has an annual turnover of £14 billion, employs 123,000 staff and operates over 5,000 retail trading outlets handling more than 20 million weekly transactions from food to funerals. The Group is now the fifth largest food retailer in the UK and the country’s largest farmer.

Robbery appeal

Strathclyde Police are appealing for information after a 14 year-old girl was robbed on a bus in Cathcart Road on Wednesday 28 July 2010.
She was travelling on the First Bus 75 service between Castlemilk and Glasgow City Centre at 2.30in the afternoon when she was robbed of a mobile phone and a two figure sum of cash by another girl on the bus when it was in Cathcart Road.
The suspect is described as white, 5ft 5” in height, 16-17 years of age with dark brown hair.  She was wearing dark-coloured clothing and described as wearing lots of make-up.
Constable Stephen McGrath of Pollok Police Office is appealing for information.  He said:
“I would appeal to anyone who was on the bus at the time of the robbery, or anyone who recognises the description of the suspect to come forward. Pollok Police Office can be contacted on 0141 532 5600.  Alternatively CRIMESTOPPERS can be contacted on 0800 555 111, where anonymity can be maintained.’

Roma outreach in schools

by Elyas Hussain

A new project has been set up to improve the lives of young members of the Central and Eastern European Roma community who are living in Glasgow and the West of Scotland.
The Roma Youth Project is run by the West of Scotland Regional Equality Council (WSREC) which deals with a broad range of issues including racism, gender and equality.
The Roma can trace their origins to medieval India and constitute the largest ethnic minority in Europe.They live in various countries and have many different languages and traditions. They are also Europe’s most socially excluded group, with a history of persecution.
The project aims to provide a strong identity among young Roma people, promote integration activities within local communities, provide information and advice and through education and social interaction, dispel some of the misconceptions and prejudices about Roma culture.
Shawlands Academy and Annette Street Primary School, Govanhill, are among the first places the Project is working in.
Mohammed Razaq, Executive Director for the Regional Equality Council told the LOCAL NEWS: ‘I am pleased that the project has significantly influenced the school environment of Shawlands Academy and Annette Street Primary School making it a positive learning experience for young Roma pupils. With the intervention of the Roma Youth Project it is more likely that these young people will be able to increase their attendance, broaden their horizons, achieve more learning and have an equal chance to live, learn and work.’

Glasgow City Cup 2010

This Saturday, 31 July,  sees the launch of the 9th Glasgow City Cup – International Youth Football Tournament.

The massive tournament for small sided games, will be played at Toryglen Regional Football Centre and Greenfield Football Complex.

Tournament Director Jim Smith said he was delighted that this new addition to the Tournament was filled very quickly with 64 teams participating this weekend in a trophy- free environment

The following weekend – Friday 6 to Sunday 8 August – sees the main tournament kick-off with over 120 teams participating at age levels from 13 – 21 years of age

Jim said that as well as local teams there were teams from all over Scotland and the UK as well as Ireland.

He said he was grateful to Glasgow City Council and Glasgow Life for their continued support of this – the largest youth football tournament in Scotland.

This is a great pre-season tournament for teams. Many teams have used it to kick start their season have gone on to do well throughout the season.

For full details of who is playing where and when,  visit the revamped Glasgow City Cup website at www.glasgowcitycup.org.uk

No Knives, Better Lives

by Lynsay Keough

A major new campaign to teach young people about the dangers of knife crime has been launched in Glasgow.

Glasgow Community and Safety Services (GCSS) is working in partnership with the Scottish Government to deliver the No Knives, Better Lives campaign across the city.

It is a multi-pronged campaign which aims to educate young people about the dangers and consequences of carrying a knife. It outlines the devastating personal consequences it can have on a young person’s future, as well as on their family and friends. Youth diversionary activities are incorporated in the scheme along with community engagement, social advertising and a structured programme in schools.

The campaign has been running in Inverclyde since June 2009 and, despite double the amount of police searches in the area, knife carrying went down 23 per cent during June 2009 to January 2010. Due to its success in Inverclyde area, the campaign is now being rolled out in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Clackmannanshire.

Starting this month No Knives, Better Lives will directly target young people in Glasgow through the launch of GCSS’ new STUFF football leagues, together with ongoing diversionary activities, including the STUFF multimedia bus and mobile basketball.

The official launch of the campaign took place on Thursday 22July at the new community centre in Wyndford. Local young people were invited to compete in a STUFF football league on the day.

Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill said: ‘Far too many lives are lost and people injured though mindless acts of violence – often because of the knife culture that blights too many communities. That is why we are working to change the culture of violence in Scotland through education and tough enforcement.
‘But, as well as tough enforcement, it’s important that young people are taught about the dangers of violent behaviour and weapon carrying. The No Knives, Better Lives campaign has had a real impact and has already led to a 23 per cent reduction in knife carrying in the pilot area of Inverclyde.
‘Glasgow has long suffered from a culture of knife carrying stretching back decades and we want to change that.  We are working in partnership with the council, police, schools and young people in Glasgow to create a very local No Knives Better Lives campaign that is tailored to the community, supporting the good work already being done to tackle the issue.”
Councillor Shaukat Butt, vice chair of Glasgow Community and Safety Services, said:

‘Violence and crime can have a devastating impact on our communities. We need to send a clear message to those who break the law that their behaviour has no place in our society.

‘Glasgow Community and Safety Services is supporting the Scottish Government by providing educational programmes in schools, together with a range of diversionary activities for children and young adults throughout the city.

‘It is important that we work together to educate young people on the dangers of carrying a knife and the devastating personal consequences it can have on their future.’

Exam Results Helpline

by Lynsay Keough

Students from schools and colleges across Glasgow will be among 165,000 young people in Scotland who will receive their Standard and Higher Grade results via email, text or by post on Thursday 5 August.

For those who don’t get the results they had been hoping for, help is at hand in the form of a free call to the Skills Development Scotland Exam Results Helpline on 0808 100 8000.

Skills Development Scotland’s Chief Executive, Damien Yeates said: ‘Our helpline will be live from 2pm on Wednesday 4 August to offer young people and their parents all the advice they need as soon as the results are sent. Most young people will get their results on 5 August and the helpline will be open from 8am until 8pm.’

He added: ‘The message is that if people don’t get the results they were hoping to get, they shouldn’t panic. They should call the helpline and speak to our advisers who can give the information, advice and assistance that they will need.’

‘This can be a difficult time not only for students but for their parents too, especially in the current economic climate. Parents sometimes call on behalf of their sons and daughters as they can be too upset to make the call themselves. Calling the helpline is the important first step in finding out what a person’s options are,’ said Damien.

Almost 80 advisers will be on hand to give the latest information on UCAS course vacancies at colleges and universities across the UK. Advice on clearing,  employment, training opportunities, exam re-sits will also be available. This has been funded by the Scottish Government’s Step Forward Scotland’s £6.5m support package for summer leavers.

The Exam Results Helpline will run from 8am until 8pm on 5 and 6 August, and from 9am until 6pm weekdays and 9am until 5pm weekends until 28 August.

Further information is available on the Skills Development Scotland website – www.skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk

Cake cut beautifully as Cornerstone reach milestone

The leading Scottish charity Cornerstone celebrated its 30th birthday in George Square on Wednesday 28 July, with Miss Scotland cutting the cake.

Cornerstone provides care for people of all ages who have disabilities and other special needs.

After Miss Scotland 2010, Nicola Mimnagh, cut the cake, the public joined in traditional party games as balloons floated around the square.

Congratulations to Cornerstone on 30 years of giving service and support!

Fairfield is fair bloomin’

During Glasgow Fair 2010, young Govanites opened a new chapter in local history. They ceremoniously took off protective covers to reveal the refurbished windows of Fairfield Shipyard offices in Govan Road, which have been boarded up for nine years.
This completes the first phase of a £4.5m restoration project led by Govan Workspace Ltd. Said Pat Cassidy, Managing Director of Govan Workspace: ‘The young people have done a fantastic job. They’ve been out since early morning picking up litter and planting window boxes and tubs with flowers. This is an important day for this community. This historic space will become offices with the community heavily involved. This is a celebration of what Govan has achieved particularly through shipbuilding. And it is about time these achievements were celebrated.’
Already £3.6m has been found and the Fairfield development partners are confident the remaining £.9m can be secured to allow the second phase of the refurbishment to start by Christmas this year.
Added Pat: ‘We’ve been able to make the place wind proof and watertight. Now we need to finish the job to transform these historic offices into usable, quality, workspace.’
Part of the plan is to dedicate an area within Fairfield House to the history of shipbuilding.
Commented Tommy McMahon, secretary of the Govan Youth Information Project (GYIP) management committee: ‘ You could say the young people who had the job of taking off the window covers today, are the latest generation to be working at Fairfield offices!’ They were all part of the summer programme run by GYIP for several hundred local youngsters during the school holidays.

Broomhill Tournament Success

The Broomhill summer tennis Ratings Tournament, in its 20th year, attracted  fifty competitors from as far afield as Nairn, Edinburgh and Kilmarnock, as well as Glasgow and district clubs.
The format of the tournament gives players of equal rating the opportunity to play one another. If they win, they proceed to compete against better players, with the chance to improve their rating if they win three matches.
The ladies Draw One final saw Elise McCaig (Milngavie) win 5-7, 6-2, 6-4 against Karen Crawford (Lenzie). In the ladies Tableau final Sophie O’Neil (Kilmarnock) beat Jamie Smith (Lenzie) in another exciting three set match 6-4, 6-7, 6-4.
In gents Draw One, Stuart George (Giffnock) beat fellow club player James Singh 6-1, 6-3. In Draw Two, John Jellema (Hamilton) beat Ross Taylor (Drumchapel) 7-6, 7-5 in a tightly contested final. The gents Tableau final saw last year’s finalist Chris Evans (David Lloyd)  beating Ian Cannon (Hamilton) 6-3, 6-2.
Player of the Tournament was awarded to seventeen year old Ross Taylor. Ross’s rating meant that he had to start off in Draw One, where he reached the semi final. By reaching that far he was then entered into Draw Two for better players where he played magnificently to reach the final. The wins in this draw automatically then put him into the Tableau Draw for top players, where he reached the quarter finals. He was the only player to have started from the lower draw and reach the top draw, the endeavour for which gained him the award.
For juniors, the tennis coaching Summer Camps have been very successful with both the July and August camps fully booked.
Information about tennis and squash at the club can be obtained from the web site at www.broomhill-tennis-squash.co.uk or by contacting the club at 399 Crow Road, Broomhill, Glasgow, G11 7DZ – tel. 0141 334 2519.

Glasgow City triumph over the border

By Lorraine Hill

Glasgow City continue to look in good shape for the restart of the women’s football season following an 8-0 win over English Premier side Blackburn Rovers.
After travelling down to Blackburn, City played a full ninety minutes, finishing 6-0.

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