Jane reaches gold standard

Cardonald College student Jane McAlinden (35) has the midas touch.
She has won a top design award from the Incorporation of Goldsmiths yet only three years ago she took a redundancy package from a contact centre where she’d worked for ten years. ‘My life has completely changed since taking up full-time education. I feel so much more fulfilled designing and making jewellery.’
When she was declared redundant in 2007 she had been studying in a jewellery course, part-time at Cardonald College. ‘I realised there was nothing stopping me from studying full-time and considering jewellery as a career,’ said Jane. So she signed up for the full-time HND course. She so excelled that she was able to go direct into the third year of the Jewellery and Silversmithing degree at Duncan of Jordanstone College in Dundee – one of Scotland’s most prestigious art schools. No-one has made that academic leap before.
While at Cardonald she was selected to submit designs for a silver goblet to represent the College in the Incorporation of Goldsmiths’ competition.
Anne Clare Graham, Programme Co-ordinator for the HND Jewellery course at Cardonald College and recognised jeweller, said: ‘This competition is usually only open to third year students at the four Scottish art schools. However, Cardonald College has such a good reputation for its jewellery and silversmithing that it was asked to submit an entry.
‘Jane’s creative abilities had been noticeable and her designs for the Incorporation’s submission were exceptional. The fact that Jane’s design won the overall competition is testament to her creative talent. To see her hand over the silver goblet that she made in working with established silversmith and former head of Glasgow School of Art and Duncan of Jordanstone jewellery departments, Professor Roger Millar, to the Incorporation of Goldmiths, was just fantastic.’
Jane added: ‘I couldn’t believe it when I heard I’d won the Incorporation of Goldsmiths award. When I went back to unveil the silver goblet to the Incorporation’s panel, it felt like a dream. It was brilliant! It was an honour to work with Professor Roger Millar on the goblet too. He is such a renowned silversmith, jeweller and artist. A lot of time and effort went into producing it.
‘The Cardonald College Glasgow jewellery course was brilliant. I learned so much there that it gave me a launch-pad into the third year of a degree course and I couldn’t ask for more than that.’
‘The lecturers and their wealth of experience, talent and different ways of thinking, opened my mind to other ideas and a new can-do attitude. Before, I had been stuck in a dead-end job. I’ve come a long way since 2007.’

Cardonald College, Mosspark Drive, Glasgow G52 3AY. Tel: 0141 272 3333  website: www.cardonald.ac.uk.

New healing circle formed in Glasgow

Glasgow’s first healing group of the  Bruno Groening Circle of Friends, is being set up following lectures given at a recent  Mind, Body, Soul Exhibition. ‘ We found people had been waiting for us,’ said Dr Oliver Bonifer, a gynaecologist in Finland, who explained how the Circle of Friends taps into effective spiritual healing power which cures physical illnesses.

Called the Heilstrom or Healing Stream by Bruno Groning who promoted it  in the early part of last century, it is now recognised and used by around 70,000 people in 60 countries.  Glasgow will be the UK’s fourth Circle.  ‘The group is just forming and finding an appropriate place to meet,’ said Dr Bonifer.

He explained that as a gynaecologist, he knew there were limits to what traditional medicine could do. ‘I read about Bruno Groning and the Healing Stream in a newspaper,’ he told the LOCAL NEWS after his successful lectures in Glasgow. ‘I made contact with the woman in that Circle and learned how to connect to the Healing Stream so I thought I should give it a try. After a few days I felt more relaxed in myself. I’d just started a new job and this made it easier for me to make decisions. ‘

Later he went to a Circle in St Petersburg where he met people who had been healed of major conditions such as stroke. ‘I am now one of the medical practitioners in our Medical Scientific Group,’ he said.  That group documents healings and shares its knowledge through lectures of the kind Dr Bonifer gave in Glasgow.

Healing is free and open to anyone without restriction. There are no medical consultations, examinations or treatments in the Circle of Friends. The emphasis is purely on a spiritual healing power and how that can be found.  For further information see website: www.bruno-groening.org/english

Shawlands shop generates business

For a one-year-old, the Shawlands base of Glasgow South East Regeneration Agency (GSERA) has a lot to celebrate. In the year since the team set up in a vacant shop on Kilmarnock Road at the entrance to the Shawlands Arcade, they have supported 30 new businesses, 40 volunteer placements, 50 qualifications and 50 jobs. So some birthday cake was dispensed among shoppers and traders in the Arcade when Shawlands Market stalls were open on their regular Thursday and Friday sessions.
Said Councillor Archie Graham, Depute Leader of Glasgow City Council and Chair of Shawlands Town Centre Planning Group: ‘People living in the Shawlands area have a very valuable resource on their doorstep. This is particularly important in the current economic climate. I am delighted with GSERA’s work.’
Fraser Kelly, Chief Executive Officer of GSERA added: ‘We are particularly pleased that many of the new businesses we have worked with are now investing in premises of their own, recruiting staff and creating genuine economic return. We are also pleased to be working jointly with our partners in Glasgow South West Regeneration Agency to encourage new-start businesses.’
Among the fledgling businesses nurtured by GSERA is Safe Lettings. Launched by Saima Ahmed, 28, the company is an independent residential lettings and property management agency with an office in Shawlands. Said Saima who left school at 16: ‘I came into GSERA with a rough plan of what I wanted to do. I met with my advisor who helped me with all the things I needed to do before I started. They even helped me find business premises.’ Now, six months down the line, she comments: ‘The business is going really well. I’m glad I took the leap into self-employment. It’s really paid off.’
GSERA is one of the five local regeneration agencies serving the city. Staff work face-to-face with each client to help them build the better life they want through improving health, increasing skills and helping them find a job or start or develop a business. Apart from the Shawlands drop-in office, GSERA has similar offices in Castlemilk’s Glenwood business centre; Gorbals’ Adelphi Centre; Govanhill’s Victoria Road; East Pollokshields’ Shields Road and Toryglen’s Community Base in Prospecthill Square. See website: www.gsera.org.uk or phone the headquarters number: 0141 420 3573.

Snowman supports local campaign

Sandy the Snowman has joined forces with local residents to protest against a proposal to build multi-storey flats in Minerva Street, G3.
Described on planning documents as ‘a major development,’ it would dwarf the B-listed buildings designed by the renowned Scottish architect and civil engineer, Alexander Kirkland, built between 1853 and 1856.
Local resident John Newlands said: ‘We were amazed to wake up this morning and find Sandy protesting outside the site.’ And neighbour, Laura McGee added: ‘Too much of Glasgow’s architectural heritage is being hidden by high-rise developments. The proposal would block the view of Minerva Street from the river and Exhibition Centre. Visitors to the city should see Glasgow at its best.’
Objections to the proposal have been submitted by local residents, the Yorkhill & Kelvingrove Community Council and area Councillor Philip Braat. All are expected to continue with their protests unlike Sandy the Snowman who is likely to vanish.

Ucare’s care recognised

Ucare Foundation was one of the nominees for the community category at the Scottish Asian Business Awards held this week in Glasgow. Their work for healthcare and in the recent floods in Pakistan was acknowledged and their contributions recognised. They have sent a special ‘thank you’ to all their donors, supporters and well wishers. To contact the charity tel: 0141 423 4242 mail@ucarefoundation.org or visit the shop at 320 Victoria Road on Glasgow’s Southside. Donations can be made by phoning 0300 111 4242.

There are still 6 million people homeless after the floods in July.  Glasgow Central Mosque and Ucare Foundation have already raised half a million pounds. This will enabled 600 homes to be built. The first 20 were up and occupied within three weeks of the funding being available in what will be known as the Glasgow Village. But more money is needed to house more people and the Mosque and Ucare charity aim to raised £1million and built 1000 homes.

Postcards From the Edge

by Lynsay Keough
The Govan and Craigton Integration Network are showing their support for the international 16 Days of Action to eliminate violence against women. The campaign brings global attention to the different forms of violence that women face.
The network have launched a postcard campaign to raise awareness of the experiences of female asylum seekers and to lobby the government to create an asylum policy that will protect the rights of women.

Guest speakers at the launch included MSPs Anne McLaughlin (Glasgow) and Christina McKelvie (Central Scotland) and Glasgow Karibu African Women’s Organisation.
The Network are also supporting the ‘Every Single Women’ campaign from the Women’s Asylum Charter. Their postcards detail the aims of the campaign, which is endorsed by the Refugee Council and the Scottish Refugee Council. The artwork was designed by asylum seekers, refugees and volunteers with help from community artist Nadine Gorency at the Network’s drop-ins.

They highlight the concerns that female asylum seekers are entitled to fair and sensitive treatment when their persecution is gender related and looks at standards for women in the criminal justice, prison and maternity systems in the UK. They are addressed to the Rt. Hon. Theresa May MP and can be completed and sent to the Home Office to show support.

As the Network’s Michael Collins commented, ‘ We hope that following on from this initial launch a regular group for female asylum seekers can be established at one of our Drop-ins’.

The regular venues and times are:
Tuesdays 12:30 – 2:30pm Lourdes Church Hall, Lourdes Avenue, Cardonald, just off Paisley Road West
Wednesdays 12:30 – 2:30pm Govan New Church (Opposite Govan Underground and bus station)
Thursdays 10am – 12 noon Govan Portal, 976 Govan Rd, with housing advice from Positive Action in Housing.

All are welcome for friendship, conversation, advice and information.

Faith in prisoners’ aid scheme

photographs Stuart Maxwell
story Grace Franklin

A new project to help prisoners adjust to life after jail and avoid re-offending, is already having inspiring results and is supported by Kenny MacAskill, Scottish Government Secretary for Justice.
The project Faith in Throughcare started in June and was formally opened by the Minister at The Place in St Matthew’s Centre, Possilpark last month.
One former offender who has been ‘blownaway’ by the support he has received from it, testified at the launch to how it had changed his life. ‘The only way I’d know Barlinnie was when I was taken there in handcuffs,’ said John Melville who lives in the Possil area and has been a repeated offender since his youth and also had addiction problems. ‘When I became a volunteer for the project I walked in and out in the same day.’ He has recently been appointed a worker with the project and is now clear of his addictions. He told the large audience from across Scotland: ‘When I was in jail the last time for six months, I was overwhelmed to know that with this project there was a place across the road for my family to go to. This got the family together again and helped me tremendously.’ When he was released, the project volunteers who had contacted him in prison, continued to support him and his family. He became a volunteer with the project. Along with other volunteers, he went to establish relationships with prisoners in Barlinnie who were preparing for release. Once they are out, the support and care continues so that new ways of living and thinking they have chosen to follow, can be sustained.
In a rousing speech, Kenny MacAskill said Scotland had to question why we had the highest proportion of people in prison in the developed world. ‘Prisoners come from a community and return to that same community. Prisoners come from similar post codes. What the project Faith in Throughcare is doing is helping give self-belief, self-value and self-esteem to people. If a person is given hope and takes responsibility for himself and has someone to support him and believe in him, he has an opportunity to progress.’
Several local support centres such as The Place in Possilpark will be set up across Scotland via a variety of churches and faith groups. The drop-in centre brings together the resources of local churches, advice agencies, police and civic leaders to decrease the levels of crime, improve the sense of public safety and help break the cycle of re-offending.
Fergus McNeill, Professor of Social Work and Criminology at Glasgow University and Chair of the Faith in Throughcare steering group, added: ‘The challenges of re-entry or re-settlement have grown in both scale and seriousness. Sending more people to jail means that more people have to navigate the many obstacles that face ex-prisoners on release.’
Chairman of Faith in Throughcare, John Matthew, is a Church of Scotland minister in Maryhill. He said: ‘When a person has told their story, they become a different person. There is a deep, profound wistfulness from many people – such as ex-offenders – that they feel they are locked out of their church or any church. Through Faith in Throughcare the churches and faith communities, acting together, can offer human hands and friendship.’

Digging deep for Urban Roots

by Lynsay Keough, photo by Stuart Maxwell

Fifteen volunteers who had taken part in a project run by Urban Roots and the Hidden Garden, received their certificates of achievement at the Geoff Shaw Centre in Toryglen on Wednesday 24 November.
As part of the 12 week programme, the volunteers were involved in the John Muir Award, which recognises people who have developed awareness and respect for their environment. It encourages participants to discover, explore, conserve and share their interest in local wildlife and biodiversity. Toby Clark, John Muir Award Scotland manager, said, ‘John Muir’s message was – do something for the wilderness and make the mountains glad.   I am glad to say that over 120,000 people across the country have embodied that spirit and achieved a reward’. Level 1 of the award is achieved on completion of 15 hours on the project.
The programme, funded by South East Glasgow Vibrancy Thematic group, had been designed so that the two groups of volunteers and staff could learn from one another and build community participation.
At the Hidden Garden,  volunteers focused on leaning about wildlife and biodiversity and practical skills for improving local habitats. This included the development of the ‘Shedio’, a space in the gardens for groups, schools and members of the public to access resources and information about improving biodiversity in their own gardens, green spaces and school grounds. At Urban Roots the volunteers took part in a range of activities both in the community gardens the Nan McKay Halls in Pollokshields and the Ardco Flat Community Garden in Toryglen. It is hoped that this programme, initially set to be a one-off, will continue to build community integration and local ecological awareness.

Students not wooed by Wizards in Westminister

Words and photograph by Stuart Maxwell

‘**** This, I’m off to Hogwarts’ read one of the many imaginative placards as hundreds of Glasgow students marched into the Christmas village in George Square to protest against cuts to Scotland’s education budget and proposals to increase tuition fees in England and Wales.

JK Rowling’s magical realm seemed to be an inspiration for many of the protesters. On another placard, the much maligned Nick Clegg was compared to Voldemort- the insatiable baddie from the Harry Potter stories.

The protesters gathered outside Strathclyde University’s Royal College Building on a day when student protests swept across the UK. For a short time, 30 protesters occupied the Royal College Building before rejoining the main demonstration.

Although the demonstration was met with a strong police presence, the day passed without incident- unlike London, where violence erupted leading to injuries and arrests. One policeman told the LOCAL NEWS: ‘ I think it’s been a total success. These students are making their point in a very respectful way and in all honesty they’ve been a pleasure to work with.’

By early evening the protesters were in George Square for a speech-laden rally, below the recently erected Christmas lights which were still to be turned on.  Speakers included Greg Philo, Head of Glasgow Media Group and Vice President of the National Voice of Students, who told the crowd: ‘ Today has been a disaster for the Tory Coalition.’

Pete Murray, President of the National Union of Journalists told the protesters they were an inspiration to the older generations, who now find themselves needing to confront the career threatening polices that are seeping north from Westminister. Pete said: ‘I congratulate you for this fantastic day.’

Greg Philo told the crowd that the media are not doing enough to challenge the Government on their economic policies and said one venerable media institution was fast becoming ‘a factory of lies.’ He called on students to keep marching in protest.

School students from across Glasgow, including Hyndland Secondary, left their classes early to participate in the protest that reflected much anger toward Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg. Listening to lyrics of the chants, it was clear than many felt betrayed by the Deputy Prime Minister and the Liberal Democrats.

Liberal Democrat MSP for Glasgow, Robert Brown, told the LOCAL NEWS that students should look closely at the deal on the table and said the problems today were created by the former Labour Government.
Said Robert: ‘The reality is that the horrendous financial situation that the Labour party left behind is the cause of the cuts and increased fees facing the country today.

‘None of the other parties could offer offer a better deal. It’s a very difficult issue but the best friend of the students is still the Liberal Democrats.’

Reading the placards and listening to the clourful chants at George Square, it would seem that the students don’t know who their best friends are. Nick Clegg sure has a lot of minds to convince that he’s Dumbledore rather than Voldemort.

Hillhead Primary Looks Down Memory Lane

by Lynsay Keough

As the closure of the current Hillhead Primary looms nearer, staff and pupils at the school have issued an appeal for old photos and memorabilia for a special exhibition they are holding to commemorate the history of the school.

The name of the exhibition is Looking Forward Looking Back.

Youngsters at the Cecil Street building are moving to a multi-million pound new build in the West End in the Spring of 2011- merging with Dowanhill, Kelvinhaugh and Willowbank Primary schools.

The new campus will also include Dowanhill and Willowbank’s Early Years Centres.

Karen Barclay, the Hillhead teacher in charge of the exhibition, is looking for former pupils, staff and members of the local community to come forward.

She said: ‘We are keen to hear from any former pupils who still have old school ties, photographs, uniforms or jotters that we could include in our special exhibition.

‘As the youngsters make plans to move to their wonderful new building we feel it is important for them to remember the school’s past.’

Built in 1885, the school was originally the high school and did not become the local primary school until 1945.

All items will be returned at the end of the exhibition which is due to open in March 2011. Anyone who has anything of interest that could be included,  is invited to contact the school on 0141 339 9175 or email kbarclay@hillhead-pri.glasgow.sch.uk

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