Mosque honoured for charity work

Glasgow Central Mosque will be among several which will be honoured next week in Parliament. They each raised massive sums quickly to help the most pressing humanitarian needs in 2010 when the floods hit Pakistan.

His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales has sent his personal thanks to each mosque which answered the call to action and contributed to the Pakistan Recovery Fund (PRF) and they will be presented with a limited edition medal produced by the Queen’s own mint makers. The Rt Hon Sadiq Khan MP will host the ceremony in the House of Commons on Wednesday 8 February and the medals will be presented by HRH’s senior representative and Chairman of the PRF, Mr John O’Brien.

MP Khan is the first cabinet member of Pakistani descent. He said: ‘The work done by the Pakistan Recovery Fund has been quite simply incredible. I travelled to some of the flood-affected areas and met dozens of victims who had lost friends, family members and their livelihoods. I am extremely proud of the hope the British public gave to thousands of people through such generous donations. Many people feared that the tough economic climate would limit the amount donated to the Pakistan Recovery Fund, but we saw just the opposite – despite the difficult times the British public faces at home, they haven’t lost their sense of humanity.’

The fund was convened by the British Asian Trust which is one of Prince’s charities. It has been operating with local partners in the Punjab and the Sindh regions to provide homes, education, health support and livelihoods to those who lost all. Westminster MP Anas Sarwar who was elected for Glasgow Central seat and followed in the footsteps of his father Mohammad Sarwar who was the first Muslim MP at Westminster said: ‘As a member of the House of Commons International Development Committee, I saw the devastating effect the floods had. In the weeks and months that followed, I also saw the tremendous generosity of the British people – especially those from the British Pakistani and British Muslim communities. They worked tirelessly to raise funds and send emergency supplies to help the victims of the floods. The Pakistan Recovery Fund is a fantastic initiative led by HRH to support the people of Pakistan after the greatest natural disaster ever to have hit that country.It is a huge honour and privilege for the organisations and the individuals involved – including Madrasa Taleem ul Islam from my own constituency – to have their efforts recognised in this way.’

A spokesman for Madrasa Taleem ul Islam said: We had collected some donations before this appeal but decided to make another appeal to join the efforts of HRH. We may not feel the heat of hunger or homelessness in the UK, but the flood in Pakistan was devastating. We thought we had to try again to collect a little more. So we made another request to worshippers. We are sure that even this little help will make a big difference to the people affected by the flood. We are committed to providing support to people in natural disasters and always stand with other people when needed.’

 

RALLY AGAINST FASCISM

Solidarity Rally

Saturday 4th February

Buchanan Street/Gordon Street

12 noon assemble

Rally and Speakers around 12.30 pm

Following a number of attacks on labour movement stalls in Glasgow over the last few weeks, Unite Against Fascism is organising this rally in Glasgow.

We believe that these attacks are part of a fascist strategy to widen the targets of their violence in an attempt to indimidate people off the streets. We cannot allow this to happen.

We are inviting organisations to bring banners and provide a speaker to join a short rally near the spots where the attacks took place.

Unite Against Fascism
www.uaf.org.uk

Baths warriors have War Horse director opening offices

There will be a big splash of VIPs on Saturday 4 February 2012 at the opening of the first phase of Govanhill Baths in Calder Street.

War Horse director Peter Mullan, local MSP Nicola Sturgeon and City Councillor Archie Graham who is responsible for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, will all be there at the historic launch.

The formal opening of the front part of the building as offices is the first tangible sign that the Govanhill Baths Trust will be able to re-vamp the entire building into a Community Wellbeing Centre. And with Historic Scotland, this week, confirming their support with funding, the next phase of work can get under way.

Said Andrew Johnson who has led the fight to retain the Baths in community use: ‘There is a great sense of relief and of achievement that we’ve managed to get this far – there has been so much support and work from so many people over the years. The Govanhill community’s return to the baths is the result of 11 years of hard work and commitment by many people in Govanhill, the Trust and the Friends of Govanhill Baths.’

A complex cocktail of funding from a wide variety of sources, support in kind by sponsors NORD Architecture and trojan efforts by local supporters see the dream beginning to come true: the Baths will return to public use. As the motto of the Trust says: ‘United We Will Swim!’

The listed Edwardian building has three pools, sauna and Turkish suites and was a major community hub till it was closed dramatically by the City Council after a long sit-in by protesters more than ten years ago.

Saturday will see the formal opening of the front part of the building. This houses the Headquarters of the Trust and its Centre for Community Practice. The Centre provides a series of community based programmes including healthy eating (Govanhill Grub) Create (an Arts programme) and dedicated learning and leisure facilities for local people.

The proposals for the next stage include the reinstatement of the learners’ pool, the ladies’ pool, the sauna and Turkish suite and the installation of a cafe, an arts suite and a greenhouse garden. The Historic Scotland funding has to be matched and ownership of the building has to be transferred by Glasgow City Council to the Baths Trust.

Said Andrew Johnson: ‘The ownership is a condition of Big Lottery funding and we’re negotiating with the City in the hope that that

can be achieved.’

The pool is making waves in other directions too. In October the National Theatre of Scotland will take one of the pools over for a three-week production. The legacy from that is expected to be a refurbished pool. In November a massive UK Sports injury exhibition will be located at the Govanhill Baths.

Meanwhile the Baths Trust is looking for photographs and memories of events held in the pool in past times. Contact them via their website: www.govanhillbaths.com

 

Glasgow goes for Olympic gold to host 2018 games.

Glasgow is bidding to host the 2018 Youth Olympic Games (YOG). The city declared its interest today to the British Olympic Association. That body has a deadline of 1 March to submit a bid for the UK to host those games and Glasgow is the only UK city to express interest.

Should the bid be made and should it win, around 3,600 young athletes aged between 15 and 18 would take part in 28 summer Olympic sports over 12 days of competition.

The first Youth Olympic Games was held in Singapore in 2010 and the first winter YOG Games was held in Innsbruck earlier this month.

From now until the deadline the British Olympic Association and the City’s representatives will work together to develop a submission. Ultimately, the International Olympic Committee will produce a short list of candidate cities in January next year. The winning host city will be announced in the summer of 2013.

The athletes will not only compete at the highest level of international youth sport, but will also take part in a Culture and Education Programme, which is a core element of the Youth Olympic Games.

Glasgow City Council Leader, Councillor Gordon Matheson, said: ‘Our submission for the 2018 Youth Olympic Games is a strong one; reinforcing our credentials as hosts of world-class sporting events and underlining our continuing determination to ensure Glasgow has an enduring legacy which will benefit the city for generations to come.’

The Dear Green Place will play host to some of the Olympic football events this summer when the Games are centred in London. And it hosts the Commonwealth Games in 2014 as well as the World Artistic Gymnastics the following year. All of this is alongside top international meetings and athletics and gymnastics events.

Said Councillor Matheson: ‘The Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games will soon show a global audience what we can do in terms of hosting one of the world’s biggest celebrations of sport. Winning the right to host the 2018 Youth Olympic Games would be another outstanding achievement for the city.’

Shawlands shows the way in Town Centre planning

Shawlands is a step closer to becoming a vibrant town centre, thanks to an Action Plan which was up for public scrutiny  on Monday 23 January.

After several in-depth surveys on different aspects of the area, Glasgow City’s Development and Regeneration Services drafted proposals to re-vitalise the neighbourhood of around 21,000 people.

For businesses, lack of free, convenient parking is a handicap along with a decline in consumer spend as people drive to more modern centres with better facilities, to shop. For local residents, the aim is to make the district the Heart of the Southside by balancing the needs of people, businesses, the sense of ‘place’ and sustainable living.

Said Tim Mitchell, senior Planning Officer with Glasgow City Council: ‘This has been a very productive and useful day. We’ve had a lot of input to get to this point and have confidence that the final version of the Action Plan can come from this within the next two or three months.’ Between 50 and 60 people visited the Action Plan exhibition in Langside Public hall and at least as many sent online comments which will all be considered for the final Plan. Individuals have till the end of January to submit their comments on the Action Plan.

David Dunlop of the Development and Regeneration Services of the City, who has been involved in developing the Action Plan and attended the day-long consultation said: ‘We are really delighted with the turnout. Many people have taken the time to share their thoughts on the draft proposals and ideas and some really interesting ideas have come forward.’ One was that people driving along Kilmarnock Road couldn’t get back into Shawlands because of lack of turning junctions. Pedestrians said there were not enough crossing points along Kilmarnock Road for them. Other thoughts were to turn the Arcade into an amusements centre or knock it down.

Said Norman MacLeod who has been selected to be a candidate for Glasgow City Council election on Thursday, said: ‘This exercise has been done in exactly the right way – community consultations first and from that a draft Action Plan which everyone can look at.’

Visitor Roger Guthrie who is a director of the Alexander Thomson Society, proposed that the Martin memorial Fountain which was recently re-located on Glasgow Green and had been removed from the front of the Langside Hall many years ago, should be brought back to Shawlands where it belongs.

John Dunn of AWG Property which owns the Shawlands Arcade,  attended  the consultation and read the many -mostly negative – comments on the site. ‘We are pretty open to what to do in the Arcade. If the concept is right we will support it. There have been quite a few sparks of interesting comments made on these draft plans.’ He said that a licencing application was due to be heard in February which, if granted, would fill one major unit. In addition, two new tenants had been signed up recently and should be opening soon.

A large representation from Shawlands and Strathbungo Community Council visited the consultation to see what had happened to many of their ideas and suggestions. ‘The whole consultation idea was sparked off four years ago when we held the first public meeting in Langside Halls to challenge local City Councillors about the needs of the area,’ said Andrew Montgomery from the Community Council. ‘From that came the Shawlands Town Centre Action Plan steering group which resulted in the publication of Glasgow City Council’s draft Town Centre Action Plan for Shawlands. The draft Plan was the focus of the consultation exercise and will be discussed at the next Community Council meeting at 7pm on Thursday 9 February in Shawlands Academy.’ Said Andrew: ‘We encourage everyone in the area – residents, business owners, people who work or shop in Shawalnds – to have their say.’ It is expected that local City Councillors and MSPs will attend.

 

Chinese Burns Supper to entertain all nations

Wellington Church INTERNATIONAL WELCOME CLUB and CONGREGATION CHINESE BURNS NIGHT FRIDAY 27 JANUARY 2012 7pm for 7.30pm Enjoy a unique evening of Burns poetry and song with Chinese counterparts in this Year of the Dragon. Meal includes haggis-filled Chinese dumplings! And vegetarian options, of course WELLINGTON CHURCH HALLS 77 Southpark Avenue, Glasgow G12 8LE £3 ticket at the door: £6 family ticket  (only a few left so be on time at 7pm!)

Club enjoys Burns’ lunch

The House for an Art Lover’s music room was full when Glasgow South Business Club President, Remo Pisaneschi welcomed members and guests to their annual Burns lunch on Tuesday 24 January.

Govan High School music students entertained the crowd as people assembled and their Heidie, Iain White, piped in the haggis. Club member, journalist Grace Franklin, gave her usual flamboyant performance of Burns’ Address to the Haggis. The toast to the Immortal Memory of the Bard was given in humorous fashion by Alan Murray who is modest about his knowledge of the poet. In the course of his illuminating and witty speech, he sang one of Burns’ songs and recited verses from several poems. An effective tour de force that was as entertaining as it was enlightening. Alan is a Govanite by birth and early education. He currently runs a new styled, multi uses, community centre in Maybole, Ayrshire.

Honorary Life Member, Frank Bendoris, thanked all the contributors. The Club, which meets monthly, has important guests signed up for future meetings, including Brian Souter and First Minister Alex Salmond. Full information from the Club’s website: www.glasgowsouthbusiness club.co.uk

Fishermen’s rest

Burns Supper time will alter the flow of the River Kelvin Angling Association meetings. The anglers, who meet in the Islay Inn on Argyle Street, will be there on Tuesday 24 January instead of the regular last Wednesday of the month, because of a Burns Supper.

Guardians who fish on  stretches of the 34 kilometres of the River Kelvin, the Association has been clearing trees around the Vet School to improve access to the river.  Chairman Alan Atkins has been credited with doing most of the leg work to get the job done.  Details will be given at the Association’s annual general meeting on Thursday 2 February at 7pm in Woodside Hall near St George Cross.

The arbour work has opened an extremely long stretch for fly fishers and those wishing to spin for salmon.  Futher details on their website: www.fishkelvin.com

 

Schools line up for Molendinar Awards

The third year of the Molendinar Awards marked a successful celebration of the life of Glasgow’s Patron Saint – Saint Mungo.

More than 30 schools entered with the final 12 schools being showcased at the awards presentation in the city’s Banqueting Hall.

Molendinar is the name of the burn that runs into the Clyde and it was alongside it, near what is now the High Street area, that St Mungo (who was also known as St Kentigern) is thought to have settled.

For Primary and Secondary schools, the Molendinar Awards enables children to become more aware of Glasgow’s rich cultural heritage and the vital links between the school and the neighbouring communities.

Entries ranged from posters, power point presentations and DVD animations to songs and poems.

Winners of the Molindinar Awards were: Primary 3 – 1st Barmulloch Primary, 2nd Keppoch Nursery, 3rd Greenview Learning Centre

Primary 4 – 1st St Paul’s Whiteinch, 2nd Drummore Primary, joint 3rd – St Mungo’s and Kelbourne Park Primary Schools.

Secondary School winners: 1st St Mungo’s Academy, 2nd Ashcraig Secondary, 3rd John Paul Academy.

Framed certificates were presented for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place Primary and Secondary. Winners also received a plaque to display in their school.

Bailie Jean McFadden, Executive Member for Education, is delighted by the enthusiasm shown by pupils. She said: ‘The Molendinar Awards are a tremendous opportunity for our schools. We have some very creative and talented young people as shown by the standard of entries this year. I know the judges had some very hard decisions to make. I hope the enthusiasm continues and that we will see more and more young people participating in the Molendinar Awards over the next few years.’ Glasgow City Council Leader, Councillor Gordon Matheson, joined Bailie McFadden in presenting the winning pupils with their framed certificates on Friday 13 January. He said: ‘The pupils have enjoyed all aspects of this competition.’

Other ways the Patron Saint was feted included a beautifully choreographed promenade performance by dancers from Visual Statement for shoppers at St Enoch Centre.

They told the tale of the city’s coat of arms – the Bird, the Bell, the Fish and the Tree. The medieval monk’s miracles involved, at different times, a bird, a tree and a fish. The inspirational performance by Nicola Gilmour, Brian McIntyre, Pauline McGlinchey and Cheree Thompson as the respective symbols, along with a dozen other dancers aged from 10, was a modern symphonic piece by Danny Dobbie assisted by Brian McIntyre and Wendie Reid. A movable sculpture commissioned by Visual Statement and designed by Andy Scott added an extra dimension as the dancers moved in and out and on to it.

Around 350 young people saw a performance of the tales by five Glasgow schools with a senior pupil from Lourdes Secondary being the compere, in the City Chambers.

 

Burns suppers galore

You could get indigestion if you attempted all the Burns Suppers which are held at this time of year.  But if you’ve never attended such an event, try to take in one if only to enjoy the camaraderie and glean a little more knowledge about Robert Burns, Scotland’s National Poet.

Tuesday 24 January 2012: Glasgow South Business Club’s annual Burns Lunch in House for an Art Lover. Music by Govan High School students. Members and guests but check the Club’s website: www.glasgowsouthbusinessclub.co.uk

Wednesday 25, Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 January 2012: The owners of Rozelle House in Rozelle Estate, Monument Road Ayr – which has close ties to Alloway and Burns – offer a free guided tour of the premises and of the permanent collection of Alexander Goudie’s famous paintings of Burns’ poem ‘Tam O Shanter’. No booking required. ‘Come along and enjoy the experience!’ is their invitation.

Wednesday 25 January: Robert Burns Birthplace Museum offers an evening of fine dining and entertainment hosted by John Cairney. Tickets £45 from the Museum tel: 0844 493 2601 or email: burns@nts.org.uk

Friday 27 January : Govanhill Baths Trust hold their annual Burns’ Nicht and ceilidh in Langside Halls. Tickets £10, £8 concession and £5 for children under 16. See their website for details: www.govanhillbaths.com

Friday 27 January: Wellington Church International Welcome Club will hold a Chinese Burns Supper combining celebrations for Chinese New Year with those for Robert Burns. Chinese haggis filled dumplings will be served. Tickets limited. Contact Church office: tel: 0141 339 0454 or email: grace.franklin@ntlworld.com

Saturday 28 January: Robert Burns House, Burns Street, Dumfries DG1 2PS invitation to join David Sibbald in residence and celebrate the Biggest Burns Supper  between 2pm and 4pm. Says David: Burns should be fun. Let’s all enjoy the friendship and camaraderie: that’s what the Big Burns Supper is all about. Events at various venues across Dumfries on Friday 27 and Saturday 28 January. See website: www.bigburnssupper.com

Sunday 29 January 2012:  Robert Burns Birthplace Museum, Alloway. Singing a Nation. A Robert Burns and Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore Supper. Celebrating Scotland and India through food, music, dance, poetry and good company. Tickets £30. Tel: 0844 493 2601  or email: burns@nts.org.uk

 

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