Silverburn goes for gold for the Hub

Inspired by the gold medal rush at the Olympics, shoppers in Silverburn are aiming to raise £3000 for Pollok Community Sports Hub by closing time on Sunday 12 August.

In the Silverburn road show challenge : Everyone’s A Winner! individuals can cycle a mile in the Mall to raise funds for the Hub. More than 300 people did that last Sunday to take the fundraising past the £2000 mark.

For every mile cycled, Silverburn donates 60p to the Pollok Sports Hub.

The Sports Hub is the local umbrella charity which supports sports teams and encourages more young people to become involved in sport and more residents to use the Hub facilities.

Commenting on the efforts so far, Silverburn’s General Manger, David Pierotti, said: ‘For just 60 seconds of your time you can put money towards a potential future local Olympian.’

Kevin West, Sports Development Officer with Glasgow Life plays a large part in the Community Sports Hub and has been massively involved in the challenge on the mall. He said, ‘The funds raised by Silverburn will go towards raising the capacity of the sports clubs to provide Pathways not just for young people to participate in sport but also for local people to become involved as volunteers.’ The funds will go towards equipment, promotional materials, training and access opportunities.

The static cycle effort is stationed outside Debenhams until Sunday August 12. Further information on the Everyone’s a Winner’s road show: http://style.shopsilverburn.com/events

 

Bus stops in lots of places

The people of Mansewood and Hillpark are not the only communities facing cuts in bus services.  First Glasgow has stated the following five services will be withdrawn:

Route 2 – Toryglen and Croftfoot

Route 25 – Govan and Silverburn

Route 29 – Manswood, Hillpark and Shawlands

Route 91 – Partick and Clydebank

Route 92 – restricted to operate between Partick Bus Station and Gartnavel Hospital only.

But Glasgow City Council has been told of others to be withdrawn:

Route 11 – Bearsden Road/Switchback – diverted from Glasgow Road, Clydebank to Barns Street/East Barns Street.

Route 42 – Drumchapel and City Centre via Garscadden, Scotstoun, Partick and Charing Cross – evening operation to be withdrawn.

Route 119 – Baljaffray and Castlemains Estate

Route 213A – Bargeddie to Buchanan Bus Station via Baillieston, Edinburgh Road, Cranhill and Alexandra Parade – Sunday day service to be withdrawn.

In addition,  many established routes will have major timetable changes.

A dam fine idea!

Silverburn and Dams to Darnley Country Park are working together in a bid to raise awareness of the recreational opportunities on offer at the park situated  between Barrhead, Darnley and Newton Mearns.

Dams to Darnley Country Park, a joint venture between Glasgow City and East Renfrewshire Councils, offers great opportunities for walking, cycling and fishing as well as an abundance of wildlife.

To help spread the word about the country park, Silverburn shopping centre is hosting an exhibition in the mall on 27th August 10am-4pm which will showcase the importance of the area for wildlife and the beautiful landscape available for residents to enjoy.

Silverburn, a major local employer, is also hosting a Summer BBQ at Dams to Darnley Country Park for staff and their families. It is hoped that this event will stimulate increased interest and encourage more people to make use of the country park.

As part of the event, Silverburn will be fundraising for new fishing rods that will be used by a new Angling Club set up within the country park to introduce young people to the sport.

Councillor Alex Glass of Glasgow City Council and current Chair of the Dams to Darnley Country Park Joint Committee, said: ‘I am delighted that Silverburn is showcasing this wonderful park. For many local people it remains a bit of a secret so I hope they will take the opportunity to explore the park and follow its development.’

Eilidh Milne, one of the country park rangers said: ‘The country park is a beautiful oasis yet many people still don’t know of its existence. We are delighted to be working with Silverburn and are confident that once people discover what’s on offer, they will return time and time again.’

Silverburn’s centre director, David Pierotti added: ‘I have lived in the area all my life and hadn’t been to the Dams – now my family and I go regularly as it’s an inspiring place to relax and take in the beautiful scenery.Our collaboration with Dams to Darnley Country Park fits well with Silverburn’s commitment to supporting the local community and the environment. With the country park rangers, we plan to set up a litter picking initiative with Silverburn staff. I believe it is something our stores would be delighted to get involved in.’

For further information log on to www.damstodarnley.org.

 

Silverburn beauty bonus

Shoppers at Silverburn will receive expert advice on the art of beauty from skilled Barry M make-up artists at Superdrug. on Thursday 28 July and Thursday 4 August from 1.30pm to 7.30pm. The workshops are free but people need to book in advance by visiting Superdrug in Silverburn or calling: 0141 881 4692. Silverburn’s marketing manager, Lynne Butler said: ‘Getting stuck in a make-up rut happens to us all. This is a great opportunity to have fun with make-up and experiment with different looks to discover what works for you.’

MPs visit Pollok’s unique Post Office and Credit Union

Westminster MPs visited Pollok Post Office in Silverburn and the adjacent Credit Union in a fact-finding tour of postal services in Scotland. All members of the Scottish Affairs Committee which is chaired by Ian Davidson MP for Glasgow South West, they met staff and board members of Pollok Credit Union and the Post Office which sit side by side in Silverburn.

Said Ian Davidson: ‘Pollok Post Office is a positive example of how, by using the initiative of local people, the future of vital community services can be secured. The local credit union runs Pollok Post Office and successfully provides two very important services from one unit, at the same time as offering security for local jobs.’

Credit Union Manager Jim Garrity, told them how the Credit Union, established in 1993, had negotiated for a year to take over what had been a failing post office in the area. He said: ‘When  Silverburn was  being mooted we met with Retail Property Holdings, the Franchise holder and negotiated with the Royal Mail Group, who manage Post Office Counters for a year to win them over to the idea of the Credit Union taking on the P.O. Franchise. When agreement was finally reached it meant that Pollok Credit Union was in the unique position of being the only credit union in the UK to operate a Post Office and credit union together.

‘We believe that this provides customers and members a good mixture of Financial Services under the one roof. Both the Post Office and credit union staff have been trained on both systems to ensure that our businesses can cope at peak times.

He added: ‘For this to be successful you need a strong credit union, who can deliver stability and resources to complement the services of the Post Office and good staff to deliver these services to the community.  In the 15 months of operation in the new unit at Silverburn, both businesses have shown a 20% increase in turnover and 30% footfall increase. We are delighted to say that in 15 months the failing post office business is now in profit.’

Earlier in the day the MPs visited the Glasgow Mail Centre in Springburn and returned to vote in the House of Commons the same evening. Previously they had visited rural post offices in Oban and other places to find out first hand how they survived.

Their investigation continued in Committee when they received evidence from a variety of senior officials from the Royal Mail Group, Postcomm and Ofcom and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. ‘We expect to produce our report early next year,’ said Ian Davidson.