Healthy Eating at John Paul Academy

The new Fruit Barra launched at John Paul Academy in Summerston got off the ground thanks to pupils of feeder primary St Bane’s.

The initiative was set up by Health Development Officer Jane Kelly in partnership with Milton Food Project and with the active involvement of pupils at John Paul’s. Said Jane: ‘The pupils worked hard to design a leaflet which they delivered to the local community to advertise the Barra. And they developed a pre-order service for staff.’

But on the first Tuesday the Fruit Barra was open for business in the secondary school, the pupils were noticeable by their absence.

Primary pupils from St Bane’s, however, stepped in and did a roaring trade selling the fruit and vegetables to Academy staff and visitors. ‘I was nervous at first,’ said Lucy Gavin (11) who with Abigail Finnigan (11) represented their Pupils’ Council.

A variety of organisations had set up information stalls alongside the Fruit Barra. Their workers ended up doing a lot of the buying and having a rare chance to network among themselves.

Pupils who do help run the Fruit Barra every Tuesday will improve their numeracy and literacy skills. The experience is also seen as a way to prepare for work by learning about stock control, cash handling and customer service.

Along with Milton Food Project, Jane has helped John Paul pupils learn about healthy eating and nutrition as part of their school curriculum. ‘We hope to run cookery classes for parents in the future,’ she said.

Three Judges Scoops Another Award

Good things come in threes at The Three Judges pub at Partick Cross. Last month it won its second award from CAMRA – the Campaign for Real Ale – and it celebrated ten years of its resident Sunday jazz band – Muldoon’s Rag Time Band.

 

Alistair Boyd from CAMRA presented manager Angela Bradley with the coveted Glasgow Pub of the Year 2008 title. Only weeks before, the pub was named CAMRA’s Scottish Cider and Perry Pub of the Year 2008.

 Angela, who took over as manager in January 2008, told the Local News: ‘I’m over the moon to have scooped a second award so early in my bar managing career. The competition was of an exceptional standard so it really is an honour to win. It’s quite a change from working as a park ranger at the Botanics! And I’m loving every minute of it.’

On the night of the Pub of the Year presentation, each customer was offered a complimentary pint of cask ale on arrival. Added Angela: ‘Credit goes to the whole team. They have really pulled together and continue to deliver excellent levels of service and dedication to our customers.’

The Three Judges beat off stiff competition from pubs including The State Bar, Blackfriars and the Bon Accord to win the prestigious title after continuous monitoring and mystery visits from the Glasgow and West of Scotland branch of CAMRA.

A favourite with real-ale lovers, the Three Judges has enjoyed a long-term reputation for its varied range of regular and guest beers, and was awarded a bronze medal by leading UK licensed trade body The Publican for the Best Cask Ale Pub in 2006. The place to go for a combination of quality and choice, the pub has served over 5,000 different cask-conditioned ales from across the UK over the past fifteen years.

Angela threw another party to mark ten years of jazz on Sundays from Muldoon’s Rag Time Band, ‘It was a great night!’ said one customer who remembers most of it.

Albany Learning Centre Opened

With a flourish, the Albany Learning and Conference Centre in Woodlands, was opened by Scottish Government Minister for Schools and Skills, Maureen Watt.

Anne Jarvie, Chair of Glasgow Council for the Voluntary Sector (GCVS) which saved the listed building to create the Centre, told the audience: ‘We are rarin’ to go!’

She said: ‘This building would have been boarded up, lying unused, but now it is running events, learning and training, and is providing space which can be used by the voluntary sector and the local community.’

She praised the GCVS staff, and board for their commitment and hard work to achieve the objective. She also thanked Bailie Hanzala Malik who had been supportive from the beginning and a wide variety of organisations which had also helped along the way – from Charing Cross Housing Association, across the road in Ashley street, to Glasgow Community Planning and the City Council’s Development and Regeneration Service.

The event, on Monday November 17, attracted a large crowd of representatives from bodies which have already used the extensive facilities, café and meeting space in the Albany Centre or are potential users.

Helen McNeil, Chief Executive of GCVS which has its headquarters in the building, said: ‘This has always been a facility for learning, first as Woodside Secondary School then as a Community Education Centre and the Gaelic School, and now as the Albany Learning and Conference Centre. Our turnover is around half a million pounds. And in an increasingly complex environment of governance and change we provide good quality learning. Till we opened, this kind of course could be found – but you had to search all over the city to source it. Now it can all be found here at one, purpose-designed, centre.’ She added that the programmes offered at the Albany fitted particularly well with the city’s needs and the active citizenship agenda.

Margaret Doran, Executive Director of Glasgow City Council’s Education and Social Work, commented that it was a ‘significant day’ in terms of learning in the city.

‘The Albany Centre is bringing something special and vibrant. It is a centre, a source and a place of sharing for the entire community.’ She emphasised how the Third Sector was greatly valued because it brings life chances to citizens and has a network of learning providers. Citing the fact that 80% of children being supported through child protection legislation are in families where parents have addiction problems, she said that one in three of them fall into a ‘black hole’ on leaving school and don’t show up in statistics for people in work, training or learning.

‘Education and learning are the ways forward if we are to challenge proverty,’ said Margaret Doran, ‘This is being promoted not just in schools but in eight areas which are targeting early learning. We are working closely with community learning development and GCVS to strive for innovation and excellence. More than ever, we need the voluntary sector to challenge the funding given for this vital work. All the public agencies need to work together, put people first, and make a difference to the life chances for so many.’

It was appropriate that The Minister for Schools and Skills, Maureen Watt, formally opened the Albany Centre. She was the first MSP to use Doric when being sworn in. Her maiden speech in the Scottish Parliament was on drug treatments and rehabilitation. She was also a prison visitor for 14 years before becoming a Member of the Scottish Parliament.

This background enabled her to congratulated GCVS for their hard work in developing the innovative facility which would encourage collaborative working, teamwork and employee development.

She said: ‘The Third Sector in Glasgow is extensive, dynamic and diverse, reflecting Glasgow’s position as Scotland’s largest city with a unique culture and situation. The Scottish Government believes that the Third Sector is a vital contributor to the Scottish economy.’

By investing and encouraging this sector, she said, it would increase its role in delivering public services and enabling social enterprise to flourish.

 

The Minister said that £93m had been allocated to the Third Sector in the Scottish Government’s spending review in November 2007. The £30m Scottish Investment Fund will support asset and business development in the Third Sector and a £63m Development programme will include an ‘Enterprising Third Sector Action  Plan.’

 

Said the Minister: ‘The Action plan will show solidarity, cohesion and sustainability. Solidarity with individuals and communities from the retired to long term unemployed and other groups. Cohesion to encourage development across Scotland and sustainability by promoting recycling, renewable energy and sourcing local food.’

She said the Scottish Government wants to create the right environment for delivering services to people ‘who are at the heart of everything.’

She added: ‘The Albany is an exciting new, learning and training resource for the Third Sector and the community. It will have space for meetings for groups of up to 100. It will help organisations to be more efficient and more effective. And the Scottish Government will keep it in mind when we are organising events.’

Castlemilk Wind Turbine

Cathkin Braes will soon be home to the world’s first community-operated, stealth technology, wind turbine which will generate hundreds of thousands of pounds for local community groups.

 

Castlemilk and Carmunnock Community Wind Farm Trust are in the final stages of leasing the land from Glasgow City Council. The turbine will be erected next year, will generate £100,000 of income annually and, when the loan for the project is paid off in 10 years, this will rise to at least £450,000.

They have worked tirelessly for six years to get to this stage and feel their achievement could be a blueprint for future wind power throughout the world. Off their own backs, they have raised a staggering £300,000 for the project.

Margo Smith, the Trust’s driving force, told the LOCAL NEWS: ‘Sheer determination has got us to where we are now. I think most people thought ‘we will believe it when we see it’. All along, we have wanted to help community groups and this aim has really kept us going.’

The 2 megawatt stealth turbine employs state of the art technology developed in conjunction with the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to be invisible to radar. The use of this technology for the turbine arose from initial rejection of the turbine idea by Glasgow airport because the model planned would have interfered with the airport’s radar. Margo scoured the world to find a suitable material to build a turbine that would not interfere with radar and she found it in the stealth technology developed by the MoD.

The turbine will feed into the Castlemilk grid generating enough energy to power 1,000 homes – the equivalent of Carmunnock twice over.

The turbine has a 25 year life span and can be effective at low wind speeds.

Ken McCready, Chair of the Board of the Trust said: ‘We have overcome a lot of hurdles and the difficult part has been in getting to this point. We have undertaken practically every survey known to man to ensure suitability.’  Contact Margo on 0141 630 2235 or email margo.smith@gsera.org.uk .

Destroyer Takes Shape in Govan Shipyard

An early Christmas present arrived on the Clyde this month in the shape of the steel bow and mast pictured here. They are destined to become HMS Duncan, the sixth, Type 45 Destroyer to be built at BVT Surface Fleet’s facility in Govan.

The sight will have heartened many, not least the 3500 workers employed at the Govan and Scotstoun shipyards where the contract for the six warships is being fulfilled. Each contract is worth £650 million.

Speculation that the current economic crisis could delay or even reduce work at the yards has been quashed by the arrival of the components which are heralded as a ‘significant step in the programme’.

The day before the arrival of the bow and mast at Govan, Vic Emery, BVT Surface Fleet Managing Director, announced he would be taking early retirement. This sparks fears for the yard which will have no dedicated manager. His replacement, Mark Cooper, will manage all BVT’s shipbuilding activity in Glasgow and Portsmouth.

The bow and mast came on a barge after a 500 mile trip from the Clyde yards’ sister yard at Portsmouth Naval Base in Hampshire.

Work will be ongoing over the festive period and will continue throughout 2009. The task of installing the bow and mast will begin after the launch of ship 5, Defender, in October 2009.

Between now and then, work continues on ship 3, Diamond, and on the outfitting of ship 4, Dragon which launched in November. Ship 5, Defender, is already starting to take shape on the berth at Govan. Angus Holt, Type 45 Programme Director said: ‘The progress that BVT is making in the programme is proof of the company’s commitment to delivering all six ships to the Royal Navy on time and on budget. The workforce in Glasgow is continuing to make hugely significant steps forward and it is as a result of their commitment that we have achieved several milestones in recent months with even more to come before the year end.’

Editorial – December

While bankers shed crocodile tears as people sweat blood to keep home and hearth together, the multi million pound war ships are well into production, securing thousands of jobs on the Clyde and elsewhere.

No one has answered the question – who will they be used against?

But as this is a time of year when Christians and Muslims are expected to show peace and goodwill to everyone, let’s not be churlish. Let’s concentrate instead on working out how Christmas lighting up gatherings have brought together larger crowds than ever before;  how more neighbours  and communities are volunteering and organising their own local clean ups more readily and how children still have faith that the big man in the red suit will make their dreams come true.

Yes, put cynicism out with the rubbish! Bah humbug be banished! May all our readers enjoy a  Happy Eid, a Merry Christmas and find hope in the New Year to come.

HMS Dragon Launched at Govan

Dragon, the Royal Navy’s fourth Type 45 destroyer was successfully launched at the Govan shipyard.

Around 12, 000 people – including 2000 dragon masked schoolchildren – turned up to watch the spectacular event, which started with a prayer and the blessing of the ship by Monsignor Paul Donovan, the Royal Navy’s Chaplain.

After this, the Lady Sponsor, Mrs Susie

Boissier, wife of Vice Admiral Paul Boissier, Deputy Commander-In-Chief Fleet and Chief of Staff, named and launched the ship in the traditional way by breaking a bottle of champagne against the bow.

The Type 45 class is a multi-role escort vessel providing air defence and a range of capabilities to suit operational duties.

Vice Admiral Paul Boissier, told the LOCAL NEWS: ‘We are really delighted with Destroyer Dragon. It is definitely required because the level of threats we are facing is growing. So this advanced and modern destroyer is just what we need to combat them.’

An 18 metre image of a Welsh Dragon is painted on each side of the bow. The bow was fabricated at VT Shipbuilding in Portsmouth Naval Base and brought by barge to Glasgow. Once the ship hit the water, fireworks were set off in celebration.

Throughout the day there were various bands playing and entertainment from the sea cadets as well as an aerial display from Royal Navy helicopters.

The ship will be fitted out at Scotstoun yard. With the time required to complete that intricate work and for all the advanced technology to be tested, it will be 2011 before Dragon will be fully operational.

In 1999, BAE Systems (now called BVT) was awarded the Ministry of Defence contract to provide eight new ships of the Daring Class as part of the Type 45 Anti-Air Warfare Programme. Each ship costs approximately £650 million.

The ones launched before Dragon were called Daring, Dauntless and Diamond. Still to come will be Defender and Duncan.

Speaking after the launch, Alan Johnston CBE, CEO of BVT Surface Fleet said: ‘The launch of Dragon is an excellent opportunity to celebrate the progress that is being made on this programme on the Clyde. Four days ago, Dauntless, the second ship in the class, departed the Clyde on her maiden voyage on her first set of sea trials off the West coast of Scotland. Each milestone on the Type 45 contract is testament to the innovation, design and engineering skills of our employees and partners and proof of our commitment to building the next generation of warships for the Royal Navy.’

Dragon will be able to carry up to sixty Royal Marines Commandos and their equipment and operate a Chinook sized helicopter from the flight deck.

Complete with the latest upgrade to satellite communications systems, the destroyer will carry the world-leading PAAMS system (Principal Anti-Air Missile System) allowing it to defend high value ships from the most dangerous air threats, including multiple attacks by sophisticated anti-ship missiles.

Prince Edward Visits Glasgow’s East End

Bannerman High School in the East End, has hailed a visit from Edward, Earl of Wessex as a great success.

Prince Edward was all smiles as he watched a dozen mountain biking pupils demonstrate their two wheeled skills. The £40,000 mountain bike circuit was opened recently at the school and 50 students were using it to gain credits in the Duke of Edinburgh Awards Scheme.

 

Rob Ross, Sport for Learning teacher at Bannerman High, said: ‘The visit was a great happening. All too often we hear about the negative side of learning in the East End but this shows there are far more positive things taking place. It was a shining example of learning.’

Second year pupil Darren Martin said: ‘After we cycled round the circuit, His Royal Highness asked us what we were trying to achieve by taking part in the Duke of Edinburgh award scheme and what we were doing on the track. I said: – having fun, keeping fit and keeping safe.’

During his packed schedule in Glasgow, Prince Edward was given a guided tour of Glasgow’s Commonwealth Games 2014 offices, accompanied by Lord Provost Bob Winter. He met John Scott, Chief Executive of 2014 and the team behind the games.

Kerri Farnsworth, Project Manager of Glasgow 2014 took her third encounter with Royalty in her stride. Kerri, who lives in Kelvinbridge, said: ‘He asked me about my involvement with the Manchester Games in 2002 and I told him about a pre-volunteer programme which got workless people involved in the games. We plan a similar programme for Glasgow.’

Another place Prince Edward visited was Diageo’s Dundashill Cooperage near Spiers Wharf in Glasgow. There he viewed traditional coopering skills and more modern mechanical techniques. The Dundashill Cooperage produces 82,500 casks each year and among the staff are four apprentice coopers learning the skills at the on-site apprentice school. As well as building casks, the team also repairs and rejuvenates casks.

Later, he attended the inaugural Earl of Wessex Awards for Cooperage, held by the Incorporation of Coopers at the Trades Hall in Glassford Street in the city centre. Addressing the gathering of coopers and industry representatives, the Prince described coopering as a ‘fantastic and genuine skill’ saying ‘long may it continue’.

 

 

Icy reception

The Ice Man cometh

 

Icy conditions under foot brought a number of complaints from local residents to Councillor David Meikle in Pollokshields Ward on Tuesday 2 December. ‘People were concerned about the lack of gritting on the roads and pavements this morning,’ he said. ‘I got in touch with Land and Environmental Services (LES) to raise these concerns and received this response:

“I can advise that following receipt of the weather forecast on Monday 1 December and in accordance with our Winter Maintenance Plan, LES resources carried out precautionary salting of our Secondary Routes from 0800 hrs until 1600 hrs. At 1800 hrs, these resources were allocated to our primary routes (roads & footways) and a full precautionary treatment was carried out.  Following receipt of an update in the weather forecast involving wintry showers, a follow-up treatment of our Primary Carriageway Routes was carried out at 0200 hrs. Unfortunately, showers that were not forecast, moved across the City at approximately 0500 hrs. These showers immediately froze on cold surfaces causing ice to form on our roads and footways. All available resources have been deployed to gritting duties (roads & footways) since 0600 hrs this morning and this operation will continue for the remainder of the working day and into the evening. Our forecast suggests that the freezing conditions will continue for at least the next five days with moderate snowfall possible within that period. Resources will continue to be allocated from all available depots and regular updates will be provided as necessary.”

 

 

Save Pollok Park Public Meeting

Save Pollok Park will hold a public meeting at 7.30pm on 28 October in Pollokshaws Burgh Hall to plan the next phase of their campaign against Go Ape.

Their campaign received a boost when National Trust for Scotland (NTS) Chairman Shonaig Macpherson publicly confirmed their objection to having Go Ape in the North Wood of Pollok Park. She said they were “concerned about the proposed location”. In response to questions from the Save Pollok Park campaign at the NTS AGM, the NTS stated they were in discussion with Glasgow City Council ‘to find an alternative, less sensitive, location within the park.’

Save Pollok Park has launched a new petition calling on Glasgow City Council to rethink its plans to allow Go Ape to open an adventure assault course in Pollok Park. Bill Fraser, a spokesman for Save Pollok Park, said: ‘It’s now clear that the City Council has no legal right to grant a lease to Go Ape without the approval of the Maxwell family and the National Trust for Scotland. Both organisations have refused to give their blessing to the project.’

The National Trust for Scotland has agreed to appear at the public meeting on 28 October to answer questions.

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