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North Lanarkshire News No. 77, May 2011
No. 77 May 2011
HITTING THE
RIGHT NOTE
Pupils showcase their
musical talents...P2
1
www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk
BACKING THE
BID FOR GLORY
Find out what’s on in the
lead up to the final...P6
Caring young people scoop four
national volunteering awards
‘We’re exceptionally
proud of all of our
young people who
give up their time to
help others’
• Volunteer of the Year/overall winner:
Jayne Copeland, Clyde Valley High School
• Peer Educator of the Year:
Catherine Esposito, Our Lady’s High School
• Peer Educator of the Year (runner up):
Zoe Shanks, Airdrie Academy
• Volunteer of the Year (runner up):
Nicole Foster, Airdrie Academy
by colin fraser
North Lanarkshire’s schools
outshone the rest of Scotland at the
prestigious National Youth Worker
of the Year awards.
Our young people were finalists
in three categories with Jane
Copeland from Clyde Valley High
School named Volunteer of the Year
and Overall Winner at the event.
Catherine Esposito from Our
Lady’s High School in Cumbernauld
was crowned National Peer
Jayne Copeland collects her
Volunteer of the Year and Overall
Winner awards.
Educator of the Year, Zoe Shanks
from Airdrie Academy took the
Silver Award and Nicole Foster from
Coltness High School was runner
up in the Volunteer of the Year
category.
Winners on the night also
included Youth Work Development
Officer Jan McLaughlin-Mack who
received a Lifetime Achievement
Award and Ryan Currie from
Reeltime Music, who took the
Youth Service Manager of the
Year Award.
Organised by Scotland’s national
agency for youth work, YouthLink,
the awards celebrate and
recognise outstanding service and
performance by managers, youth
workers and peer educators in the
youth work field.
Christine Pollock, Executive
Director of Learning & Leisure
Services, was thrilled with the
pupils’ success. She said: “As you
can imagine, we’re all exceptionally
proud of the young people who
give up their time to help others.
“Through volunteering, young
people develop skills for learning,
life and work – skills that will be of
real value as they grow up and start
work, go to college or university or
whatever path they choose in life.
“Their success in these awards
is a wonderful recognition of their
hard work and our commitment
to making sure volunteering
plays a key role in the educational
experience of our young people.”
The Volunteer of the Year award
is given to an individual who has
given exceptional service to the
organisation and its young people.
Jayne was nominated by her school
where she acts a peer educator and
supports lunch clubs for S1 pupils.
She said: “It was a shock to
opportunity to get together to have
fun and work as a team.
Zoe Shanks’ award was for
her exceptional work within her
school as an active citizen and
young leader, where she is school
vice captain and a member of
the school’s Raising Achievement
committee. Nicole Foster was
named runner up for her voluntary
work with Childline and the NSPCC
and has spoken at conferences on
anti-bullying.
Sunday Mail/Young Scot Award
Not to be outdone by our talented
volunteers, Adam Melville of
Glencryan School in Cumbernauld
has won the Sunday Mail/Young
Scot Award in the sports category.
In just over two years Adam, 16,
has gone from a swimming novice
to winning 15 gold and 11 silver
and bronze medals.
Congratulations to Adam and
our other young winners.
ALSO INSIDE
Backing the Games
a star is born: Catherine Esposito celebrates being crowned
National Peer Educator of the Year at the National Youth Link awards.
receive this accolade as I really
didn’t expect it. I don’t do my
voluntary work to win prizes, I just
want to help people, but it is nice
that it is appreciated.”
Catherine Esposito, winner of
the Peer Educator of the Year award,
was recognised for her vision
and determination in supporting
S1 pupils at Our Lady’s High
School as they make the transition
from primary to secondary
school. Catherine set up a ‘Glee
Club’, giving young pupils the
Our pupils are taking part in
learning activities to support the
Children’s Games ...page 3
Libraries performance
Find out how our libraries are
performing as the service publishes
its latest annual report...page 4
Greening Orbiston
Children in Bellshill are
backing our Greening Orbiston
environmental project...page 7
2
North Lanarkshire News No. 77, May 2011
Contacting us
online
www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk
NorthLine
General enquiries
01698 403200
Punch the Crunch hotline
01698 403150
Environmental services 01698 403110
(Reporting roads, paths, lighting faults,
abandoned vehicles, pest control problems,
cleansing enquiries, including special uplifts)
Antisocial behaviour helpline 01698 403222
north lanarkshire leisure
(Sport, leisure and health opportunities)
web: www.nlleisure.co.uk
tel: 01236 437756
Bookings
01698 403120
(Community centres, parks and Civic Theatre)
Telephone payments
01698 403130
(Accepting payments for council tax and rent)
RECRUITMENT
www.nothlanarkshire.gov.uk /jobs
First Stop Shops
Airdrie
10 Bank Street, Airdrie
Bellshill
26 Motherwell Road
Coatbridge
126-130 Main Street
Cumbernauld
2/4 Forth Walk
Kilsyth
9 Parkfoot Street
Moodiesburn
17 Blackwoods Crescent
Motherwell
69-71 Merry Street
Shotts
162-164 Station Road
Viewpark
135 Burnhead Street
Wishaw
236 Main Street
First Stop Shops are open Mon to Thurs
8.45am to 4.45pm, and Fri 8.45am to
4.15pm. cash offices within First Stop Shops
are open Mon to Thurs 9am to 4.30pm and Fri
9am to 4pm. Moodiesburn cash office closes
between 1pm and 2pm. Contact Northline
for details.
NLC emergency out-of-hours
Social work standby services 0800 121 4114
24-hour repair reporting 0800 678 1166
Gas & solid fuel central heating
faults (24-hour service)
0845 606 1555
Other useful numbers
Disability advice
Benefits fraud hotline
Insurance fraud hotline
Crimestoppers
Consumer Advice
Trading Standards
01698 274418
0800 953 0400
0800 328 9270
0800 555 111
01698 274220
01698 274210
get in touch
North Lanarkshire News is produced
by Corporate Communications,
North Lanarkshire Council,
Civic Centre, Windmillhill Street,
Motherwell ML1 1AB.
If you’d like to comment on any
of the stories in this edition, please
write to The Editor at Corporate
Communications, call 01698 302582
or email corporatecommunications@
northlan.gov.uk.
Copies can also be provided in
large print, Braille, or in audio format,
and can be translated into other
community languages.
Investment boost for North Lanarkshire
The council has unveiled plans to boost
investment in services for the elderly,
childcare, schools and roads by more than
£5 million in the next financial year.
The additional funding was approved at
meeting of the council’s Policy and Resources
Committee and will allow:
• an additional £2.5 million spent on roads
maintenance;
• £1.5 million to build a new day centre for
the elderly in Motherwell.
• a £500,000 project to refurbish the
children’s house in Coatbridge;
• £500,000 for essential repairs to schools
damaged during the winter; and
• £400,000 on a new salt barn to increase
winter grit storage capacity.
The capital spend programme is on top of
the £140 million package of capital projects
for 2011/12 already announced.
As part of its financial savings package
agreed last December, the council decided to
protect capital spending in order to allow key
projects to continue.
These include:
• £93 million on the Schools and Centres 21
programme;
• £7.1 million to upgrade and renovate
sports and leisure facilities including
Motherwell Concert Hall and Theatre, the
Sir John Wilson Town Hall in Airdrie and the
Time Capsule Leisure Centre, Coatbridge;
• town centre improvement projects worth
£8.2 million; and
• £3.2 million for regeneration projects and
£1.8 million on care service improvements.
Musical pupils hit the high note
BY andrew craney
Brannock High School in Newarthill was
the venue for a celebration of youth music,
thanks to North Lanarkshire schools String
and Symphony orchestras.
Pupils performed to an enthralled
audience during the instrumental concerts,
which showcased the musical talents of
youngsters from across the area.
On the first evening the North Lanarkshire
Schools Symphony, Senior String and Junior
String Orchestras all performed.
More than 400 pupils are learning to play
a stringed instrument (violin, viola, cello,
bass) with lessons and instruments available
through the council’s youth music initiative.
The Symphony Orchestra provides more
advanced string pupils with the opportunity
to perform with woodwind, brass and
percussion.
Eight primary schools were invited to
take part during the second evening –
Calderbridge and St Aidan’s (Wishaw), Baird
Memorial (Cumbernauld),
St Patrick’s (Shotts),
Glenmanor (Moodiesburn),
St Mary’s (Coatbridge),
Our Lady and St Francis
(Motherwell) and
Knowetop (Motherwell)
– highlighting the diversity
and quality of the school
choirs.
The concerts
featured Suzanne
Mooty and
Jonathan Carr,
two former North
Pupils from
St Patrick’s
primary School
in Shotts
perform The
Song of Peace
and Chariot’s
Comin’.
‘The music evenings
highlighted the outstanding
talents of our primary pupils’
Lanarkshire pupils who are now making
their own mark in the music world. Suzanne
recently reached the final of radio show
Scotland’s Real Talent and Jonathan has
performed several times on BBC’s The One
Show.
Since the introduction of the youth music
initiative in 2004, more than 28,000 pupils
in schools across North Lanarkshire
have been given music lessons. Andy
Brodie, Assistant Music Co-ordinator,
said: “The music evenings were a
fantastic success and highlighted the
outstanding talents of our primary pupils.
“Learning to play musical instruments is
a great discipline to get involved with, and
performing together helps young people
develop their self confidence and enjoy being
part of a wider group.”
Spring Concert
Glasgow Concert Hall was
again the venue for the
North Lanarkshire Schools
Music Groups Spring
Concert on 31 March.
Involving more than 800
young musicians performing
to a capacity audience, this
was once again a fantastic
showcase for our schools
music programme.
Road safety targets achieved
BY FIONA SHAW
We have achieved the national targets set for
road safety – reducing the number of fatal
and serious casualties by 74% over the last
ten years.
According to statistics published by
Strathclyde Police, the number has reduced
from 276 in 1999 to 72 in 2010. Over
the same time, the number of people
injured annually in road accidents in North
Lanarkshire has reduced by 42%, from 1,313
to 759.
In 2010, there were two fatal road
accidents in North Lanarkshire – the lowest
figure recorded since the council was
established and a reduction of 89% over ten
years. The number of pedestrians injured
each year on the roads has decreased from
385 to 135, a drop of 65%.
In partnership with Strathclyde Police and
other agencies, we have worked on a range
of measures to address road safety, including:
• introducing 20mph speed limits outside
schools and in residential areas;
• expanding the safety camera network to
tackle speeding;
• running education campaigns to raise
awareness of road safety issues;
• carrying out investigations at sites where
there have been multiple accidents to identify
causes and solutions; and
• working with the Scottish Government and
the West of Scotland Road Safety Forum on
road safety initiatives, such as the country
roads campaign and the young drivers
initiative.
Graham MacKay, Head of Roads and
Transportation, said: “These figures show
the measures we are taking to improve road
safety in North Lanarkshire are effective.
They are also thanks to the public in North
Lanarkshire who
are listening to
the messages
about reducing
their speed,
driving with care
and following road
safety guidance for
pedestrians. I would
like to thank the public
and our partners for their efforts in
contributing to the achievement of
these important targets.
“However, despite the progress
made, any fatality or injury is one
too many and we must continue our work to
improve road safety further. We continue to
invest in engineering work to maintain and
improve our road network as well as raising
awareness of the importance of road safety,
particularly among young people.”
www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk
North Lanarkshire News No. 77, May 2011
3
A word about the Children’s Games
North Lanarkshire
pupils back the
2011 International
Children’s Games
James Clinton, 11, and James
Creaney, 12, from Holy Cross
Primary School in Croy
perform their poem, The Magic
Metaphor, in front of their
classmates. Pupils from the two
P7 classes at the school created
their own ICG-inspired poetry
using resources like the Glow
education intranet.
BY mark barbieri
WITH just three months to go until
the 2011 International Games arrive
in Lanarkshire, school pupils are
backing the event with a series of
themed learning projects.
Art, design, poetry, health and
culture are just some of the topics
being explored by the young
people through the projects, which
are closely linked to the school
curriculum.
Education Officer David Craig
explains: “The Games are the
world’s biggest youth sporting
event and provide a once-ina-lifetime opportunity for our
young people to experience their
inspirational sporting and cultural
benefits.
“Since Lanarkshire won the
bid in July 2008, we’ve been
developing a series of activities to
help our young people understand
the ethos of the Games.
“The event was created to help
foster better relations between
children of different nationalities
and cultures. The many activities
our pupils are now involved in
are helping them learn about the
lives of the 1,500 children coming
to Lanarkshire; and start building
social links.”
“The Games also tie in perfectly
with some of our ongoing
curricular activities so it’s a great
way to engage the pupils in a fun
way.”
Designing the Games
Over the last year, pupils have
been working on design projects
as diverse as ‘Compose a Song’,
‘Design a Torch’ and ‘Design a
Christmas Card and Calendar’.
Each project took the form
of a competition, with entries
The Magic Metaphor
A Swimmer is a Slippery Seal prancing
around, gliding through the water not
making a sound.
A Sprinter is a Fierce Falcon at its full
speed, hunting its prey with lots of
greed.
A Diver is a Bold Gannet diving into
the sea, he’s going very fast, as fast as
could be.
A Long Jumper is a Desperate Fox
jumping for his dinner, in thje summer
he is a real winner.
An Athlete is a Wild Wolf running with
lots of strength, in the end he will run
a great length.
by James Clinton and James Creaney
‘The Games are a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our young
people to experience inspirational sporting and cultural benefits’
received from schools throughout
Lanarkshire. A special awards
ceremony was held at the
Ravenscraig Regional Sports Facility
for the song and calendar finalists.
Eventual winners St Aloysius
and Chapelhall primary schools
performed their song for invited
guests. The choir have recorded
the song, which is now available
on CD.
The sixteen calendar competition
winners took the opportunity to
show off their entries. Their artwork
has been framed and will be on
display at council offices until the
start of the Games, when it will
be displayed at Strathclyde Park
Watersports Centre.
Many of the activities, like the
Twinning Project, support our
wider transition programme, which
aims to support children as they
move from primary to secondary
school. Children in schools and
nurseries have ‘adopted’ a country
or city to get a real understanding
of what it is like to be a child in
a different culture. Pupils from
six primary schools preparing to
attend Kilysth Academy have been
learning about the culture and
the art of the children’s games
Sixteen pupils from Lanarkshire
were guests of honour at an
awards ceremony to celebrate
their successful designs for the ICG
calendar and Christmas cards.
The awards bash took place at
the Ravenscraig Regional Sports
Facility – where two of the Games’
sports will be held. Winners
were joined by their families
who enjoyed a performance by
gymnasts from Cathkin High
School and a dance display by
pupils from Airdrie Academy.
The nine winners from North
Lanarkshire were:
• Rachel Hannah, St Ambrose
High, Coatbridge.
• Ailsa O’Hanlon, Airdrie
Academy;
Savannah Stephen from
Chapelside Primary School in
Airdrie shows off her design for
the ICG calendar.
• Susanna Robinson, Abronhill
Primary, Cumbernauld.
• Marianne McLuskie, Calderhead
High, Shotts.
• Lewis Maloney, Balmalloch
Primary.
• Savannah Stephen, Chapelside
Primary, Airdrie.
• Ruth Brown, Holy Cross Nursery
Class, Croy.
• Callum Tarplee, Airdrie
Academy.
The winning pupils were
presented with certificates and
prizes of art materials from the
Games’ joint chairs Jim Smith and
Jackie Burns.
language of competing nations
and will produce a display for their
visit days to the school later this
month. They also intend to make a
presentation in the style of a news
report to showcase the skills and
knowledge they have gained.
A Glowing endorsement
One innovative way our schools
are helping pupils learn about the
Games is through Glow, Scotland’s
national intranet for education.
An ICG section has been
created on Glow as a
resource to help pupils
understand more about
the peoples and
cultures they may
encounter when
the Games arrive in
Lanarkshire.
Web pages
describe the
history of the
games, the event
in Lanarkshire and
interactive activities
that support many
of the key themes
of Curriculum for
Excellence.
In the activities
section, pupils can use
software to design
sportswear
and mascots
for the
Games. In
Sports Talk,
children can
listen to audio
files of some of the
languages that will be
spoken by athletes from
Members of the St Aloysius and
Chapelhall primary schools choir
perform their winning song.
the 36 different competing nations.
One popular resource is the Health
and Wellbeing page, which allows
pupils and staff to access short
video clips about the human body.
“The Glow site was designed to
be easy to use by teachers and to
be highly motivating for pupils,”
explained Quality Improvement
Officer Morag Hay.
“We’ve had a great response
since the launch last September.
Pupils are continuing to generate
content and it will be a great
resource right up to the start of the
games and beyond.”
Artistic legacy
One important legacy from the
Games is the creation of a piece
of public artwork. Plans are being
developed to install an ironwork
sculpture over the River Clyde.
Pupils will work with a designer
over the summer term to
bring their ideas to life.
For more
information
about the
Games,
including a
full schedule and details of
venues, please visit www.icglanarkshire2011.
•
4
North Lanarkshire News No. 77, May 2011
North Lanarkshire performs
O
ur library services
provide educational,
recreational, and
information resources for loan
and for reference, in print or
electronically, to anyone who
lives, works, or studies in the
Using our libraries
In our 2009 residents’ survey,
93% of respondents rated the
quality of our libraries as very good
or good.
The following figures show the
extent to which library services are
reaching their potential users by
measuring the number of people
borrowing items, visiting a library
or using our websites.
There were 64,062 borrowers
from public libraries this year;
this accounts for 19.7% of our
population and is similar to last
year’s total of 63,943, and only just
below the last reported national
average.
There were 2,541,337 visits to
libraries – this is equal to 7,807
per 1,000 population and is an
increase on our target of 5,100,
and last year’s figure when there
were 1,628,725 visits (5,016
per 1,000 population). Our
performance in this indicator
exceeds the national average.
Coatbridge and Whifflet
libraries merged into a new
purpose-built facility in the
Buchanan Centre, which
opened in the summer of
2010. This has improved
access for all residents and
visitors resulting in higher
visitor figures and issues,
and an increased range of
activities for children.
A review of opening hours
took place to provide standard
patterns of opening hours for
area. We regularly review our
performance to make sure
we provide a quality service
that meets the needs of our
residents. A summary of how
we have performed during
2009/10 is shown below.
different categories of library and
to make sure they are all open on a
Wednesday afternoon, when they
were traditionally closed for half
a day. This resulted in an overall
increase in library opening hours of
50 hours.
Learning opportunities
These figures reflect the use being
made of learning opportunities,
and access to electronic
information, provided through
our library services as part of the
government's commitment to
lifelong learning and
In our continuing series looking at the
performance of our services, this month
we turn our attention to libraries
improving information technology
and communication skills.
26,724 people accessed the
learning centre/learning access
points in libraries, 8.2% of the
population, and an increase on our
target of 6.5% and last year when
there were 26,428 users (8.1%).
The computer terminals were
accessed on 269,187 occasions,
equivalent to 826.9 per 1,000
population. This is an increase on
our target of 620 and last year
when the terminals were accessed
on 251,704 occasions (775.2 per
1,000 population).
Recent enhancements to the
LogintoLearn Centres, partly
financed through European
funding, have
improved the IT provision and led
to an increase in the numbers of
users accessing learning centres.
The use of computer terminals in
2010/11 is expected to increase
by about 15% on last year.
During 2009/10, 213 learners
succeeded in achieving an
accredited qualification from the
British Computer Society’s ECDL
suite of qualifications while another
1,286 learners achieved part of a
qualification or completed a nonaccredited course. Again, this figure
is expected to show significant
increase for 2010/11.
Library events
The library service ran another
successful summer reading
programme during 2010. Nearly
4,000 children and young
people registered for the
scheme, a 17% increase
from the previous
year. And almost 800
children and young
people completed the
challenge, a 74%
increase from the
previous year.
The scheme was
successfully run
in secondary
schools across North
Lanarkshire for the
first time and almost 1,000 pupils
signed up.
The theme for the reading
challenge in 2011 will reflect the
International Children’s Games.
The success of the Words 2010
festival caught the attention of
BBC Radio Scotland’s Book Cafe
programme. An open event was
organised after the festival to allow
the production team to meet
members of the public to explain
how they organise the programme.
The producers then asked for book
group members to take part in the
programme. Three members of
the Well Read in Motherwell group
were given free copies of Tessa
Hadley’s The London Train which
they read over the festive period.
The producers visited the library at
the start of January to record their
views, which were broadcast on 11
January. The producers are keen to
use the book group again following
positive feedback from listeners.
For further information please
call 01698 332606 or email
[email protected]
•
ABOUT OUR LIBRARIES
Residents can use any of
the 23 libraries in North
Lanarkshire.
Anyone with a library
card can borrow books,
CDs, computer games,
DVDs, talking books, and
large print books. Daily
newspapers are available
and free access to the internet
Our libraries are an important
venue for many events
including the Words Festival
of Books and Writing and
Summer Reading Challenge.
and online reference resources
is provided for residents and
visitors. LogintoLearn Centres in
Motherwell, Wishaw, Coatbridge,
and Cumbernauld libraries also
have free access to the internet as
well as accredited online learning
courses, particularly focusing
on information technology and
communication skills.
Work begins at
Airdrie sports hall
Pupils celebrate the launch of North Get set for the Gala!
Residents of Moodiesburn can look forward
Lanarkshire’s first sports hub
to a three-day gala, starting on 26 May.
REFURBISHMENT work has started on the
sports hall at Airdrie Leisure Centre.
The £411,000 improvements will create a
new health and fitness area and studio space
for dance and fitness activities.
Across North Lanarkshire, huge
investments are being made in sport. In the
past few months the newly refurbished Time
Capsule and Ravenscraig Regional Sports
Facility have opened.
At Airdrie Leisure Centre, the state-of-theart £500,000 football pitch opened in 2009
has proven hugely popular.
These latest enhancements demonstrate
our commitment to getting more people
more active more often.
NORTH Lanarkshire’s first Community
Sports Hub has been launched at St
Maurice’s High School in Cumbernauld.
Hubs are a key part of the Scottish
Government’s 2014 Games Legacy Plan.
They are designed to increase the number
of people participating in sport and provide
greater access to a range of activities.
“It’s all about creating a more joined
up approach to increasing participation in
sport,” explained Lizanne McMurrich, Head
of Community Information & Learning.
“We’ll be developing sports hubs in
the area around specific sites, including
school and community sports facilities, in
particular where there has been a significant
investment in improving facilities.”
As well as the new facility at St Maurice’s,
the initial phase includes St Andrew’s High
School, Coatbridge, and Braidhurst High
School, Motherwell; all of which will be up
and running by April this year.
Cumbernauld High School and St.
Margaret’s High School Hubs will be
launched in October 2011.
Each Hub will focus on the needs of the
local community, offering clubs and sports
groups easier access to sporting facilities.
They will give community volunteers
new opportunities to lead the development
of local sport and physical activity in the
area.
The event kicks off with a dance at the
Pivot Centre at 7pm. On Friday, football teams
from Glenmanor and St Michael’s primary
schools will be competing for the Gala Shield
at Gartferry football pitch. The game kicks off
at 7.30pm.
The event gets in to full swing on Saturday
with a parade, starting at 10.30am from The
Knights of St Columba and ending at the Pivot
Centre. Attractions on the day include a ‘Beat
the Goalie’ competition, a birds of prey display,
cake stalls, face painting and line dancing.
Michelle Ryan from the organising
committee said: “Moodiesburn hasn’t had
a Gala for many years so I’d urge people to
come out, have a great time and support their
local community.”
www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk
North Lanarkshire News No. 77, May 2011
Striking a pose at Ravenscraig
Gymnasts from the worldrenowned National Danish
Performance Team put on a
thrilling show for spectators at
the Ravenscraig Regional Sports
Facility.
The team arrived in North
Lanarkshire from China on the
latest leg of their world tour.
Members took time out to work
with schools pupils, helping to
inspire the next generation of
young gymnasts.
Spectators were also
treated to a demonstration
from Ravenscraig’s Dynamic
Gymnastics
Academy whose
Lochview advert.pdf 21/04/2011 11:25:50
members start at just five years
of age. The Academy has grown
from 50 to over 530 members
since moving to Ravenscraig
Regional Sports Facility.
Anders Liengard, manager
of the Danish team, said: “I
would like to thank North
Lanarkshire Leisure for arranging
our performance. The team
was delighted with the warm
welcome and friendly hospitality
in North Lanarkshire.
“We received a standing
ovation from a packed audience
at the end of our performance
and we certainly plan to return
to Scotland again on our next
World Tour in two years time.”
5
Are you ready to switch?
The biggest change in television
broadcasting in years comes to
North Lanarkshire next month.
On the 8 June the current signal
from the Black Hill transmitter
providing BBC2 will be switched
off followed by the signal providing
BBC1, STV, Channel 4 and Channel
5 on the 22 June. After that date if
you do not have a digital television
or converter you will not be able to
watch your television.
If you currently have satellite
or cable television, you will be
unaffected by the switchover. If you
have a set top box with Freeview, BT
Vision or Top Up TV Services, you
will need to re-tune your digital TV/
box at the two switchover stages.
If you do not have either of
these arrangements, you will not
receive a television service after
the switchover. You therefore
need to think about what you are
going to do to make sure you
will be able to continue to
watch television after the
switchover.
Re-tuning a set top
box/digital television
should only take a few
minutes and is generally
possible by
using the
remote
control.
Most
residents,
including council tenants, are
responsible for their own television
aerials. If you have a good signal, it
is unlikely you will need to replace
your aerial for the switchover.
Please be aware that there is no
such thing as a ‘digital aerial’. If
you currently have a poor television
signal then you may need to think
about replacing your aerial. You can
check by visiting the aerial checker
on Teletext page 284.
As well as the Digital UK advice
line, there is also a Switchover
Help Scheme, which is run by the
BBC. This scheme offers help for
older and disabled people with
everything they need to make
sure one television is ready for the
switchover.
The Help Scheme is available to
anyone:
aged 75 or over or
has lived in a care home for six
months or more;
receives (or could receive)
certain disability benefits; or
is registered blind or
partially sighted.
The service is available
for £40 or is free for
eligible
people on
certain
related
benefits.
If you
are eligible for the Help
•
•
•
Scheme, you should already have
received details by post from the
BBC. To take up the offer, reply to
the letter, call 0800 40 85 900 or
visit www.helpscheme.co.uk. If you
have not received a letter about the
Help Scheme and think you may be
eligible, contact them on 0800 40
85 900.
The Help Scheme can provide
support for any television in your
home, even if you already have
a television that is ready for the
switchover.
For more information about
the switchover, refer to the ‘Your
Guide to Switchover UK’ leaflet
sent to all residents, visit www.
digitaluk.co.uk, or call the Digital
UK advice line on 0845 50 50 50.
•
6
North Lanarkshire News No. 77, May 2011
Backing Motherwell’s cup bid
with less than three weeks to go
until Motherwell take on Celtic in
the final of the Scottish Cup, the
council is organising a series of
events to help the town celebrate
the occasion.
On Saturday 14 May, a fun day
takes place in the town centre with
current squad members as well
as players from the winning 1991
team on hand to meet the fans.
Children can emulate their heroes
in the hexagol football court, which
will be set up in Garrion Square.
A ‘Find the Team’ competition
will take place, with pictures,
signed by Motherwell FC players,
concealed in shop windows for
children to find. Retailers are also
supporting the event with a
‘Claret and Amber best dressed
window competition’.
The game at Hampden Park on
21 May is the club’s first final
appearance since its 1991
victory against Dundee
United.
Town Centre
Activities (TCA),
an independent
company set up
by the council to
deliver services
to our town
centres, is
working with
the Brandon
Shopping
Centre and
the club to
make the
most of the
‘We want to open up
the town centre to the
people of Motherwell’
event for the people of Motherwell.
Emma Walker from TCA is
looking forward to the celebrations.
She said: “We’re all thrilled by the
team’s success in reaching the
Scottish Cup.
“We want to open up the town
centre to the people of Motherwell
to encourage them to get behind
their team and enjoy the occasion.
“It’s been 20 years since the
town had this kind of sporting
event to celebrate and we
want to play a big part
in bringing everyone
together.
“I’d like to thank Boris
Klapiscak, the manager at
the Brandon Shopping
Centre, for helping
to bring our plans
to life.”
In the run up
to the final, fans
can purchase
tickets from
a temporary
club shop in
the Brandon
Arcade.
Motherwell
FC Manager
Stuart McCall,
is delighted
by the
support in
Kids are up for the cup
New social care body
On 1 April 2011
a new public
body – Social
Care and
Social Work
Improvement
Scotland
(SCSWIS) – was set up to inspect,
regulate and support improvement
of care and social work and child
protection services.
SCSWIS replaces the Care
Commission and the Social Work
Inspection Agency (SWIA) as well as
the child protection work currently
done by HMIE.
For more information on the
new body, visit www.scswis.com
or call 0845 600 9527.
•
ABOVE: The 1991 cup-winning team celebrate their victory. INSET
IMAGE: Motherwell captain Stephen Craigan celebrates as his team
secure their place in this year’s Scottish Cup Final.
the lead up to the game. He said:
“The team’s fantastic achievement
in reaching the final has really
captured the imagination of the
town.
“We’re grateful to North
Lanarkshire Council and Town
Centre Activities for helping to
channel the enthusiasm by creating
a series of fun events for people.
“Like our success in 1991, this
will be one of the biggest occasions
in the club’s history and we’re
looking forward to working with
the council and retailers to make
the most of the team’s success for
the people of Motherwell.”
The Motherwell Supporters
Trust is also running several events
for fans. On Tuesday 2 May at
the Cooper Suite, supporters can
enjoy an evening with the 1991
legends as members of the winning
team gather to answer questions
about their famous victory and
look ahead to the final. The event
takes place from 7pm to 9.30pm
and is free to trust members; £5 to
non-members.
And on the night before the
game, fans can get in the mood
with with a pre-final party at South
Dalziel Studios in Windmillhill
Street (7pm ‘till late).
For more information, call the
Supporters Trust on 07513 191
611. For details of the activities
taking place in the town centre,
call Town Centre Activities on
01236 638919.
•
FOLLOW US
ON TWITTER
Twitter.com/
nlcpeople
Top marks for child protection
by gaynor bell
As Motherwell prepares for
Scottish football’s showpiece
final, pupils at two North
Lanarkshire primary schools got
the chance to lift the world’s
oldest national football trophy –
the Scottish Cup.
The famous trophy was on
show at Knowetop Primary in
Motherwell before youngsters
from Muirhouse Primary got to
grips with the silverware at the
Ravenscraig Sports Facility.
Motherwell FC manager
Stuart McCall was on hand to
give the pupils some coaching
tips and talk about his own
cup experiences. Stuart said:
“The Scottish cup is a special
trophy and the kids will always
remember getting the chance to
view it first hand. Many will have
seen it on the telly before but to
see it up close is exciting.”
Caitlyn Redford, 11, from
Muirhouse Primary said: “I was
really happy to get the chance to
lift the cup.”
We’re making a positive difference
to children’s lives here in North
Lanarkshire.
That’s the view of HMIE
inspectors who awarded our child
protection services one of the best
ratings in Scotland following a
recent visit.
The review included the child
protection services provided by
the council and its partners –
Strathclyde Police, NHS Lanarkshire
and the Children’s Reporter.
Inspectors also spoke to children,
parents and carers about the
services they received.
Our services were evaluated as
very good – the second highest
level – in each of the six areas of
assessment:
• children are listened to and
respected;
• children are helped to keep safe;
• response to immediate concerns;
• meeting needs and reducing
long term harm;
• self-evaluation; and
• improvements in performance.
The report details the particular
strengths of services that made a
difference to children and families,
Pupils at Berryhill Primary enjoy role playing as part of the ‘Play it
Safe’ project, cited as good practice in HMIE’s report.
including advice and practical
support to families, helping them
to overcome their problems at an
early stage and the prompt and
effective response to families who
need help outside office hours.
“Through the Child Protection
Committee, we have worked hard
to make sure professionals working
with children – teachers, social
work staff, nursery staff, nurses,
GPs and police – are fully aware of
the issues and can identify early any
children at risk,” explained Pauline
Hoggan, Independent Chair of the
North Lanarkshire Child Protection
Committee.
“The report highlights this
partnership approach as well the
importance of listening to children
and families, using their views to
inform decisions about their future,
and their feedback to improve
services.”
www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk
North Lanarkshire News No. 77, May 2011
7
The future’s green in Orbiston
‘The pupils are
learning invaluable
lessons about
horticulture and the
environment, and
they’re making a real
difference to their
own community’
by mark barbieri
Pupils at Lawmuir Primary School
have a spring in their step as they
get down to some hard work on
their wildlife garden and vegetable
patches.
The Bellshill school played a
big part in the council’s Greening
Orbiston project, which kicked
off last year to improve the local
environment for the community.
Planting a wildflower garden
and creating a bug hotel were just
some of the fun activities enjoyed
by the pupils. This year, staff from
our greenspace services are back,
helping the kids plant cherry trees,
herb bushes, make bird boxes and
feeders, as well as working on
interpretative totems on insects and
wildflowers.
Not to be outdone, parents
and pupils who use the Out of
School Care service at the nearby
YMCA have also been working
on the gardens there. They’ve
helped to create a not-so-secret
garden, incorporating a path
and stone circle alongside flower
beds and raised areas made out
of recycled materials. Clematis
and honeysuckle plants are now
climbing the side of the building
and everyone is enjoying the
spring weather on a ‘smiling
grasshoppers’ carved bench –
inspired by the their own drawings.
Pupils from Sacred Heart Primary
School came up with design ideas
for the garden and helped to plant
the herbs and wildflowers.
The project was developed by
greenspace services in partnership
with local schools and Orbiston
YMCA to deliver actions from the
North Lanarkshire Biodiversity
Action Plan, which is designed to
regenerate school grounds, parks
and public open space
in the area.
“Last year, the
whole community
was energised by
the work we were
doing here,” said
Senior Biodiversity
Officer Laura Whyte.
“People spent a
lot of time learning
about their environment
and how to protect it.
It’s wonderful to
ABOVE: Young
people prepare
bird boxes and
feeders for the
YMCA garden.
LEFT: Pupils from
nearby Lawmuir
Primary School
pupils brave the
elements to show
off their herb
garden.
see the same faces back this year
continuing the hard work for their
community.”
Tracy Hurst, Principal Teacher
at Lawmuir, feels the pupils
haven’t looked back since they
got involved with the project. “We
already had our Healthy Heroes and
Eco Committee initiatives at the
school,” she explained.
“Getting involved with Greening
Orbiston was a natural extension
of that. It has allowed the pupils to
make a real connection with their
environment.
“They’re now much more aware
of the type of plant species that
thrive in this area and how the
garden can benefit local wildlife.
“We’re also planning a new
kitchen area for the kids so they’ll
be able to turn the produce they’re
growing into great tasty meals.”
Jean Guy, Assistant Manager
at the YMCA, also noticed a big
change in the kids since the start of
the project.
She said: “They were a bit
reticent at first; most of them had
never been involved with these
kind of practical tasks but when the
greenspace staff started to work
with them, showing them how to
build a bug hotel, letting them dig
holes to plant trees, you saw their
confidence growing and before
long they started to pitch in with
their own ideas.”
“This is a great project to be
involved with,” added Laura. “Not
only are the kids learning invaluable
lessons about horticulture and the
environment, they’re making a real
difference to their own community.
“Crucially, they’re also taking
their knowledge back home with
them and I’m delighted with the
great response we’ve had from
parents who’ve really backed the
project.”
To find out more about
Greening Orbiston and how you
can get involved, call Laura on
01236 780636 or email whytela@
northlan.gov.uk
•
Heritage hunters’ big night out
members of a Salsburgh Youth
Group enjoyed a successful finale
to their heritage project with a
special evening to celebrate their
achievements.
After securing money from the
Heritage Lottery Fund last year, the
group produced a range of work
reflecting Salsburgh’s history and
culture.
Over 70 invited guests attended
the event at Salsburgh Community
Centre. Group members Shannon
Baillie and Rachel Murphy gave an
insight into the five key areas of the
project: photography, cartography,
drama, film making and the
production of the Salsburgh
Heritage Hunters Magazine.
The highlight of the evening was
the premier of the group’s film,
which was planned, filmed and
edited by the some of the young
people under the expert tutoring
from Scott Brazil and John Gray
from Reeltime Music. The film
captured the essence of the whole
project highlighting all of the
group’s hard work and the fun they
had pulling the project together.
The film also takes a candid look at
the history of Salsburgh with some
brilliant memories coming from
some of the villages’ senior citizens.
Shannon Baillie, senior youth
group member and volunteer,
said: “This project was an amazing
experience. I think we all gained
new skills and for me, helped build
my character.
“It was hard at times, but we
did it and the end result was
spectacular.
“We want to do more things like
this because this shows that young
people like us have a positive image
as opposed to the stereotyped
negative image that most people
have about young people. Through
our involvement in the Heritage
Hunters project, I hope we are
a step closer to changing that
negative image of young people”
Simon Knight, a senior youth
worker from our community
learning and development team,
added: “It is at events like this
that it becomes clear to everyone
involved, that the young people
engaged in our youth work are not
only achieving but also making
a significant contribution to
community life.
“We should all be very proud of
them.”
The Salsburgh Youth Group
The Salsburgh Heritage Hunters get together to celebrate their
achievements.
and Wishaw/Shotts CL&D youth
work team would like to thank
the National Lottery Heritage
Fund, Reeltime Music and North
Lanarkshire Council’s Learning
and Leisure Department for their
support in making the Salsburgh
Heritage Hunters a huge success.
For more information, call
Simon on 01698 274343.
•
8
North Lanarkshire News No. 77, May 2011
Pupils from Willowbank School back the Woodlands Trust tree planting campaign
Digging deep for the community
by mark barbieri
Pupils from Willowbank School
have joined forces with the
Woodlands Trust, the UK's leading
woodland conservation charity, to
plant a native copse in Drumpellier
Country Park.
The Trust’s campaign to
encourage people to plant more
trees – More Trees, More Good –
captured the pupils’ imagination
following its launch last year.
Sarah Clacher, the school’s
client development worker, helped
the pupils develop the project.
She said: “The pupils were really
enthusiastic about backing this
campaign. However, our school
grounds aren’t really big enough
to make it sustainable and they
wanted to make sure that the
community could benefit from the
new trees.
“After looking at possible sites,
we approached Colin Smith, a
countryside ranger at Drumpellier
Park, to see if he could help.
“Colin was more than keen to
give the pupils the opportunity to
grow their own forest.
“He allocated a piece of land
for the young people to plant
the trees. He also supplied tree
proctectors so that the trees would
have the opportunity to grow
without being eaten by deer and he
showed the young people how to
plant the trees.
“The trees are all native birch,
rowan and cherry which means
with a little luck, they will be
growing on well into the next
century – when the young pupils’
grandchildren will be able to
inspect their handiwork.”
More Trees, More Good is the
largest tree-planting mission the UK
Signing up to provide support
We’ve put pen to paper and signed up to
a new protocol with our partners to deliver
vital housing support services.
North Lanarkshire Council, Barnardo’s
Scotland, The Glasgow Simon Community
and the Scottish Association for Mental
Health agreed to the principles of a new
protocol.
This will deliver key services such as
helping prevent people becoming homeless,
reducing the number of people sleeping
rough and helping tenants to stay in their
homes.
“This is a very positive step and one that is
helping some of the most vulnerable people
in our communities,” explained Mary Castles,
Executive Director of Housing and Social
Work Services.
“We’ve commissioned agencies with a
proven track record in successfully delivering
housing support services to people with
multiple and complex needs.
“It reaffirms our commitment in
tackling homelessness and its causes,
and importantly, it ensures that all of our
commissioned services are working to an
agreed set of principles and a shared ethos of
excellence.”
Our housing service restructure placed
an emphasis on preventing homelessness,
sustaining tenancies and providing housing
options. And our support services are helping
people across the community, not solely
council tenants.
“Ultimately, with this new protocol in
place, we’re delivering better outcomes and
a brighter future for residents experiencing
housing difficulties,” added Mary Castles.
has ever seen. The project aims to
facillitate the planting of 20 million
native trees a year for the next 50
years. The Trust hopes that through
the simple act of planting trees
young people will grow up with a
respect for the environment.
Paul Burton of the Woodlands
Trust said: “This campaign can
really inspire children to get in
touch with nature and learn about
the ecology of these wonderful
habitats.
“For many of the young people
this was the first time they had
ever planted a tree. Educating
today's children about the benefits
of looking after our environment
will help protect the forests of
tomorrow.
“More, Trees More Good will
hopefully make a lasting impact on
Countryside
ranger Colin
Smith joins
Willowbank
School pupils
Eve Robertson,
Melissa McCaig,
Lee Hunter and
Sean Coyle at
their tree planting
site in Drumpellier
Country Park.
the UK landscape – with the help of
our young adults and children.”
Countryside ranger Colin was
impressed by the enthusiasm
shown by the young people and
is keen to encourage other groups
to plant native trees at Drumpellier
Country Park. “The pupils were
literally hands-on with this project,”
he said. “They had great fun
learning how to plant the trees and
are committed to returning to the
park to maintain the site.
“It’s a great way to encourage
young people to take pride and
responsibility in nature and the
future of their environment.”
To get in touch with Colin,
call 01236 422257. You can find
out more about the Willowbank
School project by calling Sarah
on 01236 421911.
•
‘DISCOVER NORTH LANARKSHIRE’
PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION
In the May edition of NL News,
we launched our Discover
North Lanarkshire photography
competition in association with
the Summerlee Photomedia
Studio, Visit Lanarkshire and
M&Ds, Scotland’s Theme
Park.
We’ve been very
impressed with the high
quality of the entries – many
of you have captured
something unique about
the place you live. There are
clearly many talented amateur
photographers living in North
Lanarkshire!
The closing date has
now passed and our two
judges – Colin Prior and
Martin Shields – will soon
be making their choices.
Details of the winners
will be included in the June
edition of NL News, which
will be published in your
local newspaper on 1/2 June.
Many thanks for all the
fantastic entries.
Mark Barbieri, Editor
North Lanarkshire News