Aberdeenshire Council is committed to improving the life experiences of everyone living and working in Aberdeenshire.
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inclusion
New Signposting Website launched
Aberdeenshire Signposting Project is a free, confidential and non-judgemental service working throughout Aberdeenshire to help people find solutions to issues affecting mood and wellbeing. The Signposting Project helps people connect to services, organisations and community groups who can help address those issues. They help people overcome the barriers they face in accessing the help they need. Their new website is an excellent source of information about their services and contains everything you need to engage with the project – visit the new site at: http://www.signpostingproject.org.uk.
Brighter Bervie
Brighter Bervie would like to have more active members. The primary activity is gardening in many forms, but newcomers needn’t be horticultural experts nor be big muscled – there’s a variety of tasks to suit everyone and a chance to develop new skills. Regular healthy therapeutic outdoor efforts are usually tackled in a friendly group situation but individuals can work more on their own if they prefer. In addition to hands-on gardening there’s a range of background activities which don’t involve much or any manual work and some can even be done remotely such as assisting office bearers. They meet on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons and on Saturday mornings.
They are looking to fill the following committee member vacancies: Replacement secretary (handling correspondence and record keeping), Funding co-ordinator (searching for appropriate funders and applying for support for specific projects), Communications co-ordinator (circulating news via social media etc.) and an Assets manager (identifying needs for and maintaining equipment etc.). No previous experience is necessary just a willing and enthusiastic attitude and a preference to someone on the local area. If anyone is interested or wants to find out more then please email brighterbervie@hotmail.com
Can you help? Transport volunteers wanted.
The hunt is on for community stars to help some of the most vulnerable people in their area. 
A Grampian wide volunteer recruitment drive is being launched to find generous people to help support community transport operators across the region.
Volunteers are needed to help people to get to and from vital appointments such as health and social care.
Recruiting people with the passion and time to volunteer for a cause is a constant struggle for many organisations and the recruitment drive hopes to assist that process.
Volunteer roles can range from driving minibuses, using their own cars to transport people (for which they will receive a mileage rate) or acting as escorts to help passengers in and out of vehicles, providing support during the journey.
Volunteers can gain a huge amount of satisfaction from contributing their time and efforts;
Chris Rowe, who started volunteering 2 years ago said “I get satisfaction knowing that I help others to get to their appointments, shopping or visiting friends”.
Madge Forsyth has been volunteering for 14 years: “The smile on people’s faces when I pick them up to take them to their appointments is all the reward I need”.
As well as helping recruit more volunteers, the aim of the project is to establish and build relationships with partners across the health, social care and transport sectors. These relationships are essential in delivering the objectives of the Health and Transport Action Plan (HTAP), designed to improve partnership working across a range of transport and health related issues with access to services being a key issue.
HTAP Programme Manager, Andrew Stewart, said “The recruitment drive is one example of how partner organisations can support each other in achieving improved access for residents.”
Anyone interested in finding out more about volunteering opportunities should contact the Transport to Health Information Centre (THInC) on (01224) 665568. THInC can also provide information on how to get to health and social care appointments by public transport.
For more information on the recruitment drive, please contact Andrew Stewart, HTAP Programme Manager on 01224 664092 or by emailing mailto:andrew.stewart@aberdeenshire.gov.uk
Pride of Aberdeen Awards
We are delighted to let you know that Fly Cup Catering Inverurie was nominated for these prestigious awards and have now been selected as a finalist! As you may know, Original 106fm launched once again the Pride of Aberdeen Awards earlier this year to recognise those doing amazing things in our lives and workplaces today. The Original 106fm panel of independent judges then shortlisted the nominations and selected their final three to go forward as finalists in each category. We are thrilled to announce that Fly Cup Catering have been chosen as one of the three finalists in one of the categories.
What happens next? Well, the overall winner of each category will be decided by open public vote and announced on the night of the ceremony. All the finalists in each category are being revealed over the next few weeks on air, but in the meantime all the finalists will be listed for public vote on the event’s website as of tomorrow (Tuesday the 11th of October):
http://www.prideofaberdeenawards.com/
Please do feel free to share all this information with your friends, family and colleagues so they are able to support Fly Cup Catering by voting online, which is absolutely free to do.
Fly Cup Catering was set up for adults with learning disabilities in recognition of the self-esteem, social and economic benefits that can be gained by being part of a supportive work and training environment. Trainees gain work experience by helping to run the Fly Cup Coffee shop at Burghmuir Circle, Inverurie. The trainees are also involved in the delivery of outside catering services, and the production of bakery goods which they supply to local shops and businesses. Fly Cup is a Scottish charity which enables adults with learning disabilities to access training and employment opportunities within the catering sector.
Community Capacity & Resilience Fund
Develop your community organisation’s capacity to tackle welfare reform and inequality with a grant of up to £5,000. The application process is simple, with a quick decision and, for successful projects, the money paid up front. 
Following a successful pilot in 2015, SCVO are pleased to announce the second round of this Scottish Government-supported funding scheme. A further £330,000 is available to distribute to innovative and creative projects which help mitigate the effects of welfare reform, combat inequality, promote social inclusion and have a preventative impact on communities.
The fund will increase the capactiy and resilience of communities and third sector organisations to provide people with the support and skills they need. Awards range from £1,000 to £5,000, with project activity expected to start and finish between January and August 2017.
Applications are invited from third sector organisations with an annual income of £200,000 or less.
The closing date for applications is 5pm on Monday 31 October 2016.
For more information visit:
http://www.scvo.org.uk/running-your-organisation/funding/capacity-resilience-fund/
If you have any questions please contact Irene Connelly on 0141 559 5027 or email capacity@scvo.org.uk.
How Equal is Aberdeenshire to Live & Work in?
People living and working in Aberdeenshire should be able to do so without harassment, prejudice or discrimination.
Carers Parliament 2016: Registration for ballot opens
Carers Parliament brings together carers from across Scotland to discuss the issues that matter to them and to make their voices heard by politicians and other key decision makers. The fifth Carers Parliament is taking place on Wednesday 2nd November 2016 at Heriot-Watt University’s confer
ence centre in Edinburgh. Sign up for the ballot for a chance to take part and make your voice heard on the issues that are important to carers.
How the ballot works: There are two places available for carers from each of the 73 Scottish Parliament constituencies. These will be drawn by ballot by carers on the Steering Group in late July. Carers will be notified in August if they have been successful. If you would like to be considered for a place, apply here: https://www.carersuk.org/news-and-campaigns/news/carers-parliament-2016-registration-for-ballot-opens
PACE Event
Skills Development Scotland will be holding a North East Employment and Su
pport Event at RGU from 10am-3pm on the 22nd June. Businesses from all sectors can exhibit at this event free of charge.
Businesses from all sectors of the economy have the chance to exhibit at the free event, being held at Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen on 22 June.
The event is the fourth to be organised by the Scottish Government’s initiative for responding to redundancy situations, Partnership Action for Continuing Employment (PACE), and forms part of the response from the Energy Jobs Taskforce.
Three jobs fairs held last year in the city attracted more than 2200 people who had either been made redundant or were facing redundancy.
Skills Development Scotland (SDS) is co-ordinating the event in conjunction with a number of key partners including the Department for Work and Pensions.
As well as offering information on local job vacancies, the event will feature information and advice from a number of public sector agencies on areas including job hunting, careers advice and training opportunities.
Download the Event Registration Form
For businesses who wish to advertise vacancies but are unable to attend in person, vacancies can also be advertised at the event.
Employers can also e-mail conference@sds.co.uk for more information.
Have Your Say!
Friends of the Mill of Benholm need your help.
They are working with a team of consultants on a feasibility study looking at the future of the Mill.
This is your chance to have your say and the more responses to the Survey Monkey link below the better, so please try and find 5 minutes to complete the survey and please forward the link on to anyone else that you think might be interested.
https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/Mill_of_Benholm_Community
A public meeting is being held at Johnshaven Village Hall at 7pm on Wednesday 15th June where there will be the chance to explore different ideas for the Mill … this is another important opportunity for the community to get involved so please put the date in your diary.
Stonehaven Recreation Grounds
Over the last few years there has been a considerable degree of interest in the land that the recreation grounds occupy. This interest has come from other local groups outside of the Trustees who run the grounds and the Trustees (who are all unpaid volunteers) have purposely not commented on these ideas. What is perhaps not common knowledge is that the Trustees are bound by the restrictions within the Trust deeds for the grounds which stipulate that the land must be used for recreational purposes.
Recently, there has been a significant development due to the Long Lease (Scotland) Act. This act came into force in November 2015 and meant that the title to the recreation grounds land passed to the Trustees of the grounds. This act does not change the bounds of the Trust nor the requirements placed upon the Trustees to use the grounds for recreational purposes.
However, having this land now opens opportunities for the Trustees to develop greater and more varied recreational facilities. It has been sad that Stonehaven has suffered a loss of facilities over the years, such as the squash courts at the old County Hotel. With this in mind, the Trustees are seeking the opinions of the Stonehaven community on what recreational facilities they would like to see at the recreation grounds and we have developed a short online survey to gather your views. We should stress that this survey is only the first small step in examining what the community would ideally like to see and would use at the grounds and how much redevelopment of the site would be needed to fulfil this requirement.
After this initial data gathering exercise we will happily share the results and if and when any draft plans are to be put forward, then the Trustees will engage with feedback sessions and input from the wider community.
Thanks for your time and input and we look forward to receiving your comments! Hopefully we can use this as a starting point for delivering improved recreational facilities for Stonehaven.
National Mental Health Awareness Week
In support of
National Mental Health Awareness Week
16th – 22nd May 2016
Healthy and supportive relationships promote mental wellbeing and reduce the risk of mental ill-health. This is a celebration of the connections, the relationships and the people in our lives that add to our wellbeing and protect and sustain our mental health. From family and friends, to colleagues, neighbours and communities; taking notice of those connections that make us feel good, give us a sense of belonging and help us feel safe and supported.
What’s happening in Kincardine & Mearns?
Monday 16th May – Health Walk –leaving from Pillar Kincardine Office 42-46 Barclay St Stonehaven at 10.30 or by arrangement.
Booking essential – please call 01569767222 or email info@pillarkincardine.co.uk
Tuesday 17th May – Pillar Presents – Stonehaven South Church from 12noon to 2pm
For an invitation or to book a place call 01569767222 or email info@pillarkincardine.co.uk
Wednesday 18th May – Portlethen Health Walk. Meet at 10am in the Jubilee Hall, Cookston Road, Portlethen
Monday 16th to Friday 20th May – Behind the Mask display in Stonehaven Library Window
For a full copy of the South Aberdeenshire programme contact info@pillarkincardine.co.uk
K&M Communities 