This year, for the first time, you will need to show approved Photo ID to vote in the Elections on 4th July. This can be a Passport or Driving Licence. But what will you do if you don’t have these documents?

Katie (our Health & Wellbeing Officer) will be available at Digital Buddies for the next 4 weeks to help those who need to apply for a Voter Authority Certificate because they do not have approved Photo ID. You will need to bring along your National Insurance number. Katie can then take a digital photo of you and help you through the online application process.

Moniaive Initiative are pleased to announce that we have been granted £54,366 by the National Lottery Community Led Fund, in support of our three year “Connecting Glencairn” project.  The funds will be used to cover staff costs to enable us to provide a range of activities to tackle social isolation and economic disadvantage and to improve community health and wellbeing. 

From left: Julian (Hive Volunteer & Retail Coordinator), Innes (Trustee), Shirley, Heather, Jacqui (Volunteers), Deborah (Project Coordinator), Karen (Trustee), Anne and Maxine (Volunteers).

Much of Moniaive Initiative’s work is carried out through our community Shop and hub.  This grant will enable Julian, our Volunteer & Retail Coordinator to work three days a week supporting our volunteers at the Hive.  His position is also part-funded by income from the charity shop.

Katie, our Health & Wellbeing Officer, already runs a successful monthly Repair Café, alongside Arty Crafty @ The Hive, Digital Buddies, and a popular table tennis club, all currently funded by Dumfries & Galloway Third Sector Community Mental Health & Wellbeing Fund.  The National Lottery grant will enable her to expand her recent work on our newly created Community Garden, which aims to encourage and facilitate local food growing and healthy eating.  Katie says: “Everyone is really excited about our new garden, and how it is transforming the old Picnic Area into a great space in which to meet, grow food and enjoy being outside.”

Deborah, our Project Coordinator, supports The Hive and Health & Wellbeing elements of our project and will also be working on sustainable transport and community land access.  Her post is also part-funded this year by the Glencairn Community Council Windfarm Fund.

Moniaive Initiative’s Vice Chair, Kate Craig, says of the grant award: “By granting us multi-year funding, the National Lottery provides us with the security to continue working for another three years on projects identified by our community as important to them. We will use this money to progress projects that help to connect the residents of Glencairn.”

Have you seen our progress in the new Community Garden?

Volunteers have been busy creating a new Community Garden in the Picnic Site at the Village Car Park since the start of the year. A donated shed has been moved into place and re-roofed and refurbished. Pallets have been turned into a Compost area. Donated baths and other large containers have been boxed-in to create raised beds. And the Community Payback Team have constructed three new timber raised beds.

We held our first Planting Day at the start of May and used donated plants and seeds to start filling our raised beds. There is still plenty to do, and we will be holding more work parties and events in the new garden over the coming weeks.