Congratulations to 9 year old Sophie, whose poster was selected from those completed during our Gala completion, to feature on our Website and Facebook Page to promote our Lower Speed Communities project.

Thank you to all those who braved the rain to visit our stall at the Gala, and talk to us about this and our other projects.  We are continuing to ‘map’ where the traffic and pedestrian problem areas are in Moniaive, and will use all your comments to help build our case for a 20mph area.

In the meantime, our ‘wee laddie’ is still out and about, moving around the verges of Moniaive, to remind drivers to slow down and be aware of children and other pedestrians.

Work is continuing on our Community Spaces project. Following further discussions with our main potential funders, we have revised and updated our Options Appraisal and Business Plans, in readiness for a Stage II Application to Scottish Land Fund towards the purchase of a building, and for Development Funding from Big Lottery towards the renovation and refurbishment of that building to create our Community Charity Shop and Hub.

We are currently carrying out an updated ‘Needs Survey’ to help us in this process.   If you, your business or local club / organisation currently use local meeting, office or retail space, or might require them in the foreseeable future, we would like to hear from you. The survey should take 10 minutes or less to complete, and your details will remain anonymous.   You can reach the survey through the link  below:

https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/9QZP6J8

Or you can print off a paper copy (which can be returned via the MONIAIVE INITIATIVE BOX in Watson’s Grocers) here:

3_Needs Survey_Paper Copy

Please remember, this survey will help us to shape new community spaces to supplement, not replace, existing spaces in Moniaive.

 

   

On 19 May 2017 representatives from many of the local organisations of Glencairn came together, along with business owners and local residents, to discuss the issues of speed and road safety in Moniaive, at the first public meeting of our Lower Speed Communities project.  Those present helped to map ‘problem areas’, before sitting down to discuss the issues in more detail, and to decide on the first steps to be taken towards improving the situation in Moniaive.

The full Meeting notes can be accessed by clicking on the links at the bottom of the page.  But in brief, those present agreed that:

1. Speed is an issue with vehicles entering / exiting the village.
2. Size of vehicle, as much as inappropriate speed, is an issue to pedestrians
3. Lack of pavements, combined with inappropriate parking, increases the dangers to pedestrians
4. Moniaive is a busy, working village, and any ‘solution’ must be sensitive to the importance of that traffic to the local economy.

 

The Mapping process highlighted particular worries around:

a) The Dunreggan entrance to the village

b) Parking outside the public toilets

c) Parking outside the shop

d) Parking around the School at start / end of school day

It was agreed that the next steps should include requesting speed-check results from the local Police, and organising our first meeting with the local authority to discuss the issues in more detail.  Everyone present was reminded that collection of evidence (-photographic where possible) would be helpful.

The full Meeting Notes can be found here:

1_Mtg Notes_19May2017

1_Mtg Notes_19May2017_MappingTheProblems

If you still have comments, photographs, or ideas to share with us, please email Deborah or Olwen at moniaiveinitiative@gmail.com

 

 

We will be holding a meeting from 1.00-3.00pm on Friday 19th May 2017 in the Glencairn Memorial Institute, to explain what our project is all about, and to gather ideas and information to carry our project forward.

So whether you are a driver, a cyclist or a pedestrian, if you would like to know more about the project, or have comments to share, please come along and join in the discussion.

Moniaive Initiative is currently working with walking charity, Living Streets (Scotland) on their national pilot project: Lower Speed Communities.  With communities of all sizes expressing concern over the speed and volume of traffic on their streets, Living Streets will be working with local authorities and community organisations in four pilot communities to support the introduction of 20mph areas.  In remote and rural communities such as Glencairn, cars are as vital as they are troublesome.  The village of Moniaive was shaped in an era of horse-drawn vehicles, when walking was ‘the norm’, but pavements were not necessary.  These narrow streets are now lined with parked cars, and groan under the weight of the HGV and agricultural traffic that powers our local economy.

Lowering vehicular speed is all about redressing the balance between walkers, cyclists, and vehicular traffic.  Lower speed communities benefit from cleaner air, less traffic noise, and safer streets.  At 30mph there is a 1 in 5 chance of a pedestrian being killed.  At 20mph that drops to 1 in 40.  Remember that next time you drive past the village school.

Our first target will be to increase local support for the principle of a 20mph area.  Before we even start to look at imposing speed limits, we want to discuss where the ‘problem areas’ are, and consider a variety of alternative means of encouraging drivers to reduce their speed in these target areas.

Whether you are a pedestrian, a cyclist or a driver  – a resident or a visitor –  if you have comments or ideas to share on this issue, please do contact us.

 

We have spent the last few weeks using our Development Grant from the Climate Challenge Fund to look at ideas for possible carbon reduction projects in Glencairn. These are some of the ideas that have come out of our local consultation. (You can get a closer look by clicking on the individual pictures.)

   

We have created a quick online Survey, so that you can vote for the scheme that you would like us to carry forward.  There are just 6 questions to answer, to let us know your preferences.  It only takes 5 minutes, and it’s completely anonymous. So why not click on the link now!

https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/C27SNBT

We are pleased to announce that Moniaive Initiative have been granted £8,889 towards the Aerial Runway element of our proposed Park Improvement project by Dumfries & Galloway based charity, the Holywood Trust, an organisation dedicated to creating and improving opportunities for young people across the region.

This latest award brings the total of secured funding to date up to approximately £18,800.   Thank you to everyone who has donated to date, particularly the staff of Watsons Groceries, who donated over £100 from the sale of the “Big Graham” calendar over the Christmas & New Year.

Legal negotiations to secure the necessary lease on the park are still ongoing, but once this has been achieved, Moniaive Initiative will be in a position to submit grant applications for the remainder of the funds required.

We are pleased to announce that Moniaive Initiative have been awarded a Development Grant from the Climate Challenge Fund (CFF) to look at possible climate action projects.  You can help by sharing your ideas or even coming along to one of our workshops – please let us know if you’d be interested in this.  Further details on the poster below. You can also have a look at the CCF webpage to see what other communties are achieving or follow the link to watch a short film on one particular community: https://youtu.be/xkSV5-JvZT4

We would like to say ‘Thank You’ to the owner of Ebruchie for kindly letting us continue to use the shop window in the High Street.  Our latest display, a “no-budget” Christmas Window, was unveiled as the first event of the Moniaive Living Advent Calendar on Monday 12th December 2016.  Based on the ‘Buyarchy of Needs’, everything in the display is borrowed, recycled, upcycled, eco-friendly and/or handmade.

  

The bottle-cover, stocking and heart decoration were all made from a charity-shop blouse and scarf just a couple of days before they went in the display.  The hanging decorations were created from a collection of charity-shop ‘mixed media’ including book pages, stamps, lace and vintage buttons.   Even the hanging decorations on the doors are made with re-used ribbons and yarns (-thanks to Moniaive Playcare for the yarn-wrapped pine cones: they really add a splash of colour!)  We hope you enjoy looking at our Christmas display as much as we enjoyed making it!

   

With very best wishes for a Happy Christmas from the Trustees and Staff of Moniaive Initiative!

 

The next step on our journey to developing affordable community-owned housing is to find out about housing needs in our community.  Affordable housing is housing which someone living and working in the community can afford to buy, or housing for rent available at a monthly rent which can be afforded by someone on a local wage.

We wish to find out how many people and families are in need of affordable housing in Moniaive and Glencairn. Affordable housing can include homes to buy at below market value, self-build homes, homes to rent and community owned & managed homes to let. Affordable housing also includes homes for young people looking to set up on their own and older people who may find their existing house too big and/or expensive to run and less suitable for their current needs.

We are working with Dumfries & Galloway Small Communities Housing Trust (DGSCHT), who seeks to enable affordable homes for local people in small rural communities.  A survey has gone out in the post to all households in the Glencairn area, but you can fill it out online if you prefer.  Please share with anyone who has left the area having been unable to find an affordable home and who may wish to return.  The more responses we have, the stronger our case for affordable housing.

https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/8MDTCDD