Just under a year ago Moniaive Initiative were asked to support Glencairn Community Council as they worked with local resident Peter Charlesworth on a project to install the first electric car charging points in Moniaive.  We are happy to say that the new electric Car Charging post in the village Car Park at the foot of Dunreggan Brae is now installed and operational. The post, owned and operated by Dumfries & Galloway Council, provides two 22kW chargers and two parking bays and is part of the Charge Place Scotland network. The bulk of the funding came from the UK Government’s On-street Residential Chargepoint Scheme, with the balance coming from the Department of Transport for Scotland. The two new chargers can deliver enough power to add up to 90 miles of range for every hour the car is plugged in and are ideal for overnight charging and short stays in the village. 

With the transition to electric vehicles now brought forward, work must accelerate on getting the right infrastructure in place to encourage take-up of the new technology.  Where residents do not have access to off-road or dedicated kerbside parking (as is the case for many householders in Moniaive), suitable charging provision will be required through public charging networks. There are over 1,000 charging points in the Charge Place Scotland network (and over 35,000 across the UK), with chargers available across Dumfries and Galloway, including at Dalry, Castle Douglas, Dumfries, Dalmellington, Newton Stewart, Stranraer, Gretna and Sanquhar. Some local businesses also provide electric charging points.  The Charge Place Scotland website and App includes a map of chargers throughout Scotland.

The new chargers in Moniaive are compatible with all electric cars and plug in hybrid cars currently on the market. To use them, you will need your own charging cable with a Type2 connector (the most common type) and a subscription to Charge Place Scotland (£20 per annum).  Simply plug your cable into your car at one end and the charger at the other, hold your membership card up to the charge post and charging will start; just hold your card up again to stop charging. Although many of the chargers throughout Scotland are free to use, our charging points cost 25p per kWh (with a minimum charge of £1.50).  These charges are levied by D&G Council to cover the cost of electricity and charge point maintenance.  At the equivalent of about 6p per mile, this is still much cheaper than petrol or diesel, but will still be more expensive than charging at home.  Just remember to move your car promptly when you have finished charging, to allow others to use the facilities!

   

Moniaive Initiative are pleased to announce the completion of 12 Sawmill Green, Moniaive, our first Affordable Housing project.  Moniaive Initiative Treasurer, John Murray, said: “We used a Rural Housing Fund grant from Scottish Government to purchase a building which had stood empty within our community for some years.  We then secured a generous grant from SSE Dumfries & Galloway Sustainable Development Fund to renovate the interior of the house to make it fully accessible and bring it up to date.”

Moniaive Initiative have been working on the project with Dumfries & Galloway Small Communities Housing Trust since 2015.  They carried out community consultation on local need for affordable housing, then followed up with feasibility work, concept design and then fundraising.  The building was purchased in July 2019, and renovation work began at the end of 2019.  The house interior was stripped right back to create a new internal layout, including a second bedroom, and allowing the installation of accessible, open plan kitchen area and wet-room style bathroom.

“We were just days away from completing the renovation when Lockdown came into force and work had to stop on site,” said Moniaive Initiative Chairman, Bill McLarty.  “We had already selected our first tenant, but fortunately she was able to delay her move.”

New tenant, Mrs Edwards, said: “I love my new home, it’s perfect for me and I am so lucky to have it. Having my family around me is wonderful and returning to Moniaive feels like I have come home.”

“It’s been a pleasure to work with Moniaive Initiative and a lot of hard work has gone into making their first community-led project a reality,” said Mike Staples, Chief Executive of DGSCHT.  “An amazing job has been done of transforming the property into a bright, welcoming home and we’re incredibly pleased with the overall outcome.”

Mr McLarty added: “We are very pleased to welcome Mrs Edwards back to the village and wish her every happiness in her new home.”

For the duration of the current Covid-19 situation Moniaive initiative will be offering small sections of work to locals whose normal work has been affected by the lockdown.   This will all be home-based, computer work, and will be broken down into fixed contracts of 7 or 14 hours, to be paid at a flat rate of £9/hr.

We are looking for individuals, resident in Glencairn, with a good knowledge / experience of various aspects of life in Glencairn, including local business, organisations, facilities and service provision, and with good general computer skills.   You will be assigned items to research and write up for a Baseline Report we are preparing.  You will need your own computer, internet access, and MS WORD and/or EXCEL. We also have some business / financial analysis sections, which will require good numeracy and spreadsheet skills.  All work will be sent out / returned by email.  We will match individuals to work elements according to skills and experience, but you can apply for multiple sections of work.

Payment will be made directly into your bank account, upon satisfactory completion of each section.  You will be responsible for your own Tax/NI, and for checking that this work will not impact on any other financial assistance you may need to apply for.

If you are interested in taking part, please email deb.moniaiveinitiative@gmail.com in the first instance, giving a brief outline of your skills and experience.  We will give priority to those who have lost their main source of income due to Covid-19. Your application will be handled in strictest confidence.

Dear residents of Glencairn,

With much consideration by managers, staff and the management committee, it has been decided that in the interests of personal and community health, the Hive is to close as a retail outlet for the foreseeable future, whilst the social distancing advice from the government is in effect. Our last day of trading will be on Friday 20th March. We would like to thank our wonderful volunteers who have continued to offer their valuable time during this difficult period. This decision has not been taken lightly, and we realise that whilst the Hive offers a valuable community hub service, it does not offer an essential service in the products it sells. We feel that volunteers who are able and willing will be able to offer their services to the community in a more useful capacity in the future, whilst staying safe in the short-term. We will be helping co-ordinate any volunteer services needed by the community and resilience group. We thank you for your understanding and support and hope you all stay well. We are a wonderful community that has great capacity for kindness and generosity of spirit and we will come through this, hopefully stronger and more caring than ever.

The Hive Managers, Staff and Management Committee

Moniaive Initiative are recruiting a new Hive Development Officer to deliver the next stage of our community shop and hub project:

• Fixed Term (52 weeks)
• 14 hours per week
• £9 per hour
• Based at home / in The Hive, Moniaive

The successful candidate will have relevant experience in business development and financial management; experience of working with community groups; excellent computer skills; meticulous attention to detail; organisational, communication and interpersonal skills and demonstrate good teamwork.

You will be expected to lead the development of The Hive, both building and business development, with a focus on increasing the resilience and long-term sustainability of the project.  You will update the existing Business Plan, carry out an Operational Review and Building Audit, and create an Action Plan for short and mid-term business development and building improvement works. You will be responsible for investigating and implementing new income streams and service provision options. Finally, you will investigate options for raising the necessary funds to carry out building improvement works.

A full job description can be found here:

Job spec_Hive Dev Officer_Mar20

Please email your cv and covering letter to:

deb.moniaiveinitiative@gmail.com by 5pm on 23/03/20.

 

Moniaive Initiative are recruiting a new Shop Manager to progress our Community Shop & Hub project:

• Fixed Term (52 weeks)
• 12 hours per week
• £9 per hour
• Based in The Hive, AMD House, High Street, Moniaive

The successful candidate will have relevant experience in a retail / customer fronting position; community outreach and engagement; excellent organisational, communication and interpersonal skills and demonstrate good teamwork.  The project will have a focus on sustainability in reuse and recycling, supporting local arts and craftspersons, alleviating rural disadvantage and encouraging voluntary participation.

A full job description can be found here:

Job specification Shop Manager_31May19

Please email your cv and covering letter to:

deb.moniaiveinitiative@gmail.com by 5pm on Friday 07/06/19.

 

 

 

Moniaive Initiative are very pleased to announce that we have made a successful bid to the Scottish Land Fund for a grant to purchase AMD House in Moniaive High Street.

Chairman, Bill McLarty, said: “We are delighted that this grant will enable us to purchase a building that has stood empty and declining on our High Street for many years.”

As part of our village High Street Regeneration and Community Spaces projects, we currently hold a short lease on the property, and have been running a trial retail and community space since December 2018.   Thanks to the generosity and support of AMD Services, who own the building, and with help from local volunteers, we have been able to redecorate and fit-out the building to create THE HIVE.

Bill McLarty said: “This grant will enable us to build on the ideas already explored during our trial, to provide some of the additional services and amenities that local residents require to make life easier and more sustainable in this beautiful but remote area.”

The Hive currently accommodates a retail space selling second-hand clothes and accessories, and locally-produced arts and crafts. Another room houses the Library Book Exchange, to replace the recently-lost mobile library service. There are two further ‘workshop’ areas for practical skills sessions, and a separate, small room is available for hire by local businesses and organisations. The income generated by the project is already providing donations to three other community organisations and charities, and future income will enable Moniaive Initiative to carry out more projects in the Glencairn area.

“We have been using our trial period to try out different ideas for the available space,” said Project Officer Kara Millen. “We have created a warm and inviting space using donated and upcycled furniture, and now we are filling that space with locally sourced goods, both new and pre-loved, to support our local economy. We want to challenge people’s ideas of recycling and pre-loved items and create a beautiful space, curated to show off the best of our donations and local creative talent.”

The Hive is open most weekdays, with opening hours being advertised on our Facebook Page and on the shop door.  Everyone is welcome, so please do call by to browse our shop, borrow from the library, or to discuss how you can become more involved.