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FORMARTINE COMMUNITY

PLAN ANNUAL REPORT

2013 / 20142 www.ouraberdeenshire.org.uk/formartine

Welcome to the first annual report on the 2013-2016 Formartine Community Plan. Our Plan focuses on six priorities for the area, which have been identified through community engagement across Formartine:

• Healthy and Active Lifestyles

• Road Safety

• Community Capacity Building

• Securing Improved Community Facilities and Partnership Delivery of Services

• Support the Development of Economic Activity and Healthy Town Centres

• Transport to and Accessibility to Services

We believe that these priorities are key to improving the quality of life for everyone in Formartine. We’re proud of the progress that has been made in 2013/14 and look forward to working further with our partners and communities across Formartine in 2014/15.

Elaine Brown Formartine Area Manager Chair of the Formartine Community Planning Group

FORMARTINE COMMUNITY PLAN ANNUAL REPORT 2013 / 20143www.ouraberdeenshire.org.uk/formartine

This report is designed to give you an overview of progress on the Formartine Community Plan during 2013/14, by providing you a snapshot of some of the key actions completed during the year. This plan also provides a brief overview of what we hope to achieve in 2014/15

The Plan is developed and monitored by the Formartine Community Planning Group (FCPG), which comprises of representatives from the following:

• Aberdeenshire Council

• Police Scotland

• NHS Grampian

• The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service

• Aberdeenshire Voluntary Action

• Formartine Community Council Forum

• Formartine Partnership

• Formartine Community Safety Group

The group meets regularly throughout the year and more information, including a copy of the plan, can be found on our website.

The plan is very much a live document, with key actions being updated throughout the year. Many of the actions carried out in 2013/14 will continue throughout 2015/16.

Methlick Play Park


PLAN ANNUAL REPORT


Priority 1Ensuring residents of Formartine enjoy healthy and active lifestylesHealthy and active lifestyles are crucial to improving the quality of life of residents. Actions in the plan encompass everything from access to community information, the implications of the welfare reform and health and social care integration agendas, community allotments and protecting vulnerable people in their own homes.

There are several regional groups focusing on health and wellbeing across Formartine, including the Ellon Health & Wellbeing Group, the Meldrum Wellbeing & Health Improvement Group, the Formartine Health Improvement Group and the GIRFEC (Getting It Right For Every Child) Group. These groups meet regularly to discuss cross-partner and community issues and to share best practice. The Formartine and Garioch Welfare Reform Group also meets regularly to discuss the impact of welfare reform with third sector organisations such as CAB and Gordon Rural Action.

Fit Like Ellon

The Ellon Health and Wellbeing Group carried out a survey of residents in Spring 2013 to assess what the priorities were for health and wellbeing in the Ellon area. The results showed that whilst most people felt there were plenty of groups and activities in the area they often struggled to know where to look for more information. In order to help groups spread the word about what’s available, the group organised the ‘Fit Like Ellon’ showcase event in June 2013, with over 50 groups exhibiting and around 200 people attending the event. Feedback from stallholders and members of the public was extremely positive, with many people expressing surprise at just how many different groups there were in Ellon. Many of the groups have seen a direct increase in membership and a follow-up event will be held in 2014.


Sports & Leisure Ward Forums

The Autumn 2013 ward forums focussed on Sports and Leisure and resulted in helpful input into projects such as Turriff Tennis Club, Balmedie Leisure Centre, Udny Tennis Club and the Meadows Sports Centre Trust. The forums provided an opportunity for interaction between local sports and leisure groups and the sharing of best practice on a wide range of topics including fundraising, management structures and constitutions. The forums also provided an opportunity to promote the Active Aberdeenshire membership scheme and the Aberdeen Football Club Community Trust to local groups.

Life Through A Lens

A professional artist was commissioned to help residents in Ellon produce a body of work on what the town means to them, using photography as a means of creative expression. The project, called ‘Life Through a Lens’, was completed in April 2013 and community groups across Formartine worked together to explore and reflect on social barriers to participation in day to day activities such as shopping, socialising and employment. The works were exhibited across Aberdeenshire and published in a celebratory book (available in public council venues in Ellon) to provide a lasting legacy of the project. The project was funded by the BAA Communities Trust, the FCPG, Aberdeenshire Drug and Alcohol Partnership and NHS Grampian.

IDEA Project

The Inclusive Day Services Enabling Aberdeenshire (IDEA) project was awarded funding by the Formartine Health Improvement Forum and the FCPG to purchase a new specialist disability bike and safety equipment. The bike provides those with physical disabilities with the opportunity to enjoy the benefits of cycling and has become a very popular activity.

The IDEA specialist bike


PLAN ANNUAL REPORT


Priority 2 Road SafetyRoad Safety across Formartine is a major issue and 2014 will see the start of work on the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route, including the dualling of the A90. The Formartine Community Safety Group meets regularly to discuss safety concerns, particularly road safety concerns relating to speeding traffic through towns and villages. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and Police Scotland have carried out a number of events and campaigns across Formartine and Aberdeenshire to reduce the number of casualties from road traffic collisions.

Pass Plus Scheme

The Formartine Community Safety Group has provided £150 grants to support newly qualified young drivers to complete the Pass Plus Scheme. A number of applicants across Formartine have now successfully completed the scheme, making a significant contribution to road safety.

Priority 3Community Capacity BuildingCommunity Capacity Building is important in enabling individuals, groups and communities to develop the confidence and skills required to influence decision making and service delivery and to determine their own futures.

Community Asset Transfers (CAT)

Several groups have submitted CAT applications and partners are working with these groups to help them develop sustainable and viable plans. For example, the Turriff Town House Association have been granted a license to occupy the Turriff Municipal Buildings and the group hope to use the buildings as a community centre and meeting space to secure its future viability as a community resource.

Social Media Training

Social media training for community councils and local groups was organised in late 2013, with the aim of encouraging these groups to become more familiar and comfortable with social media as a communication tool. Around 40 people attended beginners and intermediate courses, with many attendees stating that they found the training helpful and that they are now making better use of social media to engage with their local community.


Ythan Invasive Species Project

The FCPG provided funding for a joint project between the Formartine Partnership and the Ythan Trust to train and licence volunteers to tackle the growth of toxic and invasive species along the River Ythan. Volunteers will maintain the Ythan catchment on a long-term basis to make the land both safer and more productive.

Priority 4 Securing Improved Community Facilities and Partnership Delivery of ServicesCommunity facilities are at the very heart of our communities and provide opportunities for communities to come together. The Investing in Towns and Villages fund provided financial support for a number of key projects in Formartine, including upgrades to Daviot Hall, Collieston Hall, Newburgh Bridge, Gallows Hill pavilion, Methlick Play Park, the Baden Powell Centre and the café extension at Balmedie Leisure Centre. Many of these projects were able to secure match funding from a variety of funding sources including LEADER, Developer Obligations and local trusts. Most of these projects are either at, or are near, completion and we expect to see the benefits of these projects in the near future.

Collieston Hall Project

The former hall at Collieston had been used as a Community Centre since the school closed in 1949. The one-room hall was well-used but was damp, draughty and unfit for modern purposes. The ambitious improvement project doubled the size of the hall by incorporating the attached derelict school house and was joint funded by the Improving Towns & Villages Fund, the SITA Trust and Slains and Collieston Community Council.

The building now includes a large meeting/activity space, a storage room and a small meeting room – which will double as a “Heritage Room” to display local photographs, memorabilia and artefacts. The Community Council have also raised funds to install a defibrillator unit outside the building, providing another vital resource for their community. The community have benefited greatly from the creation of a new, larger and more useable space to hold activities such as the annual gala, playgroup sessions, fitness classes and other activities and the project is a great example of a rural community working together to achieve their aims.

The opening of Collieston Hall Project


PLAN ANNUAL REPORT


Priority 5 Support the Development of Economic Activity and Healthy Town CentresEnsuring that our town centres remain vibrant and helping to increase economic activity is an important feature of sustainable communities. We have also been working with local tourism businesses and groups to actively promote Formartine as an attractive tourist destination.

Formartine Retail Improvement and Enhancement Scheme (FRIES)

The FRIES scheme was particularly successful in encouraging local businesses to improve their customer facing spaces and encourage increased custom. Over £165k was allocated to 35 businesses across Formartine to improve the customer experience, with the Council contributing 50% of the cost of the upgrades. The upgrades to retail units have resulted in direct benefits to both local business owners and the wider community.

Haddo Country Park

The first phase of improvements to Haddo Country Park has been completed, which included conservation works to the Haddo designed landscape (including restoration of monuments, structures, paths and plantings), improvements to the visitor facilities and the installation of a new adventure play area. The project was jointly funded by the Heritage Lottery Grants Fund Parks for People programme, Aberdeenshire Council, Haddo Estate, LEADER, the National Trust for Scotland, Historic Scotland and the voluntary commitment of the Friends of Haddo group and the local community, resulting in an overall investment of £1.9 million. Haddo Country Park is one of Formartine’s most popular visitor attractions and the investment will help the park to continue to grow its visitor numbers.

Formartine in Bloom & Formartine Beginning to Blossom

The annual Formartine in Bloom and Formartine Beginning to Blossom competitions are co-ordinated by the Formartine Partnership and encourage local residents to work together to enhance the appearance of their towns and villages. Sixteen communities entered Formartine in Bloom this year and judges were impressed by the hard work and creativity of all the participants. Formartine Beginning to Blossom had eight schools enter and as well as the practical side of the competition, the project links with the educational curriculum, including subjects as diverse as; ecology, sustainability, horticulture, maths, biology, cookery and healthy eating. This project helps to not only educate young people, but instil them with a sense of community identity and belonging.

Arnage Primary’s Beginning to Blossom


Priority 6Transport and Accessibility to ServicesAccess to transport across Formartine can be difficult, particularly in more rural areas. As a result, accessing employment, health care and other services can be problematic and we have taken action to ensure that local communities are better connected.

Cycling Strategy

A series of community engagement sessions were held across Formartine, resulting in a new Cycling Strategy with cycle parking, storage and footpath improvements identified as the most pressing issues for communities. New cycling storage has now been installed in Oldmeldrum and Turriff to encourage residents to cycle more and to allow greater connection with the public transport system.

Ellon Cycle Path Network

Ellon has secured a contribution of £245k from SUSTRANS for cycle improvements, which will be match funded by Aberdeenshire Council and NESTRANS. This means that Ellon will become an Integrated Travel Town (ITT) and improvements will be made to cycle paths to and from the town centre, Meadows sports centre, Park and Ride and the Formartine and Buchan Way. Other projects awarded funding include feasibility studies for paths connecting Newburgh to Ellon, Ellon to Fyvie and links between Ellon Town Centre and the north of Ellon. These projects will help to encourage healthy and active lifestyles for residents, connect local communities and hopefully attract tourists to the area.

Other Local Priorities

New dog fouling signs have been distributed to Community Councils to educate residents and encourage responsible dog ownership. These will be put up near ‘problem areas’, popular dog walking routes and in parks and open spaces.

Clean dog walkingCycling in Formartine


PLAN ANNUAL REPORT


What we will do in 2014/15:Priority 1 – Healthy and Active Lifestyles

• As a result of feedback from our partners and the wider community we will take a particular focus on healthy and active lifestyles for older people, particularly by supporting the health and social care integration agenda, information sharing networks and improving access to services.

• We will support the IDEA project to deliver a new social enterprise in Ellon that will provide the community with a new employment and volunteering opportunity.

• We will work closely with partners to support those impacted by welfare reforms, particularly individuals with limited digital access.

Priority 2 – Road Safety• The Community Safety Group will continue to offer grants to newly qualified

drivers who wish to complete the Pass Plus Scheme. The group will also work with Transport Safety Education Officers to offer free child car seat safety checks and advice to those who regularly transport young children.

Priority 3 – Community Capacity Building• A phased Community Action Research project will be carried out in Ellon to focus

on community needs, the disposal of the existing Ellon Academy sites and the future of the Town Centre.

• We will also deliver the Community Action Plans for Cuminestown, Behelvie & Potterton and the Community Action Survey for Rothienorman, allowing these communities to draw up action plans to meet their own needs and aspirations.

Formartine and Buchan Way The new Ellon Academy Community Campus


Priority 4 – Securing Improved Community Facilities and Partnership Delivery of Services

• We will work closely with community groups to develop proposals for improved community facilities by offering support, advice and guidance.

• We will work closely with partners to make the best possible use of existing and new facilities, including colocation of services and access to buildings outwith regular opening hours.

Priority 5 – Support the Development of Economic Activity and Healthy Town Centres

• We will continue to work closely with local traders, residents and businesses to improve town centres across Formartine. Phase 2 of the FRIES scheme will provide retail training opportunities for local businesses that will help to increase the skills of staff and improve the customer experience.

• We will help the Ellon Castle Garden Trust to reinstate the historically significant Castle Gardens and develop them into a successful tourist attraction.

Priority 6 – Transport and Accessibility to Services• We will continue to look at options for demand-responsive transport networks

across Formartine, particularly for older people residing in rural areas.

Turriff in BloomOfficial opening of Haddo Country Park

Produced by Aberdeenshire Council GDT22927 September 2014

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