Glen Luce New Age Curling

Entertainment  was high at the Glen Luce Bowling Club this Thursday , As the New Age curling group set about their weekly game together , with the Red team just winning by three shots !

Its great fun and entertainment and keeps everyone physically active says Jenny Barret  BHC Volunteer and Facilitator with the Glen Luce  Curling group 

The curling stones are very light and have rollers which means they can be slide along the floor very easily  

We are hoping to commence a small league with Newton Stewart new age curling group and we would like to recruit more numbers to our group 

So if you have some time on your hands and are free every Thursday morning between 

1030am - 12 am   so why not  come along ,we have a cup of tea and biscuits  a good chat about every day life and have some very competitive curling with good humour 

T

BHC External Evaluation team Visit Chair Based Exercises & Tai Chi for Health groups

As Part of Building Healthy Communities Regional  External Evaluation , Amanda Slater ( Evaluation team ) visited The Chair Base Exercise group at Glen Luce Bowling Club and the Tai Chi for Health group at the North West Castle Stranraer today

The meeting gave the opportunity for the groups to reflect how the groups had  developed , what the benefits of services they provide  to service users , where they seen the future development of their respective  group, and what further support by Building Healthy Communities could be provided in the future ?

Building Healthy Communities West Wigtownshire Staff   would like to Thank those service users for their contribution  at all of  today's meetings

The Evaluation team will be having further meetings this week with a focus group meeting with Building Healthy Communities ( West Wigtownshire ) Volunteers and with Building Healthy Communities ( West Wigtownshire ) Service partners and organizations

Stranraer Wheelchair Curling - successful fund raising event

Friday  Night was a successfully fundraising event for members of the Stranraer Wheelchair curling group , A fun  Charity horse racing night  was organized at Stranraer Rugby club ,A substantial amount was raised on the night

On behalf of its members they committee wish to thank all those that turned out to support their cause

Stranraer Wheelchair Curling Group Fund Raising Event Friday 19th Feb 2016

Stranraer Wheelchair Curling Group  have organised a  horse racing Funding event at Stranraer Rugby Club this Friday 19th Feb  2016 ,

The aim of the event is to raise funds for members of the group to  attend and represent  the area in the forth coming Scottish Championships

The Group have been training hard over recent months in preparation for this years competitions and have had some great success competing against other Teams from across Scotland

We welcome everyone to come along and enjoy an evening of entertainment and fun  and support us achieve our goals doors open 7pm - 10pm 

Invitation to participate in Family Centre Consultation

Back in February 2015 full Council agreed to the development of Family Centres in a number of the most disadvantaged communities across Dumfries and Galloway.   The idea is to reshape how we work to better meet the needs of families in vulnerable circumstances and so improve the life chances of all our children.  There will still be an early years focus but unlike our Children’s Services Centres, Family Centres will look at the needs of the whole family, including older children.

There is no detailed plan of what the Centres will look like as yet, and we expect them to be slightly different in each local area.  The plans will be developed through a process of community engagement and consultation when we’ll be speaking to all the key stakeholders, including parents, carers, children and, of course, yourselves.  

It is rare for us to have the time to talk to such a wide range of people to get their views before drawing up our plans together.   It should be an exciting process and we do hope you’ll get involved.   

Please come along to –

Park Children’s Services Centre, Ashwood Drive, Stranraer on Thursday 25^th February to have your say.

We will be there from 8.30am until 7pm.  You can drop in for 10 minutes, or stay for an hour – whatever suits you. 

Food and refreshments will be provided.

We hope to see you then.

Ann

ANN MCSHANE

FAMILY LEARNING CO-ORDINATOR

DUMFRIES & GALLOWAY COUNCIL

Broken Chains - New Play by Michaels Theatre group

Part Two of a hard hitting new play based on Sectarianism, will premier across Dumfries and Galloway over the month of February. Unite Don’t Fight Part 2, 'Broken Chains' will be performed by young people from St. Michaels Theatre Group. The free shows will embark on a pan Galloway tour with performances scheduled to take place in New Galloway, Moffat, Lochfoot and Dumfries.

Unite Don’t Fight Part 2, portrays a gritty and extreme example of Sectarianism. It tells the story of how the lives of four siblings change forever when they uncover some family secrets they wish had remained buried. How can someone else's beliefs change the path of ones life before they've even been born? Find out in this new musical production.

The play has been supported by grants from the Voluntary Action Fund, Scottish Government’s Tackling Sectarianism Small Grant Programme. Written by James Napper and directed by Johanna Walker, the intention of the performances are to raise awareness of sectarianism which blights many communities across Scotland.

The inaugural performance of the play will take place in Lochfoot at 7pm on the 8^th February. The free performances will be followed by a meet and greet session with the cast and crew, for those interested in finding out more about the plays and the issues raised. Other performances will take place on the 9th February from 7.30pm at New Galloway's Catstrand Theatre, the 12^th February from 7 to 8pm in Moffat's Old Well Theatre, and the 15^th February at the Brigend Theatre Dumfries 6pm & 7pm.

             For further information on the performances please contact James Napper on 07925 924 174

Training Workshop with D&G Leisure & Sport - Chair Base Exercise Group

We welcome Christine from D&G Leisure & Sport today ,who has agreed to provide Facilitation training to our Volunteers. We aim to have the group self sufficient to run on our own in Glenluce soon

Some of the exercises are very similar to chair base exercises so the group were quick to pick up the routine and with some background music the day was very enjoyable 

Lots of useful information was provided on what day to day items we have around the house that could be adapted to use as exercise items 

We will be posting some advertisements next week in the village to encourage others to come along and participate as we welcome new members to our group 


Anyone that wishes to attend please contact murdo.macleod2@nhs.net The group meets on Mondays, 10:30-11:30am

Activities in Dumfries and Galloway

Stranraer Wheelchair Curling Club

The Stranraer wheelchair curling club is open to anyone with long-term condition/physical impairment in the lower half of their body and is already a recognised sports club having competed at Scottish championships.

It is fully accessible for a range of differing abilities and meet most Wednesdays at the North West Castle Hotel's Curling rink at 6pm -8pm.


The group is open to all ages, male or female and we welcome the opportunity for new members to come along and participate or even support the events organised. For further information contact  Building Healthy Communities (West Wigtownshire)  Tel 01776700632 / email Murdo.macleod2@nhs.net

Sling Library

World Tai Chi & Qigong Day 30th April 2016

At 10am on the 30th April 2016 it is World Tai Chi & Qigong Day !  80 Nations around the world in hundreds of cities, towns and villages will come together, to breathe together .Providing a healing vision for our world.

West Wigtownshire Building Healthy Communities Tai Chi for Health are going to hold an event at Portpatrick Community Hall,  to celebrate and be part of this World celebration Event.

We welcome any Tai Chi, Qigong groups or members of the public to come along and be part of the days celebration. For further information contact Building Healthy Communities by emailing  murdo.macleod2@nhs.net

BHC Chair Based Exercise Support Group Glenluce

Well the Christmas festive season is all behind us and we are all getting in our strides to keep us fit and healthy once again

As a group we meet every Monday at Glenluce bowling club between 10:30am and 12 noon and have a cuppa before taking up our Chair base exercise activities

We look forward to meeting Mike and Christine from D&G leisure and sport this month who are delivering a session of Low impact physical exercises to our BHC Volunteers who will be Facilitating future exercise routines with our group and strengthen our own sustainability for the future 

We welcome new members to come along and get involved and have some fun in a warm and relaxing environment 

Men`s Shed Wigtownshire update from Donald Peers ( vice Chair )

We have applied for charitable status but have been informed this could take 60 days.

We cannot open a bank account until then so cannot apply for funding.
Mike and Donald have produced a rough budget for 5 years including start-up costs and are in the process ofcompleting a business plan to assist with funding applications in future.
The council still progressing on the application for Stoneykirk Hall.

Stoneykirk Community Council are happy for us to take possession as they have previously been offered the hall and turned it down. Just thought I would update you and let you know that things have not stopped but are progressing at a snail's pace.
Any questions please ask.

                                                AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

•   A not-for-profit organization run by its members themselves, primarily aimed at promoting the health, well-being and enjoyment of older men in Stranraer and the surrounding area
• 
  
• to include anyone who has time on their hands – people who are retired, between jobs and those who find it difficult to find suitable employment

•  to provide an informal, welcoming, safe and secure environment for all members
•  to provide a place of leisure where men can get together to work or chat
•  to promote social interaction encouraging the development of a network of old and new friends
•  to facilitate the sharing of skills, experience and information
•  to facilitate the sharing of tools and resources
•  to encourage self-help, helping others and the local community
•  to expand members’ horizons through learning new skills, technologies, hobbies , crafts and arts in an informal atmosphere
•  to encourage members to solve each others day-to-day problems through information and advice
•  to promote reclamation, restoration, renovation, re-use and repairs
•  to promote the use of the best of both old and new technologies

Mike 01776 703360 or Donald 01581 400284

www.stranraermensshed.org.uk

email : info@stranraermensshed.org.uk

BHC ( West Wigtownshire) Tai Chi for Health

Our BHC Tai Chi for Health  continues to go from strength to strength; We thank Jane Brown, Alex Allison and James Ramsey the Tai chi volunteers for their hard work developing the Tai chi for Health Programme in Portpatrick which boosts high numbers with 24 registered in the six months it has been running 

The North West Castle group Meet every Monday afternoon and are led by Patsey Cullen lead Tai Chi Facilitator.

New members have joined the group since the New year and we welcome their arrival with enthusiasm

We have been requested  to introduce Tai Chi for Health in the Primary schools,which  commence on the 8^th Feb for six weeks with Parks School Stranraer which we look forward to developing with the young children at the school

Alex Alisson and Jane Brown have also commence with a providing Tai chi for health sessions at the Phoenix club in Stranraer on Friday mornings with feedback of been very positive and enjoyable

Its also a time to say our goodbyes to  Bob Stirling. Bob was one of BHC's original Tai chi for Health Facilitators ,who put a 100% effort into making Tai chi for Health a service here in Wigtownshire. He will be sadly missed , but we wish him well back up North with his family and with no doubt spreading the Chi  in his new surroundings 

Learning For Democracy - A community Learning and Development Conversation

Learning for Democracy: A community learning and development conversation

At the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh, on Monday February 29th 2016

This is a dynamic time for politics in Scotland. The Independence Referendum in 2014 and its aftermath, followed by the UK General Election in 2015 have had a profound impact on our political landscape. The next couple of years will bring further national and local elections in Scotland and a UK referendum on our membership of the EU. Scotland is also leading the way in the UK in giving 16 and 17 year olds the vote in Scottish and local government elections.  And yet there’s so much more to our democracy than voting at election time. Democracy is also about the decisions made every day in our communities and about the discussions and debates that we all have about the kind of country we want to live in. Political education has always been a key part of community learning and development (CLD) but the time is ripe for a more systematic engagement in learning for democracy by CLD practitioners.

Education Scotland, The Workers Educational Association, Learning Link Scotland, Edinburgh University and others are planning a series of several conversational events in 2016 which will focus on ideas and experiences that can strengthen learning for democracy in CLD practice.  The first conversation will be held in the Scottish Parliament on February 29th.  If you’re interested in taking part then please register your interest at: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/LHRZG6F

Group Development Training ROC Cafe Inspire Stranraer

Roc Cafe inspire has been established at the Baptist Church in Stranraer, the volunteers have established a working committee group to develop the Cafe in the community and its services, it launched itself last week hosting a Burns supper which was a great success
Building Healthy Communities will be supporting the group by providing group development workshops to enhance their activity and working cohesion.

Duties of committee members workshop has been identified by the group and will take place in late Feb along with workshops on PR Marketing and Media.

The programme is lead by Apex Scotland with support from Local Agency and Service providers and we are always keen to hear from individuals or groups that may offer some assistance may it be within the Cafe or supporting activities being established