Category: News

PETITION TO STOP COLLECTIVE LEADERSHIP MODEL

Please find below a link to a petition below which is being led by Dalmally Parent Council. They are requesting a stop to the Collective Leadership proposal process and for the process to be restarted, and the conversation to be started again. Good consultation is fair/equitable, it is transparent, evidence based (should include risk assessments/cost analysis etc.), it should be balanced and what is proposed should “do no harm” to our communities. Without the relevant evidence and balance of information we have know way of knowing if this will “do harm” to our communities, schools, staff, young learners, way of life now and in the future.

Good consultation records and respects all views.

There is a desire for all groups to work positively together with the Council to find the best possible outcomes for our schools, staff, pupils, communities etc.

Please can you share the petition with parents if possible, thank you.

https://chng.it/zk58PMghkm

Thank you to everyone who entered our photography competition! We have had some fantastic entries, and look forward to sharing them on our website.

And our winners are… *insert drum roll*…

BEST SUMMER SCENE
WINNER: Sue MacLeod – ‘Loch Riddon in May’

BEST SUMMER SCENE
RUNNER UP: Micheal Russell – ‘Summer Morning’

BEST WINTER SCENE
WINNER: Alistair MacLeod – ‘Winter Scene’

BEST WINTER SCENE
RUNNER UP: Jennifer Davie-Smart – ‘Icy Waters at Bealachandrain’

BEST COLINTRAIVE IMAGE
WINNER: Micheal Russell – ‘Loch Riddon’

BEST COLINTRAIVE IMAGE
RUNNER UP: Josh Dawson – ‘Sunset over the Kyles’

BEST GLENDARUEL IMAGE
WINNER: Jen Morley- ‘Glendaruel image’

BEST GLENDARUEL IMAGE
RUNNER UP: Jennifer Davie-Smart – ‘Looking North’

Dear Community Councillors

We are pleased to be able to share with you Ready Scotland LEARN which has been added to the Scottish Government Ready Scotland website.

Ready Scotland LEARN is an open-access eLearning hub – free, no login and no data gathering – which contains original online learning modules and links to trusted learning content on topics related to emergency management in Scotland. It is aimed at community groups and voluntary sector organisations who have the skills, resources and ability to get involved and have a strong desire to help local people.

Ready Scotland LEARN will help to strengthen knowledge and awareness of emergency planning, and encourage collaboration and connections during “ordinary” times so that when crises arise, strong partnerships and relationships nationally and locally are already in place.  

You can find lots of information on our website about community resilience and together with these Scottish Government resources we can work together to build on resilience in Argyll and Bute.

Regards

Argyll and Bute Civil Contingencies Team

To:  Community Council Secretaries and/or Conveners

Dear Colleagues,

Some of you may have picked up on this training already but for those that have not our colleagues in the Community Development Team have arranged Environmental and Climate Consideration training for community organisations which may be of interest to you or your members.  The training will take part on 15^th or 21^st June, however the team would also be happy to discuss additional dates or provision of in-person training if there is interest from several groups in a particular area.

Information on the training is as follows:

Environmental and climate considerations for community organisations – free training from the Argyll and Bute Council Community Development team, 15^th or 21^st June

Is your organisation or community group keen to reduce its environmental impact or minimise the impact of climate change on its work? Not sure where to start? This short introductory course will give you some practical ideas and highlight helpful resources.

Activities will be based around writing a simple environmental policy that helps you take effective action, without creating lots of extra work for your organisation. There will be space to discuss the issues most important to you, and we will explore what you can do now to “climate-proof” your organisation or community.

If you have any queries about whether this course is right for you, please feel free to get in touch with Becky on 01631 567912 or becky.hothersall@argyll-bute.gov.uk

Booking links

Weds 15^th June 18:00 – 20:00 https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/environmental-and-climate-considerations-for-community-organisations-tickets-341927152317

Tues 21^st June 10:00 – 12:00 https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/environmental-and-climate-considerations-for-community-organisations-tickets-344040994877

Kind Regards

Melissa

Dear Community Council

Alcohol Focus Scotland (AFS) is the national charity working to prevent and reduce alcohol-related harm. We are seeking the support of community councillors to develop an alcohol licensing toolkit for community members, and yours views about engaging with the local licensing system.

One in four of us are drinking at potentially harmful levels and alcohol claims ten lives every day in Scotland. AFS is not anti-alcohol but we do believe that our relationship with alcohol needs to change. Controlling the supply of alcohol is something that public authorities have done for centuries to reduce the risk of harm from alcohol. Alcohol licensing is a system of granting permission for the sale of alcohol, and local licensing boards decide who can sell alcohol, and where and when it can be sold. However, licensing boards are legally required to consult with community councils about specific matters relating to alcohol licensing in the local area. They are also about to consult with communities in order to develop new local licensing policies. 

AFS is therefore seeking community councillors to help us develop an alcohol licensing toolkit. Our initial work in this area was in 2017, when we worked with several community councils to co-produce a community toolkit resource (attached); it explains how the licensing process works and provides practical tips to help people get involved. 

People have told us that the toolkit has helped to strengthen their voice in licensing decisions but there remains an overall lack of community engagement in alcohol licensing. This is a concern for licensing decision makers, who want to know that they are making the right decisions for their communities, but it’s an even bigger concern for communities themselves, who are being impacted by alcohol and have a right to be heard.

As such, AFS is updating the toolkit to account for changes in the licensing system since it was first produced. As community councils represent the views of the community, and have a statutory role in the licensing system, they are particularly well placed to contribute to this work.  We are seeking:

• The contact details of community councillors who would be willing join a short-life advisory group to inform the update of the community toolkit. 
• Your views about the possibility of developing a separate community councils’ guide to alcohol licensing.
• Details about your experiences of engaging (or not!) with the local alcohol licensing system.
• Information about how alcohol is impacting on your community, and any changes that may have occurred as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

If you or any other community councillors would be willing to join a short-life advisory group, or have information you’d like to share in relation to any of the above, please contact Marc Buchanan (AFS Engagement and Partnerships Coordinator):

By post: Alcohol Focus Scotland,166 Buchanan St, Glasgow, G1 2LW

By Email: Marc.Buchanan@alcohol-focus-scotland.org.uk

By phone: 0141 572 6200

We have also attached an FAQ that provides some background information about alcohol licensing and a list of AFS’s licensing resources. We hope this will provide useful context and help to answer any questions you may have.

Kind regards

Marc Buchanan

AFS Engagement and Partnerships Coordinator”