Dear All
Welcome to this latest edition of our fortnightly Depute Chief Executive Update. As always, I hope that you and your families are keeping safe and well.
We have a bumper edition this week, with our usual news stories, information on seasonal appeals and a range of employee offers you may wish to take advantage of.
Earlier this month we launched our Budget Consultation “Have YOUR Say”. It is open to everyone who lives in East Dunbartonshire, including our employees and we really want to hear from as many people as possible from right across the area. The consultation highlights that our budget gap could be as high as £20 million for next year and asks for your views on our Cost of Living support package, the Climate crisis and on delivering services in the heart of our communities. It should take only about 5 minutes to complete, and as an incentive – and a thank you – those that take part can opt to enter our draw to win one of five £80 Farmfood vouchers which will be issued in time for Christmas. The closing date is Sunday 11 December and there are further details and videos on the dedicated Budget Consultation web page.
With just a month to go to Christmas we are highlighting a number of Christmas appeals to help those who may be struggling in the current cost of living crisis. There’s the annual appeal from our Children & Family team in Social Work, Project 101 are looking for donations of toiletries and warming items for the young people they support, and we trail the Provost’s food bank appeal which will be launching in early December. The details are in our Appeals section below and any support you are able to provide to these worthwhile initiatives will be most welcome.
Now, on with our regular updates:
News from the Council….
National Consumer Week
Last week, we supported the National Consumer Week campaign by Advice Direct Scotland which was encouraging us to become ‘savvy spenders’ by making informed choices about the things we spend our money on and understanding what we can do when things don’t go to plan. Whether you’re buying a new car or looking for a new boiler, they had lots of tips to ensure you aren’t caught out and understand what to do should something go wrong. If you missed the campaign on social media, you can still get tips here: National Consumer Week Scotland 2022 - Consumeradvice
Christmas shopping locally
A reminder that our two local Christmas art and craft events are both now in full swing. The Auld Kirk Museum’s ever popular Christmas Art & Craft exhibition has Etta Dunbar as this year’s guest artist. A range of her beautiful paintings and craft works is for sale at the Kirkintilloch venue.
Over at the Lillie Art Gallery, Milngavie, visitors can enjoy the work of artists such as Michael Durning, Stanley Bird, Ruth Greer and Fiona Clasen, and local artists like Sally Walkinshaw, Anne Morrison and Pauline Muir as part of the gallery’s Christmas exhibition. Details of both can be found on our news release on the website.
Don't pay to park your sleigh
Charges will once again be suspended in the Council's fee-levying car parks on Saturdays in December. If you're driving to Bearsden, Bishopbriggs, Kirkintilloch and Milngavie for Christmas shopping or to enjoy a bite to eat then don't pay to park your sleigh on 3, 10, 17 and 24 December. Full details to follow soon.
Defib at Mugdock
Mugdock Park now has its very own defib machine thanks to fundraising by the family of a young man who suffered a cardiac arrest near the park. Sean McMenemy and his sister Carla were visiting the loch, known locally as Abies Loch, in July last year, when Sean began to feel unwell and suffered a cardiac arrest. Within minutes of shouting for help, two bystanders – Gillian Glenroy and Lesley Knox - performed high quality CPR for thirty minutes until the ambulance arrived. They, along with Carla, fundraised to purchase the defib machine by organising and hosting a special CPR awareness event at Mugdock Park featuring Trossachs Search and Rescue.
Digital Music Award for local Schools
We don’t like to blow our own trumpet, but two East Dunbartonshire schools are among the first in Scotland to receive a brand new music award and be named ‘We Make Music Schools’.
We are banging the drum about Craigdhu Primary in Milngavie and Lairdsland Primary in Kirkintilloch, whose pupils took part in a pilot digital music making project and along with only 13 other schools in Scotland have achieved this fabulous award. You can read more in our news release.
Healthy Working Lives (HWL) news for November….
The November 2022 Healthy Working Lives Update is in the Employee Zone of the website with news of the campaigns that are taking place throughout the month, including links to helpful related information.
A number of health and wellbeing campaigns run throughout November, including:
1-30 November Movember, the annual moustache growing awareness campaign in support of men’s health
25 Nov-10 Dec 16 Days of Action against Domestic Violence
As always, please remember that there is a full range of helpful wellbeing information and advice on a wide range of topics on the Wellbeing page of our Employee Zone.
Our Employee Assistance Programme also includes a free 24 hour confidential helpline/support service ‘Time for Talking’. It is available to all employees and full details of the service and how to access it can be found on our Employee Assistance Programme page in the Employee Zone.
Christmas Appeals….
Many organisations run appeals to help those in need at Christmas time – here are three that the Council is involved in and you may wish to support if you can:
Project 101 - Help a young person this Christmas
Project 101, which supports young people in the local area who are vulnerable and at risk of homelessness, has launched a Christmas gift appeal in the hope of creating parcels for the young people they work with in the East Dunbartonshire area. They are looking for the following items if you can help:
- Toiletries - shower gel, face cloths, /conditioners, deodorant, toothbrushes/toothpaste,
- Selection boxes
- Gloves, hats, scarves, hot water bottles, blankets or anything else useful/practical
- Dry cupboard staples such as hot chocolate, tea bags, coffee, pasta
- No alcohol please
Donations can be dropped at the Project 101 Office, Townhead, Kirkintilloch, on Mondays and Tuesdays between 10am and 3pm until Tuesday 13 December.
Donations should not be wrapped as they will be put together in a package tailored to the needs of each young person. This may be the only gift they receive this winter.
Social Work Appeal - Giving Santa a helping hand
Caring colleagues are once again giving Santa a helping hand to ensure the disadvantaged in East Dunbartonshire aren't forgotten this Christmas. This annual campaign has been gratefully collecting festive donations for vulnerable youngsters, families and groups.
The campaign, co-ordinated by the Children & Families Community Support Team in Social Work, and the aim is to help ensure every child in East Dunbartonshire has something to celebrate at Christmas. That could mean a present, food parcel or voucher for fresh produce. Recipients include children and young people, families, homeless units, care-experienced young people and small local community groups.
Despite the current climate, there has been overwhelming support so far this year and your help would also be greatly appreciated. If anyone would like to make a donation, there are drop-off points at the Regent Centre in Kirkintilloch (daily), Kirkintilloch Health and Care Centre (Monday-Friday) and Southbank House (Monday and Wednesday) until Monday 5 December.
For more information, contact:
Frances McGuire frances.mcguire@eastdunbarton.gov.uk or
Lianne Price lianne.f.price@eastdunbarton.gov.uk
Provost’s Christmas Foodbank Appeal
Provost Renwick is launching a Foodbank Appeal in the run up to Christmas to both raise awareness of the invaluable support our local Foodbank provides to the area and to support its work through the collection of donations. Collection points will be established in key locations throughout the area and further details will be provided in early December.
Christmas Offers for Employees….
Yule be ready for Christmas at Kilmardinny
A feast of festive attractions will take place at Kilmardinny House - including a Christmas Fayre and scrumptious lunches. The selection box of events at the A-listed venue in Bearsden includes: Free Christmas Fayre (Sunday 4 Dec); Drag Queen Xmas Party (Friday 16 Dec); and Christmas Lunches (Thursday 22 Dec). For full info, visit the News section of our website. Council and Trust employees are being offered a £10 discount for the Drag Queen Xmas Party (£35 instead of £45) - contact eilidh.young@elior.co.uk for details.
Discount to Walk in a Winter Wonderland
You don’t need to travel to Lapland to get the Christmas feels. Make plans to walk in a Winter Wonderland much closer to home, at Mugdock Country Park., which is being transformed with a festive light trail, stories with Santa, an array of Christmas market stalls and a children’s fun fair.
Employees of EDC, EDLC and East Dunbartonshire HSCP are being offered a 20% discount on tickets. When prompted to enter a coupon code, just before you proceed to the checkout, enter the code MCC20.
Tickets are limited so you are encouraged to book early. The event runs from Dec 8 to Dec 24. Read all about it here on the dedicated website.
Dates for your Diary…
30 November St Andrew’s Day
25 Nov-10 Dec 16 Days of Action against Domestic Violence
4 December Christmas Fayre at Kilmardinny House
8 - 24 December Winter Wonderland at Mugdock Country Park
11 December Closing date for “Have YOUR Say” Budget consultation
15 December Final Council Meeting of 2022
And finally….
As usual, the next edition of this Depute Chief Executive Update will be in a fortnight’s time, week beginning 5 December.
Ann