re-gen north - issue 44

The Paper That Money Can’t Buy!

GENEAST DUNBARTONSHIRE

FR

EE

The Paper That Money Can’t Buy! FR

EERe-GEN

THE

NORTHIssue Number N0-44 March 2013

Incorporating the East Dunbartonshire GEN

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Address: 2.03, Red Tree Business Centre, 33 Dalmarnock Road, Bridgeton, Glasgow, G40 4LAPhone: 0141 375 0777Email: [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

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PUPILS and parents are set to benefit from a huge refurbishment programme in Pri-mary, Nursery and ASL schools as Glasgow City Council announced the first phase of its £250m investment in the school estate.

Several schools and nurseries in the North of the city will be refurbished this year with work beginning as early as next month on some sites. The pledge was a major pre election commitment from the Glasgow Labour to rebuild or refurbish every primary school in the city, and is expected to take 5 years to complete.

59 schools across the city will be upgrad-ed as part of the Education Estate Strategy, including Alexandra Parade School. Glasgow Provan MSP Paul Martin welcomed the news. He said:

“I am pleased by this news and am look-ing forward to the pupils and parents at all the affected schools enjoying the benefit of increased investment and improved facili-ties. I have been campaigning for upgrades to the facilities in our school estate for a number of years and I welcome that they will be of the standard that we have come to expect in Glasgow schools.”

Continued page 2 . . .

PRIMARY SCHOOLS TO GET REFURB

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WillieBainMPMember of Parliament for GlasgowNorth East

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Springburn,Glasgow, G214BX

Telephone: 0141-5572513E-mail: [email protected]

Website: www.williebain.com

SurgeriesFirst Friday of each Month:North Glasgow Regeneration Agency Conference Centre, 179 Ayr Street,Springburn, Glasgow, G21 4BX at 2.30 – 3.30pm

Milton Community Campus, 204 Liddesdale Road, Milton, G22 7AR at 4.15pm

Barmulloch Community Campus, 46Wallacewell Quadrant, G21 3PXat 5.00pm

Third Friday of each Month:Milnbank Housing Association Headquarters, 53 Ballindalloch Drive,Dennistoun, G31 3DQ at 3.30pm

Riddrie Library and Learning Centre, 1020 Cumbernauld Road, G33 2QSat 4.15pm

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“I know how improving the fabric of a school can be a great benefit to staff, parents and pupils. Having a modern learning environ-ment will really help all the kids attending reach their potential.”

Investment will initially centre on refurbishing the estate and the quality of learning and teaching areas. This includes upgrading of roofs, exterior walls and decoration, playground and paths, fences and walls, drainage, dry rot, asbestos control and the removal of pigeon droppings.

Balornock Primary is another school in the North that has been included in the £40m investment in year 1. Maryhill and Spring-burn MSP Patricia Ferguson, whose constituency covers the school, told the ReGEN:

“In our area it will see

the refurbishment of a number of schools including Balornock Primary, Springburn Nursery and Ruchill Early Years Centre.

“Already our area has benefited from the Council’s commit-ment to providing the most modern school facilities with new campuses built at Keppoch, Milton and Benview. Sighthill is set to benefit from a new campus as part of the redevelopment of that area. This recent announcement is the first phase of a £250m pro-gramme and I will be work-ing with our local Labour councillors to ensure that all of our schools benefit from this investment.”

Oter schools included in Phase 1 include St

Denis’ Primary, Ashcraig Secondary and Onslow Drive Nursery. Detailed surveys are now being carried out across the estate and schools requir-ing major refurbishments and the details of the work plans for years 2 - 5 will be announced in the autumn.

PRIMARY SCHOOLS TO GET REFURB

Continued from front page . . .

March 2013 3

In the absence of banking facilities in Milton, the credit union offers affordable and reliable financial services to the community, regardless of people’s resources or their level of income. Low interest loans are available to members. Any surplus the credit union makes on its activities during the year, can be returned to the members in the form of a dividend. Members can save as often as they like and, up to a certain limit, as much as they like. The credit union operates from two additional collection points.

ARTIST SEES OLD BOTTLES IN A DIFFERENT LIGHTA GLASGOW artist has found a new way of recycling his old Buckfast bottles - by making them into lamps. Aaron Hodgson, 33, got the idea one day nursing a hangover in his friend’s shed, which has been converted into a Rangers pub known as The G-Spot. He said: “I was sitting there one night and there was about nine or 10 bottles that we’d been drinking and thought, something could be done with them, what could I do.”The high caffeine drink is often linked with violence but Aaron said his lamps are “something positive” associated with it. He said: “It’s something a bit different - when I collect the empty bottles from people I tell them ‘I’m just doing a bit of recycling’ “For every bottle I recycle there’s one less on the streets that can potentially be used as weapons or clogging up the streets in general. I like a bottle myself, I have done since I was 18. It’s all down to the people who drink it and if they act responsible.” Only two weeks after making his first Buckfast lamp - which can be snapped up for £20 - and advertising on Facebook they’re flying off his shelf.

Artist Aaron - who sells his hand painted murals and Pop art worldwide - makes his new line of art from other used bottles too including vodka and Jack Daniel’s, making them to order and combining some of them with his artwork. He caters for football fans making Rangers and Celtic lamps too. Aaron added: “In Glasgow the Buckfast lamps are the most popular, but in other places my Jack Daniel’s lamps with my painting of Doors singer Jim Morrison on them and Queen lamps are popular.” Last year writer Ian Pattison saw Aaron’s work on Face-book and asked him to paint a Che Guevara style Tommy Sheridan to be the centrepiece for his show I, Tommy. He said: “Des McLean who played Tommy was on my page originally and he put me onto Ian who checked out my stuff and asked me to do it.” The ex-security worker from Shettleston, in Glasgow’s east end, moved to Australia in 2006 and started painting Pop art and murals to earn money to get by and has made it his full-time job since moving back to Scotland in 2008.

He said he was commissioned by a local bookshop owner to paint a version of Leonardo Da Vinci’s Last Supper with big names including former Presi-dent JF Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Marilyn Monroe and John Lennon on Darby Street in Newcastle, Australia - across the street from the Newcastle City Art gallery. He’s now expanding his busi-ness with the quirky lamps and hopes the future is bright for him. Aaron said: “I’d love to get a studio, with a shop at the front to display my art and living quarters above it.”

By Ashlie McAnally

COPS SEIZE DRUGS IN BLACKHILL BUST

STRATHCLYDE Police Officers have seized drugs up to the street value of £215,000. The drugs are thought to include Heroin, Cannabis Resin and Cocaine. The raid happened at

around 6pm last Thursday 14 March on Moodiesburn Street in the North East of the city. Police have also seized equipment used for the mixing and preparation of controlled during the operation.

Two men and four women have been arrested in connection with this operation and were detained in police custody. A full report will be forwarded to the Procurator Fiscal.

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Margaret Curran MP and Frank McAveety MSP high-light the proposed changes to vital community lifelineMargaret Curran and Frank McAveety visited Baillieston post office at the weekend to congratulate Mark Adrian and his staff on the service run from and the success of Baillieston Post Office. They know how valued the local post office is to the people of Baillieston. This is great news in Baillieston but legislation recently passed in the House of Commons will mean the privatisation of Royal Mail. This leads to doubts over the future of the Post Office network which can no longer be guaranteed in the years to come. Margaret who spoke in the debate made clear that the legislation is a big mistake and is not supported by the public. Margaret and Frank took the opportunity to make passing shoppers aware of the change to legislation and asked for them to pledge the support by signing a petition. Barlanark Post Office is currently for sale and unless a buyer is found its fate remains uncertain. Margaret Curran says “

Urban Post Offices often face different challenges from those in rural communities, they too deal with isolation and represent a lifeline to their communities. We need to take action now to ensure that we do not end up in a situation on which a large retailer steps in and takes over the service. An elderly

person living in Barlanark may be unable to get to any of the large retailers in the community. A single mother with 3 children and without a car relies on local services that the Post Office provides. This legislation is a forerunner of many Post Office closures because we are not taking the necessary

steps to protect the service.”Frank McAveety says “ Privatisation of the Royal Mail has the long term threat to jobs and services at a local level. I will be working with Margaret to ensure the voices of the east end are heard and all the local post offices are protected”.

AMAZING WINS FOR GLASGOW DENTAL PRACTICE AT TOP UK INDUSTRY AWARDS

The team at Spring Grove Clinic in Barrachnie Road Garrowhill is celebrating the fantastic achievement of winning two of the top UK Private Dentistry Awards of 2010, namely Practice of the Year and Best Patient Care. It was also awarded runner up in Best Community Charity Project and Outstanding Individual of the Year along with being shortlisted for Most Attractive Practice and Best Team. Winning the Practice of the Year and Best Patient Care Awards is a great endorsement of the Spring Grove Clinic teams’ commitment to providing affordable, value for money, community based, professional family oral and dental health care, advice, support and treatment to an exceptionally high standard. The award winning practice prides itself on its patient focussed approach which is always courteous, efficient and friendly, set within surroundings that are luxurious, comfortable and welcoming. Heading up the clinical team is Dr David Cunningham who established his practice in Garrowhill over 14 years ago. Winning these two Awards recognises his firmly held belief that a community based dental practice, where patient relationships and trust are key, using the latest dental technology,

can provide the same level of treatment options, care and surroundings as a large city centre based dental practice. Commenting, David Cunningham said, “The team has worked incredibly hard to make Spring Grove Clinic a fantastic place for our patients. I am delighted that our efforts have been recognised by the top UK industry professionals.” “My focus has always been to provide excellent patient care with the very best dental advice and treatment. I believe in spending time with my patients, fully explaining preventative and treatment options to them and supporting them as they choose their treatment plans. I am very grateful to our patients for their fantastic comments in support of our Awards application.” At the Awards presentation, the Spring Grove Clinic team were commended for excellence across all of the categories, for the state of the art facility, and being a team who strive to provide excellent patient care. Its’ efforts in raising funds to support Yorkhill Children’s Hospital ECMO Unit won the runner-up award for Best Community Charity Project. Spring Grove Clinic is a leader in providing dental implants, cosmetic dentistry, invisible braces, tooth whitening and family dentistry.

McAveety Slams SNP Games Funding DecisionGlasgow Shettleston MSP Frank McAveety has hit out at a decision by Scottish Enterprise to slash Commonwealth Games legacy funding by almost half. Clyde Gateway, the body responsible for regenerating the East End of Glasgow, has been hit with a 46% cut in funding for urban regeneration in 2011/2012. The agency has been told it will share around £6.8 million with five other agencies, instead of the £7 million it was initially promised. Frank said: “The Enterprise Minister seems to be more interested in facilitating meetings for his friend the Education Minister, who he wants to succeed him as an MSP than he is in the well being of the people of the East End. At this very moment he should be pulling a meeting together with Scottish Enterprise to demand that they withdraw this ridiculous proposal and get around the table with all the partners to fulfil the promises made.”Frank added: “Unlike any other renewal programme in the country commitments were made to ensure that Glasgow could make the best of the opportunities for the Games and regeneration investment. There is no better case for having an impact on Scotland’s economic performance and I am demanding an urgent meeting with the Scottish Government to urge them to ensure Scottish Enterprise withdrawal the proposal to make a massive cut in their previous commitments to the area.”

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4 March 2013

Works all over the UK Giving Workshops, Talks, Running Courses, Private/Group Readings, Runs Development Groups, Teaches Reiki and

How to read The Tarot. Telephone and e-mail consultations available

contact, ANNE on 07506723569 Email [email protected] or visit www.angelanne.co.uk

Your Horoscope Predictions

By Anne Smith

Taurus (21 April - 21 May)

Gemini (22 May - 21 June)

Cancer (22 June - 23 July)

Leo (24 July - 23 Aug)

Virgo (24 Aug - 23 Sept)

Scorpio (24 Oct - 22 Nov)

Sagittarius (23 Nov - 21 Dec)

Capricorn (22 Dec - 20 Jan)

Aquarius (21 Jan - 19 Feb)

Pisces (20 Feb - 20 Mar)

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Now that Mercury is direct, you may receive a call from someone you had fallen out with, this leads to reconciliation and a calmer time on the emotional front, with the sun moving into your sign on Thursday, you are fired up and ready to take on the world.

This is a time of action, no more procrastinating over what might be, use your intuition and decisiveness this month to get project set in motion, you’re on a role now, so embrace this new phase and let go of what no longer serves you.

Your ruling planet mercury is now direct and any delays or feeling of being stuck now move away, Mars in Aries gives you courage and determination to start to make plans for your long term future, time to embrace all new opportunities.

Time to listen to those who are wiser, you may be in need of some advice on your current financial situation, now mercury id direct allows the clarity of the situation to come to the fore to be dealt with.

After a period of stress you can now relax somewhat as the sun moves into your sister sign of Aries you can feel your determination to succeed bubbling away beneath the surface, time now to get yourself motivated.

Some of you are planning for a holiday and that knowing you can get away from the routine for a while helps lift your spirits, mercury is now direct and you may just tell people what you think remember honey not vinegar will win the day!

A stagnant situation now moves forward as you begin to feel the effect of the sun in Aries from Thursday, that feeling of lethargy lifts and a burst of energy gets you back on track, let go of the past and move forward.

Hard work in the past is about to be rewarded, you will now feel life easing off a little as the research you did in the last few months proves invaluable, good for you, enjoy this feeling of freedom, and remember to have some fun.

With the sun moving into your sister sign on Thursday you feel the pace in your working life gets faster, you will be busy sorting out how to best put use to your time, and efforts forward planning will ensure a happy outcome!

Finances are at the forefront of your mind this month and some of you may be planning for long term future goal, some of you may be dealing with financial advisors too. Try to remember to have some family time and relax a little.

You seem to be carrying too much responsibility, why not ask others to do their share, your energy is needed elsewhere and as you can’t be in two places at once you will need to delegate some of your workload, on a more positive note there is a little ray of hope shining on you and lady luck pays you a visit.

Time for a new journey, a fresh start, which area of your life, needs attention; this is the ideal time to freshen up stale energy in your life and to push forward to any new opportunities that may present themselves.

Aries (21 March - 20 April) Libra (24 Sept - 23 Oct)

Angel Anne Intuitive Columnist, Author & Psychic Medium

Regularly featured in the national press and RadioAvailable for Readings at

The Little Yellow Therapy Centre Hillfoot Street every Saturday 12/4pmOr Baillieston Tuesday day time and Thursday evenings

Accurate, passionate and down to earth, Angel Anne’s connection leaves you in no doubt the spirit world exists!

To book Visit www.angelanne.co.uk call 07506723569 follow her on

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Recipes

4 Friday 22nd February 2013 Re-GENTHE

Works all over the UK Giving Workshops, Talks, Running Courses, Private/Group Readings, Runs Development Groups, Teaches Reiki and

How to read The Tarot. Telephone and e-mail consultations available

contact, ANNE on 07506723569 Email [email protected] or visit www.angelanne.co.uk

Your Horoscope Predictions

By Anne Smith

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This month is all about staying calm and focused, be clear about what you want and how you are going to achieve it, self-discipline and will power are your key strengths, mercury is retrograde in a few days so make sure you’re your communications are crystal clear.

A new opportunity, possibly career advancement, this is as good a time to take risks in order to follow your dreams, if you want to change your life, do it now. A time of self-expression and a fresh start.

Your ruling planet mercury is about to go retrograde and you have to make decisions now, being unwilling or unable to make decisions will cause you to stagnate, have faith in your own wisdom and move forward, Intuitively you know what to do.

Too much work, not trusting others to help you, will cause stress related illnesses, believe it or not you are not invincible, time to look at the softer side of yourself and allow that charm and wit to manifest help in your life. There is a need to balance work and play.

Things are looking up, the end of a difficult situation, the winds of change are blowing and it is a favorable wind. This is a good time to make changed in your career, there could be a resolution of conflict now which allows you to move on.

Learning from past endeavours is a key success for the future, knowing a situation or a subject well will help you sort out the pit falls a time of relaxation after a period of stress, ending contracts and fresh starts prominent now, your ruling planet Mercury is retrograde from the 24th so make sure all paper worked is double checked before signing.

Time out is required in order to maintain a balance, in both home and working life, something is lingering in your thought which is causing you distress time to vocalize how you feel and mercury retrograde at this time is actually helping you to speak up.

Time to open up to the world around you, both your heart and mind, as you listen to others and accepting them for who they are and their “Story” will inspire you to ret depths of understanding and truths, someone may offer you excellent even though it is a little unexpected. Listen!

Something suddenly needs your attention immediately a time of the unexpected events, even though haste is required it is important that no decision is rushed, careful consideration is also important, passion is great self-assured wonderful but timing is impeccable?

You seem to be in the past more than the present and it is fine as long as you don’t spend too much time on issues you cannot change, time to take life full on and make decisions to ensure a happy and secure future for you, and if that involves others, then ensure it is on your terms.

A project you started in the last few weeks is now coming to fruition and with that some public recognition for all your hard work, a time of success and personal achievements; self-esteem is increase, the feel good factor and some unexpected luck too of the good sort!!

The universe seems to be bringing in a shift of relationships, new and interesting people are now in and around your current social and family circle, a happy time ahead, positive emotions and a feeling of achievement.

Aries (21 March - 20 April) Libra (24 Sept - 23 Oct)

Angel Anne Intuitive Columnist, Author & Psychic Medium

Regularly featured in the national press and RadioAvailable for Readings at

The Little Yellow Therapy Centre Hillfoot Street every Saturday 12/4pmOr Baillieston Tuesday day time and Thursday evenings

Accurate, passionate and down to earth, Angel Anne’s connection leaves you in no doubt the spirit world exists!

To book Visit www.angelanne.co.uk call 07506723569 follow her on

Re-GENTHE

RecipesIrish Lamb Stew11/2 lb of stewing lamb or shoulder cut into medium sized chunks2 tbsp of flour½ cup of barley2 onions chopped roughly2 carrots cut into 1 inch chunks1 ½ pints of lamb stock 2 tbsp oil1 tsp dried rosemarySeasoning

Toss the meat in the flour and fry in the oil until well browned. Add the barley and vegetables to the pan. Cook for a further 5 min. Add the barley, rosemary and stock. Bring to the boil and cover with a tight fitting lid. Reduce heat and simmer for 11/2 hours ensure you stir it occasionally to prevent it sticking.

ColcannonCooked mashed potatoesCooked shredded kale or Savoy cabbageButterCream

Mash the potatoes with plenty of butter and a dash of cream before beating in the cabbage. I like to pop under a hot grill to brown or into a hot oven for 10-15 min.

ChampCooked mashed potatoesButter Cream3 finely sliced scallions or spring onions

Again mash the potatoes with plenty of butter and a splash of cream before beating in the onion. Again I like to pop under a hot grill to brown or into a hot oven for 10-15 min.

Irish Soda Bread8oz plain flour1 carton of buttermilk1 tsp of bicarbonate of soda½ a tsp salt1 large egg

Sift the dry ingredients together. Make a well in the middle and add the buttermilk and egg. Fold in from the sides. You don’t have to work the dough, in fact the less you mix it the better, lighter and fluffier it will be. This is a rough almost wet dough.. Flour a baking tray. Flour your hands and mould into a rough circle. With a blunt knife Cut a large cross into the bread and bake in a hot oven 170c for about 30 minutes and it is golden brown. Tap the bottom and if it sounds hollow then it’s done. Allow to completely cool before slicing. I love a few slices with my stew, and a few slices with jam with a nice cup of tea later on.

Mussels with Garlic & Herb Breadcrumbs• 2kg mussels , cleaned • 50g butter , frozen and grated • 50g fresh breadcrumbs • 1 garlic clove , crushed • small bunch parsley , chopped • 1 lemon , cut into wedges, to serve • crusty bread , warmed, to serve

1. Make sure all the mussels are alive before you cook them - if any are open, tap them on the work surface, if they don’t close, throw them away.2. Heat a large, wide pan, tip in the mussels with a splash of water, cover and cook until opened. Throw away any that won’t open. Remove the top shell from each mussel and dis-card. Mix the butter, breadcrumbs, garlic and parsley.3. Put a layer of half mussel shells on a baking tray. Sprinkle breadcrumbs over each one then flash under a very hot grill until just golden. Serve with lemon and crusty bread.

Roast Lamb Studded with Rosemary Ingredients• leg of lamb weighing 2.5kg/5lb 8oz • 1 garlic bulb • 1 bunch rosemary • 1 tbsp vegetable oil • 2 carrots , cut into large chunks • 1 onion , cut into quarters • 1 glass red wine (about 150ml) • 1.2l beef or lamb stock 1. The first job is to stud the lamb with garlic and rosemary. Use a sharp pointed knife, make at least 30 small incisions all over the meat. Peel 4 garlic cloves, thinly slice them and prod a slice into each incision. Next, pull off small sprigs of rosemary and push into the incisions, too. If done in advance, cover the lamb well and refrigerate. Remove from the fridge 1 hr before roasting2. Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Heat a large frying pan, add a little oil and brown the lamb all over. Scatter the carrot, onion, remaining garlic and rosemary in a large roasting tin, pour in the wine and stock, then place the browned lamb in the tin.3. Roast for about 1 hr 45 mins. Turn the lamb halfway through so by the time it’s cooked, each side has been in the stock. When cooked, remove the lamb and allow to rest in a warm place covered in foil for about 30 mins.4. While the lamb is resting, make the gravy. Pour all the stock from the tin through a sieve into a saucepan to remove all the vegetables and herbs. This stock should be rich, slightly thick and have a great lamb flavor. Reduce it a little on the hob if you feel you want to concentrate the flavor, skimming off any fat that comes to the surface. Serve the lamb with the gravy, potatoes, leeks and butternut squash .

Chocolate Easter Egg Nest Cake• 225g/8oz plain chocolate, broken into pieces• 2 tbsp golden syrup• 50g/2oz butter• 75g/3oz cornflakes • 36 mini chocolate eggs

1. Line a 12-hole fairy cake tin with paper cases.2. Melt the chocolate, golden syrup and butter in a bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water, (do not let the base of the bowl touch the water). Stir the mixture until smooth.3. Remove the bowl from the heat and gently stir in the corn-flakes until all of the cereal is coated in the chocolate.4. Divide the mixture between the paper cases and press 3 chocolate eggs into the centre of each nest. Chill in the fridge for 1 hour, or until completely set.

5March 2013

Springburn (East)Ned Donaldson House, 50 Reidhouse StreetSpringburn, Glasgow, G21 4LSTel: 0141 560 6000 Fax:0141 560 6005

Possilpark (West)252 Saracen Street,

Possilpark, Glasgow, G22 5LFTel: 0141 336 1300 Fax:0141 560 6005

email: [email protected]: www.nghomes.net

ng homes is a trading name of North Glasgow Housing Association

One Vision - New North Glasgow. A great place to live, learn, work, visit and invest.

FREE SWIMMING LESSONS

To book spaces, please contact

Glasgow Sport on 0141 287 5947.

at Springburn Leisure Centre during Easter Break

In partnership with ng homes & ngsportslegacy

For Ages 5-12 years

Wednesday 3rd April Thursday 4th April

0900-1100 & 1430-1630 0900-1100 & 1230-1430 Friday 5th April Saturday 6thApril 0900-1100 & 1430-1630 0900-1100 & 1430-1630 Sunday 7th April Tuesday 9th April

0900-1100 0900-1100

FREE SWIMMING LESSONS

To book spaces, please contact

Glasgow Sport on 0141 287 5947.

at Springburn Leisure Centre during Easter Break

In partnership with ng homes & ngsportslegacy

For Ages 5-12 years

Wednesday 3rd April Thursday 4th April

0900-1100 & 1430-1630 0900-1100 & 1230-1430 Friday 5th April Saturday 6thApril 0900-1100 & 1430-1630 0900-1100 & 1430-1630 Sunday 7th April Tuesday 9th April

0900-1100 0900-1100

PUPILS from Elmvale Primary are becoming “Bike Ready” thanks to a new programme supported by ng homes aimed at improving young children’s confidence and ability to ride a bike. Over a 6 week period the primary school pupils (P1-P3) will be as-sessed by cycle trainers from ED’s Cycle Co-op. Each child will be

assessed individually as a potential bike rider, a balance bike rider or a pedal bike rider. The Bike Blitz is supported and facilitated by local housing provider ng homes and forms part of its recently launched ng legacy series which links into the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. Glasgow City Council’s Community

Action Team will further support the programme with Bikeability (proficiency) Level 1 training for P5-P7 pupils. Three teachers from the school and local ng sports legacy volunteers will also be put through their paces on a Cycle Training Assistants course so they can help out with the programme. The aim of Bike Ready is to

improve the abil-ity of local children to cycle, a core skill identified for physical and social development. The aim of the ‘bike ready’ programme is to get pupils confident in riding a pedal cycle. Once each child has

been assessed, the trainers will work with them to develop their potential to be-come a full pedal bike rider. Mark Kiehl-mann from ED’s Cycle Co-op said: “Our aim is to promote cycling to children and adults and over the course of the

6 sessions we will priorities those children that need more time to become a pedal bike rider and we will have plenty of activities to keep them interested and develop their skills further.”Greg Cann, ng Sports Legacy Co-or-dinator said: “Last year was a fan-tastic year for cycling in Scotland with the success of our Olympians and the opening of the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome in Glasgow. This has led to a lot more interest in cycling both for recreation and as a way of getting around so we wanted to support this programme and help get local children bike ready.

ng homes Supports Elmvale Primary Pupils in Becoming “Bike Ready”

With the Commonwealth Games now under 500 days to go, local activity linked to the games is stepping up a gear. Last week saw pupils from Springburn Academy, as well as staff and volunteers from ng homes, change their footwear for a day to mark the 2014 ‘Sport Your Trainers’ day. All pupils showed off their most co-lourful trainers to mark the countdown to Glasgow 2014 with all second year pupils participating in a very enjoyable programme of activities, ranging from indoor tennis to Marines style fitness within the Health and Wellbeing De-partment, with ng sports legacy staff and sessional coaches helping out and getting involved in the fun. ng Sports Legacy Coordinator Greg

Cann said:‘This was a great event and a fantastic opportunity to support a local school and promote the Com-monwealth Games, highlighting the ng homes commitment to both the Games & the local community. It is one of a number of initiatives we are working with the school on, as well as contributing further to our newly-launched Legacy Series, whereby all the work undertaken by ng homes links to one of the six Legacy Themes identified for Glasgow 2014’

OPPORTUNITIES:Mondays, 4pm-6pm @ Petershill Park– Football for 8-16 years olds with Partick Thistle Community TrustWednesdays, 4pm-5pm @ Petershill

Park – GIRLS ONLY football for 7-13 year olds with Glasgow City FCWednesdays, 4.30pm-5.30pm @ Tron St Marys Church (Red Road) – Com-munity Table Tennis for 7-13 year olds with Glasgow SportWednesdays, 5pm-8pm @ All Saints Academy – Cricket with Glasgow Bravehearts CCFridays, 6pm-8pm @ Springurn Acad-emy– Football for 8-16 years olds with Partick Thistle Community Trust

FREE OF CHARGE over Easter break:Tuesday 2nd-Tuesday 9th AprilFree Swimming Lessons for 5-12 year olds…(see advert on this page) – with partners at Glasgow Life, can offer free lessons at times shown. All les-sons are 1 hour long, but youngsters can sign up for multiple sessions…more info from [email protected] or 6304254, or call Glasgow Life on number shown to book spaceMonday 8th-Friday 12th AprilMultisport Camp (5-14 year olds) – with partners Active Schools, Partick Thistle Community Trust, Reach for the Sky Basketball, Storm Basketball Club, Cricket Scotland and Glasgow Bravehearts. 10am-3pm every day at Springburn Academy. Football & multisport fun…book through [email protected]/6304254 or simply turn up on the day!

ng homes staff and Springburn Academy pupils sport their trainers

6 March 2013

MAKEOVER FOR GLASGOW’S REGENRATION AGENCYNew name and new focus for jobs and business agency

THE organisation tasked with helping Glaswegians into jobs and training has received a name change as the city continues to develop its economic strategy in response to the unemployment crisis. Glasgow’s Regeneration Agency (GRA) is now to be known as Jobs & Business Glasgow. The new organisation is hoping to increase the competitiveness of Glasgow’s residents in the jobs market by equipping them with the skills that employers value, as well as working with small

businesses to increase the number of start-ups. Bailie Jonathan Findlay, chair of the Jobs & Business Glasgow board, said:“This isn’t just about a new name; it is part of our wider strategy to ensure we meet the needs of the city’s residents and businesses. The new name came about following extensive consultations with our clients, funders, partners, staff and stakeholders. The clear message from these sessions was that we needed to have a strong voice and consistent message across

Glasgow to ensure that we remain focused on what it now says over our door – helping to create jobs and supporting businesses in our city.” Before 2011, five separate regeneration agencies across the city were tasked with getting Glaswegians “job ready”. However, during the last two years, these functions have moved to a single organisation. Following a review of operations which included extensive consultations with users and stakeholders, it

became clear that a name change and rebranding process was vital. As part of its work, Jobs & Business Glasgow is one of the organisations helping to

deliver the council’s £25m Glasgow Guarantee - which aims to ensure all Glaswegians between the ages of 16 and 24 have access to a job, training or an apprenticeship.

Last year the organisation helped 17,000 Glasgow residents into training or employment.

POPULATION OF GLASGOW GROWS IN 2012

GLASGOW’S population has grown by 1% in the past year new figures have shown. The National Records Of Scotland have revealed the births, deaths and marriages for the whole of Scotland for 2012. The number of people living in the city has reached 598,830 people, up 6000 on the year before. Birth rates dropped to 7543, around 100 fewer than 2011, and an increase in deaths of 6403 to 6499. Tim Ellis, chief executive of the National Records Of Scotland, said: “Although the number

of deaths increased in 2012, they are not high in historical terms.“From the mid-1940s to the mid-1990s, there tended to be between 60,000 and 65,000 deaths per year, and larger numbers before then – far more than in recent years, when the annual totals have been below 55,000.“There is usually some year-to-year fluctuation in the number of deaths. In 2011, Scotland recorded its lowest ever total (53,661), so an increase in the number registered in 2012 was not unexpected.”

The figures also showed a reduction in deaths attributed to heart attacks and stroke across Scotland. However cancer deaths have increased. The number of people choosing to get married has decreased in Glasgow going from 2846 to 2795 couples tying the knot. This is despite an increase across Scotland with marriages increase overall from 29,135 to 30,534. Civil partnerships in the city increased slightly going up from 96 to 102.

MSP VISITS GOOD MORNING PROJECT

THE befriending charity ‘Good Morning Project’ welcomed the Glasgow MSP Bob Doris this week as he volunteered for the morning at the headquarters in Springburn. The Good Morning Project specialises in befriending elderly and vulnerable people in the local community by regularly phoning them for a chat. Since 2000, the charity have opened 13 services across Scotland, Ireland and Northern Ireland. The service in Springburn receives funding from the Scottish Government Change Fund, the

Glasgow Community Planning Partnership, and a variety of charitable sources. Following the visit, Mr Doris said: “In my role as Deputy Convenor of the Scottish Parliament’s Health & Sport Committee, I take a particular interest in the services that exist for the elderly. “The Good Morning Project is an exemplary organisation of its kind, helping older people to live independent lives in their own homes. I spent some time speaking to three clients on the phone, and it was clear that they value the

security, reassurance and companionship which the service provides.“We have an ageing population in Scotland – 20% of people, and rising, are of retirement age. On top of this, when you consider the changes that are coming to the way social and health care is provided, such as the new legislation on Self-Directed Support, it’s clear that keeping older people informed and in touch with the community has never been so important, and I wish the Project every continuing success.”

7March 2013

A zero tolerance campaign which saw an irresponsible dog owner evicted has won a prestigious innovation award. Keep Scotland Beautiful (KSB) has recognised a pro-active initiative which tackles dirty dog owners as part of the city’s Clean Glasgow campaign. The anti dog fouling campaign has attracted huge public support with disgusted Glasgow residents phoning the Clean Glasgow ho-tline to report dog owners who allow their pets to foul public places.

Since the Glasgow-wide crack-down began in August 2011, 1075 people have been issued with Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs). In the first two months of 2013 alone, 250 people have been caught failing to clean up after their pets and issued with £40 penalties.

Elderpark HA has long been tough on dog fouling and has been exceptionally proactive as part of the Clean Glasgow cam-paign. The association is the first in the city to evict a tenant who made a communal backcourt area a No Go zone for neighbours by refusing to clean up after his pet.

The 29-year-old man was evicted from a tenement flat in Elderpark Street, Govan, in early 2012 after the housing associa-

tion spent two years trying to get him to clean up his act.

The man, who lived alone, had no permission to keep a dog as required by his tenancy agreement and he let it roam un-attended in the back court area – refusing to pick up its faeces.

Appalled neighbours were un-able to use the drying green area as it was so unhygienic. The man was issued with several FPNs by GCSS enforcement officers but refused to pay them and he also refused to re-home the mixed breed dog.

As the tenant refused to co-operate, the association took court action and used antisocial behaviour legislation to obtain an eviction order. CCTV footage and neighbours’ statements were

used as evidence in the case. Councillor Gordon Matheson, Chair of the Clean Glasgow Campaign and leader of Glasgow City Council, said: “It’s fantastic that GCSS and Elderpark Housing Association have won this award. The Clean Glasgow anti dog fouling campaign aims to change people’s behaviour and make them clean up after their dogs. “The majority of dog owners are respectful of other people and pick up after their pets. However, those that don’t must face the consequences which in extreme cases can include eviction.”Members of the public are urged to report irresponsible dog own-ers by calling the Clean Glasgow hotline on 0800 027 7027.

DIRTY DOG OWNERS BEWARETenant evicted in ‘zero tolerance’ crackdown

parliamentary surgeries

1st Monday of the month

5.30pmSpringburn LibraryKay Street, Glasgow, G21 1JY

2nd Monday of the month

5.30pm Kelvindale Primary School11 Dorchester Place, Glasgow G12 0BP

7pm Maryhill Burgh Halls10-24 Gairbraid Avenue, Glasgow G20 8YE

3rd Monday of the month

6pm King Street Council OfficesRutherglen G73 1DQ

4th Monday of the month

5pm Lambhill Stables11 Canal Bank North, Glasgow G22 6RD

6.30pmBellcraig Community Centre10 Gorstan Street, Glasgow G23 5QA

Please always call ahead toconfirm surgeries in case ofcancellation.

Constituents withappointments will be givenpriority.

No surgeries will be heldduring public or schoolholidays and they may besubject to change duringparliamentary recess.

your Member of the Scottish Parliament

for Glasgow Region (SNP)Bob Doris MSP

0141 353 [email protected]

www.bobdoris.org

twitter.com/GlasgowMSP

facebook.com/bob.doris.msp

Constituency office: 3rd Floor, Empire House131 West Nile Street Glasgow G1 2RX The Parliament is not responsible for the content of other internet sites.

Contact Bob Doris MSP

‘Drop in’ surgeries - Glasgow City CentreCall for details on 0141 353 0784

Housing and Welfare Minister Mar-garet Burgess MSP presented ng homes with an award for the excel-lent regeneration work they do in North Glasgow on the opening day of CIH Scotland’s Annual Conference and Exhibition in Glasgow. The award recognises ng homes’ extensive programme of regen-eration activities being delivered throughout North Glasgow. ng homes Chairperson John Fury was part of the group collecting the award on behalf of the association. John said: “I would like to thank the judges who came out to visit us, to meet the people and hear at first-hand about how we are making a difference to our com-munities. Congratulations also to the other organisations shortlisted in our category - these awards showcase all the good work that housing associations do. This award is testimony to the excellent work being done by our staff and to the foresight shown by our Board in making regeneration such an important part of our business.” The Conference was told that North Glasgow is recognised as one of the most deprived areas in Scotland, and has been plagued by unused and derelict land, high unemployment, low educational attainment, poor health and lack of aspiration. ng homes has been at the forefront of involving local people throughout the process to drive forward long lasting change. ng homes vision is to create a new North Glasgow: a great place to

live, learn, work, visit and invest . ng homes Chief Executive Robert Tamburrini said: “We are abso-lutely thrilled that the judges have chosen ng homes as the winner of the CIH Excellence in Re-generation award this year. “It’s great that our hous-ing and regeneration work, which go together hand in hand, has been recognised at national level. Our work, like the work of other hous-ing associations throughout Scot-land, is making a positive difference to the lives of local families and the wider community. This award is testimony to all the hard work of the team at ng homes who along with our partner organisations are helping us achieve our vision of a New North Glasgow. The range of activities instigated by ng homes was considered by the award judges to be extremely impressive. ng homes view regen-eration as having 3 main strands: physical, social and economic and the broad range of activities covered includes improving the quality of housing, environmental projects, training and employability programmes, community health and wellbeing initiatives, recycling and waste initiatives, partnerships with schools, youth work, art and sport projects, and community safety programmes.

Along with the community itself, the Association’s many partners in the regeneration work have included Glasgow City Council, Glasgow Regeneration Agency, schools, colleges, football clubs and other sports bodies. Elaine Gibson, Chair of CIH Scot-land, said: “The judging panel felt it would be difficult to imagine a better ex-ample of a housing body acting as a community anchor. The Association is constantly looking for and acting on opportunities to get people and organisations working together. For ng homes, the economy of the area is the number one priority and everything else that happens stems from that. “It was clear that ng homes sees regeneration activity as worthwhile only if it’s sustainable in the longer term – they aren’t interested in temporary fixes. The regeneration of North Glasgow isn’t finished – regeneration never really finishes – but for the hugely impressive work done over recent years our congratulations go to ng homes, its partners and the local community.”

ng homes Presented with CIH Award for Excellence in Regeneration by Scottish Government

February 2013 3

In the absence of banking facilities in Milton, the credit union offers affordable and reliable financial services to the community, regardless of people’s resources or their level of income. Low interest loans are available to members. Any surplus the credit union makes on its activities during the year, can be returned to the members in the form of a dividend. Members can save as often as they like and, up to a certain limit, as much as they like. The credit union operates from two additional collection points.

www.cleanglasgow.com

Report the dirty dog owner

It wisnae me

to our Enforcement Officers who will be in your area or phone

0800 027 7027 Pick it up or pay the price - £40 fine

DF 17x4 170x130 .indd 1 06/12/2012 12:49

Appeal over Ross Ramsay after leaving Glasgow casino Police have appealed for help to trace a man Maryhill man who went missing after leaving a casino in Glasgow city centre. Ross Ramsay, 30, was last seen at the Gala Casino on Sauchiehall Street at mid-night on Thursday last week. Police are now seeking information to help piece together his movements and trace him. There are further worries for Mr Ramsay’s wellbeing as he requires daily medication. His family said his disappear-ance is out of character and they are worried about his safety. He is described as 5ft 10in in height and slim. He has au-burn, shoulder length hair. He was wearing a grey, bomber style jacket with black lining and hood, light blue bleached jeans, which were ripped at the bottom, and grey hi-top trainers. He did not have his medi-cation with him and has no money or mobile phone. Insp John O’Neill from Strathclyde Police said: “We know that when Mr

Ramsay left the casino he headed west towards Charing Cross. We’re trying to piece together his movements after that. “We know he drinks in the Ben Nevis pub in Argyle Street. “It is not like Mr Ramsay to be out of touch for this length of time and we are concerned for his safety.”

CONCERNS GROW FOR MISSING MARYHILL MAN

A major milestone in the construction of the new £10 million Possilpark Primary and Community Health Centre took place yesterday when Health Secretary Alex Neill cut the first sod at a special ceremony. The new modern, state-of-the-art health and care centre for the people of Possilpark will incorporate four GP Practices, general dental practitioner services, physiotherapy, podiatry, community dental ser-vices, community consult-ing rooms, district nursing, health visitors, social work and health improvement teams offering smoking cessation support and sexual health services. Health Secretary Alex Neil said: “Having the right facilities in the right place is important to people across Scotland and that is why we

are determined to ensure both staff and patients the length and breadth of the country can work and be treated in the best possible surroundings. “I was delighted to cut the turf on the new Possilpark Health Centre, which is a fantastic example of how the local community will benefit from a new purpose-built facility, providing high quality healthcare close to home. The Health Centre is part of phase one of a new regen-eration process underway for the area, and at the heart of a new civic centre being created which will transform the area’s physical environ-ment and improve health and healthcare facilities. Speaking at the ceremony NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Chairman Andrew Robertson said: “The building of this new health

centre on this derelict site in the heart of Possilpark is a tangible example of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde’s commitment to tackling health inequalities. Today is not a time to dwell on the negative – but it is well documented that Possilpark suffers some of the worst social and health problems

of any area in Glasgow, Scotland – or even Europe. It is therefore vital that we target resource where it is most needed – and hopefully where it can make a real dif-ference to people’s lives. “Our hope is that this new health centre is just the be-ginning of a healthier future for the people of Possilpark.”

WORK BEGINS ON NEW SARACEN STREET SITE£10M POSSILPARK PRIMARY AND COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTRE

9March 2013 March 2013 8

Welfare Reform a ‘social disaster’ for GlasgowBy William Bain, Labour MP for Glasgow North East

HISTORICAL figures from both wings of the Coalition Government would have much to say about the policies being conducted by their successors in office now in the name of “welfare reform”. The last Liberal Prime Minister Lloyd-George would have been appalled at the casual disregard for growing want in our country, of which the doubling of the use of foodbanks since David Cameron and Nick Clegg took power is a powerful emblem. Similarly, former Conservative Chancellors such as Iain MacLeod would not recognize George Osborne’s punitive welfarism, and crude divide and rule politics between what he sees as a deserving and undeserving poor, as consistent with a genuinely One Nation Government. The problems which bedevil the Scottish and UK economies are a lack of demand, declining real wages, low business investment, and slumping productivity. Policies to increase demand by boosting spending power of those on low and middle incomes, and to rebalance the economy with a proper industrial policy, are urgently required. However, the Chancellor has placed undue burdens on the Bank of England and monetary policy to generate the required “escape velocity” to avoid the country being sucked into a death spiral of non-existent growth – he has delivered a mere tenth of the increase in output there should have been since 2010, according to the independent Office of Budget Responsibility, which recently rebuked the Prime Minister for his assertion that austerity did not harm growth. In his desperation to cut into a stagnant economy in his vain attempt to restrain soaring debt, Osborne has hacked into a rising welfare budget with ever-decreasing skill. The reason the welfare budget is rising is two-fold: first, unemployment at around 2.5million is substantially higher than predicted than at this stage of what should be a recovery; and second; the surge in involuntary part-time working, together with declining wages and living standards are drawing more

people into eligibility for housing benefit. Real welfare reform would be led by two principles – real work for those long-term and young jobless who can work, and sustaining the living standards of the vulnerable who cannot. In Sweden in the 1990s, the country was faced with the aftermath of a financial crisis starting in the banking system and 10% unemployment, but managed to increase growth as well as cut its deficit by active labour market policies, including jobs guarantees for the long-term jobless. Decades of investment in a near-universal childcare system meant female employment levels were high, and wage growth recovered in a fuller employment society. Instead we have a Government which is skewing childcare support through the tax and benefits system to the wealthiest, while ordinary families in Scotland, paying a bigger chunk of their disposable income on childcare than other parts of the UK, saw just 1p in extra support in the year to last December. The cumulative effect of Coalition policies on wages, tax, and benefits have been to cost average Scottish households £28.63 a week or £1,488 a year by 2015, while the TUC has estimated the collapse in real wages will cost workers on average salaries nearly £6,000 until 2015.The Government’s flagship Work Programme is so poor, getting only 2.5% of participants in my constituency into sustained jobs, it would have actually been better doing nothing, while 600 of my constituents have been out of work for 2 years or more. Universal Credit is turning out as markedly less generous than Iain Duncan-Smith first indicated, with lone parents working part-time, and second earners in couple households with children, facing disincentives from finding full-time work, even if they can. By far the worst elements of the Government’s slash and burn efforts on welfare policy have been the bedroom tax and the benefit uprating cap at 1% for the next three years – effectively a 4% real terms cut in tax credits and many in

and out of work benefits, and taking as much as £5 a week on average away from 800,000 Scottish households, and 5.1m working age households across the UK. The bedroom tax is a calamity of policy-making by the Government, but threatens to be a social disaster for people in Scotland, and across the rest of the UK. As many as 5,000 homeless people in temporary council accommodation in Scotland could be forced to pay the tax, despite being in severe rent arrears and destitution. The meagre exemptions drawn out of the Government last week – for the families of service personnel, and for some, but not all, foster carers - are not good enough. Over the past few weeks I have met disabled constituents in adapted properties, some in tears, who have received demands from the DWP asking for anywhere from nearly £10 a week extra to £25 a week extra in April should this appalling tax on “spare rooms” be introduced. The Government have set conditions that they know 655,000 poor and vulnerable people across the country cannot meet, and are instead forcing them to pay, while 8,000 people earning over £1m a year are rubbing their hands in glee at the thought of the £2,000 a week tax cut they will receive from April 6.The National Government discovered in the 1930s that sacrificing the poor on the altar of non-existent debt reduction is madness, but for this Chancellor, ironically educated as a historian, he is repeating at massive human cost, precisely the wrong lessons from history.

THE date of April 1st may be well known as a day to play jokes on our friends and family, but this year it will be more than just a harmless joke when thousands of East Enders begin to feel the bite of welfare reform. The Government at Westminster are changing the rules around how

benefits are paid and who is entitled to them. One of the most controversial changes has been to Housing Benefit, with reductions in support for those in socially rented houses who are deemed to have a spare room. This change is known as the “Bedroom Tax” and is particularly controversial since as many as 40%

of tenants in receipt of housing benefit are set to be affected. Campaigns are underway to get Councils, The Scottish Government and Housing Associations to try and find a way around this rule change since it will be the poorest in society that are affected. The average shortfall in rent will be £16

per week meaning huge rent arrears for tenants and big problems for housing associations. One Chief Executive of a large housing association in the city spoke to the ReGEN earlier this week to give us his view on how the dreaded “Bedroom Tax” will affect people in Glasgow. He said:

“The Bedroom Tax is the most toxic of all reforms – unfair and unjust to its core and yet even fails to achieve its basic goal of saving money for the taxpayer. “The money supposedly saved from Housing Benefit in social housing will be spent in added costs in costly homelessness units and higher private sector rents as people move out of the social rented sector. “In addition, local businesses will take another hit that they can ill-afford as disposable incomes of communities are savaged by the cuts to real-terms benefit levels. “The recent SIMD report showed shocking levels of poor health amongst the residents of our community – cutting the incomes and spending power of individuals and families will further weaken the fight against health inequality,

income deprivation and social mobility.” Recently, the government has made a few small concessions with families with disabled children and some foster carers to receive an exemption however these minor changes only served to highlight how illogical and unfair the bedroom tax is in the first place. The new rules allow one bedroom for each adult or couple. Children under the age of 16 are expected to share, if they are the same gender. Those under 10 are expected to share whatever their gender. Disabled tenants will be allowed a bedroom for full-time live-in or overnight carers. If a full-time carer is a husband, wife or partner, then they will be expected to share a room. There is a discretionary housing payment that can be applied

from the local authority if the disability means the partner needs to sleep in another room, however this has already been described as completely inadequate by opponents of the rule change.For those who are over 60, there is some positive news. If either half of a couple are of pensionable age, they will not see reductions to housing benefit. But with more welfare changes expected with the introduction of universal credit, both will need to be over pensionable age, or one will need to be in receipt of pension credit, in order to qualify for the maximum benefit. One thing is for sure, you need to know how you will be affected. If there is any doubt in your mind, contact your housing officer and they will be able to assist you.

THE Leader of Glasgow City Council, Cllr Gordon Matheson, has slammed the UK Govern-ment’s proposals to penalise families with the ‘Bedroom Tax.’ And as the Leader of the biggest local authority of in Scotland, he has condemned the Scottish Government for failing to protect Scots from the Housing Benefit changes. Speaking to the ReGEN he said: “The Tories and Lib Dems should scrap their unfair Bedroom Tax. It is a regressive tax which punishes our most vulnerable people, particularly low-income working families and the disabled. “Not only is it unfair and unworkable, but it’s becoming clear that the tax won’t even work financially and might even cost more than it will save. The SNP Government must also act to protect our must vulnerable citizens from the impact of the tax. This isn’t

the time for them to sit on their hands and simply blame Westminster.” It is not only coun-cillors who have condemned the move, as local MPs and MSPs from both Labour and the SNP, and across the city have united to urge the UK Government to drop their policy. Glasgow East MP Margaret Curran said: “The bedroom tax is cruel and unfair. 100,000 ten-ants across Scotland will be hit, 40,000 people face rent arrears and thousands could be made homeless. Scottish Labour is clear – we want the Tories to scrap the bedroom tax and if we were in Government today we would get rid of this policy. “The responsibility to get rid of the bedroom tax lies with the Tories in the UK Parliament and we will continue to argue

against them, but the SNP Government in Edinburgh need to do all they can to make sure people are protected from the unfairness of the bedroom tax. Last week they had the chance to vote for Labour’s call for more money to be made avail-able to local government to help people hit by the bedroom tax. Instead of voting with us, they voted against. “The SNP promise jam tomorrow, but they are failing to help people in the East End today.”

Council Leader speaks out against ‘regressive tax’

The UK Government’s bed-room tax is as hard hearted as it is brutal. This policy could force many of my con-stituents out of their homes. For many that remain in their homes, they will see their benefits cut and stories are starting to emerge of the need for drastic measures such as food banks and charitable institutions. That is not acceptable in this day and age. The Scottish Govern-ment is doing all it can to mitigate the worst effects of the bedroom tax but it is impossible to wish away this Tory attack. I see firsthand from constituents who are approaching me that the bedroom tax will be devas-

tating. Locals that I speak to are thankful the Scottish Government oppose this tax but are angry that the UK Government can foist such brutality on Scotland and our national parliament has no power to stop it. I met one lady who has stayed in her family home for over 40 years. She has been told she must now move or have her benefits cut. This is despite the fact appropriate alternative ac-commodation does not exist. This is simply not acceptable. I welcome the Scottish Government’s Housing Min-ister, Margaret Burgess MSP, writing to every Housing As-sociation and Council in the

country urging them to take steps to do all they can to mitigate the effects of the Bed-room Tax and work positively with tenants that are impacted. The Scottish Govern-ment has given over £5million to Scotland’s advice services to support those affected by this shameful UK policy. They have also created a £33m wel-fare fun, and replaced £9million cut by the UK Government. This will go some way to helping but can only ever have a limited effect. Only full control over Scotland’s benefits system

can kill monstrosities such as the bedroom for good; and I am alarmed that a UK Labour spokesperson, Helen Goodman MP, has confirmed that Labour will keep the bedroom tax if elected at Westminster. I want to concentrate on helping those affected lo-cally but look forward to the day when Scotland has the power to ensure we never again have such horrific measures imposed on our country.

BOB DORIS MSP: BEDROOM TAX IS HARD HEARTED

Would you trust a motor mechanic to perform heart surgery on you? A bricklayer to apply a spray-tan? No of course you wouldn’t. So why on earth would anyone trust the millionaire toffs in the ConDem government to devise social hous-ing policy? These political space cadets wouldn’t know a council or housing association house if it fell on their swollen heads. Their cruel and economically illiterate bed-room tax proposal proves just out of touch with ordinary lives they really are. With 23 members of the 29 member cabinet being million-aires what else do you expect? It is one of the most unrepresentative governments in history.

Make no mistake these people are not cutting housing benefit to over 660,000 of the poorest fami-lies in Britain because they support or want to improve social housing provision. They have refused to build much needed new homes and now plan to turf poor families and the disabled out of their homes if they can’t find an extra £14 a week for one bedroom deemed too many. Children will be forced to share bedrooms in smaller houses or families face eviction. To receive housing benefit you must prove you are poor. How then will these families be able to pay additional rent? It is a cruel and cold attack on the poor and over two thirds of those who will be adversely affected are disabled.

The Welfare Reform Act which introduces the Bedroom Tax, caps benefits below inflation, scraps Disability Living Allowance and attacks the poor.

A tidal wave of anger against what this government is doing to further impoverish millions of families is rising. You may not per-sonally be affected by the bedroom tax but you will know someone who is. Your own job, pay, benefits and wider community are under attack. We must resist. We must fight back.

The ConDems have to be forced to drop their bedroom tax proposal. Any individual family threatened with eviction for being unable to pay has to be protected by the wider community. Physical walls of human solidarity will have to be erected to prevent sheriff officers carrying out evictions. Collectively the anti-poll tax move-ment stopped poll tax warrant sales. Now the anti-bedroom tax campaign will have to prevent evictions.

We can win this campaign. It is not enough to get angry. We now have to get organised and get even. The SNP have said there will be no bedroom tax in an independ-

ent Scotland. That is welcome. But in the meantime the SNP govern-ment has the power to change the Housing Scotland Act to treat bedroom tax arrears as ordinary debt not rent debt.

That small change would pre-vent evictions. They have to stand up for the poor and disabled now. Properly opposing the Westminster government’s bedroom tax is not only the right thing to do it would also convince more people of the just case for independence.

Twenty four years ago many of us got ourselves organised to fight Thatcher’s hated and unfair poll tax. We were dismissed as irrelevant at first but proceeded to deliver mass non-payment and melted the ‘Iron Lady’ and forced her into the political scrap yard into the bargain. Mass opposition is now required against the Tory/Lib Dem attacks on the poor and disa-bled. Successful resistance could get rid of that sorry lot of spivs and silver spooned brutes as a positive by-product of the struggle.

TOMMY SHERIDAN: WE MUST FIGHT-BACK AGAINST CON-DEM PROPOSALS

Re-GENTHE

Friday 22nd February 2013 15

The dreaded ‘bedroom tax’ will be coming into effect from April 2013. It is important to know if you will be affected. As part of the ReGEN’s Welfare Reform Awareness Campaign, we are highlighting this week the changes to those who are in receipt housing benefit. It is im-

portant to contact your housing officer if you think your benefit might change.Shelter Scotland and other housing charities have already highlighted the dangers that reform will bring. They have produced this guide for those with questions about ‘the

bedroom tax.’If you have a spare bedroom and you’re renting from the council or a housing association and getting housing benefit, then the amount of benefit you receive may be reduced. This is commonly known as ‘the bedroom tax’.

Reduced housing benefit if you have a spare bed-roomFrom April 2013 if you’re of working age, receiving housing benefit and renting a property that’s bigger than you need, it’s likely that your benefit will be reduced. If you have more bedrooms than you need for your household then you’ll lose a percentage of your housing benefit. This is referred to as ‘under-occupying’ your home or ‘the bedroom tax’.

How many bedrooms can I get housing benefit for under the new rules?These ‘under occupancy’ changes mean that you can only claim housing benefit for one bedroom for each of these people who live in your home:• a couple• an adult• two children of the same sex• two children under 10• any other child, except foster children and children who don’t normally live with you• a carer providing over-night care. This is the same as for people claiming housing benefit in the private sec-tor. However, the rules for people under 35 claiming

housing benefit and the limit on the number of bedrooms you can claim for won’t apply to council and housing associa-tion tenants.

How much will be hous-ing benefit be reduced by?If you have more bedrooms than you need then a percent-age reduction will be applied to your eligible rent for the purposes of your housing benefit claim:• 14% will be taken off if you have one extra bedroom than you need, or• 25% will be taken off if you have two extra bedrooms than you need. These deductions affect housing benefit claims for both new and existing claims from April 2013.

How can I pay for the rest of my rent?If you’re going to be affected by a deduction to your housing benefit then it’s very impor-tant that you prepare for the change before April 2013. There are several things you can do:• take in a lodger – renting out a spare room would bring in extra income, but get the agreement of your landlord first and check whether this will affect any other benefits that you’re currently receiving, the first £20 of any rent you receive won’t count as income on your benefit claim• ask for a contribution to your rent - your family members may be able to pay more towards your rent• move to a smaller property – you may be able to transfer to

a smaller property, speak to your council or the housing association you’re renting from to see if you can apply to do this • apply for a discretionary housing payment – your local council may be able to give you temporary support to help you stay in your home through a discretionary housing payment. If you can’t pay all your rent after the reduction you may have to think about finding somewhere else to live or you will risk falling behind with

your rent and possibly being evicted. Speak to an adviser in your area as soon as possible if you’re worried that this may happen to you.

Are there any exemp-tions to the ‘over occu-pancy’ changes?The reduction to housing ben-efit for households with extra bedrooms will not apply to:• pensioners• people living in shared own-ership properties• people living in accommoda-tion like caravans, houseboats• temporary accommodation• some exempt supported ac-commodation.

AWARENESS CAMPAIGN WELFARE REFORMRe-GENTHE

Tr a n s f o rm i n g L i ve s www.stockporthomes.org

Actnow!

!Changesto benefitsWelfare Reform

Payment of Housing Benefit

straight into your bank account

coming soon…Worried about changes to your housing benefit?

Need some help and advice? Contact your local housing provider

for help and advice

Milnbank Housing Association53 Ballindalloch Drive, Dennistoun,

Glasgow G31 3DQ

Tel: 0141 - 551 8131www.milnbank.org.uk

Parkhead Housing

Association

40 Helenvale Street, Parkhead, GLASGOW G31 4TF

Telephone 0141 556 6226

www.parkheadha.org.uk

213 Braidfauld StreetTollcross, Glasgow G32 8PS

Tel: 0141 763 1317

For General Enquiries please call:

0844 892 0321www.westscot.co.uk

West of Scotland Housing Association (WSHA) is currently exploring the benefits of a partnership with Gentoo Group. The two organisations are currently in discussions to find out what a partnership could mean and the benefits it could bring to tenants.

Duncan McNaught, Chief Executive of West of Scotland Housing Association said: “We are exploring a potential partnership because we are looking to the future and the financial challenges that all housing associations will face in the next few years. These challenges include welfare reform which is likely to reduce the income available to all associations, and the need to invest more money in our houses to achieve higher energy efficiency targets which could help protect our tenants from rising energy costs.

“We need to adapt, and believe it is not an option to do nothing in the face of the challenges ahead.” WSHA believes that making this positive change will make the Association fitter for these challenges. It will help ensure the Association continues to be able to provide the best homes and services possible for its tenants and communities in the long term.

Gentoo Group is a well established housing provider and regulated in England by the Homes and Communities Agency. With a strong track record, throughout the years it has demonstrated commitment to high standards, good quality homes, and strong communities. More than just a housing association, Gentoo is about improving lives by investing in people, the planet and property based activities.

The two organisations therefore share similar values and a strong cultural fit with similar aspirations around creating sustainable communities and homes that are fit for the future.

Duncan continues, “We have been impressed by what we have seen in our discussions with and visits to Gentoo. We are now looking in detail at what real benefits a partnership with Gentoo could provide.”

If West of Scotland Housing Association joined Gentoo Group it would stay as a housing association registered with the Scottish Housing Regulator as well as keep its name and ownership of its housing. WSHA will still employ its own staff, work from its present offices and remain being governed by its own Management Committee. Most importantly, tenants will keep their existing rights and their landlord will remain as West of Scotland Housing Association. Gentoo Group would be WSHA’s parent body and set the overall Group strategy.

Duncan concludes, “These are exciting times for the Association, this partnership has the potential to provide new solutions to the challenges we face.”

Association to explore benefits of a partnership

“Providing the best homes, services and communities for our tenants”

If you would like any more information on the proposed partnership with Gentoo please call us on:

0141 550 5600 or send an email to [email protected]

For General Enquiries please call: 0844 892 0321

www.westscot.co.uk

GHA Shop,173 Trongate ,Glasgow ,G1 5HF

Tel: 0141 274 6460 www.gha.org.uk

Bridgeton Citizens advice bureau: 35 Main Street,

Glasgow, G40 1QB 0141 554 0336

Easterhouse Citizens advice bureau: 46 Shandwick Square,

Glasgow, G34 9DT 0141 771 2328

Parkhead Citizens Advice bureau: 1361-1363 Gallowgate, Glasgow, G31 4DN 0141 554

0004

GEMAP Scotland ltd Phone:0141 773 5850

Email: [email protected]

Gemap Scotland News

If you would like assistance on more information on anything above please contact GEMAP Scotland Ltd on 0141 773 5850

Westwood Business CentreUnit 2/31, 69 Aberdalgie Road, Easterhouse, Glasgow G34 9HJ Phone: 0141 773 5850Fax: 0141 781 1777Email: [email protected]

Money Advice-are you having problems with money & managing your debts, are companies writing/phoning you. Are you unable to pay them, we can help-Gemap Scotland offers a free, independent & confidential service

Benefits-are you sure you’re on the right benefits, do you know your ESA from your JSA-if not, we can offer a free, impartial & independent benefit check for you and help you to apply for them-remember this is money you could be due.

Financial Capability- we offer a range of tailor made financial capability workshops, available in your community. We offer advice on budgeting, banking, debt and the cost of credit. We can help with bank accounts, savings strategies and goals.

Legal Advice-Are you in danger of losing your home or face becoming evicted. Do you need legal assistance, advice or court representation-we can help. We offer a free, independent & impartial legal service.

Fuel Poverty we’ve all seen the massive price increase from the power companies recently, are you struggling trying to pay your fuel bills- are you on the right tariff and the best supplier, we can help, we can arrange a home visit for you for advice

Are you worried about debts or your fuel bills, maxed the plastic. Bills, Bills and more Bills, as we shudder from our festive financial hangovers and bills not yet paid. Maybe it’s time to get some help.

BEDROOM TAX COMING SOON, MAKE SURE YOU KNOW THE CHANGESTIME IS RUNNING OUT, WELFARE REFORM IS HERE

Re-GENTHE















Actnow!






for help and advice


Glasgow G31 3DQ


Parkhead Housing

Association


Telephone 0141 556 6226



Tel: 0141 763 1317
















www.westscot.co.uk




Glasgow, G40 1QB 0141 554 0336


Glasgow, G34 9DT 0141 771 2328


0004



Gemap Scotland News









BEDROOM TAX COMING SOON, MAKE SURE YOU KNOW THE CHANGESRe-GENTHE















Actnow!






for help and advice


Glasgow G31 3DQ


Parkhead Housing

Association


Telephone 0141 556 6226



Tel: 0141 763 1317
















www.westscot.co.uk




Glasgow, G40 1QB 0141 554 0336


Glasgow, G34 9DT 0141 771 2328


0004



Gemap Scotland News









BEDROOM TAX COMING SOON, MAKE SURE YOU KNOW THE CHANGES


Glasgow G31 3DQ






Log onto www.cas.org.uk to find

your nearest Citizens Advice Bureau



Springburn (East)Ned Donaldson House, 50 Reidhouse Street

Springburn, Glasgow, G21 4LSTel: 0141 560 6000


Possilpark, Glasgow, G22 5LF

Tel: 0141 336 1300

10 March 2013

FROM DESK TOP TO DJ BOOTHAmbitious Anthony to play at nightclub party

FOR Tenants of Milnbank Housing Association, you may know Anthony Taggart as the helpful member of the Housing Management Team who has been working with the Housing Association for 2 years. However, to many party goers in Glasgow, he is known for his ability to turn good tunes into a great night. And now Anthony (20), from Sandyhills in the East End, has been rewarded by being one of the main acts

at city centre nightclub Victoria’s. Speaking exclusively to the ReGEN, Anthony said: “I am really excited about this opportunity. I have been DJ-ing since I was 16 and this is the biggest club night I will have played.“To be play at Victoria’s will be a great chance and I know I will have to give it everything I’ve got to make it a great event for everyone.” Having recently

being booked to play alongside big names such as DJ Scott Brown, DJ Vance & GBX’s George Bowie Anthony knows that with determination, he too can reach the heights of the Glasgow Club Scene. He added: “I love my job at Milnbank Housing Association, but it has always been my dream to be a top DJ. Getting the chance to show a bigger audience what I can do will be a great boost for my confidence.”

GLASGOW is taking on more female trade apprentices than anywhere in Scotland. Across the country, less than 1% of construction and craft trade apprentices are female however Glasgow is beating that trend thanks to City Building. 5% of apprentices in trades such as plumbing and electrical work are now women. One of those is teenager Francine Chisholm who is nearing the end of her four year electrical apprenticeship and has hopes of a permanent job with City Building. The 19 year old started learning her trade in September 2009. Speaking to the ReGEN, she said that she had not faced any difficulties being a female electrician. Francine, from Carmyle, said:“I didn’t think twice about entering a trade because I wasn’t really aware of how few women do these jobs. But then I was working and it was all men – I don’t think I’ve ever worked on a site with another woman – though hopefully numbers of women will keep rising. It’s a great job and I feel I’m learning something new every day. Even though I only have a few months of training left.

0800 595 595email: [email protected]

or visit www.citybuildingglasgow.co.uk

FEMALE APPRENTICES FIND SUCCESS AT CITY BUILDING

13January 2013

1st Friday of the Month*Cranhill 11.00amCranhill Community Project, 109 Bellrock Street,G33 3HE

Wellhouse 12 noonWellhouse Hub, 49 Wellhouse Crescent,G33 4LA

Easterhouse 1.00pmThe Bridge, 1000 Westerhouse Road,G34 9DU

Budhill 2.00pmBudhill Family Learning Centre, Hallhill Road, Springboig, G32 0PR

2nd Monday of the Month*Barmulloch 5.15pmBarmulloch Community Centre, 46 Wallacewell Quadrant, G21

4th Monday of the Month*Garthamlock 4.00pmGESH, 1 Redcastle Square, G33 5EG

Craigend 5.00pmSt Rose of Lima Primary School, 295 Mossvale Road, G33 5QS

Carntyne 6.00pmHigh Carntyne Church (Carntyne Square), 358 Carntynehall Road,G32 6LW

* No Surgeries on Public HolidaysEmail: [email protected]

Website: www.paulmartinemsp.org.uk

Paul Martin MSPYour constituency Member of the Scottish Parliament

Surgery DetailsConstituency Office:

604 Alexandra ParadeGlasgow G31 3BS

0141 564 1364

Open Monday-Friday9.00am - 5.00pmClosed for Lunch

12.30pm - 1.30pm

THE welfare reform train is coming down the tracks, and it is impor-tant that you know how you and your family will be affected£5.4m has been pledged to benefits advice chari-ties by the Scottish Gov-ernment and it is hoped that this money will help Glaswegians know what is changing, whether it is housing benefit, council tax benefit, Employment Support or the Universal Credit.

The GHA, as Glasgow’s biggest social landlord, have set up a special helpline to help with the transition. If you have any questions or need help then you should contact them for their assistance.

The helpline number is 0800 597 3777. If you are calling from a mobile it’s cheaper to call 0141 444 0110. The helpline is open

9am to 5pm.

The key changes to benefits are:

• A single, monthly pay-ment (paid directly into your bank account) called the ‘Universal Credit’ will replace several means-tested benefits including Housing Benefit.

• Universal Credit will mean your rent will no longer be paid directly to us - you’ll need to pay it yourself from the month-ly payment you receive.

• Your Housing Benefit will be cut if you are con-sidered to be living in a house that is bigger than you need. Please call us for more details on this.

• Changes to housing benefit will include an increased deduction from your Housing Benefit if you have someone who is not dependant on you, over 18 and living in your home. If you need more information on this,

please call us or speak to your Housing Officer.

• A cap on the total amount of benefits you can receive.

The £5.4m announced by the Scottish Govern-ment is in response to a substantial increase in requests for help as a result of the welfare reforms. The money will provide a new package of funding will support those providing front-line advice and support to people across Scot-land.

This will include:• Immediate cash

injection of £300,000 for services such as those provided by Citizens Ad-vice Scotland (CAS)

• Setting up a new £1.7 million fund providing direct support to advice services

• A further £3.4 million to be spent over the next two years on helping or-

ganisations mitigate the impacts welfare reforms.

Changes in Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit will reduce the budgets of more than 100,000 households in Scotland – 88 per cent of them couples with chil-dren. On average these families will be £700 a year worse off.

Over 100,000 house-holds across Scotland will also lose on average of around £600 a year as a result of the bedroom tax.

And it is estimated that around 1 million work-ing age households in Scotland will be affected by the uprating of ben-efits by 1 per cent, an-nounced in the Autumn Statement, reducing the total income of Scottish households by around £210 million by 2014-15.

The dreaded Bed-room Tax will reduce the amount of housing

benefit support that can be given to tenants in the social rented sector by introducing new size criteria for working-age Housing Benefit claim-ants, who have extra bedrooms.

People who are judged to be ‘under occupy-ing’ their home by one bedroom will have their housing benefit slashed by 14 per Cent. Where they are under occupying by two or more bed-rooms the deduction is 25 per Cent.

The new criteria for under occupation could mean that ill or disabled people, who use a spare bedroom for medical equipment, may all be affected.

However you may be affected, it is important that you act now to avoid being penalised financially.

EXTRA HELP FOR BENEFITS ADVICE SERVICE


Actnow!






for help and advice


Glasgow G31 3DQ

















www.westscot.co.uk



Log onto www.cas.org.uk to find

your nearest Citizens



Gemap Scotland News









Springburn (East)Ned Donaldson House, 50 Reidhouse Street

Springburn, Glasgow, G21 4LSTel: 0141 560 6000


Possilpark, Glasgow, G22 5LF

Tel: 0141 336 1300


11March 2013

WANT TO STOPSMOKING?Phone North East Glasgow Stop Smoking Services on 0141 201 9832

Glasgow City Community Health Partnership North East Sector

MAUREEN Daly was a contented smoker. She had always told herself that she would only quit if ever her doctor told her that she must. That day came in the Autumn of 2012 when she was referred for tests and her doctor told her that if she didn’t stop smoking her life would be considerably affected. Maureen was initially reluctant however felt that she had to at least make an attempt to quit. She made contact with the Smokefree Community Services and opted to join the stop smoking course in Easterhouse Health Centre. On the first

day she did not hide that this quit was not her choice but a necessity, however she had committed to hear the advisors out before making any final decision to go ahead. No-one was more surprised than Maureen when she realised that she was not on her own and stopping smoking may not be so bad after all. The other group members chatted easily about their own reasons for quitting and Maureen realised that although her reasons were very personal to her there were others who understood how she felt. As the weeks went on

Maureen was increasingly surprised at how well she was doing and was delighted to be able to share in the successes of everyone else. As a group they helped each other though some of the more difficult periods but also shared a laugh and encouraged each other to stay on track with their quits. Having now spent her first smoke free Christmas of her adult life, Maureen is enjoying the benefits of not smoking, she feels physically fitter with more energy; she has noticed a difference in her breathing and has enjoyed the extra money in her purse.

If you would like to find out how the Community Services can support you to quit, please call 0141 201 9832

Smokers urged to ‘swap fags for swag’ on 30th national No Smoking DayTHOUSANDS of smokers in Glasgow are being encouraged to ‘swap fags for swag’ and consider the financial benefits of quitting, this month on the 30th anniversary of No Smoking Day. This year smokers are being encouraged to focus on what they could afford to buy they were to quit for a day (saving £7), a week (£49), a month (£210) and a year (£2,555). Staff from NHS Smokefree Services in North East Glasgow can help smokers ditch the cigarettes for good on Wednesday 13 March – No

Smoking Day. Karen Gray, from NHS Smokefree Services said: “One of the biggest incentives for smokers to quit comes from considering the real amount of money they spend on cigarettes and thinking about what themselves and their family could afford if they were to give up for good”. “By tallying up the exact amount of money that could be saved, smokers can work towards an actual goal – be it a new pair of shoes, a family trip to the cinema or a dream holiday”.

NHS Smokefree Services offer a wide range of free help to people including stop smoking groups in different locations across the city. Help includes telephone support, stop smoking classes and access to nicotine replacement therapies. Help is also available from your local pharmacy. Contact North East Smokefree Services on 0141 201 9832 for a chat to see how you can get help to stop smoking. No Smoking Day merged with the British Heart Foundation in 2011. The annual No Smoking

Day campaign, which is now in its 30th year, inspires and helps smokers who want to quit, and is supported by an alliance of UK health bodies and charities. For more information about the No Smoking Day campaign visit www.nosmokingday.org.uk or for more on the BHF visit www.bhf.org.uk Smokers can visit www.WeQuit.co.uk, an online hub full of information and tips on how to quit. It also includes a forum where people can chat with more than 15,000 other quitters about the issues they face.

WORKSHOPSNavigationEquip yourself with the necessary skills for the hills with these easy to followbeginners workshops designed to increase your confidence by learning toread maps and use a compass in a day suitable for absolute beginners orthose with limited experience.

Workshop Navigation BeginnersVENUE – TBCDATE Saturday 18th May – departs Glasgow Club Scotstoun 9am

VENUE - TBCDATE Saturday 24th August – departs Glasgow Club Bellahouston 9am

Cost £23.70 (no concession rates on workshops)

CANmove is a free activitybased programme for anyoneliving with and beyond cancer.

The 12 week programme isdelivered in venues acrossGlasgow city and has beendesigned specifically to assist

people with a cancer diagnosisto stay or become more active.

CANmoveHave you or someoneyou know been affectedby cancer?Physical Activity is a great way oftaking back a little control,increase your energy levels andhaving some fun.

Let CANmove help you, just call0141 287 0241 for more detailsabout this free programme.

walking prog spring 2013_Layout 1 03/03/2013 11:25 Page 23

FOR those living with or beyond cancer, staying active and fit can sometimes be the last thing that there is to worry about. But there is a growing body of evidence that shows that physical activity is an impor-tant part of all stages of the cancer care pathway. And now Glasgow City Council, Glasgow Life and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde have teamed up with Macmillan Cancer Support to promote their range of keep fit activities called CANmove. CANmove is specifically designed for those living with and beyond cancer and has proven very popular with those who have already tried some of the classes. Louise from Tollcross said “The teacher was very ap-proachable and the experience was invaluable, building my confidence in what I could do after my treatment.” Another user, Marie from Robroyston, described CAN-move as “Great experience and helped me on my route to recovery. Would recommend to all.” Barbara from Sandyhills said “I feel it has helped meeting people in similar circumstanc-es. The exercises have helped

build up my stamina and I am pleased I joined the class” and another service user Char-lie, from Easterhouse said “I would recommend to anyone. My energy levels are the same as before my diagnosis.” The benefits are clear to see with higher levels of fitness, less fatigue, more active lifestyle and a better quality of life. There are also the great social benefits of meeting new people and the big improve-ment in your mental well be-ing that meeting and sharing experiences and stories can have. So if you, or someone you know, could benefit from these specially designed fit-ness classes, why not try it and see for yourself. Classes are held across the city but locally there are groups at Toll-cross Youth Centre, Tollcross Road G32 8HE Wednesday 10am until 11.30am, Glasgow Club Easterhouse Pool, at the Bridge, Westerhouse Road, G34 9JW 12noon until 1.30pm and Club Springburn, Kay Street, G21 1JY 10.30am – 12 noon. People wanting to attend can just turn up to the class but it is recommended that they call 0141 287 0241 in advance or if they have any questions.

CANmove, will move!

12 March 2013

GLASGOW DOES ITS BIT FOR RED NOSE DAY

THE Lord Provost, Cllr Sadie Docherty, turned her office in the City Chambers into a tea room for the day as she donned her pinnie and poured cuppas to raise funds for Comic Relief. The event attracted some

special guests all the way from Shieldinch as she was joined by Shellsuit Bob (Stephen Purdon) and his on screen wife Stella (Keira Luchessi). The stars of the BBC Scotland’s River City drama were joined by dozens of others who had bought tickets to have tea and cake with the Lord Provost, with all the proceeds going to Comic Relief.Lord Provost Sadie Docherty

said:“It was great that everyone was

able to pop along and have a cup of tea. Doing something funny for money is a great way of raising cash for Comic Relief and I am delighted to be promoting it.”Elsewhere in the city, Maryhill

Housing Association Staff had their own Alice in Wonderland

inspired ‘Mad Hatters Tea Party.’ Staff paid £10 for lunch, cake

and tea and it is hoped that hundreds of pounds will have been raised for the annual Red Nose Day appeal. Colleagues Michelle Welford, Charlotte MacDonald and Heather Duff enlisted the help of other staff to make sure the tea party was a

great success. Michelle who is a Housing

Officer at Maryhill said: “We thought a Mad Hatter’s

Tea Party was something different and everyone has been very supportive. It was a wonderful occasion to get everyone involved and doing our bit for Comic Relief.”

PatriciaFerguson MSP

Surgery Details

Member of the Scottish Parliament forGlasgow Maryhill & Springburn

For advice or assistance please contact:Constituency Office,

43 Atlas Road,Glasgow G21 4TA

Tel: 0141 558 9483.

Email: [email protected]: www.patriciaferguson.labour.co.uk

1st Saturday of the month10am: Kelvindale Primary School,11 Dorchester Place, G12 0BP

11.30am: Maryhill Hub186 Wyndford Road, G20 8HF

1st Monday of the month4pm: Springburn Alive & KickingProject, 94 Red Road, G21 4PH

5.30pm: St Monica's (Milton)Primary School, 200 LiddesdaleRoad, G22 7QH

2nd Monday of the month4pm: Lambhill Stables,11 Canal Bank North(off Balmore Road), G22 6RD

5.30pm: Ledgowan Tenants' Hall1 Ledgowan Place, G20 0JZ

3rd Monday of the month4pm: K.A.T.S, 1 FountainwellSquare, Sighthill, G21 1RB

5.30pm: Possilpoint CommunityCentre, 130 Denmark Street,G22 5LQ

4th Monday of the month4pm: Roystonhill RecreationCentre, 15 Forrestfield Street,G21 2HG

5.30pm: Elmvale Primary School712 Hawthorn Street,G22 6ED

The Scottish Parliament has legislative responsibility for:Health, Education, Transport, Housing, Economic Development, Enterprise,Culture, Environment, Rural Development and Justice

•There will be no surgeries onpublic holidays and no surgeries inschools during school holiday periods.

•Those unable to attend a surgery can bevisited at home by arrangement.

•For further information, or to make asurgery appointment, please contact theconstituency office on 0141 558 9483.

Working hard for the communities of Acre, Ashfield, Balgrayhill, Balornock, Cadder, Carron, Colston, Cowlairs,Gairbraid, Germiston, Hamiltonhill, Kelvindale, Keppochhill, Kirklee, Lambhill, Maryhill, Maryhill Park, Milton,

Parkhouse, Petershill, Port Dundas, Possilpark, Royston, Ruchill, Sighthill, Springburn, Summerston and Wyndford.

GHA and Cube Housing Association are to bring forward 106 new afford-able green homes in Glasgow after securing a £2.8million slice of Scot-tish Government funding. The homes will be in Castlemilk and Shawbridge in the South Side and Ruchazie in the East and will be a mix of flats and houses for social rent, mid-market rent and shared equity. The schemes are part of GHA and Cube’s drive to help reduce fuel pov-erty and cut the city’s carbon foot-print. Housing Minister Margaret Burgess announced the Government’s contri-bution for the eco-friendly homes as part of a new £13.5million Greener Homes Innovation Scheme. GHA received £1.6million towards two developments which will see:• 32 new-build homes built on the site of the old St Julie’s Primary School, Croftfoot Road, Castlemilk. The £3.6m development will be made up of 28 houses and four flats for mid-market rent and shared eq-uity • 40 flats, originally earmarked for demolition as part of regeneration plans, refurbished and upgraded in Shawbridge Street at a cost of

£3.5million. The two-bedroom homes will be for mid-market rent. Cube received £1.2million towards a £4m development of 34 homes which will be built at Milncroft Road in Ruchazie. The homes will be a mix of two and three-bedroom flats and houses and will be available for mid-market rent, shared equity and social housing. The scheme is a partnership with Ruchazie Housing Association. Work on all three developments is due to begin in September 2013, subject to planning permission, with all the homes expected to be com-pleted by the end of next year. GHA and Cube are both part of the Wheatley Housing Group. GHA’s Executive Director of Devel-opment and Regeneration, Alex Mc-Guire, said: “We are delighted to have received this Greener Homes Innovation Scheme funding from the Scottish Government to invest in affordable, environmentally-friendly housing. “This scheme allows GHA and our partners Cube to extend our range of housing options for people in the city. “There is a strong demand for homes with mid-market rent and also for shared equity schemes. This

funding will allow us to give people a greater choice of housing to meet their individual needs.” Housing Minister Margaret Bur-gess said: “GHA and Cube Housing Association are to be congratulated for their plans to build 106 new af-fordable green homes in Glasgow backed by £2.8 million from the Scottish Government. “The Greener Homes Innovation Scheme recognises the importance of using new, modern technologies to construct greener, cheaper, more energy efficient homes for people to live in.” The design of the homes in Croft-foot Road will be based on an earlier project – the Glasgow House – which began with four prototypes built as part of a partnership between GHA and City Building. The energy-saving features of the homes mean tenants will be able to benefit from dramati-cally reduced heating and hot water bills. Shawbridge is one of the city’s eight key areas for regeneration known as Transformational Regeneration Ar-eas (TRAs). GHA’s refurbishment of the tenement flats for mid-market rent is part of the next stage of that regeneration programme.

GHA and Cube awarded £2.8m Scottish Government funding for green homes

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13March 2013

CLIMATE week is Britain’s biggest climate change campaign taking place this March. It aims to highlight a positive emphasis on solutions, focusing on the good things people can do, rather than negatively emphasising what they should stop. Climate change poses major risks to human society and the natural world we depend on. Evidence shows that the longer we delay taking action, the greater the impacts of climate change could be..One of the events taking place this week is at King’s Park primary school. Running from March 4th-9th, the event aims to raise awareness of climate change, a recycling project involving a book and game swap, charity clothing donations, and highlighting environmental projects such as planting seeds, traffic surveys and reducing the amount of energy we use. The best way to combat climate change is through numerous solutions applied simultaneously, there is no universal approach. Solutions involve changes in every area of our lives and workFor example, action in the home and office can include recycling, loft insulation, new lighting and heat technologies.There are other various actions you can take. Switching your energy to a green supplier. Green energy is electricity and gas that has been made from renewable sources- these sources

can be found all over the UK. By using the right size saucepans to match hobs and keeping the lid on you can reduce the amount of heat required. Take a shower instead of a bath- a five minute shower will use less than half the water needed for a bath. You can also buy refill packets for your shower gel and toiletries, reducing

plastic waste. Draught excluders and curtains will help insulate your home and mean you can keep your thermostate lower in the winter months. By turning down your room heating down by one degree you can save around £65 per year and 260kg of carbon. Washing clothes at 30 degrees rather than 40 degrees uses around 40% less energy. You can also make your wash more efficient by ensuring you put a full load of washing on each time. Avoiding the tumble dryer and hanging clothes out on the line also saves energy and cuts bills. Defrost your freezer. A 4mm coat of ice can double electric consumption. Switch off lights when leaving a room. This not only helps the environment but saves bills.Try to break your normal routine when you’re at home. For example, play a game with your children instead of watching TV, play sport, or go for a walk. Changing attitudes is about altering behaviour and breaking out of your usual routine. These are simple ways of breaking routine, get used to change and perhaps be more willing to consider changing behaviour on a larger scale.

Ten top tips to reduce

waste1: Fruit and VegBuy firmer fruits and vegetables loose rather than pre-packed (it’s often cheaper and reduces packag-ing waste)

2: Local ProduceBetter still, have a local farm regularly deliver a produce box

3: Avoid multipacksTry to avoid buying multi-packs that have layers of packaging 4: Refillable containersBuy liquids and dry goods, like cereals and soap powder, in bulk using refill-able containers 5: Refillable bottlesUse a refillable water bottle instead of the water cooler or bottled water

6: Music and filmsDownload music and films instead of buying CDs and DVDs 7: PrintingUse both sides if you have to print documents and refill toner cartridges 8: Stop junk mailStop junk mail - register with the Mailing Preference Service 9: Reused or recycledBuy reused or recycled products whenever possible 10: BatteriesUse rechargeable batteries instead of single-use ones

This page is sponsored by the following:raising environmental issues in North Glasgow

North Glasgow Housing Association

ARKA Final full version black & white

001 - 59

ProgrammeThe Urban Fox

CHANGE IN ATTITUDE NEEDED TO CHANGE IN CLIMATE

14 March 2013

Parliamentary Patter

Willie Bain MP

William Bain MPShadow Environment, Food, and

Rural Affairs MinisterLabour MP for Glasgow North East

Westminster Office: 0207-219-7527; Constituency Office: 0141-557-2513

www.williebain.comE-mail: [email protected]

Twitter: twitter.com/William_BainFacebook: facebook.com/william.bain

Paul Martin MSP

Bob Doris MSP

3rd Floor, Empire House131 West Nile Street,

Glasgow G1 2RX Tel: 0141 353 0784

email: [email protected]

Patricia Ferguson MSP

Patricia Ferguson MSP43 Atlas Road

Glasgow G21 4TAt: 0141 558 9483

[email protected]

The announcement by Glasgow City Council this week about the first phase of investment in the school estate is a welcome boost for pupils parents and staff in my constituency. There is £40m to be spent this year alone with primaries, nurser-ies and ASL schools across the whole of Glasgow benefiting. I am particularly pleased

to see Alexandra Parade, St Denis’ and St Martha’s primary school’s being included in the first year of refurbishment. Kids at Ashcraig Secondary and Onslow Drive Nursery are set to be refurbished this year too. This is just the first phase of the 5 year programme that will see £250m spent on refurbish-ing every primary school in

Glasgow. This ambitious plan was a key part in Glasgow Labour’s manifesto at the local elections last year so to see the first signs of work next month will be a real boost to the whole of the city. I know from speaking to many in my constituency of the benefits of having a mod-ern up to date school, and the potential for local communities to use new and improved fa-cilities included on the campus. But it is not just the pupils, parents and staff that can ben-

efit from this kind of invest-ment by the Labour council. Construction jobs and trades-men will have a better chance of getting work when such a huge project is undertaken. It is because of the primary school refurbishments, along with other schemes like the Glasgow Guarantee for 16-24 year olds that youth unem-ployment in our city has fallen whereas it is increasing practi-cally everywhere else in the country. The promise is to complete

every primary school in 5 years so hopefully we will continue to see an improvement in the fabric of our schools. If there is a school you are interested in that is not on the list then feel free to contact me and I will ask about the status of when it is due to be refurbished. If you would like to contact me about this or any other issue then please do not hesitate to get in touch with me via [email protected] or on 0141 564 1364.

George Osborne’s fourth Budget should have presented him with the opportunity to steer the economy away from the disastrous austerity course he has set since becoming Chancellor almost three years ago. With the OECD, IMF, and now even the credit ratings agencies worried about the UK’s pathetically weak growth rate – the 18th lowest in the G20 since 2010 - but with long-term interest rates driven low through the Bank of England’s electronic printing press of its £375bn Asset Purchase Scheme, there could never be a better time to ease fiscal policy by borrowing to invest, especially in our

construction and housing sectors, and kickstart declining industrial output. It is no surprise why economic demand in Scotland remains weak, and is seen as the main economic problem by respected independent forecasters such as the Fraser of Allander Institute. Recent research by Landman Economics for the TUC revealed that the cumulative impact of the Coalition’s policies on tax, welfare, and wages has been to cost average Scottish families £28.63 a week since 2010, or £1488 a year by 2015. Real wages have fallen every month George Osborne has been Chancellor, who has

presided over one of the worst drops in living standards in the EU since 2010. That is lost spending power from our high streets, and shopping centres, but also from local shops too. The Chancellor should have cut VAT, axed the bedroom tax, reintroduced a 10p starting rate of tax to boost ordinary people’s living standards, as well as doing much more to tackle soaring childcare costs for families too. Businesses are also being hit by the inability to obtain proper financing from the banks. Although the Government launched its Funding for Scheme with great fanfare last year, it has still not halted the decline in bank lending which

runs back for six consecutive quarters. In the last quarter of 2012, it fell by £2.4bn, despite the major banks all receiving substantial drawings from the Scheme. More radical thinking is needed to get money out of booming corporate surpluses and into the real economy – we should have had a Budget and a Banking Reform Bill which established a State Investment Bank to support our strategically important industries, and a series of regional banks to support SMEs as in Germany. Although the overall unemployment figures in Scotland have not surged as high as expected in this longest downturn for 140 years, every

person out of work or trapped in part-time work when they want a full-time job – over 500,000 people combined in Scotland - is a personal tragedy as well as a waste of vital skills to our economy. A bank bonus levy and reforms to top rate pension tax relief would have produced the revenues to put thousands of long-term jobless in Scotland back to work, and start the task of building up to 12,500 much-needed new homes. The Chancellor is failing the test of fairness, of growth, and of living standards. His own stubbornness and vanity mean he can never be the economic change the country needs.

The hated bedroom tax is hitting Glasgow and Scotland over the next few weeks. This brutal reduc-tion in housing benefit for tenants with ‘spare’ rooms will force many locals further into poverty. It is opposed by the Scottish Parliament and our Scottish Government, but this uncaring policy will be im-posed never the less by a London Tory Government. It cannot be right that Scotland’s national parlia-ment is powerless to stop it. Our Scottish Government is do-ing all it can to soften the blow but let’s not kid ourselves on- this will hurt the most vulnerable people

in society. Our Housing Minister Margaret Burgess has given money to the advice sector and she has brought forward a £33m welfare fund, but the ‘tax’ will still hurt. The bedroom tax must be scrapped, and until recently as your SNP MSP locally I thought we had cross party support for that. Let me be crystal clear- no matter what Labour politicians say to you locally- LABOUR WILL KEEP THE BEDROOM TAX. Don’t take my word for it, take the word of Helen Goodman MP- the UK Labour shadow cabinet minister has confirmed this.

The next few years will be painful for many and any affected constituent who believes their Housing Association is not trying to work with them to get through this terrible situation should contact my office. My experience however has been they will do what they can and the Scottish Government has written to them to ensure this is the case. However one thing is now obvious. The only way to kill the bedroom tax is to vote Yes for an independent Scotland in 2014. Irrespective of who wins the UK election, the bedroom tax will remain- unless of course Scotland becomes an independent country. Three debates in the Scottish Parliament in 3 days- on Iraq, on Trident and on Scotland’s Financial

Strength. They have been brought forward by our Scottish Govern-ment, and to its shame, Labour attempted to stop all three from being debated. What do Labour have to hide? Firstly they refuse to accept any responsibility for the Iraq War as we mark its 10th anniversary, a war supported by Scottish Labour under pressure from Blair’s London Labour. 10 years on and many Scottish, British and international military lives lost later, and still no apology. 500,000 civilians dead in Iraq. Baghdad and much of the country are still some of the most dangerous places on earth, and no admission from Labour that they got it wrong. I passionately believe an Inde-pendent Scotland would not have

entered such an illegal war. Similar-ly an Independent Scotland would not squander £100billion on replac-ing Trident with a new generation of weapons of mass destruction. We would rid our nation of nuclear weapons. And as for the debate on Scotland’s Financial Strength, the latest statistics show Scotland pays substantially more into the UK than it gets back in expenditure- in fact it works out at more than over £800 a year for every man woman and child in Scotland. Now why would Labour want to silence these facts? Roll on the 2014 Independence Referendum when with a Yes vote, Scotland can use its own wealth to benefit our most vulnerable in society- and of course ditch that shameful bedroom tax.

A recent Audit Scotland report has identified that the number of patients seen within the four-hour waiting time target for A&E has decreased every month since July 2012 and in December 2012 fell to the lowest ever recorded since the target was introduced in December 2007. At the same time the number of people who spent more than 12 hours in A&E was the highest on record. In March 2010 the then Health Secretary, Nicola Sturgeon, said that with the introduction of a

waiting time guarantee the Scot-tish Government had ensured no one was on a hidden waiting list. It has since been revealed that health boards have been record-ing patients as ‘unavailable’ for hospital treatment and that the number of patients marked as unavailable increased as the target waiting times were reduced by the Scottish Government. The Audit Scotland report states that the biggest difference between reported and actual waits was in Greater Glasgow and Clyde—where there was a differ-

ence of 5,000 patients. The Scottish Government has cut almost 1,500 beds and thousands of nurses and it was even revealed that the recently announced £50million emergency care action plan to deal with the hundreds of patients waiting for emergency care was not additional money, but simply cash taken from health boards and from unspent money in other parts of the NHS. This is very worrying as it sug-gests that the NHS is under signifi-cant strain and is being asked to do more with less.

My colleague Jackie Baillie, Shadow Health Secretary, led a recent debate in Parliament calling on the Scottish Government to put patients and hard-working NHS staff first and to ensure that the health service properly meets its waiting times obligations while providing the best possible patient care. I was pleased to support this call and hope that the Scottish Government will now take action to support our NHS. I also questioned the First Min-ister on the news that 50 patients at Gartnavel Hospital had their surgery postponed because surgi-cal instruments from the central decontamination unit, which is based at Cowlairs in my constitu-

ency, were not safe for use. This unit serves all 120 of NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde’s operating theatres and it was reported that consultants had been complain-ing for years about the standard of service they were receiving from it. The First Minister has promised me a comprehensive response to the questions I asked and concerns I raised and I hope that it will pro-vide reassurance that the Scottish Government is taking seriously the pressures faced by those working in the NHS and taking action to provide the support it needs and that local people receiving NHS services deserve.

15March 2013

Crimestoppers: 0800 555 111 information can be given anonymously.

GANG FIGHTING SPRINGBURNOver the last three weeks there has been a dramatic increase in the number of gang related incidents within the North East of the City, particularly around Carron Crescent, Carron Street and Hawthorn Street in Springburn. Concerned residents have reported groups of 12 to18 year-old youths fighting in the streets on most evenings between 1800-2200 hours. Strathclyde Police have taken steps to combat the issue through extra patrols, pro active targeting of known gang members and enlisting the help of the Force’s specialist Gangs Task Force. Community offices have also been holding assemblies in local high schools to educate youths of the dangers involved in engaging in gang violence.

Gangs – Advice for Parents and Guardians

A gang can mean just a group who enjoy hanging around together. Bu often when we talk about gangs we mean groups who get together on a regular basis to commit crime, become involved in acts of violence and antisocial behaviour, drink or take drugs, and/or intimidate others. Gangs are often territorial, meaning they have an area they consider ‘theirs’ and which they protect through intimidation of others. They often target members of other gangs, and can create an atmosphere of menace in their neighbourhood.

Reasons for Joining Gang members are not ‘bad’ kids, nor do they necessarily come from ‘bad’ homes. There are many reasons a teen might join a gang, for example:Protection. Being in a gang can make a teen feel safer, particularly if there is a lot of gang activity in their neighbourhood.Sense of belonging. Many young people feel disconnected from their families and community. Gang membership can help them feel part of something. Boredom. In many areas, activities for young people are limited. Hanging around with a group gives them something to do and somewhere to channel their energy.Influence of friends/family. Many young people get involved in gangs because they see their other friends or older siblings do so. In some areas gang membership extends across generations with children taking over from parents.

Signs to look for

Sudden changes in behaviour, attitude, personality or associations can indicate a young person is involved with a gang. These include:

• Skipping school, staying out late or disappearing for periods of time. • Dropping old friends and become secretive about new people they have befriended.• Avoiding certain areas/streets• Confrontational or hostile attitude

and signs of fighting like torn clothing/bruises •Unexplained money or possessions or evidence of drug/alcohol use Individually, these are not a strong indicator of gang involvement but combined they may indicate a youth at risk. What to do if you suspect your child is involved in a gang The best way to protect your children from gang activity is to be involved with their daily lives in a positive way. Get to know who their friends are, where they hang about and if possible encourage them to come to your house sometimes. Spend quality time with your children and keep lines of communication open, listening to and respecting their opinion.

Encourage your child to get involved in alternative activities like sports, youth groups or organised clubs.

The consequences of being involved in an active gang are devastating and can often lead to serious injury and sometimes even death.

There are support groups that can help parents across Scotland who are worried that their children may be involved in a gang. Parent Line Scotland can be contacted for advice on 0800 028 2233 or email [email protected]. ParentLine’s opening hours are from 9am to 10pm (Mon-Fri) and 12noon-8pm at weekends.

DANGEROUS SUBSTANCE ‘ROCKSTAR’ HOSPITALISES YOUTHS

Strathclyde Police is issuing a warning to the public and drug users about the dangers of a potentially deadly substance that is known to be circulating.

This particular drug is responsible for a number of young people becoming seriously ill over the weekend.

The red or yellow coloured tablets are being sold as ecstasy. They are known as “Rockstar”, and normally have a star impression on them.

The exact contents of the pills are unknown but they could, from past experience, contain a cocktail of different substances. Over the weekend, 7 people have been hospitalised after suffering adverse reactions to these pills. All 7 have since left hospital.

Strathclyde Police is continuing to work with its partner agencies including health officials and medical staff in connection with this investigation.

Chief Inspector Fraser Lamb of Strathclyde Police said today:

“These substances are unreliable, unpredictable and potentially very dangerous. Users may believe that they have taken ecstasy, and it is very likely that they will suffer

from a significant negative reaction. Symptoms reported recently include increased heart rate, elevated core temperature and seizures.“These pills are not covered by any form of quality control and this is supported by past forensic analysis. Users need to be aware of the dangers and understand the potentially devastating effect these pills can have on their health.“We are continuing to take this matter extremely seriously and extensive police enquiries are ongoing to establish the source of these drugs and every effort is being made to track down and arrest those responsible for selling these drugs as quickly as possible. Additional patrols have been deployed in the Lanarkshire area.”Detective Sergeant Michael Miller of Strathclyde Police said: “Our advice is consistent. Drugs bought from the illicit market can be dangerous. I would strongly advise people to avoid such pills and report any information to the police or by contacting Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”

LAUNCH OF NEW NON-EMERGENCY NUMBER

The non-emergency number 101 launched across Scotland in February 2013 and replaces the range of existing police force non-emergency numbers which will gradually be phased out. The introduction of the 101 non-emergency number gives the people of Scotland a new way to contact the police, seek advice, speak to a local officer or to report a crime that does not need an emergency response, for example:

•car theft•damage to property •a minor traffic collision•suspected drug use or dealing•information about crime in their area

The 101 non-emergency number is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It costs a flat rate of 15p per call and connects the public to a police service centre in their local area. The number is also widely used throughout England and Wales. The key reasons for introducing the 101 non-emergency number in Scotland are to:•help keep people safe by giving them on easy-to-remember number for contacting the police, wherever they are in Scotland•make the police more accessible, while reducing pressure on the 99 system•help the police cut crime by making it easier for the public to pass on information• support the creation of a more efficient and effective police service for the people of Scotland• increase interoperability

with England and Wales, with 101 becoming the nationally recognised non-emergency number for contacting the police across the UK The public should continue to call 999 in an emergency – when a crime is in progress, when someone suspected of a crime is nearby, when life is in danger or when violence is being used or threatened.

STRATHCLYDE POLICE CURRENTLY RECRUITING SPECIAL CONSTABLES

The Special Constabulary is a powerful means by which the local community can be represented within the police force. As a trained volunteer with full police powers you can add real value by supporting our regular police service. It’s important that our officers reach a certain standard and quality – and that we can assess them to make sure this is the case. There are two intakes a year for Special Constables in March and September. The selection process is involves an entrance test, interviews, background checks and a medical. This process, although rigorous, ensures that we appoint only the most suitable candidates to the office of Special Constable.

What makes a good Special Constable?

Whatever your background or age, we need your commitment. Obviously you must be interested in police work, physically fit and at least 18 years old. There is no upper age limit. You’ll also need a good all round education, and the ability to keep a clear head, even at the most challenging times. This is a role where who you are, is so much more important that where you’re from or what you qualifications are. Strathclyde Police who cover Glasgow North East currently employs 36 special constables, 20 male and 16 female. They work along side regular officers, wear the same uniform and are trained to use their officer safety equipment to the same standard as their full time counterparts. Their commitment to Strathclyde Police and their own communities is demonstrated by the number of hours they selflessly dedicate to keeping people safe and they do all this in addition to holding down full time jobs, families, friends and leisure pursuits. If you are interested in joining the Special Constabulary, more information can be found on Strathclyde Police website www.strathclyde.police.uk.

ROBBERY MARYHILL

About 0400 hours on Saturday 9 March 2013, a male was walking in Shakespeare Street, Maryhill behind Tesco when he was approached by two Afro-Caribbean males. He was assaulted and robbed. The male’s injuries were not serious; however, this was a frightening experience for him. This incident is being investigated by CID at Maryhill who are following several lines of enquiry. If anyone has any information regarding the incident or know the identity of the suspects

please contact Maryhill CID by dialling 101.

HUNDREDS OF DRIVERS CAUGHT DURING POLICE CRACKDOWN

A police campaign across Scotland aimed at making Scotland’s country roads safer has detected large numbers of drivers flouting the law by speeding and not wearing seat belts. The three day crackdown was aimed at not only detecting unsafe drivers but also getting the message across that driving at inappropriate speed can cause crashes which in turn can cause death or serious injury. As part of the ACPOS National Campaign Strategy to reduce the number of casualties on our roads, police officers were also on the lookout for drivers and passengers failing to wear their seatbelts. During the period over 700 drivers and passengers were found to be driving whilst not wearing a seatbelt, including a passenger carrying a one year old child, unrestrained, on her lap. Furthermore, 787 drivers were caught speeding including a 22yr old man detected travelling at 92mph in a 60mph speed limit - the MOT for his vehicle had also expired. 14 drivers were reported to the Procurator Fiscal for dangerous driving (Section 2 Road Traffic Act 1988) and 10 for careless driving (Section 3 Road Traffic Act 1988) including a 17 year old man who drove at speed on an East Lothian country road during wet conditions whereby his vehicle ‘aquaplaned’ and left carriageway coming to rest on its roof. In 2010, 133 out of the 189 fatal road accidents in Scotland (over 70%) happened on ‘non built up roads’, generally with a speed limit greater than 40mph. A contributory factor for a significant proportion of these road deaths was one of the following: > exceeding the speed limit> not driving appropriately for road conditions drivers and passengers > not wearing seat beltsChief Superintendent Derek Robertson from Lothian and Borders Police who is the ACPOS lead on Casualty Reduction stated: “At the start of the campaign I stated that I find the number of people showing a blatant disregard for their safety and other road users safety, very worrying. My position has not changed and the figures from across the country clearly indicate that continued police activity is required to drive home the safety message.

“These statistics will refocus our efforts as we work to reduce injury and loss of life on our roads. This is unacceptable and it takes everyone to accept personal responsibility for their actions to deliver improvements in road safety for Scotland.

“There are still far too many road users speeding, not wearing seatbelts and not driving safely and we will continue to robustly police our roads to ensure the public are protected.”

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WEST PREPARE FOR DENMARK CUP THE prospect of representing Scotland at this summer’s Denmark Cup should hold no fears for the brand-new SYFA West Region Under-14 Squad.

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FINNART BC are looking for players born on/after January 1, 1999. Training at Crownpoint (every Thursday), and play home games on a Sunday at Glasgow Green. Call Mark Ainslie on 07717723149 or email [email protected]. DENNISTOUN AMATEURS, who play in the West of Scotland Amateur Football League, are seeking quality adult players (all positions). The team train and play home games at Whitehill School, Dennistoun. Anyone interested should contact 07801394113. CELTIC Boys’ Club require an experienced goalkeeper for the 1999 age group team. Call Brian McGarvey on 0141 583 1282

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ADULT netball players are required for a new team training every Thursday at Smithycroft Primary School, Smithycroft Road, Glasgow G33. Said coach Julie MacMillan: “I am looking for all abilities, and after starting last month we have a good bunch of girls. Anyone interested can contact Julie on 07999845557, or email [email protected] The netball sessions run from 6.30pm-8.30pm.

PLAYERS WANTED CLUBS WANTEDSCOTTISH Amateur Football League are taking applications for next season. Clubs should contact Mike McLean with background information about their history, committee members and home ground location. Contact Mr McLean via email: [email protected] WEST of Scotland Amateur Football League will accept memberships from new and existing teams for the 2013-2014 season. Officials require to consider all applications by February 28. Call secretary Terrence Harding on 0141 946 7903 or 07732965319 or email [email protected]

EURO DRAWSHETTLESTON Juniors will visit Larkhall Thistle’s Gasworks Park in the sponsored Euro Engineering Central League Cup first round. The winner will meet St Roch at Provanmill Park, Garngad in round two. VALE OF CLYDE, who received a first round bye, are away to Kirkintilloch Rob Roy.

MEDIASPEC CUPWELLSHOT AFC are through to the quarter-finals of the Mediaspec League Cup after beating Springhall Spartans 4-1. Other last 16 results: Castlemilk Dynamo 5, Beechwood 1; Cumbernauld Colts 2, Southside Whitecart 5; Drumchapel 2, Manhattan Blacks 0; Haldane 3, Eastfield 2; Quayside 5, Crownpoint 1; Treble 2 AFC 1, Rutherglen Vogue 2.

GROVE BOOSTBELLGROVE AFC have been handed a boost in the draw for the last 16 of the sponsored GlassCo Cup by entertaining F.C. Polonia. Phoenix United and Eastend Rovers meet in what should be a cracking pairing. The remaining cup ties are Thornwood v Cumbernauld Colts; Castlemilk East v Southside Whitecart; Beechwood Athletic v Gartferry; Springhall Spartans v Castlemilk Dynamo; Milton v Treble 2 AFC; Northend v Manhattan Blacks. Dates to be arranged.

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Head Coach Iain King and his backroom staff have already been impressed with the talent on view at training sessions and friendly games against Boys’ Club and Pro-Youth teams. The latest encouraging signs came during a 5-2 win against Motherwell F.C. (2000 team) at K-Park Academy, East Kilbride. Three 30-minute periods were kicked-off in style, when Steven Robertson slid home their opening goal, and a Scott Simpson cut-back was finished by Andy Dallas. Robertson added No 3, and although ‘Well reduced the leeway after a raft of changes, normal service was resumed through Alberto Vezza and Kyle McDonald on the hour mark. Motherwell netted a second goal in the final 30 minute slot, and Fir Park Head of Children’s Football, Paul Burns, was very impressed with their hosts.

He said: “I think they will do us proud in the Denmark Cup. “It was heartening to see the West boys look to play possession football all the time, and play their way out of trouble.” Iain King revealed: “The players are progressing and their discipline in playing to the system we have set out has been excellent.” Meanwhile, West Region Under-19s stunned Drumchapel United Under-21 with a 5-3 friendly victory at Braehead. Matt Humphries (2) and man of the match Paddy Woods netted first half goals. United struck twice on the re-start, but Humphries raced clear to complete his hat-trick. Drumchapel replied again, and Kyle Gallacher wrapped up an excellent display with a fifth West goal.

KYLE GALLACHER... wearing No 17 blue shirt, netted for the SYFA West Region in their 5-3 victory against Drumchapel United.

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WEST Region goalscorers - Zander Bentley, Jamie Sinclair, Ryan McColl and Kyle Gallacher.

REGIONAL FINALS

SIGNING SPREE

SYFA West Region are organising a weekend of sponsored Only Sport Re-gional Cup finals at Petershill

Park ( June 8 and 9 ). Full list of competing clubs and kick-off times will be confirmed in late May.

GLASGOW PERTHSHIRE have been on a signing spree and made several additions to their Stagecoach Super First Division squad.

New signings include Da-vid McKay and William Fergu-son (Ashfield Juniors), Graeme Highlands (St Roch) and Darren McGeough (Greenock Morton).

PETERSHILL Juniors Youth Development are aiming to attract new players, from Primary 3,4,5,and 6, during their Open Night at North

Glasgow College. Parents should call the

club’s Child Protection Of-ficer on 07772075018 for more details.

OPEN NIGHTPLAYERS WANTED MARYHILL 1998 team seek

players ( all positions). Call 07972693263.

PETERSHILL 2001 are mov-ing into 11-a-side football

this summer. Players are required. Training Tuesday and Thursday at Petershill Park( 7pm-9pm). Contact 07595947196.

SEASON TICKETSGLASGOW CITY F.C. are

dealing with Season Tickets, Adults (£40) and Conces-sions (£25).

These are available

from the gate or club shop on match days. More in-formation is also available via email: [email protected]

HOLDERS OUT

NORTH TALENT INSPIRE WEST WINSTALENTED North-Glasgow Boys’ Club players have been outstanding in recent SYFA West Region representative games. Zander Bentley (Maryhill) hit a late double for the Under-19 Squad, who defeated Scholarship.com (US) 5-0. West Coach Peter Glancey was impressed as Kyle Gallacher netted a 20th minute penalty kick, and Jamie Sinclair added their second goal 12 minutes later. Ryan McColl ran clear to increase the scoreline after 58 minutes, and Bentley netted No 4 with a superb volley. The same player grabbed his second when his header from

a corner found the net 18 minutes from time. Primescout Europe Man of the Match - Ciaran Frew ( West Region). Sir Alex Ferguson Park, Braehead, hosted a six-goal thriller against Partick Thistle Under-16. The visitors had gone behind to a David Coyle striker after great work by Mark Callaghan, but soon equalised and took a 2-1 following ‘keeper Ryan Hay’s poor clearance. Mark Callaghan outjumped the Jags’ defence at the back post to make it 2-2. Kane O’Neill put West ahead for the second time in the match after Hadyn

Long drilled over a low 72nd minute cross. With Kyle Rafferty and Chris Dooley - Primescout Europe Man of the Match - defending superbly, West ended the scoring in the 80th minute. Maryhill’s Liam McDonald carved out the opening for Kane O’Neill, who rounded the Thistle ‘keeper and netted his second goal. Finally, West Under-14s beat Strathaven Dynamo 3-2 at their East Kilbride clash. Tony Coutts’ own goal put Dynamo ahead. Jack Purdue, Alberto Vezza and Steven Robertson replied, with Strathaven netting a second goal.

ASHFIELD were knocked out of the sponsored New Coin Holdings West of Scotland Cup Second Round, 5-4 on penalty kicks by Second Division Blan-

tyre Vics at Castle Park. Three players - two from the

visitors’ - were sent off as the clash went straight to penalties following a 2-2 full-time draw.

GOALIE SESSIONSGLASGOW Club Petershill is the

venue for specialist,coaching sessions this Monday. North Glasgow-based Club Manag-

ers or parents are invited to pre-register their goalkeeper, Age groups are 14-17 years.Call 07772237185.

PETERSHILL striker Stephen McGladrigan netted a hat-trick in their 6-2 Monday night friendly victory against Greenock Juniors, for whom ex-Springburn star Stevie

Dallas was on target with their second goal.

Goalkeeper Michael McKinven (ex-St Mirren and Hamilton Accies), who played as a trial-ist for Peasy, has since joined Pollok Juniors.s.

GLAD ALL OVER

re-gen north - issue 44

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