springside community action plan · 4 springside community action plan springside community action...

Produced as part of the Rural Ayrshire 21 Initiative.

Local delivery by Scottish Community Development Centre (SCDC) and supported by North Ayrshire Council

January 2014

actionPLAN

Springside Community

2 Springside Community Action Plan Springside Community Action Plan 3

Contents

Section 1: Introduction and Background 3

Section 2: Methodology 3

Section 3: What is our community like? 4

Community profile and statistics Community strengths and assets Community views

Section 4: Action Plan – what needs to change, 8 short and long term goals

Section 5: Making it happen – putting the plan 13 into action

Section 1: Introduction and Background

Rural Ayrshire 21 is a programme to encourage local action across 21 rural communities in Ayrshire. The initiative was funded from January to December 2013 through the Ayrshire LEADER programme.

In North Ayrshire Scottish Community Development Centre (SCDC) has been working with 7 rural communities to help them gear up for sustainable community development.

The 7 communities participating in North Ayrshire are: Dalry, Beith, Kilbirnie, Skelmorlie, Fairlie, Springside and Dreghorn. The work in the 7 participating communities was carried out by the Scottish Community Development Centre (SCDC) and supported by North Ayrshire Council.

The communities which have been selected for the support programme are those who qualified for the LEADER programme – that is rural communities who have a population size below 10,000.

As well as offering training opportunities and networking events for community activists, the programme has engaged with the wider community in each area to develop community action plans that highlight the priorities of the community. These plans will be used to guide future funding and decision making processes locally.

This is the Community Action Plan for Springside. It has been developed in conjunction with a wide range of local community organisations and has been informed by the views and opinions of local residents.

Section 2: Methodology

We conducted a number of different activities to get the views of people living in Springside, from meetings with representatives from community groups, to a wide-ranging community views survey with local residents. A ‘Community Strengths’ meeting with 8 representatives of local community groups was held on 22 April 2013. 16 community groups were identified as being active in Springside and participants were asked to highlight the strengths of these groups. A report was produced and disseminated to those attending the meeting.

Building on the information from the ‘Community Strengths Meeting’ a further planning meeting was held with Springside Community Association on 25th June 2013 to decide how best to capture the views of the wider community. It was agreed to conduct a full household survey using questionnaires that would ask residents what they liked about their community and what improvements they would like to see, as well as some follow up questions on use of local services and volunteering.

Springside Community Association contributed shopping vouchers for a prize draw to help maximise responses and the questionnaires were distributed to all households by the local brownies and guides. A total of 98 competed forms were collected from the 650 distributed. The issues captured from the surveys were presented and prioritised at the local Xmas Fayre and actions to tackle them were agreed at a follow up meeting with local group representatives.


Section 3: What is Our Community Like?

Community profile and statisticsProfile Information1

Springside is a small village on the southeast border of North Ayrshire and is situated three miles east of Irvine, one and a half miles west of Crosshouse and four miles from Kilmarnock.

Historically the village sat within a highly industrialised coal mining district surrounded by many pits and collieries, although the industry reached decline by the mid 20th century with the last mine closing in the 1970’s. The village was also situated nearby several country estates which provided employment opportunities for local people.

The recently re-furbished Springside Community Centre and Library sits on the site of the former Springside Institute, and is managed by Springside Community Association. The Centre provides a meeting place for a range of local community groups as well as being available for community events and private lets for local residents.

Springside is well served by the local primary school which has an excellent reputation with local residents. The school was saved from closure in 2008 by a well organised public campaign comprising local parents, children, groups and residents.

The 2011 Census shows Springside as having a total population of 1259, with a total of 573 households. However, having distributed approximately 650 survey questionnaires these figures are slightly out of date. Nevertheless, the information below is drawn from the 2011 Census as the most recent, reliable source of statistical information for the village.

Population and age profile

The age breakdown of the population for the village as a whole is as follows:

Children: 16.7%Working age: 64.8%Pensionable age: 18.5%Male population – working age: 46.6%Female population – working age: 53.4%

This can be further broken down into the following age brackets and compared with North Ayrshire as a whole:

Age Groups Springside( %) North Ayrshire (%)

% 0-4 years old 5.8 5.4

% 5-15 years old 10.9 12.4

% 16-29 years old 19.2 16.1

% 30-44 years old 17.4 18.5

% 45-59 years old 21 21.8

% 60-74 years old 20 17.7

% 75 and over 5.6 8.2

1 Please note that statistics have been rounded to the nearest decimal point.

Overall, there are no significant differences between the age profile of Springside compared to North Ayrshire figures. There are slightly less over 75 year olds and more 60-74 year olds however the actual number of people in these age groups represent only a minor difference between the two.

Housing

In terms of housing, the tenure within Springside as compared to North Ayrshire as a whole is as follows:

Tenure Springside (%) North Ayrshire (%)

Owned 48 62.2

Council rented 41 21.5

Social rented 5.1 6.4

Private rented 5.8 9

Rent free 0.2 0.9

Comparatively, Springside has less owner occupiers and a higher proportion of council rented properties than the North Ayrshire average, which is also the case when compared to other areas in North Ayrshire.

Employment and benefit receipts

60.1% of people aged between 16-74 years old (978 people) are classed as economically active in Springside, with unemployment standing at 8.7% (85 people).

Of the 39.1 % who are economically inactive, 20% are retired, 3.8% are students, 3.4 % are looking after their home and/or family, and 9.5% are long term sick or disabled.

Of the 85 people unemployed in the area 38.8% are between 16-24 years which is above the North Ayrshire average of 30.2%.

Of the 501 people in employment, the most common industries are Human Health & Social Work (21.6%), Wholesale & Retail (14.6%), Construction (12.4%), and Manufacturing (9.8%).

Health

At 24.3% Springside has the highest percentage of economically inactive 16-74 year olds who are long term sick or disabled. The average for North Ayrshire is 17.9%.

The total percentage of people with bad (7.5%) or very bad health (2.6%) is 10.1% which is slightly higher than the average for North Ayrshire at 6.8%.

Education

52.8% of 16 and 17 year olds are in higher education, although Springside has one of the highest levels of young people aged 16 and over with no qualifications at 49.9%. The average for North Ayrshire is 31.3% and for Scotland is 26.8%.


Summary

Statistically, Springside does not compare well with other areas in North Ayrshire on issues such as employment, health and educational attainment. However there are a number of strengths such as high levels of community spirit that community groups and local people can build on. These are described in more detail below.

Community Strengths and AssetsSpringside is well-served by its community groups which cover a wide range of issues, interests and activities. The 16 groups identified at the community strengths session were as follows:

Community ViewsWe undertook a survey of community views to ascertain what residents felt about Springside, what it’s like to live here and what they think about local issues and services.

Although the survey was undertaken during the summer months and with a short timescale for returns a good cross-section of residents responded and a summary of the 98 responses are shown here:

What do you like about Springside?

Great primary school (40); Close knit and well connected (34); Friendliness of people (31); Parks & swing park for kids (18); Good bus service (17); Greenspaces and places for walks/dog walking (13); Local shops (11); Good community centre (9); Small; quiet village community (9); Good community spirit (9); Boxing Club (7); Bowling Club (7).

What do you dislike about Springside?

Lack of things for young people to do (24); Litter (24); Dog fouling (16); Main road is too busy (16); Lack of local shops (12); No local pub (11); Lack of jobs (7); Parks and walks overgrown (7); Street lighting is poor (7); Uneven pavements and paths (6).

What improvements would you like to see that will make your community a better place to live?

» More things for young people to do (22)

» More regular litter picking/tidy up streets & waste bins (21)

» Improve swing park and play areas (10)

» Crossing patrol/road crossing on main road (9)

» Better maintained paths, walkways and cycle paths (8)

» Better football park or cage (8)

» Tennis court (6)

» Improve pub site (5)

» Increased police presence (5)

A number of people suggested organising specific activities, classes or courses that could be provided within the community centre. These include healthy eating classes, keep fit & exercise classes, computer courses, dance classes, job club, money advice, drama group, chess club, badminton, and cookery courses.

Activities for children and young people

» Youth Club

» Rainbows (5-7yrs)

» Brownies (7-9yrs)

» Girl guides (9yrs+)

» Family groups

» Parent Council

» Mother & Toddlers Group

Arts & Recreation

» Arts and Crafts (Senior)

» Bingo

» Pipe Band

» History Group

» Sports & Leisure

» Boxing Club

» Bowling Club

» Football Club

» Carpet Bowls

» Senior Ladies Keep Fit

Citizenship - groups that have a role in representing/furthering community interests

» Springside Community Association

The groups in the village view themselves as being reasonably well-organised and able to carry out their activities using the skills and experience that they have developed over time. Furthermore, most of the smaller groups are largely deemed self-sufficient in that they can generate their own funds without being over reliant on grants. They do this through organising local fund raising or charity events and stated that the wider community is very supportive in responding to these events and helps them to generate the funds they need to keep going. Without this support the groups would find it more difficult to survive and the support of the wider community is crucial to their continued existence and development.

When asked about what things they would like to develop or strengthen, there was broad consensus among group members of the need to better co-ordinate activities together, share information with each other and most importantly, recruit more volunteers. The existing groups were keen to ask about volunteering in the community survey and use the exercise as a way of reaching new potential volunteers. From the survey responses 7 people stated they were interested in getting involved and this is being followed up by Springside Community Association, who are particularly interested in recruiting more young people to join their ranks.

Springside Community Association manages the local community centre for the benefit of the wider community. They have found it difficult to attract external funding which is largely due to being ineligible for many of the main funding sources available for community organisations. Despite these difficulties, they have successfully re-launched the Centre following refurbishment at a well-attended event in August 2013, and have successfully recruited new members from the local mother and toddlers group to expand and build on their committee.


Theme 2: Safe play for children and young people

Issue: Whilst a number of people highlighted the local swing park and play areas as things they liked about Springside, they also expressed some concerns about safety when using the parks due to broken glass etc. There was also recognition that some of the play equipment was out of date and needs to be upgraded so that more children and young people would use it. If children and young people are involved in re-designing and upgrading the areas this may also encourage more of them to use it and look after it. It was also suggested that the football pitch could be upgraded for older children to use more, possibly through creating local competitions and team matches.

Our intended impact:

‘Improved swing parks and play areas for children and young people’

Our actions:

» Explore a range of options for upgrading the local play areas

» Involve children and young people in their re-design

» Investigate funding options for new equipment

» Investigate options for upgrading the football pitch

» Talk to young people about setting up local football teams and matches to encourage more use of the park

» Gauge interest among adult volunteers to help set up local teams/matches

Partners who could/should be involved:

» Springside Mother & Toddlers Group

» Girl Guides and Brownies

» Springside Youth Group

» North Ayrshire Community Development Team

» Childrens Services Team, North Ayrshire Council

» Street Scene, North Ayrshire Council

» KA Leisure

» Active Schools Co-Ordinator, North Ayrshire Council

Section 4: Action Plan – key prioritiesThe following priorities have been taken from the community views survey and local groups have suggested ways in which they can take actions and develop solutions to address key issues raised by the wider community. Some work is already underway and the intention is to work with a range of local agencies who can work in partnership with local groups. Based on the survey and discussions with local group members, the main community priorities are detailed below.

Theme 1: Activities and opportunities for young people

Issue: The issue that featured most prominently in the community survey was the need for more social, recreational and educational activities for young people in the village. The local youth group, guides and brownies are well attended and cover different age ranges but not all young people are involved or have an interest in these types of organised groups. Some people indicated that they travel out with the area to access various clubs and activities; however the preference was to access these locally where possible. The additional questions in the survey captured a wide range of suggestions for young people of all ages to get more involved in organised activities covering a range of social, education, sports and recreational themes.


‘Young people of all ages have access to a wide range of social, sports and recreational activities in the community’

Our actions:

» Develop and expand the range of activities and courses available for young people at the community centre

» Explore availability and cost of opening the school in evenings to increase activities for young people



» Springside Youth Group

» North Ayrshire Council Youth Services

» Springside Primary School

» Active Schools Co-Ordinator, North Ayrshire Council

» KA Leisure


Theme 3: Public spaces, walks and pathways

Issue: One of the many things that people like about Springside are the existing paths, walkways and green spaces that are right on people’s doorsteps. The surrounding landscape and countryside is enjoyed and appreciated by local people. However, people expressed concern that many of them are overgrown or poorly maintained which affects the extent to which people can use them or fully appreciate them. There were also a number of people concerned about the general appearance of local green spaces and parks and how littering and dog fouling can adversely affect the look and feel of the village.


‘Public green spaces, walks and paths are well maintained and enjoyed by local people’

Our actions:

» Tidy up and maintenance of local pathways, cycle paths and walkways

» Provision of more litter bins and dog bins

» More regular litter picking initiatives



» Access Officer, Development Planning Service, North Ayrshire Council

Theme 4: Road safety

Issue: Overtoun Road, which is the main road running through the village is very busy and there are some concerns about speeding cars which has an impact on people being able to cross safely. There is also a lack of parking at the local shop and this creates congestion especially at busy times of the day. Suggestions from the community survey included the introduction of traffic calming measures however this has been previously investigated by local groups and as the road is an emergency access route, traffic calming would not be an option. Other suggestions to alleviate congestion are to review the siting of the two bus stops on the road, creating one stop in-between where they are presently sited, to look at introducing crossing patrols, or to investigate looking at traffic calming measures and what arrangements could be made for better parking.


‘The main road is less congested and safer for people to use’

Our actions:

» Investigate introduction of crossing patrols and/or re-siting of current bus stops

» Investigate a range of parking options near the Dairy on the main road



» Local shops

» Local Elected Members

» Police Scotland


Theme 5: Increase in range of social, educational, leisure and community activities for adults

Issue: The local community centre and library is well used by a number of local community groups and has recently been refurbished. There are a number of community activities hosted at the centre already however there were a number of suggestions made through the survey about additional classes and courses that people would like to participate in locally.


‘The community centre is well used and provides a range of community and educational activities and opportunities’

Our actions:

» Publicise what’s already happening in the community centre, possible through re-introduction of the local newsletter ‘The Springsider’

» Provide a series of taster sessions based on the suggestions made in the survey

» Contact those who expressed an interest in volunteering through the survey to see what they are interested in



» Community Development Team, North Ayrshire Council

» Local Colleges

» Third Sector Interface (TACT)

Section 5: Making it Happen

People in the village said:

“We have a good community spirit for a small village…folk look out for each other and pull together”

“Bring the school, community centre and groups together to do more things in the village!”

There are a number of different agencies and local groups that need to be involved in taking forward the key priority issues and work together to make this Action Plan a reality so that improvements in the quality of life in the village actually happen over the next three years. If you are interested in getting involved please use the contact details below.

» If you would like to find out more about local groups in the village and how you could get involved, please contact Springside Community Association on 01294 214565

» If you have an interest in local adult education classes and opportunities please contact the Community Development Team, NAC on 01294 468035 or visit www.northayrshirecouncil/yourcommunity/communitydevelopment

» If you are interested in volunteering, please contact The Ayrshire Community Trust (TACT) on 01294 443 044 or visit www.theayrshirecommunitytrust.co.uk

» For environmental and related services, please contact Street Scene on 01294 310000 or visit http://www.north-ayrshire.gov.uk/council/strategies-plans-and-policies/streetscene-service-standards.aspx

For further information contact:

Community Development Team North Ayrshire Council 5th Floor Cunninghame House IrvineKA12 8EET. 01294 324440

14 Springside Community Action Plan

Thanks to all the residents within the community who gave up their time to attend meetings and complete questionnaires.

Thanks also to Ayrshire LEADER and to North Ayrshire Council who supported the process of developing this community action plan.

The Springside Community Action Plan January 2014

This project is part-financed by the Scottish Government, European Community and Ayrshire

LEADER 2007-2013 Programme

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