Building Briefs – May 1st

• Home Fix Scotland staff pay tribute to NHS outside testing centre

To demonstrate their support and keep spirits high ahead of tonight’s clap, operatives from the environmental team decided to mow an NHS logo into the grass on Roxburgh Street and Rowan Court, with the latter directly opposite from the COVID-19 testing site.

John Williams, head of operations at Home Fix Scotland, said: “We were really keen to show our support and recognise the hard work of NHS staff.

“While this is just a small token of our appreciation, it is really important that we acknowledge the extraordinary commitment of those on the frontline, including those who continue to carry out emergency repairs during this difficult time.

“Everyone at Home Fix Scotland is extremely proud and grateful for the work they do.”

• Glasgow groups share community canal funding

Boat taxis and trips, community food events and an outdoor classroom for children are just some of the innovative local projects to benefit from funding from The Heritage Project Fund to bring the unique heritage of north Glasgow’s canal to life.

A selection of local groups and initiatives have been awarded a share of a £36,000 funding pot which helps the community explore and unlock the canal’s rich history and create exciting new activities across the area once COVID-19 restrictions have lifted.

The Heritage Project Fund, which supports and empowers the local community, is funded by The National Lottery Heritage Lottery Fund and overseen by the Glasgow Canal Co-operative on behalf of Glasgow City Council.

The Co-op received innovative proposals from across the community. Among those to benefit is Navvies’ Barge, who plan to use the funds to launch a free monthly boat bus service along Glasgow’s stretch of the canal and offer free boat trips for organisations and charities working in deprived areas nearby.

The floating social enterprise, based at Applecross Basin, will also train volunteers to be qualified skippers, paint the barge in a traditional canal art style and transform the boat’s back room into a ‘history snug’ exploring the background of the waterway.

Hamiltonhill Family Learning Centre will receive funding to create an outdoor classroom for children and families in the Claypits Urban Nature Reserve, complete with an outdoor shelter, allowing families to continue exploring the nature and wildlife on their doorstep in north Glasgow.

Gathering Ground, a new social enterprise which runs food-focused events to bring the community together, will design and create a large set of hand-thrown crockery based on people’s ideas, memories and stories of the canal district.

To be based at the renovated Old Basin House, Gathering Ground will work with the local community to help design the pieces, create the crockery and use it at a celebratory supper as well as events and workshops throughout the year.

Elsewhere, Agile City plan to work with local people and organisations to collectively design and build an outdoor cooking and eating area near Civic House on Civic Street, while Saracen Street Traders, part of Business Improvement District (BID) Possilpark, will animate the bustling street with a new look and signage inspired by the canal.

• Plans under way for new Perth primary school

The official planning process for a new primary school in North Muirton, Perth, has begun.

The existing primary school at Uist Place is to be demolished and replaced with a two-storey building big enough for its existing school roll, as well as that of Balhousie Primary, which is to close.

Two drop-in information sessions were held at the schools in March, allowing parents, pupils and staff to inspect early drawings of what the £14 million project could look like.

Early plans are for the nursery to be razed and the new school, to open in August 2022, to be built by Robertson.

Councillors gave the go-ahead for Edinburgh architects Architype to begin work on finalised plans at the virtual planning and development management committee meeting on Wednesday.

More consultations will be held about the school, which will bring together up to 484 pupils across 16 classrooms.

• All-Energy and Dcarbonise 2020 launch webinar series

All-Energy and Dcarbonise 2020 is launching a series of free webinars – appropriately on the dates on which the 20th All-Energy would have been staged at SEC (May 13 and 14).

Registration is at https://bit.ly/3cZhGWk.

“We launch with four webinars, two on each day, and thereafter will be staging a ‘mini-webinar festival’ every month,” explains event director, Peter Bloor of Reed Exhibitions. 

“In true All-Energy/Dcarbonise style, we start on 13 May with a superb plenary session ‘The Path to Net Zero’, before we move sector by sector through offshore wind (also on 13 May); and both low carbon heat and hydrogen on 14 May, all with stellar speaker line-ups. We would have loved to have been with our exhibitors and visitors at Glasgow’s SEC on 13-14 May, but that is not to be. However, the programme in place for these first four webinars and the plans we have for the coming months will certainly whet appetites for being with us later in the year.

“The opening plenary session will feature Chris Stark, CEO of the Committee on Climate Change; Keith Anderson, CEO of ScottishPower; Professor Karen Turner, Director, Centre for Energy Policy, University of Strathclyde and a Just Transition Commissioner; and Rebecca Willis, Professor in Practice, Lancaster Environment Centre and Expert Lead for Climate Assembly UK, the national citizens’ assembly on climate change. It will be introduced and chaired by my colleague Judith Patten MBE who will reflect on 20 years of All-Energy. And then we move sector by sector – with more compelling sessions planned for future months.”

• Young Dundee football team nets cash boost from Persimmon

A Dundee football club has received a cash donation from a regional housebuilder to help fund professional coaching to train its volunteers.

Riverside CSC Football Club, in Birkhill, Dundee, received a £1,000 donation from Persimmon Homes North Scotland. The money was donated through the housebuilder’s monthly Community Champions scheme. Each month, the regional business donates up to £2,000 to community groups.

Persimmon Homes North Scotland is currently building at three sites in and around Dundee including Dykes of Gray, Eden Woods, and the forthcoming Kingspark development, and is keen to help the local community.

Football club spokesman, Bruce Davidson, said: “As the club continues to grow, we have had to move to new facilities at Riverside, Dundee University which has meant an increase in monthly fees for the children.

“To improve the coaching that we provide and to encourage players to stay with the club we are keen to recruit professional coaches that can train our volunteers and attract new players.

“Keeping the fees affordable for the children is really important to us and that is why the donation from Persimmon Homes North Scotland is such a massive boost for us.”

Lorraine Clelland, sales director for Persimmon Homes North Scotland, said: “We strongly believe in supporting the communities where we build, and are delighted to be able to support grassroot sports through our Community Champions scheme. It is clear the football club provides great sporting opportunities for local boys and girls and even though these teams are not able to play during the lockdown we wish them the best of luck as soon as the season restarts.

“If people were unsuccessful in their Community Champions application, we urge them to visit the Persimmon Homes website and to try again this month and hopefully they will become our next recipient.”