stirling magazine autumn 2011
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Stir
ling
.go
v.u
k
Als
o in
sid
e
Back to school
Meet the Head of EducationPage 8
AUTUMN 2011
Gathering local produce
Harvest time
For everyone living in tHe stirling council area
Caring for older people
Helping you to stay independent Page 18
Your views, our actions
Results of the Residents’ Survey Page 21
4Newsandevents6VisitingtheNickNairnCookSchool7 EdibleBorders8InterviewwithStirling’sHeadofEducation,BelindaGreer,andschoolenrolmentinformationfor2012/1310Stirling’sbidforfasterbroadband,andtraining
opportunitiesforStirlingpeople12Healthnews14What’son16Bookextract:Haunted StirlingbyDavidKinnaird18Careservicesforolderpeople21Residents’Survey26Contactyourlocalcouncillor
What’s inside…
Co
nte
nts
an
d c
om
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nt
stirling.gov.uk2
FormatsCopiesofarticlesareavailablebyrequestinarangeofotherlanguages,largeprintandonaudiotape.Torequestarticlesinanyoftheseformats,pleaseemailorwritetoStirling,orcall08452777000.
Contact TocontactStirlingCouncil,pleasecall08452777000or01786443322email:info@stirling.gov.uk,visitusonlineatwww.stirling.gov.ukorvisitCustomerFirst,1-5PortStreet,Stirling(9am-5.30pm,MondaytoFriday).Followuson...
About…Stirling magazineispublishedbyStirlingCouncil.Editor:SusanCunninghamEmail:stirlingmagazine@stirling.gov.ukTel:01786443360Writeto:Stirling,Communications,Room17,OldViewforth,StirlingFK82ETDesignandediting:ConnectCommunications,Studio2001,MileEnd,PaisleyPA11JS.Tel:01415610300Visit:www.connectcommunications.co.uk
www.facebook.com/stirlingcouncil www.twitter.com/stirlingcouncil
Thanks to everyone who took part in the recent Residents’ Survey. The report on pages 21-25 includes many of your comments and concerns, and sets out some actions already under way to address them.
The survey is crucial because it’s a chance for us to hear the voices of the people we serve. Each part of the Council is now working on how to reflect local people’s opinions in their forward planning.
Looking to the future is a strong theme at this time of year. A new intake in our primary schools is brimming with energy and excitement. Older children are taking the step up to high school. And people of all ages from right across the country and beyond are being welcomed into our community as they begin university and college courses.
Our challenge is to keep building a resilient, vibrant local economy.
Food is a particular local strength, and in this issue we cover everything from Broomridge’s food festival and the new food and drink forum to the results of the successful Edible Borders project and some tricks of the culinary trade from Port of Menteith’s prestigious Nick Nairn Cook School.
Finally, as we go to print there’s exciting news that Stirling Development Agency has signed a deal to bring Waitrose to Stirling.
Over the coming year a derelict city centre site at the Craigs roundabout will be transformed. This is another example of a new chapter for Stirling, and we are determined that as we shape our area’s future local people will be at the heart of everything we do.
Comment
StirlingmagazinebringsyoucurrentnewsandstoriesfromacrossStirling’spublicsectororganisations.Pleaseletushaveyourcommentsandideasforfutureissuesbyemailingstirlingmagazine@stirling.gov.uk
“The survey is crucial because it’s a chance for us to hear the voices of the people we serve. Each part of the Council is now working on how to reflect local people’s opinions in their planning”
On the coverModern Day Apprentices with the Council’s land services ross stirling (front) and David rae gather a crop including runner beans, dill and swiss chard in the grounds of viewforth. they were grown in green spaces and borders across the stirling area as part of the Edible Borders project. see page 7
StirlingCouncilLeader
GrahamHouston
StirlingCouncilChief
ExecutiveBobJack
Fo
od
stirling.gov.uk 7
chat with my fellow
foodies. Emma, a student,
hopes to increase her
cooking confidence, and
Bill, an ex-body-builder,
has left his steamed
chicken and broccoli days
behind and is becoming
something of a gourmet.
4pm: Out come the pasta
machines. Making my own
pasta is something I never
dreamed I could do, but as
I pass the dough through
the contraption again and
again and watch it turn
into long, thin, smooth
sheets I can cut into strips,
I realise how fantastic the
tutors are. Somehow,
Tristan and John (who’s
been offering invaluable
advice) not only made a
fairly ambitious menu look
easy to do – their
confidence in us meant I
achieved more than I
thought possible.
5pm: My pasta may have
been ragged and my
meatballs stuck when I
fried them, but I’ve never
been happier to sit down
to a meal. Today was a lot
to take in, but I’m inspired
to try cooking more.
coaching
Time to eat
edible borders
fArmers’ mArkets
The Old Arcade Farmers’ Market
Every Friday, stirling Arcade, 9am-4pm
Stirling Farmers’ Market
second saturday of the month
Port street, stirling
Thornhill Market
wednesdays, 10am-1pm
Community Hall, thornhill
Fruitful
funding for
orchards
Stirling-based environmental
charity Forth Environment
Link has been awarded
funding to continue the
development of their Forth
Valley Orchards Initiative.
The initiative, running
since 2009, seeks to raise
the profile of local orchards
and encourage more people
to eat the produce.
Forth Environment Link
Project Officer Diane
Alderdice said: “Thanks to
the tremendous response and
involvement of the people of
Forth Valley over the past
two years we have another
year’s funding to support not
only the orchards, but the
development of people’s
skills to help them plant and
manage their own orchards.”
The award of more than
£84,000 was made by the
Central Scotland Green
Network Development Fund
and will allow Forth
Environment Link to
continue to support the
development of orchards
across the whole of central
Scotland and run a full
programme of events over
the next nine months.
For more information,
visit www.fvfl.org.uk
Edible
Broomridge
A day-long food festival is on
the menu for Broomridge
on Sunday 2 October at
Bannockburn High School.
It’s the culmination of the
Edible Broomridge project,
which urges local people to
eat, grow and buy more
local, seasonal produce,
reduce their meat and dairy
intake, and cut food waste.
For more information,
visit www.broomridge
foodfestival.co.uk
GroWinG Your oWn
It’s time to reap the tasty rewards
of the Edible Borders campaign to
replace traditional garden bedding
plants with vegetables and herbs.
The project, which began in
early summer, saw the Council’s
Land Services team sow vegetables
on borders and other patches of
available land across the city,
including beside the Burns Statue
in central Stirling, Quakerfield,
Bannockburn, Airthrey Road,
Causewayhead and in the grounds
of the Council’s Viewforth HQ.
Star performers include runner
beans, sweetcorn, courgettes,
tomatoes, red cabbage and
artichokes. Picked produce is being given
to organisations such as the
Salvation Army.
stirling.gov.uk6
Fo
od
CookinG Course
Nick Nairn is Stirling’s
own celebrity chef, with
an acclaimed restaurant at
the Doubletree Dunblane
Hydro and Cook School at
Port of Menteith.
He’s an enthusiastic
champion of the Stirling
area’s fresh produce, using
local suppliers and produce
from the School’s garden.
The School celebrates its
tenth anniversary this year.
It offers a variety of hands-on
courses, focusing on good
core skills. Those looking to
step their cooking up a notch
can attend three-day
masterclasses on topics such
as fish and shellfish, or meat,
game and poultry.
I was delighted to be
invited along to try the
‘Simple Italian’ course this
August. But I wondered
whether it could turn me
into a gourmet in one day?
A DAy OF COOKING
10am: Michelin-starred chef
John Webber briefed us in
the pristine, professional
kitchen, which was divided
into separate workstations
set out with the equipment
we’d need for the day.
10.30: Our tutor Tristan
Campbell showed us how to
make tiramisu. The secret was
making sure the ingredients
had the right consistency
before blending. Working
backwards on a menu is the
opposite to my usual chaotic
methods, but Tristan
explained that good cooking
is about being organised.
1pm: The tiramisu, a blend of
mascarpone, egg, amaretto
and double cream is setting
in the fridge. We’ve also
made dough for fresh pasta,
meatballs, and a tomato
sauce, all waiting to be
cooked later. It’s much harder
work than I imagined! “Most
people take this course
because it’s called ‘Simple
Italian’, but there’s nothing
simple about it,” Tristan
points out. “Italian food is all
about the quality and
provenance of the food, using
what’s in your local area.”
2pm: Our gnocci are made
with potatoes from the Cook
School garden and eggs from
its chickens. They’re light
and creamy, gently mixed
with egg, butter and flour
before being rolled into balls.
The rocket and walnut pesto
to go with them is very easy
to make, yet incredibly tasty.
“Make this if you have rocket
or basil growing out of
control in your garden, or if
you see it going cheap in the
supermarket, then freeze
some,” Tristan advises.
3.30pm: Time to enjoy our
gnocci and pesto starters and
Kitchen
coaching
rECiPE
ITALIAN MEATBALLS
IN TOMATO SAuCE
serves 3-4
ingredients
For the tomato sauce:
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, finely
chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely
chopped
small pinch dried
chilli flakes
800g good quality tinned
tomatoes.
For the meatballs:
200 g ground beef
100 g ground pork
100 g ground gammon
1 ½ tbsp dry breadcrumbs
2 tbsp grated Parmesan
1 tbsp chopped flat parsley
½ onion, finely diced
1 egg yolk 1 clove garlic, crushed
1 ½ tbsp extra virgin
olive oil maldon salt
freshly ground black pepper.
How to make it:
• Make the tomato sauce: warm
the olive oil in a thick-based
pan, add the chopped onion
and slowly sweat without
colouring. After a few minutes
add the garlic, dried chilli flakes
and seasoning and cook for
another five minutes
• Add the tinned tomatoes and
bring to the boil. reduce the
heat and simmer gently
• while the tomato sauce is
reducing, assemble the
meatballs. Place the ground
meats, breadcrumbs,
Parmesan and parsley into a
large bowl and, using your
hands, mix thoroughly. Add
the onion, olive oil, egg yolk
and a generous pinch of salt
and freshly ground black
pepper and mix again
• using clean hands divide the
meatball mixture into small
pieces and roll into balls
• when you have all your
meatballs ready, heat a frying
pan. Add the olive oil and fry,
turning occasionally, until
golden brown
• when the meatballs are all
coloured, add them to the
tomato sauce and cook for
roughly 15-20 minutes. Do
ensure the meatballs are
properly cooked. Finally check
for seasoning and serve with
olive oil, pappardelle or
spaghetti and freshly shaved
Parmesan and basil.
First-class food is a strength of our area’s economy, and
Port of Menteith’s nick nairn Cook school the ideal place
to learn how to turn that tip-top produce into amazing
meals. Stirling reporter Deborah kilpatrick does just that
stirling.gov.uk 13
He
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HospitAL openinG
The opening of the third phase of the Forth Valley Royal Hospital not only marked the final chapter in the development of the new hospital, but also heralded a new beginning for Stirling Royal Infirmary.Following the transfer of acute services from Stirling to Larbert in July, Stirling Royal Infirmary has become Stirling Community
Hospital, one of four community hospitals across Forth Valley which support the work of Forth Valley Royal Hospital. This ensures local people from across Stirling continue to have access to a wide range of health services including a new Minor Injury Unit, X-Ray and ultrasound services, dermatology, audiology, antenatal and postnatal care, therapy and mental health
services for children and young people and GP out-of-hours services.Stirling Community Hospital continues to be a base for hundreds of NHS
staff and is expected to handle more than 200,000 patient appointments each year, maintaining an important presence at the heart of the community.
open for minor injuries the new Minor injury unit at stirling Community Hospital is now open every day from 9am to 9pm. the unit, which is currently located in the former A&E department, provides treatment for a wide range of common injuries including sprains, cuts, minor burns, suspected broken bones, minor head and neck injuries and infected wounds. this ensures that thousands of people from across stirling who experience minor injuries every year can continue to be treated locally. the unit provides treatment for adults and children over the age of one. Children under the age of one should be taken to the Emergency Department at Forth valley royal Hospital.
the new stirling Community Hospital is now up and running, providing a range of vital services
A new chapter in local healthcare
able to stay until they go home and a separate larger delivery room for multiple births. the new neonatal suite is much lighter and brighter than existing neonatal facilities and will provide a more pleasant environment for staff, patients and parents.there are also two overnight rooms for parents who want to stay while their baby is undergoing treatment or stay overnight to help prepare for taking their baby home. the neonatal unit is on the same floor as the labour ward which has improved access and made it easier for mothers to visit their babies while they are being cared for in the unit.
“The new unit has a host of extra facilities to make time spent in hospital more comfortable”
KenzieLiddellisthefirstbabyfromtheStirlingareatobebornatthenewForthValleyRoyalHospital
Community cops on hospital beatpoLiCinG
statements from patients and staff can now be obtained far easier and quicker thanks to the work of two new police enquiry officers who are based full-time at Forth valley royal Hospital. PC steven Dodds and PC walter robb were recently appointed as Enquiry
officers at the new hospital and are working closely with staff across the site to obtain and record medical evidence, medical history and expert witness statements.
stirling.gov.uk12
Hospital security to reassure patientsFORTH VALLEY ROYAL
In a first for health services in Forth Valley, security officers have been appointed at Forth Valley Royal Hospital to reassure and assist patients, public and staff. Not only do they have a visible presence patrolling the hospital, but they also monitor the site from a control room near the Emergency Department, where information is relayed from more than 150 CCTV cameras.
The officers, who are employed by Serco, have all been trained in techniques approved by the Security Industry Authority. The new officers are just one of a number of improved services incorporated into the new Forth Valley Royal Hospital in Larbert which is now fully operational.
He
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Women AnD CHiLDren’s unit
Babies born at Forth valley royal Hospital are to be known by staff as larbert lads and lassies. the new name was coined by Midwife Practitioner Catriona Cully. “i wanted a name to unite all the new arrivals and i think this fits the bill.”the first baby from the stirling area to be born at the new Forth valley royal Hospital was kenzie liddell from Bannockburn. kenzie, who was born on 13 July 2011, was
presented with special gifts from nHs Forth valley – a cuddly toy rabbit, a certificate and a cotton top inscribed with the words ‘Forth valley royal First’.the new women and Children’s unit at Forth valley royal has a host of extra facilities to make time spent in hospital much more comfortable. these include improvements in the labour suite such as an extra birthing pool, a changing room for partners close to theatres, en-suite delivery rooms where many mums will be
ThenewsecurityofficerswillpatrolForthValleyRoyalHospital,aswellasmonitorthesitefromaCCTVcontrolroom
What’s in aname?
stirling.gov.uk 17
Ha
un
ting
s
it’s not just stirling that has
intriguing connections with
the supernatural. Hundreds
of years ago, the community
of Aberfoyle had a host of
haunting stories to tell.
in the late 1600s, robert
kirk, a minister (and seventh
son) set out to collect
his parishioners’ stories
about elves, fairies, fauns,
doppelgangers, wraiths,
and other beings of “a
middle nature betwixt
man and angel”. kirk believed their
supernatural world existed
in parallel to ours, and
his research resulted
in an essay called The
Secret Commonwealth – a
fascinating mixture of
science, religion and folklore.
some believe that the
inhabitants of the secret
Commonwealth were
none too pleased with the
reverend for disclosing all
their secrets and took their
revenge. kirk walked daily
from the manse to Doon Hill,
but one day he did not return.
And they do say that the
pine tree that stands to this
day at the top of the hill
contains his imprisoned spirit.
HauntingsinStirling’shistoricOldTown
Hear David Kinnaird talk about his book Haunted Stirling on Wednesday
14 September, noon-1pm, at the Stirling Smith Art Gallery & Museum.
www.stirlingghostwalk.com
ApparitionshavebeenknowntoappearinStirling
the Black LadyA local woman had a curious and
unnerving experience as she pushed
her pram along the rough pathway
of the Back Walk one autumn
afternoon in the early 1970s. Then a
young mother, she could hear only
the gleeful gurgling of the tot as she
trundled through the twilight over the
cascade of brittle, brown leaves covering
the path – which circles the cemetery and
Castle Rock, and marks the line
of the Burgh defences fortified
by Mary de Guise in the 1540s.
As she reached the steep incline
from Cowane’s Hospital to the
Ladies’ Hill she paused to catch
her breath, and was startled to
feel something ‘like a finger
pressing up and down the
length of my back’. She
turned, and was alarmed to
find herself alone upon the
shadowy path. She lost no
time in hurrying home.
Such encounters here were
once commonplace, it seems,
and attributed to visitations
of the Black Lady, a ghostly
nun, supposedly seeking
furtive union with her secret
priestly lover in some secluded nook of the
Castle Rock. A stubbornly silent and
uncommunicative spirit – none of Stirling’s
female phantoms have a great deal to say
for themselves – her purpose is as obscure
as her origin and destination, though she
is generally thought by
older locals to be a herald
of ill omen, creating
a sense of dread appropriate to the
shadowy, overgrown
causeway she frequents.
Sightings are rare since
the path was paved and
electric light added,
though uncanny encounters on
the outskirts of the churchyard
still occur. On the afternoon of
30 November (St Andrew’s Day)
2002, Rab Allan, Master of Works for the
Cowane Trust, had one such unsettling
experience. At the foot of the stone steps
leading to the summit of the Ladies’ Hill,
where a rough path leads down to the
Back Walk, he spied a figure in what
appeared to be a capacious grey coat with
a high collar or hood, hurrying up the path
from the Valley. A local, who has lived and worked around
the cemetery all his life, and who has no
truck with ‘silly superstitions’, he was
about to call a cheery
welcome – sure that
the grey man was me,
garbed in the great grey
postal-cloak which forms
part of my Staffman’s livery – though he
did think it odd that a GhostWalk should
be in progress so early in the day.
What happened next silenced him
before he could utter a word, as the figure
‘just vanished into
the stone at the top
of the path. Not behind. Not beside.
Straight through.
Into the stone.’ (I,
incidentally, have a
saintly alibi for the
time of this odd encounter: I was playing Santa Claus
in a local shopping
centre all day.)Could this have been the Black
Lady’s immortal inamorato – a
Franciscan Greyfriar in his
distinctive vestments – hurrying to meet her
under some secluded bower?
This is an extract from Haunted Stirling
by David Kinnaird, published by
The History Press (www.thehistorypress.co.uk).
Exclusive reader offer: £7 plus p&p
Tel: 01235 465500 or
www.thehistorypress.co.uk
Please quote HPSTIRLING.
Offer ends 1 January 2012.
“None of Stirling’s female phantoms have a great deal to say for themselves”
‘Betwixt man and angel’ in
Aberfoyle
stirling.gov.uk16
Spooky
David kinnaird, author, writer and performer, has been haunting and
entertaining in stirling for more than twenty years with his stirling ghost
walk. Here, he gives an insight into the eerie goings on in the city
SUPERNATURAL
I’ve never seen a ghost. After two decades of
living and working in a host of supposedly
haunted houses, acquainting myself with the
history and mythology of the area, I’ve yet to
see, hear or feel anything that I could not
explain – at least in part – by reasonable,
rational, and utterly mundane means.
I’m not even sure I believe in ghosts, at least not in
the sense of a sentient, self-aware, persistent
personal essence – but I’m open to the possibility.
After all, if it is true that high emotions can
somehow impress themselves upon a location, then
it’s no surprise that reports of hauntings have been
so numerous in this town.
stirling.gov.uk 3
Ne
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yOur
viEw
Lovely landscapeAutumn glory: Dunblane reader ron Beaton sent us this striking view of stirling taken from Bridge of Allan. thanks to everyone who sent in images.
If you’d like to see your view in Stirling, email itwith a little background information to
stirlingmagazine@stirling.gov.uk
Earlier this year the Customer First centre opened in stirling’s Port street, replacing the council tax collection and advice service at viewforth
Customer serviCe
At the new Customer First centre you can pop in to make payments for Council services, get help with filling in forms, or speak to one of our customer service team. some of our community based teams have moved in, alongside colleagues from HM revenue and Customs and visit scotland. knowledgeable advisers on a range of council services are also based here.
Janice Hewitt, Assistant Chief Executive (pictured), said: “stirling Council wants all our customers to receive great customer service all the time. our Customer Care strategy sets standards for the service we want to give people who use our services.”
the promises are: we will always
be helpful, and treat you with courtesy and respect
we will listen to what you ask for and respond to your requests and feedback
we will keep you informed about the services we provide and when we provide them, and let you know if they change
we will do our best to ‘get it right First time’.
Janice Hewitt would love to hear from readers on how to make customer service
better. Get in touch at hewittj@stirling.gov.uk
Advisers’ viewswhat our customer advisers say about Customer First:
“the open plan area makes it easier to communicate between different services. it helps a lot in finding solutions to challenging enquiries”
“our customers are able to use the service when it suits them”
“it’s an easy stop if you’re out shopping in the city centre”
“we’re able to give a quicker, more personal service”.
Great service is our priorityCuSTOMEr FIrST1-5 Port Street, StirlingOpen 9am-5.30pm, Monday to Friday (we will review these hours aftercustomer feedback)
Customers’ viewswhat our customers say about Customer First:
Mrs Scobbie from St Ninians has popped in twice so far. “I think it’s a good idea, and very convenient. You can sort out everything in one go.”
Gillian Martin from Fallin was at
Customer First with her four-year-
old niece Milly. “The staff are
really helpful,” said Gillian. “I
love the pink sofa,” added Milly.
John Sheppard has just moved into a new flat in Stirling. “It’s a handy location, and it’s great having everything in one place. You’re not passed from one department to another,” he said.
stirling.gov.uk4
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in Brief
Help test new sitewe’re building a new stirling Council website. if you would be interested in helping test it out, please get in touch at communications@stirling.gov.uk
Disabled parking rulesnew rules were recently approved about qualifying for a Disabled Person’s Parking Place at your home. to receive a place you should now:
have a valid blue badge have a vehicle registered to your address
have no access to a suitable off-street parking space (a driveway and/or garage)
have a genuine parking problem.
For more details, visit www. stirling.gov.uk/disabled_parking
Hogmanay tickets Plenty of people were keen to get their hands on tickets for stirling’s 2011 Hogmanay when they went on sale recently at the tolbooth. watch out for more ticket offers coming soon.
Guidance to protectnew national guidance for Child Protection in scotland has been issued. Changes include: • new categories of risk • strengthened child protection case conferences• a wider definition for child protection, seeing it as part of public protection• stronger role for Chief officers and Child Protection Committees.
read the full document at www.stirling.gov.uk/childprotection
remember, it’s everyone’s responsibility to make sure our children are alright. if you have concerns about a child, contact the social work initial Assessment team (9am-5pm, Monday-Friday): 01786 471177 or social work (after 4.30pm and at weekends): 01786 470500.
volunteers neededstirling-based start-up stirling is looking for volunteers for a new befriending project which will offer support to people experiencing housing difficulties and homelessness.
to get involved, email mail@startupstirling.org.uk or visit www.startupstirling.org.uk
Have your say on rail plansstirling area people have the opportunity to comment on one of scotland’s largest-ever rail investment programmes as network rail launch a public consultation around the Edinburgh –glasgow improvement Programme (EgiP).
Despite the slightly misleading title, EgiP offers significant benefits for rail travellers from stirling, Bridge of Allan and Dunblane commuting to scotland’s largest cities. As well as the environmental benefits of electrification, the completed project will deliver shorter journey times on a new fleet of lighter, quieter trains.
To find out more about the consultation, visit
www.networkrail.co.uk/egip
radio royal has now settled into its new home at the state-of-the-art nHs Forth valley royal Hospital in larbert.
with the latest technology and studio facilities, radio royal aims to provide each and every patient with great entertainment from their own individual flat-screen bedside television to help make their hospital stay as comfortable as possible.
radio royal caters for all
audiences with everything from specialist to lighthearted programmes, as well as its famed patients’ choice show.
the station has its own team of ward visitors who collect requests from patients to be played by one of the dedicated presenters.
For more information about Radio Royal, visit
www.radioroyal.org
New home for radio show
TheteamatRadioRoyalcaterstothemusicaltastesofallaudiencesinwards
2014 will be a spectacular year for stirling, with a programme of events marking the 700th anniversary of the Battle of Bannockburn.
A new £5 million visitor centre is being built for the event. it’s also scotland’s
second Year of Homecoming, and in addition to Bannockburn 700, highlights will include the Commonwealth games in glasgow and the ryder Cup at gleneagles.
we’d love to hear everyone’s ideas – local people,
community groups and organisations, and ex-pats and friends of stirling from around the globe.
Get involved and register your interest now at
www.stirling2014.co.uk
A year of big events
stirling.gov.uk 5
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get active
there are a number of new ways you can get active in the stirling area...
raploch Community CampusActive stirling at the raploch Community Campus has a fantastic new timetable which includes various popular classes such as spinning, Zumba, tai Chi, thumpboxing and more! Active stirling also provide gym membership at the campus. the new gym and class membership starts
from £10 per month.
Active Living expressthis is an exciting new
scheme offering local residents the opportunity to use the leisure
facilities in stirling High school from 6pm-10pm, Monday to Friday. the scheme incorporates gym, fitness classes and swimming from as little as £3.50 per week.
over 50?Active stirling’s new 50+ Physical Activity programme is a timetable of fitness, exercise and activities for the over 50s across the stirling area. Activities range from walking groups to gentle exercise classes and other activities.
Walkingwhy not join in one of the free weekly walks run by Active stirling as part of the stirling walking network? there is a range of walks within your local area – great for some gentle exercise, socialising and fresh air. walk leaders are on hand to assist and encourage you. You don’t need to register, just turn up for a great walk.
Choose from shorter walks in local communities for those who are new to walking or recovering from an illness or operation, to longer walks in the stunning countryside across the stirling area.
Download information and timetables for all the above
at www.activestirling.org.uk or call Active Stirling on 0300 028 0101.
Time to go off the page for literary treasuresBook festivAL
stirling’s popular off the Page Book Festival returns from 10-17 september with an exciting array of events for adults and children.
Highlights will include leading authors Christopher Brookmyre and Mark Billingham in conversation, first-time visits from Caro ramsay, sue lawrence and gavin Francis, an Evening of gaelic at the tolbooth, and a gruffalo drama workshop for children. Cargo’s special Delivery, which showcases a mix of acclaimed authors, new writers and live music is another first.
Prizes will be awarded in stirling libraries’ annual poetry competition off the stanza. For children, writers Cathy Cassidy, Catherine Forde, lynne rickards and Matthew Fitt will make appearances.
off the Page is sponsored by Creative scotland and the Evening of gaelic is sponsored by Bord na gaidhlig. the stirling smith Art gallery and Museum is offering a programme of lunchtime talks as part of the festival.
Visit the website at www.stirling.gov.uk/offthepage and become a Facebook friend at
www.facebook.com/offthepagefestival
environmentAL CAmpAiGn
on the verge is an environmental campaign started by local resident leigh Biagi in partnership with stirling Council.
the idea is to provide food sources for our ailing bee populations by sowing nectar-rich wildflowers in green spaces in and around stirling.
in May, the Council sowed 13 wildflower areas, forming a ‘corridor’ through the city from the Castleview Park and ride to Cornton via gowanhill and the Back walk.
sites along Burghmuir road and in king’s Park and Beechwood Park were also turned into mini-meadows. A further 20 areas were established by other on the verge partners.
the next stage of the project, preparing and sowing further sites, will begin in late autumn.
To find out more, visit the Stirling Council Ranger Service on Facebook:
www.facebook.com/stirlingcouncilrangers
BeautifulOntheVergewildflowerssuchasbluecornflowerareappreciatedbylocals,visitorsandbeesalike
On the Verge of something special
GavinFrancisshareshistalesoftravellingthroughoutArcticEurope
there’s still just time to nominate a friend, colleague or family member who you think deserves to be considered for the honour of being a london 2012 ‘Moment
to shine’ torchbearer for our area in the 2012 olympic torch relay. is there someone whose personal achievement and/or contribution to the local
community you would like to see recognised?
Nominations can be made at www.lloydstsb.com/
carrytheflame until 12 September and www.samsung.com/london 2012 until 30 September 2011.
nominate an olympic torchbearer
stirling.gov.uk6
Fo
od
Cooking Course
Nick Nairn is Stirling’s own celebrity chef, with an acclaimed restaurant at the Doubletree Dunblane Hydro and Cook School at Port of Menteith.
He’s an enthusiastic champion of the Stirling area’s fresh produce, using local suppliers and produce from the School’s garden.
The School celebrates its tenth anniversary this year. It offers a variety of hands-on courses, focusing on good core skills. Those looking to step their cooking up a notch can attend three-day masterclasses on topics such as fish and shellfish, or meat, game and poultry.
I was delighted to be invited along to try the ‘Simple Italian’ course this August. But I wondered whether it could turn me into a gourmet in one day?
A dAy oF cooking
10am: Michelin-starred chef John Webber briefed us in the pristine, professional kitchen, which was divided into separate workstations set out with the equipment we’d need for the day.
10.30: Our tutor Tristan Campbell showed us how to make tiramisu. The secret was making sure the ingredients had the right consistency before blending. Working backwards on a menu is the opposite to my usual chaotic methods, but Tristan explained that good cooking is about being organised.
1pm: The tiramisu, a blend of mascarpone, egg, amaretto and double cream is setting in the fridge. We’ve also made dough for fresh pasta, meatballs, and a tomato sauce, all waiting to be cooked later. It’s much harder
work than I imagined! “Most people take this course because it’s called ‘Simple Italian’, but there’s nothing simple about it,” Tristan points out. “Italian food is all about the quality and provenance of the food, using what’s in your local area.”
2pm: Our gnocci are made with potatoes from the Cook School garden and eggs from its chickens. They’re light and creamy, gently mixed with egg, butter and flour before being rolled into balls. The rocket and walnut pesto to go with them is very easy to make, yet incredibly tasty. “Make this if you have rocket or basil growing out of control in your garden, or if you see it going cheap in the supermarket, then freeze some,” Tristan advises.
3.30pm: Time to enjoy our gnocci and pesto starters and
kitchencoaching
rECiPEitAliAn MeAtbAlls
in toMAto sAuce
serves 3-4
ingredientsFor the tomato sauce:
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
small pinch dried chilli flakes
800g good quality tinned tomatoes.
For the meatballs: 200 g ground beef 100 g ground pork 100 g ground gammon 1 ½ tbsp dry breadcrumbs 2 tbsp grated Parmesan 1 tbsp chopped flat parsley ½ onion, finely diced 1 egg yolk 1 clove garlic, crushed 1 ½ tbsp extra virgin olive oil
maldon salt freshly ground black pepper.
How to make it:• Make the tomato sauce: Warm the olive oil in a thick-based pan, add the chopped onion and slowly sweat without colouring. After a few minutes add the garlic, dried chilli flakes and seasoning and cook for another five minutes
• Add the tinned tomatoes and bring to the boil. reduce the heat and simmer gently
• While the tomato sauce is reducing, assemble the meatballs. Place the ground meats, breadcrumbs, Parmesan and parsley into a large bowl and, using your hands, mix thoroughly. Add the onion, olive oil, egg yolk and a generous pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper and mix again
• using clean hands divide the meatball mixture into small pieces and roll into balls
• When you have all your meatballs ready, heat a frying pan. Add the olive oil and fry, turning occasionally, until golden brown
• When the meatballs are all coloured, add them to the tomato sauce and cook for roughly 15-20 minutes. Do ensure the meatballs are properly cooked. Finally check for seasoning and serve with olive oil, pappardelle or spaghetti and freshly shaved Parmesan and basil.
First-class food is a strength of our area’s economy, and Port of Menteith’s nick nairn Cook school the ideal place to learn how to turn that tip-top produce into amazing meals. Stirling reporter Deborah kilpatrick does just that
Fo
od
stirling.gov.uk 7
chat with my fellow foodies. Emma, a student, hopes to increase her cooking confidence, and Bill, an ex-body-builder, has left his steamed chicken and broccoli days behind and is becoming something of a gourmet.
4pm: Out come the pasta machines. Making my own pasta is something I never dreamed I could do, but as I pass the dough through the contraption again and again and watch it turn into long, thin, smooth sheets I can cut into strips, I realise how fantastic the tutors are. Somehow, Tristan and John (who’s been offering invaluable advice) not only made a fairly ambitious menu look easy to do – their confidence in us meant I achieved more than I thought possible.
5pm: My pasta may have been ragged and my meatballs stuck when I fried them, but I’ve never been happier to sit down to a meal. Today was a lot to take in, but I’m inspired to try cooking more.
coaching
time to eat edible borders
Farmers’ marketsthe old Arcade Farmers’ Market
Every Friday, stirling Arcade, 9am-4pm
stirling Farmers’ Market
second saturday of the monthPort street, stirling
thornhill Market
Wednesdays, 10am-1pmCommunity Hall, thornhill
Fruitful funding for orchardsStirling-based environmental charity Forth Environment Link has been awarded funding to continue the development of their Forth Valley Orchards Initiative.
The initiative, running since 2009, seeks to raise the profile of local orchards and encourage more people to eat the produce.
Forth Environment Link Project Officer Diane Alderdice said: “Thanks to the tremendous response and involvement of the people of Forth Valley over the past two years we have another year’s funding to support not only the orchards, but the development of people’s skills to help them plant and manage their own orchards.”
The award of more than £84,000 was made by the Central Scotland Green Network Development Fund and will allow Forth
Environment Link to continue to support the development of orchards across the whole of central Scotland and run a full programme of events over the next nine months.
For more information, visit www.fvfl.org.uk
edible broomridge
A day-long food festival is on the menu for Broomridge on Sunday 2 October at Bannockburn High School.
It’s the culmination of the Edible Broomridge project, which urges local people to eat, grow and buy more local, seasonal produce, reduce their meat and dairy intake, and cut food waste.
For more information, visit www.broomridge
foodfestival.co.uk
growing your own
It’s time to reap the tasty rewards of the Edible Borders campaign to replace traditional garden bedding plants with vegetables and herbs.
The project, which began in early summer, saw the Council’s Land Services team sow vegetables on borders and other patches of available land across the city, including beside the Burns Statue in central Stirling, Quakerfield, Bannockburn, Airthrey Road, Causewayhead and in the grounds of the Council’s Viewforth HQ.
Star performers include runner beans, sweetcorn, courgettes, tomatoes, red cabbage and artichokes.
Picked produce is being given to organisations such as the Salvation Army.
stirling.gov.uk8
Ed
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IntervIew
Belinda Greer joined Stirling Council as Head of Education in 2009 and recently headed the groundbreaking merger of Stirling and Clackmannanshire Council’s education services. Here, she talks about how this will help ensure a positive future for our children.
Belinda, how will
merging the two services
improve things for
children and young
people in Stirling?
The current financial climate calls for us to do better with less, to be more efficient. Sharing skills, experience and best practice across Stirling and Clackmannanshire will build greater capacity in the team and strengthen delivery of the service in both councils.
The governance of schools is not changing and so Stirling schools will remain Stirling schools. Since we work to a national agenda
such as Curriculum for Excellence there will be very little difference for pupils. However, I would like to see improved outcomes and life chances for our children through high quality learning experiences.
What do you think is the
most important aspect of
education for children?
Wide achievement and high attainment. I believe that the core skills of literacy and numeracy are crucial.
Children get one chance at education so we must ensure that they get the best chance of achieving well and to the best of their ability.
Is there anything else
you’d like parents of
school-age children
to know?
I want to reassure parents that change is a good thing – a chance for us to take a fresh approach and improve what we do.
A place to
thrive
Stirling + Clackmannanshire
= stronger education services
“Children get one chance at education, so we must ensure that they get the best chance”
Enrolmentthe 2012/13 school year begins on 21 August 2012.
All children who are five on or before 21 August 2012 must start their primary school education on that date. Children who are five between 22 August 2012 and 28 February 2013 may start on 21 August 2012.
if you want your child to start school in August 2012 you must enrol him or her by 25 november 2011 for:
Bannockburn Primary school Braehead Primary school Cowie Primary school East Plean Primary school st Margaret’s Primary school st Mary’s Primary school,
Bannockburn Dunblane Primary school newton Primary school.Your child should be enrolled
by 20 January 2012 for all other primary schools. For details on enrolment arrangements for individual schools, please visit www.stirling.gov.uk/enrolling yourchild or phone the Council on 01786 442648, or contact your local school.
the Council now checks the residency of parents enrolling their child. to avoid any delay, please bring your child’s birth certificate, child benefit book or award letter and working families tax credit award letter, together with a recent utilities bill and council tax bill when you go to your catchment school to enrol your child.
stirling.gov.uk 9
Ed
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Children in the Dunblane and Bannockburn ‘clusters’ due to begin primary school next year are taking part in an early enrolment pilot scheme.
“We’re making the enrolment process more straightforward
and bringing it forward to give schools, the Council and, above all, children and parents more time, making the move from nursery to primary and primary to secondary as smooth as possible,” explained Belinda
greer, Joint Head of service, Education.
“Earlier enrolment makes it easier to plan classes and make sure we can offer children the best possible start at their new school.”
other schools will be starting the new pattern of enrolment in January 2012. A list of individual enrolment sessions will be available on the Council website
so parents can check when to enrol their child into P1.
Children in the Council area who will be moving from P7 on to high school will also receive P7 transfer letters earlier as part of the updated procedures.
this will allow for improved planning and sharing of information between primaries and secondary schools.
Need to know:school placesTransfer from primary to secondary
Children currently in P7 will transfer from primary to secondary education in August 2012. Your primary school will notify you about transfer arrangements. For enrolment at a secondary school other than your catchment school you should make a placing request even if your child already attends an associated primary school of your chosen secondary school.
Placing requests for session 2012/2013
Parents or guardians who wish to make a placing request for the school session 2012-2013 should do so in writing no later than 15 March 2012. Your right applies to a request that your child be placed in a school other than the school which normally serves the area in which you live. it applies to a primary school or, where
appropriate, the transfer to a secondary school, including a school providing for children with additional support needs. Application forms and guidelines are available from the
Council’s Education service on 01786 442648. it is essential that you enrol your child at the school that serves your local area, even if you are making a placing request for another school.
Please note that if your placing request is successful school transport will not be provided for your child.
Schools information
information on local authority schools in stirling Council and placing request arrangements are available from
the Education Business team on 01786 442648. For information about a particular school, please contact the school.
Denominational enrolment
Parents/carers wishing to apply for enrolment to our lady’s rC Primary school, st Mary’s rC Primary school, st Margaret’s rC Primary school, st Mary’s Episcopal Primary school and st Modan’s High school should contact the school to discuss enrolment policy.
Gaelic
gaelic Medium Provision is available at riverside Primary school,Forrest road, stirling, for which parents may enrol their
child. Further information is available from the school.
Details are also available at www.stirling.gov.uk/enrollingyourchild
The joint working is not about diluting what we do, it is about strengthening it. We are the first in Scotland to join education services. It shows that Stirling and Clackmannanshire are leading the way.
I would also encourage parents to play a part in the life of their school and join or actively support the parent council. There are opportunities for the chairs of parent councils across Stirling to meet with the education team, and minutes of these meetings are available on the web.
Belinda Greer encourages parents to play a part in the life of their child’s school
Pilot on early enrolment
stirling.gov.uk10
Bu
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Stirling Council is working with partner organisations to deliver a faster and more consistent broadband service to households and businesses across the local area.
In partnership with Clackmannanshire Council and Forth Valley & Lomond LEADER, the Council is delivering a pilot project called ClacksMax.
The project aims to provide a new high-speed wireless broadband service in Clackmannanshire and parts of rural Stirling. Initially focused on Throsk and Cambusbarron in the Stirling area, this pilot service will be in place by the end of the year.
We would like to extend access to
high-speed broadband across the Council area, helping to meet Scottish Government targets to deliver broadband speeds of at least 2MB/s to all households by 2015 and 24MB/s to 90 per cent.
The Government is making a limited amount of funding available to improve broadband infrastructure – and we need your help to bid for this.
You can strengthen the case for improving broadband infrastructure by taking part in a short survey
Want a faster connectio n?
“The more evidence we can gather on provision, the stronger our bid will be”
skills development scotland
last year, almost 1,000 people in the stirling area signed up to learn with skills Development scotland for national training programmes, including Modern Apprenticeships, get ready for Work and training for Work.
the organisation offers careers information, advice and guidance to people of all ages: school pupils and leavers, jobseekers, and people facing the threat of redundancy or looking to advance their career.
skills Development scotland’s
business support includes the Employer recruitment incentive (Eri), which offers companies up to £2,000 when they employ
someone who has been out of work for some time or has faced barriers in the past. And this year, the criteria has been
widened to offer 6,000 additional incentives to help businesses in scotland benefit.
Among those who will now become eligible for the initiative are people aged 18 and over who have previously been unemployed.
Businesses can also benefit from skills Development scotland’s Flexible training opportunities (Fto) Fund, which aims to help small scottish businesses become more successful by covering 50 per cent of training costs, up to a maximum of £5,000.
Turn to training for a great career
Help bid for a better broadband infrastructure for the stirling area
stirling.gov.uk 11
Food tourism
sampling top-quality, well-presented local produce is one of the most enjoyable things about visiting any area – and ours has plenty of first-class fare to promote.
now, a new forum is taking steps to maximise the appeal of all that stirling’s food and drink businesses have to offer. Stirling spoke with Council tourism Executive Jason Clark to find out more.
What do you think visitors to our area are looking for as far as food and drink go?People love trying new experiences on holiday. our visitors want to try famous and authentic scottish produce, drinks and dishes and tell their family and friends about it when they get back home.
there’s also a demand for excellent and friendly customer service, and websites such as tripadvisor make it quick and easy for visitors to comment on their experiences and for businesses to receive feedback. getting glowing reviews on these sites is great marketing!
We know that many visitors welcome healthy menus and like information about how food is prepared and if it’s sourced locally.
And for others it’s about social and cultural experiences that can be enhanced with great food and drink – enjoying a coffee and delicious cake in historic, atmospheric surroundings, for example.
Why is the Food and drink
Forum being set up?research from the City
of stirling visitor survey over the last three years shows that
there’s room for improvement in
stirling’s food offering. there can be a gap between what our visitors are looking for and what they are experiencing.
We wanted to tackle this, so with help from scottish Enterprise two half-day tourism innovation workshops were held earlier this year with participants from the local food and drink sector. there were workshops and discussions, and the group established a private sector-led stirling Food and Drink Forum.
How will the Forum work?it’ll help raise the profile of stirling’s food and drink outlets and hopefully improve their bottom line. the focus will be on the tourism market, and exploring opportunities to increase business and exchange views and information.
How can businesses join in?the Forum is keen for more city centre food and drink retailers to become involved.
the next meeting is on Monday 19 september at 10am in the golden lion Hotel in stirling. new members are most welcome, and i’d encourage anyone interested in coming along to contact me.
You can get in touch with Jason on 01786 442532 or
email clarkj@stirling.gov.uk
Bu
sin
es
s
that will gather information on broadband speeds and any local broadband issues.
Councillor Scott Farmer, Portfolio Holder for Economy, Tourism and Finance, said: “The more evidence we can gather on broadband provision across the Stirling Council area, the stronger our bid for funding will be.
“We are extremely pleased to be part of the ClacksMax pilot project that will deliver high speed broadband to some rural areas, but would like to extend quality broadband services to residents and businesses from all our communities.”
Find the survey at www.stirling.gov.uk/
broadbandsurvey or contact Sandy Frickleton, Business Liaison Executive, Stirling Council, on 01786 443403, email frickletona@stirling.gov.uk to ask for a paper copy to be sent to you.
Want a faster connectio n?
Turn to training for a great careerif you are looking for help
finding work or training or need advice, please call the careers helpline on 0800 917 8000.
if you are a business looking for further information on skills Development scotland’s initiatives, including Eris and Ftos, or if you would like support, advice or information on taking on a trainee or someone recently made redundant, call the employers’ helpline on 0800 783 6000.
For more details, visit www.skillsdevelopment
scotland.co.uk
Best in food and drink for Stirling visitors
Jason Clark: ‘Our visitors want to try top quality local fare’
stirling.gov.uk12
Hospital security to reassure patientsForth Valley royal
In a first for health services in Forth Valley, security officers have been appointed at Forth Valley Royal Hospital to reassure and assist patients, public and staff.
Not only do they have a visible presence patrolling the hospital, but they also monitor the site from a control room near the Emergency Department, where information is relayed from more than 150 CCTV cameras.
The officers, who are employed by Serco, have all been trained in techniques approved by the Security Industry Authority.
The new officers are just one of a number of improved services incorporated into the new Forth Valley Royal Hospital in Larbert which is now fully operational.
He
alth
ne
ws
Women and children’s unit
Babies born at Forth valley royal Hospital are to be known by staff as larbert lads and lassies.
the new name was coined by Midwife Practitioner Catriona Cully. “i wanted a name to unite all the new arrivals and i think this fits the bill.”
the first baby from the stirling area to be born at the new Forth valley royal Hospital was kenzie liddell from Bannockburn. kenzie, who was born on 13 July 2011, was
presented with special gifts from nHs Forth valley – a cuddly toy rabbit, a certificate and a cotton top inscribed with the words ‘Forth valley royal First’.
the new Women and Children’s unit at Forth valley royal has a host of extra facilities to make time spent in hospital much more comfortable. these include improvements in the labour suite such as an extra birthing pool, a changing room for partners close to theatres, en-suite delivery rooms where many mums will be
The new security officers will patrol Forth Valley Royal Hospital, as well as monitor the site from a CCTV control room
What’s in a
name?
stirling.gov.uk 13
He
alth
ne
ws
hospital opening
The opening of the third phase of the Forth Valley Royal Hospital not only marked the final chapter in the development of the new hospital, but also heralded a new beginning for Stirling Royal Infirmary.
Following the transfer of acute services from Stirling to Larbert in July, Stirling Royal Infirmary has become Stirling Community
Hospital, one of four community hospitals across Forth Valley which support the work of Forth Valley Royal Hospital.
This ensures local people from across Stirling continue to have access to a wide range of health services including a new Minor Injury Unit, X-Ray and ultrasound services, dermatology, audiology, antenatal and postnatal care, therapy and mental health
services for children and young people and GP out-of-hours services.
Stirling Community Hospital continues to be a base for hundreds of NHS
staff and is expected to handle more than 200,000 patient appointments each year, maintaining an important presence at the heart of the community.
open for minor injuries the new Minor injury unit at stirling Community Hospital is now open every day from 9am to 9pm. the unit, which is currently located in the former A&E department, provides treatment for a wide range of common injuries including sprains, cuts, minor burns, suspected broken bones, minor head and neck injuries and infected wounds.
this ensures that thousands of people from across stirling who experience minor injuries every year can continue to be treated locally. the unit provides treatment for adults and children over the age of one. Children under the age of one should be taken to the Emergency Department at Forth valley royal Hospital.
the new stirling Community Hospital is now up and running, providing a range of vital services
A new
chapter in local healthcare
able to stay until they go home and a separate larger delivery room for multiple births.
the new neonatal suite is much lighter and brighter than existing neonatal facilities and will provide a more pleasant environment for staff, patients and parents.
there are also two overnight rooms for parents who want to stay while their baby is undergoing treatment or stay overnight to help prepare for taking their baby home.
the neonatal unit is on the same floor as the labour ward which has improved access and made it easier for mothers to visit their babies while they are being cared for in the unit.
“The new unit has a host of extra
facilities to make time spent in
hospital more comfortable”
Kenzie Liddell is the first baby
from the Stirling area to be
born at the new Forth Valley
Royal Hospital
Community cops on hospital beatpolicing
statements from patients and staff can now be obtained far easier and quicker thanks to the work of two new police enquiry officers who are based full-time at Forth valley royal Hospital.
PC steven Dodds and PC Walter robb were recently appointed as Enquiry officers at the new hospital and are working closely with staff across the site to obtain and record medical evidence, medical history and expert witness statements.
STIRLING.GOV.UK14
Ev
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What’s on Your essential pull-out guide to upcoming events in our area. For more information, visit www.stirling.gov.uk
11 12 13Saturday Sunday TuesdayMonday
17 18 19 20
24 25 26 27
8 10 11
15 17 18
23 24 25
30 31 1
2 3 4
6 7 8
10
1
9
16
29
5
22
OFF TO THE OFF
THE PAGE BOOK
FESTIVALLoads of great events
for adults and kids.
www.stirling.gov.uk/
offthepage www.facebook.
com/offthepagefestival
MCLAREN COMMUNITY LEISURE CENTRE
Stalls with info about safety,
keeping well, support groups,
transport and community care.
You can even exchange your old
slippers for a nice new pair
SCHOOL’S OUT!10 - 17 October
Why not spend a fun day
at The Peak?
www.the-peak-stirling.org.uk
STIRLING COUNCIL ARCHIVEExtends opening hours.
Now open: Monday - Thursday 9am-12.30pm and 1.30pm-4.30pm
Friday - closed to the public, but open for groups by prior
appointment
Rock On!Join a geologist to find out
what’s beneath our feet. 10am-noon
Stirling Wedding Show Albert Halls
Big Brilliant Book SaleStirling Smith Art Gallery & Museum
Kings of the Castle Archaeological castle walk, 2pm-4pm
Hayseed Dixie Tolbooth
The Mental Feast of Pure Delight Robert Ritchie reads from his book. Stirling Smith Art Gallery & Museum, noon-1pm
Vasen Tolbooth
24 September - 6 November, Patricia Cain/Sam Cartman exhibitionStirling Smith Art Gallery & Museum, 7.30pm
Mugdock Country ParkGardeners’ Time: Plant Swap£3. Booking preferred:
0141 956 6100
Nuts About SquirrelsSquirrely activities for the whole family. Guided walks start at 1pm
and 3pm (no dogs allowed). David Marshall Lodge, Queen Elizabeth Park
From Little Acorns...Help the rangers find fallen acorns – and do your bit to en-
sure the future of our ancient woodland at Mugdock Country Park. Call 0141 956 6100 for details
National Feed the Birds event
Help make bird feeders and seed cakes to help your garden birds through the cold winter months. 11am-3pm. Call 01786 442768 for more information
Country Roads: A Celebration of John Denver
Paying homage to one of the most pro-lific artists of the 20th century. Tickets £16/£14.50. Albert Halls, 7.30pm
Forth Naturalist & Historian ‘Man and Landscape’ Symposium 2011
Protecting Forth Valley landscapes. Full day ticket: £15 (half price for students). Stirling University, 9.30am-4pm. Visit www.fnh.natsci.stir.ac.uk/symposium
10-11 September, Stirling Doors Open Days www.doorsopendays.org.uk
STIRLING.GOV.UK 15
Ev
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Your essential pull-out guide to upcoming events in our area. For more information, visit www.stirling.gov.uk
Se
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No
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COLOUR KEY:Sports events
Outdoor eventsSchool and bank holidays
Tourism, theatre etc
Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
Oc
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2322
28
14
2120
26 27
2 3
75 5
119
14 15
3029
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ALL THAT JAZZ...30 September - 2 OctoberCallander Jazz Festival -
a long weekend of jazz and blues provided by more than thirty
international, national and local bands at various venues.
Visit www.callanderjazz.com
DON’T FORGET!Look out for details
about tickets for Stirling’s Hogmanay
at the Castle
TAKE A SHINE
TO PEWTER!
Don’t miss the Neish Pewter
Collection at the new Stirling
Smith Pewter Gallery in
The Old Court at the foot
of Spittal Street. Opening
hours: Saturdays 1pm-4pm,
Sundays 2pm-4.30pm
BE A PART OF
THE BIG DIG
Archeological dig at Hillfort,
16-19 September, 10am-4pm
daily. View the dig, speak to
diggers. Limited places on
the dig also. Email cookm@
stirling.gov.uk
16
10
Hayseed Dixie Tolbooth
The Mental Feast of Pure Delight Robert Ritchie reads from his book. Stirling Smith Art Gallery & Museum, noon-1pm
Haunted Stirling by David Kinnaird David Kinnaird reads from
his book. Stirling Smith Art Gallery & Museum, noon-1pm
A History of Stirling in 100 Objects Elspeth King reads from her
book. Stirling Smith Art Gallery & Museum, noon-1pm
Derek Acorah The UK’s leading spirit medium. Tickets £20.50/£19.50.
Albert Halls, 7.30pm
McGoldrick, McCusker & Doyle Tolbooth
Macrobert ‘Big Ears, Little Ears’ – a short concert (45 mins) For parents/carers with young
babies. Orchestra performs classics, folksongs and lullabies
Mugdock Country Park Con-cert Night: Alan Reid & Rob Vasante
Celebration of traditional folk songs. £8 £7. Booking essential: 0141 956 6100
Countryside Rangers’ Meadow Management DayLend a hand in getting a field cut
and raked to manage a valuable habitat for butterflies and wildflowers. 10am-4pm. For details, call 01786 442768
Upbeat BeatlesOne of the premier Beatles tribute bands. Tickets £15/£13
concessions. Albert Halls, 7.30pm
The NutcrackerPerformed by the State Ballet Academy of Minsk. Tickets
£18/£16.50. Albert Halls, 7.30pm
Concert Night – Lorna Reid’s Jazz Café
Swinging and bluesy vocalist and her band create the relaxed feel of a jazz street café. £8-£7. Booking essential: 0141 956 6100. Mugdock Country Park
Theatre Night – An evening with Mr Wilde An evening of sparkling wit by
a three-women troupe. Tickets £9/£8 Booking essential: 0141 956 6100. Mugdock Country Park
The Axe Factory Manager’s Convention
Poetry reading by Alistair Findlay. Stirling Smith Art Gallery & Museum, noon-1pm
Thursday 10, Friday 11 and Saturday 12 November
Mugdock Music Fest at the Country ParkThree evenings of music. £10-£12. Booking essential: 0141 956 6100
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Spooky
David kinnaird, author, writer and performer, has been haunting and entertaining in stirling for more than twenty years with his stirling ghost
Walk. Here, he gives an insight into the eerie goings on in the city
Supernatural
I’ve never seen a ghost. After two decades of living and working in a host of supposedly haunted houses, acquainting myself with the history and mythology of the area, I’ve yet to see, hear or feel anything that I could not explain – at least in part – by reasonable,
rational, and utterly mundane means. I’m not even sure I believe in ghosts, at least not in
the sense of a sentient, self-aware, persistent personal essence – but I’m open to the possibility. After all, if it is true that high emotions can somehow impress themselves upon a location, then it’s no surprise that reports of hauntings have been so numerous in this town.
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Ha
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it’s not just stirling that has intriguing connections with the supernatural. Hundreds of years ago, the community of Aberfoyle had a host of haunting stories to tell.
in the late 1600s, robert kirk, a minister (and seventh son) set out to collect his parishioners’ stories about elves, fairies, fauns, doppelgangers, wraiths, and other beings of “a middle nature betwixt man and angel”.
kirk believed their supernatural world existed in parallel to ours, and his research resulted in an essay called The Secret Commonwealth – a fascinating mixture of science, religion and folklore.
some believe that the inhabitants of the secret Commonwealth were none too pleased with the reverend for disclosing all their secrets and took their revenge. kirk walked daily from the manse to Doon Hill, but one day he did not return.
And they do say that the pine tree that stands to this day at the top of the hill contains his imprisoned spirit.
Hauntings in Stirling’s historic Old Town
Hear David Kinnaird talk about his book Haunted Stirling on Wednesday 14 September, noon-1pm, at the Stirling Smith Art Gallery & Museum.
www.stirlingghostwalk.com
Apparitions have been known to appear in Stirling
The Black LadyA local woman had a curious and unnerving experience as she pushed her pram along the rough pathway of the Back Walk one autumn afternoon in the early 1970s. Then a young mother, she could hear only the gleeful gurgling of the tot as she trundled through the twilight over the cascade of brittle, brown leaves covering the path – which circles the cemetery and Castle Rock, and marks the line of the Burgh defences fortified by Mary de Guise in the 1540s. As she reached the steep incline from Cowane’s Hospital to the Ladies’ Hill she paused to catch her breath, and was startled to feel something ‘like a finger pressing up and down the length of my back’. She turned, and was alarmed to find herself alone upon the shadowy path. She lost no time in hurrying home.
Such encounters here were once commonplace, it seems, and attributed to visitations of the Black Lady, a ghostly nun, supposedly seeking furtive union with her secret priestly lover in some secluded nook of the Castle Rock.
A stubbornly silent and uncommunicative spirit – none of Stirling’s female phantoms have a great deal to say for themselves – her purpose is as obscure as her origin and destination, though she is generally thought by older locals to be a herald of ill omen, creating a sense of dread appropriate to the shadowy, overgrown causeway she frequents. Sightings are rare since the path was paved and electric light added, though uncanny encounters on the outskirts of the churchyard still occur. On the afternoon of 30 November (St Andrew’s Day) 2002, Rab Allan, Master of Works for the Cowane Trust, had one such unsettling experience. At the foot of the stone steps leading to the summit of the Ladies’ Hill, where a rough path leads down to the Back Walk, he spied a figure in what appeared to be a capacious grey coat with a high collar or hood, hurrying up the path from the Valley.
A local, who has lived and worked around the cemetery all his life, and who has no
truck with ‘silly superstitions’, he was about to call a cheery welcome – sure that the grey man was me, garbed in the great grey
postal-cloak which forms part of my Staffman’s livery – though he did think it odd that a GhostWalk should be in progress so early in the day.
What happened next silenced him before he could utter a word, as the figure
‘just vanished into the stone at the top of the path. Not behind. Not beside. Straight through. Into the stone.’ (I, incidentally, have a saintly alibi for the time of this odd encounter: I was playing Santa Claus in a local shopping
centre all day.)Could this have been the Black
Lady’s immortal inamorato – a Franciscan Greyfriar in his
distinctive vestments – hurrying to meet her under some secluded bower?
This is an extract from Haunted Stirling by David Kinnaird, published by
The History Press (www.thehistorypress.co.uk). Exclusive reader offer: £7 plus p&p Tel: 01235 465500 or www.thehistorypress.co.uk Please quote HPSTIRLING. Offer ends 1 January 2012.
“None of Stirling’s female phantoms have a great deal to say for themselves”
‘Betwixt man and angel’ in
Aberfoyle
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Reshaping our services for older peoplestirling Council is responding to the care needs of the older population
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Support
Over the past year, Stirling Council has been developing new ways to provide care services for older people.
We know that older people want services tailored to their needs and choices. At the same time, Government predictions show that Scotland’s older population is likely to increase by about two-thirds in the next two decades. And with the challenging financial situation facing all councils, it is crucial that limited resources are used as efficiently and effectively as possible.
Along with NHS Forth Valley, the Council has introduced a number of changes to transform care for older people in Stirling, working more flexibly to meet the growing demand and allowing us to give the best possible support.
Our new approach includes a rehabilitation programme developed within Stirling Council’s own care homes. Through this intermediate care service, three-quarters of people have been able to return to their own homes and live more independently, rather than being admitted to long-term care.
Our approach also involves Reablement and
Falls Prevention, in which carers and
occupational therapists will
work with older people to increase skills and confidence
to allow them to live independently in their own homes for as long as possible, while relying less on formal care services.
When formal care is required, the Council will arrange these services based on any need that has been identified from an ongoing assessment.
“Carers and occupational therapists will work with older people to increase skills and confidence to allow them to live independently in their homes for as long as possible”
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Help with grocery shopping
The Council is working with voluntary organisations to look at new ways we can offer a
grocery shopping service to help older people who wish to stay independent in their own homes but may
be having problems getting to the shops.
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new-look meals on wheelsAt the moment meals on wheels services are provided for local people by a combination of the Council and volunteers.
Meals are prepared in the kitchens of some schools, and delivered to people using the service by Home support staff and Wrvs volunteers. the service can’t offer full coverage of the stirling Council area, and in some places is only available on certain days of the week.
After consultation with older people who use the meals on wheels service, the Council has decided to introduce a new service next year. Prepared meals will be delivered to homes by an external company, and the service will be able to cover all parts of the Council area. there will be a wider selection of dishes, and
they can be heated up and eaten at a time that suits.
the service will be able to cater for individual dietary, ethnic or religious needs, too.
it’s expected that the new-look meals will be available from 1 February 2012. if you receive meals on wheels at the moment, we will be visiting you in the meantime to assess your needs.
You don’t need to do anything – we’re just letting you know about the change, and will be able to give you more information nearer the time.
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Feedback From local people
Every three years, our Residents’ Survey gives a snapshot of how local people are feeling about Stirling Council and its services.
Earlier this summer, the survey was sent to all 1,300 members of Stirling’s Sounding Board citizens’ panel, who make up a representative sample of the community as a whole. It was also posted on the Council’s website so anyone interested was able to take part.
the latest residents’ survey is helping transform your views into positive improvements to Council services
we’ll doYou said,
Repairing roads was one of your priorities
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“I’d like to say thank you to everyone who took part,” said Council Leader Graham Houston. “It was a terrific response – almost 700 people. We’re grateful to everyone who let us know their thoughts, concerns and preferences and told us what we’re doing well and where we could do better.
“This survey is vital because it gives us a wealth of information from the most important audience of all – the local people we serve. Of course, our resources are limited, but we’ll make sure
this data is turned into real action to improve services wherever we can.”
Some of your positive comments included:
The new high schools for the Stirling area.
Plans for new housing and further programmes for kitchens, bathrooms etc.
Handling of winter weather
conditions and excellent communication using Facebook updates.
The Park and Ride Bus Service – excellent, frequent and reliable.
Maintenance and expansion of the recycling programme – much better than in my university town (St Andrews).
Elderly care seems to be
“The survey is vital – it gives us a wealth of information from the local people we serve”
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the biggest issues you wanted to know more about are roads and transport and winter maintenance, recycling and waste and planning and housing developments.
overall satisfaction with the Council is up 5 per cent since the last survey (65 per cent compared to 60 per cent in 2008). two out of three participants told us they were fairly satisfied or very satisfied with stirling Council.
Almost half (45 per cent) of positive comments were about recycling and waste (23 per cent) and the Council’s response to the severe winter weather (22 per cent).
the response to the bitter winter weather was also local people’s biggest concern. When
asked what had recently given a negative impression of the Council, 54 per cent of participants mentioned the condition of roads and pavements over the winter and how the Council dealt with the poor weather. the weather was the most severe to
hit the stirling area in 30 years, and a severe Weather group was set up to assess the Council’s response and help plan for the future.
Stirling magazine is your most preferred way to receive news about what’s happening in your Council area.
Survey results at a glance
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there is a big problem with litter in the area so more should be done to educate youngsters (and some adults!) on why it’s important not to litter and provide more bins in problem areas.
longer opening hours for recycling centres as not open during the week during the day – ridiculous given the money spent to provide these centres.
Faster repair of potholes, but i do understand that the winter and the economic climate were both harsh!
More information on refuse collection – e.g. changed times due to public holidays. Alternative arrangements/flexibility during adverse weather (snow) when access impossible for lengthy periods. no more
application for change of user premises to public houses (e.g. Post office Building)
to be approved.
Allowing communities to remain in individual villages/towns instead of constant development making them large faceless towns.
More variety of shops. Far too many clothes shops. We need shoe, hardware and card shops, fish shop/greengrocer etc – good quality shops.
not sure whether social services comes under stirling Council. We have home support and respite and these are excellent and highly valued.
in this period of limited resources, perhaps the Council could give priority to essential repairs to roads improvement and put traffic calming and restoring of cobbles on the back burner.
Views on Council servicesComments about the services stirling Council provides included:
finally being taken seriously, with Council initiatives under way.
You felt there was room for improvement on some issues. Here is what some respondents told us:
Disappointed in the winter with the road clearing and in the pavements being kept clear.
Horrendous state of roads and lack of information on resurfacing schedule.
No treatment of the
pavements during the cold weather, forcing pedestrians to walk in the road.
The effort to establish recycling in the last 10 years is good. Coming here 10 years ago from Germany, I was shocked to find this virtually non-existent. Projects such as food waste collection should be extended (and please don’t tell people they have to do this to avoid EU fines - this does not support the right attitudes).
Council staff are working hard to turn
your views into better Council services
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Stirling PerformsWe want it to be as easy as possible for citizens to have fair, balanced and current information about their Council and the work it does. Monthly ‘stirling Performs’ updates help you track our achievements, performance and plans to improve.
Each update tracks how we’re doing on 50 specific tasks across the Council – everything from the percentage of telephone calls answered within 20 seconds to the number of homecare hours provided, to how many people visited our museums, libraries and sports centres.
We also publish an Annual improvement statement showing the priorities for improvement for the coming year.
Read more at www.stirling.gov.uk/
stirlingperforms
I felt that gritting could have been improved this winter. Although priority routes were cleared fairly quickly, residential areas were left. There are not
enough grit bins positioned to allow residents to clear their roads.
The cleanliness of the streets, roads and other public places detracts from
the superb city and countryside we have, and is a disincentive to tourism. Litter, fly tipping and gum etc must be addressed. effectively.
How savings are going to be made.
Monthly expenditure of councillors, and areas of expenditure, for example transport, education, roads, etc staff and overtime.
Council plans for engaging local communities with, for example, topics such as local
winter clearance. recycling and what can be
taken to the tip. the rota for green/grey
bin collections and the rota over public holiday periods.
Any planning developments for local areas in small villages, which could affect the quality of life for some people.
More information neededYou told us you’d like more information on:
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Encouraging more up-market shopping such as John Lewis/Waitrose/Lakeland in Stirling city centre.
Affordable housing for young people and families within the rural communities, and more appropriate housing for older people and others with special needs.
Professional maintenance of the roads, including re-surfacing, line painting and cat’s eyes – especially in rural areas.
More spend on roads: resurfacing and potholes.
Reduce red tape and regulations, for example too many parking restrictions, too many meters and too much traffic calming.
I think the Council does a reasonable job – refuse collecting, street cleaning and so on. But to encourage investment and tourism we have lots of walks, footpaths and tourist attractions that could do with some or a lot of attention all year round.
Make people clean up their rubbish. More severe action right away – and wardens to have
powers to take swift action.
Encourage the creation of entertainment industries other than existing sports. Yes, a swimming pool is good, but why no laser quest/paintballing or a gaming room with board games to rent?
All dogs to be kept on a lead and muzzled. Dog fouling owners to be heavily fined.
Maintaining services for those in greatest need – social services, council housing, children’s services.
Priority areasWe asked for your views on the priorities for improving the quality of life for the people of the stirling area. Here are some replies:
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We always want to hear what you think of your Council. Your comments and complaints help us keep improving our services. Whatever Council service you want to talk to us about, please get in touch on 0845 277 7000, 01786 443322 or info@stirling.gov.uk Alternatively, you can visit Customer First, 1-5 Port street, stirling (9am-5.30 pm, Monday to Friday).
Recycling of the respondents, 10 per cent said they’d welcome more information about recycling. the Council has joined up with Zero Waste scotland on a major campaign to encourage more recycling of food waste. the first phase will be home visits by project officers this autumn. they’ll survey the views of local people to better understand what could break down any barriers to food waste recycling and encourage residents to recycle more.
Read more about the campaign in the next
issue of Stirling.
StreetsClean streets are a priority with residents: litter and dog fouling was joint third with traffic management and roadworks in the list of things giving a negative impression of the Council. Communities across the stirling Council area have been getting a spruce-up thanks to the Deep Clean 2011 campaign. land service teams have carried out a number of the intensive clean-ups already this year, and more are planned as the budget permits. Areas targeted by the teams are:
Doune: 11.9 tonnes of litter removed Deanston: 5.5 tonnes
Callander: 30 tonnes
Plean: 10.5 tonnes (main road and the old Plean area)
Fallin: 6.4 tonnes Bridge of Allan, the A905
between Fallin and throsk, and Drymen have also been deep-cleaned, and next to be tackled will be Braehead and Doune to Buchany.
Roadsresidents’ surveys consistently tell us that the condition of roads in our area has a great influence on overall impressions of the Council. local people are also clear that they would like more information on what work is carried out to maintain our roads.
the road network is the largest, most visible community asset that stirling Council is responsible for. it includes not just many miles of carriageway but footways, bridges, street lighting, street furniture and more.
the road Asset Management Plan (rAMP), which will be
developed in the coming years, provides data on the effect of current and future planned investment on the road network and its condition. to help make it easier for local people to get information about how our road network is being managed and maintained, an annual report will be published in 2012.
You can read the current RAMP at www.stirling.
gov.uk/roads
Dog foulingsix per cent of participants felt that litter and dog fouling gave negative impressions of our local area.
We’re now following a five-step plan to tackle litter in our area over the next five years. it will focus on:
street cleaning fly tipping removal enforcement working in partnership communication
and education.
“stirling’s performance on street cleanliness was recently judged to be our best in 15 years, according to keep scotland Beautiful,” said Cllr Jim thomson, Portfolio Holder for Environment.
“We want people to take pride in their local environment and take an active role in making this plan a success. reducing the amounts of litter can only be done in partnership with the community.”
taking personal responsibility for cleaning up after your pet is the message behind the Council’s current “Bag it and bin it” campaign, and our quirky video starring thistle the Westie from Dunblane is pulling in Youtube and Facebook users.
Top dogs who support
the bag it and bin it message are starring in a picture gallery at www.facebook.com/stirlingcouncil
Before and after: Doune benefitted from an intensive clean up
How we are turning your views into actionWork is already under way on many of the priority areas you highlighted in the survey. Here are some examples...
Give us your views
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Learn more about your councillors on our website www.stirling.gov.uk/councillors
Your Councillors
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For access to all stirling Councilservices phone the contact centre on:01786 443322 or 0845 277 7000 • text: 07717 990 001visit www.stirling.gov.uk or email info@stirling.gov.uk
Ward map
6 7
4
1
3
5
2
Ward 1
Trossachs and TeiTh
Bailie Tony FfinchConservativeemail:
Tonyffincht@stirling.gov.uk
councillor Paul owensLabouremail:
owensp@stirling.gov.uk
Provost Fergus WoodSNPemail:
woodf@stirling.gov.uk
Ward 2
ForTh and endrick
councillor alistair BerrillConservativeemail:
berrilla@stirling.gov.uk
Bailie Graham LambiePortfolio holder for education
SNPemail: lambieg@stirling.gov.uk
Bailie colin o’BrienLabouremail:
obrienc@stirling.gov.uk
Ward 3 dunBLane and BridGe oF aLLan
councillor callum campbellConservativeemail:
campbellc@stirling.gov.uk
councillor colin FinlayLabouremail:
finlayc@stirling.gov.uk
councillor david GossLib Dememail:
gossd@stirling.gov.uk
council LeaderGraham houstonPortfolio holder for Policy,
strategy and social careSNPemail: houstong@stirling.gov.uk
Ward 4
casTLe
councillor John hendryLabouremail:
hendryj@stirling.gov.uk
councillor Graham reedLib Dememail:
reedg@stirling.gov.uk
councillor Jim ThomsonPortfolio holder for environment
and sustainabilitySNPemail: thomsonj03@stirling.gov.uk
Ward 5
sTirLinG WesT
councillor neil BennyConservativeemail:
bennyn@stirling.gov.uk
depute Leader scott FarmerPortfolio holder for economy,
Tourism and FinanceSNPemail: farmers@stirling.gov.uk
Dates of meetings are online at www.
stirling.gov.uk/meetings or contact us by phone at 0845 277 7000
Learn more about the scottish and uk governments online at www.scotland.gov.uk and www.direct.gov.uk
ConstitUenCy MsPs
sTirLinG
Bruce crawford SNPtel: 01786 471899email: Bruce.crawford.msp@ scottish.parliament.ukweb: www.brucecrawfordmsp.netconstituency officeunit 111, John Player Buildingstirling enterprise Parkstirling Fk7 7rP
cLackmannanshire and dunBLane
keith Brown SNPtel: 01259 219333email: keith.Brown.msp@ scottish.parliament.ukweb: www.keithbrownmsp.comconstituency office80 mill street, alloa Fk10 1dY
List MsPs
mid scoTLand and FiFe
claire BakerLabourtel: 0131 348 6759email: claire.Baker.msp @scottish.parliament.uk
annaBelle ewingSNPtel: 0131 348 5066email: annabelle.ewing.msp@scottish.parliament.uk
murdo fraserConservativetel: 0131 348 5293email: murdo.Fraser.msp@ scottish.parliament.uk
john parkLabourtel: 0131 348 6753email: John.Park.msp@ scottish.parliament.uk
willie rennieLib Demtel: 0131 348 5803email: Willie.rennie.msp@scottish.parliament.uk
richard simpsonLabourtel: 0131 348 6756email: richard.simpson.msp@ scottish.parliament.uk
elizaBeth smith Conservativetel: 0131 348 6762email: elizabeth.smith.msp@ scottish.parliament.uk
MeMber of ParLiaMent
sTirLinG
anne mcguireLabourtel: 01786 446515email: anne.mcguire.mp@parliament.ukweb: www.annemcguiremp.org.ukconstituency office22 Viewfield street, stirling Fk8 1ua
councillor andrew simpsonLabouremail:
simpsona3@stirling.gov.uk
Ward 6 stirling east
Bailie ian BrownLib Dememail:
browni@stirling.gov.uk
councillor corrie mcchordLabouremail:
mcchordc@stirling.gov.uk
councillor steven PatersonPortfolio holder for empowerment and citizenship
SNPemail: patersonst@stirling.gov.uk
Ward 7 Bannockburn (Bannockburn, cowie, Plean)
councillor margaret Brisley Labouremail:
brisleym@stirling.gov.uk
councillor alasdair macPhersonPortfolio holder for housing
SNP email:macphersona@ stirling.gov.uk
councillor Violet Weir Labouremail:
weirv@stirling.gov.uk
representing you in parliament
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otHEr usEFuL nuMBErs
Active stirling 0300 028 0101
Central scotland Fire & rescue service HQ tel: 01324 716996
Central scotland Police tel: 01786 456000
Falkirk Community Hospital 01324 624 000
Floodline tel: 0845 988188
Forth valley College tel: 0845 634 44 44
Forth valley royal Hospital tel: 01324 566 000
Housing repairs 0800 027 5888
Hydro Electric tel: 0800 300000
Macrobert Arts Centre tel: 01786 467155/466666
nHs 24 08454 24 24 24
nHs Forth valley tel: 01786 463031
Quantum Meters tel: 0845 6066766
scottish Enterprise Forth valley tel: 01786 451919
scottish Power tel: 0845 2727111
scottish Water tel: 0845 6008855
stirling Community Hospital 01786 434 000
university of stirling tel: 01786 473171
trAnsCo (gas Emergencies) tel: 0800 111999
traveline tel: 0871 2002233
Adults need
protecting too.
The truth is horrifying.
Vulnerable or elderly
people can be abused
and exploited – even by
their own families.
If you suspect someone needs protecting, please call the Adult Social Care now, and speak up for those who can’t speak up for themselves.
Help protect adults at risk
If you are worried that someone may be at risk of abuse, please contact the Adult Social Care for help on 01786 471177.
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