linwood community...• linwood town centre linwood today 9 • every picture tells our story •...

Linwood Community

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What is this Community Plan all about?

Linwood Community Development Trust 3

• Whoarewe?

• Howdidwegethere?

• Whyisthisimportant?

• Whatarewedoing?

History of Linwood 7

• Linwoodvillage

• LinwoodIndustries

• LinwoodTownCentre

Linwood today 9

• Everypicturetellsourstory

• Whatlocalpeoplelike

• Whatlocalpeopledonotlike

• WhatlocalpeoplesayLinwoodneeds

Facts & Figures 13

Our approach to regeneration 18

Support for our approach 19

Actions we will take 20

Want to get involved? 22

Acknowledgements 23

ContentsForeword from Chair

AsChairpersonoftheLinwoodCommunityDevelopmentTrust,IamdelightedtopresenttheLinwoodCommunityActionPlan.

Thisplanwasproducedfollowingextensivecommunityconsultationsincludinginterviews,publicmeetingsandacommunitysurveywhichincludedtheviewsofover2200residentsofLinwood.ThisthenenabledtheTrusttousethevaluableandpersonalcontributionsfromhundredsoflocalresidentswhencompilingacommunityplantailoredspecificallyforourtown.

TheLinwoodCommunityActionPlanreflectswhatthepeopleinLinwoodwanttoseehappeningintheirtownanditishopedthatwhenyoureadthecontents,youwillbeinspiredtohelpmakeLinwoodamoreattractive,happierandhealthierplacetolive.TogetherweCANmakeadifference!

Afterall,whobestknowswhatourcommunityneedsthanthecommunityitself?

JeanetteAndersonChair

Linwood Community Action Plan 2012

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ContentsWhat is the plan all about?

Linwood Community Plan summaries

• LinwoodCommunityDevelopmentTrust

• Linwoodtoday

• FactsandfiguresaboutLinwood

• OurapproachtoimprovingLinwood

• OurCommunityactionplanforLinwood

Who are we?LinwoodCommunityDevelopmentTrustisagroupofvolunteerswhoarelookingatwaystoimprovehealthandwellbeing,reducesocialinequalitiesandbuildsocialcapitalwithinLinwood.

WehaveformedanalliancewithothergroupstocreatethepositivechangesneededtomakeLinwoodamoreattractiveplacewithamorevibrantandhealthiercommunity.

TheTrustisdeterminedtoretainandupgradecommunityfacilitiesforLinwoodresidentsofallagegroups.Wearelookingatcurrentassets,whetheritbeexistingbuildingsorlandwithinLinwoodtodevelop“fitforpurpose”communityfacilitiesthatwillmeettheneedsofourlocalcommunity.

Findoutaboutusatwww.linwoodtrust.org.uk


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How did we get here?WhenthedemolitionofthecurrentLinwoodCommunityEducationCentrewasannouncedtomakewayforanaccessroadforanew£24mstate-of-the-artSportsHub,localresidentsraisedconcernsthatthelossoftheirmuchlovedcommunitycentre,thathadservedthecommunityofLinwoodformorethan45years,wouldleadtosocialisolation.

AlthoughthenewSportsHubwaswelcomedbythepeopleofLinwood,theybelievedthatfragmentingthe1000+servicesusersoftheexistingLinwoodCommunityEducationCentreintothenewSportsHubandothervenuesthroughoutLinwood,wouldhaveanegativeeffectonthequalityoflifeforhard-to-reachgroupsandwouldalsobreakdowntheintergenerationalworkcurrentlyexperienced.

On3rdMarch2010,agroupoflocalvolunteersformedtheLinwoodFocusGroup(latertobecomeLinwoodCommunityDevelopmentTrust),astheywerepassionateaboutpreservingtherecreational,cultural,socialnetworking,educationalandpersonalwelfareresourceswithinLinwood.

Itbecameapparentthroughout2010/2011thatthelackofcommunityfacilitieswasawiderissuewithinLinwood.Thiswasenhancedwhen:

• ItwasannouncedinJune2011thattheoverallbudgetforimproving CouncilassetsthroughoutRenfrewshirehadmadeasavingof£0.6mand thisfundingwouldbeusedtoprovidea3G‘AllWeather’pitchinErskine. AtthesametimeitwasannouncedthatthebudgetforLinwoodSports Hubwouldbereducedby£0.6manda3GAllWeatherFootballPitch wouldnotbeincludedwithinthecurrentplans

• ItwasconfirmedthattheTweedieHallwasbeingreplacedwitha£5.3m communityhallaspartoftheTescodevelopment;however,to-datethere hasbeennoformalconsultationwiththewidercommunityontheinterior design.Thisnowraisesconcernswhethertheseplanswillmeetthe needsofLinwoodresidents

TheLinwoodCommunityDevelopmentTrustwasestablishedon7December2011andithassuccessfullybroughttogethercommunitygroupsandindividualsinLinwoodwhosharecommonconcernsaboutthelackofcommunityconsultationduringmajorregenerationprojectsinLinwood.Togetherwebelievethecurrentprojectsthatareunderwaywillhaveasignificantimpactonthecommunitygroupswhousethefacilitiesatpresent.


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Why is this important? CommunityCentresareessentialtothesurvivalofsustainingcommunityspiritwithinlocalcommunitiesastheyarenotmerelybuildingsbutthecornerstoneofthelocalneighbourhood.

LinwoodCommunityDevelopmentTrustandsupportinggroupsbelievethecurrentprojectsunderwaywillbelarge,impersonalvenuesandwillfailtoservetheneedsofresidentsseekingatraditional,informalandaffordablewaytomeetwithfriendsandneighboursintheirlocalcommunity.

Some of these groups include:

650youngpeopleand60adultvolunteersfromyouthfootballclubs

Over1000peoplewhousetheCommunityCentreeveryweekthatincludedanceschools,taichiclasses,computingclasses,self-helpgroups,yogaclubs,disabilitygroupsandcarers’groups

175olderpeoplewhousetheCommunityCentretwiceweekly

150membersoftheElderlyForumwhomeetattheTweedieHallonamonthlybasis

50+membersoftheFriendshipGroupforolderpeoplewhomeetattheTweedieHall

100+youngpeopleandvolunteerswhoattendandsupportDramaClubs

300+participantswhosupportandperformatourannualvarietyshows

100+membersofaTweedieHallUsergroupwhomeettwiceweekly

250+membersofLinwoodCreditUnion

What did demolishing Linwood’s Community Centre mean to people?

“Thecommunitycentreisagodsendandalifelinetome.Ithasgivenmeasenseofbelongingandpurposeinmylife.Iwillhavenosociallifewhenitgoes.”

“Linwoodhasagreatcommunityspiritandthecommunitycentreiswitnesstothis.Itisessentialthatthiscontinuesundertheoneroofsowecanretainasenseofbelonging,purposeandunity.”

“Iusethecentreforafewthings-especiallyeducationalclasses.Itistheonlywayformetolearnlocally,soIdefinitelydon’twantittoclose.”

“Theyshouldusetheroadtheyhavehadformorethan30yearsintothefuturesportscentreandleaveourcentrealone.”

“Thefuturesportscentreisn’tjustforLinwoodbutforthewholeofRenfrewshireandbeyond.Theyallhavecommunitycentres.Whataretheyhavingtosacrifice?”

“Thelossofthiscentrewilltakeawaytheoneplacethatisaffordablefor

manygroups-whichisvitaltokeepthiscommunitytogether.”

“A community without a community centre is a community without a heart or soul.”

What are we doing?TheTrusthasattendednumerousmeetings,organisedevents,andcampaignsandbeeninvolvedinavarietyoftasksincluding:

• Awarded“OurCommunityOurFuture”fundingfromScottishCommunity FoundationtodevelopLinwoodCommunityDevelopmentTrust’svision forLinwood

• ProposalsanddiscussionswithCouncilOfficersandCouncillorsto receiveaproportionofregenerationfundinginordertopreservethe social,culturalandrecreationalfacilitieswithinLinwood

• ApresentationtoRenfrewshireCouncillorsseekingsupportforajoint approachtomanaginganddesigningnewcommunityfacilitiesfor Linwood

• Extensivecommunityconsultationsincludinginterviews,publicmeetings andcommunitysurveys.Over2200residentshavetakenpart,giving theirviewsaboutLinwood

• Apublicmeetingtoprovidefeedbackfromthecommunityconsultation. Over300residentsattendedand120offeredsupportasvolunteers

• AcommunitycampaigntoaskRenfrewshireCounciltogivethesavings madefromtheSportsHubbacktoLinwoodtosupportthelocal footballclubs

• ALocalGovernmentElectionHustingsmeeting

• FormedacampaigntodemolishourderelictTownCentreandreceived supportfromHouseofCommonsScottishAffairsSelectCommitteevia ourlocalMP.Thispressureresultedinthelongawaiteddemolitionofour TownCentre

• Researchanddiscussionswithexternalcontractorsonthefeasibility andcostsofdevelopingandmanagingallweatherpitchesinLinwood

• Research,adviceandtrainingonlandownershipandacquisition,with investigationsonvacantandunder–usedsitesinLinwood

• ObtainingsupportfromOxfamScotland,theScottishCommunity FoundationandtheDevelopmentTrustAssociationScotland

• AjointprojectwithOxfamtoengagelocalyoungpeople

• Preparedfundingapplicationsfortrainingandgardeningprojects

• StarteddiscussionsaboutimprovingtheChristmasLights anddecorations

“Research, advice and training on land ownership and acquisition, with investigations on vacant and under–used sites in Linwood”


History of LinwoodLinwood villageWhenBritainwaspartoftheRomanempire,itissaidthattheRomansoldierscutdowntheforestatLinwoodtopreventthenativeshidinginthetreesandattackingRomancamps.ThetreelessareabecameLinwoodMoss,whichtodayisahavenforwildlife.TheLinwoodareabelongedtothemonksofPaisleyAbbey,whofarmedthelandandcaughtsalmonintheBlackCart;laterthelandwasownedbytheAbercornfamily.ForalongtimeLinwoodvillagewasaverysmallcommunity.Untiltheearly20thcentury,therewereonlytwostreets:BridgeStreetandNapierStreet.Inthissmallareawerethechurch,theshops,theschoolandthemills.BridgeStreettookitsnamefromthebridgeacrosstheBlackCartwhichwasbuiltbytheCochranefamilyofClippensHouse,in1776.NapierStreetwasnamedafteralocallandowner.

Villages of Inkerman and BalaclavaThevillagesofInkermanandBalaclavawerebuilttohousetheworkersoftheshalecoalminesandoilworksclosetoLinwoodinthemid19thcentury,andnamedafterbattlesintherecentCrimeanWar.Balaclava,justsouthofClippensHouse,wasasquareofearth-flooredcottagesandonesmallshop.Inkerman,nearCandrens,hadthreerowsofcottagescalledRowOne,RowTwoandRowThree,plusashop,aschoolandaschoolhouse.Later,OilworkRowandStoreRowwereadded.Theminesclosedattheendofthe19thcentury.ForatimeabrickworksoperatedinInkerman,makingbricksfromblaes,awasteproductfromtheminingprocess.Bythe1930stheblaeswasusedup,andthepeopleofInkermangraduallymovedaway.InkermanandBalaclavanolongerappearonmaps.

Industries In1792acottonmillwassetupinLinwoodbesidetheBlackCart.Thebuildingburneddownin1802,andwasrebuiltin1805.Itwassixstoreyshigh,andoneofthelargestmillsinthecountryatthetime.Atitspeakitemployed1800people.Bythemiddleofthe19thcenturythecottontradewasdecliningandthemillwasnolongerprosperous.In1872theWatsonbrotherstookoverthemillbuildingsandchangedproductionfromcottontopaper.Thepapermillthrivedfornearlyonehundredyears.Asmallgrocer’sshopopenedbyWilliamGalbraithatthecornerofBridgeStreetandNapierStreetgrewtobeachainofshopsthroughoutScotland,andGalbraith’sbecameahouseholdname.OtherLinwoodenterprisesincludedtheReidGearCompanyfoundedin1897,Dent&Co&Johnsonwhomadescientificinstruments,andthePressedSteelCompanywhichopenedin1948makingfarmmachinery,railwaywagonsandcarbodies.

RootesMotorsLtdopenedanewcarfactoryclosetoLinwoodin1963,andnexttothePressedSteelfactorywhichitlaterboughtover.ThefirstmodelmadeinthefactorywastheHillmanImp.In1967theChryslerCorporationtookover,andcontinuedproductionwiththeHillmanHunterandtheHillmanAvenger.However,thefactorywastroubledbylowsalesandhighproduction

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costs,andaseriesofindustrialdisputes.In1975thegovernmentsteppedinwithfinancialaidinabidtopreventjoblosses,andanewcar-theChryslerSunbeam-waslaunched.Thecompany’stroublescontinued.In1979theFrenchcarfirmPeugeot-Citroentookover,andrenamedthecompanyTalbot,butstillthecompanylostmoney.InMay1981thecarplantclosed,makingthousandsofpeopleunemployed.ThiswasasevereblowtotheeconomyofLinwoodandthesurroundingarea.www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/ilwwcm/publishing.nsf/Content/els-Linwood(OurHistoryandHeritage)

Linwood Town CentreLinwood’stowncentre,conceivedin1969,wassoldasScotland’sfirstregionalshoppingcentre.Initsprime,thediverseshoppingarenahadstrongindependentshopholders,grocers,bakers,localbanks,barbers,postoffice,dentistsandpapershopwhichallservedavibrantcommunity’sneeds.However,thiswasshortlivedandmanybelievethedemiseoftheTownCentrewasduetotheclosureofthecarfactory.

In2000,BalmorePropertiespurchasedthelandhowever,theexcessivepricedemandstheymadeforrentforcedlocalbusinessestocloseorrelocateandthetowncentrebecameaderelictandhazardoussite.In2005,acampaignwasformedtoforceBalmoreoutandTescosavedthedaybypurchasingthelandfromBalmore.

In2008,Tescosecuredplanningpermissiontodevelopthesite;howevertheydeclaredinJanuary2010thatregenerationworkwasonholdduetothediscoveryofaVictoriancryptunderthesite.

InSeptember2010,itwasreportedthatBalmorePropertieswereaffiliatedtoTesco.

InNovember2010,Tescoannouncedthattheoriginalplanssubmittedin2008wouldhavetoberesubmitted,mainlybecausetheywouldnolongerincludeanewHealthCentre.

InJanuary2011,Tesco’swebsitestatedworkswouldcommenceinAugust2011withacompletiondateofDecember2012.

PlanningpermissionwasapprovedinJune2011;howeverbetweenAugust2011andMarch2012therewereongoingdelaysinvolvinglegalmatters.

InthemeantimeLinwoodwasawardedthedreaded‘CarbuncleAward’byUrbanRealmforbeingthemostdismaltowninScotlandandinFebruary2012,acommunitycampaignorganisedbyLinwoodCommunityDevelopmentTrustcommencedtoensureTescodemolishedanddevelopedthetowncentre.

InApril2012,Tescore-announcedanewtimelineandconfirmeddemolitionwouldcommenceinSeptember2012andtheredevelopmentwouldbecompletedbyJanuary2014.


Every picturetells our story

Facts and

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What welike

Linwood today: what local people likeFromourcommunityconsultationsurvey,hereiswhatlocalresidentssaidtheylikedaboutLinwood:

• “Thepeople:theyaredecent,friendly,fantastic,willingtohelpand, despitethechallenges,arefullofhope”

• “Genuinecommunityspirit”

• “ThewaythecommunitycomestogetherandmakesastandforLinwood”

• “Allthecommunitygroups,walkingandexercisegroupsandclubs”

• “ThenewSportsHubandswimmingpools”

• “Greatareaforbringingupkids”

• “Prettyquiet,donotseemuchtrouble,gangshavemostlygone”

• “Somuchpotentialtobeanicegreenplacetolive”

• “Busservice”

Linwood today: what local people do not likeFromourcommunityconsultationsurvey,hereiswhatlocalresidentsdidnotlikeaboutLinwood:

• “TheShoppingCentre:it’saneyesore,adisgrace,inadreadfulstateof disrepair,desolateanddirty”

• “Theshopsandthesocialclubareadisgrace”

• “TheEnvironment:toomuchlitter,dogpoo,unevenpavements, emptyhousingandpoorlighting”

• “Neglectedparksandgreenspace,whathappenedtotheflowerbeds?”

• “AwfullookingChristmastreeanddecorations”

• “Norealhearttothevillage”

• “Theentrancetothevillagegivesaverypoorfirstimpression”

• “Nocentralmeetingplaceforallgenerationstomeetup”

• “Since1963Linwoodhadregressed,notprogressed”

• “CarbuncleAward”

• “PoorpoliticalrepresentationLinwoodhashadovertheyears.Thishas allowedthetowntodegenerate.”

What wedon’t like“The shops and the social club are a disgrace”

“So much potential to be a nice green place to live”


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What local people say Linwood needsFrom our community consultation survey, here is a sample of what local residents say Linwood needs:

“Moreplayareasandre-buildClippensShops.”

“Encouragestart-uplocalbusinesstolocateheremeaninglocaljobsforlocalpeople.”

“Politicianswhoworkforusandnotfortheirownself-aggrandisement.”

“Notalothasbeendonebythecouncilinthe47yearsIhavelivedhere-poorincomparisontoothercommunitiesinRenfrewshire.”

“Weneedmorepeopleinvolvedtostepupandbringtheselocalorganisationsandgovernmentbodiestocallforthestateofourtown,thereisalotmoretheycoulddotomakethisamuchbetterandsaferplacetolive.”

“Thinkweshouldgetyoungpeopleinvolved.Iamsuretheremustbesomeolderpeoplewhowouldhelpout(myselfincluded).Afterallitistheirfuturewearetalkingabout.”

“Foreveryonetotakeresponsibilityfortheirareaandrespecttheirneighbours.Alsoreportanyvandalismoranti-socialbehaviourinthearea.”

“IthinktheTweedieHallsshouldbeusedformoreentertainment.Ithasamassivestagethatcouldholdlivebands,discos/dances/entertainmentfortheyoungandnotsoyoung...”

“Morefacilitiesforthekidsandteenagerswouldbegood.”

“...somewherenicetogoandsocialiseandeatout.”

“...toiletfacilitiesatClippensRoadterminustobere-opened...”

“Acommunitycentrewithdifferentresources...thingsthatdon’thavetocosttheaveragepunteralotofmoney.”

“Firststepdemolishtownderelictshoppingcentreinthevillageandbuildnewlocalshops,notjustTesco.Thecouncilneedtointervenemorehere.”“Improvedsocialhousingwouldbegoodforalotofpeoplewhohavelivedhereforyears.”

“Morefundraising.Alsomoreawarenessofwhatisgoingonisneeded.”

“More facilities for the kids and teenagers would be good.”


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“Makingitasgoodanenvironmentaspossibletobringchildrenupwithaffordablecommunityeducationalfacilities.

“Improvingthelookandimageofthetown.Theshoppingcentrehastobedevelopedtoputtheheartbackinthetown.”

“MorecommunityfacilitiesforOURcommunity.Thereisalackofcommunityfacilitiesforyoungandold,especiallycommunitysportingfacilities:thefactthatLinwoodwon’thaveasingle3Gfootballparkisshocking!”

“Betterlitterpickingandlessdogfouling...cleanuptheriversidewalkandcleartheladeorfillitinagainasit’sadisgrace.IfwecouldjustgetourtowncleanedupitwouldhelpthepeopleofLinwood.”

“Somethingtogetresidentsworkingtogether.Raisingmoneyfornewdevelopmentstomakeitmorepresentableandwelcomingwhenyouenterintothevillage.”

“WeneedgroupstoworktogethertomakeLinwoodmoreattractivee.g.flowerbedsandchristmaslights.”

“Weneedinvestmentandaffordablerentforpeopletoopenshops,cafesandrestaurants.”

“Somethingthatwillimprovethehealthofourresidents,suchasprojectswithhealthyeatingmessages.”

“LinwoodneedsabankincludedintheTownCentredevelopment.”

“KeepingtheidentityofLinwoodbyhavingacommunityfacilityfortheyoungandtheoldtoworktogether...itisimportanttogivethecommunityabasethattheycancalltheirownandmixwithotherresidentsoftheirtownonaninformalbasis.”

“Securepropertytobuildanewcommunitycentrewithsubstantiallandforplayingfieldstoencouragevarioussportsandcreateabetterandsecurefutureforthenextgeneration.”

“Toachieveafriendlyandactiveneighbourhood,wherevariousgroupswithincommunitycanworktogethertogetthebestresultsforthepeopleofLinwood.”

“Thisisourcommunity,ourfuture.Whobestknowswhatourcommunityneedsthanourcommunityitself.”

Linwood today:

“We need investment and affordable rent for people to open shops, cafes and restaurants.”


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FiguresPopulation & AreaBasedonestimatesfromthe2008census,Linwoodhasapopulationof8,250.

Linwood is split into 2 geographical areas:

1.LinwoodSouth–takesinthebottomendofLinwooduptoandincluding ClippensShops

2.LinwoodNorth–startsfromClippensShopsuptoandincluding EastFultonandNorthClippens

In Linwood North, compared to Renfrewshire and Scotland:

• Wehaveahigherthanaveragepopulationofpeopleaged0-15yearolds

• Wehaveahigherthanaveragepopulationofaged65-74

In Linwood South, compared to Renfrewshire and Scotland:

• Wehaveahigherthanaveragepopulationofpeopleaged65-74,and aged75andover.

What this tells us about our population is that we must listen to the concerns of both young and old and make sure that these groups:

• donotlosethecommunityfacilitiestheyneedforsocialand recreationalpurposes

• areinvolvedinthedevelopmentofanynewfacilitiesthattheywilluse

• canaffordandaccessthenewfacilities

Life Expectancy The good news is that life expectancy for a man living in Linwood North is 81 which is higher (better) than Renfrewshire and Scotland. However:

• MeninLinwoodSouthhavealifeexpectancyof74,sevenyearslessthan meninLinwoodNorth.

For women in Linwood, life expectancy is similar to the Renfrewshire and Scottish averages.

• WomeninLinwoodNorthcanexpecttoliveto79

• WomeninLinwoodSouthcanexpecttoliveto77

Facts& Figures


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Facts& Figures

Deprivation, Unemployment and IncomeLinwood’sindustrialdeclinehasleftalegacyofpovertyandunemployment.The2009ScottishIndexofMultipleDeprivationshows3veryvisiblepocketsofdeprivationinLinwoodSouth,withall3rankedamongtheworst5-10%inScotland.

Deprivationin2smallareasofLinwoodSouthhavegotconsiderablyworsesince2004.(Source:www.scottishindexofmultipledeprivation.com).

Dataondeprivationisacollectionofstatisticsaboutemployment,benefits,income,etc.Whenweteaseoutthestatistics,wediscoverthattheoverallpictureforthewholeofLinwoodisnotgood.

BothLinwoodNorthandSouthhaveaveragesHIGHERthanScotlandfor:

• Theproportionofthepopulationwhoareincomedeprived

• Theproportionoftheworkingpopulationwhoareincomedeprived

• Thenumberofpeopleclaimingjobseekersallowance,andthisfigureis RISING

• Theproportionofpeopledependentonout-of-workbenefitsorchildtax credits

• Peopleclaimingpensioncredits

Forallofthesestatistics,LinwoodSouthdoesnotcomparewellwithRenfrewshire.LinwoodNorthdoesnotcomparewellwithRenfrewshireformostofthesestatistics.

Graphs1&2belowshowthenumberofpeopleclaimingjobseekersallowanceandthisfigureisRISING.


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Graphs3&4belowshowthenumberofpeopleinLinwoodclaimingpensioncreditsandthisnumberisRISING inLinwoodNorth.

It is clear that

• DeprivationinpartsofLinwoodisgettingworse

• ThereareincreasingnumberofpeopleinLinwoodclaimingjobseekers allowanceandpensioncredits

• Weknowthatthishasanegativeimpactonhealth(seenextpage)

• TheTrustiscommittedtomakingsurethatourworkwillencourage peopletogetinvolvedincommunityactivity,volunteerandtakepartin employabilityschemes


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HealthThereisalinkbetweendeprivationandhealth.HenceitisnotsurprisingtofindthatthehealthofourpopulationinLinwoodisnotgood.

HereisalistofhealthmeasureswherebothLinwoodNorthandSouthdonotcomparewelltoRenfrewshireandScotland.

Linwood North and Linwood South each have a higher than average number of:

• PeoplehospitalisedwithCOPD (aformoflungdisease,oftenassociatedwithsmoking)

• Peoplewithdiabetes

• Patientshospitalisedasanemergency

• Mumssmokingduringpregnancy

• PrimarySchoolchildrenwithpoororalhealth

Linwood North and South each have a lower than average number of:

• Babieswhoareexclusivelybreastfedat6-8weeks• Womenattendingforbreastscreening

Linwood South has higher than average number of:

• Earlydeathsfromcancer

• Patientshospitalisedwithalcoholconditions

• Patientsadmittedtohospitalwithapsychiatriccondition

Information about health in Linwood is illustrated in the following graphs:


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Thesedifferencesinhealth,oftencalledhealthinequalities,tellusthatwemust:

• Considerhowourworkwillinfluencehealthinapositiveway

• Continuetosupportcommunitybasedhealthopportunitiesfor ourpopulation

• Lookforlocalsolutionstohelppeopleimprovetheirhealth andwell-being

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“assessing assets alongside needs would have given a better understanding of our community”

Our Approach to RegenerationTheinformationanddatawehaveprovidedclearlyshowsthatLinwoodhasseriousissueswithitsimage,itsderelictshoppingcentre,increasinglevelsofpovertyanddeprivation,especiallyamongstolderresidents,anincreasingburdenofpoorhealthandtheclosureofcommunityfacilities.

Traditionallytheapproachtakenbyserviceproviderstoregenerationofpoorcommunitiesisoneof“deficit”whichseescommunitiesasthe“problem”needingtobe“fixed”.Usingthisapproach,communitiesarerarelyconsulted,solutionsareimposed,and,iftheydonotwork,thenegativeperceptionofthatcommunityisreinforced.

TheTrustbelievesthatthereisahistoryofdeficitmodelregenerationworkinLinwoodwhichhasresultedinreproducingthelocalproblems(suchastheshoppingcentreonlyevergettingworse)andcreatednewproblems(suchasanewSportsHubwhichmaybetooexpensiveformanypeopleinLinwood).

TheTrustisdeterminednottorepeatthemistakesofthepastandisusingan“asset”basedapproachtotheirwork.Thisapproachrecognisestheresourcesthatindividualsandcommunitieshavethatcanbebuilton,ratherthanfocusingonlyonthe‘deficits’thatareperceivedtoexist.

Some of the key features of an asset-based approach to regeneration are:

• Communityownershipoftheprocess

• Changeoffocus:fromneedstoassets

• Communalownershipofresources

• Thoseinvolvedareproudoftheircultureandtheirstruggle

• Strongcommunityactivistsandnetworks

• World-widevision

Here are some of the main advantages of an asset-based approach:

• Itisflexibleandculturallyappropriate

• Communitiesgaincontroloftheirowndevelopment

• Thoseinvolvedfosterlifetimerelationship

• Improvementsininter-generationalrelationships

• Setsaprecedentforfuturedevelopmentprojects

• Benefitscomethroughboththeoutcomesandtheprocess

TheTrustbelievesthatassessingassetsalongsideneedswouldhavegivenabetterunderstandingofourcommunityduringmajorinvestment/regenerationprojectssuchasthe£23.4msportsfacilityandthe£20msupermarketdevelopment.Thisapproachwouldhavebeenabetterwayofworkingwiththecommunityandtheirassetstodevelopservicesthathelpaddressthehealthandsocialissuesthatourresidentsface.


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Support for our approach: Weknowthatthereisarangeofnationalpoliciestosupportourapproach,butweareconcernedthatthereislittleornoevidenceofitworkingatgrassrootslevelinLinwood.TheTrustplanstochallengeandchangethat.

On an asset based approach:

…we should ask “what makes this place good and where do opportunities lie?” and “what expertise and skills do local people have?” instead of labelling particular areas and people as a “problem”

FromAchievingaSustainableFuture–RegenerationStrategy,ScottishGovernment,2011

On community ownership of assets:

IndevelopingnewlegislationtheScottishGovernmentwillexamine“how to make it easier for communities to take on ownership of un-used and underused publicly owned assets and how they can do more about vacant land and derelict property in their communities”

FromtheprocessofdevelopingtheCommunityEmpowermentRenewalBill,expectedtobeintroducedtotheScottishParliamentin2013/14

On community empowerment:

“...heralds a change in how we address the big issues we face”

“...stimulates and harnesses the energy of local people to come up with creative solutions to local challenges”

“Communities doing things for themselves can often be the best way of delivering change”

FromtheCommunityEmpowermentActionPlan,ScottishGovernmentandCOSLA,2009

On the future delivery of public services:

“Reforms must aim to empower individuals and communities receiving public services by involving them in the design and delivery of the services they use”

“We must prioritise expenditure on public services which prevent negative outcomes from arising”

FromtheCommissionontheFutureDeliveryofPublicServices,knownastheChristieReport,ScottishGovernment,2011

“Communities doing things for themselves can often be the best way of delivering change”


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Actions we will takeThemainaimoftheTrustistolookatanassettransferapproachtosecurelandand/orpropertyinLinwoodonalongtermleaseatapeppercornrateorbycommunityownershipinordertobuildacommunityfacilitythatwillsupporttheneedsofthecommunityi.e.afacilitythatwillbeaccessibleandaffordableforall.

TheTrustwillsetupsmallworkinggroupstoprogresstheactionsoutlinedinthisplan.WheneverappropriatetheTrustwillco-optmemberswithspecificexpertise.TheTrustwilluselocalnewspapers,publicmeetings,newsletters,FacebookandTwittertoreportprogress,togetherwithourwebsite:www.linwoodtrust.org.uk

Working Together• Wewillengageandworkwithcommunitygroupsandorganisations,local serviceproviders,thevoluntaryandprivatesectorswhocanallcontribute tothemajorimprovementsneededtomakeLinwoodabetterplacein whichtolive,work,investandplay

Community Consultations and Campaigns• Wewillconductcommunityconsultationsonallmajorprojectsand developmentsweundertake

• Wewillorganisecommunitycampaignsonanyissuesthatmayhavea negativeimpactonLinwoodanditsresidents.

Volunteering• Wewillbuildsocialcapitalthroughvolunteeringbyensuringallourwork providesvolunteeringopportunitiesforresidentsofallagegroups.

Land transfer• Wewillgatherinformationaboutvariousvacantandunusedsitesinand aroundLinwood

• Wewillopenupdiscussionwiththerelevantpartnersandownersof thesesitestoassessthefeasibilityoflandtransferandbuildinga communityfacility

Fundraising and finance• Wewillorganisefundraisingcampaignsandapproachfundingbodiesto supportourwork

• Wewillpreparerobustbusinessplansformajorprojectsweundertake

• Wewillestablishstrictfinancialgovernanceprocedurestoensure maximumbenefitforthecommunity

• Wewillensurethatallprofitsgeneratedfromourfutureprojectsare reinvestedbackintosupportingtheneedsofLinwoodresidents

“We will ensure that all profits generated from our future projects are reinvested back into supporting the needs of Linwood residents.”


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Facilities• Wewillcontinuetoworkwithallpartnerorganisations,thevoluntary sector,communityorganisationsandgroupstoensurethatlocalfacilities inLinwoodmeetthesocialandculturalneedsofourcommunity.

• WewillworkcloselywiththeLinwoodFootballClubsandprovidersof all-weatherpitchestodevelopmuchneededlocalfacilitiesin Linwood.

Environment• Wewillorganiseandsetupenvironmentalimprovementsub-groups tosupportprojectstomakeLinwoodbeautifulsuchasflowerbeds,litter removal,Christmasdecorations.

• Wewillpromotetheuseofgreenspacearoundcycling,andgreengym initiativesinLinwoodforhealthandleisureactivitiessuchaswalking.Young People• Wewillencourageyoungpeopletogetinvolvedincommunityactivity throughvolunteering,employabilityprojectsandintergenerationalwork.

Older people• Wewillworkwithandsupportcommunity-ledorganisationsandgroups forolderpeopletoensurethattheirneedsarelistenedtoandmet,and thattheyhaveaccesstothebestpossibleandaffordablefacilities.

Health• Wewillencouragegoodhealththroughparticipation,volunteeringand healthylifestyles.

• Wewillensureallourworkhaspositivehealthimpactsforthe localcommunity.

• Wewillencourageandpromoteawiderangeofcommunitybased healthyopportunitiessuchasdancing,football,drama,yoga,taichi,tea dances,walkingandcycling.

• Wewillopenupdiscussionswithrelevantpartnerstoassessthe feasibilityofavolunteer-ledfoodco-opofferingaccesstoaffordablefresh fruitandvegetables.Thiswouldalsooffermessagesonhowtoeat healthieronabudgetandprovidecookingdemonstrations/workshops.

“We will encourage good health through participation, volunteering and healthy lifestyles.”


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“We will ensure all our work has positive health impacts for the local community.”

Want to get involved?Sofar,wehavehadagreatresponseandalotofsupportfromlocalresidentsandcommunityorganisationsinLinwoodfortheworkwearedoing.Inaddition,wehavemetwiththenewlyelectedmembersofRenfrewshireCouncilandtheyarekeentosupportoureffortsonlandtransfer.

Allourworkisvoluntary,so,westillneedlotsofhelpandsupportfromeveryonewhoisinterestedinmakingLinwoodabetterplace.

IfyouwouldliketogetmoreinvolvedinourworktoimproveLinwood,pleasegetintouchonouremailaddress:[email protected]

Writeto:LinwoodCommunityDevelopmentTrust,Unit19,MossedgeIndustrialEstate,MossRoad,Linwood,PA33HR


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AcknowledgementsLinwood Community Development Trust gratefully acknowledges the tremen-dous support they have from local residents and community groups in Linwood and many others including:

Linwood Community CouncilLinwood Elderly ForumLinwood Credit UnionLocal ChurchesLinwood RYCSt Convals FCTweedie Hall User GroupOxfam ScotlandScottish Community FoundationDevelopment Trust Association ScotlandChrystal & Hill LtdScottish Community Development CentreScottish Community AllianceFresh Ideas ScotlandCity Build CooperativeTCV Green GymIndependent Community Health ConsultancyNotts Sport UKSenscot Legal

Email Address: [email protected] Website: www.linwoodtrust.org.uk

The data is part of the community health profile for Renfrewshire which can be found on the website www.scotpho.org.uk.

We wish to kindly acknowledge the support from Information Services DivisionScotland in preparing the data for this report.

This report was commissioned by Linwood Community Development Trust.

Published:September2012


“Perseverance is a great element of success, if you only knock long enough and loud enough at the gate you are sure enough to wake up somebody.”

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

LinwoodTogether Gardening Project

Community Facility Project

Health & Wellbeing Project

Christmas Lights Project

LinwoodCommunityDevelopmentTrustisaregisteredScottishcharity(CharityNo:SC043633)

RegisteredinScotland(CompanyNo:SC428650)Registeredoffice:Unit19,MossedgeIndustrialEstate,MossRoad,Linwood,PA33HR

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