Latest Event Updates
DIGITAL ENGAGEMENT TEAM CONTINUES TO ENCOURAGE COMMUNITIES TO GET BETTER BROADBAND
Communities across Aberdeenshire are being urged to investigate the opportunities for better broadband this year. That’s the message from Aberdeenshire Council’s Digital Engagement Team which supports northeast residents, businesses and communities to obtain better digital services.
Want to find out more, click on this link to read the digital engagement team’s newsletter.
Kincardine and Mearns Summer edition 2023
Welcome to our new and improved Newsletter packed with lots of updates and information for communities across Kincardine and Mearns. Staff from K&M Area Team and the K&M Community Planning Partnership have joined forces to bring you this Newsletter. We would love to hear from you too, and if you have any news or stories that you want to include, please get in touch using the contact details at the end of this Newsletter.
| Kincardine and Mearns Summer edition 2023 |
| In this newsletter, you will find lots of useful information and links relating to – |
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Kincardine and Mearns Spring Bulletin 2023
Welcome to our new and improved Newsletter packed with lots of updates and information for communities across Kincardine and Mearns. Staff from K&M Area Team and the K&M Community Planning Partnership have joined forces to bring you this Newsletter. We would love to hear from you too, and if you have any news or stories that you want to include, please get in touch using the contact details at the end of this Newsletter. Click on the link to access this newsletter.
| Kincardine and Mearns Spring Bulletin 2023 |
| In this newsletter, you will find lots of useful information and links relating to – |
| Go to this Sway |
Aberdeenshire Council seeking more feedback on household recycling centre trial
Aberdeenshire Council is seeking more feedback on its trial of changes to household
recycling centre bookings, which has been ongoing since November 2022.
Aberdeenshire residents can have their say online via the council’s engage platform.
As well as the online survey, paper copies can be requested from household recycling
centres to ensure that as many people as possible are engaged, and all feedback is gratefully
received.
Any complaints or compliments throughout the trial are included among the criteria for its
assessment—as is car counting data, the tonnages of materials deposited, the cost of the
materials being disposed of, and feedback from additional customer surveying such as this.
There will be a review of all the data with a report due before committee in the autumn.
The survey will run until Sunday 6th August 2023 and any queries should be sent to
recyclingcentrepermits@aberdeenshire.gov.uk.
The booking system was first introduced as a traffic management tool and as a protective
measure for customers and staff when centres opened after the covid lockdown in March 2020.
Since then, the booking system has been used to implement the permit system that
was approved by committee before covid—by applying limits to the number of times trade
type vehicles can access household recycling centres in a year.
You can learn more about the trial on the Aberdeenshire Council website.
The booking system trial can be summarised as…
- No booking is required for any vehicle at any time at Alford, Banchory, Fraserburgh,
Huntly, Macduff, Peterhead, and Portsoy household recycling centres; - No bookings on Wednesdays or Saturdays for cars, pickups, camper vans, and
mobility adapted vehicles at Ellon, Laurencekirk, Portlethen (not open on Wednesday),
Stonehaven, and Turriff. Please note, booking is still required for vans and trailers; - Booking is always required for Insch, Inverurie, and Westhill.
Regardless of the trial, residents should check the website before visiting a recycling centre in
case of closure, information or alterations to what is accepted, and opening times:
bit.ly/AbshireHRCs
Pedestrian access is removed at times when the booking system is not active at a site as they
can no longer be safely separated from vehicles.
Stagecoach Invites Customers to Feedback on Proposed Timetable Changes in Stonehaven, Portlethen and Newtonhill
- Stagecoach local consultation event will be held at Stonehaven Town Hall from 7-9pm on
Wednesday June 28th - Listening to customer feedback, plans to introduce a new Service X6, connecting Stonehaven
with Portlethen Shopping Centre, Cove and Aberdeen up to every hour. - Proposed revisions to timetables of services 7 and 7B to improve punctuality.
- Proposed improvements for services to Newtonhill Park & Choose, including later journeys.
Stagecoach Bluebird invites customers to give feedback on proposed changes to timetables for
services between Aberdeen and Stonehaven, including Portlethen, Newtonhill and Chapelton.
For a number of years, public feedback received during consultation has shaped the local bus
network, offering better connections for the local communities to the places that matter most to
them.
The proposals come following an extensive review of the network and travel patterns. Bus services
are vital for connecting communities to jobs, education and leisure opportunities. The proposed
changes aim to reflect the level of customer demand in different areas and ensure that the network
can operate sustainably.
Many of the proposals are a direct result of feedback received from customers and the wider
community. This includes the planned introduction of new service X6. This hourly service would
restore the connection between Stonehaven and Portlethen Shopping Centre, whilst improving
access to employment areas such as Gateway Business Park and Altens Industrial Estate. Service X6
would also serve the busy residential area of Cove, providing new travel opportunities to the South
of the city.
Stagecoach plans to introduce the new timetables in August 2023, once feedback from customers
has been gathered and final adjustments have been made.
Daniel Laird, Commercial Director for Stagecoach Bluebird said: “We invite customers to give their
feedback about our planned revisions to the Stonehaven corridor bus network. Everything we have
planned is to best use our fleet of buses to meet the travel habits in the area as well as improving the
punctuality of the services. We continue to invest in our people and in our fleet so that we can
deliver improved services to our customers.”
Feedback can be submitted via email to bluebird.consultations@stagecoach.com (before Thursday
6th July) or in person at the consultation events scheduled to be held at Stonehaven Town Hall on
June 28th from 7pm – 9pm and Union Square Bus Station on June 28th from 7am – 9am and 4pm –
6pm.
Full details of the proposed changes, including draft timetables can be found here:
https://www.stagecoachbus.com/service-updates/serviceupdatesarticle?SituationId=ID20/06/2023-11:14:18:918
Full details of Stonehaven corridor changes are as follows:
Service X6
This new service will operate with an hourly frequency, connecting Stonehaven with Newtonhill Park
& Choose, Portlethen Shopping Centre, Gateway Business Park, Cove, Wellington Road and Aberdeen
city centre. Additionally, journeys at peak times will also serve Altens Industrial Estate. The timetable
for this service has been designed to cater for shift workers at various employment centres, including
the McIntosh Donald meat processing site.
Service X7
The hourly service between Aberdeen, Stonehaven and Perth will continue as presently. Shorter
journeys currently operated between Aberdeen and Stonehaven will be replaced by service X6 (see
above).
Service 7/7A/7B
Services 7 and 7B will see a revised timetable which will improve punctuality and offer a consistent
experience to customers, following extensive analysis of traffic patterns on the route. The services
will continue to offer convenient connections toPortlethen, Newtonhill, Chapelton and Stonehaven.
Customers will benefit from additional eveningjourneys to Newtonhill Park and Choose, providing
better connections to Aberdeen city centre.
Service 7A journeys which currently serve Altens Industrial Estate will be replaced by equivalent
journeys on services X6 and 7B.
How to give feedback
In Person: Wednesday 28th June, Stonehaven Town Hall 19:00 – 21:00
Wednesday 28th June, Union Square Bus Station 07:00 – 09:00 and 16:00 – 18:00
Via Email: bluebird.consultations@stagecoach.com (before Thursday 6th July).
Begin 2023 by being prepared
Emergency services across Grampian are coming together to encourage people to be prepared for the rest of the winter and beyond in 2023, with advice on how to make sure we can all stay safe, warm and well.
Have you got all the most important phone numbers you would like to have to hand in an emergency written down? Is there anything that would be helpful to have during a power cut or extreme weather? Do you know where to turn to if you are in need of a bit of extra support?
NHS Grampian’s Director of Infrastructure and Sustainability who has a lead role in civil contingency planning, Paul Allen explains: “Prevention is better than cure and this includes public preparedness for emergencies. Not only does planning offer some peace of mind, it can also help take pressure off services so they can help those most in need during difficult times. Helping our communities to stay well is a key part of our Plan for the Future and we recently launched a winter support booklet which has lots of helpful advice.
“If you’re not sure where to start, visit www.nhsgrampian.org/winter-support Even if it’s not for you, this can help you assist other more vulnerable people. The Ready Scotland website at www.ready.scot is a great reference tool too. It includes a template for an emergency checklist and how to prepare, what to do during an emergency and how to get involved in helping in your local neighbourhood.”
Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) has a Priority Services Register you can sign up for if you might need extra support in the event of a power cut. This is especially important if you rely on essential medical equipment and is easy to sign up for. They also have a free Power Track app for everyone to access local power cut information and updates.
Shona Horn, SSEN Distribution’s Customer Relationship Manager, said: “We invest millions of pounds every year to make sure that our network delivers a safe and reliable supply of electricity for all our customers – but even with this investment there are still occasions when the power goes off, and so we want to help our customers to be as resilient as possible at times like these, while our teams work hard to get supplies restored.
“Our Priority Services Register offers eligible customers free help and support when the power goes off. It started nearly eight years ago and now has over 785,000 customers signed up, but we know there may still be people out there who either don’t know about the service at all, or who aren’t aware that they may be eligible to sign up. We’re also encouraging our customers to consider a Home Emergency Plan, so that they have all the important phone numbers and people to contact in one handy location, ready to use should the need ever arise.”
Visit http://www.ssen.co.uk/psr for more information about SSEN’s Priority Services Register and to find out more about the app, go to: www.ssen.co.uk/powertrack
The health board’s winter support website (www.nhsgrampian.org/winter-support) covers everything from the numbers to call if you’re in need of emergency food, fuel or money, to healthy, affordable recipes to help everyone stay well. There’s even pointers on gas and fire safety, as well as all the key contacts for health services.
Ready Scotland’s (www.ready.scot) checklist includes the following important numbers:
Emergency services – 999
Non-Emergency police support – 101
NHS 24 – 111
Floodline Scotland – 0345 988 1188
Loss of power – 105
Gas emergencies – 0800 111 999
Scottish Water – 0800 077 8778
It also includes space for you to write down your own essential contacts, such as childcare, vet, plumber, insurance, work, doctor, dentist and utility provider contact details. The website also provides lots of helpful links to information and advice on things like dealing with travel disruption or coping with trauma, and how and where to link in with local groups who may be working together to support your community.
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Supporting Aberdeenshire in the Cost-of-Living Crisis and over the festive period
 Supporting Aberdeenshire in the Cost-of-Living Crisis and over the festive period People are being encouraged to reach out for help over the festive period if they are struggling with the cost of living at this time of year. More and more organisations from across the Aberdeenshire Community Planning Partnership are publishing information about warm spaces, food banks or support on offer. It is recognised that an increase in the cost of living plus winter weather impacts are making life difficult for a lot of people across Aberdeenshire and beyond. Christmas is famously a time of year when many struggle, but it is also harder to admit to facing challenges. Those can be the mental health impacts of the festive season or the financial ones. Whilst no one agency can “fix” the issues being faced by communities, there is a concerted effort to make sure that people are aware of the support which is out there. The message is – you don’t need to suffer in silence. Aberdeenshire Voluntary Action has a new interactive Warm Spaces map for Aberdeenshire on their website which can be found here. All sorts of venues are offering warm spaces to the public in Aberdeenshire such as local libraries, halls, council venues, community centres, and churches. AVA has captured all these spaces in one place and their interactive map shows you exactly where and when in your community these warm spaces are happening. The webpage also provides a form for those hosting a new warm space to let them know so they can add it to the map. There is useful advice on the Fire Service website about staying safe during an emergency or in the winter months here. From a health perspective, a new leaflet has been published by the NHS full of tips on staying well this winter which is available to read here. Aberdeenshire Council has a long-established Cost-of-Living advice page on their website here, which signposts to support on offer and which includes support from the UK and Scottish Governments, charities and council services. You can find support and advice on housing arrears, fuel poverty, school meals, uniform allowances and more importantly for many, there is a list of food banks or community larders which can be accessed by anyone. You can also find a link to the Council resilience leaflet with tips on how to get ahead of a winter storm. Christmas itself can be a difficult time, but there are many community services and voluntary organisations open to supporting people over the holidays. Find festive period information here and look out for charitable posts offering Christmas lunches and support across Facebook from AVA. The Council free Live Life Essentials membership offers access to more than 50 sports venues and libraries operated by Live Life Aberdeenshire, whereby people can access showers, WiFi and device charging for free, among other benefits including some exercise sessions. Council libraries are also working with partner groups to give out knitted blankets to households as part of the ‘Cosy Bosie’ project.  Cllr Anne Stirling is the chair of the Aberdeenshire Community Planning Partnership. She said “This has to be tackled right across Aberdeenshire with a collective response if we are to stand any chance of providing meaningful help to people. With any crisis like this we need to work together and make sure people know what to do if they are struggling. There is no stigma to asking for help, that is why we are working together to make support available.” Aileen Longino, AVA Development Officer, said: “AVA could see warm spaces springing up in communities all across Aberdeenshire as a result of the Cost-of-Living crisis so we created a comprehensive map for users to see them all in one place. Aberdeenshire is great at springing into action in a crisis, and these spaces help communities come together, and support those struggling to heat their homes. Warm spaces are comfortable welcoming spaces where folk can relax and keep warm for a few hours. Whilst we want to encourage people to use their local warm space if they need it, please make sure it is safe to do so given the current wintery conditions on roads and pavements. If your house is cosy stay at home! Our interactive map captures all these warm spaces in one place, whether they’re in village halls, libraries or community spaces – each one ensuring folk of a warm welcome, when they need it. If you host a Warm Space that isn’t on the map, please let us know”. Jillian Evans, Head of Health Intelligence with NHS Grampian, said: “Our guide isn’t just limited to the traditional health messages we want to share; it also reflects the current challenging times we find ourselves in and recognises that can have a major impact on people’s health as well. Prevention is always better than cure and we want to ensure everyone in Grampian has easy access to the information they need to stay well. Over 24 pages, the booklet – entitled ‘Keep Warm, Safe, and Well this Winter’ – covers everything from healthy eating to dealing with the cSupporting Aberdeenshire in the Cost-of-Living Crisisand over the festive period |
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Kincardine and MearnsCommunity Planning E-Bulletin
Edition #29
This bulletin focuses on what is happening locally, and provides useful information and guidance.
This month, find out about Clan Volunteering Open Day and community news local to you. To access click on this link.
Kincardine and MearnsCommunity Planning E-Bulletin
Edition #28
This bulletin focuses on what is happening locally, and provides useful information and guidance.
This month, find out about The Whole Family Wellbeing Fund and community news local to you. To access click on this link.
K&M Communities 