Merkinch Partnership is launched

"MERKINCH is a very special area, and I am proud to be its councilor." Speaking was Councillor Peter Corbett and the occasion was the official launch of the Merkinch Partnership in the community Centre last month. Cllr Corbett chairs the Merkinch Partnership whose members represent a wide range of interests in the community, though not specifically any one organisation.

The Merkinch Partnership was set up in June 2005 to help everyone work together and with the local community to improve the quality of people's lives.
Everyone involved believes it is vital to ensure that the Partnership continues to work closely with all community organisations and the people of the Merkinch area.

A Merkinch Local Community Plan has been developed in part to inform the use of the Community Regeneration Fund in Merkinch and already a number of applications for funding have been agreed.

The launch event took the format of a number of representatives of local bodies explaining to the rest of the community what their organisations were currently doing and planning.

Elsie Normington outlined the plans to refurbish the Community Centre and introduce a stage, lighting and seating.

Bette McArdle spoke of Arts in Merkinch, the umbrella body set up to support those with all forms of the arts as well as culture and heritage.

Jean Mackay from the Janny's Hoose described the work being done there for the well-being of families and Linsey Webster, the new manager of the Family Resource Centre introduced herself.

Robbie Williamson of Youth Matters explained that they sought a voice for young people and Robbie Thompson of MDV enthused about Ness Soaps.

Dell McClurg described how the South Kessock environmental project had evolved and now they hope to see their new centre open by June next year.

Gus McIver of mp33 spoke of the various projects being run and Colin Downie outlined how Merkinch Enterprise had been set up in 1992 by a group of local people who, like the Partnership, wished to see the quality of life improve for Merkinchers.

Merkinch Primary celebrates 130 years of education

MERKINCH School is 130 years old this year. Starting August, the school is going to collect photograsphs, stories and memorabilia of the school. Its pupils and staff in preparation for an exhibition to be held as the 2007 Year of Culture.

We hope that as many as possible pupils and staff, past and present, will support this venture. The school will be giving out more information regarding their plans at the start of the 2006/07 school session in August.

Letter to the editor...

Soccer lads say thanks for pitch

Dear Sirs,

I write to you on behalf of myself and the local youths from South Kessock. (The Ferry!) We would all like to thank Peter Corbett, our Councillor, for our new football pitch at the West Field. We are all chuffed to bits with it!
Also for the donation of nets which Peter bought for us. Once again Councillor Corbett has made us all happy and we appreciate what he has done for us. Thanks.

JN Shields and all the lads from the Ferry and Merkinch

Textile artist Ruth Black (left) with Lena and Linda, two of the participants in her felt-making workshops which were held in a marquee in the Rectory garden in Abban Street to celebrate Highland Open Studios week in early June.

Dancers' success

MERKINCH pupils of the Fraser School of Highland Dancing had considerable success in the recent UKA exams, when Mylene Fraser of Aberdeen was the examiner. Results were as follows:

Master Uni-Ted - Ayesha Ross (Highly Commended);
Uni-Ted Badge: Pas de Basque (Highly Commended) and High Cuts (Highly Commended) - Sarah Berg;
Uni-Ted Badge: Highland Fling (Highly Commended) and Sword Dance - Courtney Fraser;
Intro 2, Highland - Tanya Ross (Highly Commended);
Gold Highland - Derri MacPhee (Distinction);
Laurel Award also Gold Cup - Rebecca Fraser (Distinction in both);
Scottish National, Hielan' Laddie Silver - Derri MacPhee (Distinction);
Hielan Laddie Gold - Rebecca Fraser (Distinction).
Classes are held in the Community Centre on Thursday afternoons.

Medical drop-in at Fairfield

THE Patient Participation Group at Fairfield Medical Practice at 22a Abban Street is holding drop-in days on Monday 11th and Tuesday 12th July from 9.30am to 12 noon.

Those registered with Fairfield can pick up healthy lifestyle information-including fresh fruit! There will also be information about changes in the Health Service, such as out-of-hours services and hospital services.
Also, this is an opportunity to air your views and tell NHS staff what you think your health service should be like. Your experience tells them what needs to change.

For more information call Fairfield Medical Practice on 01463 713939.

Local journo in Talk-Back

INVERNESS-born journalist Mike Edwards is to feature in the third of Merkinch Community Centre's Talk-Back sessions.

Mike was born and raised in the Highland Capital and started his journalistic career 20 years ago on the Inverness Courier. Now a senior news reporter with Scottish TV, Mike is also a columnist with the Courier.
A major in the Territorial Army, he has served in Afghanistan and Iraq. Recently he published "Friendly Fire" his first novel, which not surprisingly has a military background.

The Talk-Back event on 1st July, which features wine and cheese and starts at 7.30-tickets £3. Previous Talk-Backs featured Sheena Morrison, head of Merkinch Primary and Alastair MacDonald, chief at Porterfield prison.

briefs.

• LUCKY winner of the Nicol's Killer Quiz last month was C MacDougall, Benula Road. Congratulations!

 

• MERKINCH Community Centre are planning to give the place a new look and are looking for volunteers who would like to help paint the walls inside. You must be 18 years plus and know how to use a paintbrush, although you will get help. Last month a June Jamboree was held to raise funds for the refurbishment with singing, dancing and a barbecue.

 

• STEVEN Campbell, a member of the Trinity Church Boys' Brigade, represented the Territorial Army at the Royal British Legion Scottish Championships for Standard Bearing earlier this summer and won the champion's title for under-18s. Well done Steven!

 

• And the Trinity's Girls Brigade also have cause to celebrate this summer-last month the company was 50 years old. Earlier in the month the Girls Brigade held a Fun & Games night, and during the wonderful weather three members attended Junior Camp at Findhorn.

 

• Date for your diary - St Michael & All Angels are holding their annual Garden Fete in the Rectory garden on Saturday 29th July.

 

• ABBEY/Cameron Residents & Tenants Association (ACTRA) held their AGM on 15 June in Merkinch School.

 

• POLISH workers who have moved to the Highlands can now read a daily newspaper, the Polska Express, in their native language at Inverness Library. The Council has also published a bi-lingual leaflet advising Polish people of the benefits of joining the library and the free access to newspapers on-line.

 

• LILY Urquhart, who has managed the Thornbush Spar Store since it reopened, retired at the end of June. Her successor had not yet been named at time of going to press.

Janny's Hoose

Nothing to do in the holidays?

YOU don't need a lot of money to have a good time in the summer holidays with the children. In fact there are lots of things to do for free.

Why not.

• Go to the museum, there are things to see and do and it doesn't cost a penny.
• Take a football to the park, if it's a nice day take a picnic too.
• If it's raining (and we do get some wet days!) why not make some junk art with the children. You can make all manner of things, cars, cooker, washing machine etc. All you need is cardboard boxes, glue, felt pens/crayons and other bits of scrap. You're limited only by your imagination.
• Go to Whin Park, the paddling pool at Bellfield Park or the Ness Islands.
• Grab a bat and ball and a few pals and play a game of rounders.

There are low-cost things you could do as well...

• Take the bus/train to Nairn beach, they've a museum there too
• Take the bus to Fort George
• Visit the Floral hall, there's fish as well as plants, and a lovely coffee shop
• Take a bus to Rosemarkie - there's the beach and fairy glen
• Take a bus to Culloden and go through the woods to the Cloutie well. Take the bus to the Battlefield.
• Pop into the Janny's Hoose for more ideas.

Jean Mackay, The Janny's Hoose Healthy
Living Centre (01463 226348)

Kirk seeks scripture readers

THE Trinity Church are seeking congregat-ion members willing to participate in Bible readings at Church Services each Sunday. Those interested can contact Session Clerk Iain Macdonald or his deputy Susan MacKenzie.

After many years as Fabric Convenor, Harry Abbott has retired from his role. He has been succeeded by Leslie Davidson.
The Church was busy last month- on the 3rd there was the Summer Fete, on the 11th the Family Service and Sunday School prize-giving, and on the 18th Communion Services.

A party from the Boys Brigade are off to Austria this year; for half of them it will be their first trip abroad. The BB resume on the 8th September and the Girls Brigade on the 4th.

Civic lunch celebrates Janny's Hoose success

A CIVIC lunch for staff and regulars at the award-winning Janny's Hoose Well-being Centre in Telford Road was well-attended.

A number of Highland Council officials and councillors were there. Also represented were staff and pupils from Merkinch Primary.

Pictured from left are: HC's Inverness Area administrator David Haas, Jean Mackay of the Janny's Hoose, Denise Mudge from Fliperz and Councillor Peter Corbett.

Singing for a sunny summer

THE Singing for Pleasure group had a Holiday Night on 13th June and here one of the members sports the most summery of outfits!

Earlier in the month the group performed for residents at Scorguie Nursing Home and at Meallmore Nursing Home in Daviot.

Later this summer they are to sing their favourite hymns on 25th July and in August they will be at the Market on 5th August. They also plan a meal out at the Achilty Hotel on the 8th August.

 
Debate hots up on housing transfer

The ballot could well be a very close-run thing; feedback after the first phase of consultation indicated that half of 500 Highland tenants asked still had not made up their minds, 28% said they would vote Yes and 22% No.

HIGHLAND Council staff have started on a month-long door-to-door exercise to encourage tenants to vote in the coming housing transfer ballot this October. The exercise is being funded by the Scottish Executive.

And while they are not suggesting which way people should vote, it is no secret that the Council is very much behind the transfer, and have no Plan B if the vote whether to transfer the local authority housing stock to not-for-profit locally run housing associations.

The status quo is not an option.

Opponents see this transfer as privatisation of millions of pounds-worth of public housing through the back door. South Kessock Residents Association began this latest stage of the debate recently by inviting representatives from not only the Council but also the independent Tenant Participation Advisory Service (TPAS).

First to speak was Lesley Baird of TPAS who said they had written to every tenants' association and community council about the proposals.

"Changing landlords can be quite scary," she said. TPAS had visited shopping malls and visited playgroups and churches in an effort to reach as many as possible allaying fears and squashing rumours about the transfer proposals.

Why were the proposals being so warmly welcomed by the local authority? Because 41p in the pound that tenants pay in rent goes towards paying off housing debt. The Government, according to Treasury rules, can and will write off that debt if a housing association takes over, but not if the housing stock is retained by the local authority.

If tenants vote yes to the transfer, the housing association would run the housing services with a voluntary board composed of five tenants, five representatives from the housing association and five local community members.

The main board would work in collaboration with a federation of local committees which would be answerable to tenants. Arguments for the transfer, she said, were that debt would be written off and new houses would be built. There were strict regulations regarding rent rises compared to the local authority who could not give such guarantees.

Arguments against were that it was better to remain with the devil you know, and people had natural fears about change and worried about the future, such worries being fuelled by rumours and fears.

Keeping promises

Lesley Baird added that one of TPAS - and Communities Scotland - jobs was to make sure that the Highland Housing Association will do what they say they will and that they will keep their promises.

Tracey Urry from Highland Council outlined the major reasons why the local authority was behind the transfer: There would be more money for increased investment and improved services, energy efficiency works and environmental improvements and an extra £50 million for affordable housing.

Among the main issues for tenants which have emerged so far are: Rents, priorities for improvement, tenancy conditions such as right to buy, repairs, building new homes.

"At present 49% of council housing fails to meet energy efficiency standards and work is desperately need," said Tracey Urry. There are just nine years until the entire housing stock will be required to meet the Scottish Quality Housing Standard.

Next to speak was David Goldie from the Shadow Highland Housing Association. They were supervised fairly rigorously by Communities Scotland, he said.

Reassurances

He offered reassurance to tenants regarding rents. These would only rise by the rate of inflation for the next five years and by the rate of inflation plus half a per cent in the following five years.

Transfer to the HHA would not affect tenants' legal rights. What's more the housing staff they would deal with would be familiar to them as the staff would transfer from the local authority to the HHA.

Chairman of Highlands Against Stock Transfer (HAST) Donnie Kerr said, "The Highland Council know that stock transfer is riddled with potential problems for tenants and the stock transfer issue is being forced on tenants in Scotland through blackmail by the UK Treasury."

Mr Kerr can be reached at 22 Upper Kessock Street, Inverness IV3 8JQ, tel 01463 223578 donniekerr@yahoo.com.

The Scottish Socialist Party has also set up an anti-transfer campaign. Steve Arnott the Highlands' regional organiser says they hope to put out a pamphlet to all tenants explaining why they should reject the proposal.

Merkinch Community Festival

ARTS in Merkinch has once again laid on a varied programme of arts events for its third annual festival. Besides the gallery in the former Motorcycle Shed on Grant Street, there are workshops on everything from art and pottery to stand-up comedy with Phil Kay and henna painting. Some events are ticketed and it pays to buy your tickets in advance for £2 - these are obtainable during office hours from Merkinch Enterprise, 14 Grant Street.

And those who wish to take part in the workshops are advised to book in advance at Merkinch Enterprise, telephone 240085, as places, although free, are limited.

For those wishing to enter work in the exhibition - painting/drawing, photography or crafts - entry forms are available at Merkinch Enterprise.

Group offers platform for local youth

MERKINCH Youth Matters (MYM) aim to be the voice of young people in the area. Liz Murray helped set up the group and she is their treasurer. "We also have help from Vikki Trelfor (Youth Participation)," she said. MYM chairman Robbie Williamson told News & Views, "We have had a BBQ in the community garden and invited the youth of the area to turn up and give us ideas about what they would like to see here.

"We are also arranging a visit to a youth café as this is our long-term plan and we hope to hold a fashion show in August."
Pictured, from left, are: Robbie Williamson Mary Fraser, Rebecca McGivern (secretary) and Louise Vanzetta.

Colourful Corbett

STUDI'03 artists from the Corbett Centre have been working hard on their contribution to the Colourful Corners project and three of them are pictured here with Liz Graham (left) who, along with Billy Coghill works with them on their almost daily visits to Highland Print Studio where they paint. Their highly colourful mural shows a bird's-eye view of the area. It is due to be on show during the Arts in Merkinch Festival which opens on 7th July (see page 7 for details).

What to do if you find discarded needles and syringes

THERE have been scares and false alarms recently concerning drugs in the Merkinch area - and there have also been police raids leading to court cases.

But one of the things which concerns local parents in particular is the dangerous way that some addicts dispose of their needles and syringes, or rather don't dispose of them, with a total disregard for others.

The Highland Drug & Alcohol Team have issued some valuable advice if you or your children should come across such equipment.
Don't panic; don't touch, don't put in a litter bin, drain or flush down the loo; be careful of any blood in the area.

Phone Highland Council TEC Services on 715087 in office hours or 745968 out of hours. Give them details and a clear description of location.

Discarded drug-using equipment can be dangerous because drug-users who share needles are at high risk of developing blood-borne infections such as hepatitis B and C, and HIV. These infections can sometimes be carried on discarded needles and syringes.

If you are injured by a needle, gently squeeze the surrounding skin to promote bleeding-do not suck or scrub it. Wash the area gently with plenty of soap and water. Seek medical treatment immediately from your GP or Raigmore A&E.

Out of School

Get off your mark for clothing allowance

ASSISTANCE for School Clothing is not being cut back, contrary to rumour. But those wishing to receive the full year's allowance should apply as soon as possible and certainly before the end of December.

For applications sent in after that date will only receive half the annual allowance as they will only cover half the school year.

This coming session actually sees an increase in the Clothing Allowance to £50, and £25 for those applying after January 1st.

Parents who may be eligible include those on Income Support, Income-based Job-seekers Allowance or Child Tax Credit.

These categories are also eligible for free school meals. But if you are on Working /Tax Credit you are only eligible for the school clothing allowance, not the school meals.

Sixteen to 18-year-olds in receipt of any of the above may apply for these allowances in their own right.

All queries to 01463 251300-forms from Service Points.

IF YOU have Merkinch Primary School sweatshirts and fleeces which are used but in good condition, please give them to the school. We will sell them for 50p in aid of school funds.

*****

MRS Val Moffat, who taught at Merkinch for 16 years, retired at the end of the summer term. She was the driving force behind such projects as the School Garden, Recycling and the ECO group, and the Merkinch Times school magazine.

*****

PRIMARY 3/4 have been planting a wide range of vegetables in the school garden this year and getting much interest and pleasure from seeing them grow.

*****

SCHOOL resumes on 16th August until 6th October.

FLIPERZ held their annual Pedal Push charity event recently raising a record £789. On 26th June the staff and children were proud to present ChildLine Scotland with a cheque for £400 and local organiser Katy McIlwaine (second left) was happy to receive the cheque and meet staff and children in the Fliperz garden. Also pictured back row, from left, are staff members, Susan, Denise (manager) and Kirsteen. The remainder of the money raised goes to Fliperz own funds.

WOULD parents driving their children to Fliperz's Simpson's Lane premises please note that it is important to negotiate in the area of the building VERY SLOWLY.

Is your child 3 this year?

CHILDREN who will reach the age of 3 years by 31st August 2006 can now be enrolled at Fliperz Nursery for their Educational Funded place for the August term.
You can also enrol children in their Pre-School year and Day Care. You can phone Fliperz on 01463 234232 or pop into the nursery. When filling out the forms, could parents please bring their child's Birth Certificate with them.