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So Proud to Come from Govan

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So Proud to Come from Govan Annual Review 2017 So Proud to Come from Govan Annual Review to 31 March 2017 Annual Review 2017 AILEEN McGOWAN was born and brought up in Govan, attending St Saviour’s Primary and St Gerard’s Secondary schools. She started work in 1967 in ‘Fairfields’, first as a Clerical Assistant in the Pipe Shop before promotion to the Buying department and the post of Progress Chaser based in the main office building on Govan Rd. Finding herself the only young person in the department, she yearned to be among colleagues of a similar age and left in 1969 for Glasgow City Council where she ultimately from the chair became a Housing Officer at Mosspark Rent Office. Aileen McGowan, the newly elected Chair of Govan Workspace From 1975 Aileen took a 5-year career break to start a family after IT GIVES me great pleasure to present turned out to be a great community which she attended Cardonald our Annual Review in what has been event which drew people of all ages. College and completed three another busy and successful year for The highlight for me was seeing the Highers. The next move was to Govan Workspace. But before doing GYIP kids (of Govan Youth Information Paisley University and graduation in that, my first task must be to thank the Project) starring for the day as Sir Alex’s 1985 with BA (Hons). board for electing me as their Chair. It bodyguards, complete in Viking uniforms. is a tremendous honour to be asked to Sir Alex himself was a true gentleman and Her chosen profession from take on that role in such a successful and left these young people and their families that point onwards was in Careers, worthwhile enterprise. I will endeavour to with lots of precious memories and starting with a post- graduate do my very best. photographs. diploma in 1986 before joining The circumstances of my election The completion of the Walkway was Glasgow Careers Service. Her are, of course, marked by great sadness: indeed a cause for celebration. It first post there was at Cardonald the sudden death of our longtime is very important for me to highlight that where she specialised in work with schools and the educational sector. Working together, all manner of things become possible Promotion took her in 1994 to the Barmulloch office, then to Maryhill Chairperson, Duncan MacLean. His loss is this was from top to bottom a community three years later as Area Manager keenly felt by board and staff alike and it project: the community came up with and finally back across the city to will be so difficult to get used to him not the idea; spent a couple of years studying being around. I got to know Duncan well design options before choosing one; become District Manager for the in the time I’ve served on the board, which worked for two more years raising funds; whole of the Southside. I first joined in October 1993. As Vice-Chair and finally appointed contractors to do It was while in Cardonald that in recent times I had the honour of filling the work. We’re right to be proud of it. Aileen first came into contact in for him on the rare occasions he was But let me also highlight the role played with Govan Workspace, providing unavailable. I have seen at close hand his by our funders, especially Central Govan advice and support with its warm personality and great kindness, and Action Plan, the Big Lottery, and the Scottish training initiatives. She developed witnessed the exceptional contribution he Government’s Vacant & Derelict Land Fund. a keen interest in the work of made to the work of Govan Workspace. We There is only so much a community can the community enterprise and all owe him a huge debt. achieve on its own, and likewise for funders. eventually joined the board in 1993. My very first duty as Chair was to But when we work together, all manner of launch the formal Opening of the Govan things become possible. I think the Govan Aileen retired from the Careers Old Walkway on 7 July and it was a Old Walkway is an excellent example of privilege to welcome home to Govan our successful partnership-working and I want Service in 2009 and lives in Houston, special guest that day, Sir Alex Ferguson. to finish by expressing our thanks to all who Renfrewshire. Despite the disappointing weather, it helped make it happen. 2 Annual Review 2017 Scotland’s Best Kept Heritage Secret National Award for Fairfield WINNING THE right to be considered among the nation’s elite heritage locations has been a hard battle to win but Govan has finally earned that accolade thanks to the exceptional performance of a local project. In August 2017 the Govan Stones came top of a nationwide poll for the coveted title of Scotland’s Best Hidden Heritage Gem, beating 28 historic sites across the country. The contest – part of a year-long celebration of the nation’s archaeology, AN AWARD for Best Creative Re-use of Mark Watson, Deputy Head of Industrial funded by Historic Environment Scotland an Industrial Building has been made Heritage at Historic Environment Scotland. and co-ordinated by Dig It! 2017 – was to Govan Workspace for its Fairfield The restoration of Fairfield and the a voyage of discovery to find Scotland’s project by the Association for Industrial national award was recognised in an Early best kept heritage secrets. The final short- Archaeology. A bronze plaque was Day Motion in the House of Commons, list of six projects included impressive presented in the Fairfield boardroom sponsored by local MP Chris Stephens. competition: the medieval ruin of Ardrossan to Managing Director Pat Cassidy by Castle; Lincluden Collegiate Church, Dumfries; James Watt Cottage, Bo’ness; member Paul Sweeney. In July a vintage Dundee’s ancient Howff burial ground; and Festivals & Heritage transport service was in operation as part the Campbeltown Picture House. But it was Buses of the Great Big Heritage Bus Tour which the Govan project that swept the boards saw special liveried vehicles running from with an impressive margin of 600 votes over A FESTIVAL of Museums event in May saw Kelvingrove and Kelvinhall to Riverside its nearest rival, Ardrossan Castle. Fairfield Heritage provide wide-ranging Frazer Capie, Govan Old’s Volunteer Co- and Govan every 30 minutes. The event activities for young and old including a ordinator commented: “It was an amazing drew almost 300 visitors to Fairfield concert by local group Dynamic Strings result for us and I was taken aback by the Heritage and Govan Old on 15 July, and an evening tour by former BAE enthusiasm and support we got from the including lots of young families. community; everyone wanted to know employee and Fairfield Steering Group how they could vote. The publicity the competition generated from the early summer when we were short-listed had a massive effect on visitor numbers at Govan Old. It’s our busiest season, with 10,500 visitors by mid-September, already more than for the whole of 2016. “ Living Legends: Vikings Return to Govan was a one-day follow-up event in September by Dig It! 2017 when they staged a number of entertaining and interactive activities at Govan Old around the theme of archaeology. Left. Viking return to Scotland 3 Annual Review 2017 A Voice of Sanity to get out of control and the project knack for seeing both sides of every story; headed for the rocks, up popped this an honesty that treated everyone the and Common Sense forty-something chap who dared to bring same; and someone who spoke up for his a bit of order and calm things down. Well community and worked tirelessly on its spoken and articulate, the words were behalf whether at Govan Workspace, or delivered in that trademark MacLean style his lifetime commitment to scouting, his – studied and deliberate, finger-prodding contribution to Govan Rotary or in the two and lecturing all present in no uncertain decades that with Margaret, his wife, they terms that the people of Govan would successfully revitalised the Govan Fair. be the big losers if they, the community The other unfailing characteristic about leaders, couldn’t get their act together. Duncan was that he was a ‘doer’. He Well, I couldn’t believe my eyes – they took loved nothing more than to be hands-on. a telling and the project survived. Indeed, he had a mantra for it: “At Govan It was an impressive performance. Workspace”, he’d repeat, “we’re not afraid Not for the first time and not for the last, to get dirt under our finger nails.” Duncan’s had been a voice of sanity amidst I recall showing a group of posh visitors a cacophony of hysteria. Shortly after round our premises at Harmony Row in the the meeting I recall asking my colleague early days and of them asking if they could Rosemary Swords, if she’d any idea who the meet one of the community directors. “Of peacemaker was. “That’s the guy from the course,” I said, and took them into an area Duncan MacLean: scouts who comes in for photocopying” we were refurbishing. There at the top of An Appreciation by Pat Cassidy she told me. Clearly, no one but no one a stepladder in overalls and brandishing was going to get in between Duncan a paint roller was Duncan who duly addressed them from his elevated position. I KNEW Duncan MacLean for a very long and his new photocopying service.
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