CANdo Coupar Angus and District Community Magazine Pride of Place and Coupar Angus win ‘Gold’ again and ‘Best in Large Village’ at 2019 Beautiful Scotland awards in Dumfries Also in this issue, sponsored by: ‘Balhousie Coupar Angus care home residents get arty with bottle tops’ ISSUE 91 September/October 2019 Joe Richards Collectables WANTED: Old tools & coins, Tilley lamps, war items 01828 628138 or 07840 794453 [email protected] Ryan Black, fish merchant in Coupar Bits n Bobs with Kids and Gifts Angus & area, Thursdays 8.30 am till 5 pm. At The Cross 12 till 12.45 ‘straight from the shore to your door’ CANdo Sept/October 2019 Editorial In the previous CANdo, we drew readers’ attention to research on the healthiest places to live in the UK. In a list of the top ten, Coupar Angus came in seventh. Perhaps one of the reasons is the recommendation that derelict and unused land can be used to create the next generation of allotments or community farms. The aim is to increase local provision of fresh food. Which is something already well established in our town. Our thriving community gardens deliver significant amounts of produce, while the Grow Your Own group enjoy their learning sessions and visiting each other’s gardens. The recommendation comes from the Vacant and Derelict Land Taskforce, set up by the Scottish Land Commission and SEPA. It believes such land, called “stuck areas”, of which there is a significant amount, can be transformed to promote inclusive growth and greater wellbeing (and combat the effects of climate change). Roseanna Cunningham, secretary for the environment, maintains that these initiatives can act as a catalyst for community and environmental regeneration. Members of the task force might learn something in Coupar Angus. It is good timing that this edition gives you the latest news from Pride of Place about the judges’ visits to Coupar Angus. Also programmes of events from the Heritage Centre and the Arts Society Tayside, as well as information about the Relax Group, Elder Voice, a new community voluntary service, and the New Age Kurling Club as well as the somewhat older Coupar Angus & Kettins Curling Club. Given that, while we have a justified pride in much of the voluntary work that goes on here, we are not parochial in outlook. How they do things in Kirkcaldy is described, and maybe we can learn something from them. In this issue a challenge for you - how far can you travel in Scotland in 24 hours there and back? Read how one Coupar Angus resident set himself the challenge and how he got on. Could you go further? David Carson, on behalf of the editorial team, contact Val Kidd - [email protected] or read CANdo at https://forwardcouparangus.co.uk CANdo is produced by your local development trust Forward Coupar Angus Your advertisement in this space? It will be seen by organisations/ school/outlets in Coupar Angus, also in Burrelton, Meigle, Kettins, Blairgowrie and beyond. Contact Val to discuss, and support CANdo, your local free magazine Pop along to the Cycling Hub, Forfar Road, Coupar Angus We have bikes (also second-hand) for sale and hire as well as friendly advice WHERE IS THIS IN YOUR COMMUNITY Guess where this in Coupar Angus. Answer in next edition of CANdo. The photo in the July/August edition was the old Bowling club on Forfar Rd, now the cycling club, on a sunny day when a senior cycle group popped by for a welcome rest. Professionally NPTC qualified, offering: Felling, Pruning, logging & stacking services. Get in touch with Grant for a quote 07444641283 or [email protected] Balhousie care home gets arty with bottle tops Balhousie Coupar Angus has brightened up its garden with recycled art – and the effect is “brilliant”, say the staff. The care home spent 6 months collecting coloured bottle tops from milk and juice containers. The tops came from relatives of residents in the home, as well as contacts at local health facilities, including Headway Perth and Kinross and Murray Royal Hospital. Neighbour The Red House Hotel and Balhousie’s head office in Perth also donated. Activities Coordinator at Balhousie, Doris Scott, came up with the idea, then with administrator Lorna Menzies, handyman Andy Shaw and local residents, created three pieces of artwork – a bumble bee (pictured here), a butterfly and a flower – for their garden fence, as you can see on the cover of this magazine. “What they’ve created is brilliant, in more ways than one,” says Deputy Manager Amber Smith. “It’s given our garden an extra boost of colour for residents as well as visitors and the feedback has been great.” The care home team are planning more bottle top creations and want to make the next project inter-generational. Doris says: “Inter-generational activities are really important for our residents and break down age barriers. We’d love to get nursery and primary school kids involved and can’t wait to get cracking on the next project.” ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Pride of Place Update Coupar Angus is still looking great in spite of the strong winds and rain blowing away the flowers. Pride of Place are doing our best to keep areas tidy, but with no regular Street Sweeper, not an easy task. PoP have been in the Reuse Shop for two weeks to raise important funds towards next year’s floral decorations, also for watering the baskets and boxes on display; and projects such as round our Standing Stone at the Perth Road entrance. There, Poppers Jeff and Ken have working hard, while the MaD Team strimmed grass and trimmed trees, in preparation for laying wildflower turf around the Stone. We are always very grateful for the way the community support PoP's events and help with litter picking. Thankfully dog poo is not left on the pavements so often. But it is still left on grass in public places where unsuspecting folk can walk in it; for young children it is dangerous − getting it on their hands and in their mouths just by handling food, can cause blindness. Poo should be bagged and binned at all times, not just bagged and tossed into long grass or bushes or left on the road. Sadly, the amount of cigarette butts left on pavements, gutters, grass and in drains seems to have increased. They do NOT just wash away but will in time disintegrate into the water, release the toxins left in the butt and go out to our Burn, rivers and finally out to sea. Wonderful for sea-life, then we consume them in the fish! So PLEASE, once you have stamped out your cigarette, put it not just close to the bin or on top of the bin, but IN THE BIN. PoP take a pride in the keeping our town looking good, but we cannot do it alone. As we get older, we are slower and at times unwell, with new hips or knees making it difficult to keep on volunteering. So we are appealing to townsfolk of all ages to really consider joining us whenever you can. We need help to keep doing all we now do, otherwise we will have to reduce our workload. This year, we did not manage all we usually do, like clearing gutters or keeping up with weeding. This is also disappointing for groups in town that work alongside us. So please have a serious think. We do what we can, come when we can and sometimes have to say no to certain tasks. We have fun together and a great sense of achievement when we see the results, whether weeding, sweeping or planting, and all coming together when the town looks great − so can YOU. We meet Thursday mornings 9.30 at the Town Hall all year and in the summer, Tuesdays 6.30 pm. Contact Anne Easson on 01828 628001 or [email protected] Two sets of judges visited the town in August (Take a Pride in Perthshire and Beautiful Scotland). We have just learned this month that PoP was awarded gold again by Beautiful Scotland and first in category, so a huge thank you to all who helped achieve this wonderful result. And well done to Blairgowrie for also winning gold. Anne Easson . COUPAR ANGUS & KETTINS CURLING CLUB one of the oldest clubs in the UK, is looking for new members Why not have a go for free − 7th Nov 8.30 pm at Perth Ice Rink Try Curling sessions/Beginners courses throughout the season see www.trycurling.com or www.perthcurling.com all you need: warm comfy clothing, flat shoes/trainers and enthusiasm Please call: Liz Ireland - 01828 627564 or Barbara Allan - 670251 A NEW Community Voluntary Service covering Coupar Angus and surrounding areas is now in operation. After consultation with a group of older people, Elder Voice was formed to address the much needed services to help connect these people in the community, address loneliness and isolation and improve their quality of life and well-being. With the ever-increasing older population, services are needed to match their needs and break down the layers of barriers preventing them leading normal healthy happy lives or remaining in their home as long as possible. Elder Voice is a community led charity organising a Neighbourhood Link, Befriending and Patient/Community Transport service. This provides a helping hand and a door to door service for anyone who has difficulty getting out and about in the area, alleviating the stress or worry people face regarding transport in time of need, such as medical/hospital appointments. Volunteer drivers will give a helping hand out of the car, pick up from home and wait at hospital or doctor appointments to take people home.